Yearly Archives: 2024

By Heidi Sutton

Looking for Easter Egg Hunts on the North Shore? Here is a list of events for this week so grab your baskets and camera and hippity hop over to these fun springtime celebrations. 

Cold Spring Harbor

Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery, 1660 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor will hold egg hunts on March 28, 29 and 30 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Children up to 6 years of age can hunt for eggs during 20 minute sessions scheduled throughout the day. $12 per child, $5 helper siblings ages 7 to 12, $7 adults, $6 seniors. Registration is required at www.cshfishhatchery.org. 516-692-6768

East Northport

Island Christian Church, 400 Elwood Road, East Northport will host a free Easter Egg Hunt on March 30 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Activities will include face painting, crafts, games, bounce houses, photo-ops, and of course, hunting for eggs! You may even see the Easter Bunny! Held rain or shine. Visit islandchristian.com/easter to register. 631-822-3000

East Setauket

— Benner’s Farm, 56 Gnarled Hollow Road, East Setauket will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt weekend from March 29 to 31 with craft vendors, barnyard animals to see and hold, an egg hunt in the fields, (at your purchased time slot), pictures with the Spring Bunny and more! This is a ticketed event only. Tickets are sold online only for $12.50 per person. As of press time, there were a few openings left on March 31. To register, visit www.bennersfarm.com. 631-689-8172

— Three Village Church, 322 Main St., East Setauket invites children up to 5th grade to an Easter Egg Hunt on March 30 from 10 a.m. to noon. No tickets needed. The egg hunt will be at regularly scheduled intervals, with new eggs each time and a safe space for the littlest crawlers/walkers. Free. 631-941-3670

Farmingdale

Children ages 5 and older are invited to join Adventureland, 2245 Broadhollow Road, Farmingdale for an Egg Scramble on March 30 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Kids can collect spring surprises and giveaways and visit with the Easter Bunny and Adventureland’s mascot. Tickets in advance online are $39.50 for adults; $49.50 ages 2-24 includes all rides. Rain date April 6. Visit adventureland.us to register. 631-694-6868

Huntington

Children ages 1 to 8 can enjoy a spring celebration and egg hunt at Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve, 25 Lloyd Harbor Road Huntington on March 30 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Activities including a petting zoo, arts and crafts, a meet and greet with Mr. Bunny and a special concert with puppetry by Janice Buckner & The New Country Road Show. $16 per child. Register at www.caumsettfoundation.org/programs.

Kings Park

San Remo Civic Association will host a free Easter Egg Hunt with Peter Rabbit at Waterfront Park, Riviera Drive, Kings Park on March 30 from noon to 2:30 p.m. Rain date is March 31 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. www.sanremocivic.com

Melville

Take part in an Easter Egg Hunt at White Post Farms, 250 Old Country Road, Melville  on March 28 to 31 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit with the Easter Bunny (take your own pictures) visit the bunny holding station, see a magic show and much more. Admission is $29.95. 631-351-9373

Northport

Northport Chamber of Commerce with the Northport Centerport Lions Club will host a traditional Easter Egg Hunt at Northport Village Park on March 31 at 1 p.m. Free. 631-754-3905

Port Jefferson

Children ages 2 to 8 are invited to join the Greater Chamber of Commerce for an Easter Egg Hunt following the annual Easter Parade at noon. Line up in front of the Port Jefferson Village Center, 101 E. Broadway, Port Jefferson at 12:15 p.m. after the parade. Photo ops with the Easter Bunny will be from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Free. 631-473-1414

Setauket

Caroline Episcopal Church, 1 Dyke Rd., Setauket hosts a community Easter Egg Hunt on March 30 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Enjoy games, egg hunt prizes, snacks, a live magic show, face painting, an Easter hat contest & parade, and a special long-eared guest. Free. To register, visit carolinechurch.net/egghunt2024. 631-941-4245

Captain Edward R. Rhodes installs the first Three Village Historical Society historic house marker in 1964. Photo courtesy of TVHS

By Kimberly Phyfe

As you travel throughout the Three Village area, you might notice houses quietly boasting white signs with blue writing on them. These markers are adorned with Setauket-built sloop The Daisy and perhaps the names of original home owners. They are an indication that something special is happening here, and it’s about to get even better!

Sixty years ago, one of the first projects the Three Village Historical Society (TVHS) took on was marking the homes of ship captains and ship builders in the Three Village area. To commemorate their 60th anniversary, they are embarking on a new leg of that journey with the re-imagined Historic House Marker program — and everyone is invited!

A historical marker was presented for the Nehemiah Hand House on Bayview Avenue in East Setauket. Photo from TVHS

“In honoring six decades of dedication, reflection, and growth, we commence an initiative close to our hearts: ’60 for 60.’  This updated version serves as a revival of our esteemed Historical House Markers program, a pioneering endeavor initiated by Captain Rhodes, a founding member of our Society,” says TVHS Director Mari Irizarry. “The Historical House Markers program pays tribute to the cherished residences, remarkable individuals, and pivotal events that have shaped the very fabric of our community over centuries.  Each marker unveiled becomes a beacon of remembrance, a testament to the resilience and spirit of those who came before us.”

This is not only the first project undertaken by the Three Village Historical Society back in 1964, but it reflects what the Society considers one of its most important ideas, that “it regards the entire Three Village area as its museum; the homes, the people and the natural environment as its collection; and the homeowners as its curators.” (Three Village Guidebook, 1986)

The new TVHS house marker mock up.

Scott Ferrara, Exhibits & Collections Coordinator at TVHS, is leading the committee on the revamping of the Historic House Marker program. He noted that “if you drive around the Three Village area, you see a lot of historic homes. However, only some are marked with the iconic white historic house marker, but even those are sun-faded, have cracked paint, and are well worn. They need to be updated and replaced. It’s about time this program is revived. This committee has been formed to bring back this program and offer updated information and materials to the stewards of historical homes in the area.” 

Ferrara says that the program will also include research packets about each of the homes, digital and printed copies of the findings, and photographs, deeds, or documents pertaining to the property found in the TVHS archives. The Society is also happy to teach willing home owners how to do research on their own, and what resources are available to them to find out more about the historic houses they live in.

Why empower home owners to do their own digging? TVHS Historian Beverly C. Tyler believes “many homeowners in the Three Village community are ready to embrace the idea that they are — together with many others — the curators of their homes, and that they wish to understand everything that gives their home its special significance.”

TVHS Education Coordinator Lindsey Steward-Goldberg “hopes this new version of the program will continue to inspire owners of historic houses to learn more about not only the history of their house but also how that history of the house fits into the historic narrative of Three Village as a whole.”

A house marker presented for 40 Main Street in Stony Brook in 1997. Photo from TVHS

Perhaps best known as the birthplace of the Culper Spy Ring and the heart of the Washington Spy Trail, the Three Villages are a popular destination both for tourists and local Long Islanders looking to connect to their roots. Margo Arceri of Tri-Spy Tours uses the homes with historic markers as a reference point on her walking, biking, and kayak tours throughout the area. Arceri loves the fact that “since our town was founded in 1655, there was at last count over 75 pre-Revolutionary homes still in existence in the Three Village area. That’s an incredibly special part of our story that not many other places can say. Our community is full of homes belonging to spies, ship builders, philanthropists, educators, and business owners — those are the true artifacts of our living museum!”

So why is the Society bringing back the Historic House Marker program now? Tyler is determined that “while celebrating the Society’s 60th anniversary, there is no better time to work within the community to emphasize the importance of maintaining and celebrating the homes in the Three Village area which make a significant contribution to the quality of life here.”

There are a few simple qualifications such as: the house must be at least 60 years old and be connected to an historic event or an individual, or have architectural significance. Starting April 1, home owners can see if their houses are eligible with a quick screening on the Society’s website: www.tvhs.org

Irizarry hopes to get at least 60 historic homes to qualify for the markers this year. “As we embark on this journey of reflection and celebration, we invite our community to join us in commemorating this significant milestone. Together, let us honor our past, celebrate our present, and pave the way for a future rich in history and heritage.”

Author Kimberly Phyfe is the Communications Engagement Manager at the Three Village Historical Society.

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Suffolk County Police arrested two Flushing women during a raid at a Huntington massage parlor March 28.

In response to community complaints, Second Precinct Crime Section officers along with the Town of Huntington Fire Marshal and the Town of Huntington’s Code Enforcement conducted an investigation at Ruyi Healing Inc., located at 201 E. Main Street at approximately 4:30 p.m.

Two women were arrested. The manager, Yuexian Pan, 45, was charged with alleged Unauthorized Practice of a Profession, a felony, Prostitution, a misdemeanor, and Criminal Nuisance 2nd Degree, a misdemeanor. An employee, Xin Ai Zhang, 45, was charged with alleged Unauthorized Practice of a Profession and Prostitution. Multiple violations were issued by Town of Huntington officials. The women will be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on a later date.

METRO photo

By Michael Christodoulou

Michael Christodoulou
Michael Christodoulou

We all hope to remain healthy and independent throughout our lives — but life can be unpredictable. If you were ever to need some type of long-term care, would you be financially prepared?

Long-term care encompasses everything from the services of a home health aide to a stay in an assisted living facility to a long residence in a nursing home. You may never need any of these kinds of care, but the odds aren’t necessarily in your favor: Someone turning age 65 today has almost a 70% chance of needing some type of long-term care services and support in their remaining years, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

And all types of long-term care can involve considerable financial expense. The median annual cost for a home health aide’s services is more than $60,000 per year, and it’s more than $100,000 per year for a private room in a nursing home, according to Genworth, an insurance company. Furthermore, contrary to many people’s expectations, Medicare usually pays very little of these costs. 

Of course, some people expect their family will be able to take care of their long-term care needs. But this may not be a viable strategy. For one thing, your family members simply may not have the skills needed to give you the type of care you may require.  Also, by the time you might need help, your grown children or other family members might not live in your area. 

So, you may need to protect yourself and your loved ones from the potential costs of long-term care. Basically, you’ve got two main choices: You could self-insure or you could transfer the risk by purchasing some type of long-term care insurance. 

If you have considerable financial resources, you might find self-insuring to be attractive, rather than choosing insurance and paying policy premiums.  You may wish to keep an emergency savings or investment account that’s earmarked exclusively for long-term care to help avoid relying on your other retirement accounts. But self-insuring has two main drawbacks.  First, because long-term care can be costly, you might need to plan for a significant amount. And second, it will be quite hard to predict exactly how much money you’ll need, because so many variables are involved — your age when you start needing care, interest rates or inflation, the cost of care in your area, the type of care you’ll require, the length of time you’ll need care, and so on. 

As an alternative to self-insuring, you could purchase long-term care insurance, which can provide benefits for home health care, adult day care and assisted living and nursing home facilities. However, you will need to consider the issues attached to long-term care insurance. For one thing, it can be expensive, though the younger you are when you buy your policy, the more affordable it may be. 

Also, long-term care policies typically require you to wait a certain amount of time before benefits are paid. But policies vary greatly in what they offer, so, if you are thinking of buying this insurance, you’ll want to review options and compare benefits and costs.

In any case, by being aware of the potential need for long-term care, its cost and the ways of paying for it, you’ll be able to make the appropriate decisions for your financial situation, your needs and your loved ones.  

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

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

 

By Bill Landon

After narrowly winning their first two nonleague season openers against Mattituck 6-5 and Rocky Point 5-4, Middle Country opened their league season opener at home against Half Hollow Hills Tuesday, March 26, looking to make it three in a row. Hills served notice early on this would be no walk in the park peppering the scoreboard with four unanswered goals by the halftime break. 

It was Tyler Diaz’s third-quarter score that breathed new life into the Mad Dogs to trail 4-1, but that’s all the Middle Country offense could muster the rest of the way. Hills lit up the scoreboard in the final two quarters to slam the door for the 14-1 victory in the Division I contest.

Middle Country goalie Logan Hoenig didn’t have a moment’s rest during the final 12 minutes of play, as the junior netted 12 saves on the day.

The Mad Dogs look to get back to their winning ways Saturday morning when they host Patchogue-Medford at 10 a.m.

— Photos by Bill Landon

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Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Sixth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate a man who allegedly stole from a South Setauket store in March.

A man allegedly stole grocery items from Target, located at 265 Pond Path, at approximately 5:40 p.m. on March 13. The man had several tattoos on his hands.

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.

 

PSEG Facebook

PSEG Long Island is inviting anyone interested in heat pump systems to attend its inaugural heat pump technologies and solutions conference, “Electrify Long Island” on April 4. The event is free for PSEG Long Island customers. More than 400 people are expected to attend to learn how electric heat pumps, which function both as heaters and air conditioners, are a greener and more economical way to heat and cool homes.

With a goal of achieving 100% zero-emission electricity by 2040, New York State leads the nation in transitioning to a clean energy economy. Hosting this first-ever conference is one way PSEG Long Island is making heat pump technologies a major part of the future for electric customers on Long Island and in the Rockaways, supporting the state goal.

The conference will be held on Thursday, April 4, from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hilton Long Island/Huntington located at 598 Broadhollow Road in Melville. The event will include breakfast with keynote speaker Rory Christian, chairperson and CEO of the NYS Public Service Commission, educational breakout sessions and hands-on workshops throughout the day, more than a dozen exhibitors, lunch, and networking opportunities.

Some of the topics to be presented are:

  • How heat pump technology is transforming the way Long Islanders heat and cool their homes and workplaces;
  • Heat pump systems: how they operate and why they are so energy efficient;
  • Design, sales, and installation of heat pumps – including setup pitfalls and protocols, and performance testing and verification;
  • And available rebates, tax credits, and incentives, and how PSEG Long Island can help customers qualify.

While anyone is welcome to attend this conference, it will be especially useful for people in the commercial and residential heating and cooling industry; school and multifamily dwelling property managers; pool companies; geothermal installers; building developers, designers, architects and engineers; and homeowners.

Pre-registration is required at electrifylongisland.com/.

Independent annual evaluations by Demand Side Analytics (DSA) have found PSEG Long Island’s energy efficiency and renewable energy programs to be cost-effective and energy-saving. DSA’s 2022 evaluation showed that PSEG Long Island Energy Efficiency Programs, including rebates, generated approximately $1.36 in benefits to society for every $1 in costs to operate the program.

 

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Suffolk County Police Sixth Squad detectives are investigating a motor vehicle crash that seriously injured a man in Medford on March 28.

Pawel Andrzejczyk, was driving a 2015 Mercedes-Benz eastbound on Express Drive South, near Victorian Lane, when he disregarded a flagger working with the construction crew at 1:42 a.m. Andrzejczyk drove into a closed off section of the road and struck a construction vehicle.

Andrzejczyk, 44, of Medford, was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of serious injuries.

The vehicle was impounded for a safety check. Anyone with information on this crash is asked to call the Sixth Squad at 631-854-8652.

'One Dog, Two Bites' by Robert V. Guido, last year's grand prize winner in the Children's category. Photo courtesy of Gurwin

Calling all photographers! Gurwin Jewish Nursing & Rehabilitation Center is now accepting applications for its 31st annual Photo Contest.

Amateur photographers and students are invited to submit their best photos for a chance to win a recognition award and cash prizes and the opportunity to have their work permanently displayed in the Center’s renowned Tiffen Gallery for the enjoyment of residents, staff and visitors. 

The Contest garners nearly 1000 submissions each year from across the globe which are judged by a panel of professional photographers for clarity, composition, subject matter and suitability for display at the nursing and rehabilitation center.

Grand Prize, Honorable Mentions, as well as a Best-in-Show winner will be awarded in 12 categories: Landscapes, Travel, People, Pets, Children, Wildlife, Nature, Still Life, Student, Altered/Enhanced, Long Island/ New York and Action/ Sports. Gurwin residents and staff also weigh-in on their favorites for a “Resident/ Staff Selection” winner.  

Photos chosen by the judges are enlarged to 20×28 prints, beautifully framed and displayed in Gurwin’s 460-bed nursing and rehabilitation center. 

“Each year we are so very impressed by the incredible work submitted and grateful for the support shown to our Center, and in turn, the residents in our care,” said Stuart B. Almer, President and Chief Executive Officer of Gurwin Healthcare System.

Entry forms are available for download at bit.ly/GurwinPhotoContest or via email at [email protected]. Contestants may submit up to seven printed black and white or color  8” x 10” or 8” x 12’ photographs at a nominal fee of $5 per entry. Deadline for submissions is April 15. Winners are revealed at an awards presentation ceremony in early summer. 

For more information, call the Gurwin Corporate Communications office at 631- 715-2562 or 631-715-2569.

Stony Brook University Hospital launches meal-ordering app. Photo courtesy Stony Brook Medicine/Rob Tannenbaum

By Daniel Dunaief

From soup to nuts – along with pictures and descriptions – patients at Stony Brook University Hospital can use a new mobile app to order meals during their stays that are consistent with medical advice and that is sensitive to their diets.

With this app, patients can choose the times they want meals, within the 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. schedule, and the specific foods that suit their interests and restrictions.

The response among patients at the hospital, which serves more than 1,500 patient meals a day, has been “very positive,” said Nicole Rossol, Chief Patient Experience Officer at Stony Brook University Hospital. “It’s giving patients more day-to-day control in a hospital setting.”

That empowers patients who can otherwise be confined to their rooms or to the hospital as medical staff monitors their health and brings them for a variety of tests.

The cbord patient app, which allows patients to order food for the same or the next day, provides choices that are consistent with the approach the hospital takes as a part of a patient’s care. Additionally, the app can adjust for a range of allergies and patient dietary needs.

Once patients create a dietary profile, the app can filter food options that include halal, kosher, gluten-restricted, vegetarian, cardiac, carbohydrate-controlled and more.

The app “is not replacing anything,” said Kathleen Logsdon Carrozza, Assistant Director of Food and Retail Services and Registered Dietitian at the Faculty Student Association of Stony Brook University Hospital. “It gives patients another option.” Patients who are tech savvy can use their own mobile devices to order food or, on some floors, they can use a shared mobile device.

Those who prefer can still order food through a call center or by speaking with a dining service worker.

At this point, the hospital has about 45 patients who are using the app, said Alexandra Bush, Nutrition Software Systems Administrator at the Faculty Student Association of Stony Brook University.

App origin

About a year ago, members of SBU attended a conference where they learned about this way of ordering food as an option.

“We wanted to do something that was user friendly,” said Logsdon. “The administration was on board.”

Each food and drink option includes a photograph, which gives patients a chance to consider their choices the way they might at a restaurant.

Last summer, two Stony Brook University students took pictures of each item.

At this point, the app is only available in English, although the hospital has interpreters who can help with patient needs and answer questions.

The app is evolving on almost a daily basis. Bush, who receives daily post it notes with suggestions, recently received a request from a pediatric nurse to add pasta with butter, which is now on the menu.

While the hospital doesn’t have the equivalent of a Yelp review for each dish, volunteers solicit feedback from patients from survey data.

In putting together the menu and developing the app, Stony Brook received considerable guidance from a patient and family advisory council, who teamed up with Logsdon and Bush. The app can be accessed on any app store compatible with Apple and Andriod products.

The council “helped with the education that would be going out to patients,” said Rossol. “It’s really important that we have patients that partner with us to make some of these changes and decisions. They gave us great input and feedback.”

The ability to order meals at a particular time allows patients to dine with their visitors.

“This enables us to offer things to patients in a way we haven’t been able to do in the past,” said Rossol.

By ordering food that better suit patient tastes and interests, the hospital can also reduce the amount of food it discards at waste.

When patients order food at a time when they are out of the room for medical testing, the hospital staff can update the dining crew and revise the schedule.

The person delivering the meal can speak with the nursing staff, who can advise them to hold the food or to repeat the order at a later time, depending on the length of any schedule change.

“We’re looking at ways to enhance the patient experience using technology,” said Rossol. “We are really trying to make the experience the best it can be.”