Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Sixth Squad detectives are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the man who allegedly scammed an individual in Coram in June.
The man pictured above allegedly posted a house for rent on social media that was not available and received $3,900 from the victim on June 1 at approximately 9 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.
A model of the bark Modesta, Capt. Rowland’s last command. Mary sailed on the 'Modesta' to exotic ports in Africa, the Mediterranean and South America. Photo courtesy of Bev Tyler
By Beverly C. Tyler
“I manage to go on shore more or less in every port and learn the different manners and customs of different nations and the works of God and man, both nature and art. I find much to amuse, edify and interest us, and see what so many travelers pay large sums for, while Henry makes a living and the brig is our hotel and even what is much better, our home.” — Mary Rowland, January 1873
In the graveyard of Setauket Presbyterian Church, near the center rear, lie the graves of Captain Henry L. Rowland (1827-1876) and his wife, Mary Satterly Rowland (1832-1908). The couple’s farm was situated south of their final resting place, between Main Street and Setauket Harbor. Today, Setauket School faces what was once the Rowland farm.
Children of Capt. Henry and Mary Satterly Rowland – Woodhull, Mary Emma and Henrietta.
Mary is one of the women featured in the Three Village Historical Society’s Spirits cemetery tour. Her life, like that of many women who lived in the area and traveled the world, remains largely unknown. A portion of Mary’s tumultueous sea adventures is documented in the book “Hen Frigates” by New Zealander Joan Druett.
“At 4 a.m., tacking on shore,” Mary Rowland wrote in 1856, “the vessel was rolling and pitching badly.” Everything below was “upside down, and there is no rest or peace to be had. Worst of all, one could hardly keep in bed, especially on one tack; when I sit down, I must of necessity take the floor for a sofa.”
Despite the hardships, Henry and Mary spent over 20 years living aboard three different sailing ships that traveled the world, carrying cargo from port to port. The couple’s children grew up on these ships, built in East Setauket, and one of them, Woodhull, was born on board.
“The captain’s wife gave birth to a child,” reads the logbook entry of the brig Thomas W. Rowland for October 21, 1857, near the island of Abaco. Mary Rowland’s two daughters, Henrietta and Mary Emma, were sent between decks with their dolls to play while Henry delivered the baby boy, christened Woodhull.
During the American Civil War, Captain Henry Rowland’s bark Glenwood sailed under sealed orders, with its destination (Pensacola, to deliver supplies to the troops) unknown until the orders were opened. The voyage south was traumatic; the vessel was struck twice by lightning, resulting in the death of one crew member. Mary’s youngest child, Willie, fell ill with yellow fever as they neared Pensacola Bay. All night, as they lay hove to near Santa Rosa Island, she fought for her son’s life while cannonballs from Confederate and Union gunships screamed overhead. When the battle was over, the Glenwood had survived unscathed but the little boy was dead.
Cover of “Hen Frigates” by Joan Druett
The diaries, journals, letters and artifacts of Setauket wives Mary Satterly Rowland, Mary Swift Jones and Ellen Elizabeth Jones, along with the logbooks of their captain husbands, are part of the collection at the Three Village Historical Society. These materials, donated by local residents and relatives, provide valuable insight into the lives of women at sea aboard wooden commercial ships. These women, along with their children in many cases, traveled the world with their husbands and fathers. Their experiences are part of the many stories told in the Society’s exhibition, “The Sailing Circle: 19th Century Seafaring Women from New York.”
The two Marys are featured in Hen Frigates along with many other women and children whose adventures make for fascinating reading. They are also included in the exhibit catalog The Sailing Circle, available in the society gift shop.
“Hen Frigates” by Joan Druett, available at the Emma S. Clark Library, is a seafaring book packed with intriguing details about shipboard life during the 19th century, when wooden ships and their crews journeyed along the North American coast and around the world. More than just a book about families at sea, Hen Frigates covers in dramatic detail the growth of American maritime commerce in the 19th century.
One of the most interesting aspects of local history is its connections to larger realms of people and events. Our community is linked in many ways to our region, nation and the world—a reality that has persisted throughout our history. The Three Village community is wonderfully rich in both natural and man-made resources that illustrate and exemplify these connections.
Beverly Tyler is an author and the historian for the Three Village Historical Society, located at 93 North Country Road, Setauket. Visit www.tvhs.org for more information.
From left, a female and male Pileated Woodpecker. The male can be differentiated from the female by its red cheek stripe and longer red crown that extends to its bill. Pixabay photo
By John L. Turner
Part One
John Turner
Perhaps you remember, from those good ol’ days in high school biology, the phrase the teacher requested that you memorize: “Form begets function.” This truism reflects a universal fact that a strong correlation exists between the form of an animal or body part and the function it performs.
The long legs of a heron, for example, help it excel at wading in the shallow water of pond edges where it employs its long, dagger-like bill to spear fish and frogs. Similarly, the shape of a barnacle, growing on rocks in the intertidal portion of the ocean where crashing waves can dislodge anchored objects, is shaped to deflect wave energy.
Nowhere is this “form fits function” rule better exhibited than with our native woodpeckers, birds that grip the vertical surface of bark while hammering away on wood. Indeed, from head to tail woodpeckers are the epitome of the truism. Many of their physical features allow them to excel when pecking on wood.
Let’s start with the tail. Woodpecker tail feathers, especially the middle two, are quite stiff, much stiffer than, say, a blue jay feather. This rigidity is a major benefit as the tail serves as a brace, similar to a telephone lineman’s legs against the utility pole, helping to anchor the bird against the side of a tree. The other part of the anchor involves very strong feet equipped with sharp and powerful claws enabling the bird to maintain a firm grip, a grip enhanced because a woodpecker’s four toes are aligned with two toes in the front and two in the back to better grip bark, compared to a songbird’s foot with three toes in the front and one in the back.
A male Pileated Woodpecker. Pixabay photo
These anchor points serve well as the woodpecker uses them to actively probe crevices in the bark, as well as to hammer away wood in search of grubs lurking beneath. And this is where the adaptations in the bird’s skull come into play. According to the definitive text on this bird group “Woodpeckers of North America,” a Pileated Woodpecker may strike with its bill, and by extension its skull, 12,000 times a day. Even more remarkably, the deceleration force each time can be as much as 1,200g. This is equivalent to a human hitting their head against a wall while running at 16 mph — each and every strike.
How does a woodpecker avoid damage to its brain and eyes from the constant hammering? To protect the brain, the skull has developed two thick spongy sections, one in front of the brain and the other behind it, which help to absorb the shock.In woodpecker species that spend a great deal of time hammering rather than pecking and flicking, this frontal section is larger. A woodpecker’s behavior can also reduce the impact of the blows by slightly changing the angle of each strikethereby preventing an impact to the same part of the brain with each blow.
A woodpecker’s eyes are also vulnerable to damage and, not surprisingly, here too they’ve evolved several adaptations to minimize damage. With the bird’s head moving at such speed and then coming to an immediate stop their eyes could be damaged and possibly pop out of their sockets. To prevent this, a nictitating membrane, sometimes referred to as a bird’s “third eyelid,” closes an instant before impact keeping eyes securely in their socket and preventing any wood chips from damaging the eyes. Similarly, a tuft of short feathers situated at the base of the upper bill serves to prevent chips from flying into the eyes.
The adaptations don’t stop here, as woodpecker’s tongues might be the most fascinating example of “form begeting function” in this unique group of birds.The shape of woodpecker tongues is quite diverse.
A male Northern Flicker identified by his black whisker. Pixabay photo
Sapsucker tongues, which as their name suggest, lick sap from holes (known as sap wells) they’ve created in tree bark, are brush-like to help lap up the liquid. In contrast, woodpeckers that search for beetle grubs in rotted wood have tongues that are stiff and barbed, with some possessing backward pointing spines like a fish hook to assist in extracting prey. Sticky saliva also helps in capturing prey.
If you stick out your tongue you can feel it is anchored to the bottom of your mouth, toward the back. Not so with woodpeckers. Remarkably, their tongues are not anchored in their mouths at all; they are anchored in their forehead near the base of the upper bill and wraps entirely around their skull. This makes the tongue quite extendable and in Northern Flickers means they can stick their tongues out a full two inches beyond the tip of the bill, a good skill to have for nabbing ants from a distance.
Virtually all woodpeckers are cavity nesters with most taking the time to excavate the nesting and roosting cavities they use. In this way, woodpeckers play a crucial role in providing nesting opportunities for other cavity nesting birds such as Screech Owls, Eastern Bluebirds, Black-capped Chickadees, Tufted Titmice,and Great-crested Flycatchers. In total, woodpecker cavities are used by more than 40 bird species in North America for nesting and roosting and provide shelter to several mammals such as flying squirrels and even some snake and lizard species.
Read Part II of Wonderful Woodpeckers in the issue of November 21 or click here.
A resident of Setauket, author John L. Turner is a naturalist, conservation co-chair of the Four Harbors Audubon Society, and Conservation Policy Advocate for the Seatuck Environmental Association.
With deer rutting season upon us, it’s crucial to remember that while these creatures nibbling on our properties or suddenly running in front of our vehicles can be irritating, they were here first.
Tens of thousands of deer call our Island home. This delicate ecosystem relies on their presence — perhaps not an overabundance, but a presence nonetheless. They influence the types of trees and vegetation that grow here by selectively browsing certain plants, meaning they eat some species more than others. They also contribute to overall biodiversity.
If we’re concerned about our gardens, we can try fencing, netting or chicken wire around problematic areas. If a deer runs toward our car at night, we should stay calm and do our best to drive straight, brake firmly and blow the horn, protecting both the vehicle’s passengers and the deer. Above all, we must not feed them. Not only is it dangerous to the deer’s health, but it also increases elopement rates and puts us in harm’s way. Deer may be gentle but can become aggressive when approached. If they learn that food is available in a specific area, they’ll return with friends, perpetuating a cycle of overpopulation in densely populated areas.
While the Island’s abundance of deer can be a nuisance, rutting — or mating season — is a natural part of this species’ biological function. They have added beauty and importance to our region since the days of our Setalcott predecessors.
They aren’t trying to hurt us or harm our land; they are simply following their instincts.
So let’s remain calm this rutting season. There are only two months of this hyperactivity among our deer, after which everything will return to business as usual.
Suffolk County Police arrested a woman for assault after she intentionally struck a woman with her vehicle in North Bellport in the early morning of Oct. 26.
Following a dispute between two women in a parking lot, located at 1733 Montauk Highway, at 3:40 a.m. Philomena Mistretta got into her 2004 Toyota Sienna and intentionally struck the woman with the vehicle. The victim, 63, was transported to Long Island Community Hospital in Patchogue with serious injuries.
Fifth Squad detectives charged Mistretta, 51, of Coram, with Assault 1st Degree.
Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad detectives are investigating the stabbing death of a man that occurred during a party in Huntington Station on Oct. 27.
Second Precinct officers responded to house on Lowndes Ave. at approximately 2 a.m. after a 911caller reported a stabbing at the location. When officers arrived, they located two men stabbed.
Justino Alfaro-Avila, 29, of Huntington Station, was transported to Huntington Hospital where he was pronounced dead. A 39-year-old man was treated at a local hospital and released.
Detectives are asking anyone with information on this incident to call the Homicide Squad at 631-852-6392 or anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
Director Debra Engelhardt with volunteers showing care kits assembled.
Three teens getting ready to assemble care kits.
Three teens getting ready to assemble care kits.
On Saturday, Oct. 19, Comsewogue Public Library held its annual Great Give Back event. Attendees were invited to a Family Carnival where they were asked to donate nonperishable food items for local people in need. Volunteers also created more than 70 care kits using community donations which will be distributed to local not-for-profit organizations that assist unhoused individuals.
For more information about the Great Give Back and other Comsewogue Public Library events visit thegreatgiveback.org and www.cplib.org/.
The Great Give Back is a community service initiative by the Suffolk County Public Library Directors Association and the Suffolk Cooperative Library System, in conjunction with the Nassau Library System, offering patrons a day to engage in meaningful service.
One of Sweetbriar Nature Center’s permanent residents. Photo courtesy of Sweetbriar Nature Center.
One of Sweetbriar Nature Center’s permanent residents. Photo courtesy of Sweetbriar Nature Center.
One of Sweetbriar Nature Center’s permanent residents. Photo courtesy of Sweetbriar Nature Center.
One of Sweetbriar Nature Center’s permanent residents. Photo courtesy of Sweetbriar Nature Center.
By Jennifer Donatelli
Who-o-o do you hear calling from the trees at night?
If you were one of the visitors who attended “Owl Prowl Sunday” at Sweetbriar Nature Center on Oct. 20, you may have seen and heard from the resident owls that make their home at the preserve. The nighttime event, held from 6-8 p.m. at the center’s Smithtown location, allowed attendees to meet and learn about owls before embarking on a walk into the darkness of the night to call out to some of these nocturnal birds.
Using flashlights to walk Sweetbriar’s grounds, viewers attempted to observe these birds in their natural habitat.
“During this time of year,” Elizabeth Santosus, Chairman of the Board of Sweetbriar Nature Center explained, “owls are looking for their perfect match, and scouting territories to raise their young.”
Santosus further explained how owls share a sort of “love language,” which can be heard through hoots, chuckles and caws, and differs between species of the bird.
Sweetbriar Nature Center is a non-profit organization that encourages responsible decision making, appreciation and respect for the unique wildlife and ecosystems found on Long Island. The Nature Center is situated on 54 acres of varied garden, woodland, field and wetland habitats, along the Nissequogue River. Hundreds of species of plants and animals call this preserve their home.
In addition to this mission, the Steven Goldman Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic, which operates out of the center, provides quality medical care and rehabilitation for all injured, sick and orphaned wildlife. Its staff and volunteers, who receive hundreds of calls a day about distressed or injured wildlife, treat more than 2,000 animals — including raptors, rabbits and songbirds — a year.
“Everything that we do here is for the benefit of the animals,” explains Sweetbriar Curator and Wildlife Rehabilitation Director Janine Bendicksen.
“Many of the animals that get brought in to us are often at death’s door, sick enough that they allow a human to pick them up,” she continued.
Around 100 of Sweetbriar’s permanent residents are animals that are permanently injured or otherwise unreleasable. A few birds, including a great horned owl named Lily, have been thereover 20 years.
“A lot of people unfortunately don’t know what’s going on in their own backyard, or how to treat nature or wildlife. Sweetbriar does a tremendous service [in educating the public] through their programming, both in person and also through their social media, which has a global following,” said Maureen Calamia, a Sweetbriar board member.
Whether you want to learn about metamorphosis and butterflies, explore the treasures of the tropical rainforest or examine predator/prey relationships, Sweetbriar Nature Center has a program for it. The center conducts live programs at schools and libraries designed to facilitate student participation through the use of live animals, hands-on activities and interactive experiences.
With only four dedicated staff members, Sweetbriar relies on the ongoing support of volunteers and donors. There is never a charge to come and visit, but donations are always appreciated.
To learn more about the programs at Sweetbriar, or to sign up for an event, visit www.sweetbriarnc.org
Head of the Harbor village trustee and neighborhood preservation coalition spokesperson, Judy Ogden, speaks in favor of a lawsuit aimed at delaying the Gyrodyne subdivision approval on the Flowerfield site. Photo by Chris Mellides
A recent court decision found that the environmental review of the proposed Gyrodyne development plan met the minimum legal requirements, but the legal battle is far from over, according to members of the Saint James – Head of the Harbor Neighborhood Preservation Coalition. The coalition, along with the Village of Head of the Harbor and local property owners, filed a lawsuit challenging the review. Meanwhile, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is finalizing appraisals to acquire portions of the property for preservation as open space.
“The fight to preserve this important parcel as open space is not over,” said Judy Ogden, a Village of Head of the Harbor trustee and spokesperson for the coalition. “We plan to appeal the recent court decision. More importantly, the DEC is continuing efforts to acquire Flowerfield Fairgrounds for preservation.”
The Gyrodyne site is located near several farms and includes land in the Mills Pond National Historic District. The proposed development includes a 125-room hotel, 175,000 square feet of office space, 250 assisted living units, a sewage treatment plant and parking for over 2,500 vehicles. These elements require special approvals from the Smithtown Town Board, as they are not allowed under current zoning regulations.
Smithtown’s recently updated Comprehensive Plan recommends that assisted living facilities be located in designated areas, not near residential neighborhoods. It also states that mixed-use projects like the Gyrodyne plan should be developed in business districts, not along highways.
“Based on sound planning principles alone, the town has the authority to reject the Gyrodyne development,” Ogden said. “This project would overwhelm St. James and Head of the Harbor with traffic and damage water quality in Stony Brook Harbor.”
The coalition and local officials have long opposed the development. In 2021, the group expressed support for converting the entire site into a park. If that wasn’t possible, they supported a compromise to preserve the 48-acre Flowerfield Fairgrounds as open space while allowing limited development on land already occupied by buildings.
Severe flooding
After the Smithtown Planning Board approved the subdivision on March 30, 2022, the coalition and 23 local property owners filed a lawsuit, arguing the environmental review was inadequate.
“The review process was not thorough,” said Joseph Bollhofer, a member of the coalition. “It didn’t seriously consider public input and failed to account for severe weather events.”
On Aug. 19, a 10-inch rainfall caused severe flooding around the Gyrodyne site, forcing the closure of Route 25A for three days.
“Even with most of the property undeveloped, the flooding was enough to burst the dam at Stony Brook Mill Pond,” Bollhofer said. “If Gyrodyne’s development had been in place, experts say it could have destroyed the historic Stony Brook Grist Mill.”
Bollhofer added that the coalition plans to challenge the court decision, citing the review’s failure to account for the increasing frequency of severe storms.
“The community’s support for our legal efforts is a testament to the widespread opposition to this development,” Ogden said. “We will continue to work with the DEC and local officials to preserve Flowerfield Fairgrounds for future generations.”
Local elected officials, including Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R) and county Legislators Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) and Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga), have all opposed the Gyrodyne subdivision and expressed strong support for preserving the site.
School board meetings are held at Centereach High School.
By Dylan Friedman
The Middle Country Central School District Board of Education meeting Oct. 16 was a night to celebrate students’ outstanding achievements and the district’s continued progress in academics and technology. The meeting opened with the recognition of four Students of the Month, beginning with Diya John, a senior at Newfield High School.
John, described as a considerate and mature young lady beyond her years, is the president of the National Honor Society, where she was praised for her leadership, diligence and commitment to helping her peers succeed.
The board also recognized Jeanlee Marcano Robles, an eighth grader at Selden Middle School, and Adam Khazanovich, an eighth grader at Dawnwood Middle School.
According to Brad Smith, Jeanlee’s soccer coach, she is a “diligent student who is focused on hard work and positivity.” Meanwhile, Adam was praised for his academic excellence, leadership in extracurricular activities and kind, friendly demeanor.
Alexa Carmody, of Centereach High School, was also honored as a student of the month.
Celebrating athletic achievements
In addition to the student accolades, the meeting highlighted the district’s athletic achievements. Meaghan Grieco, a four-year varsity starter and captain of the Centereach volleyball team, was named the district’s female Athlete of the Month.
“Megan will be sorely missed next season, but we know she is looking forward to continuing her playing career at Farmingdale State College,” said head coach Mike Weaver.
The board also recognized Matt Evers, a senior quarterback on the Newfield varsity football team, as the district’s male Athlete of the Month. Assistant coach Nick Adler commended Evers’ character, positive attitude and exceptional performance on the field, which led the team to a 3-0 record in September.
PTA community engagement
Themeeting also featured an update from the Bicycle Path PTA, highlighting the group’s efforts to support the district’s youngest students and their families.
According to PTA president, Rose Noonan, and first vice president, Nicole Esposito, the PTA has already hosted several successful events, including a membership drive that surpassed expectations, a book fair and a welcome-back picnic with over 330 attendees. Upcoming events include a trick-or-treat street, a pumpkin patch and a frozen pie fundraiser.
Fiscal responsibility and technological advancements
The district’s auditor, Chris Schneider, delivered good news, reporting that the district received “unmodified opinions,” the highest level of audit opinion, on both the district’s financials and the extracurricular activity funds. “For a district of this size, to have no comments is a great thing,” Schneider said.
Finally, the district’s technology director, Vincent Raicovi, provided an overview of the district’s robust technology infrastructure, including a high-availability data network, virtualized servers and a growing number of devices and digital whiteboards deployed across the schools.
“When we started this, we had a little over 3,000 devices on our network. And now, many moons later, we are up to 18,000 devices,” Raicovi reported, highlighting the district’s commitment to supporting student learning with the latest technology.
The next BOE meeting is Oct. 30 at Centereach High School at 7 p.m.
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