CLOSE
Authors Posts by Press Release

Press Release

6028 POSTS 0 COMMENTS

by -
0 1546
Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

Despite a 30-point career-high performance from Breauna Ware, the Stony Brook women’s basketball team was defeated by Campbell, 76-51, on Feb. 23 at Gore Arena in Buies Creek, N.C.

Ware added seven rebounds to her 30-point game to lead the Seawolves (11-14, 6-8). Shamarla King helped out with nine points and nine rebounds and Lauren Filien chipped in with five points.

Stony Brook out-rebounded Campbell 37-25 in Sunday’s game, led by King’s nine boards. The Seawolvesalso grabbed 19 offensive rebounds and scored 13 second chance points.

Campbell got off to a hot start shooting 85 percent from the field through the first quarter as Stony Brook struggled out of the gate. The Seawolves trailed by as many as 15 through the opening frame as Ware tallied five points to lead the squad, 23-12.

Campbell kept adding to that lead, building a 33-17 advantage before Stony Brook went on a 7-0 run, to narrow its deficit. The Camels responded and expanded its lead, leaving the Seawolves trailing 37-27 heading into halftime. Ware recorded 15 points total through the first half.

Stony Brook’s deficit continued to grow after halftime, and the Seawolves faced a 55-38 disadvantage heading to the fourth quarter. The Seawolves could not pull any closer in the fourth, losing by a final of 76-51.

Next up, the team returns home to Long Island to take on Delaware on February 28. This will be the sixth overall meeting between the Seawolves and Blue Hens in program history. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. with coverage available on SNY and FloCollege.

by -
0 1013
Superintendent of Schools, Jessica Schmettan. Photo by Aramis Khosronejad

Dear Port Jefferson School Community, 

I am writing to inform you about an important matter that significantly impacts our school  district’s financial health and, ultimately, our students. In 2019, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo  signed the Child Victims Act (CVA) into law. This legislation created a “look-back window”  allowing victims of sexual abuse to file civil litigation against alleged abusers and institutions  that may have enabled such abuse, regardless of when the incidents occurred. The look-back  window opened in August 2019 and closed in March 2021, resulting in over 10,000 claims filed  against various institutions, including numerous school districts across New York State. Port  Jefferson had seven claims filed during this period.  

While the CVA was enacted with the critical goal of providing justice to survivors of abuse, it  has also led to unintended financial consequences for school districts like ours. Port Jefferson  settled all of the CVA-related lawsuits in November of 2024, totaling 16.5 million dollars. In  order to pay for this settlement, the District was able to utilize 5.1 million dollars from our  reserve funds and additionally, borrow a one-year Bond Anticipation Note (BAN) for 11.4  million dollars. A BAN is a short-term financing option that allows the District to make an  interest-only payment for one year. 

During our first work session budget presentation on Jan. 28, 2025, Deputy Superintendent  Sean Leister outlined the District’s plan for making this first BAN payment of $370,445 in the  2025-2026 school year. A copy of the presentation and video link of the meeting can be accessed  from our website. Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, the District will need to convert the  11.4 million dollar debt into a fourteen-year long term bond unless we have some legislative  relief.  

These substantial future bond payments will place a heavy financial burden on our district,  impacting our ability to deliver the quality education our current students deserve. While we  remain deeply sympathetic to the victims and recognize the seriousness of the allegations, we  believe it is unjust for our present-day community and students to shoulder this financial burden. 

To address this issue and advocate for fair solutions, we are urging our elected officials to support the following measures at the state level: 

1. Partial Reimbursement: Establish a budget initiative to offer partial reimbursement  for CVA settlements or judgments. This can be accomplished through a formula similar  to the existing building aid model for school infrastructure. 

2. Tax cap exemption: Allow districts a tax cap exemption specifically for CVA related expenditures. 

3. CVA fund: Create a dedicated fund to reimburse uninsured school districts for  settlement and judgment expenses under CVA. 

4. Liquidation Bureau: Expand the look-back period for school districts to submit  insurance claims to the New York State Liquidation Bureau. This bureau is an entity that  receives no funding from the taxpayers and protects policyholders of insurance  companies that have been declared insolvent.  

5. Access restricted reserves: Allow districts to access restricted reserve funds through a Board of Education resolution for payments of debt associated with CVA judgments or  settlements. 

Any one of these solutions could provide much needed relief to our district and lessen the long term bond implications. These proposed legislative solutions seek to balance justice for CVA  victims with the need to preserve educational resources for current and future students. We ask  for your support and advocacy to ensure that the education of our students remains a top priority,  free from the unpredictable financial hardships that result from events beyond all of our control. 

Please consider reaching out to state legislators and advocating alongside us for these necessary changes to protect our schools and our students. Templates can be found on  our website along with directory information for our local elected officials.  

Thank you for your continued support of our district and our mission to provide a high-quality  education for all students. 

Sincerely, 

Jessica Schmettan 

Superintendent of Schools

by -
0 423
Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

After falling behind 4-0 in the first three innings, Stony Brook stormed back to tie the game in the fourth but ultimately fell to Florida Gulf Coast, 8-5, on Feb. 22 in Fort Myers.

Johnny Pilla started a Seawolves two-out rally in the first by drawing a walk and stealing second base, but he was left stranded as the Eagles ended the inning with a strikeout.FGCU struck first in their opening frame, scoring two runs on back-to-back RBI singles off Nicholas Rizzo.

The Seawolves stranded two runners in both the second and third innings, despite hits from Nico Azpilcueta, Erik Paulsen, and Pilla. Rizzo stranded a runner at second base in the second, but the Eagles added two more runs in the third to extend their lead to 4-0.

Stony Brook responded in the fourth with a four-run rally to tie the game. Azpilcueta reached on an error, followed by a walk from Kincaid Bergthold and a single from Chris Carson to load the bases with no outs. Matt Miceli reached on a fielder’s choice, scoring Azpilcueta, and Evan Goforth drove in Carson and Miceli with an RBI double, cutting the deficit to 4-3. Chanz Doughty capped off the inning by tying the game with an RBI single.

Paulsen took over for Rizzo in the fourth, but FGCU regained the lead with a home run and an RBI double, making it 6-4.

In the fifth, Bergthold drew a one-out walk, stole second, and scored on a Miceli single, trimming the deficit to 6-5.

Ryan Dieguez entered the game in the fifth for the Seawolves and struck out the first batter he faced. However, FGCU added a run on a triple and a sacrifice fly to extend their lead to 7-5.

The Eagles tacked on another run in the sixth, making it 8-5.

Carson doubled and Miceli walked in the seventh, bringing the tying run to the plate, but FGCU held their lead.

The Eagles retired the final six Seawolves to secure the 8-5 victory.

The final game of the three-game series is set for 1 p.m. on Feb. 23 in Fort Myers. The game can be watched live on ESPN+.

by -
0 511
Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

Stony Brook men’s lacrosse fell in overtime, 7-6, to Sacred Heart on Feb. 22 at LaValle Stadium. The Seawolves erased a two-goal deficit and held the Pioneers scoreless for nearly the entire second half, but Sacred Heart struck late to force an extra period and found the sudden-death winner in overtime to upend Stony Brook.

Ray O’Brien opened the scoring in the opening minute of the contest off an assist from Caleb Yeung.

Michael Kloepfer added to the Seawolves’ lead with a goal in the fifth minute of play, but Sacred Heart responded with two tallies of its own to even the contest less than seven minutes in.

Collin Williamson found a rebound and scored to put Stony Brook back in front, but the Pioneers responded just 33 seconds later.

After a combined six goals in the opening nine minutes of play, there were just two more scores over the ensuing 21 minutes, both by Sacred Heart.

Trailing 5-3 out of the locker room, Stony Brook locked things down defensively. Offensively, goals from Kian McCoy and Carson Boyle in the third period evened the contest at 5-5.

Tanner Williams gave the Seawolves their third lead of the afternoon with a fourth-quarter goal.

The Pioneers could not get one past Jamison MacLachlan for nearly the entire second half, but Jake Ward finally managed to beat Stony Brook’s goalie with 29 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime.

Sacred Heart won the opening face-off of the extra period but turned the ball over before getting a shot off. After a Stony Brook timeout, the Seawolves gave it away on a shot-clock violation.

After back-to-back empty possessions to start overtime, the Pioneers gained control of possession and Will Moulton ended it with the sudden-death winner with 1:43 to play in overtime.

“Frustrated with the game; I thought offensively we didn’t play well and didn’t shoot the ball well. I think that is something that as a young team playing five freshmen on offense, we know there are going to be ups and downs and peaks and valleys. We have to find a way to continue to grow and I think the struggle for us is that in game, being able to fix things that we as coaches are seeing, and everything is new,” head coach Anthony Gilardi said postgame.

“That’s the first time we’ve been in overtime, it’s the first time we’ve been up a goal in the final minute. All of these situations are so new and we’re trying to coach every aspect of it and it’s a challenge. I think the guys are playing hard and giving us the effort, so now we need to mentally eliminate the mistakes,” he said.

Up next, the team stays home, hosting Iona on February 25. The Seawolves and Gaels are set for a 4 pm start at LaValle Stadium, with the contest streaming live on FloCollege. It marks the first-ever meeting between the two programs.

by -
0 494
Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

Stony Brook men’s basketball fell in the final seconds at North Carolina A&T, 73-72, on Feb. 22 at the Corbett Sports Center in Greensboro, N.C.

After jumping out to an early 26-25 advantage, Stony Brook went on a 7-0 run with 4:44 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Leon Nahar, to increase its lead to 33-25.

The Seawolves lost some of that lead, but still entered halftime with a 38-33 advantage.

Stony Brook relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down seven shots to account for 21 of its 38 first-half points.

The Aggies rallied to start the second half, erasing their deficit and building an 11-point lead with 12 minutes to play.

The Seawolves, led by CJ Luster II, fought hard to battle back and make it a one-point game with six minutes to play.

N.C. A&T proceeded to take a 72-65 lead before Stony Brook went on a 7-0 run, capped off by Andre Snoddy’s three, to even the score at 72 all with 52 seconds to go in the contest.

The Seawolves then had what could have been the final possession, but after an O’Connor miss from three, A&T’s Cam Shell fired a pass down the court that led to a shooting foul with 0.6 seconds remaining.

Ogletree made the first free throw and missed the second, running the clock out on a 73-72 victory for the Aggies.

Up next, the team hits the road again, heading to Hampton to face off with the Pirates on February 24. Tip-off is scheduled for 12 pm in Virginia and the contest will stream live on FloCollege.

by -
0 475
Photo from Stony Brook Athletics
Stony Brook baseball right-handed pitcher Eddie Smink allowed one run over five innings, and the Seawolves out-hit Florida Gulf Coast 10-8 on Feb. 21..However, the Eagles scored five runs in the eighth inning to secure a 6-1 victory in the series opener.

HOW IT HAPPENEDErik Paulsen lined out to start the game before Evan Goforth and Johnny Pilla recorded back-to-back hits. FGCU, however, turned a line-drive from Nico Azpilcueta into a double play to end the frame.

Smink struck out the first batter he faced but allowed back-to-back hits and later hit a batter to load the bases. He escaped the jam with a line-out to keep FGCU scoreless.

Chanz Doughty led off the second inning with a double to left-center, but the Eagles retired the next three Stony Brook hitters. Smink responded with a 1-2-3 inning, striking out two batters.

FGCU took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on an RBI double to left-center. Smink stranded runners on second and third to limit the damage.

Smink came up big again in the fourth, ending the frame with a two-out strikeout while stranding a runner on third.

Chris Carson walked, and Matt Miceli singled to give the Seawolves runners on second and third with one out in the fifth. However, a line-out and ground-out ended the threat. Smink stranded another runner in scoring position to conclude his outing.

Stony Brook continued to apply pressure in the sixth, putting two runners on with two outs, but a diving catch by Nicholas Solorzano ended the frame.

Left-hander George Adams entered in the bottom of the sixth, hitting a batter with one out but striking out the next two to escape unscathed.

The Seawolves went down in order in the seventh. Adams responded by retiring three of four batters to keep the deficit at one.

Goforth led off the eighth with a single, but a line-drive double play quickly put the Seawolves down to their final out. Azpilcueta restarted the rally with a single, and pinch-runner James Schaffer stole second. Doughty delivered a game-tying RBI single to right-center, making it 1-1.

FGCU regained the lead in the bottom of the eighth, capitalizing on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch followed by a grand slam to seal the 6-1 victory.

Next up, the team returns to action on Feb. 22 for the second game of the three-game series against Florida Gulf Coast. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.

by -
0 1262
Police car stock photo
Do you recognize this man? Photo from SCPD
Do you recognize this man? Photo from SCPD

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Fourth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the men who stole merchandise from a Commack store in February.

Two men allegedly stole LEGO sets from Target, located at 98 Veterans Memorial Highway, on February 2 at approximately 8 p.m. The items were valued at approximately $480.

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.

by -
0 453
Photo courtesy of StatePoint

Receiving a tax refund this year? While it can be tempting to impulse spend, if you want to really treat yourself, financial professionals recommend using the payout for practical expenses.

According to CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNING® professionals, here are smart ways to spend your tax refund that will improve your life:

Build an emergency fund: Unexpected circumstances, such as illness or job loss, can leave you with more bills and less income. Not having an emergency fund puts you at risk of having to take on high-interest debt to meet expenses. Use your tax refund to create some peace of mind for yourself and your family. And now that you’ve started the emergency fund, consider using direct deposit to funnel a portion of each paycheck into this account.

Reduce debt: Paying down debt can feel like an insurmountable challenge. And if it’s a challenge you’ve been avoiding, you can use your tax refund to kick-start your journey. Not sure where to start? A CFP® professional can help you identify which debt to prioritize first, as well as help you craft a repayment strategy moving forward.

Save for retirement: No matter your age or stage in life, a tax refund offers a great opportunity to give your retirement account a boost. Thanks to compounding, the money you set aside today in an investment account, such as a 401(k) or Roth IRA, will exponentially grow between now and when it’s time to tap your nest egg.

Set financial goals: From planning a vacation or wedding to becoming a homeowner, your goals are worth investing in. Put your tax refund toward something that matters to you.

The best thing you can do may be avoiding future refunds. While it feels great to receive a big check during tax time, a tax refund is effectively an interest-free loan you have made to the government. You’re much better off keeping more of your money throughout the year so you can invest it or use it on things you need. Consult a professional on how to adjust your withholdings to get closer to breaking even next year.

With an actionable plan and the help of a qualified financial professional, you can ensure your tax refund is put to good use. (StatePoint)

 

by -
0 773
Mather Hospitaal. Photo by Jim Lennon

Northwell’s Mather Hospital  in Port Jefferson has announced that it has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Advanced Total Hip and Knee Replacement Certification by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a healthcare organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care. 

The certification, offered in collaboration with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, focuses on the pre-surgical orthopedic consultation to the intraoperative, hospitalization or ambulatory surgical center admission, rehabilitation activities, and follow-up visit with the orthopedic surgeon. 

Mather Hospital underwent a rigorous review January 29-30, 2025. During the visit, a Joint Commission reviewer evaluated compliance with related certification standards such as program management, supporting self-management, and delivering and facilitating clinical care. Joint Commission standards are developed in consultation with healthcare experts and providers, measurement experts and patients. The reviewer also conducted onsite observations and interviews.

“Advanced Total Hip and Knee Replacement Certification recognizes healthcare organizations committed to striving for excellence and fostering continuous improvement in patient safety and quality of care,” says Ken Grubbs, DNP, MBA, RN, executive vice president of Accreditation and Certification Operations and chief nursing officer, The Joint Commission. “We commend Mather Hospital for using The Joint Commission certification process to reduce variation in clinical processes and to strengthen its clinical program to drive safer, higher quality and more compassionate care for individuals served.”

“Mather Hospital is proud to receive this prestigious certification from The Joint Commission in recognition of our high standards in total knee and hip replacements,” said President Kevin McGeachy. “The certification demonstrates to our patients that Mather adheres to the best practices of quality, safety, and better patient outcomes and affirms our standing as the highest-ranked orthopedic program in our area according to U.S. News and World Report”. 

“This certification is the result of the collaborative efforts of our orthopedic coordinator, preoperative, operating room, PACU, and floor staffs, as well as our physical therapists, discharge planners, home therapists, board certified orthopedists and anesthesiologists,” said orthopedic surgeon Brian McGinley, MD.

Michael Fracchia, MD, director of Mather’s orthopedic program, noted that with the support of hospital administration, Mather surgeons have  used computer or robotic assisted surgery since 2001 for the total joint program. 

“Mather surgeons were the first in the country to perform robotic-assisted total knee replacements and we  continue to work with the equipment companies to improve the technology,” he said.

by -
0 523
'Autumn Landscape' by Leah Lopez Hernandez

The Long Island Museum (LIM), 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook presents  the 26th Annual Colors of Long Island Student Art Exhibition, opening on February 20. This highly anticipated exhibition provides a platform for hundreds of young artists from across Long Island to display their work in a professional museum setting.

‘Peanut Butter Jelly Time’ by Kelly Cabasso

Art teachers from public and private schools, spanning grades pre-K through 12, were invited to submit up to two pieces of student artwork. The exhibition’s theme, “Colors of Long Island,” encourages a broad spectrum of interpretations—some students reflect on Long Island’s scenic landscapes, while others highlight the cultural diversity that makes the region so vibrant. This year’s exhibition features a dynamic mix of media, including watercolor, sculpture, pencil, ink, oil pastel, photography, and digital art.

“With over 278 students participating, this exhibition is a testament to the remarkable talent and creativity of the young artists on Long Island,” said Samantha O’Rourke, Senior Educator at the LIM. “Each piece reflects not only the students’ artistic talent but also the dedication of art educators who inspire and guide them. It’s always incredible to see how young artists use their work to tell stories, share perspectives, and express their individuality.”

The Colors of Long Island Student Art Exhibition will be on view in the Art Museum from February 20 through May 8, 2025. For more information on programs and exhibitions, visit longislandmuseum.org

Prev1...757677...603Next Page 76 of 603
TBR News Media is your local news and entertainment website.
We provide you with the latest breaking news and information for your community.
Contact us: [email protected]

Most Viewed

©