Moses directing traffic. Photo courtesy of Caroline Episcopal Church
Pedego e-bike Golden Raffle winner & Pedego owner's daughter. Photo courtesy of Caroline Episcopal Church
Volunteer server at Food Court. Photo courtesy of Caroline Episcopal Church
Volunteers at the church’s Raffle Basket table. Photo courtesy of Caroline Episcopal Church
Food Court in front of the church. Photo courtesy of Caroline Episcopal Church
By Aramis Khosronejad
The annual Setauket Country Fair, hosted by the Caroline Episcopal Church in Setauket, took place Saturday, Sept. 16, on the Village Green.
The fair offered various vendors, baked goods and treats, a barn sale, a food court and live music with over 80 arts and crafts vendors available. In addition, the fair hosted a basket raffle and a “golden” raffle.
In an interview with the Rev. Nickolas Clay Griffith, the priest in charge at Caroline Episcopal Church, he said the idea for the fair was developed by Sue Rydzeski. The coordinator of events at the church, Rydzeski “does a little bit of everything for everybody.”
“This is by far the largest year we’ve ever had,” Griffith said. “I think it’s because of the vendors, but mostly because of the wonderful people in the neighborhood who come out to support” the fair.
Many of the proceeds collected during the fair support local organizations and businesses. “Sometimes, we’ll petition the church for financial assistance,” Griffith said. “Or sometimes, we will identify organizations that are doing good in the community, not necessarily Christian based.”
Griffith emphasized how the church’s mission is “to be of service to the community as the community has been of service to us.”
He also explained the significance of the country fair for him and the church, noting, “It’s a way of us saying ‘thank you’ for the 300 years of ministry we’ve had here,” alluding to the church’s recent tricentennial celebration.
Griffith described the country fair as “an opportunity for the entire community to come together in a fun way to enjoy one another’s company and to learn a little bit about their neighborhood,” he said.
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. Photo from Tierney's office
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on Sept. 22 that Rupert Cruz, 63, of Coram, was indicted for Predatory Sexual Assault, Rape, Sexual Abuse, and Strangulation, after he allegedly raped a woman to whom he had offered a ride home after being discharged from a hospital.
“This defendant allegedly preyed on the victim in order to violate her,” said District Attorney Tierney. “We will pursue justice for the victim by making sure her alleged attacker is held responsible and taken off the streets so he can no longer harm others.”
According to the investigation, Cruz allegedly met the 32-year-old victim in June 2023 while they were both patients at St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson. When both Cruz and the victim were being discharged, Cruz offered the victim a ride home and she accepted. While the victim was in Cruz’s vehicle, he allegedly gave her a drink from an opened soda can.
Shortly after they left the hospital and while Cruz was still driving, Cruz allegedly began making sexual advances towards the victim, which she rejected. The victim’s friend called her during the time she was struggling with the defendant, and she could allegedly hear the victim screaming for help before the victim’s cell phone fell in between the seats of the vehicle.
Cruz allegedly picked the victim up from the passenger seat and forced her on top of him while he was still seated in the driver’s seat. The victim did not remember anything after that and woke up naked the following morning in a wooded area at Bartlett Pond Park in Middle Island. The victim was in pain, with scratches and bruises on her body, red marks on her neck, and broken blood vessels in her eye. The victim then located a few items of her clothing and left the park. The victim’s phone allegedly remained in Cruz’s vehicle until its battery died.
On June 15, 2023, the victim used a device finder through the Internet to locate her phone and allegedly traced it to Cruz’s residence in Coram. The victim reported the incident to the police, and Cruz was subsequently arrested on September 8, 2023.
On September 21, 2023, Cruz was arraigned on the indictment before County Court Judge, the Honorable Karen M. Wilutis, for the following charges:
Predatory Sexual Assault in the First Degree, a Class A-II violent felony;
Rape in the First Degree, a Class B violent felony;
Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, a Class D violent felony; and
Strangulation in the Second Degree, a Class D violent felony.
Judge Wilutis ordered that Cruz be remanded without bail during the pendency of the case. Cruz is due back in court on October 4, 2023, and he is being represented by the Legal Aid Society.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Danielle Carter of the Major Crime Bureau, with investigative assistance from Detective Travis Pfeffer of the Suffolk County Police Department’s Sixth Squad.
Contractors will soon restore the decayed Winnie the Witch, seen above, into the longtime community staple beloved by generations of St. James residents. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
By Sabrina Artusa
Winnie the Witch, the 47-year-old, 30-foot community staple of St. James, may be fully repaired in late fall.
A local couple, Victoria Johnston and Kenneth Maher Jr., are leading the effort to revive this beloved figure. Johnston, a special education teacher, and Maher, funeral director at St. James Funeral Home, began the project in March 2021.
After many months of fundraising and working with contractors, the repairs were started. The renovations will be done by Brian Capo of Capo Design Build of Nesconset. It is hoped the work will be finished by Halloween.
Maher was raised in St. James and said he remembers driving past Winnie throughout his life. “The older we got, and still the witch remained,” he said. Now, he and Johnston want to “beautify” her “for the future generations to admire.”
Winnie the Witch
Winnie was created in 1976 by David Wicks and subsequently propped in front of his business, Wicks Nursery & Greenhouses in St. James, where she attracted families searching for autumnal festivities.
Since then, Winnie has been a signature part of St. James and Long Island. Johnston said she often gets messages from people across the country expressing how much Winnie means to them.
Winnie is listed on RoadsideAmerica.com, a website for those seeking idiosyncrasies that contribute to the charm and distinctiveness of a locale. For St. James, Winnie has always been special.
When the couple began construction, it was for sentimental reasons. Johnston and Maher grew up with Winnie, and seeing her gradual decay motivated them to take action with the consent of Wicks.
Winnie was built primarily with wood and other materials that Wicks had on hand, according to Johnston. True to her nature, Winnie became hunched over time, her head angled to the ground.
Hurricane Sandy damaged the supportive metal rods holding her upright. In renovating, contractors will replace most of Winnie’s structural support with metal.
“It’s a [nearly] 50-year-old witch that has been sitting outside,” Maher said. “We can’t work on her too fast.”
Maher and Johnston spearheaded this effort with the help of their fellow residents and are still raising money to finalize Winnie’s repairs. They have raised $15,000 to date but need a few thousand more to satisfy the total costs.
Winnie’s head is currently being repaired. Next, contractors will add metal hoops to replace the failing metal rods and old wood supports. Soon, Winnie will be back, watching over 25A and reviving a St. James tradition.
“When we first started it, we just thought that we loved the witch,” Johnston said. “It’s crazy that she had that big of an impact more than just on our little family.”
Johnston added that she was surprised by the community’s enthusiastic response. She remembers one woman who told her she would fly back to Long Island once the project is finished.
As seen by the flurry of comments across social media platforms, people have indeed rallied around this effort, celebrating the return of a figure that carries so much nostalgia. Many write to the couple, thanking them for their effort.
“Things like that make it all worth it,” Johnston said.
A view of the Long Island Sound. Public domain photo
U.S. Reps. Nick LaLota (R-NY-1) and Joe Courtney (D-CT-2), co-chairs of the Long Island Sound Caucus, introduced Sept. 13 the bipartisan Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship Reauthorization Act of 2023, which would reauthorize the Long Island Sound programs to ensure the protection and preservation of the Sound.
This is the House companion to legislation introduced by U.S. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Chris Murphy (D-CT).
“As the co-chair of the Long Island Sound Caucus, I am proud to introduce the Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship Act,” LaLota said. “The Long Island Sound is not just a body of water — it’s a way of life for our community.”
The congressman added, “This legislation underscores the vital importance of preserving this natural treasure, not only for our environment but for the thriving fishing industry that sustains Long Island’s economy.”
In 1985, Congress created the Long Island Sound Study to identify and address the major environmental problems affecting the Sound. The LISS brings together the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, New York State, Connecticut State, nonprofit organizations and educational institutions to help restore and protect the Long Island Sound, including the watershed, which spans up toward New Hampshire and Vermont into Canada.
The new act would reauthorize the Long Island Sound programs from 2024 through 2028.
“The Long Island Sound is a unique ecological resource for eastern Connecticut and is home to a vast array of economic activities in our region,” Courtney said. “Last year our region secured an historic new investment for the Long Island Sound from the federal Infrastructure Law and the FY23 government spending package,” adding, “Reauthorizing the Long Island Sound programs ensures Congress can continue to invest in the preservation and protection of this special region.”
To read the full text of the legislation, visit lalota.house.gov.
From left, Kelly Reilly, Tina Fey, Kenneth Branagh, Michelle Yeoh, and Jamie Dornan star in 'A Haunting In Venice' Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios/Disney
Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel
With over two billion books in print, Agatha Christie remains history’s second best-selling author (just behind Shakespeare). Her works span sixty-six detective novels and fourteen short story collections. Having opened in 1952, The Mousetrap is the world’s longest-running play, with over twenty-nine thousand performances. Christie’s best-known creations are the private detective Hercule Poirot and the amateur sleuth Miss Marple.
Poirot—the meticulous Belgian of the “little gray cells”— is featured in thirty-three novels and fifty-one short stories, with over a dozen films following his exploits.
Notable actors such as Albert Finney (nominated for an Academy Award for Murder on the Orient Express), Peter Ustinov, Alfred Molina, John Malkovich, and Tony Randall donned the waxed mustache. David Suchet has been the most successful and beloved with Agatha Christie’s Poirot series, which presented seventy episodes from 1989 to 2013. Suchet’s large-than-life Poirot remarkably manages to remain wholly dimensional.
Kenneth Branagh and Tina Fey in a scene from ‘A Haunting In Venice’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios/Disney
In 2017, Kenneth Branagh directed and starred in Murder on the Orient Express, a labored adaptation that paled in comparison to the 1974 film and the 2010 television version. Branagh followed it up with the even less adept Death on the Nile (2022).
His newest entry, A Haunting in Venice, claims its source as Hallowe’en Party (1969). The crisp novel deals with a girl who claims to have witnessed a murder and, shortly after, is drowned in a bobbing-for-apples tub. The similarities between the source and the film are slim. Apart from one character, a few names, a tub of apples, and a Halloween setting, A Haunting in Venice is an unrelated tale.
Hercule Poirot (Branagh) lives in an unsettled Venetian retirement with a bodyguard, ex-policeman Vitale Portfoglio (Riccardo Scamarcio). Mystery writer Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey), Poirot’s acquaintance with whom he shares a professional history and a slightly antagonistic bent, coerces Poirot into attending a séance at a nearby palazzo, which follows a children’s Halloween party. Skeptic Poirot agrees to accompany her, intending to reveal the medium as a fraud.
The palazzo’s owner, Rowena Drake (Kelly Reilly), wants to contact her daughter, Alicia (Rowan Robinson), who had committed suicide by throwing herself into the canal a year earlier. The guests include the family doctor, Leslie Ferrier (Jamie Dornan), his son, Leopold (Jude Hill), and the housemaid, Olga Seminoff (Camille Cottin). The medium, Joyce Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh), speaks in the daughter’s voice, proclaiming she was murdered. Poirot quickly exposes Reynolds as a fake. But is she? While Poirot reveals her confederates—Romani siblings Desdemona and Nicholas Holland (Emma Laird and Ali Khan)—doubt looms.
The ensuing plot hinges on the revelation of Alicia’s killer and the question of the palazzo’s haunting by the ghosts of children locked in to die during the plague years.
A Haunting in Venice is an old dark house thriller with the requisite rainstorm, a falling chandelier, strange shadows, whispering voices, and assorted things that go bump in the night. The real stars are the technical elements. Visually, the film is exquisite: Haris Zambarloukos’s whirring and winding cinematography complements John Kelly’s elegant and evocative production design.
The performances are solid enough, all playing in the same world—but certainly not Christie’s universe. In a complete departure from the author’s self-satirizing writer (cleverly played by Zoë Wanamaker in the series), Fey’s Oliver is a wise-cracking 1940s soubrette and Poirot’s active adversary. Yeoh brings a winking gravitas to the medium, and Reilly ably manages a mother’s grief. Laird and Kahn make for a mercurial pair.
The center of any Poirot mystery is, of course, Poirot. Branagh’s twenty-first-century reinterpretation of the role results in a unique, often troubled, human character. Oddly, the choice becomes problematic, offering a Poirot with a lack of “Poirot-ness.” Missing is the twinkling genius, one step ahead. Instead, this Poirot runs alongside the pack until the final moments. However, Branagh embraces Christie’s vision in the resolution, where he exercises his insights and logic in unraveling the solution. Here, Branagh finds a few moments to shine, offering a glimpse of his potential.
A Haunting in Venice is a distinct improvement over Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile. But whether Haunting is a Christie-inspired film or just a movie cashing in on the author’s fame, the answer must veer towards the latter. Viewers seeking a traditional Poirot murder mystery with the classic intrepid detective will most likely be frustrated and disappointed. Those more flexible (or less invested in the canon) will find a quick-paced and visually satisfying thriller.
Rated PG-13, the film is now playing in local theaters.
Senior wide receiver Brody Morgan leaves a Floyd defender in the dust. Photo by Bill Landon
Senior wide receiver Jackson Weber looks for an opening in a Patriot’s road game against Wm. Floyd. Photo by Bill Landon
Patriot quarterback Ethan Burgos bolts through a hole. Photo by Bill Landon
By Bill Landon
Last November, Ward Melville ended William Floyd’s undefeated season, eliminating the Colonials in the semifinal round of the Division I playoffs. The Patriots returned to the scene of the crime Wednesday afternoon looking to pick off Floyd again, but the Colonials had other ideas.
Ward Melville quarterback Ethan Burgos found wide receiver Jackson Weber on a 6-yard pass play for the touchdown in the second quarter to break the ice. Floyd answered three minutes later to make it a 7-7 tie at the half. The Patriots trailed 21-13 in the fourth quarter when Burgos on a keeper found the end zone on short yardage. Burgos would finish it by running in the 2-point conversion to tie the game 21-21.
After an impressive 36-yard field goal to edge ahead, William Floyd running-back Jaden Montalvo ripped a 67-yard touchdown run in the closing minutes to seal the deal, defeating the Patriots 31-21.
The win lifts the Colonials 2-0 while the loss drops the Patriots to 1-1 in the division.
Ward Melville looks to put a “W” in the win column when the team hosts Central Islip Saturday, Sept. 23. Game time is slated for 2 p.m.
Cynthia Doerler has been named as the new Executive Director of the Suffolk County Bar Association. Doerler joined the SCBA in 2016 as the Executive Director of the Suffolk Academy of Law, the educational arm of the Suffolk County Bar Association. Prior to her position at the Academy, Doerler was Director of Philanthropy and Communications for the Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependency.
Doerler’s work as Academy Executive Director has helped strengthen the Academy’s relationships with Bar Association members, affinity Bar Associations, and the legal community as well as increased the scope of course offerings. Her knowledge of developing relationships with board and committee members has helped to build a strong foundation for future leaders and revenue growth.In her new role, she is responsible for overseeing financial management and funding, board recruitment and administration, educational programs, finances and budgeting, and strategic planning. Other key duties include marketing, social media communication, developing new partnerships and community outreach.
In 2019, with the help of Academy Officers, Doerler championed the Domestic Violence Awareness month educational initiative and launched annual programs for awareness, education, and resources.The initiative supports Long Island agencies that help victims of domestic violence by collecting and donating needed items.
Doerler is a Cum Laude graduate of LIU Post, with a B.S. in Marketing and M.P.A. in Public Administration. She taught Introduction to Non-Profit Management and Grant writing at Hofstra University and LIU Post Adult Education and was named one of Long Island Business News Top 50 Women in 2022.
Doerler is a past board member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals where she held the position of Vice President of Membership, Chair of Philanthropy Day, and Chair of the Mentoring Committee. She is Past President of the Gerontology Professionals of New York. Currently she is a member of the Advisory Council for Nassau Suffolk Law Services and Committee Member of the Suffolk County Judicial Committee on Women in the Courts heading up the Domestic Violence Awareness Month initiative.
The Suffolk County Bar Association, a professional association comprised of more than 2,800 lawyers and judges, was founded in 1908 to serve the needs of the local legal community and the public.The Association develops and offers continuing legal education programs through the Suffolk Academy of Law, as well as public services, such as a Lawyer Referral Service through which members of the public are referred to lawyers with expertise in a wide variety of areas of law.For information about services, call (631) 234-5511. Visit our website www.scba.org or find us on Facebook and Twitter.
Edward Jones Financial Advisor Michael Sceiford of Port Jefferson has been named to the 2023 Forbes Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors Best-in-State ranking by Forbes/SHOOK® Research. The list is comprised of more than 1,460 financial advisors nationwide, all under age 40.Sceiford ranked No. 9 in New York State.
This ranking is given to the top financial advisors under 40 in their respective states based on criteria that include compliance records, assets under care and more.
“This is an incredible honor, one I could never have achieved without the tremendous support from my branch team. And I am forever indebted to my clients for the trust they have put in me and the relationships we’ve built as we work toward the financial goals that help give them the freedom to live life on their terms,” Sceiford said.
“This work inspires me because I know that, for years to come, I can make a meaningful difference in the lives of my clients and colleagues, and in my community,” he said.
Michael Sceiford and branch office administrator Pam Guido can be reached at 631-928-2034. You may also visit the branch website at edwardjones.com/michael-sceiford.
Dr. Saathi (center) was honored with a plaque outside an isolation room dedicated in his honor by Stanley and Dr. Marion Bergman (3rd and 4th from right). They posed with members of their caregiver team, including nurses and a member of the Food & Dining Services staff. Photo courtesy of Mather Hospital
Port Jefferson’s Mather Hospital recently dedicated the Isolation Room on its 3North Intermediate Care Unit in honor of neurosurgeon Sumeer Sathi, MD to memorialize a generous donation from the Bergman Family Foundation.
The donation was the result of Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Henry Schein, Inc. and his wife Dr. Marion Bergman wanting to acknowledge and express their gratitude for the care they received from Dr. Sathi and Mather Hospital.
Dr. Sathi is a clinical assistant professor of neurosurgery at Weill-Cornell Medical College in New York and has served as chief of neurosurgery at Mather Hospital and St. Charles Hospital since 2002.
“We truly appreciate the excellent care we received at Mather Hospital by Dr. Sumeer Sathi and the Neurosurgical team, where we both elected to have our spinal surgery performed,” said Stanley and Dr. Marion Bergman. “In recognition of the exceptional team of professionals at Mather, we are pleased to make this contribution to the hospital in honor of Dr. Sathi.”
“It is so gratifying when an individual steps forth to show their gratitude to Mather Hospital through a thoughtful donation, which in turn allows us to grow and advance our ability to provide exceptional care,” said James Danowski, Chairman of the JTM Foundation, which generates philanthropic support for Mather Hospital.
Currently the Foundation is raising $20 million for the various transformational program initiatives at Mather Hospital including a new 26,000-sq- ft Emergency Department expected to open in 2025.
Looking for a new set of wheels? Well here’s your chance!
The Suffolk County Police Department Impound Section will hold a vehicle auction on Saturday, Sept. 23 at the department’s Impound Facility, located at 100 Old Country Road in Westhampton. The auction will begin at 9 a.m. and will be held rain or shine.
There will be a vehicle preview on Thursday, Sept. 21 and Friday, Sept. 22 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the impound yard. Vehicles will also be available for preview for one hour prior to the start of the auction. Approximately 120 vehicles will be auctioned off including sedans, SUVs, pickup trucks, and vans. All vehicles will start with a minimum bid of $500 and are sold as-is.
For a full list of vehicles, registration information and terms and conditions for the auction, visit www.suffolkpd.org.
As of 2 p.m. on Sept. 22 this event was still on. To check to see if this event has been cancelled or postponed due to the weather, please call 631-852-6308.
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