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Yearly Archives: 2024

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Keria Hammer shoots for the Wildcats in a summer league match up against Bay Shore. Photo by Bill Landon
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Tessa Cooke powers past a defender for the Wildcats in a summer league match up against Bay Shore. Photo by Bill Landon
Madeline Kavanaugh settles the ball for the Wildcats in a summer league match up against Bay Shore. Photo by Bill Landon
Shealyn Varbero pushes up-field for the Wildcats in a summer league match up against Bay Shore. Photo by Bill Landon
Ava Gengler clears the ball for the Wildcats in a summer league match up against Bay Shore. Photo by Bill Landon
Olivia Pesso maneuvers mid-field for the Wildcats in a summer league match up against Bay Shore. Photo by Bill Landon
Keria Hammer shoots for the Wildcats in a summer league match up against Bay Shore. Photo by Bill Landon
Shealyn Varbero heads the ball for the Wildcats in a summer league match up against Bay Shore. Photo by Bill Landon
Olivia Pesso settles the ball for the Wildcats in a summer league match up against Bay Shore. Photo by Bill Landon
Shealyn Varbero pushes up-field for the Wildcats in a summer league match up against Bay Shore. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

Shoreham-Wading River girls varsity soccer team looked to build on the success of their 2023 campaign when the Wildcats won another Suffolk County Class A title and Long Island championship. The team advanced to the state championships last November at Cortland High School before losing the Class A final to Rye.

The Wildcats faced off against Bay Shore in Islip High School summer league action Thursday, Aug. 8. It was Ava Gengler’s foot that stretched the net to take the early lead. On a corner kick, Olivia Pesso floated the ball up high in front of the net where Abigail Cooke headed the ball in for the insurance goal. Shoreham-Wading River inked the 2-0 victory in the fourth game of the tournament with two games remaining.

The Wildcats launch their 2024 season with a home opener Sept. 11 when they will host Mount Sinai. Game time is slated for 4:30 p.m.

— Photos by Bill Landon

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Do you recognize this woman? Photo from SCPD
Do you recognize this woman? Photo from SCPD

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Seventh Squad detectives are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the women who allegedly stole merchandise from a Shirley store last month.

Two women allegedly stole approximately $1,800 worth of cosmetics from Ulta Beauty, located at 1017 Montauk Highway, on July 26 at approximately 4:25 p.m. The women fled on foot.

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.

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File photo

Suffolk County Police Fifth Squad detectives are investigating a motor vehicle crash that killed a motorcyclist in Medford last night.

Hasani Martin-Rathan was operating a 2007 Suzuki motorcycle northbound on North Ocean Avenue when he crashed into a southbound 2018 Ford van that was attempting to turn left onto Cedar Avenue at approximately 8:30 p.m.

Martin-Rathan, 27, of Brentwood, was pronounced dead at the scene by a physician assistant from the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner. The driver of the Ford, Angel Bravo-Jimenez, 24, of Medford, was not injured. Both vehicles were impounded for safety checks.

Detectives are asking anyone with information on the crash to contact the Fifth Squad at 631-854-8542.

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File photo by Raymond Janis

Why ‘divisive’ hits the mark

Art Billadello objects to the word “divisive” headlining a TBR news article [Aug. 1] about the gigantic “In Trump We Trust” sign put up on a building at the main intersection of Port Jefferson, right across from the ferry terminal. He ignores the obvious: Of course a sign like that is divisive.

This was not a campaign sign. It was put up in January 2020, immediately before President Joe Biden’s [D] inauguration and shortly after the attack on the U.S Capitol sparked by the lie that former President Donald Trump [R] hadn’t lost the election. Some 20 feet long and some 3 feet high, it was displayed on the building’s second story balcony. It took our national motto, “In God We Trust,” and swapped out “God” for “Trump.” How is that not divisive?

When I moved to this area over 35 years ago there were no political signs outside of election season, let alone a gigantic sign erected in the middle of town three months after the election, implicitly claiming God-like status for the losing candidate. All that changed after 2016. After that election was over and Trump won, his flags and banners didn’t come down. They remained prominently displayed throughout his entire term. Then, when Trump lost in 2020, the Trump flags and banners still didn’t come down after the election. Why is that? What is the purpose of this other than to provoke and inflame division within our community? It’s not exactly the kind of thing expected of a good neighbor. It expresses the opposite of what unites us.

As for the letter writer’s attempt to draw a false equivalence between Trump and Biden as equally divisive, it’s just more gaslighting. The Biden administration passed the first major infrastructure bill in decades with bipartisan support, in spite of opposition from the extreme left and the extreme right. Trump, on the other hand has trafficked in race-baiting and ethnic stereotypes, hurled childish and vitriolic insults at his political opponents, and refused to disavow the most extreme and violent of his supporters, even to the extent of refusing to condemn their threats to hang his own vice president for performing his constitutional duty.

David Friedman

St. James

Local Dems put politics first

During interviews with TBR, several local Democrats could barely hide their excitement over the change at the tippy-top of their party’s ticket [“Local Democrats see new political energy and interest after Biden withdraws,” TBR News Media, July 25].

John Avlon said, “People are excited to be a part of something bigger than themselves.” Dems are becoming “fired up” about their political prospects. 

Steve Englebright was especially upbeat: “Everybody who I’ve talked to is energized. … I see the ascension of a Democratic candidate … who is a woman of color, a woman of substance, in terms of her accomplishments, as validating the idea that women are equally ready” to serve in any political office.

Hitchhiking on that idea, Rebecca Kassay added, “I’m energized and inspired to be running with our first potential female president.”

Suffolk County Democratic Committee campaign manager Keith Davies saw all this as a “great opportunity for local candidates to not have to worry about exciting Democrats.” Davies also added those running won’t have to spend much time fielding questions about President Joe Biden’s “cognitive abilities.”

All that uncontested “happy talk” was weeks ago. Missing then and, as of this writing, missing now, is any substantive talk of policy from the two candidates atop their ticket.

Both the vice president, Kamala Harris, and her running mate, Tim Walz, currently remain basically mute regarding specifics on how they’d manage inflation, illegal immigration, two wars started on their party’s watch, growing antisemitism especially on college campuses, fracking, police funding or restarting ICE “from scratch.”

The aforementioned, a partial list of important issues, does not include Harris’ 2019 call for ending private health insurance.

Campaign staffers trying to “walk back,” some would say flip flop, on her more extreme and unpopular positions are a poor substitute for answering probing questions in her own voice.

But, perhaps the most troubling part of the interview was Davies’ apparent relief that Biden’s “cognitive abilities” may no longer be a pesky political liability. The implication, in this time of multiple global existential crises, is that the fitness of POTUS is off the table. This, despite the fact that Biden’s significant cognitive disabilities remained purposely hidden, until after his awful debate. How then, without careful, unbiased scrutiny, could we know if the current president is fit to run our nation for the next six months?

It’s that kind of deliberate media incuriosity that has cost them credibility and gotten us to the point where unchallenged partisans can put their politics first, and celebrate muted candidates, with little fear of blowback.

Jim Soviero

East Setauket

The community we love

Every Saturday, my husband Bill and I head for the Rolling Pin Bakery at the Three Village Plaza in East Setauket to load up with goodies. This Saturday, when we entered the store, the manager called us over and surprisingly gave us an envelope with a $20 bill in it. 

It was found on the floor last week. They looked at the security video and lo and behold … it was us!

The point of all this is that it is really satisfying to know that we live in a community with such honest and caring people.

Thank you to the staff at the Rolling Pin Bakery. You made our day as uplifting as those raisin scones.

Patricia Martin

Stony Brook

Errors in Joseph ‘JOJO’ LaRosa Foundation article

I want to bring your attention to two errors in the recent article that was published about the Joseph “JOJO” LaRosa Foundation golf outing on Monday, July 29 [“Celebrating the life of JoJo LaRosa,” The Village Times Herald, Aug. 1].

The first being at the beginning of the article where you refer to our foundation in parentheses as “Forever JoJo Strong.” This is not accurate. JoJo’s father — and our dad — has a separate foundation with that name. JoJo and I’s parents are divorced and therefore made two separate foundations. 

The second error that needs to be corrected is when you refer to “JoJo’s dad” based on a comment by my mom Gina. In the interview she said, “my husband” when referring to the person JoJo used to play with at St. George’s Golf and Country Club and that is because her husband is JoJo’s stepdad, not his father. As I mentioned above, JoJo’s father is not married to my mom and has a separate foundation from JJLF.

I do apologize for the confusion, however, these are very important errors that need to be retracted or revised.

Emily LaRosa, Vice President

Joseph “JOJO” LaRosa Foundation

Editor’s note: We regret these errors and thank Emily LaRosa for bringing them to our attention.

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Peach Crostada

By Heidi Sutton

Did you go peach picking this week?  Here are some perfectly peachy dessert recipe ideas that are sure to satisfy, courtesy of the Georgia Peach Council.

Fresh Peach Crostada

Peach Crostada

YIELD: Makes 6 servings

INGREDIENTS: 

4 or 5 ripe peaches, sliced and pitted

¼ cup plain flour

1/3 cup sliced almonds

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup sugar

1 refrigerated pie crust

2 tablespoon peach preserves, melted

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, toss peaches, flour, almonds, and sugar. Lay crust flat on greased baking sheet and arrange peaches in center. Fold edges of crust so that they overlap edges of peaches. Brush peaches with melted preserves and top with pats of butter. Brush crust with melted butter to help with browning. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Fruit Cobbler

Fruit Cobbler

YIELD: Makes 12 servings

INGREDIENTS: 

4 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup self-rising flour

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup & 2 tablespoons sugar, divided

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups fresh peaches, peeled and sliced

1 cup fresh or frozen blackberries

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350. Put butter in a 9 x 13 glass baking dish; bake until butter is melted. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine flour, milk, 3/4 cup sugar, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, toss peaches, blueberries, and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Pour batter into dish over melted butter, but do not stir. Spoon fruit over batter along with 1/2 cup fruit juice from bottom of bowl. (Discard any extra juice.) Do not stir; bake 25 minutes, or until crust browns.

Peach Cobbler

Peach Cobbler

YIELD: Makes 8 servings

INGREDIENTS: 

8 cups sliced Georgia peaches

2 cups sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

1/3 cup butter or margarine

Pastry for double-crust pie

Vanilla ice cream

DIRECTIONS:

Combine peaches, sugar, flour and nutmeg in a Dutch oven; set aside to allow syrup to form (approx. 15 minutes). Bring peach mixture to a boil: reduce heat to low, and simmer 10 minutes or until peaches are tender. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and margarine.

Roll half of pastry to 1/8” thickness: cut into a circle to fit a two-quart baking dish. Spoon half of mixture into lightly buttered baking dish; top with pastry. Bake at 475°F for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Spoon remaining peach mixture over baked pastry. Roll remaining pastry to 1/8” thickness and cut into 1” strips; arrange in lattice design over peaches. Bake an additional 15-20 minutes until browned. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

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Photo courtesy of Theatre Thre

By Tara Mae

Peace, love, and music!  Time to get your groove on and party like it’s 1969 when “Woodstockmania: Woodstock in Concert” returns to Theatre Three, 412 Main Street in Port Jefferson. The tribute concert will take the stage for the first time since 2019 on Friday, August 16, and Saturday, August 17 at 8 p.m. 

Its 17-member band includes ten instrumentalists and eight individual vocalists singing at least two songs each, covering music from the original 1969 Woodstock lineup — an experience so organically soulful its reverberations are still felt today. 

“Woodstock performances have become part of the fabric of Theatre Three. This is a group of outstanding musicians…It’s extraordinary to see these exceptionally talented artists brought together,” said Theatre Three’s Executive Artistic Director Jeffrey Sanzel.

Held on the 55th anniversary of Woodstock, “Woodstockmania” features approximately 34 numbers from 21 of the artists who played the stage at Max Yasgur’s dairy farm in Bethel, New York, including Jimi Hendrix; Sly and the Family Stone; The Who; Grateful Dead; Janis Joplin; Jefferson Airplane; Country Joe and the Fish; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; The Band; Santana; Sweetwater; Creedence Clearwater Revival; Joan Baez; and Joe Cocker.

“This music is from a highly creative time in our culture. There was so much varied music to become attached to; everyone could find something that resonated with themselves,” Musical Director Michael Chiusano said. 

More than just a harmonious homage, “Woodstockmania” is a musical tribute to the passionate artists whose creative contributions continue to inspire today. 

Having not performed “Woodstockmania” together in 5 years, the show is an opportunity to reconnect with friends as they honor the woman who first brought many of them together: Theatre Three’s longtime musical director Ellen Michelmore, who passed away in 2016.

“It’s a reunion of friends that have been through the fire together…Mostly though, it’s a tribute to Ellen; to keep the memory of her fresh in our minds and hearts. She was a special lady,” Chiusano said. 

Michelmore developed “Woodstockmania” from Summer of ‘69: Return to Woodstock, which she co-created with Bill Van Horn. The original musical, using songs performed at the Woodstock festival, was a hit for Theatre Three and had an off-Broadway run. 

Following that success, Michelmore organized annual Woodstock tribute concerts. After her death, the show was dubbed “Ellen Michelmore’s Woodstockmania,” according to Sanzel.

While Chiusano has added other songs and musical numbers to the show, much of its repertoire was originally chosen by Michelmore. 

Eight of the songs have been in every incarnation of the show: “Going Up the Country” by Canned Heat; “Somebody to Love” and “White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane; “Dance to the Music” by Sly & the Family Stone; “Star Spangled Banner” as done by Jimi Hendrix; “The Weight” by The Band; “Piece of My Heart” by Janis Joplin; “With a Little Help from My Friends” as done by Joe Cocker. 

“That era, roughly 1965 to 1975, was the golden age of pop music. It will never be like that again. I also believe that people need to be reminded of all the great tunes there were,” Chiusano said.

Tunes are not the only entities enjoying this encore; the musicians recognize it as an opportunity to embrace an era that still enraptures performers and patrons. 

“Everyone who’s ever been involved in the production always remembers it fondly when they talk to me…we’re thrilled to be a part of it,” said Theatre Three’s Artistic Associate/Director of Development Douglas Quattrock. An original company member of Summer of ‘69: Return to Woodstock, he is now in the “Woodstockmania” band as the emcee and a vocalist. 

Such consistency underscores the steadfast surety of music. Personal classics and timeless songs are the soundtrack to our lives, dependable narrators of enduring emotions. In this shared language, “Woodstockmania,” is a dialect understood by artists and attendees. If “Woodstockmania” is a celebration of legacy and life, it’s main theme may be appreciating community synchronicity. 

“I think the legacy of the show over the years is that it has brought so much joy and kept so much wonderful music alive for the audiences in our area,” Quattrock added.

“Woodstockmania” is part of Theatre Three’s annual Summer Concert Series that includes special one or two night only performances on its main stage. Tickets are $65 per person. For more information or to order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

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SCWA CEO Jeff Szabo hoists the Long Island Water Conference’s drinking water tasting contest trophy with fellow SCWA employees. Photo courtesy of SCWA

The Suffolk County Water Authority recently received the trophy for winning the Long Island Water Conference’s 36th annual Drinking Water Tasting Contest. SCWA’s water was declared the best tasting among all Suffolk County water providers in May. The trophy commemorating the win was delivered to SCWA and will now be on display all year, until it passes on to the next winner in 2025. 

Water from 14 providers from across Long Island were considered for the contest. The Bayville Water Department took home the title for Nassau County.

“The drinking water taste contest is always a fun time for us,” said SCWA Chairman Charles Lefkowitz. “It is great to see how we stack up against many of our fellow water providers, and our victory shows that our hard work is paying off. We are excited to have this trophy in hand and will be sure to display it with pride.”

More than 240 participants voted for their favorite tasting water and received exciting giveaways during the contest. The SCWA will also participate in the New York State Regional Metro Tap Water Taste Contest held in New York City to compete for entry into the statewide contest held at the Great New York State Fair.

The Suffolk County Water Authority is an independent public-benefit corporation operating under the authority of the Public Authorities Law of the State of New York. Serving approximately 1.2 million Suffolk County residents, the Authority operates without taxing power on a not-for-profit basis.

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Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

By Daniel Dunaief

Daniel Dunaief

Sports resides somewhere near the center of the currency of communication in our house.

In fact, recently our daughter, who is a gifted back row volleyball player despite just clearing five feet tall, and her brother, who is a lifelong baseball player, exchanged amusing anecdotes.

Our daughter attended a minor league baseball game with her friends. In the middle of a close game, she wondered aloud whether, with runners on first and second base and no outs, the batter would bunt.

“Huh?” one of her friends responded. “Why? What are you talking about?”

She tried to explain the strategy, but gave up after it was clear that her friends were more excited to go out together than they were to inhale the drama of a baseball game.

Her brother was watching Olympic volleyball with his friends. They didn’t understand much about back row hitting or trying to spike the ball on the second hit.

Our family enjoyed the parts of the Olympics we watched and, of course, discussed some of our favorite events.

One of mine was the 1,500 meter men’s race. All of the build up described the fierce on-the-track rivalry and off-the-track trash talking between Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Brit Josh Kerr.

The spotlight followed them from the moments before the race through the starter’s gun. While this one competition might not settle who is the fairest of them all, I mean, the better runner, it would give one of them a gold medal, presumably, and, perhaps more importantly, bragging rights.

Ingebrigtsen dashed off to the front of the pack, setting a blistering pace while maintaining what looked like a business-like attitude.

But then, a funny thing happened on the way to the expected finish. American Cole Hocker snuck around Ingebrigtsen’s left side, finding a higher gear and accelerating towards the finish. Kerr pushed towards the line as well, even as American Yared Nuguse closed the gap. At the end, it was Hocker first, Kerr second and Nuguse third, a mere hundredth of a second behind Kerr.

Oh, and Ingebrigtsen came in fourth.

It was such a delightful unscripted moment, particularly after humility seemed to be in such short supply between the favorites.

There are a few things we will not miss. We didn’t need extreme close ups of athletes who are doing as much in their chairs waiting to compete as we are watching them. At one point, Simone Biles, whose name you might have heard a few thousand times over the fortnight, took off her warm up jacket, which we all saw on TV. The announcer, lacking any other detail to share and exhausted from overusing the word “redemption,” decided to announce that she was taking off her jacket. You stuck the landing on that insightful observation, buddy boy.

So, now, here we are. The Olympics are over, the flame is out, the days of trying to avoid sports headlines until after watching the prime time replay are over.

We can go back to reading the important news of the day, assuming we can find some. 

What’s changed in our house? Well, our dog is much happier. He probably has nothing against the Olympics, but we shouted at the TV much more often than we typically do during a baseball or basketball game.

We can consider the what ifs in our own lives. These Olympians train every day, eat the right foods, try to stay on a sleep regimen and forego other id-driven moments.

And then, on that day, they might win by a hundredth of a second or less. 

At their best, they can inspire us, the way a new year sends people into a list making frenzy. If they can be so amazing, maybe we can, too.

Or, perhaps, we can figure out what else to watch or binge watch on TV. Oh, and there’ll be a winter games, assuming there’ll be a winter, in Italy in two years. Those athletes are undoubtedly doing everything they can to shave another hundredth of a second off their times.

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Pixabay photo

By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief,
Publisher

Perhaps you don’t listen to the radio much, or at all. It’s a great way to turn to the latest news when we are driving in the car, where we in the suburbs spend so much of our time. 

I have my dial set at CBS NewsRadio on 880 AM, and I flick it on whenever I am on the road. I will also listen to the all news station just before I go to sleep at night and right after I wake up in the morning. I am, after all, in the news business and need to be aware of what is happening both in the world and on Long Island. Besides, I have always been something of a news junkie. So you can imagine my disappointment when I heard the latest news from the station.

CBS NewsRadio will no longer broadcast the news 24/7.

The station gave no explanation, but of course I know why: not enough advertising.

The media is being devastated in the pocketbook. It’s not just newspapers that are feeling the squeeze to the bottom line. It is also television, cable and radio. Many people are getting their news from online and social media. But those sources are not vetted and subject to the higher standards of a free press or broadcasting. They often contain biased or even total untruths and can dangerously spread misinformation.

This is a genuine threat to our democracy, which can only exist if people are correctly informed of what is happening around them and thus can support those officials who properly represent them. Even The New York Times, with a huge circulation in New York, has now decided to stop endorsing candidates in the state. 

Again, while the newspaper doesn’t give a reason for the omission it announced, I can fairly well guess why. It takes a lot of extra time and effort to interview candidates for national, statewide and local offices, and then to discuss the results and ultimately write up the endorsements. We know about that. And time means money. 

Yes, endorsements sometimes result in hurt feelings and displeasure on the part of the party or candidates not selected, but that has always been a factor in elections. Unendorsed officials, political parties and the media need each other, and after an election, they resume their sometimes shaky relationship. That, in itself, is not a reason for discontinuing the highly valuable service for readers of publishing the impressions of journalists who cover the candidates on a regular basis and have privileged personal access to them during interviews. “It mattered because it helped keep candidates honest, from taking cheap shots and saying what’s popular instead of what’s hard,” was one observation from a political source. 

The issue is money.

CBS NewsRadio offered a broad range of news categories, from international and national, to state and local information. It also gave health, economic, weather, traffic and sports overviews in a structured half-hourly schedule. All of that readily available news will be missed.

The pressure on news outlets is extreme today. Based on the old fashioned model, news has been supplied to the public freely with the underwriting of advertising support. But that model is broken. 

Advertising has drifted to the much followed digital services like Google and Apple, leaving traditional media adrift. While some advertising continues to flow to these media, not enough does to sustain all the outlets. 

For example, 6000 newspapers used to exist in the United States. Today, that number is about 2500 and are beset with financial woes. The New York Times decided to shift its base of support from solely advertising to the customers of their information, the readers. It installed a paywall for the readers. While that business strategy seems to be working for the NYT, it has so far failed any number of others. 

Community news media are also suffering. “Truth of the matter is, who I elect to the school board affects me much more than who I vote for for president,” was said by one media specialist. We, too, need help. 

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METRO photo

Suffolk County Sheriff Errol D. Toulon, Jr. and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office’s S.T.A.R.T. Resource Center team will be hosting a back-to-school giveaway on Monday, August 19 at 2 p.m. The free event is open to all Suffolk residents and will take place outside of the Yaphank Correctional Facility located at 200 Glover Drive in Yaphank.

Children in attendance will receive a backpack filled with various school supplies as well as a pair of pajamas courtesy of EJ’s PJ’s, free treats from Starbucks and other giveaways. In addition, various non-profit service providers will be on hand and there will be free activities for kids. The event is first come, first serve, and will run from 2 p.m. to 6 p,m, or until supplies last. The event is rain or shine.

For more information, call 631-852-3436.

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