Authors Posts by Kimberly Brown

Kimberly Brown

40 POSTS 0 COMMENTS

SBU President Maurie McInnis, SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras, Graduate Student Organization speaker Helena Van Nieuwenhuizen, Undergraduate Student Government President Manjot Singh, Kevin Law from the Stony Brook Council, and Dean of Students Ric McClendon join SBU mascot Wolfie to cut the ribbon. Photo by Kimberly Brown

Updated. The student union is currently closed due to damage after Hurricane Ida.

Stony Brook University officially opened the newest addition to its campus, the remodeled Stony Brook Union center, Wednesday, Aug. 25. With performances from the Seawolves Marching Band for the ribbon-cutting celebration, as well as free drinks and food, students were eager to explore the 177,000-square-foot building.

“We want students to consider this as a resource, to relax, to study, to learn, to perform, to meet new people and pursue new interests,” said Maurie McInnis, president of SBU. “There is so much to be discovered in this impressive space.”

The renovations for the Stony Brook Union center took three years to complete at $63.4 million. The finished building has three levels that include student services, an IT help desk, comfortable studying sections with couches and powered stations, as well as collaborative spaces.

SBU President Maurie McInnis. Photo by Kimberly Brown

“As we are fully reopening our campuses, we are feeling a renewed energy and optimism from everyone around,” said Jim Malatras, State University of New York chancellor. “Our students deserve this and it matches the outstanding education they receive from this university, one of the best in the world.”

The Stony Brook Union will be a central location for faculty and staff offices that will provide easy access for students to use at their convenience. Some of the new offices include Student Community Development, Student Engagement and Activities, Fraternity and Sorority Life, and Commuter Student Services. 

“I’m excited to see the new opening of the student union because I think it’s a great place to go to get some studying in, but also for socializing at club events,” said Jessie Lin, a SBU student.

The lower level of the building includes expanded space for the Stony Brook Food Pantry and resources such as the Interfaith Center, Club Hub, Esports Club and the Science Fiction Forum. 

With more than 26,000 students attending the university this year, the Stony Brook Union center will provide a large, welcoming space for undergraduates to enhance their studying practices. 

“Seeing the student union being built from my freshman year to now being fully completed as a senior gives me nostalgia,” said Tania Thomas, a SBU student. 

by -
0 3239

Over 100 Long Islanders gathered at Stony Brook University Hospital and alongside Nicolls Road Wednesday, Aug. 25, to protest against the updated COVID-19 vaccine mandate recently put in place for hospital and long-term care workers.

The first dose will be required by Sept. 27 with limited exceptions for those with religious or medical exemptions. According to data from New York State, new daily positives are up more than 1000% over the last six weeks.

About 80% of the positive cases are linked to the new Delta variant. However, protesters felt this new mandate is unfair, and that medical workers should be allowed to have a choice as to whether or not they want to be vaccinated.

“It’s not in the Constitution that the government can mandate anything medical,” said Barbara Luvin, a Freeport resident. “This mandate does equal communism, because you shouldn’t be forced to do anything. It’s a matter of freedom for your own body.”

Many medical care workers are being terminated from their jobs due to not being compliant with the vaccine mandate.

Commack medical care worker Diane Eder expressed her frustrations, saying she will be terminated from her work on Sept. 24 due to her opposition to receiving the vaccine.

“Let me make it clear that I am not against vaccines,” Eder said. “I’ve been in the medical field for 40 years, but I’m going to be terminated because I won’t get vaccinated. We don’t know what the future holds for people who get the vaccine, and I know that I do not want it. All I’m asking for is to wait another year or two.”

Signs including “Last Year’s Heroes, This Year’s Unemployed” and “Nurses For Medical Freedom — We Have The Right to Choose” were held high as protesters with megaphones shouted to the crowd from the second floor of the parking garage.

It wasn’t only medical care workers who came to the protest, but also friends, families and other local residents who disagreed strongly with the new mandate.

“It should be people’s personal decision, and it shouldn’t be mandated by the government — that’s the bottom line,” said Kimberly Riegel, a Miller Place resident. “If people want to get it, that’s fine, but if I don’t want to get it. I shouldn’t have to, and I don’t think that’s an argument that we should have to dispute.”

A statement from Stony Brook Medicine said, “Stony Brook Medicine follows all state and DOH guidelines regarding immunization against COVID-19. COVID-19 vaccines have proven highly effective at preventing serious illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19. They are important tools to keep patients, patient-facing health care workers, and the wider community safe as we observe a rise in COVID cases in New York State, driven by the Delta variant.”

 

Article was updated Aug. 31 with a statement from Stony Brook Medicine.

Photo by Kimberly Brown

A new all-natural dog food store called Natural Hounds is making its mark in the Port Jefferson Village scene. 

St. James resident Conor Wooley, 23, is not only the owner of Natural Hounds, but also doubles as the chef, creating new concoctions for nutritious dog food that includes meats, vegetables and grains.

He co-owns the store with his longtime friend, Rick Orlandi, who is also a St. James resident, and started their business venture back in 2018, operating out of the house of Wooley’s mother. 

Trying to make as many appearances as possible at farmers markets and fundraisers, Wooley and Orlandi were determined to establish credibility for their business and build a clientele. 

“The first year everyone was just kind of looking at us thinking, ‘Am I really going to buy dog food from 18-year-olds?’ So that was kind of a challenge, but then they kept seeing us come back year after year,” Wooley said.

The concept Wooley and Orlandi like to explain to their customers is their belief that there is no “dog food” and “people food” but more so only good food versus bad food. Their ingredients are outsourced from restaurant suppliers on Long Island and designed to be biologically appropriate for a dog to eat.

There are four wet food recipes for sale right now, namely turkey, beef, pork and lamb. The newest addition of crunchy biscuits and chicken jerky treats have been added to their menu, but Orlandi said there are more options available in store. Customers can opt for delivery for convenience as well.

“Comparing our brand to dry food brands is like comparing McDonald’s to a steakhouse. I never understood why other brands make their food so expensive. I always try to give value to the customer and will not have someone pay a ridiculous amount of money for dog food,” Orlandi said. 

Mentioning how some customers have expressed their gratitude for Natural Hounds making their pups healthy again, Wooley recalled a customer who was preparing to put her dog down due to poor health until she was introduced to the company. 

“We had a lady come in the other day and told us she was going to put her dog down, who was an old Yorkshire terrier,” Wooley said. “She gave him our original recipe and two weeks later he was much healthier and more mobile. So it’s nice to hear things like that and makes getting up at 6 a.m. to cook 500 pounds of dog food worth it.”

Wooley stressed that despite the saying “You are what you eat” is corny, it is also extremely true. When feeding animals an unhealthy diet, can change their personalities and their energy levels. 

“It’s the truth if over the course of 10 years you’re feeding your dog something bad and their body isn’t functioning optimally, then they’re going to be in a much different spot than if you were to feed them natural meals.”

The business is looking to expand to other locations and thinking about adding a cat food section. 

Holly Signoretti picks out a book at the Book Revue in Huntington village. Photo by Kimberly Brown

After 44 years of business, countless celebrity guest appearances and thousands of loyal customers, Huntington village’s independent bookstore, Book Revue located on New York Avenue, will be closing its doors by Sept. 30.

Photo by Kimberly Brown

Due to the pandemic, the well-known store had to shut down business for three months, but even when the owner Richard Klein was able to reopen, it struggled to get back on its feet again. 

“We lost our events, where authors, politicians, celebrities and athletes would come in, and that was a very big part of our business, and we lost it,” he said. “It all came back very slowly, so we fell behind on the rent.”

According to Klein, he spoke with one of the landlords during the course of the pandemic asking to give the store a chance as the fall season approached, hoping business would pick back up. 

“I told him I’d start paying in September for the rest of the year, not full rent but more than half, and if the fall came back with decent business then I’d start paying additional rent and paying back the debt,” he said. “He told me that sounded OK and would discuss it with his partners.”

Unfortunately, the person Klein spoke with died two months ago, leaving the son to take lead on most of the decision-making. 

Photo by Kimberly Brown

Despite having a payment plan worked out before the broker’s death, suddenly the remaining landlords demanded Klein pay the money he owed immediately. 

“I gave them a starting proposal, and they didn’t give me anything back, telling me it was unacceptable, and that the money was needed now,” Klein said.

The building’s landlords did not respond with a comment before press time.

With outcries of disappointment and anger from local book shoppers, a GoFundMe was set up to attempt to save the beloved store but was later taken down. 

Klein said even if the community was able to fundraise the debt money, the landlords were changing the rent to a 75% increase, which is impossible for the business to keep up with. 

“I’m really sad because I love this place,” said Kathleen Willig, a Seaford resident. “There are no independent bookstores on Long Island — it’s all Barnes and Nobles. I really think independent bookstores are the charm of so many cities and states. It truly feels more personalized.”

Reminiscing on the impact Book Revue had on people’s lives while growing up around town, made regular customers disappointed to see it go.

“My mom used to bring me here and now I bring my daughter here, so to me it’s part of my childhood and I think it’s what holds the town together,” said Michele Lamonsoff, a Huntington resident. 

Photo by Kimberly Brown

While some customers said they will miss the comfort of reading unique novels, others who work in the field of education relied on the store for classroom work. Plainview resident and social studies teacher Nicole Scotto said her favorite part of Book Revue was the history section.

“As a social studies teacher, I always enjoyed browsing through Book Revue’s extensive collection of history books and finding used books on niche topics with the previous owners’ handwritten notes in the margins,” Scotto said.

Leah Jefferson, director of the Huntington Community Development Agency and Economic Development Corporation, speaks at the Aug. 20 press conference. Photo by Kimberly Brown

The Town of Huntington has been awarded $5.9 million from the U.S. Department of Treasury to go toward a new outreach program called the Emergency Rental Assistance Program.

The grand opening of the new center took place Aug. 20 in Greenlawn. The program’s purpose is to provide economic relief to help low and moderate-income households who are at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability. 

“The funds can pay for 12 months of past-due residential rent for some households, up to three months in future rent and up to 12 months of overdue electric or gas utility bills,” said town Supervisor Chad Lupinacci (R). 

All payments would go directly to the landlord or the utility provider. By partnering with Housing Help, trained specialists will be available to answer questions about the program and assist anyone who needs help filling out an application form.

“Help is available even if you have no lease, no pay stubs and regardless of immigration status,” Lupinacci said. 

With evictions on the rise and rent going up in price, housing instability for tenants and landlords has become an extensive issue. Landlords are encouraged to fill out an online application form or visit the new ERAP center in person to work out a solution for their tenants’ overdue rent.

“This program has been a blessing to the residents,” said Leah Jefferson, director of the Huntington Community Development Agency and Economic Development Corporation. “We have received over 300 applications to date. However, we do anticipate receiving a much larger number of applications in the coming few weeks.”

The center is located at 95 Broadway in Greenlawn. Even so, James Calero, director of St. Hugh of Lincoln Outreach, has worked with Housing Help to provide a satellite office in Huntington Station for ERAP appointments as well.

This closer location will make it easier for local residents to travel to, or meetings can also be set up as a video conference. 

“For those people who might not have transportation and are not able to get to the Greenlawn center, please give us a call, we’ll be happy to set up an appointment and we will meet with you,” said Pilar Moya-Mancera, executive director of Housing Help. 

The Housing Help board members expressed their gratitude for the creation of this new program and for Moya-Mancera, who has a passion for community activism and has aided town residents.

“I like to say this is like Christmas in August for our community, and it’s something that we needed for a while,” said Guillermo Perez, a Housing Help board member. “It’s an honor to be a part of this, and I want to thank Pilar. She is like an octopus; her hands are everywhere — she covers all of Long Island and is a blessing to us.”

Photo by Alex Petroski

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FOR AUG. 28 and 29 DUE TO THE WEATHER.

By Kimberly Brown

This weekend bring your friends and family to Port Jefferson Harbor to experience the legendary and captivating Sikaflex “Quick and Dirty” Boat Building Competition. 

Sponsored by the Sika Corporation, a supplier of marine adhesives and sealants,  the event provides would-be boat designers and builders a chance to showcase their creative skills and talents.

Photo by Alex Petroski

Hosted by the Long Island Seaport and Eco Center (LISEC), the tenth annual competition will be held over a two-day period, Aug. 21 and 22. On Saturday between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., visitors can watch two-member teams, who are working under a time limit of five hours, build their boats in the parking lot of Harborfront Park next to Bayles Boat Shop. 

“It’s great to be back,” said Len Carolan, the event’s coordinator. “This year we have about ten teams, so it seems like everyone is ready to get out there and have some fun again and that’s what it’s meant to be about.”

The challenge? Not only do the contestants have to finish constructing their makeshift boat within a few hours, but they are also expected to assemble it using a mere supply of plywood, plastic cable ties, and Sikaflex sealant — no nails or screws allowed!

On Sunday from 9 a.m to noon, the teams will finish painting their masterpieces, covering the boat in fun designs, and patterns. Finally, at 2 p.m, the teams will race each other in Port Jefferson Harbor to compete for first prize. 

“I think the time limit is what keeps some people away from trying because they’re thinking ‘How could we build a boat in five hours?’ but it gets done and always turns out great,” Carolan said.

Teams ranking in first, second, and third place will receive trophies for their boat racing success, but there will also be a prize for the team that has the most original design. Following the award ceremony, LISEC will raffle off a special item made at the Bayles Boat Shop. “We thought we should do something a little different for the raffle this year, so we built a 14-foot stand-up paddle board at the shop,” Carolan said. “We have one team that builds a different raffle boat each year — next year we will have a 16-foot canoe.”

Tickets for the raffle range between $5 and $20 and the paddle board will be on display throughout the weekend.

According to Carolan, the “Quick and Dirty” boat race is still welcoming teams to join in on the fun. The entry fee is $100 and each team must seek a sponsor, or sponsor themselves. Local businesses are encouraged to sponsor this annual event. 

For more information on how to participate, visit www.lisec.org or contact Len Carolan at [email protected]. 

 

Photo by Kimberly Brown

The Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Chamber of Commerce finished off its Summer Concert Wednesdays Aug. 11 with a classic car show, performances by the School of Rock and a BMX stunt show in the Port Jefferson/Terryville train car park. 

Dozens of families attended to enjoy the rock concert put on by Port Jefferson’s School of Rock singing classics from Queen and other iconic rock bands. 

“It’s been so rewarding to see this concert series grow and evolve over the years,” said Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket), one of the sponsors. “The turnout this year was some of the best I’ve seen with a mix of young families, retirees, veterans and music lovers coming together to enjoy a free night out in the community.”

The BMX bike show, presented by Dialed Action from New Jersey, featured two skilled BMX bikers who amazed the crowd with their daring stunts, from flipping upside down to imitating Superman in the sky. 

“The BMX stunts are a yearly favorite and always bring out a crowd,” Hahn said. 

Despite the COVID-19 Delta variant becoming a concern as cases spike up again, families continued to attend the three-part Summer Concert Wednesdays while keeping in mind the need to socially distance. 

For this year, the series also hosted a Hawaiian-themed night followed by a tribute to Long Island’s frontline workers. The other show was a ’60s night with Just Sixties, including a tribute to veterans. 

The events were sponsored by Brookhaven Town Councilman Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) and the chamber of commerce with Hahn. 

“We ended the series last night on a high note, with music from the School of Rock Port Jefferson, a classic car show, BMX stunts and some free ice cream on a hot summer night,” she said.

by -
0 49
Residents rally in front of Pentimento. Photo by Kimberly Brown

Residents gathered outside Pentimento on Sunday to show support for the restaurant, which is set to close its doors on Sept. 30. The business has been a staple in Stony Brook Village Center for 27 years.

Julia Lopinto, of Setauket, shows support for Pentimento Sunday. Photo by Kimberly Brown

Standing at the entrance of the restaurant with pizza boxes, cardboard strips and homemade picket signs reading “Save Penti!” and “Good Neighbors Deserve Better Treatment!” a few dozen locals made sure to exhibit their concerns for the struggling business.

“I loved watching them grow,” said Sharon Goetchius, of Stony Brook. “It is such a warm place, and the food is amazing. It’s got everything, and the way this is all going down is really unfortunate.”

On July 29, Pentimento posted on its Facebook page that it was unable to extend the term of its lease and will be looking to relocate in or around the Three Village area.

Disappointed that Eagle Realty Holdings didn’t negotiate a new lease for the long-standing restaurant, locals are hoping to garner support throughout the community, making sure their voices are heard and the restaurant stays.

“They should turn this around and extend their lease, that is the ethically right thing to do,” Goetchius said.

“Because of all the COVID madness, the renewing of the lease kind of slipped through the cracks, although they always intended to renew.” said Lisa Blake, of St. James. “Rather than extending some kindness and neighborliness, the landlord is saying, ‘No, you missed that little window, so you’re out of here.’”

According to Gloria Rocchio, president of Eagle Realty Holdings, along with not renewing the lease in time, the business also failed to comply with the maintenance of its septic system. However, Chelsea Gomez, a former employee of 15 years at Pentimento, said she highly disagrees with this statement.

“I have firsthand knowledge of how often we had to pump the septic system, so I know that the owners were doing everything they could to maintain it,” Gomez said. “This is not a case of neglect or that they didn’t want to spend the money to fix it. They’ve always done everything they can to maintain not only the septic system but everything about this restaurant, too.”

Loyal customers reflected on their fond memories of Pentimento Restaurant, from celebrating weddings, anniversaries, birthdays to just a simple night out to dinner — it seems the business has played a part in every customer’s life.

“I’ve come here throughout my childhood, and it’s such an integral part of the community that I don’t want it to go away,” said Julia Lopinto, a Setauket resident. “It’s a quaint, homey place that has strong roots in this community, and us being here today is evidence of how willing we are to defend it.”

For Rocchio’s and Cusumano’s reaction to the rally, read WMHO president, restaurant manager respond to residents’ cries.

Three Village Community Trust members had a successful turnout for their 7th annual Chicken Hill Country Picnic & Auction Saturday, Aug. 7, with more than 120 community members attending the event.

With beautiful weather, the bluegrass sounds of Buddy Merriam & Back Roads, tasty chicken dogs from Bagel Express and a generous community, the country picnic was able to raise approximately $3,000 in donations.

“In these COVID times, it is hard to strike the right blend of community engagement, family fun and safety, but I think we did a great job,” said Herb Mones, TVCT president.

The funding raised will go toward preserving and restoring the group of factory houses in the group’s care. The houses remain in the area known as Chicken Hill as an important testimonial of Three Village’s history while in the factory age, where hundreds of immigrants from Eastern Europe and Russia resided while working at the Setauket Rubber Factory in the 19th century.

“This event educated attendees about the important history of the factory age right here in the Three Villages, along with the deep roots to our diverse immigrant experience,” Mones said.

During the event, visitors were allowed to take a look into the past and explore inside the factory houses, which were decorated with vintage furniture and novelty items, transporting the viewers back in time.

“It was great to meet again with our friends on the grounds of the factory houses to share the history and enjoy an authentic community event,” said Robert Reuter, TVCT trustee. “The houses and grounds are a wonderland.”

State Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) announced that he had obtained a matching grant of $50,000 for the trustees to protect the important historic properties in its care.

The goal is that the board can replicate the grant through fundraising and donations outreach.

“Each [property] tells a unique part of the American experience,” Mones said. “The assemblyman is challenging us to rally the community to match these funds — so we encourage people to visit our website now and donate.”

Photo from Pixabay

Looking out the window on a sunny day, one might notice a not-so-subtle haziness in the sky. However, that haze isn’t harmless clouds or fog, it’s smoke that’s traveled a far distance across the nation from raging wildfires in California and Canada.

As concerns grow over the impact of these wildfires stretching their way over to the East Coast, Long Islanders are beginning to become uneasy about the repercussions the hazy smoke might have among residents. 

With multiple reports of poor air quality in the past few weeks, people who have vulnerable conditions such as asthma, emphysema, or heart disease need to be wary and avoid going outside or doing strenuous activity. 

“There is something called fine particulate matter, which is very small ash,” said Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “The cause of concern is that this is the type of material that causes respiratory ailments. It irritates the throat and respiratory system, but most importantly fine particulate matter can lodge in your lungs and make microscopic perforations, much like asbestos.”

According to Esposito, It is highly likely the ash will also be deposited into Long Island’s estuary and could affect the marine environment. However, it is uncertain exactly how much will accumulate due to the variables of wind speed and the amount of ash that will be pushed toward the Island. 

“The East Coast should absolutely have an increased concern of weather events associated with climate change,” she added. “What we are having right now is an increase of torrential rain, and an increase in intensification of storms which means that hurricanes that might normally be a Category 1 [the lowest] now have the ability to reach 2, 3, or 4.” Esposito said. 

Kevin Reed. Photo from Stony Brook University

Although air pollution issues are nothing new to New York, there are always certain times of the year, particularly in the summertime, that fine particulate matter can get trapped. The question of the future frequency of surrounding wildfires still stands.

While Long Island is experiencing a rainy season, California is currently facing one of the worst droughts in history. Within a two-year period, rain and snow totals in parts of the West have been 50 percent less than average.  

“Just because Long Island is having a really wet season right now doesn’t mean it couldn’t shift later this year,” said Kevin Reed, a Stony Brook University School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences researcher. 

According to Reed, the winds that blow from out West don’t always streamline toward the East Coast. Direction in wind patterns could cause the air flow to “wobble,” so it is uncertain whether or not Long Island may face more smoke pollution in the future. 

“Drought is certainly becoming more severe, potentially longer lasting, and at a larger extent, which means larger parts of land will be susceptible to wildfire,” Reed said.

Adding that wildfires are typically a natural occurrence and benefits land by replenishing it, Reed said the extent of the current wildfires is most likely a result of climate change and has potential to harm people and the environment.

“Air pollution could really affect our human health, especially to certain groups that are more susceptible to issues with air quality,” he said. “Even if it’s here for one day it could have an impact and of course the impact is going to be multiplied if it’s a longer-term event.”