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Rita J. Egan

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While the race for Suffolk County legislator in the 18th Legislative District got off to a rocky start with contentious mailers sent by both candidates, the tone was civil during a TBR News Media Zoom debate with candidates Mark Cuthbertson (D), currently serving as Town of Huntington councilman, and Stephanie Bontempi, a newcomer to the political field.

County Legislator William “Doc” Spencer (D-Centerport) has served the district for nearly a decade, but decided not to run this year. He is currently facing charges for allegedly trading oxycodone for sex.

Meet the candidates

Bontempi, who grew up in Sweden and came to the U.S. for college and decided to stay in New York, is a fifth-grade teacher at The Green Vale School in Old Brookville. The wife and mother, of three grown children, has lived in Centerport for 30 years.

She’s the chairperson of Town of Huntington’s Beautification Advisory Council and has been a member of several local organizations. In addition to teaching, she has a degree in finance and two graduate degrees in education-related subjects.

She said with more time on her hands now that her children are grown, she decided to run for office and be a “voice for the people in our community.”

“I’ve seen a decline in our area,” Bontempi said. “Our taxes are going up, roads failing, the environment, water quality and so forth … rather than complain, I want to try to do something about it.”

Cuthbertson has been a town councilman for more than two decades. He grew up in Huntington Station and graduated from Walt Whitman High School. He’s a husband and father of three children. As a councilman as well as an attorney, he said he’s been involved in local government in a public and private capacity. He said he has “good grounding” when it comes to not only town issues but county issues. 

“I really feel that I can bring the breadth of my experience to the county and work with the county executive, who has been a friend for 24 years, to do things for the 18th Legislative District.”

He added he’s proud of helping to preserve and protect more than 1,000 acres of land in the Town of Huntington and contributing to the town’s triple-A bond rating.

County budget

Cuthbertson said there are several things that are good in the proposed Suffolk County budget, including $125 million for wastewater infrastructure which he thinks is key. He also agrees with the $35 million for main street recovery to help businesses hit by COVID-19 and money put aside if the pandemic becomes an ongoing issue.

“I think the good parts of this budget are the reserve funds,” he said. “I think that’s been a key to our success in the Town of Huntington is when you have good years — not just squandering that money on spending — reserving it for things that you have to pay in the future. So, there’s money that’s going toward tax stabilization. There’s money that’s going toward debt service reserve fund and insurance reserve fund, pensions and payouts of employees which are important.” 

Bontempi said one has to be careful when using the term surplus, especially since the county has additional funds due to federal government aid and not taxpayers’ money.

“We have to be very careful with how we utilize this money,” Bontempi said.

She added the county has pulled money from the budget for a long time and money has been taken out from the funds for sewer stabilization and environmental causes.

“I would suggest that we replenish the areas where money has been taken out, definitely,” she said. “I would suggest that we repay some of our debt to lower our interest expenses.”

Bontempi added the county’s Department of Social Services needs more attention. She said the department is overwhelmed and understaffed leading to not having the proper resources to serve the community.

Cuthbertson agreed that being able to staff social services at adequate levels is important.

“We have 7.2% of this county living in poverty, and there are outcomes there that are very difficult and beyond people in poverty, that are in difficult circumstances that need the help of government,” he said.

Suffolk County Police Department

Bontempi said after people’s physiological needs are met the next fundamental need to thrive is safety.

“We need to feel safe in our homes,” she said. “We need to feel safe dropping our children at the school bus. We need to feel safe walking our dogs. So, I am very much a proponent for law enforcement.”

She added because of this she feels police officers should be provided funding for adequate training and to be well equipped.

Cuthbertson said it’s well known that SCPD officers make good money and county residents know “a police officer joins the force and in a short period of time, with overtime, he’s probably making in excess of six figures.”

He added it’s important to continue giving police the resources they need but also to demand accountability. Cuthbertson said it’s important to evolve and embrace “the mental health piece of the police reform plan to embrace other issues.”

It’s important to look at issues in Suffolk County, he added, where studies show Blacks and Hispanics are more likely to get pulled over or be part of an escalated situation.

“Let’s compensate our police adequately and well, but let’s ask that they embrace change and accountability, and I think 99% of the police force do,” Cuthbertson said. “I think it’s a matter of just a cultural shift that hopefully is going on.” 

Sewers

He said with approximately $286 million from the American Recovery Plan, there’s a possibility that some funding will go to Huntington Station sewering. He said there has been a study of the area and the direction the town should go and the best alternatives to connect to an existing sewering system.

“I think by partnering with the county we could affect some really great change for the environment for economic development in one fell swoop,” Cuthbertson said. 

He added they have to do a better job in talking to residents about replacing their septic systems with low-nitrogen units.

Bontempi agreed that sewers are important. She said in addition to Huntington Station, areas north of Route 25A need to be looked at, too. She said higher-density areas and elevated areas have more toxins seeping into the ground and making it to local waterways.

She added the new low-nitrogen septic systems need more work as they are expensive to install, even with the county grant.

“We have to protect our water,” she said. “There is no question about it.”

The two agreed there are difficulties with getting sewers in certain areas of the district due to topography.

William “Doc” Spencer

Both candidates said regarding Spencer they would like to continue his work to help save the environment such as the plastic bag initiative. Bontempi added she applauds his work in saving open space, such as Coindre Hall Park that overlooks Huntington Harbor. Both candidates said Spencer’s work regarding the opioid crisis is also important to continue.

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Photo by Rita J. Egan

Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) is running for reelection once again in the 13th Legislative District after taking his seat in 2014. Also on the ballot are Democrat Kevin Mulholland, who isn’t actively campaigning, and Michael Simonelli on the Conservative ticket. Simonelli didn’t respond to TBR News Media’s request to participate in the debate.

The 13th Legislative District includes Smithtown, Fort Salonga, Kings Park, San Remo, Nissequogue, Head of the Harbor and St. James, as well as portions of Commack and East Northport. The district is bounded by Route 25 to the south, Larkfield Road to the west, the Long Island Sound to the north and the Brookhaven town line to the east. 

Trotta said he wants to run again because he wants “to clean up.”

“I hate to say that I dwell on corruption, but I do,” the county legislator said. “I think you need someone like me who’s the thorn in the side to keep people straight because quite honestly they’re not straight.”

While fighting corruption may be at the forefront of his mind, Trotta said what he enjoys most about his position is helping his constituents, especially senior citizens, and acknowledging the good works of community members such as Eagle Scouts. 

Trotta said he takes exception with some of Simonelli’s campaign tactics where the Conservative candidate has called Trotta a “communist” and has said the county legislator wants to defund the police, which he said is not true at all. 

He said his opponent’s campaign is based on Simonelli being a police officer, but Trotta said his opponent has performed no police function in the last 10 years. Simonelli serves as treasurer of the Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association.

According to Simonelli’s campaign website, he is an active police officer in Suffolk and has been for 21 years. For nine of those years, he has also been a Suffolk PBA executive board member.

Suffolk County Police Department

Trotta, who was a SCPD officer for 25 years and on the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force for over 10, has been vocal about wasteful spending in the police department, but said he does not believe in defunding the police. His concern is about salaries, overtime and pensions. He said there are 16 people in the SCPD who taxpayers are paying $300,000 each a year even though they don’t perform an active police function and don’t go on calls.

He added this cost taxpayers millions each year and could be the equivalent of hiring 100 new officers. Trotta said he believes the police should be paid well, but increases shouldn’t be three times the cost of living. He said this has been done six out of eight years.

“How do you get that much in raises when [the county has] no money?” he said. “We borrowed $550 million from the pension fund, we drained the clean water fund for $250 million.”

He said he’s not against county police officers getting salary increases. 

“Just make it the cost of living,” he said, adding the police officers contract includes that if the cost of living goes up more than 5% they can reopen their contract.

“The roads and everything else suffers when you’re paying 2,300 people a third of your budget — a billion dollars,” Trotta said.

County budget 

Photo by Rita J. Egan

The 2022 county budget will have a surplus, and Trotta said it’s not the norm and is due to millions of federal aid, stimulus aid and unemployment supplement.

“I’m happy to see that the [Steve] Bellone administration (D) is actually going to pay down some of our debt with it,” he said.

But Trotta still has concerns as he said sales tax revenue was up 20% which led to millions of dollars, but the county is budgeting flat this year. He said no one can predict, though, if sales revenue would go down, and he said he would budget the same as in 2020.

Sewers

Simonelli’s campaign is saying Trotta is against sewers but the county legislator said that couldn’t be further from the truth. Long Island Environmental Voters Forum recently endorsed him.

Recently, Trotta has been advocating for current Kings Park sewer district residents and businesses impacted by an expansion of the Kings Park sewage treatment plant to vote “yes” on Dec. 14 for sewers for Kings Park’s business district.

He is in favor of working toward ensuring that Smithtown’s Main Street and Lake Avenue in St. James also are hooked up to sewer systems in the future. 

Election law

One of Trotta’s biggest concerns is election law. He said the PBA collects $1 a day from every police officer and probation officer, and village department members in Amityville, Northport and Ocean Beach. While the departments can opt out of this, an individual police officer cannot.

He said state election law 17-156 is clear in stating “all campaign contributions must be voluntary.”

He said county District Attorney Tim Sini (D) benefits from this procedure with contributions around $500,000 and County Executive Bellone around a million dollars. Trotta said he has a problem with his opponent Simonelli being the treasurer of the PBA, and therefore being responsible for transferring the money.

The county legislator held a press conference about the matter on Oct. 21. (For the full story, see page A5)

Fighting corruption

Trotta said he’s not afraid of fighting corruption, and he knows he works for the taxpayers.

“I don’t respond well to people bullying me,” he said. 

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Route 25A in Setauket and Port Jefferson, pictured above in 2020, included numerous potholes and was in severe disrepair. File photo by Rita J. Egan

After a summer of slowdowns due to roadwork, it’s finally smooth sailing down Route 25A from Nicolls Road to Main Street/East Broadway in Port Jefferson.

State Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) said he’s delighted the work is completed.

“It’s been something we’ve been advocating for a number of years, and it’s been a long time coming, but it’s finally here, and it’s a beautiful job that they’ve done,” he said.

Before roadwork could be carried out by the New York State Department of Transportation, National Grid had to perform gas main replacement work, which involved maintenance of the underground distribution system. Work in East Setauket was scheduled to be completed by Memorial Day and in Port Jefferson by the end of June, according to a National Grid spokesperson. In August, National Grid returned because work took longer than expected in some spots.

The utility company’s work was necessary before milling and repaving of Route 25A by the DOT could begin. The project restored the road’s pavement by removing the existing asphalt overlay, repairing any damage to the underlying base and resurfacing with new asphalt.

Englebright said last week there were still small spots here and there that still needed residual work done by the DOT, and crews were at the locations.

“There were a number of holdups and glitches and delays,” Englebright said. “Quite frankly, the DOT did its best to overcome them, but there were some things that they didn’t really anticipate and found to be more complicated than they thought.”

The assemblyman said even though the work took a little longer than anticipated it was still done in the fall time frame that the DOT originally hoped for with the job.

In January 2020, former  Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced $151 million in new funding to complement $743 million in direct state aid provided through the PAVE NY Initiative for local road and bridge projects. Of the allocation, $6.6 million was planned to help renew the Route 25A stretch, according to a press release from the governor’s office.

Englebright brought the severity of local road conditions to the attention of the state DOT. The designated areas have been subjected to serious degradation due to water seepage into road seams and large clusters of filled potholes creating rutted, uneven and unsafe surfaces. One of the worst sections was the roadway near the East Setauket Post Office to CVS, but other sections had deteriorated rapidly, including the hill from Poquott into Port Jefferson.

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A scene from the Oct. 17 DEI rally. Photo from Shoshana Hershkowitz
A scene from the Oct. 17 DEI rally. Photo from Shoshana Hershkowitz
A scene from the Oct. 17 DEI rally. Photo from Shoshana Hershkowitz

School doors across Suffolk County may have been closed to study on Sunday, Oct. 17, but at the Long Island Welcome Center between exits 51 and 52 on the expressway, education was on many people’s minds.

Long Island Parents for DEI headed up the Commack rally to show support for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in public schools. The event drew dozens of parents, educators and advocates and was cosponsored by Suffolk Progressives, Moms Against Racism and student-led Voices for Change.

The subject of diversity, equity and inclusion programs in local schools has been a topic of debate at many school board meetings earlier this year, including Smithtown Central School District. DEI programs aim to make every student feel included and to create a culture of open-mindedness and objectivity regarding race, ethnicity, gender, culture, sexual orientations and disabilities.

In an email after the rally, Shoshana Hershkowitz, founder of Suffolk Progressives, said she believes the misconception many have is that they think the DEI “curriculum is divisive.”

“DEI allows us to gain empathy and understanding for experiences and perspectives that are different than ours, and I believe it is ultimately an excellent preparation for our students becoming global citizens of the 21st century,” she said.

Many have confused the program with critical race theory, which is an academic concept that looks at how racism is embedded in legal systems and politics — and not just a matter of individual bias or prejudice.

According to a press release before the rally, the protesters’ goal was “to highlight the broad support for DEI initiatives.” Among those who stopped by to show support were Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) and county Legislator Jason Richberg (D-West Babylon).

Long Island Parents for DEI president, Amanda Cohen-Stein of Miller Place, founded the group in June to respond to what she described as “the rise of extremist groups on Long Island” who have not only targeted DEI learning but also mask wearing in schools.

“We chose to connect with three other fabulous organizations — Suffolk Progressives, Moms Against Racism and student-led group Voices of Change — to hold our first-ever rally this past Sunday to support our mission of promoting the DEI initiative passed down by the NYS Board of Regents and to deliver the truth about DEI to our boards of education and our communities,” she said in a statement. “I felt it was important to hold this event at the L.I. Welcome Center on the LIE to amplify the message that the hate these people are displaying toward diverse groups of students and other human beings will not be tolerated on L.I. and that the majority of Long Islanders do not support this extremist behavior.”

She added Parents for DEI has started a nonprofit with the goal “to continue to bring the truth about DEI to every school district and community on Long Island. We are working toward ensuring that our L.I. schools implement DEI programs and follow through on the commitment to be equitable and inclusive.”

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A Walmart customer donates to Stan Feltman’s fundraising efforts for fellow veterans. Photo by Rita J. Egan

Stanley Feltman of Coram, a 2019 TBR News Media Brookhaven Person of the Year and World War II veteran, died Sept. 23. He was 95.

Stan Feltman was a B-29 tail gunner in the United States Army Air Corps.

Feltman was known to many as the veteran who sold poppies at the Middle Island Walmart to raise money for his fellow veterans. Often he would have a shopping cart filled with articles and wartime photos. Some days he would take a break from his regular location and collect money at the Walmart in Centereach or East Setauket.

In a 2019 TBR News Media interview, Feltman said he had met so many generous people through the years. He usually would collect between $80 and $100 after standing there for two hours. One day a gentleman shook his hand and noticed he was cold and bought him a jacket from the store. One woman gave him a $20 bill one day saying it was for him to keep.

“I took the $20, and when she left, I threw it in the pot,” he said. “I don’t need the money.”

A member of the Jewish War Veterans of the USA Col. Mickey Marcus Post 336, Feltman would bring the donations to the post’s monthly meetings where he and his fellow members decided where the money should go. Post Comdr. Norman Weitz said over a few years they have been able to donate more than $21,000 thanks to Feltman’s fundraising efforts. The post is a regular contributor to many veterans causes, including the Long Island State Veterans Home at Stony Brook University.

“My father was more proud of what he did with selling poppies for the veterans than anything he did in the war,” his son Richard said in a recent phone interview. “That was to him most important — selling poppies was his lifeline.”

His son said he and his brother Scott were proud of his father not only because he was a WW II vet but also because he gave back to other veterans.

“The fact that he was giving back to other veterans who might need help and providing them money to be able to give them things that they may have needed — especially those vets coming back from the War on Terrorism and not necessarily getting what World War II vets got when they returned — I couldn’t be happier with my father,” Richard Feltman said.

Stanley Feltman, who was born April 5, 1926, in Flatbush, Brooklyn, was a B-29 tail gunner and double ace in the U.S. Army Air Corps, which he joined after he graduated from high school in 1944. Feltman one time after being shot down had to escape on a raft. When a fellow soldier slipped off the raft into shark-infested waters, Feltman dove down to save him and grabbed him by the collar. Feltman earned the Bronze Star Medal for saving the man’s life. The medal wasn’t the only one earned during his service, as he gained more medals in total throughout his time in the Air Corps, even though they were no longer in his possession.

Richard Feltman said local elected officials helped the family reissue many of his father’s medals when he was inducted into the Four Chaplains Society in 2020 for the work he had done selling poppies.

During this time in the Army Air Corps, he became an amateur boxer. One day when he was being bullied by another soldier for being Jewish, he punched him. When a drill sergeant witnessed the fight and Feltman’s skill, he encouraged Feltman to take up boxing where he was undefeated. After his time in the service, Feltman went on to become a carpet salesperson.

In addition to raising money for veterans, Feltman participated in lectures at schools and senior groups, including Erasmus Hall High School where he attended while growing up in Brooklyn. He also was interviewed for the Library of Congress Veterans History Project, an initiative established to collect and preserve firsthand remembrances of wartime veterans.

Feltman was predeceased by his wife, Marilyn. He leaves behind his two sons Richard and Scott and five grandchildren. Funeral services were held Sept. 24 at New Montefiore Cemetery in West Babylon.

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Town of Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim, at podium, was joined by town, county and state officials and community advocates to make a plea to Gov. Kathy Hochul to help the town secure a path to sewer infrastructure. Photo by Rita J. Egan

The steps of Smithtown’s Town Hall were packed the morning of Oct. 12 as elected town, county and state officials, as well as community leaders from the hamlets of Smithtown and Kings Park, were on hand to talk about sewers and make a plea to the state’s new governor.

Town of Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim signs a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul to help the town secure a path to sewer infrastructure. Photo by Rita J. Egan

The group signed a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) asking her to help to secure a path to a sewer infrastructure in the town. Those speaking at the press conference spoke about the lack of a sewer system in the town having a negative impact on economic growth and the health of waterways, especially Smithtown Bay.

Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R) said the group has worked “tirelessly for years to make this project come to fruition.”

“For nearly 50 years, the goal of providing sewers for the Smithtown business district had seemed out of reach, resulting in vacant storefronts in the downtown area and continued discharges of untreated wastewater into our environment,” the supervisor said. “Now, at long last, a clear solution has been identified. A victory is in sight for both of these business districts. This is truly a historic day for the Town of Smithtown and the future of our town.”

A $20 million grant was announced in 2017 by the state that would have helped bring sewers to the town’s business districts. According to Wehrheim, a lack of a site for a system stalled the project. Recently, the Smithtown Sewer Working Group, which includes local business and community leaders, has worked for 18 months to identify a site for a recharge facility and named a parcel owned by the state Office of Mental Health at the former Kings Park Psychiatric Center as a possible location. The hopes are to connect Main Street, Smithtown and the Kings Park business district to a system.

The plan would include removing an abandoned building. The facility would use only 2 acres of 17 of the land.

Smithtown United President Timothy Small called the working group an “example of your government and community working together for solutions.”

He added that under current conditions the sewer recharging facility would lead to an 87% reduction of the amount of nitrogen dumped into groundwater which eventually makes its way to the Nissequogue River. He said after a complete “downtown buildout consistent with the draft Smithtown Master Plan” the nitrogen reduction would be 71%.

Michael Kaufman, a member of the civic group Smithtown United and the town’s working group, said hooking up central business districts to a sewer system is the “gold standard for solutions” to avoid environmental issues such as nitrogen from septic waste being released to nearby bodies of water. He added that a recent water quality report showed that Smithtown Bay is one of the most oxygen-deprived areas east of New York City. This deprivation means that it’s difficult for fish to survive.

“That’s why no one can really go fishing in Smithtown Bay anymore,” he said.

Kaufman said the damage is identical to issues the area had in the 1990s.

“We know what the source is, and we also know how it gets out into the water,” he said. “Basically, [it goes] west right into the Nissequogue River and then just flows down the river and then it goes into the Smithtown Bay where it unfortunately stays for a couple of days.”

Among those representing chamber and civic groups was Kings Park Chamber of Commerce President Tony Tanzi who called the proposed facility “an absolutely wonderful thing.” He said he felt it helped the community as a whole for many reasons, listing qualities such as a viable downtown, lessening pollution of rivers and protecting open space. He added from the chamber of commerce’s perspective it could restore economic viability to the downtown.

“We’ve got the ability to preserve 15 acres of open space in perpetuity,” Tanzi said. “You’ve got the ability to protect our drinking water. You’ve got the ability to protect the Nissequogue River and the Long Island Sound and preserve our drinking water for future generations, which is really what we’re all here trying to do.”

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$26 million facility opens at Nissequogue River State Park

Nissequogue River State Park is the home of the new DEC Division of Marine Resources headquarters. Photo by Rita J. Egan

The Nissequogue River State Park has become the central hub for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Division of Marine Resources headquarters.

Nissequogue River State Park is the home of the new DEC Division of Marine Resources headquarters. Photo by Rita J. Egan

DEC and state park officials as well as Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) gathered Oct. 7 at the state park for the ribbon cutting of a sustainability-focused facility.

Funding for the $26 million building came from New York Works, and the facility  will house a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-certified shellfish microbiology laboratory. The DEC anticipates the lab will be certified by the FDA by Spring 2022.

The division currently works out of an office in East Setauket and will continue doing so while the FDA-certification process for the new Kings Park laboratory is conducted. The building also has a lobby the public can visit with a marine permit office and restrooms.

Jim Gilmore, director of the division, said the project began more than 10 years ago. He said being located in a medical park in East Setauket made them a “fish out of water” as they had 20 boats but were five miles from the shore. He said one day after a meeting in Northport he took the scenic route back and decided to stop at the park.

“I drove by here and saw the sign, and I came in and I said, ‘What a beautiful park and what a great place with the water access. Maybe we could move the marine division instead of having a leased space, actually build something here and have a cooperative thing with the parks department and run our operations more efficiently,’” he said. “So, fast forward to today, and we have this beautiful complex, this building and this property that was a terrific, cooperative effort between two agencies.”

He added that apart from the new facility making it easier to get boats in the water than the East Setauket location, it is “designed for more efficient operation of DEC marine division” and furthers its mission to understand fisheries management and manage over 30 recreational and commercial species.

“Things we used to be able to take a day for us to do we could do in a half day,” Gilmore said.

The division annually also certifies 1.2 million acres of shellfish harvest area with its FDA lab.

Basil Seggos, DEC commissioner, congratulated Gilmore on the completion of the project and said Gilmore has taken the marine division to the next level.

Seggos said for years the marine district has been under threat.

“It’s pollution,” he said. “It’s overfishing. It’s developing down on the waterfront. Now we start to look at some of these really big sort of existential problems that we have to handle — there’s multistate issues and fish migration and, of course, climate change and the warming of our waters, the acidification of our waters.”

He said battling the issues is just not a result of policies created in Albany but also the groundwork done by the division on Long Island.

“This beautiful building supports the staff that are protecting 2,700 miles of shoreline,” Seggos said, adding that it includes Long Island, the Atlantic side, all the embayments, New York City and the Hudson River.

He added that 1.2 million acres of open water is taken care of by the staff, and nearly 350,000 jobs are dependent on the work that the division does.

A fish tank in the building’s lobby. Photo from DEC

State Parks Commissioner Erik Kulleseid said the new DEC building and the recently opened Charles and Helen Reichert Administration Building and visitors center in the NRSP are a symbol of a relaunch of the park.

“I think this building and our building down the hill and the marina in the future are real signs that it’s time to reinvest in this park and make it into the place,” Kulleseid said, adding that the park covers 521 acres.

“It’s vitally important to aquifer recharge, all kinds of things, and in one of the most densely populated parts of the state,” he said.

Bellone said it was a joint commitment on all levels of government, including Town of Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R) who was unable to attend the event due to another commitment.

The county executive added that the protection of marine resources was critically important to the future of Long Island, and it was crucial to make sure those resources were sustainable.

“This is the state saying that these resources are critical and that we are committed to protecting them,” he said. “I’ve talked about this before: Water is everything here. It’s our quality of life, it’s our recreation, it’s our economy. The reason, or a large part of the reason, people live here is because of the extraordinary natural beauty, the assets, the bays, the Sound, the ocean, lakes and rivers. We have an obligation to protect it, but if we don’t we’re not going to have a prosperous future. And so this dedication of a building is a wonderful thing.”

After the press conference, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) sent out a press release announcing  the completion of the headquarters.

“From recreational anglers out for a day to commercial shellfish harvesters who have fished our state’s waters for generations, the health of New York’s marine ecosystem is critical to the economic health of our coastal communities,” Hochul said. “This new facility is evidence of our ongoing commitment to protecting New York’s diverse marine life while leading the way in the development of sustainable infrastructure.”

——————————————————————————————————

Facility features

• Facility is LEED silver-certified by the U.S. Green Building Council for energy efficiency construction.

• It includes water-use reduction and rainwater management features, environmentally conscious and low pollution-emitting building materials, and facilitates the production of solar-generated energy.

• Features at the new facility include:

Ground and roof-mounted solar panels equipped to generate about 100,000 kilowatt-hours of energy each year. 

LED lighting, energy-efficient electrical systems, and optimized water process used to reduce consumption. 

Indoor environmental air quality controls, outdoor heat-reduction materials, and reflecting paint to minimize
energy use. 

Low-impact refrigerants.    

Environmentally friendly, low-emitting, and recycled construction materials. 

High-quality indoor daylight and views of natural outdoor spaces to reduce the use of electrical lighting. 

Green and electric vehicle parking and charging stations for visitors and staff. 

Bike rack and a connection to a nature trail.

Rainwater bioretention and rain gardens to help reduce stormwater runoff.

Native and adaptive plants and trees to promote the health of the local ecosystem.

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A scene from the Oct. 3 St. James Day. Photo by Rita J. Egan
County Legislator Rob Trotta talks to constituents. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from the Oct. 3 St. James Day. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Students from Chorus Line Dance Studio pose for the camera. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from the Oct. 3 St. James Day. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Representatives from F45 were on hand to demonstrate their fitness program. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from the Oct. 3 St. James Day. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from the Oct. 3 St. James Day. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from the Oct. 3 St. James Day. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Students from Seiskaya Ballet pose for the camera. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from the Oct. 3 St. James Day. Photo by Rita J. Egan

Lake Avenue in St. James was packed with hundreds of people on Oct. 3.

The St. James Chamber of Commerce presented its St. James Day along Lake Avenue between Woodlawn and Railroad avenues. Last year’s event was canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Attendees enjoyed food, listened to music, shopped for merchandise at vendors’ tables and talked to local elected officials.

Tours were also given of the former Calderon Theatre located at 176 2nd Avenue. The  nonprofit community group Celebrate St. James Past-Present-Future hopes to save the building to be used as an entertainment venue in the future.

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Suffolk County police car. File photo

A woman was jogging at the intersection of Route 111 and Estate Road at approximately 6:40 a.m. on Oct. 7 when she was allegedly grabbed and sexually abused by a man. The man, who was wearing only a white tank top, then allegedly fled from the scene. The woman called police and received medical attention at the scene.

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call the Fourth Squad at 631-854-8452 or Suffolk County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.

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Scene from the Oct. 2 car show at St. James R. C. Church. Photo from Fred Peritore/Mother Teresa Council
Scene from the Oct. 2 car show at St. James R. C. Church. Photo from Fred Peritore/Mother Teresa Council
Scene from the Oct. 2 car show at St. James R. C. Church. Photo from Fred Peritore/Mother Teresa Council
Scene from the Oct. 2 car show at St. James R. C. Church. Photo from Fred Peritore/Mother Teresa Council
Scene from the Oct. 2 car show at St. James R. C. Church. Photo from Fred Peritore/Mother Teresa Council
Scene from the Oct. 2 car show at St. James R. C. Church. Photo from Fred Peritore/Mother Teresa Council
Scene from the Oct. 2 car show at St. James R. C. Church. Photo from Fred Peritore/Mother Teresa Council
The third place people’s choice winner, above, was Richie Marotto’s 1955 Ford Crown Victoria. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Scene from the Oct. 2 car show at St. James R. C. Church. Photo from Fred Peritore/Mother Teresa Council

Saturday, Oct. 2, was a beautiful day for driving and admiring classic cars.

The Mother Teresa Council of the Knights of Columbus hosted its 3rd annual charity car show at the St. James R.C. Church in Setauket. Among the 50 vehicles on display were vintage American and foreign cars and trucks, along with some muscle cars.

Attendees were able to take part in an auction, enjoy some grilled food and vote on their favorite cars. Three trophies were given out by the end of the day.

First prize went to Mike Basile for his 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback; second prize went to Ralph and Ruth Passantino for their 1958 Chevrolet Impala convertible; and the third place people’s choice winner, above, was Richie Marotto’s 1955 Ford Crown Victoria.

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