Luise Marie Weiss, a cherished member of the Middle Country community passed on Dec. 21 at the age of 86. Luise was born on April 25, 1937 in Mineola. Luise was the daughter of Julius Steinbrenner and Elsa Muller.
Throughout her life Luise left an indelible mark on her community, serving nearly 40 years at Middle Country Public Library. Here, she worked as the head of adult services, where she spearheaded the law, business and careers collections, topics she expressed a great passion for. In her time in this role, Luise connected with many community members offering a warmth and rejuvenating presence.
“She was a person who had a passion and enthusiasm for books and reference and learning and education, she pulled everybody in,” Director of the Middle Country Public Library, Sophia Serlis-McPhillips said. “Luise was very influential in all of our lives [at the library].”
In addition to her work at the library, Luise played an integral part in the development of the Miller Business Center, a regional resource for businesses, independent entrepreneurs, not-for-profit organizations, and individuals.
“It was Luise’s passion and influence with that collection that drove us to that next step,” Serlis-McPhillips said. “The Miller Center is a big initiative of our library foundation. We have so many businesses on Long Island and if you think about the Center, it all emanated from the passion, really of this one woman.”
The goal of the center is to support regional economic development by promoting a literate and job-ready workforce and providing employment information and career exploration opportunities.
“At the time, the Center was almost equal to a law library,” Serlis-McPhillips explained. “Everything that we did… we partnered with the Hauppauge Industrial Association, to give members access to the resources that we had, teaching people how to use them, and more networking. Luise’s passion really fueled all that.”
Luise’s love of business was one of her most beloved characteristics. She earned two master’s degrees, a degree in Library Science from CW Post and the other in History from Stony Brook University.
“She loved history,” Serlis-McPhillips said. “She wrote a variety of books. She helped us when we wrote our history book for Middle Country.”
She is survived by her loving children, Kirk, Wayne, and Wendy. She now finds comfort in the embrace of a long-awaited reunion with her late son Douglas.
Her spirit lives in her 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Services were held at Moloney-Sinnicksons Funeral Home in Center Moriches.
“You know when you come across the special people in your life, that was Louise.” Serlis-McPhillips said.
Assemblyman Ed Flood speaks in front of local politicians, educators and community members at a press conference against Gov. Hochul’s proposed school funding cuts. Photo by Mallie Jane Kim
By Mallie Jane Kim
Local political representatives and school superintendents rallied to Three Village Central School District Jan. 25 for a passionate press conference decrying proposed cuts to state school funding in Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) proposed budget.
Hochul touted an $825 million increase in state funding for schools overall, but some districts — including 34 in Suffolk County and 10 in Nassau — would face decreases. Of these, Three Village would lose the highest dollar amount at nearly $9 million if the governor’s plan stands, and the smaller Port Jefferson School District would be hit by the largest percentage of funding loss on Long Island — over 28%. Mount Sinai, Cold Spring Harbor, Smithtown and Kings Park school districts would also see modest cuts. This marks a break from the “hold harmless” provision in New York, which in the past has guaranteed school districts didn’t receive less state funding than the previous year, a practice that takes some guesswork out of budget planning.
Political opposition
“Governor, stop playing politics with our children — because we will fight you tooth and nail,” New York State Assemblyman Ed Flood (R-Port Jefferson) said at the event. “We need to restore some common sense and do what’s right for the children of our community. Where are our priorities? Let’s put our children first.”
The politicians who spoke — including U.S. Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY-1), state Assemblymembers Jodi Giglio (R-Riverhead), Jarett Gandolfo (R-Sayville), Doug Smith (R-Holbrook) and state Sen. Mario Mattera (R-St. James) — were united in considering the cuts as a targeted political attack and a conscious choice by the governor.
LaLota referred to the Jan. 5 Long Island Association’s annual State of the Region breakfast during which, as reported by Newsday, Hochul traded barbs with Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman (R), including her quip, “I walked in, I hear somebody doesn’t want New York on Long Island, I was ready to walk off the stage right then. You don’t want me to take all the money with me, though, right?”
LaLota called Hochul a “schoolyard bully” and suggested she is using children as a political pawn against Long Island.
“It is wholly unfair and unjust to take money from our kids because she’s got a political squabble with us,” he said. “Don’t come after our kids because you have a political problem with Long Island. The right thing to do is to fully fund our kids’ education — that’s something we rely upon.”
The governor’s state budget proposal represents a first draft. The state Assembly and Senate will be instrumental in crafting the finalized version, which is due April 1 — but does not often come in on time. If the budget takes until early May to pass, as it did in 2023, school districts will be in a tricky situation since their budgets must be ready and made available for public review between April 30 and May 7.
Superintendents and other groups oppose cuts
“It is important to recognize that these proposed changes will create uncertainty and hardship for our districts,” said Bayport-Blue Point Superintendent Timothy Hearney, who also serves as president of the Suffolk County School Superintendents Association. His district stands to lose 3.34% of its state funding under the plan.
Even though the budget is a first draft and subject to political bargaining in Albany, any final answer may come too late. School districts spend the early spring ironing out budget plans, so unless there is a change soon, districts will be faced with the option of incorporating the funding loss into the 2024-25 school year budget or risk putting up a budget that could surpass the state’s mandated cap on increases to the tax levy, an unpopular option for Long Island taxpayers, who already face high property taxes. In this instance, budget passage would require approval by a supermajority of voters (60 percent or more).
Hearney pointed out that education costs have increased even as enrollments have decreased over the past decade or so, in a nod toward one of Hochul’s stated reasons why some districts should receive less funding. “It’s crucial to underscore that condensing a decade’s worth of lost enrollment in a single year places an overwhelming burden on all of our districts,” he said.
Other concerned superintendents standing in support were Christine Criscione from Mount Sinai, Jessica Schmettan from Port Jefferson and Kevin Scanlon from Three Village.
Scanlon spelled out what he thought the “significant challenges” losing $9 million in funds for his district would pose at a Jan. 24 school board meeting, the night before the press conference. He said he hoped for compromise in Albany, but that such sudden cuts would require drastic measures to accommodate. He said the district may have to close a school or discontinue the Three Village Academy high school program, and they may have to make cuts to the pre-K and pre-K enrichment programs, the Intellectually Gifted Program, special education aides, teaching positions, administrative positions, educational and extracurricular programs and even security.
“Every area of this community will be impacted, so Three Village needs to come together as it has never done before,” he urged at the board meeting. “Parents, students, teachers, administrators, anyone out there — anyone on the street we can get in this community to be part of this conversation — we need for advocacy.”
Those who showed up to advocate at Thursday’s press conference included school board members, staff and teachers union members from Three Village and Mount Sinai, as well as members of parent teacher associations, also civic and community groups, including the local parent group Three Village Dads.
David Tracy, leader of Three Village Dads, said he isn’t interested in being divisive politically, but couldn’t ignore the air of apparent retribution in the governor’s move. “Long Island was not a huge voting fan of the governor. I hate to believe this cut in the budget is somewhat of a backlash for that,” he said, adding that the disparity in funding changes from district to district is baffling to him. “It’s just tragic that it comes from our kids.”
Three Village Civic Association president Charles Tramontana agrees the issue is bipartisan. “Nobody wants to see that amount of funding cut without some sort of warning. I don’t think it’s controversial,” said Tramontana, who was scheduled to attend the press conference but was stuck home sick.
“I don’t understand the way the state operates sometimes,” Tramontana said. “They didn’t give any notice that they were dropping that ‘hold harmless’ provision. Basic fairness would dictate that you would give some warning.” He added, “We took some hit— $9 million in one year is definitely going to cause some chaos in our budget.”
Pictured above, the PJSTCA executive board. File photo by Raymond Janis
By Samantha Rutt
Nearly 60 community members gathered at Comsewogue Public Library Jan. 23 for the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Civic Association meeting. The crowded gathering touched on a wide range of topics from amending and establishing new organizational bylaws, to local fire station renovations and closing with a presentation from developer group, R&M Engineering, of Huntington.
A few noteworthy officials were in attendance, county Legislator Steve Englebright (D-Setauket), former Port Jefferson deputy mayor and state Assembly District 4 candidate Rebecca Kassay (D-Port Jefferson), and Skyler Johnson (D-Port Jefferson Station), also an Assembly D4 candidate.
The meeting began with a brief announcement with regard to the updated bylaws of the association to be reviewed and eventually voted upon. Before the Jan. 23 meeting, the updated bylaws were posted to an online forum where members were able to voice any concerns or objections. The presentation of the amended bylaws was met with a handful of responses from attendees with concerns mainly centered around voting status. It was noted that all members in good standing, having paid dues, attended three or more meetings per year and reside in 11776 ZIP code would be eligible to vote. Additionally, comments or concerns can be placed via the online forum before the official vote sometime in March.
Following the brief presentation, civic president, Ira Costell, acknowledged the community’s representation at a recent Town of Brookhaven board meeting addressing the upcoming Staller development.
“I want to compliment us as a community, whether we were for it or against it. I believe we held ourselves in good regard in front of the Town Board with decorum, decency and cooperation, which is the hallmark of our community,” Costell said.
The development has been a significant topic of concern for the civic in recent months. Civic member Paul Sagliocca recently filed a FOIL request and learned that 60 people sent emails with regard to the upcoming development, eight in favor and 52 with concerns or objections.
“The town clerk gave me 60 letters, eight of them were in favor as it stands right now, 52 had concerns whether it was an objection, or they were afraid that it might be [built] too high or an influx of traffic.” Sagliocca said, “We broke down to 12% in total favor of what’s going on there, as opposed to 88% wanting some more input to get to the final product.”
The meeting continued with another presentation from the civic association president noting the ongoing vote at the Terryville Fire Station for renovations. At the time of the meeting, the station had received nearly 200 votes. The station, originally built in 1974, is in need of repairs and updates. A plan including several updates, will be decided from the Jan. 23 vote.
“The substation on Old Town Road was originally built in 1974, now 50 years old, with the ethic and the culture of what existed 50 years ago, not what exists today,” Costell said. “Volunteers are crammed into every single inch, to the point where it could be unsafe in terms of the ability to respond and maneuver around the facility.”
Costell urged members of the community to get out and vote regardless of their chosen stance on the issue.
“I think it would be great if we can help support them. That’s just my pitch. Feel free to take a look at the numbers and decide whether or not it’s not your cup of tea. But either way, please just let’s go out as a community and vote,” Costell urged.
Up next on the docket, developers from R&M Engineering stood before the civic to deliver a presentation listing their proposed 45-unit development, Cordwood Estates. The development property spans 5.5 acres and will be utilized as a retirement community at the corner of Terryville Road and Old Town Road. The proposal includes a plethora of ranch-style homes, each with two bedrooms and two bathrooms and a single car garage. Residents will have access to outdoor space and recreational facilities including sport courts and a pool.
The audience took turns asking questions and listing concerns throughout the presentation addressing several topics. Among the most pressing concerns were that of traffic increase and poor location of ingress and egress points. A concerned resident took note of the proposed development’s exit points as they neighbored an already dangerous intersection. Additionally, comments were made with concerns for the existing vegetation, sewage and wastewater infrastructure as well as the affordability of the site. The proposal still has to go before the Town Board for approval.
The next civic association meeting will be held Feb. 27. All other dates and meeting minutes information can be accessed via www.pjstca.org.
Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Fourth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the man who allegedly stole from a Commack store this month.
A man allegedly stole merchandise valued at $999 from Target, located at 98 Veterans Memorial Hwy., on January 3 at approximately 10 a.m.
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.
Suffolk County Police arrested a Queens man on Feb. 1 for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars from two elderly people during a computer scam.
A 77-year-old Amityville man received an email, purportedly from the Geek Squad, reporting a charge
of $399. The victim called the phone number provided in the email to dispute the charge. The person
who answered the call directed the victim to log into his bank account from his computer so the funds
could be returned. Once the man logged on, the suspect gained access to the man’s bank accounts and
transferred $40,000 from one of the man’s accounts to the other, without the victim realizing what had
been done.
The representative on the phone convinced the man that the additional funds were transferred
in error and the victim was to provide him with the cash. The suspect picked up $20,000 in cash at the
victim’s home on January 29. The following day, the victim provided $5,000 in gift cards by phone. On
January 31, an additional $20,000 was withdrawn from the victim’s account.
A 74-year-old Bay Shore woman was a victim of the same scam on January 31. She met the suspect in a
parking lot and she gave $13,000. The following day, she was contacted again and told to withdraw an
additional $20,000. Bank officials became concerned during the second withdrawal and contacted
police.
Financial Crimes detectives, Third Precinct officers and Canine Section officers responded to the pickup
location, a parking lot on East Main Street in East Islip, and Jarnail Singh was arrested. The $20,000 was
intercepted by police.
Singh, 21, of South Ozone Park, was charged with Grand Larceny 3rd Degree and Attempted Grand Larceny 3rd Degree. He will be arraigned today at First District Court in Central Islip.
The investigation is continuing. Anyone who believes they are a victim of this scam should contact Financial Crimes at 631-852-6821 or Crime Stoppers 1-800-220-TIPS.
Stony Brook Go Red. (02/02/24). Photo by Kristy Leibowitz/Stony Brook Medicine
Stony Brook Go Red. (02/02/24). Photo by Kristy Leibowitz/Stony Brook Medicine
Stony Brook Go Red. (02/02/24).Photo by Kristy Leibowitz/Stony Brook Medicine
Stony Brook Go Red. (02/02/24) Photo by Kristy Leibowitz/Stony Brook Medicine
Today is Wear Red Day, supporting the American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women” movement, which raises awareness about cardiovascular disease in women. And in honor of the nationwide movement, Stony Brook Medicine rocked their red gear to make a heart of their own during American Heart Month. Each year millions of people unite for a common goal: the eradication of heart disease and stroke.
Smithtown school district’s Joseph M. Barton administrative building on New York Avenue. File photo
By Sabrina Artusa
After two recent lawsuits, Smithtown Central School District Board of Education revised its harassment policy at a Jan. 23 meeting.
In the latest lawsuit, Michael Coppola, 16, claims he was bullied from fourth through ninth grade while a student in Smithtown. His family is now suing the school district under the allegation that the school violated Title 9 by failing to protect him.
According to CBS News, the lawsuit states that “peers physically assaulted him, misgendered him, threw objects at him, verbally abused him,” from elementary through high school.
As a result of the alleged abuse, the family registered several New York State Dignity for All Students Act complaints.
In addition to Smithtown school district, the lawsuit is also filed against seven employees, according to Newsday.
Diane Coppola, Michael’s mom, told CBS New York’s Ali Bauman, “Our family has gone into survival mode. We’re not thriving. We’re trying to survive the school years, and it shouldn’t be that way.”
According to Newsday, Michael Coppola’s grades declined and he developed an eating disorder due to the harassment. After switching schools within the district and continuing to deal with bullying, Coppola now attends a private school over an hour from his house.
The Coppola family’s lawsuit is the second against the school district this year. The first was filed by a 16-year-old Smithtown High School West student who claimed the school failed to protect her from the bullying she suffered on a daily basis. This lawsuit was filed in September.
As a matter of policy, the school district does not comment on matters pertaining to litigation.
At the Jan. 23 Board of Education meeting, trustees read through a revised bullying harassment and prevention policy as well as reviewed capital projects.
The board amended the policy to include hazing as behavior to be prevented and stopped, and also elaborated upon the definitions of bullying, harassment and hazing, as well as the practices for prevention and intervention.
“I’m really pleased that we are revising this policy at a time that we need it.” said Kevin Craine, a first-year trustee.
Other matters
The board also discussed bond projects, both current and expected. While HVAC system upgrades are planned or proposed for several of the schools, the upgrades would not significantly improve the air conditioning in the schools, which has been a point of complaint of many parents after a hot September in the classroom. On multiple days there was a heat alert.
In order to have air conditioning in every room, the electrical system would have to be upgraded — something the board hopes to do in the future. Installing window units as a solution would be temporary, and in the opinion of Daniel Leddy, the district’s director of facilities, would hinder them in their overall goal of central air conditioning.
“When we have the money and the electric and the capability, we will can that in the future,” he said. “We are trying to look future. Throwing window units in — it’s going to create other issues.”
Among hopeful projects for the future were sports lights at High School East, upgraded lights at High School West, and synthetic turf field installments at both high schools. President of the Friends of Music for Smithtown Schools, Jennifer DeGregory, said that while she is grateful for the athletic improvements, she feels that the arts are being overlooked.
“These facilities have not been updated to the point where there’s parts that need to be replaced that no longer are being manufactured,” she said. “We are very concerned about possible cuts to the arts.”
According to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) proposed state aid budget, Smithtown will lose over $1.5 million for the 2024-25 school year. Overall, Hochul’s plan dedicates over $53 million in aid.
The board commended the boys cross country team and the Smithtown-Hauppauge girls swim and dive team on their excellent performances this past season.
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on Feb. 2 that Terence Wolffe, 42, of Mastic, pleaded guilty to Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree and related charges for intentionally damaging parkland in the undeveloped wilderness of Walter S. Commerdinger Jr. County Park in Nesconset. He is now mandated to contribute socially, physically, and financially towards the county’s efforts to improve the environment.
“This is the perfect balance of what we believe is the future of combatting environmental crimes. Not only will this defendant have to pay for the damage he has done, but he is also mandated to be a part of the solution or face jail time,” said District Attorney Tierney. “Beyond simple remediation, this court-mandated comprehensive plan develops, cleans and adds stewards of environmental care in Suffolk County.”
According to court documents and the defendant’s statements during his plea allocution, Wolffe damaged county parkland within the confines of Walter S. Commerdinger Jr. County Park. Beginning in April 2023, Wolffe travelled to an off-trail area in the interior of the park to clear and excavate a personal “hang-out” spot in the woods. Using machetes, axes, and shovels, Wolffe chopped down native trees, removed native vegetation, and dug up ground-brush, thatch, soil, dirt and earth from an area approximately 1,150 square feet in dimension.
Wolffe then piled the displaced brush, soil, and tree limbs upon adjacent park land (smothering other native vegetation). While some trees around the periphery were left standing, Wolffe had allegedly hacked and sectioned their roots, causing severe and fatal damage that, in turn, jeopardized those on trails from falling timber. The depth of Wolffe’s excavation caused the adjacent wetland to flood into the pit.
Wolffe’s conduct was detected in November 2023 by Suffolk County Park Rangers. He was confronted at the scene and ultimately arrested on December 5, 2023, after a full site investigation was completed. He was also cited for having a machete on county parklands.
In December, District Attorney Tierney announced his “Evergreen Initiative,” a broad-based enforcement, awareness, and legislative plan to counter-act destruction of Suffolk’s natural environment. A component of this initiative is the DA’s commitment to incorporate environmental stewardship into plea agreements. As an illustration of this plan in action, the conditions of Wolffe’s plea require him to accumulate a total of 100 “Green Points.”
Wolffe is mandated, under terms of his plea, to accumulate his points through a combination of Green Point types, rather than focus purely on just one avenue.
Wolffe must achieve at least 50 Green Points within seven months of his entering a guilty plea. Wolffe then must acquire any outstanding points within six months of his sentencing. Any unearned points will convert to jail-time.
Additionally, Wolffe will also have to file monthly reports to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office on his progress and submit a personal statement describing, at a minimum, his experiences in undertaking the activities, a review of the organizations he came into contact with, ideas for future environmental endeavors and lessons learned from his experiences
On February 2, 2024, Wolffe pleaded guilty before Supreme Court Justice, the Honorable Richard Ambro to Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree, a Class A Misdemeanor, and eight counts of Suffolk County Parks violations. He is being represented by Steven M. Politi, Esq. His next court date is September 3, 2024.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Jed L. Painter of the District Attorney’s Biological, Environmental, and Animal Safety Team (BEAST) with investigative assistance from the Suffolk County Parks Department.
The new species named, Booralana nickorum, may play a crucial role in maintaining the health of the ecosystem. Photo courtesy of OceanX
By Daniel Dunaief
Oliver Shipley recently shared one of the mysteries of the heavily photographed but lightly explored deep sea areas near the Bahamas’ Exuma Sound.
Oliver Shipley
A Research Assistant Professor at Stony Brook University, Shipley and his colleagues published a paper in the journal Zootaxa describing a new species of isopod they named Booralana nickorum.
A few inches long, this isopod, which was found at a depth of about 1,600 feet, sheds light on some of the mysteries in these waters, offering a glimpse into areas mostly too deep for sunlight to penetrate.
“The level of knowledge on deep sea biodiversity anywhere in the Caribbean is very poor,” said Shipley. The scientists were specifically studying the biomass housed areas around The Exuma Sound.
In the Bahamas, the researchers are interested in preserving species biodiversity and identifying links between the shallow and deep-sea ecosystems, which can inform management of marine resources and help conserve biodiversity.
Shipley suggested it was “exciting” and, perhaps, promising that this area has already produced two isopods that are new species, both of which he described with low-cost technologies deployed off small boats.
“We haven’t even genetically sequenced 95 percent of the creatures that we’ve captured” which includes fish and sharks, Shipley said.
Brendan Talwar, a co-author on the paper describing the isopod and a Postdoctoral Scholar at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, added that “this discovery is representative of the lack of knowledge” in this area. “You can swim from one environment, where almost every species is known or has been studied, to a place where almost nothing is known and almost nothing is studied.”
Finding new species could have numerous benefits, including in the world of drug discovery. To be sure, such findings require “many years of work and analysis” he said.
Still, such a possibility for future benefits exist, particularly as researchers catalog and study these creatures.
In the meantime, understanding individual species and the ecosystems in which they live can reveal information about how, depending on the biomass of various species, different places affect the cycling of gases such as carbon dioxide.
“When you find high biomass of a new species, it could have potentially huge implications for mitigating climate change,” said Shipley. “We have a primitive understanding of the Caribbean deep sea ecosystem. We don’t know the full effects or benefits and services of organisms that live in the deep ocean environment.”
In addition to finding organisms that might provide various benefits, scientists are also hoping to understand the “food web dynamics of the eastern Bahamas,” said Talwar.
Long road to identification
Shipley first saw an individual of this isopod species in 2013. Over time, he has since identified numerous other individuals.
Dorsal views of the newly described Booralana nickorum on left and previously known Booralana tricarinata highlight distinguishing characteristics between the two species. Image courtesy of Oliver Shipley
The region in which Shipley identified this isopod has several potential food or energy sources. The deep sea area is in close proximity to shallower sea grass beds, which are closer to the surface and use light to generate food and energy through photosynthesis.
The tides and currents wash that sea grass into the deeper territory, sending food towards the deeper, darker ocean.
Energy also likely comes from coral reef productivity as reefs line the edge of the drop off.
Additionally, animals that traverse the shallower and deeper areas, whose poop and bodies sink, can provide food sources to the ecosystem below.
“There may be multiple sources of productivity which combines to promote a high level of biodiversity” in the ecosystem below, said Shipley.
The isopod Shipley and his collaborators identified lives in a pressure that is about 52 times the usual atmospheric pressure, which would be extremely problematic for organisms like humans. Isopods, however, have managed to live in most major ecosystems around the planet, including on mountains, in caves and in the deep sea.
“There’s something about that lineage that has supported their ability to adapt to a variety of environments,” said Shipley.
To bring the creatures back to the surface for study, researchers have used deep sea traps, including crustacean and eel traps, that are attached to a line. People working on boats then retrieve those traps, which can take one to two hours to pull to the surface.
When they are brought to the surface, many animals suffer high mortality, which is a known sensitivity of deep-sea fisheries.
“We must gain as much knowledge as possible from each specimen,” Shipley explained
Scratching the surface,at depth
Talwar and Shipley have each ventured deep into the depths of The Exuma aboard a submersible.
The journey, which Talwar described as remarkably peaceful and calm and akin to an immersive aquarium experience, is “like a scavenger hunt,” he said.
When scientists or the sub pilot see a new species of sea cucumber, the pilot can move the sub closer to the organism and deploy the manipulator arm to store it in a collection box. Shipley and others hope to explore deep sea creatures under conditions akin to the ones in which they live in high pressure tanks on land.
Talwar described Shipley as “an extremely productive scientist” who works “incredibly hard.” Talwar also appreciates how Shipley will put collaborative projects at the top of his list, which is “fairly unique in a field where people are so busy with their own stuff.”
Shipley, who lives in Austin, Texas with his girlfriend Alyssa Ebinger, explained that researchers are pushing to support scientific leadership by Bahamians to conserve marine resources threatened by climate change.
Looking under rocks
As a child, Shipley, who grew up in York, England, spent about three years in Scotland, where they spent time at a beach called Trune.
“I remember looking in rock pools, picking up stuff and inspecting it,” he said. He was naturally inquisitive as a child.
While Shipley enjoys scuba diving and is a committed soccer fan — his favorite team is Leeds United — he appreciates the opportunity to build on his childhood enthusiasm to catalog the unknowns of the sea. He’s so inspired by the work and exploration that it “doesn’t feel like a job,” he said. He’s thrilled that he gets paid “to do all this exciting stuff.”
Rich Daly doing a live carving on day one at the Port Jefferson Ice Festival.
Photo by Julianne Mosher
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Scenes from day one of the Port Jefferson Ice Festival. Photo by Julianne Mosher
Scenes from day one of the Port Jefferson Ice Festival. Photo by Julianne Mosher
Scenes from day one of the Port Jefferson Ice Festival. Photo by Julianne Mosher
Scenes from day one of the Port Jefferson Ice Festival. Photo by Julianne Mosher
Scenes from day one of the Port Jefferson Ice Festival. Photo by Julianne Mosher
Scenes from day one of the Port Jefferson Ice Festival. Photo by Julianne Mosher
By Julianne Mosher
The 5th annual Port Jefferson Ice Festival didn’t disappoint, yet again, with hundreds of people coming near and far to enjoy this winter wonderland.
Spearheaded by the Port Jefferson Business Improvement District and partnering with the, the festival gives visitors and residents a bunch of fun activities great for all ages.
The common denominator each year is the fantastic ice sculptures created by Rich Daly — owner and ice sculptor with Ice Memories, based in Mastic Beach. Daly said he spends three weeks preparing for the two-day-long festival, creating 30 ice statues to distribute around Port Jefferson. From dogs outside Skinmed Spa to a cheeseburger outside Tommy’s, there is quite the variety. For this festival alone, Daly said he carved 225 blocks of ice (that’s 70,000 pounds) slated for the weekend.
The festival began Saturday, Jan. 27, and was supposed to go into the Sunday. However, a rainy forecast postponed the second day until this coming Sunday, Feb. 4. While disappointing for some, people who missed the first day can now have another chance to enjoy the festivities. Some of those festivities include admiring Daly’s sculptures around town, character appearances — Spider-Man and Barbie were spotted — and horse and buggy rides.
But the biggest crowd draw is the three live ice sculpture experiences by Daly occurring throughout the day.
Daly became the world’s fastest ice carver, according to Guinness World Records, back in 2013.
“I carved 18,000 pounds of ice into 61 different carvings in two hours and 52 minutes surpassing the old record by over an hour and a half,” he said. “So now we’re 11 years in, and it’s still my record, thankfully.”
Last Saturday, Daly stood with a 300-pound block of ice in the Meadow Parking Lot behind PJ Lobster House with nearly 100 people and children cheering him on. He took his ice pick, carved out a rough design of a dove and then started up his chainsaw to carve out the bird. In under 30 minutes, the bird was ready and admirers could be photographed with the new creation.
This year’s Port Jefferson Ice Festival will have its grand finale on Sunday, Feb. 4, featuring all-new ice designs throughout the village along with Daly’s live carvings. Parking is free.
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