Yearly Archives: 2024

Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

Khari Clark knocked down a game-tying shot with 33 seconds left on the clock to send the game to overtime, but the Stony Brook women’s basketball team was outscored 10-8 in the extra period and fell 75-73 to the Campbell Camels on the road Jan. 21, halting their 10 game winning streak. 

The Seawolves (15-2, 5-1) had four players score in double figures, led by Victoria Keenan, who had a season-high 18 points in 29 minutes, the most minutes for the guard this season. Gigi Gonzalez tacked on 15 points and five assists and Khari Clark helped out with 13 points. Stony Brook out-rebounded Campbell 41-31 in Sunday’s game, led by nine boards from Shamarla King. The Seawolves also pulled down 11 offensive rebounds and scored eight second chance points.

After falling behind 4-0, Stony Brook went on an 8-0 run with 7:01 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Gonzalez, to take an 8-4 lead. The Seawolves then added four points to that lead by the end of the period and entered the quarter break with a 15-7 advantage, finishing the quarter on a 12-2 run. Stony Brook knocked down two shots from deep to account for six of its 15 points.

Stony Brook kept its first quarter lead intact before going on a 5-0 run starting at the 8:36 mark in the second period, highlighted by a bucket from King, to increase its lead to 22-9. The Camels cut into that lead, but the Seawolves still enjoyed a 26-22 advantage heading into halftime. Stony Brook was strong from deep in the period, knocking down two three-point shots to account for six of its 11 points, by Brantley and Keenan. 

The squad continued to preserve its halftime lead before going on a 5-0 run to expand its lead further to 31-24 with 8:24 to go in the third. Before the conclusion of the third period, the Camels had cut into that lead, but the Seawolves still entered the fourth quarter with a 45-44 edge. Stony Brook played well near the basket, scoring 12 of its 19 points in the paint, led by nine points from Clark in the post. 

Stony Brook then surrendered that advantage as Campbell came back to take a 65-63 with two minutes remaining. But, Clark came up clutch for the Seawolves with her game-tying basket with just 33 seconds remaining to force OT. Pittman and Gonzalez led the scoring in fourth with eight and five points each, respectively. Campbell then edged ahead in overtime, leaving Stony Brook behind 75-73 at the final buzzer. 

“We didn’t defend well today and ultimately didn’t get the defensive stops that we needed to win the game,” said head coach Ashley Langford. “We will learn from this and get better.” The team will return to the court on Jan. 28, as they host Drexel for their first of two meetings this season at 2 p.m.

Smithtown Township Arts Council’s Mills Pond Gallery in St. James highlights the talents of 87 of its artists with its annual Member Artist Showcase exhibit of original fine art for sale from Jan. 27 to Feb. 24. 

Celebrating the creativity and rich tapestry of talent that defines our communities, the exhibit features works were created in a wide variety of mediums including acrylic, alabaster, bronze, charcoal, graphite, conte, gauche, ink, medium, mixed media, monotype print, oil, pastel, pencil, photography, photomontage, stained glass mosaic, watercolor and wood.

Juror Susan Van Scoy will select this year’s Member Artist Showcase winners. The four selected winners will be invited to exhibit in next year’s Winners Showcase. Van Scoy is an Associate Professor of Art History at St. Joseph’s College where she teaches courses on the history of photography, and American and Modern art. 

The exhibiting artists hail from 53 communities…Suffolk County, Nassau County, Queens, Yonkers, and Westchester and include Adriena Masi, Amal, Angela Stratton, Anne Eckel, Annette Napolitano, Barbara Bilotta, Barbara V. Jones, Barry Feuerstein, Bart DeCeglie, Bobbie Ludwig, Carol Ceraso, Christopher Buckley, Cliff  Miller, Constance Sloggat Wolf, David P. Doran, Debra Baker, Diane Motroni, Diane Oliva, Don Weber, Ellen Ferrigno, Eugene Adamowicz, Felecia Montfort, Frederic  Mendelsohn, Gabriella Grama, George Junker, Gia Horton, Hillary Serota Needle, Jacqueline DuBarry, Jacques Garant, Jane Corrarino, Janine Menlove, Jeanette Martone, Jim Minet, JoAnne Dumas, John Hunt, Joyce Bressler, Judy Stone, Karin  Dutra, Kirsten DiGiovanni, Kusuma Bheemineni, Kyle Blumenthal, Lisa Marie Scrima-Castelli, Liz Kolligs, Lori Scarlatos, Lou  Deutsch, Lynn Kinsella, Lynn Staiano, M. Ellen Winter, Madeline Stare, Mark Levine, Marsha  Abrams, Mary Ann Vetter, Mary Waka, Matthew Lombardo, Merle McGarrett, Michael Hennessey, Myungja Anna Koh, Nicholas Valentino, Oscar Santiago, Pamela Waldroup, Pat Forie, Patricia  DiGiovanni, Patricia  Morrison, Patty Yantz, Paul Edelson, Paul Mele, Renee Caine, Robert Roehrig, Robert Tuska, Robert Wallkam, Roberta Rodgers, Roger Kramer, Ron Becker, Sean Pollock, Sebastian McLaughlin, Shain Bard, Stephen Shannon, Susan Guihan-Guasp, Teresa Idelowitz, Terry Tramantano, Theodora Zavala, Thomas DiCicco, Tina Anthony, Tracey Alemaghides, Tracy Mahler-Tekverk, Vivian Hershfield and William D. Reed. 

The public is invited to an opening reception on Saturday, Jan. 27 from 1 to 4 p.m. to meet the artists and enjoy their art.

The Mills Pond Gallery is located at 660 Route 25A, St. James. Gallery hours are Wednesdays to Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. For more information, call 631-862-6575, or visit www.millspondgallery.org.

Brownies

By Heidi Sutton

While throwing together a boxed mix of brownies is obviously the easiest way, homemade brownies are so worth the extra effort. While some people prefer chewy brownies and others prefer fudgy and chocolaty ones, both of the following recipes are easy to prepare and produce a delicious crowd-pleasing treat. Whip up a batch for your next Big Game Day or Valentine’s Day. 

Best Ever Chewy Brownies

Recipe courtesy of Food Network

YIELD: Makes 8 to 10 servings

INGREDIENTS:

Nonstick cooking spray, for spraying the baking pan

1 cup granulated sugar 

1 cup dark brown sugar 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt 

2 large eggs plus 2 yolks 

1 stick unsalted butter, melted 

8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips 

1⁄2 cup vegetable oil 

11⁄4 cups all-purpose flour 

1⁄4 cup cocoa powder 

DIRECTIONS: 

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, whole eggs and yolks in a large bowl; set aside. Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler, then whisk together until fully combined. Mix in the vegetable oil. Pour the chocolate mixture into the sugar mixture and mix until fully combined. Fold in the flour and cocoa.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool completely before slicing.

Sweetheart Dark Chocolate Brownies

Recipe courtesy of Culinary.net

YIELD: Makes 10 servings

INGREDIENTS:

For the brownies:

1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces

4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

2 eggs, at room temperature

3/4 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the glaze:

2 ounces semisweet chocolate

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

DIRECTIONS: 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In small pot over low heat, melt 1/2 cup of butter and 4 ounces of dark chocolate together until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, and whisk to combine after each addition. Add sugar and vanilla and stir to combine. Add flour, cocoa powder and salt and stir until smooth.

Transfer batter into a 9 x 9 aluminum foil lined baking pan and place it into the oven for 25 minutes and bake until done.

While brownies are baking, melt together semisweet chocolate and 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter for the glaze. Once melted, set aside. When brownies are done, let them cool. Once cooled, drizzle glaze over brownies, and spread it on top using an offset spatula.

————————————–

Want to upgrade your brownies? Before you add the batter to the pan try adding walnuts, pecans, peanuts, marshmallows, crushed pretzels, peppermint extract, chopped candies, chocolate chips or dried fruit. 

Leftover brownies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days, in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

The Port Jefferson Rotary Club and “Call Brian” Senior Services will sponsor a Restock the Pantry Food and Personal Care Items Drive in front of the Open Cupboard Pantry at Infant Jesus Church, 110 Hawkins St., Port Jefferson on Sunday, Jan. 28 from 9 a.m. to noon. The holidays are always a busy time at the pantry, and many of the basic items they distribute are in critically low supply.

Currently the pantry is in extreme need of juice, pancake mix (complete), pancake syrup, macaroni & cheese, healthy snacks, pasta, pasta sauce, ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, Maseca flour, cooking oil, Chef Boyardee meals, ramen, peanut butter and jelly.

They are also in need of personal care items such as shampoo, conditioner, feminine products, baby wipes, soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste. For more information, call 631-938-6464.

Over 90 restaurants will be participating in Suffolk County including Limani Grille in Commack.

The tri-annual and award winning Long Island Restaurant Week is ready to kick off an exciting winter season and bring in customers to Long Island restaurants. The promotion will take place from Sunday, Jan. 28 to Sunday, Feb. 4 with several prix fixe options. Over 90 restaurants in Suffolk County will take part in the dining experience.

Participating restaurants may offer a $24 two-course lunch, a $29 three-course dinner menu, a $39 three-course dinner menu and/or a $46 three-course dinner prix fixe all night every night they are open (or during lunch hours) from Sunday to Sunday, except Saturday when it will be offered until 7 p.m. Many restaurants will be offering the promotion for takeout as well. 

“We are excited to kick off 2024 with Winter Restaurant Week! On the heels of a great fall restaurant week that saw over 170 restaurants participating, winter is already lining up to be an exciting mix of cuisines and locations throughout the island. It’s the perfect time of year to try those restaurants you have been wanting to try” shares Nicole Castillo of Long Island Restaurant and Hospitality Group.

For a full list of participants and to view their menus, visit www.longislandrestaurantweek.com. For more information, call 631-329-2111.

by -
0 995
Police car
Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad and Arson Section detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a man whose body was found following a fire in an abandoned Moriches house on Jan. 24.

A 911 caller reported a fire at 151 Montauk Highway at approximately 11:50 p.m. After the fire was extinguished, a man’s body was found in the house.

The man’s identity and cause of death will be determined during an autopsy by personnel from the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner.

Following a preliminary investigation, detectives believe the cause of the fire to be non-criminal in nature.

by -
0 1255
Wayne Chambers

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on Jan. 25 that Wayne Chambers, 51, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison, after a jury found him guilty of Murder in the Second Degree for the fatal stabbing of his former girlfriend, Sandra McIntosh, 46, of Medford.

“This defendant stabbed his ex-girlfriend in cold blood and without remorse,” said District Attorney Tierney. “My heart continues to go out to Sandra McIntosh’s loved ones. I hope this lengthy sentence provides them with some measure of justice after she was tragically taken from them by this defendant.”

The evidence at trial established that on July 22, 2021, at approximately 7:45 p.m., Chambers picked up McIntosh, a nurse, after her shift ended at Stony Brook University Hospital. Chambers drove the victim to work earlier that day in her 2010 white Lexus RX350. Chambers and McIntosh were in a relationship for approximately six years but had broken up months prior.

At about 8 p.m., a 911 caller reported seeing Chambers in the same Lexus driving erratically and then stopping on Woodland Avenue in Holtsville. Witnesses then saw Chambers outside the Lexus in a physical altercation with McIntosh. At some point during the altercation, Chambers stabbed McIntosh at least 25 times including in her neck and back, puncturing her heart and lung.

When the witnesses heard McIntosh screaming, they came outside and saw Chambers physically assaulting McIntosh, and attempting to drag her by her hair. Once Chambers saw the witnesses, he jumped into McIntosh’s Lexus and sped away. McIntosh died within two hours of the attack.

The Suffolk County Police Department tracked Chambers to a location in the Bronx where they found McIntosh’s 2010 white Lexus RX350. Blood and stains were found on the exterior and interior of the vehicle, some of which contained mixtures of DNA belonging to both Chambers and the victim. Surveillance video footage from across the street where the car was found captured the victim’s car parking at approximately 10:39 p.m. on July 22, 2021, and a man getting out of the driver’s side of the vehicle with a phone in his hand.

Cell site data placed Chambers’ cell phone near the scene of the stabbing immediately after it occurred, and also showed Chambers’ cell phone had connected to a cell site near where McIntosh’s vehicle was discovered in the Bronx, coinciding with the surveillance video.

A female acquaintance of the defendant, whose residence was located approximately one block away from where McIntosh’s vehicle was discovered in the Bronx, testified at trial that Chambers came to her home on the evening of July 22, 2021. She saw that Chambers’ shirt had a bloody spot, and that he had a cut on one of his index fingers that was covered by a Band-Aid.

On July 30, 2021, members of the Suffolk County Police Department’s Homicide Squad, Newburgh City Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force, and New York State Police located Chambers at a hotel in Newburgh and placed him under arrest.

On December 7, 2023, Chambers was convicted of Murder in the Second Degree after a jury trial heard before Supreme Court Justice, the Honorable Richard Ambro.

On January 25, 2024, Chambers was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. He was represented by Ian Fitzgerald, Esq.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Eric S. Aboulafia of the Homicide Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Michelle Chiuchiolo of the Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Bureau, with investigative assistance from Detectives Guido Cirenza and Brendan O’Hara of the Suffolk County Police Department’s Homicide Squad.

by -
0 926
Joseph Adonis

Wilkens Adonis and Daryllee Leibrock Indicted After Police Responded to a Call of an Unresponsive Toddler, and Allegedly Located Guns and Drugs Inside the Couple’s Apartment

Suspected Overdose Death of 14-Month-Old Joseph Adonis Remains Under Investigation

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on Jan. 25 that Wilkens Adonis and Daryllee Leibrock, both aged 38, of Holbrook, were indicted for alleged Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Criminal Possession of a Weapon, Endangering the Welfare of a Child, and other related charges, for allegedly possessing guns and illicit drugs in the same apartment that they shared with their approximately 14-month-old toddler and an 11-year-old child. Leibrock is additionally charged with violating orders of protection involving the two children.

“The death of a toddler from a suspected overdose of poisonous drugs is an unfortunate but not unexpected next step in the opioid overdose crisis, and should be a wakeup call to our Albany legislators that decisive action must happen now. Children are dying,” said District Attorney Tierney. “I urge every New Yorker to contact your legislators and demand that they address this crisis.”

According to the investigation, on the morning of January 3, 2024, Suffolk County Police responded to a 911 call reporting an unresponsive child at a residence in Holbrook. When they arrived, law enforcement found Adonis, Leibrock, and their unresponsive toddler, Joseph Adonis (DOB: 11/04/22), in the couple’s bedroom. The toddler was taken via ambulance to Stony Brook University Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Suffolk County Homicide Squad detectives responded to the home to investigate and found narcotics in the bedroom where the child was found unresponsive. As a result, members of the Suffolk County Narcotics Section detectives were called to assist with the investigation. A search warrant of the defendants’ apartment was executed, and law enforcement allegedly found over one-eighth ounce of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, over one-eighth ounce of cocaine, alprazolam, drug packaging materials, two digital scales used to weigh drugs, an electronic stun gun, a loaded shotgun, and a rifle; all of which were allegedly unsecured and easily accessible to the defendants’ children.

In addition, at the time of this incident, Leibrock was allegedly subject to Suffolk County Family Court orders of protection that prohibited her from being around either child, as well as from possessing illegal drugs that created an unreasonable risk to the health, safety, or welfare of either child.

While the death of the toddler remains under investigation, preliminary toxicology results showed a presence of multiple substances in the child’s blood, including cocaine, fentanyl, morphine, 4- anpp,1 norfentanyl, and benzoylecgonine.

At the time of their arrests in this case, Adonis and Leibrock each had open warrants for failure to appear in Suffolk County First District Court on misdemeanor Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance charges.

1 4-anpp is a fentanyl precursor. Norfentanyl is a metabolite of fentanyl. Benzolecgonine is a metabolite of cocaine.

page2image45246832

Adonis was indicted for:

  •   Two counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree (Intent to Sell), Class B felonies;
  •   Two counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fourth Degree (weight over one-eighth ounce), Class C felonies;
  •   One count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree, a Class D felony;
  •   One count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh Degree, a Class

    A misdemeanor;

  •   Two counts of Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia in the Second Degree, Class A

    misdemeanors;

  •   Two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, Class A misdemeanors;
  •   Two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree, Class A

    misdemeanors; and

  •   Two counts of Failure to Safely Store Rifles, Shotguns, and Firearms in the First Degree,

    Class A misdemeanors. Leibrock was indicted for:

  •   Two counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree (Intent to Sell), Class B felonies;
  •   Two counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fourth Degree (weight over one-eighth ounce), Class C felonies;
  •   One count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree, a Class A misdemeanor;
  •   One count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh Degree, a Class A misdemeanor;
  •   Two counts of Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia in the Second Degree, Class A misdemeanors;
  •   Two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, Class A misdemeanors;
  •   Four counts of Criminal Contempt in the Second Degree, Class A misdemeanors; and
  •   Two counts of Failure to Safely Store Rifles, Shotguns, and Firearms in the First Degree,

    Class A misdemeanors.

    On January 25, 2024, Adonis and Leibrock were arraigned on the indictment before Acting Supreme Court Justice, the Honorable Philip Goglas. Under current New York State law, the offenses for which the defendants were indicted are considered non-bail eligible, except for Leibrock’s criminal contempt charges. Justice Goglas ordered Leibrock to be held on $250,000 cash, $500,000 bond, or $2.5 million partially secured bond during the pendency of the case. Justice Goglas ordered $1 nominal bail be set on Adonis and placed him on supervised release during the pendency of the case. However, Adonis remains held in jail for his prior open Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance case.

Leibrock is due back in court on February 29, 2024.

Stony Brook, NY; Stony Brook University: Miguel Garcia-Diaz, Interim Vice President for Research talks with the recipient of an OVPR Seed Grant Department of Geosciences Assistant Professor Marine Frouin in her Luminescence Dating Research Laboratory. Photo by John Griffin/SBU

Proposals for preliminary work may lead to wider national funding for unique research from many academic disciplines

The Office of the Vice President of Research (OVPR) at Stony Brook University has awarded seed grants for 21 projects encompassing research from a wide range of disciplines such as biomedical engineering, pharmacology, computer science, microbiology, astronomy, and linguistics. This funding cycle from fall 2023 totals $1 million to faculty leading these projects. This is only the second time the OVPR has awarded $1 million in a single funding cycle. The first time occurred in summer 2022.

All cycles of the OVPR Seed Grant Program, including special initiative cycles, are managed by staff in the Office of Proposal Development (OPD) in OVPR. Since 2018, the OVPR has invested approximately $6.4 million in promising research by Stony Brook faculty.

The OVPR Seed Grant Program gives Stony Brook University faculty a competitive edge in securing external research funds by offering support for preliminary work that will lead to larger and more impactful research projects. A team of faculty reviewers assess project proposals from faculty to determine a proposals’ likelihood of success in acquiring extramural funding. Typical proposals include projects as proof of concept, feasibility studies, or the development of interdisciplinary collaborative research.

“Research is at the core of Stony Brook University’s identity, and the seed grant program represents an investment in our University’s future,” says Miguel Garcia-Diaz, PhD, Interim VP for Research. “It is a key engine to fuel the progress of our research enterprise and has historically resulted in a return of upwards of seven dollars in external awards for each dollar invested by the University.”

These seed grants provide faculty with the resources they need to transform their ideas into groundbreaking research. Selected by their peers, the awardees must demonstrate exceptional talent, dedication and excellence in their fields. For this cycle, 21 of 66 proposals were selected for funding, resulting in the second highest acceptance rate for proposals for a single cycle (32 percent).

The diverse set of recipients for this seed funding cycle include a chemist developing a new molecular catalyst platform to lessen the environmental impact of both commodity and specialty chemicals, a psychologist exploring how government policies are impacting the health of individuals in the sexual and gender minority, and a paleontology team assessing early dinosaurs and their kin at a Late Triassic Site in Northern New Mexico.

“The OVPR seed grant will represent a crucial milestone in my career, making a substantial contribution to the advancement of luminescence dating methods for application across various disciplines such as geoscience, archeology, paleoanthropology, and evolutionary biology, where chronological accuracy is paramount,” says Marine Frouin, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Geosciences, and one of the new recipients.

She reflects other recipients’ thoughts by adding that the “internal seed program not only provides a competitive advantage but also cultivates an environment conducive to innovative scientific research.”

For a list of all 21 funded proposals, the projects, and faculty involved, see this link.

Goroff speaks to supporters at fundraising event on Jan. 18. Photo by Lynn Hallarman

By Lynn Hallarman

Talk to anyone about why they attended Nancy Goroff’s kickoff fundraiser event for the U.S. House of Representatives Democratic primary election for New York District 1, and they will mostly say the same thing: “She is smart, and she’s sane.”

Goroff, a Stony Brook resident, worked on perfecting her stump speech in front of a friendly crowd of supporters last Thursday night, Jan. 18, at the Port Jefferson Village Center. She seemed unconcerned about her primary competition, aiming most of her comments at incumbent Nick LaLota (R–NY1). 

“LaLota likes to talk about stuff but hasn’t done anything for the district,” Goroff said, in an interview with TBR News Media. 

A newcomer to politics in 2020, Goroff lost the House race by 55%-45% to four-time incumbent Lee Zeldin (R). But now Goroff sees this election cycle as winnable against first-termer, LaLota, who won the seat against former Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming (D-Noyac) in 2022. 

Goroff’s concerns now are the new redistricting maps currently being drawn by the state’s bipartisan Independent Redistricting Commission to be filed by Feb. 28. 

“We’ll deal with whatever we get, but we feel pretty good about where the district is right now,” she said. 

Goroff, 55, has spent her adult life in Suffolk County, raising her two children and building a career as a scientist at Stony Brook University. Her pedigree is pure university professor. Starting with a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University in 1990 and a doctorate in chemistry from UCLA, Goroff then devoted her career to basic science research as faculty in the Department of Chemistry at SBU and then the department chair. She retired from her position in 2021 to focus on her political career. 

Goroff looked nonplussed at the assertion from some of her primary opponents that her academic credentials do not add up to enough experience working in government. 

Anyone that thinks that “hasn’t worked at a university,” she said. 

She sees her years navigating a career as a woman scientist and educator in a large state university as an asset. “I’m also the daughter of small business owners,” she said. “These things give me knowledge and experience that will be helpful as a policymaker.” If she wins in the general election in November, she will be the first woman basic research scientist in the House of Representatives.

Several of her former Stony Brook colleagues showed up for the event, commenting to TBR that Goroff’s leadership superpower is her ability to coalition build and work as a team member. They believe this makes her candidacy especially strong in the politically purple landscape of eastern Long Island. 

After losing the house race to Zeldin, Goroff did not retreat into an academic ivory tower, instead, she leveraged her skills to co-found the nonprofit Long Island Strong Schools Alliance. 

“Most candidates disappear after they lose— not Nancy,” said longtime supporter Shirley Hudson. 

Goroff explained that LISSA focuses on making sure Long Island public schools are places where children are welcomed regardless of their background. 

“We saw right-wing extremists win three school board seats in Smithtown in 2021, who had no interest in supporting public education,” she said. “They were trying to undermine it and make it fit their extremist ideology.” 

Goroff places the protection and well-being of children at the center of most of her policy positions, arguing that Long Island needs to be a safe and affordable place to work and raise a family.

“People are struggling,” she said. “Housing is a chronic issue on Long Island because of the cost.” 

Besides Goroff, other declared Democratic primary candidates to date are construction worker Andy DeCecco, former state Sen. James Gaughran (D-Northport), administrative law judge Craig Herskowitz and former Capitol Hill senior legislative aide Kyle Hill. 

The Democratic primary election is scheduled for June 25.