The Wading River Shoreham Chamber of Commerce wasted no time after Halloween, hosting its 2nd annual Fall Festival Nov. 2.
Though last year saw rain blight most of the morning’s activities, this year sunlight glinted off the famous Duck Pond and while vendors and patron basked in the light while huddling under scarves to keep out the chill wind.
Instead of a zombie walk, this year the event celebrated the season with a pumpkin decorating contest.
Four intoxicated male individuals can be seen on video surveillance kicking a light pole, throwing a garbage can and vandalizing storefronts near the Chandler Square ice cream shop in Port Jefferson Oct. 27. The incident occurred around 2:30 a.m.
Video of the incident, which was posted on Facebook by Gina Daleo, co-owner of the Port Jefferson Ice Cream Café has been shared over 3,400 times.
Kathianne Snaden, Port Jeff Village trustee and liaison to code enforcement, said that they found out about the incident when the video began circulating on social media.
“We reached out to Gina, and she informed us that Suffolk police was handling the situation,” she said.
Snaden said the property that was vandalized is owned by Daleo and her boyfriend. The private security camera system is connected to the SCPD’s real-time crime center.
In terms of code enforcement in the village, Snaden said that in criminal matters they hand things off to the county police, though it depends on the situation as they could be asked to assist them as well.
Suffolk County police said in an email that they had not received any calls at that time. In a later statement at the Nov. 4 village board meeting they said they are currently investigating the incident.
In the Facebook post, Daleo told users to message her if anyone has any information on the identities of the individuals.
In the most profiled race of the year for Suffolk County Executive, Democrat Steve Bellone won handily over his challenger, County Comptroller John Kennedy Jr. (R) with 55 percent to Kennedy’s 43 percent. Libertarian candidate Greg Fischer gained just 1 percent of the overall vote.
Bellone was greeted by enthusiastic cheers at IBEW.
“It turns out that the voters have decided that there is more work for us to do here,” he said. “This will be my third and final term as County Executive, I don’t know what the future holds but it entirely possible that this could be my final race for public office… If that is the case I must give one final thank you to the person who has been with me for every race that I have won.”
He also thanked his opponents John Kennedy and Greg Fischer.
“I look forward to working together to build a better future for Suffolk County.”
Kennedy blamed the incumbent’s near $2 million war chest for the loss, along with negative campaign ads he said targeted not only him, but his wife and children.
He promised he would continue to be a financial watchdog for the county, saying he thinks the county will entire a financial death spiral it may not be able to pull out of.
“The good news is, I get to keep doing the job I love, being comptroller,” he said. “There’s no lack of fraud waste and abuse in Suffolk County, which we demonstrated the past five years.”
After a heated campaign season, and while the vote seemed to be close as they were tallied, Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) defeated her Republican opponent Gary Pollakusky 54 to 41 percent. Libertarian candidate James Kevin, who was not available for comment, gained nearly 5 percent of the vote.
When brought up on stage, Schaffer called her “landslide Anker.”
The 5th time legislator said it was her strong base and work of her campaign that helped pull her through. She added there are numerous projects she hopes to work on in the coming years.
“We have so many projects in the works … We have the Rails to Trails, the park in Middle Island, continue working with the opioid advisory panel,” she said. “There is so much work to do.
I really want to focus on mental health/addiction treatment, tackle the financial issues with the county, be proactive with supporting local business and those mom and pop shops.”
Pollakusky remained gracious after his loss, saying, “I hope Sarah serves her constituents well for our legislative district.” He added he will continue to be active in the community by leading the Rocky Point Sound Beach Chamber of Commerce and serving on the board of the Rocky Point Civic Association.
In the Port Jefferson-Setauket area Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) won overwhelmingly against her Republican opponent John McCormack 63 to 37 percent.
Kara Hahn said she is looking forward to continuing working on several projects including protection of the environment, public safety and the opioid epidemic.
“Those numbers have to come down to zero,” she said. “We cannot accept more opioid deaths. The numbers have fallen a little bit, but we have to continue to work on that. We cannot be losing our children. It’s senseless. It’s preventable. We have to be sure we do what we can on that.”
McCormack was not available to comment.
Thomas Muratore (R-Ronkonkoma) easily won over Democratic challenger David Bligh in the fight for the 4th district with nearly 60 percent of the vote. He thanked his wife and staff and said they would move on “stronger.”
While Bligh lost to Muratore for Suffolk County Legislator in the 4th district, he said he plans to stay in the political arena and to run again.
“Tom’s term limited after this year so there’s going to be an open seat in two years,” he said.
Bligh, an environmental engineer, said he has a long list of quality of life issues that he wants to address, including affordability and water quality issues.
Garcia announced Rob Trotta’s (R-Fort Salonga) 62 percent victory against Democrat Janet Singer, by mentioning Trotta’s propensity to stir the pot. Ever the firebrand, the Fort Salonga resident did not disappoint, getting to the mike and calling the Conservative party “corrupt,” adding “this is about honesty and integrity, and that party is clearly lacking.”
When asked to expand on that, Trotta said, “The entire Conservative party is corrupt, period.”
Singer said she was disappointed as she felt she would be a great legislator but enjoyed campaigning where she learned a lot.
She said before this election cycle she felt Rob Trotta didn’t pay attention to water quality issues. She feels it’s a non-issue for him and that suddenly it’s a “hot topic.” She was surprised water quality was included at the bottom of his campaign ad.
“I don’t really care what party you’re in, water needs protection, and it’s going to need money,” she said. “And he doesn’t want to vote for any expenditures, and we can’t do that.”
Though her husband did not win over the majority of county voters, Leslie Kennedy (R-Nesconset) still beat her opponent, Democrat Margot Rosenthal, 65 to 35 percent. She said, “We could not have done it without every single one of you,” adding, “while we didn’t get everything we wanted this time, we’ll get it next time.”
For the 16th District, Susan Berland (D-Commack) won out against several-time Republican challenger Hector Gavilla. The race became extremely heated towards the end, with allegations that Gavilla intimidated Berland at a local meet the candidates. Gavilla, on his part, claims Berland’s husband nearly assaulted him.
Schaffer spoke on the incident.
“If you wanted to see probably one of the most despicable races in Suffolk County, was the race that took place in the 16 LD,” Schaffer said. “Let me tell you something, it’s a shame when you happen to have a candidate, a legislator who has been in office for almost 20 years, tell you she’s frightened by her opponent.”
Susan Berland thanked her supporters, staff and volunteers.
“I’m grateful to the residents of the 16th district who have confidence in me to represent them for the next two years.”
William “Doc” Spencer (D-Centerport) easily conquered the vote against Republican challenger Garrett Chelius with 11,998 votes to Chelius’ 6,599.
Chelius was brought up on stage for consolation, and Garcia lauded them for their work in campaigning.
Spencer spoke of his ideas and projects going forward.
“I’m looking towards the future — I want to still focus on our environment, our kids, the vaping/opioid epidemic,” he said. “I think there is a lot of work to be done there. Also, I want to finish some infrastructure projects like the sewers in Huntington Station.”
The lone upset of the night, Republican challenger Anthony Piccirillo won with barely a 1 percent margin against William Lindsay (D-Holbrook). The Democrats have asked for a recount, but if Piccirillo succeeds it would mean the Democrats 11-7 hold on the legislature would become a 10-8, just as partisan divide between officials seems at a near peak. Last year, Republicans and Democrats butted heads over lump bonding issues, with Republicans using their slim minority to block bonds they called were being pushed through by Democrats.
David Luces, Rita J. Egan, Leah Chiappino and Donna Deedy all contributed reporting.
The race for Brookhaven town supervisor was called before the final votes were tallied, with the night ending with Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) racking up 51,155 votes to Democratic challenger Will Ferraro’s 31,113 votes.
Romaine went on stage to thank the town for an “overwhelming mandate,” of the town board.
“We are going to go back to work tomorrow,” he said. “The reason we ran is so we can govern, to move Brookhaven forward so we can fix its finances, help its AAA bond rating, get rid of the zombie homes and do all the things that are necessary to build a better town.”
In a phone interview after the night was called, Ferraro congratulated Romaine on his election, but urged the incumbent to listen to resident’s criticisms of the town’s recycling policies and road infrastructure. He added he will continue to be a community organizer in the local area and plans to get involved with his local school board. He added he did not plan on running for another office at least until after next year.
“I ran on 100 percent what I believe in, with every fiber of my being,” he said. “I have no regrets.”
Councilwoman Jane Bonner (R-Rocky Point) defeated her challenger, Coram Democrat Sarah Deonarine with around 62 percent of the vote to 38 percent.
Though last year’s referendum to give town councilmembers a four-year term, Bonner said it will mean elected officials can focus on long term projects, especially “environmental based projects.”
Deonarine said campaigning was strenuous and difficult.
“If I could pull it off anybody can,” she said. “So, I hope other people follow in the footsteps. I’ve met amazing people. We started something new and we’re really hoping for a better Brookhaven in the future.”
She doesn’t plan to run for office again but is interested in the behind the scenes work and helping future candidates, saying there’s no existing playbook.
“I learned so much that was not given to me when I started.”
In the battle of Port Jeff Station neighbors, with Councilwoman Valerie Cartright (D-Port Jefferson Station) against her challenger Tracy Kosciuk, a nurse running on the Republican ticket, the town board’s lone Democrat won with 57 percent of the vote.
Cartright said she plans to focus on completing land use plans in the Three Village area and Port Jefferson Station and working on the cottages at West Meadow Beach among other initiatives.
“I’m looking forward to completing the process on all of these initiatives that we’ve embarked upon in the community,” she said.
Kosciuk said that even with her loss, she “still won in many ways,” by “making my opponent more responsive to everyone in the council district, rather than specific pockets.” She added she hopes her opponent works toward revitalization efforts and on the zombie homes issue.
In the Middle Country area, incumbent Kevin LaValle (R-Selden) won with 65 percent of the vote against his Democratic challenger, social justice activist Talat Hamdani.
The incumbent thanked his constituents, and said he plans to continue bringing more business into the Middle Country area and finalize work on the Selden Park Complex.
Hamdani wasn’t available for comment.
In the race for town highway supervisor, Dan Losquadro (R) beat his Democratic challenger Anthony Portesy with 48,624 votes to the Democrat’s 34,514.
Losquadro thanked Garcia and said he was “overwhelmed by the mandate” of the voters.
“They see the progress we have made in Brookhaven,” he said. “They have seen the efforts and results that are possible when we work together. The results of this election will allow us to plan long term.”
Portesy said he ran a good race and thanked all his supporters who came out for him.
“Overall, we fought a good race … If anything, I’ve forced a level of accountable the highway department hasn’t seen in decades,” he said. “There was a level of energy in this cycle in 2019 that we didn’t see in 2017 and that’s really going to build going into 2020 as we go into the congressional and presidential races.”
Dom Pascual, a Democrat, took on Lou Marcoccia (R) for receiver of taxes, but voters went again for the incumbent with the Republican making near 60 percent of the vote.
“We cared, and we listened,” Marcoccia said.
Pascual said he thought they put on a strong campaign.
“I’m a [Democratic] district leader so I’m going to continue to recruit people,” he said. “We’re not going away no matter what. I ran in 2017, it was just me, and this time around we recruited over 50 people. Demographics are in our favor, there’s more Democrats moving into Brookhaven than Republicans, so I think eventually things will change.”
David Luces and Rita J. Egan contributed reporting.
TBR News Media will be out and about tonight for the 2019 Elections. Check out our Twitter @TBRNewsmedia and #TBRVotes for live updates of tonights’ election events.
Don’t forget to check our website TBRnewsmedia.com for the full results tomorrow morning, Nov. 6.
Five-term Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) is once again facing Republican challenger Gary Pollakusky, a Rocky Point business owner and head of the recently remodeled Rocky Point Sound Beach Chamber of Commerce. The candidates challenged each other in 2017, but while many issues remain the same, such as county finances, coastal water issues and opioids, the campaign season has been even more contentious than two years before.
Many of the Republicans running for county Legislature this year have made county finances a major part of their campaigns, and Pollakusky made it a point when he ran two years ago.
“The $4 billion plan is unrealistic — it will come down to taxpayers, people who are leaving the Island, to take on this burden.”
— Gary Pollakusky
In a recent in-house debate at TBR News Media offices, the Republican challenger pointed to the recent report from the New York State comptroller, Thomas DiNapoli (D), which called Suffolk one of the most fiscally stressed counties in the state, Pollakusky adding the county now has junk bond status. He said small businesses have a hard time opening in Suffolk County, that it takes two to three years when it should, at most, two to three months. He said the county should have done more to bring in retail giant Amazon.
Though the largest percentage of residents’ tax bills are due to school districts, the challenger said Suffolk should look to work with both the state and local school districts to reduce the number of administrators, even creating a “chancellor of education” to oversee that cause.
Anker, who first came to the Legislature in 2011 during a special election, argued that the county is not in as much fiscal stress as Republicans have said. She argued that the county’s Baa2 bond rating by Moody’s shows a different picture of the county’s financial shape. She said finances have improved significantly since when she was first elected.
The incumbent argued that instead of looking to bring in Amazon, the North Shore should look to become an “ecotourism hub,” with amenities like the new North Shore Rail Trail and Tesla Science Center.
“Instead of making a right to go pumpkin picking and wine tasting, take a left to downtown Rocky Point, so we can revitalize it,” she said. “So many stores have gone out recently.”
The Republican challenger criticized Anker for removing Rocky Point from the county sewer list and called Suffolk’s prototype septic system program a “toilet tax.” Though residents can get grants from New York State that pay most or all of the installation, Pollakusky argued there are fees attributed to landscaping or regular maintenance.
“As far as runoff, the $4 billion plan is unrealistic — it will come down to taxpayers, people who are leaving the Island, to take on this burden,” he said.
Anker called Suffolk the “most proactive agencies in government that addresses this issue,” adding she supports the prototype septic systems as well as the county water authority’s multibillion dollar plans to reduce 1,4-dioxane in wells throughout the county.
She added the reason she removed Rocky Point from the sewer list came from a request by the Rocky Point Civic Association whose members said they did not want to pay an additional sewer tax.
Anker currently chairs the Suffolk County Heroin and Opiate Epidemic Advisory Panel, which was created in 2017. She said the panel has already borne fruit with one recent example being Suffolk County police’s new mass spectrometer, which can identify previously undetectable substances. She said the device came from a suggestion on the 24-member panel. She added the county’s lawsuit of pharmaceutical company Purdue and the Sackler family may bring in millions of dollars of revenue to the county.
“Instead of making a right to go pumpkin picking and wine tasting, take a left to downtown Rocky Point, so we can revitalize it.”
— Sarah Anker
Pollakusky argued that while some county statistics say the opioid epidemic has plateaued, he hasn’t seen an example of that in the district, claiming there is a glut of “drug dealing homes” all across the North Shore. Like in 2017, he criticized his opponent for voting to close the Foley Center in Yaphank, saying it could have been used for bed space and as a treatment center.
Anker came back saying the county should look toward public-private partnerships in creating new treatment space.
Though the candidates talked about the ongoing issues, they were also asked how they felt about their opponents campaign tactics during this contentious season. The challenger’s voice rose during the debate as he criticized Anker for mailings published by political advocacy group People for Political Responsibility, depicting him in photoshopped, unflattering images. He claimed Anker had been disbursing campaign material at functions like the Downtown Rocky Point Summer Concert Series and advocating for herself over radio.
Anker fired back that she had nothing to do with the mailings and had not handed out campaign material at these functions, instead handing out informational pamphlets for services provided by the county. She said her radio show was not sponsored at all by her campaign and only talked of work being done in the Legislature.
Both have continuously blamed the other for politicizing an incident several months ago at the final summer concert series event, when chamber members were barred from entering the concert. Chamber members said they had permission from the local Veterans of Foreign War post, which participates in putting on the concerts, but Anker said she had only received word that they wanted to attend the day before, and that they did not have space for them. The chamber was allowed a single table at the concert, she added. Pollakusky said it was unfair she was able to attend and “campaign” at the concert while disallowing others.
This post has been amended from how it appeared in the Village Beacon Record to clarify Anker’s position on informational material for services provided by the county.
Brookhaven Town Councilwoman Jane Bonner (R-Rocky Point), a longtime civic leader and six-term council member since 2007 is facing a challenge from Democratic Sarah Deonarine, a marine biologist out of Coram with years of working in state and local government.
In an October debate at the TBR News Media offices, candidates went back and forth over questions of development on the North Shore, clean energy initiatives and keeping young people on Long Island.
“What I’m hearing is that people want to stay in their homes — age in place.”
— Sarah Deonarine
Deonarine said she sees Brookhaven at “full carrying capacity” in terms of development and is calling for a study on capacity to see if the town is at “full build-out.” She added that another issue which leads to the Island’s brain drain is a lack of affordable or millennial housing, compared to states like Colorado.
“What I’m hearing is that people want to stay in their homes — age in place,” she said.
Other issues for her is the lien put on a property after a derelict house is removed, making redevelopment expensive. She asked that the list of zombie homes in town be made public, as well as refocus Brookhaven Code Enforcement Division which she called aggressive in “trying to make money for the town.”
Bonner instead cited the Route 25A corridor study, and which started in the first years of her first term, which she boasted has been picked up by the Town of Riverhead and continued by Councilwoman Valerie Cartright (D-Port Jefferson Station) in the Three Village area. The study led to “massive rezonings” which limited further build-out. She said all current large-scale developments were grandfathered in before the outcome of the study.
One of those includes the senior living facility development going up along Route 25A in Mount Sinai, which came about after the Mount Sinai Civic sued the town to stop another “Ranches style” development. The Mount Sinai Meadows project was reconfigured from retail space into majority millennial-geared rental/part commercial.
“Mount Sinai Meadows is going to change the face of Mount Sinai,” Bonner said. “It’s also going to stimulate the [Mt. Sinai] shopping center that’s right next to it.”
She disagreed with Deonarine’s statement on code enforcement, saying the division was more focused on the well-being of people in their homes. She said Suffolk County police asked the town not to publicize the list of zombie homes.
The town has boasted of its clean energy initiatives, including solar farms and wind farms at Town Hall in Farmingdale. Bonner called the solar farm developments in Shoreham a way of reducing the impact of farms and grass products on the aquifer while growing green energy in the town. She mentioned the electric car charging stations at sites like Heritage Park in Mount Sinai.
“We’re doing our part to reduce our carbon footprint.”
— Jane Bonner
“We’re doing our part to reduce our carbon footprint,” the incumbent said.
The Democratic challenger said she thinks it’s time Long Island as a whole moves away from being hesitant on new green energy initiatives, especially with complaints over aesthetics.
“People are afraid of their views being blocked — it’s a time we need to move past that, and it’s time to think about the environment and move away from fossil fuels,” she said.
If elected, Deonarine said she would bring a different viewpoint to the board, six of whom are Republican with one lone Democrat. She also pushed her opponent on proposition 1, the referendum given the green light by voters last November, saying it had been poorly worded, giving town council members term limits while at the same time extending terms from two to four years. She said the Republican members of the board largely supported it, and though Cartright had at first supported it, she later pulled back her support.
“The current board makeup, and current Republican Party makeup, it is very biased,” she said. “With only one Democrat on the board, that’s not a representation of the Town of Brookhaven.”
Bonner said the board has been bipartisan in getting things done, with no lack of ability or willingness to cross party lines and help each other in daily duties. In terms of proposition 1, “we all supported to go to referendum for the four-year terms,” she said. “It was overwhelmingly supported by nearly 60 percent.”
Despite gusting wind and spits of rain, some children still managed to hit the streets Halloween night for some old fashioned trick or treating. But for parents and their kids looking to avoid that, the Port Jefferson County Club opened its doors to people of all ages during its annual Halloween party.
Francis Maxwell
Francis B. Maxwell, of Ridge, passed away peacefully Oct. 13. He was 92.
He was a proud U.S. Army World War II veteran and was also the ex-chief of Baldwin Fire Department.
He was the beloved husband of the late Rose T. Maxwell.
Francis was the cherished father of Kenneth (Rosemary) Maxwell, John (Maria) Maxwell, Robert (Anita) Maxwell, the late Joann Maxwell and the late Francis Maxwell; the loving grandfather of Stephanie, Nicholas, Christopher, Timothy, Kathryn, James, Erin, Bailey, Joann, Paul; and great-grandfather of Gavin, Mario, Jacob, Nicholina, along with a new great-grandchild who just arrived.
He is additionally survived by many other family members and friends.
Religious services were celebrated at the Branch Funeral Home of Miller Place, and interment followed with military honors at the Cemetery of the Holy Rood in Westbury.
Arrangements were entrusted to the care of Branch Funeral Home of Miller Place. An online guest book is available at www.branchfh.com.
Doris T. Mullen
Doris T. Mullen of Kissimmee, Florida, formerly of Northport, died on Sept. 30 at 87 years of age. She was the beloved wife of the late Robert, loving mother of Maryann Mullen (Michael Gormley) and Wendy Hentze (Andrew), cherished Nani of Emma Bockrath and Robert Pratt (Annabelle) and dear sister of Carolyn Sandage (Ron). Visitation was held at Nolan Funeral Home in Northport Oct. 5. Funeral was held Oct. 6 at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Northport. Doris was an active and supportive member of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church of Northport. Donations to St. Paul’s in Doris’ memory would be appreciated.
Regina E. Drogos
Regina E. Drogos of Holbrook, formerly of East Northport, died on Oct. 7. She was the beloved wife of the late Stanley; loving mother of Maria (Don) Longo, Paul Drogos and Steve Drogos; cherished grandmother of Donald S. Longo and Daniel J. Longo; and dear sister of Tom (Marcella) Piekarski. She is also survived by her nephews David Piekarski, Andrew Piekarski and Edward Piekarski and their families. Services were private.
John P. Riconda
John P. Riconda of Northport died on Oct. 12. He was the CEO of Contemporary Computer Services Inc. (CCSI) of Bohemia. He was the beloved husband of Emma; loving father of Franki; brother of Richie, Danny, Adrianne, Samantha and Anita Louise. He is also survived by his moms Rosebud and Judy and his pal Gazoo. Memorial visitation was held at Nolan Funeral Home in Northport. A Memorial Mass was celebrated Oct. 18 at St. Philip Neri Church, Northport.
Angela Surace
Angela Surace of Northport and Myrtle Beach died on Sept. 30 at 93 years of age. She was the beloved wife of the late Anthony; loving mother of Salvatore and his wife Ann and Paul and his wife Analyn; cherished grandmother of Michael and his wife Kelsea, Amy Pecchia and her husband Stephen and Joseph; and dear great-grandmother of Gabriella and Mikaela Pecchia. Visitation was held Oct. 7 at Nolan Funeral Home. Funeral services were held at the funeral home Oct. 8 with entombment following the ceremony at Pinelawn Memorial Park.
Evelyn A. Palumbo
Evelyn A. Palumbo of East Northport died on Oct. 6 at 91 years young. She was the beloved wife of the late Mark; loving mother of Mark Palumbo (Janice) and Debbie Marcinek; fond grandmother of Evan and Mikayla Palumbo, Danielle Reha (Joseph), Kerri, James and Kristen Marcinek; adored great-grandmother of Joseph, Callie, Julianna, Austin and Aubree; and dear sister-in-law of Paul Palumbo. Reposing was held at Nolan Funeral Home on Oct. 8. Funeral Mass was celebrated Oct. 9 at St. Joseph’s Church, Kings Park. Interment followed at St. Charles Cemetery, Farmingdale.
Richard Franek
Richard R. Franek, of Ridge, died Sunday, Oct. 6. He was 78.
Franek was born Jan. 12, 1941, in Jamaica, Queens. He is the son of the late Rudolph and the late Olga (Siomkalo) Franek. He was a proud Navy veteran and served from 1960 to 1964. He was employed by General Electric in Melville as a parts supplier.
He is survived by his beloved wife, Helen (Klodt) Franek, and two loving sons, William (Stephanie) Franek of Yaphank and Robert Franek of Ridge. He had one dear sister, Carolyn Volonino of Florida, and was the grandfather of one cherished granddaughter, Allison Franek.
Celebration of the Mass of Christian burial was held Friday, Oct. 11, at St. Mark’s R.C. Church in Shoreham. A burial with military honors followed at Calverton National Cemetery.
All arrangements were entrusted to the Rocky Point Funeral Home. An online guest book can be found at www.rockypointfuneralhome.com.
Patricia McKee
Patricia J. McKee, of Huntington, died Thursday, Sept. 12. She was 100.
She was born March 17, 1919, in Brooklyn and was the daughter of the late James and the late Helen (Corry) Killorin. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Robert McKee.
She is survived by eight loving children, Deborah Kletter of Riverdale, Tricia Grant of Port Jefferson Station, Kathleen Miracola of Wading River, Virginia Meriam of Garden City, Faith Eccles of Port Jefferson Station, Robert McKee of Lindenhurst, Gregory McKee of Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, and Thomas McKee of Huntington.
She was the dear sister of Vera Gagliardi of Long Beach. She also had 14 cherished grandchildren and 17 cherished great-grandchildren.
A Mass of Christian burial was celebrated Sept. 16 at St. Anthony of Padua R.C. Church, in Rocky Point. Burial followed at Holy Rood Cemetery in Westbury.
All arrangements were entrusted to the Rocky Point Funeral Home. An online guest book can be found at www.rockypointfuneralhome.com.
Eleanor Weresnick
Eleanor G. Weresnick, of Shoreham, died Sept. 2. She was 83.
She was born Oct. 25, 1935, in Brooklyn and was the daughter of the late John and the late Edith (Grotheer) Buschmann. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, William Weresnick, in 2003.
She was employed by Shoreham-Wading River Central School District as a registered nurse.
She is survived by two loving sons, William (Debbie) Weresnick of Rocky Point and Greg (Laurel) Weresnick of Ridge. She also had four cherished grandchildren: Erin, Shelley, Kelly and Colleen.
Religious services were held Sept. 7 at the Rocky Point Funeral Home in Rocky Point. Burial followed at Washington Memorial Park in Mount Sinai.
All arrangements were entrusted to the Rocky Point Funeral Home. An online guest book can be found at www.rockypointfuneralhome.com.
The family requests donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, https://stjude.org/donate.
Jo Ann Brooks
Jo Ann K. Brooks, of Rocky Point and formerly of Miller Place, died Sept. 27. She was 81.
She was born Dec. 20, 1937, in Bay Shore, the daughter of the late Thomas F. and the late Elizabeth (Murdock) Thomas. She was preceded in death by her husband, Daniel H. Brooks, in 2005.
She had been the owner of Keepsake Dolls & Gifts in Miller Place.
She is survived by two daughters, Debbie Coto of Rocky Point and Robin Martinez of Miller Place; her two sons, Brian Brooks of Cutchogue and Daniel Brooks of Rocky Point; one sister, Dolly Sabiston of Florida, and one brother, Frank Thomas of Florida. She also had seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Prayers were offered Sept. 30 at the Rocky Point Funeral Home in Rocky Point. Burial followed at Calverton National Cemetery Oct. 1, with family and friends gathering back at the funeral home for a closing prayer.
All arrangements were entrusted to the Rocky Point Funeral Home. An online guest book can be found at www.rockypointfuneralhome.com.
Grace M. Pellegrino
Grace M. Pellegrino, of Stony Brook, formerly of Floral Park, died Sept. 2. She was 91.
She was the daughter of William and Grace Mathers. Beloved wife of the late Robert. She is survived by her four children, Debra (Anthony) Castineiras, Robert (Lorraine) Pellegrino Jr., Thomas (Jennifer) Pellegrino and Donna Cubicciotti; nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Services were held at the St. James Funeral Home in St. James Sept. 4 and burial followed at Calverton National Cemetery.
Elizabeth “Bette” Cohen Goldberg
Elizabeth “Bette” Cohen Goldberg, 86, died of complications from cancer Oct. 9 at the University of Minnesota Medical Center.
A woman of remarkable grace, charm and wit, boundless energy and exceptional taste, Bette impressed everyone she met with her extraordinary warmth and kindness.
Born and raised in Chicago, Bette was a 1954 Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Michigan. She met Homer Goldberg, her late husband of 61 years, on a blind date. They were married in 1956, then spent a year immersed in the art and culture of Italy. In 1961, they moved to Setauket where they lived for 50 years.
A lifelong lover of the arts with an impeccable sense of style, Bette served from 1976 to 1992 as director of Gallery North and later as president of its board of trustees. First opened in Setauket in 1965, the gallery displays and supports the work of local and nationally recognized artists working in all media. As director, Bette nurtured new and established artists, curated exhibitions, ran its popular annual Outdoor Art Show and led fundraising efforts. She was treasured by artists and patrons alike, and in 1986 she was named The Village Times Woman of the Year in the Arts.
After Bette and Homer moved to Minneapolis in 2010, she became an active member of the Loring Green East condominiums community, organizing a book club, an annual art show, exercise classes and serving on the design and social committees. A regular concert, theater and moviegoer, she remained dedicated to the arts, recently serving as a volunteer for the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
Bette was also a gourmet cook, an impossibly fast walker and a master of the art of the consumer complaint letter. She never tired of food and wine with family and friends, travel and literature. “Cutes,” as her grandchildren called her, was beloved by all those who had the good fortune to know her.
Bette is survived by her daughter Emily and partner Chris; her son John and wife Julie; her four grandsons Alex, Matt, Zach and Ben; her sister-in-law Lois, and her nieces and nephews Phil, Barbara, Terry and Beverly.
A memorial celebration is being planned for Sunday, Nov. 10. Contributions in Bette’s memory may be made to Planned Parenthood, the Minneapolis Institute of Art or The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.
Alvera G. Scudieri
Alvera Scudieri (née Lafantano) of East Northport died on Oct. 8 at the age of 89. She was the former deputy treasurer of the Village of Northport. She was the beloved wife of the late Pasquale, loving mother of Michael and Patrick (Donna), cherished grandmother of Nicholas (Kate) and Christopher and adored great-grandmother of Kieran and Brandon. Reposing was held at Nolan Funeral Home in Northport Oct. 10 and 11. Funeral Mass was celebrated Oct. 12 at St. Anthony of Padua Church, E. Northport. Interment followed at St. Patrick Cemetery, Huntington. Donations to St. Jude Research Hospital (www.stjude.org) in her memory are appreciated.
Jacqueline Moisan
Jacqueline Moisan of Northport died on Sept. 27 at 92 years of age. She was the beloved mother of Leon (Patricia), Michael (Janice), the late Zachary and the late David Moisan; cherished grandmother of David (Catherine Lamb), Robert, Matthew, Jonathan Moisan, Jared Moisan, Christina Moisan and Jennifer Gallace (Michael); and loving great-grandmother of Isabella, Gabriella and Tony Gallace. Visitation was held Oct. 3 at Nolan Funeral Home. Funeral Mass was celebrated Oct. 4 at St. Patrick’s Church, Huntington. Burial followed in St. Patrick’s Cemetery.
Mary U. Dawkins
Mary U. Dawkins of Northport died on Sept. 28 at 82 years of age. She was the adored wife to Bertram; devoted mother to Bonnie (Kristin Harper) Dawkins, Peter (Catherine) Dawkins and Nancy (Robert) Pisani; cherished grandmother to Claire and Colleen Dawkins and Jordan and Spencer Pisani; and loving sister to James Bonney. Funeral Mass was celebrated Oct. 2 at St. Philip Neri Church, Northport. Interment followed at parish cemetery. Donations in Mary’s memory to Visiting Nurse Service & Hospice 505 Main St. Northport, NY 11768, would be appreciated. www.visitingnurseservice.org/.
John J. Proscia
John J. Proscia of Northport died on Sept. 30. John retired as a mechanical engineer with Grumman Aerospace after 40 years. He was the beloved husband of JoAnn; cherished father of David (Dayna Hanson) Proscia and Douglas (Maria) Proscia; dear brother of Lucille (Louis) Gallina and nephew of Alfred Pennacchia; and devoted uncle of Joanne (Gary) Silko, Frank (Nancy) Gallina, Paul (Maria) Gallina, Laura (Edward) Biosca, James (Carol) Chmielewski, Brian Chmielewski, Andrew (Vanessa) Chmielewski, Christine (Frank) Scarfuto and Lauren (Rick) Picozzi. He was also survived by many loving cousins, great-nieces and great-nephews. Visitation was held Oct. 4 at Nolan Funeral Home. Funeral Mass was celebrated Oct. 5 at St. Philip Neri Church. Private cremation followed. Donations in his memory to V.N.S. Hospice of Suffolk (www.visitingnurseservice.org), 505 Main St., Northport, NY 11768 are appreciated.
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