Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the man pictured above who stole a bicycle in Hauppauge this month.
A man stole a SE So Cal bicycle with black and gold trim on the corner of Townline Road and Evergreen Avenue on April 5 at approximately 3 p.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.
Judith Ogden shows visitors the proper way to plant a bare root sapling at a previous Arbor Day event at Avalon Nature Preserve. Photo by Heidi Sutton
The Village of Head of the Harbor, along with its Tree Committee, is hosting its annual Arbor in The Harbor event in honor or Arbor Day.
The event will be held on Saturday, May 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Avalon Nature Preserve. (Rain date is May 4.)Festivities will be held at the Avalon Barn, 60 Shep Jones Lane, St. James.
The purpose of the event is to celebrate the importance of trees, encourage residents not just to plant trees but to also preserve the trees we have.There will be demonstrations on how to plant and care for trees and protect them from deer.
Attendees will be given a free sapling tree to take home and plant (while supplies last).Attendees can also enjoy a native species identification self-tour.
Head of the Harbor Village Trustee, Judith Ogden, who is also the Village’s Highway Commissioner, will lead the gathering.“Trees are instrumental in protecting Stony Brook Harbor from pollutants from storm water runoff and by reducing erosion. They are also an integral part of the wildlife ecosystem. Trees provide shelter and habitat for birds. The undergrowth is home to the smaller animals that provide sustenance for the raptors. Everything is interdependent. I cannot stress enough the importance of trees to our Village,” Trustee Ogden says. “It is our hope that this event inspires residents to take care of our trees.”
Arbor in The Harbor is free to attend. Parking is available in lots along Shep Jones Lane.
Join the Long Island Game Farm, 489 Chapman Blvd., Manorville in celebrating their 55th anniversary year with day long festivities on Saturday, May 3 at 10 a.m.
Led by Master of Ceremonies Doug Geed, the event will kick off with a ribbon cutting ceremony of the Woodland Trail, a universal access trail suitable for wheelchairs. The trail renovation was made possible with funds from Suffolk County Jumpsmart program. The ribbon cutting will open Woodland Trail for the start of the Trail Trot & Animal Antics, a non-competitive run/walk through the trail followed by animal inspired challenges (antics) for the children.
In addition, the day will include:
— An Open House where guests will meet the Game Farm Team, Camp Counselors, and partners to learn about what’s new at the Game Farm this year including a summer music series and the Re-Photo Project.
— Kids craft activities by Macaroni Kid. Refreshments will be served.
— Performances by local songwriters and the Eastport South Manor Junior High Orchestra on the new Susan M. Novak Stage.
—Game Farm Director Greg Drossel will lead groups on a Woodland Trail Walk while he shares the Game Farm vision for the Trail.
— Artist Tonito Valderrama will invite attendees to participate in the creation of The Great Nest of Life Installation Project, an interactive nature sculpture celebrating birds of Long Island.
— Boy Scout Sam Zvolensky will show his Eagle Award Project, a sensory garden at the Game Farm whileScouts Adalia Haas and Summer Realander will talk about the Gold Award projects they are each working on.
— Nick Jacinto will talk about his animals and his upcoming Weekends with Nature Nick at the Game Farm.
—Anthony Graziano, Long Island Landscape Photographer and conservation advocate will talk about his work and upcoming photo and IPhone photography classes at the Game Farm.
— Dr. Heidi MacALpine and Noelle Grogan, community collaborators promoting health and wellbeing through the creative arts, will demonstrate and talk about their work and upcoming program.
— And of course visit with the many unique animals that call the Game Farm home.
“The Long Island Game Farm was one of our Island’s first tourist attractions and it remains one of our most treasured landmarks. It’s brought pleasure and joy to the Geeds and thousands of other families through the decades and I’m excited about this new chapter for the Game Farm and the Novak Family,” said Geed.
“It’s hard to believe it’s been 55 years since my family moved into the Manorville site and created the Long Island Game Farm. I’m happy to be honoring my parents by sharing this accomplishment with the people of Long Island. I am grateful to Suffolk County for making our Trail and new stage possible through Jumpsmart funds,” said Long Island Game Farm President Melinda Novak.
Discounted admission for the day is $15 per person,children under age 2 are free.
Registration for the Trail Trot for youth, ages 3-12 years is in advance and includes admission to the Game Farm and a commemorative t-shirt. To register and for further information, visit https://www.longislandgamefarm.com/trailtrot.
ABOUT LONG ISLAND GAME FARM
Long Island Game Farm Wildlife Park and Children’s Zoo was founded in 1970 by Stanley and Diane Novak. As the largest combined children’s zoo and wildlife park on LongIsland, they offer families a natural environment where they can learn about wildlife and animals through education and entertainment. A member of American Association of Zookeepers and Zoological Association of America, the farm is located at 489 Chapman Boulevard, Manorville, New York 11949. For more information, visit longislandgamefarm.com, email [email protected], or call 631-878-6644. Find Long Island Game Farm on Instagram and Facebook at @longislandgamefarm.
Eleven students who had their visas revoked, thereby preventing them from working and making them vulnerable to deportation, have now had their records restored.
Last month the students were informed by SBU’s department of Global Affairs that their Student Exchange and Visitor Information System records were revoked. They were among thousands of international students nationwide to receive the message.
On Friday, the Department of Justice started restoring some of the over 1,800 visas that were terminated.
“This change means on-campus employment can be restored, and allows these students to return their full attention to their academic pursuits,” Provost Carl W. Lejuez, Vice Provost for Graduate Education Celia Marshik and Senior Associate Provost for Global Affairs Lindsi Walker wrote in an email sent to SBU faculty and students.
The reversal comes as litigation against the federal government mounts, with students arguing that the revocations were unconstitutional.
After Stony Brook University announced the terminations on April 10, students gathered in following days to express their solidarity with the students affected and to urge the university to help defend against deportation.
“Stony Brook is deeply enriched by the perspectives and contributions of our global community,” the letter from Lejuez, Marshik and Walker reads, “and we are proud to learn, teach, and conduct research alongside our exceptional international students and scholars.
Reportedly, the students were still attending classes during the period where their visas were inactive.
Huntington Town Clerk and Records Management Officer Andrew Raia invites everyone to get a history of Huntington as the town celebrates Municipal Clerks’ Week from May 5 to May 8 with an open house at Town Hall, 100 Main St., Huntington from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. or 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Visitors can view the town’s old records chest, old maps, the statue of American Hero Nathan Hale, the town’s ID dating 1666, Native American deeds, exhibits, memorabilia and other interesting documents during this free tour.
Fron left, Mia Catapano, Amber Gagliardi, Nikki Martin at Middle Country
Public Library’s native small tree and shrub giveaway in honor of Arbor Day. Photo courtesy of Middle Country Public Library
Beautifying the world, one tree at a time
Middle Country Public Library patrons recently left the library with more than a book.
In honor of Arbor Day, MCPL’s Centereach branch held a native small tree and shrub giveaway on April 25. Patrons visited the library to secure two trees or shrubs to take home and plant in their yards.
Trees and shrubs not only improve the aesthetic value of one’s landscapes but they also improve air and water quality, conserve energy, and produce wildlife food and cover. Shrubs were procured from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Imagine a world where a child growing up on Long Island does not have the opportunity to climb aboard a 19th century streetcar and learn about the desegregation of public transportation in New York; or to learn who carved the sculptures in Central Park; or be able to look up in awe at the colossal skeleton of a whale and learn about the industry that built and sustained our region. This is the world that will be created if the elimination of federal agencies and grants that support our local libraries and museums are not stopped.
Three of Long Island’s most beloved cultural institutions on Long Island’s North Shore —The Whaling Museum & Education Center of Cold Spring Harbor, The Heckscher Museum of Art in Huntington, and The Long Island Museum in Stony Brook—are facing the abrupt and unprecedented termination and suspension of grant funding from two federal agencies: the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), which was terminated by executive order by the presidential administration at the start of April, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), where already-approved project funding is now halted or terminated.
The three museums were awarded federal grants to support public-facing projects, including exhibitions and community programming. But now, these NEH funds have been withdrawn and IMLS funds frozen with little, if any, explanation. A termination letter sent to The Whaling Museum by Michael McDonald, the Acting Chairman of the NEH, stated “the NEH is repurposing its funding allocations in a new direction in furtherance of the President’s agenda” and that “immediate termination is necessary to safeguard the interested of the federal government.” The three museums are among thousands of museums, libraries, and educational institutions who have suddenly lost funding.
Impacts
At The Whaling Museum in Cold Spring Harbor, the cancellation rescinds funding supporting exhibition design for a museum expansion centered on a whale skeleton to provide needed community space, and freezes funding for year-round educational programming tied to the museum’s Monsters & Mermaids exhibition.
At The Heckscher Museum of Art, award funds were to support the development of a groundbreaking new exhibition Emma Stebbins: Carving Out History, devoted to the sculptor who is best-known for her Bethesda Fountain in Central Park, along with a robust year of exhibitions and public programming supporting an intergenerational group of community members focused on enhancing teen mental health through the creation of art and fostering of community connections.
At The Long Island Museum, the IMLS funding cancellation blocks efforts to build an interactive and immersive exhibition experience in the museum around its circa 1885 horse-drawn streetcar. The exhibition, titled Riding Towards Justice, was to have created an accessible climb-aboard experience for visitors of all ages who would also learn of the stories of Elizabeth Jennings Graham (1827-1901).
The Whaling Museum in Cold Spring Harbor
“These grants weren’t gifts—they were intentional investments grounded in research demonstrating the positive impacts of humanities-based projects addressing the educational needs in our communities,” said Nomi Dayan, Executive Director of The Whaling Museum. “We have a 90-year history of serving Long Island with integrity and creativity, and we are proud to preserve one of the most significant times in American history. The abrupt withdrawal comes at a cost to the communities we serve. We’re asking our leaders to honor the commitments that were made, and prioritize the learning that takes place in museums.”
“Thousands of studies, including a recent 2024 report released by The World Health Organization, have concluded that involvement in the arts can improve public health and promote healing from illness, cognitive decline, heart disease, anxiety and depression,” shared Heather Arnet, CEO and Executive Director of The Heckscher Museum of Art. “The Heckscher Museum of Art project which had been awarded a grant from IMLS was developed specifically with these social determinants of health in mind.”
“The Long Island Museum has received multiple IMLS grants for our Carriage Museum since the late 1980s that have supported conservation of the collection, improved exhibitions, and great programming. We are heartbroken over these actions and the potential loss this represents for our community and our different groups of visitors,” said Joshua Ruff, Co-Executive Director of the Long Island Museum.
The Long Island Museum in Stony Brook
Collectively, these three museums serve hundreds of thousands of residents and visitors annually; reach more than 100 school districts; introduce tens of thousands of school children each year to their first brush with art and history; and help senior community members develop meaningful engagement and connection opportunities later in life. The programs made possible through NEH and IMLS funding help provide equitable access to culture, spark lifelong learning, and preserve America’s stories.
Eliminated funding not only impacts the educational capacity at the museums, but has an economic impact on the region as a whole. A recently released Economic Impact Study by The Long Island Arts Alliance found that the nonprofit arts sector generated $330 million in economic activity during 2022—$178.4 million in spending by arts and culture organizations and an additional $151.6 million in event-related expenditures by their audiences. That economic activity supported 4,905 jobs, provided $234.5 million in personal income to residents, and generated $81.2 million in tax revenue to local, state, and federal governments.
Taking action
Museums are calling on their supporters, elected officials, and the broader public to speak out to encourage Congress and the Administration to reinstate the legally awarded grants and protect the integrity of the nation’s cultural funding process.
The public can show their support by visiting The Whaling Museum & Education Center, The Heckscher Museum of Art, and The Long Island Museum on “International Museum Day” on Sunday, May 18. All visitors to the three Museums that day will receive special “IheartMuseums” pins, stickers, and additional information on ways to help.
To learn more about the impact of these cuts or to take action, please visit the websites of the three museums — hecksher.org; cshwhalingmuseum.org, and longislandmuseum.org.
A mourning cloak butterfly. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
By John L. Turner
John Turner
Strolling up a slight incline on a trail pockmarked with pebbles the oak forest fell steeply away to my right. The warm spring air on this day in late April was most pleasant and welcome and I paused for a moment to bask in the warmth of a circle of sunlight reaching the ground through a small break in the tree canopy, happy winter was in the rear view mirror.
Numerous Flowering Dogwood trees were in blossom in the forest, adding a splash of white and pink to the understory, their flowers reminding me of a grouping of water lilies floating fifteen feet in the air, although they were at eye level because of the falling slope.
And suddenly movement — a butterfly is sailing toward me down the trail, turns in a half circle and lands in a foot square patch of sunlight with wings open, facing away so that its dark wings have the best angle to absorb the warmth the shaft of sunlight offered. A mourning cloak, a butterfly with a three inch wingspan, has joined my morning, an identification I make easily and instantly due to its highly distinctive coloration, which is unlike any other butterfly in eastern North America.
The mourning cloak, so named because its dark brown body with a pale yellow band along the outer wing margin is reminiscent of the attire once worn during funerals and other somber occasions, is a stunningly beautiful insect.
The derivation of the scientific name is a different story; Nymphalis antiopa relates to arcane Greek mythology. The brown of the body and wings is rich walnut in color and toward the wing edge numerous purplish-blue oval dots are patterned within a narrow band of black, this band adjacent to the aforementioned yellow band at the wing margin. Dark flecking is sprinkled throughout the yellow. Four small yellow wedges are positioned along the leading edge of the wings. Two prominent dark colored antennae project from the butterfly’s head, forming a classic letter vee.
The underside of the wings are as drab as the upper wings are showy. This adaptation helps the mourning cloak blend in on tree bark or leaf litter if it falls to the ground and plays dead, as it sometimes does to avoid predation. If it decides instead to flee it can erupt fast, emitting an unusual clicking sound (which I’ve never heard) which reportedly disturbs birds.
The mourning cloak is typically the first butterfly to emerge in the spring because it overwinters as an adult; no need for springtime pupation and metamorphosis as with other butterflies. Adults spend the winter in surprising fashion — hibernating beneath flaking tree bark, in tree cavities and in the cracks of larger rocks. They are able to survive the winter because they have “antifreeze” in their blood and cells — sugar compounds (glycerols) which lower the temperature at which the insect would freeze. Once it emerges it rapidly shivers its flight muscles helping the butterfly to warm up. Its dense hairlike bristles help to hold the muscle-generated heat inside.
Another surprise in a butterfly with several surprises is that, once it emerges, it doesn’t depend upon, or much utilize flowers and their sugary nectar, although the species will occasionally visit them. Rather, they depend upon tree sap, the moisture and sugar in fallen fruits, the sweet exudate of aphids, mud puddles, even animal dung. Due to the fact this butterfly came out of pupation last summer means it is — as far as insects go — a long lived insect, having a lifespan as much as ten to twelve months.
Not surprising, given its ability to survive frigid temperatures, the mourning cloak is found in temperate and cold regions all across North America, Europe and Asia. In England it’s known as the ‘Camberwell Beauty’; the species was first discovered in England at Camberwell in 1748 and the discoverer, Moses Harris, suggested the name. It also ranges south and is known from Central and South America.
If the mourning cloak mates, egg laying takes place with the eggs laid on one of a wide range of host plants includingvarious willows, aspen, birch, hackberry, elm, hawthorn, cottonwood, poplar and mulberry, among others. The eggs are laid in long clusters along the stem near its tip and they are as beautiful as they are geometrically distinctive; they remind me a little of the dome of the U.S. Capitol. I wouldn’t blame you if you stopped reading here and “Google image” the eggs. It’s worth the effort.
At first, when small, the caterpillars stay together but after going through growth stages known as instars they separate. A mature caterpillar is black with eight orange dots and is heavily spined which, if touched, can irritate the skin. The pupa, the case in which the miracle of metamorphosis occurs, is also spined. On Long Island the butterflies emerge in early to mid-summer and will, if the weather grows hot, aestivate (kind of like hibernation in the summer). Another emergence can occur in the fall.
As with so many elements of the natural world, butterflies unfortunately are declining in abundance and mourning cloaks are no exception. In a recently published studymeasuring population trends of North American butterfly species, the mourning cloak has declined by about 22% over the past quarter century. This alarming decline appears due to a combination of continued widespread pesticide use, climate change, and habitat loss.
How can you help this iconic harbinger of spring? By foregoing the use of pesticides, leaving on your property standing dead and dying trees with their sheltered protective cavities and sloughing bark, and supporting organizations devoted to butterfly conservation such as the Xerces Society.
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.
Above, one of the many public discussions on energy storage systems held in recent months. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
Battery energy storage systems have been ever-present in the minds of community members. The systems, how they operate and what danger they pose are answerable questions, yet are often up for debate in meetings on potential projects. The public needs answers—not from developers, but from impartial experts.
The new BESS task force could finally be the source of unbiased and scientifically-backed information. Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) recognized the concerns his constituents had for the projects and offered to help.
We have heard that the systems are an essential part of pursuing Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul’s goal of achieving an “emissions-free economy by 2050, including in the energy, buildings, transportation, and waste sectors.” However, we also know of fires in places like California and East Hampton. Our uncertainty about what to do, how to supply energy to our communities safely, and how to balance the unique needs of our town with the needs of the state, will hopefully become clearer with the help of local experts committed to transparency regarding the systems.
TBR News Media has attended many public discussions on energy storage systems. The same fears and questions are raised repeatedly, exemplifying distrust for those presenting the information (often developers) and the erudite scientific jargon used. The absence of understanding breeds misinformation. This Bess Task Force, consisting of local experts who have the same values as community members, the desire to find a solution and no chance to profit from the projects, will provide essential guidance to the public.
Are lithium-ion batteries right for our community? That is the question in the minds of people across Long Island that this task force will hopefully help answer.
#3 Riley McDonald and #33 Courtney MacLay celebrate Saturday's victory. Photo courtesy of Stony Brook University Athletics
The No. 20 Stony Brook women’s lacrosse team defeated Hofstra, 15-5, in the Battle of Long Island on April 26 to close out the 2025 regular season. With the win, the Seawolves clinched their third consecutive CAA Regular Season Championship title and the No. 1 seed in the CAA Women’s Lacrosse Tournament.
By securing the CAA Regular Season Championship, Stony Brook clinched its 12th straight conference regular season title (three CAA Regular Season Championships & nine America East Regular Season Championships). With earning the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament, the Seawolves will play in the semifinals on Thursday, May 1, at noon against the No. 4 seed, Elon.
Stony Brook was paced by nine different goal scorers, four of which recorded multi-goals games. Casey Colbert and Isabella Caporuscio each tallied hat tricks while Alexandra Fusco and Courtney Maclay notched a pair.
Defensively, Avery Hines collected a team-high four caused turnovers as Caporuscio grabbed six ground balls. In net, Natalia Altebrando had another dominant outing, making eight saves on a .615 save percentage.
The Seawolves took control of the game early and never looked back. Stony Brook scored the game’s first five goals and closed out the first quarter with a commanding, 7-1 advantage. Colbert notched her second hat trick this season in the opening frame, while Maclay tallied both of her goals in the first 15 minutes of play.
Hofstra answered back with a pair of goals to start the second quarter before the Seawolves tacked onto its dominant lead with another four goals to take an 11-3 lead into the break courtesy of Riley McDonald, Caporuscio, Kylie Budke, and Molly Laforge.
Hofstra’s leading scorer, Nikki Mennella, netted the Pride’s first goal of the second half just one minute into play before Stony Brook responded with another four goals. Caporuscio would register her ninth hat trick of the season after finding the back of the net in consecutive possessions.
The fourth quarter would level out between the Seawolves and Pride, both scoring one goal. Stony Brook emerged victorious, 15-5, to earn their third straight CAA Regular Season title after another undefeated season in conference play.
Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the man pictured above who stole a bicycle in Hauppauge this month.
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