Local residents gathered at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge to protest the continuation of the mask mandate in New York schools. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Local residents gathered at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge to protest the continuation of the mask mandate in New York schools. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Local residents gathered at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge to protest the continuation of the mask mandate in New York schools. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Local residents gathered at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge to protest the continuation of the mask mandate in New York schools. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Local residents gathered at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge to protest the continuation of the mask mandate in New York schools. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Local residents gathered at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge to protest the continuation of the mask mandate in New York schools. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Local residents gathered at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge to protest the continuation of the mask mandate in New York schools. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Local residents gathered at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge to protest the continuation of the mask mandate in New York schools. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Local residents gathered at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge to protest the continuation of the mask mandate in New York schools. Photo by Rita J. Egan
The front lawn of the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge was a sea of signs and flags Friday, Feb. 11.
Hundreds of parents took their children out of school to protest the face mask mandate remaining in New York state for school districts after Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) lifted the mandate for public places Feb. 10.
About 1,000 local protesters joined others across New York in cities such as Buffalo, Syracuse, White Plains and more for a statewide sit-out. An online flyer promoting the event encouraged parents to “empower your kids to go to school without a mask and refuse to wear a mask from Feb. 7-Feb. 10.”
During the Hauppauge protest, parents and children held signs that read “Unmask our kids,” “Free the children,” “No masks. We can’t breathe,” and “No one has seen my smile since kindergarten … that was two years ago. Let me smile.” Drivers passing the rally on Route 347, including sanitation men and a postal worker, honked their horns to show solidarity with the protesters.
Adrianne Stanton, of East Northport, said she brought her children, who are in first grade and pre-K, to the rally along with her nieces. All of them held signs that they made themselves.
“We want our children to have a normal childhood, to be able to go to school and to have the memories that we did growing up,” the mother said. “ And, to fight for, as parents, to be able to choose what is best for our kids.”
Casey Austin, of Northport, said one of her daughters told her students aren’t even able to drink water when they’re thirsty and have to wait for water breaks.
“I have five little ones that have been living in this pandemic for the last two years of their lives, and it’s got to change now,” she said. “Three of them suffer from learning delays and speech impediments because they are not allowed to even articulate their words correctly. And it’s time for everyone to wake up and stand up and fight for them — and be done with this.”
Douglas Cerrato, of Kings Park, attended the rally and was one of the speakers. He recently declared his intention to run for the board of education in the Kings Park school district. In a phone interview after the rally, Cerrato said while it has been difficult for his kids to wear the masks, he has found the teachers in Park View Elementary, where his children attend, to be fantastic with working with the students.
Cerrato said it’s important to give parents a choice, adding while more people have been speaking up at school board meetings, some have still been hesitant. The rally was encouraging to Cerrato, who stressed he’s not anti-mask but for choice.
“I think you have a lot of people that were on the fence about being vocal becoming vocal,” he said.
Just a few of the cookies designed by Kim Carter of Rolling Pin bakery in East Setauket. Photo by Rita J. Egan
During the pandemic, small business owners have been looking for ways to get customers’ attention. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, a local bakery is providing an option that stands out from the average box of chocolates.
Kim Carter, of Rolling Pin, holds one of the cookies she decorated. Photo by Rita J. Egan
When people first walk into Rolling Pin bakery in East Setauket they’ll spy on the shelves colorful cookies wrapped in individual clear bags. The works of art are created by Kim Carter, the bakery’s decorator, who is currently busy preparing cookies for Valentine’s Day featuring cute couples, colorful lovebirds, adorable animals and more. Every holiday for about eight years, Carter said she comes up with novelty cookies for customers to purchase to give away as gifts and Feb. 14 is no different.
When Evelyn Haegele began working at the bakery a few months ago, she was floored by her new co-worker’s talents. Her cookies are “just incredible,” she said. “Each one is a work of art. I felt like, ‘Kim, you really deserve to be noticed.’”
Carter has been working for the bakery, which is owned by David Dombroff, for 13 of the nearly 27 years it has been open. The decorator said as each holiday approaches she looks for inspiration by searching on the internet. She said each cookie takes a different amount of time to create. Making the sweet treats involves a few steps, from first baking them to then cutting them into different shapes. She then creates backgrounds for each cookie by dipping it in a color she has chosen. After the background is ready, she creates the outline for the cookie and fills it in freehand.
Just a few of the cookies designed by Kim Carter of Rolling Pin bakery in East Setauket. Photo by Rita J. Egan
“It takes practice and there has to be the right consistency of the icing,” Carter said. “If not, it will be running or too soft or too hard to squeeze.”
In addition to cookies, Carter decorates cakes, too. Before she started working for Rolling Pin, she worked for various bakeries and has 20 years of experience in the field. Carter’s decorating talent is one that naturally came to her.
“Since I was a kid I just liked art,” she said. “Then, one day, I said, ‘Hey, I can decorate a cake. I see people doing it. I can do it.’”
Her favorite holiday cookies are the ones she makes for Easter, Halloween and Christmas, and the decorator said she feels bad during Father’s Day because it’s one of the holidays that’s difficult to come up with themes that would be fitting for a cookie.
The bakery also takes custom orders for parties and showers. Sometimes, Carter said, the shapes are unique, and she creates a temporary cookie cutter out of tin until she can find one to buy.
Haegele said her favorite cookies since she started working at the bakery are the Halloween and Christmas cookies, including one that was shaped like a snow globe with sugar that looked like glass.
“What she did was amazing,” Haegele said.
The Rolling Pin bakery is located at 1387 Route 25A, East Setauket.
Local elected officials are joining forces to tell Albany that their towns and villages will not lose zoning control.
During her State of the State address, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) spoke of creating more affordable housing options. When the 2022 State of the State book was released, the proposed plan, found on pages 130 through 131, stated that it would require all towns and villages in New York state to allow accessory apartments, which in turn would effectively eliminate single-family zoning laws.
The proposed plan spurred Town of Brookhaven officials to call a press conference Feb. 3, while others have spoken out via statements. The proposed legislation would require municipalities to allow one accessory dwelling unit using backyard cottages, attics, garages and basements. The plan is one that the State of the State describes as providing “an affordable multigenerational housing option that helps families live closer together.”
While local municipalities would still have a say in minimum and maximum size requirements, local zoning authorities would not be able to prevent reasonable new construction, the governor said.
Huntington
In the Town of Huntington, accessory apartments may be allowed when someone listed on the deed resides at the dwelling. The living space cannot be less than 300 square feet or more than 650 square feet and must have two bedrooms or less. The accessory apartment must be attached to the home.
Supervisor Ed Smyth (R) is against Hochul’s plan.
“This is an election year overreach by the governor that no one in their right mind should support,” Smyth said. “It has bipartisan opposition at all levels of government for good reason: It would eliminate local control of development and hand it off to extremists in Albany.”
At press time, Huntington announced they would be part of a county press conference on Feb. 10 to comment further on the issue.
Smithtown
In the Town of Smithtown legal accessory apartments with a valid mother/daughter permit from the Building Department are the only ones permitted with limited exceptions including older two-family homes that were grandfathered in. Rules differ in the town’s villages.
Town of Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R) said in a statement he fears stripping local zoning control “would only result in a mass exodus.”
“The harsh reality is that Long Island, especially Suffolk County, lacks the modern infrastructure to handle the population increase which this proposal would create,” the supervisor said. “The environmental impacts alone should terrify every Long Islander. We have outdated wastewater systems underground, roads in major need of repair, archaic stormwater infrastructure and in the near future will have nowhere to put our trash. These are the issues that require resolution from the state, not removing local zoning control. This proposal will create a strain on the school system, increased property taxes, amplify traffic and burden local resources which are already stressed. Furthermore, people move out to the suburbs because the perception of the American Dream is still that quaint neighborhood home, picket fence and all, where they can raise a family. As public servants, it’s our duty to preserve and protect that dream.”
In Head of the Harbor, Mayor Doug Dahlgard echoed the sentiments.
“Taking away local zoning control with a broad brush is not acceptable and will be met by opposition claiming the character of our communities will change for the worse,” the mayor said. “Starting a conversation about how to allow generations of a family to stay together on Long Island, on the other hand, makes sense.”
Wehrheim agreed that the issue of affordable housing needs to be discussed and would welcome a task force consisting of local, county and state officials using proven studies and incorporating successful methods that could create affordable housing options in appropriate areas such as a downtown business neighborhood near a train station.
Congressmen support local officials
Town officials have received moral support from their congressmen. U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY3) in a press release criticized Hochul. Suozzi will run in the Democratic primary for governor in June against Hochul
“Governor Hochul’s radical proposal would take away zoning control from municipal governments, erode local government authority and end single-family housing across New York,” Suozzi said. “Hochul’s plan to eliminate home rule is not what we need. I support affordable housing, building up around downtown train stations and helping the homeless. I oppose eliminating home rule and ending single-family housing.”
The presumptive Republican nominee for New York State governor, U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY1) said in a joint statement with Brookhaven officials that Hochul “isn’t focused on real solutions.”
“This blatant attack on suburban communities will end single-family housing as we know it, strip local control away from the New Yorkers who live there, tank the value of their homes, overcrowd their previously quiet streets, and on top of it all, not do anything to solve our affordable housing problem,” Zeldin said.
When foxes are spotted in a neighborhood, residents may wonder if the animal poses any danger to them or their dogs and cats or if they have rabies because they’re out in the daytime. However, experts say seeing foxes out during the day doesn’t necessarily indicate rabies.
Tod the fox is currently recuperating from mange at Sweetbriar Nature Center in Smithtown. Photo from Sweetbriar
“Generally, foxes are most active at night or during twilight, however they can be active at other times of day when food demands are higher such as needing to conduct additional foraging to feed young,” according to New York State Department of Environmental Conservation officials. “During the winter months, foxes may be more inclined to hunt during the day, so a sighting in daylight hours is often not an indication of a sick animal.”
The DEC added that foxes should be viewed at a distance while they are searching for their necessities.
“If foxes are being sighted near residential homes it is probably because some resource need is being met, i.e., shelter, such as under decks or sheds, access to food, where rodents or other natural forage are located.”
Janine Bendicksen, curator and director of wildlife rehabilitation for Sweetbriar Nature Center in Smithtown, said sometimes a person may see a fox circling. This is a result of people who feed them, which is not a good idea as they begin to depend on humans for food. Because of this dependency, when a fox sees a person, they begin circling in anticipation of being fed.
“The fox is definitely more afraid of you than you are of it,” she said. “Foxes have what they love to eat. They love to eat mice. They love moles, rats, and won’t necessarily go after your cat or dog. Could they? Absolutely. But chances are they’re going to be more afraid of the dog than it is of them.”
While people don’t have to worry about their dogs and cats if foxes are spotted, they do have to keep an eye on their chickens. Bendicksen said people who find that foxes get into their chicken cages need to house the birds in an enclosure that is completely fox proof because the animal can get to the chicken easily if there are any substantially sized holes.
Tod the fox was found outside someone’s back door. Photo from Sweetbriar
Fox population
Bendicksen said there hasn’t been an uptick in the fox population necessarily, but with more people at home during the pandemic, she believes more residents have noticed them than they did in the past. Even the number of calls they have received about injured wildlife, in general, have increased over the last couple of years, she said, as people are spending more time outdoors.
The fox population is a cyclical one. When it’s a good summer and they can get more than adequate amounts of food, she said, in turn, the animals have many pups.
However, this can result in overpopulation and the foxes get mites, which cause the contagious disease known as mange. The foxes can die from the disease. When another good summer comes along, the population can grow again.
“The population does go up and down based on food and based on the disease that keeps them in check,” Bendicksen said.
Recently, the nature center saved a fox with mange when a resident found him curled up outside their front door.
“He would not have survived the winter,” the wildlife director said. “We literally got him just in the nick of time. His hair just started to fall out. His eyes were just starting to shut. He would have died of secondary infections and starvation had he not come in.”
The fox, named Tod by the staff, will now spend the winter with the nature center and be released in the spring when he is “older and wiser,” according to Bendicksen.
Injured foxes
If a person sees an injured fox, they should contact an animal rescue such as Sweetbriar (631-979-6344, www.sweetbriarnc.org).
Bendicksen said foxes are difficult to catch, and they have to be extremely sick for a person to catch them. She pointed out that people rarely see foxes hit along the road because of their speed and other skills.
“The foxes are truly super intelligent, super shy, super careful, and so to catch a sick fox, they have to be in pretty bad shape,” she said.
David Tunney is ready to open a new restaurant in Stony Brook Village Center. Photo from Eagle Realty Holdings
After being vacant since September, the spot formerly occupied by Pentimento will be home to a new restaurant.
In a statement Jan. 31, Eagle Realty Holdings Inc. announced David Tunney, who owns and operates several restaurants on Long Island from Port Jefferson to Roslyn, will open a new restaurant at 93 Main St. in Stony Brook Village Center.
“After many interviews with at least a half-dozen local and more distant restaurateurs, Eagle Realty Holdings trustees are pleased with our choice of David,” said chairman Richard Rugen in the press release.
According to Eagle Realty, Tunney is expected to open the new restaurant in the spring. He has not announced the name of the business or what will be offered.
“This will be a new concept, different cuisine and a whole new look,” Tunney said in the press release.
The business owner has been in the restaurant industry for 35 years and is a familiar face in the Three Village area. He grew up in Setauket and graduated from Ward Melville High School. In 2019, he bought the former Raga Indian Restaurant on Old Town Road and turned it into Old Fields Barbecue.
“This is where I grew up, this is where my roots are, and it’s amazing to come back to it,” Tunney said in a 2019 TBR News Media interview.
In addition to the Setauket spot, he owns Old Fields restaurants in Port Jefferson and Greenlawn and Old Fields Barbecue in Huntington. He is also one of the founders of the Besito Restaurant Group along with his brother John and part-owner of Besito Mexican restaurants in Huntington and Roslyn.
In the 2019 interview, Tunney said he had good memories of growing up in the Three Village area. His mother, Marilyn, worked in the TBR News Media offices for 25 years, and one of his first jobs was at the Arby’s that once was located where the Setauket Main Street firehouse is today. Tunney said his first job was with the former Dining Car 1890 that was located on Route 25A and Nicolls Road, where he started as a dishwasher.
In the interview, Tunney said he leaves the cooking to the chefs and enjoys the hospitality side of the business, which he learned from his brother John.
“The part I really love about it is making people have a great experience and that they just love all the food, the service, the ambiance, how they are taken care of,” he said in the interview.
Three Village Historical Society’s new president Jeff Schnee, right, with his wife, Jeri-Ann, center, and son Dan. Photo from Jeff Schnee
As a new year began and the Three Village Historical Society looked toward the future, a new board was sworn in, including new president Jeff Schnee.
Photo from Three Village Historical Society
Previously co-vice president of the society, Schnee takes over the position that Stephen Healy has held for the past five years.
The new society president said he grew up in Queens, and when he arrived in the Three Village area to attend Stony Brook University in the mid-1970s, he never looked back. After graduating, he lived by the historical society headquarters on Main Street in Setauket for eight years and now resides in Old Field.
A few years ago, Schnee said when he joined the society’s board, it wasn’t necessarily a love for history that brought him to become a member of the historical society but a desire to help the community, something that he has aimed to do since his college days when he helped to start SBU’s dorm patrol walk service and to bring a student cafe to the university’s Gershwin building.
“I was always interested in community service,” he said. “I think it’s something everyone should do.”
The Dominick-Crawford Barn also drew him to the society. The pre-Civil War barn once sat across the street from his home in Old Field. Due to lack of upkeep and exposure to the elements, it was in poor condition.
When the historical society approached the Old Field board of trustees about moving the barn to the field adjoining its headquarters, Schnee said it was the right move. With talks going on about the barn, he decided to join the historical society six years ago.
As for the future of the barn, which will be repaired and used for a museum and education center, the new president said he’s excited. When the weather gets warmer, there will be a groundbreaking and work will begin with plans for an archives center on the second floor. The hope is that the barn will be completed within the year, Schnee said.
With an archives space, residents will be able to come to the barn and work with the archives, and the museum will provide opportunities for school trips.
“What we try to do is to make the local community aware of the history here,” he said.
TVHS is also aiming to begin the digitalization of its archives to make them more accessible to the public. For two months this spring, a group will come in and archive the society’s painting collection, according to Schnee. Then a plan will be developed to figure out what platform to use to digitize all of the archives, a process which can take a few years.
Schnee makes it clear to everyone that he’s not an expert on local history but feels he brings a lot to the table due to his education and career background that covers the fields of technology, finances, IT and business.
“I’m not a historian, history was never my thing,” he said. “I’m an operations guy.”
Throughout his career, Schnee has worked with human resources professionals and facility departments which have enhanced his skill set.
“I’m a new tool in the toolbox for the Three Village Historical Society,” he said.
“I’m not a historian, history was never my thing. I’m an operations guy.”
— Jeff Schnee
Since he became co-vice president two years ago, the historical society has had to face the challenges that arrived with COVID-19. The society couldn’t hold events at the height of the pandemic and wasn’t able to recruit new board members. The society members turned to Zoom to conduct meetings as well as for lectures and educational programs.
Technology also came in handy as staff members switched to working from home instead of the office, Schnee said, with the society switching from relying on a server and to using a cloud-based product.
With COVID-19 mandates being lifted, the organization is looking to get back into action. Last summer and fall, the society was able to host its farmers and artisans market. Schnee said as the society began to recruit new board members once again, they looked for people with experience in archiving, human resources and grant writing.
Another new goal is to work with other local organizations, he said, such as museums and other art and historical organizations.
“We shall be working together, because a patron who comes to the Three Village Historical Society — they’re interested in educating themselves — and it could either be the Culper Spy Ring or it could be for the Chicken Hill exhibit, to talk about a community that existed here in the past, or as simple as to find out the history of their home,” he said, adding that the society has the archives to help people learn about their home or street where they live.
“So, once they finish our tours, they’re going to go and look somewhere else and half the time they ask us for what else is in the area to do?”
He said relationships can be cultivated during the society’s annual Candlelight House Tour and the farmers market. This year the Reboli Center for Art & History was a stop for the tour and where participants were able to pick up their event tickets. The feedback from the center was that many people told them they didn’t realize the center existed. He said the historical society working with Gallery North on events has also been beneficial.
As for sharing local history, Schnee is excited about a new app called Tapestry. With a $125,000 grant from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation, the historical society will be working with a company to develop an augmented reality experience and will be only one of five museums to have AR added to one of its exhibits. Preliminary work has been done, and the hope is that the TVHS will be able to launch it in early spring.
Visitors will be able to use their smartphones at the Spies! exhibit at the society’s headquarters to download the app and then point at different pictures and artifacts which will bring up additional educational content.
“When you finish the tour, you will then take your smartphone, and it’ll guide you throughout the community to a few historically significant sites of the Culper Spy Ring, and then you hold the phone up, point at some different landmarks, and you’ll see how things were in the past.”
Schnee said when he attended Stony Brook University, he didn’t realize the rich history of the area.
“Honestly, I didn’t know the George Washington spies were in Setauket,” he said. “I didn’t know about Chicken Hill. I didn’t know that existed.”
With the appreciation of local history he’s developed over the years — even though he said he can only give the 5 cent tour — he’s ready for the future of TVHS.
Above, Three Village Historical Society’s new president Jeff Schnee, right, with his wife, Jeri-Ann, center, and son Dan. Below, Schnee at Culper Spy Day last September.Photo from Jeff Schnee
Sarah Desthers, a Smithtown High School West student, saved her mother using techniques she learned in an elective course taught by Cherie Diamond. Photo from Kim Desthers
It can be difficult to stay calm, cool and collected in certain situations, never mind when one’s mother is choking. Somehow, Sarah Desthers managed to do just that on the night of Jan. 12.
Cherie Diamond with teaching the first aid elective course. Photo from Cherie Diamond
The 15-year-old remembered vital lessons she learned in her first aid/CPR elective health course at Smithtown High School West when she walked into the kitchen and realized her mother Kim was choking and saved her life.
Kim Desthers said she was cleaning up the kitchen after a late dinner when she took a spoonful of food and choked on it. Sarah had just come out of her room, the mother said and noticed something was wrong with her.
While she doesn’t remember much about the few minutes she was choking, Kim Desthers said her daughter realized she wasn’t making any noise and asked if she was OK.
“I was really too stunned to even respond,” the mother said. “I was so scared.”
She added that being a dental hygienist who knows first aid techniques such as the Heimlich maneuver and CPR, she was a bit embarrassed to find herself in the situation.
“I just stopped short,” she said. “I didn’t know what to do.”
The mother of three said her daughter asked, “Mom are you choking?” When she couldn’t respond, Sarah said to her, “You have to nod. If I need to give you the Heimlich, you need to nod. I need to know.”
The mother said once she nodded her head, her daughter sprang into action. She didn’t even call for her father, who is a New York City firefighter, she just began the lifesaving technique.
Kim Desthers said there was a moment when she thought she was going to die.
“I can’t die,” she said to herself. “I need to be a mom to all these kids.”
The first aid elective course taught by Cherie Diamond is one Sarah decided to take because she is planning to be a camp counselor this summer, and she’s glad she did. The high school sophomore said a lot was going through her head as she realized her mother was choking.
“When you’re in that kind of situation, there is no time to hesitate, because my mom’s life was at risk,” she said. “And that’s one of the scariest things that could ever happen.”
She said in addition to learning how to do the maneuver, Diamond has taught the students to stay levelheaded. Sarah said after not only taking the class but going through the experience of using the Heimlich, she has some advice for those who may find themselves in similar situations.
“Just stay ahead of what’s going on,” the student said. “Always be listening. Pay attention if you think something’s wrong. Just don’t panic. Panicking is probably the worst thing you could do. Just figure out what’s wrong and try to help them.”
Sarah said even though COVID protocols may have made taking the first aid class more difficult Diamond made sure the students could be hands-on as much as possible.
“I appreciate that,” Sarah said. “She’s a very good teacher, and she helped me save my mom’s life.”
Diamond, who has been teaching the class in schools for more than 20 years, said it’s the first time that a student has had to use the technique while still in her class.
“You can’t ask for anything more as a teacher than to have your students apply the information they learned, much less a lifesaving device,” the teacher said.
She’s also proud of how calm Sarah stayed in the situation.
“When you come across a first aid situation, you not only have to control your own anxiety but also the anxiety of someone who may be seriously hurt,” she said. “You have to be able to control your own emotions enough to be clear in thought, and to be able to do what you have to do and not panic and freeze.”
The teacher believes everyone should get first aid training and recommends Advanced Training Center of Long Island in Smithtown. For more information, go to the website advancedtrainingcenterli.com.
Residents rally in front of the H. Lee Dennison Building in support of IR 1964 on Jan. 24. Photo by Rita J. Egan
On Jan. 24, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) and county Legislator Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst), who serves as the Legislature’s new presiding officer, reached an agreement regarding a county redistricting debate that has been ongoing for months.
The agreement, according to a press release from Bellone’s office, “paves the way for an open and fair process for adopting new legislative district maps and ensures an increase in the number of majority minority legislative districts in Suffolk County.”
At press time, a special meeting of the Legislature was being held to vote on an amendment in the County Charter. If approved, it will extend the period of time needed for the reapportionment commission to file new redistricting maps until Aug. 1. The legislators will also vote on new legislation “establishing a requirement that any maps drawn and adopted ahead of the 2023 legislative elections shall include no less than four majority minority legislative districts,” according to the press release.
The statement further explained that the bipartisan reapportionment commission will hold at least 10 public hearings to enable each town in Suffolk County to take part before maps are developed. After maps, which would include 18 new legislative districts, are agreed upon, at least two more meetings will be held.
“I am pleased to announce an agreement with the presiding officer that guarantees an unprecedented four majority-minority legislative districts in Suffolk County through a transparent redistricting process that is legally sustainable,” Bellone said. “Given the importance of ensuring fair representation for communities of color and looming legal challenges to the proposed map in IR 1964, we cannot leave to chance anything short of ensuring equitable representation, reflective of the county’s diversity, in our legislative district map.”
Republicans had begun legislation to rescind the Democrats IR 1964 redistricting reapportionment map bill that was passed Dec. 31 by the Legislature, when Democrats still held the majority in the county legislature. The Republicans are currently in the majority, 11-7. A lawsuit was also filed against the plan by Republicans, while the bill awaited Bellone’s signature or veto.
The county executive said he will work with the Legislature on the new agreement, which he feels will “commence a fair redistricting process that provides for significant public input in preparation for the next county election cycle in November 2023.”
The decision was made on the same day that local community advocacy groups joined forces at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge in search of fair representation for all Suffolk County residents.
The representatives, with a letter in hand signed by the members of the advocacy groups as well as elected officials and representatives of local Democratic committees, were urging Bellone to sign IR 1964. After a brief press conference, the representatives hand delivered the letter to the county executive’s office.
Among the speakers at the rally was Beverly Dean of the Brookhaven Rosa Parks Democratic Association.
“We must do this,” Dean said. “We must have this bill signed. The Suffolk County Legislature came together on Dec. 31, and put into action what we needed and they passed it. We need our county legislators that we elected to sign this into law today.”
Shoshana Hershkowitz, founder of Suffolk Progressives, and others at the rally felt a Republican redistricting plan would be gerrymandering. After the agreement between Bellone and McCaffrey, Hershkowitz released a statement.
“We are disappointed that despite the widespread support for IR 1964, including nonpartisan organizations like the League of Women Voters, County Executive Bellone has chosen to make a deal behind closed doors with Presiding Officer McCaffrey,” she wrote. “Quite frankly, given Mr. McCaffrey’s legislative record, trusting him to honor the promise of equitable redistricting is highly questionable.”
Comments from the Jan. 26 Suffolk County Legislature meeting were not available at press time.
In June 2020, Clark Gillies thanked the Long Island Royal hockey team players for their donation to Huntington Hospital's Clark Gillies pediatric emergency department team and pediatric unit team. Photo from Huntington Hospital
Clark Gillies (#9) and former Islander defenseman Eric Cairns (#33) help Stop & Shop employees off-load Thanksgiving turkeys in November 2021. Stop & Shop donated 1,000 turkeys each to Island Harvest Food Bank and Long Island Cares, Inc.- The Harry Chapin Food Bank. Photo by Liz Flynn
New York Islanders forward Clark Gillies delivers the eulogy at a Mass celebrating Al Arbour’s life April 8, 2061, at St. Patrick’s R.C. Church in Huntington. Photo by Alex Petroski
Clark Gillies, a former member of the New York Islanders, died Jan. 21 at the age of 67. The Greenlawn resident played left wing for the Islanders when they won four consecutive Stanley Cup championships from 1980-83.
Members of Huntington’s Town Board, Supervisor Ed Smyth and councilmembers Eugene Cook, Joan Cergol, Dave Bennardo and Sal Ferro remembered the hockey player in a joint statement where they called him “a pillar of our community” and said he had a “larger-than-life personality.”
“His ice hockey career is legendary, eclipsed only by the great work he did after he hung up his skates,” the board wrote. “Clark always ensured that the spotlight reflected off of him onto a variety of worthy causes, including a new pediatric wing at Huntington Hospital.”
The hockey player founded the Hauppauge-based Clark Gillies Foundation. The nonprofit helps children who are physically, developmentally or financially challenged through medical services, family financial aid, events to enhance a child’s quality of life and more, according to the foundation’s website.
In addition to Huntington Hospital’s pediatric and pediatric emergency units named for Gillies, the foundation has also partnered with former Islander Pat LaFontaine’s organization to create the Brianna’s Cub Room at the hospital.
Huntington Hospital executive director, Dr. Nick Fitterman, commented on Gillies passing.
“On the ice, Clark Gillies was known as an enforcer, but to us at Huntington Hospital he was known for his friendship, generosity and work with children,” Fitterman said. “Mr. Gillies was an extremely kind and tender person, really a big teddy bear. He would deliver gifts to children during the holidays, and he treated everyone he met with respect. His legacy will live on through the Clark Gillies Pediatric Emergency Unit at Huntington Hospital. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time.”
Kathleen Lanese, of Kings Park, and Elyse Henn, of Ronkonkoma, both worked on fundraisers with Gillies when he participated in the annual golf outings organized by the nonprofit Michael W. McCarthy Foundation. They also volunteered for the Clark Gillies Foundation in the past.
Lanese said it was a privilege meeting Gillies after watching him play for the Islanders when she would attend games with her father and described the hockey player as warm, generous and funny.
“In addition to his incredible work with his own foundation, he never hesitated to extend his generosity to other organizations,” Lanese said. “He supported all my charity events with sponsorships, signed jerseys and his presence — he never said no, and I usually didn’t even have to ask. He took a genuine interest in my boys, both on the autism spectrum, and how autism affected families like ours.”
Henn echoed the sentiments.
“He had enough smiles, love and stories for everyone,” Henn said. “He had a true love of life and his community. If you met him once, he treated you like a friend. He was truly one of a kind. Not just a hockey legend, but a true gentleman and friend. He will be truly missed. He had a zest for life that is inspiring.”
Before playing hockey, Gillies played three seasons of minor-league baseball with the Houston Astros farm team, according to the foundation’s website. When the Canadian native switched sports, he played junior hockey with the Regina Pats for three seasons in the Western Hockey League. He was drafted to the Islanders in 1974. He went on to be a 1st team All-Star in 1978 and 1979. He was MVP in the 1979 Challenge Cup series versus the Soviets, where he played for the Canadian team.
In 1986, Gillies was drafted to the Buffalo Sabres and in 1988 he retired from hockey. He was inducted into the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame in 1998, and in 2002 he was elected into the NHL Hall of Fame.
According to Gillies’ obituary in The New York Times, he is survived by his wife, Pam; daughters Brianna Bourne, Jocelyn Schwarz and Brooke Kapetanakos; and eight grandchildren.
One of Huntington Animal Shelter's residents, Martha. Photo from Town of Huntington
Supervisor Edmund Smyth announced the Town of Huntington Betty White Challenge raised $9,585 in donations for Give A Dog A Dream in one week.
“Our generous residents would have made Betty White proud,” Smyth said. “Huntington loves our shelter dogs.”
Smyth, along with his rescue dog Louie, first invited residents to participate in the Betty White Challenge on Wednesday, Jan. 12, and in one week, the town has raised $9,585 for Give A Dog A Dream from 451 donations. On Jan. 17 alone, which would have been Betty White’s 100th birthday, 339 donations came in totaling $6,749. The Huntington Animal Shelter also received donations of collars, leashes and treats for the town’s shelter dogs.
Give a Dog a Dream Inc. is a charitable 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, formed by the Town in 2014, that funds medically necessary surgeries and treatments, advanced behavior modification training, and costs related to finding forever homes for dogs with the Huntington Animal Shelter long-term, who may be difficult to place in a traditional home due to behavioral issues that cannot be retrained through the shelter’s rehabilitation program. Donations can me made online at https://www.giveadogadream.org/donate.
The shelter takes donations of all types of but items the shelter needs most are flat collars (sizes M, L, XL), flat leashes, treats, and indestructible toys.
Due to COVID-19-related staffing shortages, the Huntington Animal Shelter is open by appointment only at this time; please call ahead to drop off items or schedule a visit with our dogs at 631-754-8722. The Huntington Animal Shelter is located at 106 Deposit Road, East Northport, NY 11731 and open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. During weekends the shelter is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For after-hours emergency calls, dial 631-351-3234.
The Town of Huntington Cat Shelter, located next door to the dog shelter (at 104 Deposit Road), is managed by Little Shelter Animal Rescue and Adoption Center. For details on donating to the cat shelter, please call 631-651-9788.
The Betty White Challenge encouraged fans of the late actress, who was an animal advocate who passed away on Dec. 31, 2021, at the age of 99, to donate $5 to animal rescues and shelters in her name. Jan. 17, 2022 would have been White’s 100th birthday.
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