Yearly Archives: 2023

Indian Hills Country Club. File photo by Sara-Megan Walsh

By Neil Mehta

The Hauppauge-based Northwind Group is hoping to break ground by March on developing a 55-and-over townhouse community in Fort Salonga named The Preserve at Indian Hills.

After a 4-3 vote by the Huntington Zoning Board of Appeals that allowed for the issue of a special-use permit modification, the Fort Salonga Property Owners Association announced plans to challenge the outcome in court according to FSPOA president John Hayes.

The ZBA Dec. 15 vote permitted the construction of 74 housing units and reconstruction of the clubhouse at Indian Hills Country Club. At the ZBA meeting, members of the FSPOA packed the boardroom with signs reading “Vote No.” Despite members’ objections, the vote ruled in favor of the development.A Dec. 19 letter from FSPOA attorney Karl Huth to the ZBA, posted on the organization’s Facebook page, argued that because the tiebreaking vote was cast by an alternate member of the board, the vote was invalid and requires an additional public hearing.

In a phone interview, Hayes described the decision as an “illegal vote,” adding that the FSPOA “will be filing a lawsuit.” Hayes said that if the ZBA vote is invalid, further approval for the development by the Huntington Planning Board based on the current ZBA vote will also be invalid.

ZBA attorney John Bennett disputed Hayes’ stance in a phone interview. Bennett cited a town code stating that alternate members of the ZBA “shall possess all of the powers and responsibilities” of an unavailable member.

The validity of the vote apart, residents are concerned that the new development will have detrimental environmental and property value consequences.

Hayes said that the northwest portion of the planned development sits on a recognized landslide zone losing several feet of land per year due to erosion. Additionally, the development may worsen water quality in the area.

“The community is vehemently opposed to the current plan,” Hayes said.

Northwind managing member Jim Tsunis highlighted several benefits of the new development in a phone interview. When asked about residents’ worries regarding the development’s environmental impact, Tsunis said his group performed “an environmental impact study that covers all of the concerns” residents have.

The housing development, Tsunis explained, has three major benefits: the preservation of the golf course, the introduction of natural gas to the entire neighborhood and additional tax revenue to the school district.

According to Tsunis, the group has already started sales for the new development, with 19 achieved to date. The suggested starting price for a three-bedroom townhouse in the new community is $1.4 million, according to the Northwind website.

“We’ve sold 50% available for sale already in a very short period of time,” he said.

Tsunis emphasized that all of the existing buyers are from within 10 miles of the new development. “What we’ve done is created a product that’s being bought by residents of the area,” he said. “I believe that’s significant.”

A special election for Brookhaven Town Clerk will take place Tuesday, Jan. 17. Above, Kevin LaValle (left) and Lisa Di Santo, respective nominees for the Republican and Democratic parties. Photos by Raymond Janis

Early voting is underway for the next Brookhaven town clerk, and the two major party candidates are making their pitch to the voters.

Former Town Clerk Donna Lent (I) retired in November, triggering a special election for her unexpired term ending in 2025. Town of Brookhaven Councilman Kevin LaValle (R-Selden) and community advocate Lisa Di Santo, the Democratic Party nominee, will square off at the polls Tuesday, Jan. 17.

During a joint meeting of the Selden and Centereach civic associations Thursday, Jan. 5, the two candidates were questioned on a range of topics related to the operations of the Town Clerk’s Office. Civic members generated some of the questions with others fielded from the audience.

Introductions

Di Santo is a former social studies teacher who taught students about participation in government. She also served as a trustee of the South Country school board in East Patchogue, where she lives. 

“I have always participated in government, and I feel that I can be an independent voice of reason in the Town Clerk’s Office,” she said. “We have many of the same people filling many of the same positions over and over again. … That leads to a bit of stagnation, and I think it’s time for a fresh set of ideas, a fresh set of eyes, on what’s happening in the Town Clerk’s Office.”

Before entering government, LaValle owned a title agency. He then received a loan mortgage originator’s license and has worked in mortgage banking ever since. The councilman worked on the staff of former Suffolk County Legislators Dan Losquadro (R) and Tom Muratore (R). He was elected to serve Brookhaven’s 3rd Council District in 2013 in an area which includes Lake Grove, Centereach, Selden and parts of Lake Ronkonkoma, Farmingville, Port Jeff Station and a piece of Holbrook. 

 “I think I’ve accomplished a great deal as councilman, but I come before you now, again, to say that as town clerk, I am going to bring a new energy,” he said. “I am going to bring a new work ethic to the Town Clerk’s Office that has not been seen before.”

Duties of town clerk

Both candidates were asked about the function of the town clerk. For Di Santo, the clerk must ensure the accurate recording of Town Board meetings and the efficient filing of legal records, among other tasks. She emphasized the significance of the Freedom of Information Law request process.

“One of the most important things has to do with [being] the appeals officer for FOIL requests that come to the town,” she said. “People who live here and pay taxes should be able to access that information.”

The Democratic candidate also said the incoming clerk must assess and modernize the existing technology in the office. “I have spoken with some people who work in the Town Clerk’s Office and told me that their technology is at least 10 years out of date,” she said. “That is something that is certainly personally scary to me.”

LaValle viewed the clerk’s role as threefold, that is to “secure, maintain and distribute vital records of the residents of the Town of Brookhaven.” He referred to the office as a “vital hub,” servicing residents in the best and worst times.

“I believe the efficiency could be improved in the Town Clerk’s Office,” he said. “Cybersecurity, I think that’s something we can take to another level.”

He viewed the clerk as a service provider rather than a policymaker or revenue generator, noting that empowering and providing the staff with the necessary resources will be critical. “As the clerk, the focus will be about making sure the staff has the tools to be able to do their job,” he said.

Cybersecurity

Addressing the September ransomware attack against the Suffolk County government, LaValle assessed shortcomings within the county’s IT network. He described the need for coordination between departments, recommending the town continues its transition to cloud technologies to avert a similar scenario.

“The cloud is probably the best security that you can have, but we have to stay vigilant and make sure we’re looking at new technologies as we move along to make sure our information stays secure,” the councilman said.

Di Santo concurred that replacing outdated technology will be a priority. She stressed the need to properly oversee the transition to new platforms and work out any technical or logistic challenges that may arise.

“When you have new technology, one of the things that is crucial is to make certain that the staff is comfortable with that technology, that they’re fully trained so that they are able to use that to the best of their ability,” she said.

Staffing

After conversations with staff members, Di Santo painted a bleak picture of the current situation within the Town Clerk’s Office. “The office is actually understaffed,” she said. “Morale is really not very good in the office. You have a lot of turnover, so it’s very difficult to have the best customer service when you have staff changing and needing to be retrained.”

She reiterated that “a fresh set of eyes” from somebody outside government will help identify areas for improvement and generate potential solutions.

LaValle said he would prefer close collaboration with the Town Board, analyzing any barriers to efficient staff operations. He then stated a desire to fund personnel better.

“I want to be able to go in, take a real good look at what is going on in the office,” he said. “Do we need more employees? Should we pay our employees more?”

He also advanced the need to offer a vision the staff can get behind. “We have to work with the employees and build a team concept,” he said. “I want to make this the best clerk’s office in New York state. Without our employees buying into my leadership and what I want to do, that’s not going to happen.”

Resident access

Both candidates addressed the need to decentralize the office, to move services out of Town Hall and into the various hamlets and villages throughout the township. LaValle introduced a multipronged approach, including attending community meetings and building a more prominent multimedia presence.

“I want to be a town clerk going out to various functions,” he said. “A lot of people here see me in a lot of different events. That’s something I’m going to continue to do because I think the outreach of going out to the public and showing them what the clerk’s office does … is fundamentally important.”

He added, “I want to be able to go out and bring back some transparency — new social media platforms, doing videos on Channel 18 talking about what we can do to help residents.”

Di Santo said she has heard from multiple residents that resident access to public records can be slow. She again centered on requests for public information.

“The town clerk is the final appeals officer for the FOIL law,” she said. “In some cases, those requests get bounced from one department to another and the clock seems to run out.”

She added, “People who are residents, our taxpayers, are asking for information from their town, and in many cases it seems that it is being stonewalled. The town clerk has a responsibility to provide that information.”

Open government

Candidates were asked what the term “open government” means and how they would bring town government closer to the people.

“Open government means giving everyone the opportunity to participate at their fullest,” Di Santo said. “I would, as town clerk, try to appeal to the Town Board members to make many of the meetings much more accessible to the many people in the town who work.”

She also proposed bringing the operations of the Town Clerk’s Office to local libraries and other community forums. “The town clerk [could] go into each and every one of those council districts several times a year, appear at the senior centers and the local libraries to have discussions with people,” she said.

Like Di Santo, LaValle stressed he would maintain an active community presence if elected. “I want to go out, I want to be at senior centers, I want to be at civic meetings, I want to be in chambers of commerce, talking about what the clerk’s office does,” he said. “You have to get out there. You have to be a part of the community.”

Brookhaven residents will decide on these two candidates this Tuesday, Jan. 17. Polls open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., and residents can report to their regular polling place on Election Day.

METRO photo

By Michael E. Russell

Michael E. Russell

Happy New Year to all! At the very least, we can say that we are off to a rousing start. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose a phenomenal 700+ points this past Friday. Not bad; another 7000 points and most of us will be even. 

My wife states that I always look at the glass as half empty. Somewhat true, but as I write this article, it is Happy Hour; consequently my glass is half empty!

There are so many things to write about. Where to start? Oh yeah, how about our new Congress Person representing New York’s 3rd congressional district. Brought to you by Saturday Night Live, Mr. George, you can’t make it up, Santos. Let me think about his credentials. Baruch College, NOPE. Worked at Citibank, NOPE. Worked at Goldman Sachs, NOPE. Jewish, NOPE. Jew-ish — that’s correct! 

Why do I write about this clown? [I don’t want to offend clowns, sorry]. I write about him because I hope they put him on the Congressional Finance Oversight Committee. A person that claimed he earned $6500 in 2020 was able to donate $175,000 to the Nassau Republican Committee in 2021 and lend his own campaign committee $750,000 in the same year. The man is a genius! How do you do that? I hope to be able to interview him for the next article. Boy oh boy, what we could learn. Alright, enough on this topic. UGH!

Starting with the bad news, it appears that Bed Bath & Beyond will have to close all of its stores — ran out of cash. They were never able to recover after the pandemic.

Sorry to digress, but speaking of clowns, it seems that Party City is also going into bankruptcy. So much for the song, “Send in the Clowns.” I really couldn’t help it!

Tesla is having its share of problems. It is cutting the cost of cars to be sold in China by 30%. Hey, what about us? Elon Musk appears to have become distracted by his purchase of Twitter. He needs to hire a new CEO for Twitter to show investors that he is refocused on Tesla. 

Growth stocks lost their luster in 2022. The Russell 1000 Growth Index fell by 30% versus a 10% decline in the Russell Value Index. This was the widest gap in many years. It appears that high interest will be with us for a quite a while since Treasury yields are the highest in 20 years, thus giving us somewhat of “risk free” returns for the short term. This makes growth stocks less attractive for the present due to falling multiples. Even though the Value Index fared better, an investor should still look at only the companies that have strong balance sheets, thus weathering this awful inflation period we are in.

Companies that looked like they would grow forever made some terrible decisions. Prior to the year 2020, Amazon doubled its staff to more than 1.5 million. Alphabet [Google] increased its staff more than double to 180,000!

What do we do? The 60/40 portfolio model looks much better today than it did 12 months ago. Bond yields are much higher and stock prices are much lower. Bear in mind however, despite falling more than 20% in 2022, the S&P 500 is still trading around 17 times earnings, nearing its historical average.

Please be aware that tomorrow, Friday, brings the start of fourth quarter earnings season, with some of America’s giants — Bank of America [BAC], United Health Group [UNH], JPMorgan Chase [JPM], and Delta Airlines [DAL] — reporting results. The consensus is that several S&P 500 companies are to report fourth quarter losses for the first time in quite a while.

Even though there are more electric vehicles on the road, our giant oil companies have seen their stock prices close to double. Check out my favorite, Exxon Mobil [XOM] — $62 in January 2022, closed Dec. 31 at $110. Make sure you fill up this week!

Once again, wishing all a healthy and prosperous 2023.

Michael E. Russell retired after 40 years working for various Wall Street firms. All recommendations being made here are not guaranteed and may incur a loss of principal. The opinions and investment recommendations expressed in the column are the author’s own. TBR News Media does not endorse any specific investment advice and urges investors to consult with their financial advisor. 

BE THEIR GUEST Smithtown Performing Arts Center presents 'Beauty and the Beast Jr.' through Jan. 22. Photo by Jackie St. Louis
PROGRAMS

Fossil Finds

Sunken Meadow State Park, Sunken Meadow Parkway, Kings Park presents a Tiny Tots program, Fossil Finds, on Jan. 12 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. This program will connect children and their parents with nature through short walks, animal visitors, and crafts. For ages 3 to 5. $4 per child. Register at www.eventbrite.com or call 269-5351.

Snow Globe Family Workshop

The Whaling Museum, 301 Main St.. Cold Spring Harbor presents a Snow Globe Family Workshop on Jan. 14 from 1 to 3 p.m. Celebrate the wonder of arctic whales in this drop-in program. Use clay, glitter, and other materials to design and create a wintry whale scene inside of a shimmering snow globe. Recommended for ages 5 and up. Admission fee plus $10 per participant. Call 367-3418.

Lunar New Year Celebration

Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit with a Lunar New Year Celebration at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport on Jan. 15 from 10 a.m. to noon. Visit the wildlife dioramas, learn Chinese calligraphy, and make a decoration that will bring good luck all year. For grades 2 to 4. $20 per child. To register, visit www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

Pizza and Puppets!

Join Celebrate St. James at the St. James Community Cultural Arts Center, 176 Second St., St. James for a Kids Community class on Jan. 16 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Featuring Pizza by Tano making delicious pizza enjoy, learn about the history of pizza and then create a fun puppet to take home. $20 for child and parent, $10 each additional child or adult. Register at www.celebratestjames.org. 

Storytime Under the Stars

Suffolk County Vanderbilt Planetarium, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport presents its next Storytime Under the Stars on Jan. 16 from 6 to 7 p.m. A live narrator will read from winter-themed picture books, with pages projected onto the Planetarium dome for families to enjoy the illustrations and follow along. Between stories, an astronomy educator will explore seasonal constellations visible from here on Long Island. All children are invited to wear their comfiest pajamas and bring their favorite stuffed animals. Admission fee is $8 per person. Purchase tickets at www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

THEATER

‘The House That Jack Built’

Theatre Three, 412 Main St. Port Jefferson welcomes the New Year with The House That Jack Built, a delightful collection of stories, specially adapted for the youngest audiences from Jan. 21 to Feb. 4 with a sensory sensitive performance on Jan. 22. Inspired by the Brothers Grimm and Aesop’s Fables, the seven stories include The Fisherman and His Wife, Henny Penny, The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse, The Bremen Town Musicians, Stubborn as a Mule, The Lion and the Mouse That Returned a Favor, and The Tortoise and the Hare. This original musical features bold storytelling and a tuneful new score. Tickets are $10. To order, call 928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

‘Beauty and the Beast Jr.’

The Smithtown Performing Arts Center, 2 East Main St., Smithtown kicks off the holiday season with Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Jr. from Nov. 19 to Jan. 22. The classic story tells of Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, who is really a young prince trapped under the spell of an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end and he will be transformed to his former self. But time is running out. If the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he and his household will be doomed for all eternity. All seats are $25. To order, visit www.smithtownpac.org.

Disney’s ‘Frozen Jr.’

The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport continues its children’s theater with Disney’s Frozen Jr. on Saturdays at 11 a.m. and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. from Feb. 4 to March 5. When faced with danger, princesses Anna and Elsa discover their hidden potential and the powerful bond of sisterhood. This enchanting musical features all of the memorable songs from the hit Disney film and will thaw even the coldest heart! All seats are $20. To order, call 261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.

'Thirteen Moons: Nature Adapts and Transforms' by Anne Seelbach. Image courtesy of Gallery North

By Tara Mae

Nature’s beauty is at once defiantly delicate and stubbornly resilient. Elements Adrift, on view at Gallery North from Jan. 12 to Feb. 19, considers the alchemy and artistry of the natural world as expressed through Long Island artist Anne Seelbach’s oil, acrylic, and watercolor paintings as well as mixed media pieces.

Seelbach’s first solo show at Gallery North, it consists of approximately 35 works from three different series that organically ripple outward, encompassing the serenity of the sea and the perniciously predatory impact of pollution. Elements Adrift explores the inspiration found in the environment and the toxicity inherent in careless encounters with it.  

‘Thirteen Moons: Nature Adapts and Transforms’ by Anne Seelbach. Image courtesy of Gallery North

“Seelbach’s figural abstraction reflects her fascination and love of nature and interest in pointing to those elements that are polluting and deprecating it. In the past, she has tried to bring attention to that through her work,” said Gallery North’s Executive Director Ned Puchner.

Put together, each individual series transforms from island unto itself to an archipelago of artistic expression, chronicling Seelbach’s relationship with the world around her and transitioning the audience from one sequence into another. 

“Some pieces are really fascinating in that they show [Seelbach] moving on…you see her moving from one series into another, and I think that is really where the excitement in her work lies. She goes from series to series and in each series, she will sort of dwell on a topic and then move on, finding new avenues to build off of,” Puchner said. 

The first collection, “Troubled Waters,” follows the ebbing of natural resources as pollution flows into and interferes with sensitive ecosystems. Drawn to the seascapes of Peconic Bay off Long Beach in Sag Harbor and the Napeague Harbor at Lazy Point Beach in Amagansett, Seelbach’s work evolves to encapsulate the devolution of marine life as the disruption and detritus of humankind menaces it. 

“Instead of painting traditional landscapes, I always ask the question, ‘What is happening?’ in nature, rather than painting a beautiful view,” Seelbach said. “The landscape and seascape are created by forces of nature, the change of seasons, with the rotation of the earth. This is what I try to get at.”

Dance into the Unknown, 2014, oil on canvas, 30″ x 30″ by Anne Seelbach. Image courtesy of Gallery North

The vague abstraction of her fish renderings in this series came from fact, as the pollutants were actually getting into aquatic animal reproductive systems and causing deformities.

“When I started the series the fish were more realistic. I had to find a way to represent the effects of the chemicals. So, I stylized the fish form and duplicated it to create stencils of schools of fish,” she explained. 

Seelbach’s fish and other animal stencils are frequently made from repurposed and up-cycled washed up or left behind bits of metal, plastic, and netting from which she rescues the shoreline. 

While nature may have been shifting and changing around her, with rightful residents being harmed by invasive interlopers, Seelbach’s relationship with it remains steadfast and symbiotic, as reflected in her “Moon Paintings” series. 

These works, conjured from summer trips to Monhegan Island, Maine, illuminate the serenity she found walking along the sea cliffs, gazing at the lunar lit waters below. 

“I am still interested in the edge, where land, water, and sky meet…The moon shining on the sea and in tidal pools inspired these paintings,” Seelbach said. “As the sun nurtures the growth of everything by day, I suggest that the moon nurtures creative thought, ideas and possibility at night. I get most of my ideas at night when my mind is drifting, without a particular thought.”

Primarily painted on paper rather than on canvas, the “Moon Paintings” are imbued with deep blues and other hues that convey the depth of the setting’s nighttime repose. Yet, in these works, the moon is both a light and power source, rejuvenating sea, sky, and artist.

In fact “Earth: The Elements,” the third series to be highlighted in the exhibit, was a concept that came to Seelbach as she sat on the cliffside rocks and boulders. 

Earth: mercury (Vermillion), 2020, acrylic and reflective paint on linen, 30″x36″, relates to the planet Mercury by Anne Seelbach. Image courtesy of Gallery North

“They made me ask ‘What is the Earth?’ And immediately I thought of the elements. Thinking about each individual element, what it was and a bit of its history, I realized that many were acknowledged thousands of years ago, by the scientists of that time, the alchemists and philosophers,” Seelbach said.

Breaking down these otherwise immovable objects into their most basic essence, Seelbach sought to honor the individuals of the past who had understood better than to take them at face value. So, within some of these paintings, she includes the alchemical symbol of the historical elements and the periodic table designation.

Each element Seelbach selects is thoroughly, albeit abstractly, examined and expressed. Similar to the other two series, “Elements” inner complexity and vitality is amplified by Seelbach’s color palette and painting style. Rich, earthy tones and texture add dimension and definition to the paintings. 

“I was really drawn to the raw energy of them, dark and muddy in certain places,” Puchner said. “In all of her art, there is a kind of an endless search for beauty in nature. Even in the study of the earth’s elements, at root is her trying to explore the minerals and elements that exist within the nature that she brings into her artwork.”

Seelbach’s art is an outlet for her observations, an investigation of the inquiries raised by striving to be attuned to the world around her. At its core, her art seeks to explore and observe rather than obfuscate. 

“I paint what is. I see landscape as formed by the forces of nature, the seasons, the rotation of the planet. The question I ask sitting on the beach or a rock is ‘What is happening?’ What are the forces of nature that underly what I am looking at?” she said. 

Patrons are invited to make their own discoveries about nature through Elements Adrift. An opening reception will be held tonight, Jan. 12, from 6 to 8 p.m. As a complement to the exhibition, Gallery North will present a lecture on the marine ecology of New York’s waterways by Patricia Woodruff from the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University on Jan. 20 at 6 pm. Gallery North will also host an ArTalk with Anne Seelbach on Feb. 4 at 3 p.m. 

Located at 90 North Country Road, Setauket, Gallery North is open Wednesdays to Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m. For more information, call 631-751-2676 or visit www. gallerynorth.org.

SATURDAYS AT SIX All Souls Church in Stony Brook welcomes The Island Chamber Brass in concert on Jan. 14.
Thursday Jan. 12

Lunch & Learn

Huntington Historical Society kicks off its Lunch & Learn series in the new year with Reflections on Women in Long Island at Encore Luxury Living, 300 Jericho Turnpike, Jericho from noon to 1:30 p.m. Dr. Natalie Naylor will present an overview of Long Island women’s roles in colonial settlements, the Revolution, religion and community activities. Lunch will be served. $50 per person, $45 members. RSVP by Jan. 9 at www.huntingtonhistoricalsociety.org.    

Atelier art reception        

Join the Atelier at Flowerfield, 2 Flowerfield, Suite #15, St. James for the opening reception of its latest exhibit, Vivid World of Denis Ponsot, in Atelier Hall from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The exhibit will run through Feb. 22. For more information, call 250-9009.

Comsewogue Library art reception

Comsewogue Public Library, 170 Terryville Road, Port Jefferson Station invites the community to an artist reception for Casey Greene’s Lore & Myth in the gallery from 6 to 8 p.m. No registration is required. Questions? Call 928-1212.

Movie Trivia Night

Join the Whaling Museum of Cold Spring Harbor for a virtual Movie Trivia Night at 7 p.m. Casual film lovers and buffs are invited to join the museum staff online for a night of cinematic fun. From Seinfeld to Star Wars, enjoy trivia about people, places, music, and famous maritime moments inspired by TV and film. Work solo, or form a team for the chance to win Narwhal Ball tickets and guest passes. $10 suggested donation. Visit www.cshwhalingmuseum.org.

Sky Room Talk

Join the Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington for a Sky Room Talk titled Elvis Movies: A Closer Look at 8 p.m. Could you see Elvis Presley cast as Hamlet or Abraham Lincoln? The words “Elvis Movie” conjures up images of a Technicolor Elvis singing for surfer girls, children and animals. Elvis Presley’s better films display memorable, stellar filmmaking, and some remarkable, often believable performances by the King of Rock and Roll. Film historian Glenn Andreiev returns to the Cinema with a fresh look at those enjoyable and sometimes surprising Elvis Presley movies. Tickets are $17. Visit www.cinemaartscentre.org.

Friday Jan. 13

An evening of opera

Calling all opera lovers! St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 270 Main Street, Northport hosts a concert by Opera Night Long Island at 7:30 p.m. $10 donation, students free. Refreshments will be served. For more information, visit www.operanight.org.

Grounds and Sounds Concert

Grounds and Sounds Cafe, UUFSB, 380 Nicolls Road, East Setauket presents Pete Mancini and the Hillside Airmen in concert at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $15 per person, available in advance and at the door. Light refreshments for sale. For more information, visit www.groundsandsounds.org or call 751-0297.

Saturday Jan. 14

Second Saturdays Poetry

The Second Saturdays poetry series will be returning to historic All Souls Church via Zoom from 11 a.m. to noon. Hosted by Suffolk County Poet Laureate Richard Bronson, the featured poet will be Dick Westheimer. An open-reading will follow; all are welcome to read one of their own poems.  For more information, please call 655-7798.  Participants can access the program through the All Souls website https://www.allsouls-stonybrook.org/

Superheroes of the Sky

Sweetbriar Nature Center, 62 Eckernkamp Drive, Smithtown kicks off the new year with a family program titled Superheroes of the Sky from 11 a.m. to noon. Take a walking tour with Jim while he feeds the Center’s Birds of Prey and tells you about their incredible adaptations that help them survive in the wild. You’ll be seeing and learning about Bald Eagles, Turkey Vultures, owls, hawks and many more. $10 adults, $5 children ages 11 and under. Register at www.sweetbriarnc.org.

Island Chamber Brass in concert

As part of its Saturdays at Six concert series, All Souls Church, 61 Main Street, Stony Brook, will present The Island Chamber Brass in concert at 6 p.m. Stony Brook University graduate students, the group will be playing  works by Stravinsky, Gabrieli, Ewald, Ewazen, and more. Free. Call 655-7798 for more information.

Sunday Jan. 15

Port Jefferson Farmers Market

The Port Jefferson Winter Farmers Market kicks off today at the Port Jefferson Village Center, 101 E. Broadway, Port Jefferson from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will be held every Sunday through April 30. For more information, call 473-4778.

Huntington Farmers Market

The John J. Flanagan Center, 423 Park Ave., Huntington hosts the Huntington Winter Farmers Market every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through March with over 40 vendors plus guest vendors. Visit www.longislandfarmersmarkets.com.

Peace Garden dedication

Mt. Sinai Congregational Church, 233 North Country Road, Mt. Sinai invites the community to a Peace Pole and Peace Garden dedication on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday at 11:15 a.m. Refreshments will follow in Voorhees Hall. For more information, call 928-4317.

LITMA Contradance

The Smithtown Historical Society’s Frank Brush Barn, 211 E. Main St. Smithtown will host a Contradance by the Long Island Traditional Music Association at 2 p.m. with caller Chart Guthrie and music by the Blarney Possum band (dance music from the crossroads of Appalachia and Ireland). Basic instruction will be held at 1:45 p.m. Admission is $15, $10 members $7.50 students, children under 16 free with paid adult. For more information, call 369-7854 or visit www.litma.org.

Monday Jan. 16

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Tuesday Jan. 17

NSJC Social Club event

North Shore Jewish Center Social Club, 385 Old Town Road, Port Jefferson Station welcomes certified life coach Linda Mazza to the Social Hall at 11 a.m. Learn how to go from worrier to warrior by reframing your state of mind. Bagels, cream cheese and coffee among other refreshments will be served. $5 per person, $3 members. Call 928-3737 for more information.

Wednesday Jan. 18

Tech Support

Comsewogue Public Library, 170 Terryville Road, Port Jefferson Station will provide hands-on help with your smartphone or tablet from 7 to 9 p.m. Be sure to bring your device and passwords. Space is limited. Sign up for a 15-minute appointment by calling Adult Services at 928-1212. Open to all.

Thursday Jan. 19

Community Outreach Bus

The Catholic Health Community Mobile Outreach Bus will be in the Emma Clark Library’s parking lot, 120 Main St., Setauket from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Registered nurses will provide blood pressure, cholesterol, body mass index, and glucose screenings along with patient education and referrals as needed. Free flu vaccinations will be offered as well. The last screening will begin at 1:45 p.m. No appointments are necessary, there are no fees, and insurance is not required. Open to all. Questions? Email [email protected] or call 941-4080.

Vanderbilt lecture

Suffolk County Vanderbilt Planetarium, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport continues its Climate Change and Ecology lectures series with a presentation by Dr. Becca Franks titled What the Fishes Taught Us at 7 p.m. A leading scholar in animal welfare studies, Franks will speak about the concept of dignity and its role in thinking through our relationships with the non-human world. Tickets are $10, free for members, at www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

Theater

‘The Sweet Delilah Swim Club’

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson continues its Mainstage season with The Sweet Delilah Swim Club from Jan. 14 to Feb. 4. This hilarious and touching show features five very different but deeply connected Southern women whose friendships began on their college swim team. Each summer they meet for a reunion at the same beach cottage in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Visiting them on four weekends over thirty-three years, we learn of their lives, loves, and losses. Tickets are $35 adults, $28 seniors and students, $20 children ages 5 to 12. To order, call 928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com. 

‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’

The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St.. Northport presents Dirty Rotten Scoundrels from Jan. 19 to March 5. Con artist Lawrence Jameson is a longtime resident of a luxurious coastal resort, where he enjoys the fruits of his deceptions–that is, until a competitor, Freddy Benson, shows up. When the new guy’s lowbrow tactics impinge on his own work, Jameson resolves to get rid of him. Based on the uproarious movie, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels boasts a jazzy-pop score by David Yazbek, who also wrote the music for The Full Monty. Tickets range from $80 to $85. To order, call 261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com. 

Film
I KNOW IT WAS YOU, FREDO
Catch a screening of ‘The Godfather Part II’ at the Cinema Arts Centre on Jan. 17.

‘The Godfather Part II’

The Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington continues its Best of the Big Screen series with a screening of Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather Part II on Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. Part II of the Godfather trilogy continues the saga of the Corleone Family, serving as both a prologue and a sequel, extending over a period of 60 years and three generations. Chronicling both the rise of youthful Don Vito Corleone (Robert DeNiro replacing Marlon Brando) to Mafia chief in the early 1900s in the Little Italy section of New York City, as well as the career of Corleone’s son Michael (Al Pacino) from his patriarchal prime to his decline a year later. Winner of six Academy Awards, the film will be introduced by film historian and librarian, Philip Harwood. Tickets are $15, $10 members. Visit www.cinemaartscentre.org.

* All numbers are in (631) area code unless otherwise noted.

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

By Daniel Dunaief

Daniel Dunaief

I heard from a friend, who heard from another friend whose neighbor’s cousin is the babysitter of someone who works in Congress. So, it has to be true.

Here’s the deal: I know some of the concessions Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) made to become speaker of the house.

The person who heard it fourth hand was in the bathroom, minding his own business, trying, from what I understand, to make his best guesses at Wordle on his phone while battling an upset stomach when three of the principal negotiators in the process entered the bathroom and spoke in whispers.

The first concession is that McCarthy must begin each day by saying the words “we are all equal, but some are more equal than others,” at which point he’s supposed to subtly make the letters G and O in sign language with his hands to show that he’s thinking about “Animal Farm” author George Orwell.

Then, he has to look at the audience carefully to see if Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) has had a bad night. If Gaetz gives him a particular signal, he’s not allowed to bang his gavel too loudly, to prevent a headache from getting worse.

Once he’s gotten everyone’s attention, he then agreed that he’ll lead the house in the Pledge of Allegiance, pausing when he reached the “under God” section to make it clear that religion is not only okay, but that many people, particularly those who might not have otherwise voted for him, believe in God.

When President Joe Biden (D) gives his state of the union address, he will give at least 15 head shakes, five winces and nine arched eyebrows. At the end of the speech, to defend former president Donald Trump (R), he plans to take a page out of the previous speaker’s playbook by picking up the copy of Biden’s speech and tearing it up in disgust as it were the first chapter of a book he’d like to ban from libraries around the country.

Speaking of beyond belief, McCarthy has then agreed that if Rep. George Santos (R-NY), whose name might have changed by the time this is relevant, is still in the house, McCarthy should ask him to sing a few songs.

For starters, according to Santos’s resume, he has won at least three Grammy awards, which means he has a wonderful and lyrical singing voice.

When things get too tense during deliberations with other Republicans, let alone the Democrats who are ruining the government and the country, McCarthy has a playlist for Santos. He’s going to sing the Meghan Trainor song, “Lips are Movin,” with a slight modification in the wording.“If my lips are moving, then I’m lyin’, lyin’, lyin’, baby.”

If things continue to be tense for hours, as a politician continues grandstanding, Santos can provide a Billy Joel encore, again with a slight tweak:

“Honesty is such a lonely word

I am certainly so untrue

Honestly is hardly ever heard

And rarely what I give to you.”

Following the example of Trump, McCarthy also agreed to hug a flag in public at least three times a year, to normalize the behavior and to demonstrate his commitment to America and the country’s values.

He also promised to support at least 13, for the original colonies, investigations in his first year as speaker, with a commitment to at least another dozen in his second.

Finally, in a subtle gesture meant to celebrate the political right, he planned to stand to the right of the podium and only to hit the gavel with his right hand while pausing to emphasize the word “right” every time he utters it.

'Spare;

By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief

Why are we Americans so fascinated by the British royal family? Well, surely not all of us are, but enough to make even the staid The New York Times write daily stories about Prince Harry and Meghan leading up to the release of Prince Harry’s book, “Spare,” this past Tuesday. On that day, the story went front page and continued on an entire broadsheet inside page. Just about every news outlet has covered the Prince Harry and Meghan Show.

In the interest of full disclosure, I have read each and every story in the New York Times. So I’m trying to figure out the appeal for myself and those who are similarly addicted. It’s not as if we would want to have a king or queen in the United States. Heaven forbid. So what, then?

Maybe it has to do, like most eccentricities, with our early childhoods. Shortly after I learned to read, I loved fairy tales about princes and princesses, wicked stepmothers and dragons. Thanks to the Brits, we have a replay of such stories for our adult lives. Well, sort of. It depends to whom one assigns the role of dragon. 

But in fairy tales, they live happily ever after. For us adults, the royals’ stories have a reality component. We know there is no such thing because we all have families. And families disappoint each other, fight with each other, malign and divorce each other and otherwise disgrace each other. But families don’t usually put their “dirty linen” out in public. Yet here is that gilded group, in theory living the best possible lives as kings and queens, princes and princesses, causing each other unbelievable grief. It’s a rom-com gone dystopic.

The other part of this drama is its permanence. Like the soap operas of old, the stories just keep unfolding as time progresses. Again, in my elementary school years, when I would come down with some infectious disease, my mom would prop me up with lots of pillows in my parents bed, and I would listen to the half-hour soaps on the radio. Sometimes my mother would come into the bedroom to listen to one of her favorites. (Incidentally, that was before television.)

She was totally hooked on “Our Gal Sunday,” whose preamble each day would ask the question, “Can this girl [named Sunday] from a little mining town in the West find happiness as the wife of a wealthy and titled Englishman?” This may offer a clue to our captivation with the British Royals. In the case of Harry and Meghan, she, of course, is an American. While she doesn’t come from a little mining town in the West, she doesn’t have that as a strike against her, she is biracial, an actress and divorced. 

Divorced! Divorce prevented Wallis Simpson from becoming Queen. Divorced caused Princess Margaret to lose her true love, Peter Townsend. And although Diana and Charles were finally allowed to get divorced, that was only as a relief from the constant acrimony. 

As far as being an actress, Prince Philip, Harry’s grandfather, was quoted as having advised Prince Harry, “We don’t MARRY actresses.”

And what can we say about biracial? A glimpse into racial attitudes among the court was the recent kerfuffle involving Queen Elizabeth’s former lady-in-waiting, Susan Hussey, and her insistent questioning of a Black British guest at Buckingham Palace as to where her family came from. The implication was decidedly not Great Britain. Hussey was stripped of her duties and publicly apologized.

So the current situation with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who have chosen as their refuge the (usually) sunny shores of Southern California, has many threads of interest for Americans. And probably the real appeal of the current tribulations of the House of Windsor is its relief from the hard, very hard, news of our time: the war in Ukraine, the immigration mess at the southern border and the spread, denial not withstanding, of the coronavirus, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) germs.  

Statue of Liberty. Stock photo

After over a decade in dormancy, the Port Jefferson Civic Association was resurrected Monday, Jan. 9.

PJCA joins the vibrant civic community throughout the TBR News Media coverage area. From Port Jefferson Station/Terryville to Three Village, Mount Sinai to Sound Beach, Centereach to Selden, and Smithtown to Huntington, civic associations work to improve this area continually.

Civic associations perform a critical public service. We often find powerful and monied interests run roughshod over ordinary folk. With their legal teams, public relations personnel and deep pockets, these special interests often do as they please — with the tacit or even express approval of local politicians.

But who is there to represent the citizens? Who ensures that the people are heard and that their will is implemented by local government? The civic associations.

In our democracy, the people are sovereign. The people empower the politician to carry out their will. But this is often not the case as politicians sometimes advance their own agendas out of a sense of grandiosity and self-importance.

A well-organized civic association serves as a valuable check on power. Through its members, the civic body comes to represent the shared values and interests of the community, directing local officials toward more representative policy outcomes.

Some of the best-informed and most engaged citizens are civic members. For this reason, they offer valuable feedback to local politicians. Civic associations, therefore, benefit and enhance local government.

Moreover, a civic association is a platform for residents to stay up to date and informed on local topics such as future planning, development proposals and redistricting. Through this forum, members can exchange ideas, debate pertinent issues and identify potential solutions. 

We hold that a bottom-up approach is necessary. Power, policy and vision should come from the people, not the politicians. Through the discussions at civic meetings, elected representatives can carry the people’s collective vision into fruition. The civic-centric model represents the ideal of local governance.

The staff of TBR News Media congratulates the members of the Port Jefferson Civic Association. We look forward to following their work and the continued successes of civic groups throughout our coverage area. 

For those who are not affiliated with a local civic, we highly encourage you to join. Now is your opportunity to get involved, to make your voice heard and to leave a positive mark on your community.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) recently secured $3.75 million for a proposed upland wall at Port Jefferson Country Club. Photo from Wikimedia Commons

The Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees kicked off the new year Tuesday, Jan. 3, with business and general meetings covering public expenditures, code changes and public safety.

East Beach bluff

Mayor Margot Garant announced that the village received $3.75 million for a proposed upper wall at Port Jefferson Country Club. The funds were made available through the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant program, facilitated by the office of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

The clubhouse facility at PJCC lies atop the East Beach bluff, which has rapidly eroded in recent years. Now the clubhouse is dangerously close to the bluff’s edge. [See story, “On the edge: Port Jeff Village weighs the fate of country club,” The Port Times Record, April 7.]

In an email from Schumer’s office, the senator outlined his reasons for supporting this coastal engineering project.

“This money will fund efforts to stabilize the crumbling East Beach bluff, where village recreation facilities are currently threatened due to the chronic erosion,” he said. “I worked to secure funding as soon as Mayor Garant reached out to me, and I am glad that with her partnership, we have obtained this funding — not only to preserve village assets but to ensure public safety and protect residents’ pocketbooks.” 

Garant said the federal funds would support the construction of an upland wall between the clubhouse and the bluff, potentially shielding the building from further coastal erosion at East Beach. 

“That money will help us save that building and restore the facilities as they preexisted up there,” she said. “We definitely have to recognize Senator Schumer’s action,” adding, “We have put that project out to bid. We have our letter of non-jurisdiction from the [New York State Department of Environmental Conservation], so we are ready to go on that project.”

Gap property

The former Gap property, located on Arden Place in Lower Port, was recently acquired by new ownership. Garant reported that plans for that property are still preliminary with the zoning and planning departments but hinted at the potential for mixed-used use of the space.

The new owner “is looking at a wet space on the first floor — sort of a food court concept that we had all kind of discussed,” she said. “And then possibly a second and third level, and perhaps a boutique hotel, which we welcome.” Devoting the space to apartments may also be on the table, Garant added.

Parking revenue

At the request of the director of economic development, parking administrator and communications committee head Kevin Wood, the board voted to evenly split the managed parking revenue generated during the 26th annual Charles Dickens Festival between the village and the Greater Port Jefferson-Northern Brookhaven Arts Council.

“This will bring us back into the black and help the arts council survive,” Garant said.

Country club manager

The board additionally approved the hire of Thomas Natola as general manager of the Port Jefferson Country Club at an annual salary of $139,000. Stan Loucks, trustee liaison to the country club, said Natola comes highly recommended by previous employers.

“Nobody had anything negative to say about Tom,” Loucks said. “Everything was positive.”

Public hearings

The board also held two public hearings during the general meeting. The first hearing dealt with a proposed change establishing Station Street, a one-way street between the Port Jefferson Crossing apartments and the train station. The amendment includes multiple provisions, preventing left turns onto the corridor as well as parking, stopping and standing.

Following a public hearing, the board approved the amendment unanimously. To read how Station Street received its name, see story, “Democracy and tech intersect to name Station Street in uptown Port Jeff,” The Port Times Record, Dec. 22.

The second hearing gave residents a chance to weigh in on a proposed $800,000 grant application through the Restore New York Communities Initiative, offering financial assistance to Conifer Realty. The funds would help Conifer demolish blighted buildings, clearing the way for its proposed Conifer II redevelopment at the Main and Perry streets intersection. Following the public hearing, the board approved the application unanimously.

Public safety

Fred Leute, chief of code enforcement, discussed the busy work of his department last month. Leute said code enforcement officers responded promptly on two occasions to resolve emergencies. For these efforts, the village board acknowledged multiple code officers, who were awarded proclamations and given a standing ovation from those in attendance.

To view this public commendation and to watch the trustee reports, see video below.