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Rita J. Egan

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13-year-old dirt bike operator killed in motor vehicle crash

by Rita J. Egan - September 6, 2021

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SCPD-Police-Car-phone-w — Suffolk County police car. File photo

Suffolk County Police Second Squad detectives are investigating a motor vehicle crash that killed a dirt bike operator in East Northport the night of Sept. 4.

Nicholas Woodworth, 13, of Greenlawn was operating a Honda dirt bike when he went through a traffic light at the intersection of Larkfield Road and Pulaski Road and was struck by a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox driven by Mary Mollica, 49, of East Northport. The teenager was transported to Huntington Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The vehicle and dirk bike were impounded for safety checks. Anyone with information on this crash is asked to call the Second Squad at 631-854-8252.

Ida leaves damage behind along the North Shore

by Rita J. Egan - September 3, 2021

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Many North Shore residents spent their Thursday cleaning up after remnants of Tropical Depression Ida pummeled the Island Wednesday night. In addition to the storm, the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for the North Shore of Suffolk County.

According to PSEG Long Island, the hardest-hit areas on the Island include Northport, Ridge, Lloyd Harbor and Huntington.

Huntington

In the Town of Huntington, flooding outside of the Huntington Sewage Treatment Plant on Creek Road left several motorists stranded, according to a press release from the town. STP staff accessed the facility via payloader late in the evening on Sept.1. During the peak of high tide, STP staff were unable to access the plant from the main entrance on Creek Road or from the rear entrance near the Mill Dam gates.

“We actually had to take a payloader out to the Creek Road entrance to bring one of our employees into the plant last night,” said John Clark, the town’s director of Environmental Waste Management. “Several cars, including a police vehicle, were stuck on Creek Road and New York Avenue — at least one driver (a police officer) had to be removed via boat by the Huntington Fire Department.”

Steve Jappell, a wastewater treatment plant operator at the STP facility, operated the payloader and assisted fellow employee Joe Lombardo and the police officer, who was ultimately transported from the scene by the Huntington Fire Department in a rescue boat.

“Thank you to the Huntington Fire Department, as well as Centerport, Halesite and Northport fire departments, who also arrived to assist other stranded motorists on Creek Road, and to our quick-thinking staff at the plant,” said town Supervisor Chad Lupinacci (R).

According to the press release, the area received its largest rain event in nearly 20 years between 7 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. The town reported that 6.29 inches fell during the 6 ½ hours.

While the STP usually processes around 1.8 million gallons per day, between 6 a.m. Sept. 1 and 6 a.m. Sept. 2 it processed more than 3.8 million gallons. According to the town, the plane “will continue to experience above average flow rates over the next two days as groundwater intrusion and sump pump activity contribute to the increased volumes.”

Town officials also said there were 26 reports of flooding mostly in Huntington; 29 reports of downed trees and branches; 16 reports of large pieces, sections and layers of asphalt ripped away, five manhole covers washed aside and one possible sinkhole was reported in Northport as asphalt washed away on Oleander Drive.

As for town facilities both golf courses had some flooding and were closed Sept. 2, and Town Hall had about ½ inch of flooding in the basement.

Smithtown

According to Smithtown Public Information Officer Nicole Gargiulo, there was flooding in the Smithtown Town Hall basement; however, there was no other damage to equipment or facilities in the town.

During the peak of the storm, the town received calls about flooded roads, but the streets were cleared as of the morning of Sept. 2.

Callahan’s Beach sustained damage, according to Gargiulo. The beach had already been closed due to damage after a storm in the early morning hours of Aug. 27.

Stony Brook University

Students in the Mendelsohn Community of Stony Brook University, which is located on the North end of campus off of Stadium Drive, were the SBU students most affected by the storm. According to communications sent out by the university, while other areas of the campus experienced flooding conditions, Mendelsohn was the most affected and students needed to be relocated.

Also affected by the storm was the Student Brook Union, and the building is closed for damage assessment and cleanup. The university held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the newly renovated student union building last week. Employees who work in the building were asked to work remotely Sept. 2.

In an email from Rick Gatteau, vice president for Students Affairs, and Catherine-Mary Rivera, assistant vice president for Campus Residences, “the Mendelsohn buildings have no power due to 4-6 feet of water in the basement, resulting in a power failure to the building. At this time, it is unsafe to be in the building while our teams pump out the water, assess the damage, and determine the timeline for repairs.”

Mendelsohn residents were not required to attend class on Sept. 2.

Three Village

During the storm, the historic Thompson House in East Setauket took in 33 inches of water in its basement. Some of the water rose up to the first floor of the 1709 structure.

The building, which belongs to the Ward Melville Heritage Organization, will need to have the water pumped out, according to WMHO President Gloria Rocchio. After the water is pumped out, a cleanup company will have more work ahead of them to prevent any more damage.

According to the National Weather Service, 6.86 inches of rain fell in Setauket. The NWS reported that it was the highest rainfall total on Long Island.

Additional reporting by Daniel Dunaief.

St. James car show draws hundreds of car enthusiasts

by Rita J. Egan - August 30, 2021

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On Sunday Long Island Cars was able to hold its “Super Swap Sunday” Car Show and Swap Meet on the Flowerfield property on Route 25A in St. James once again this year.

It was the second time in 2021 after not being able to hold the event last year due to the pandemic. Car enthusiasts all over Suffolk County and nearby areas lined up to display their cars or simply come and check them out.

Long Island Cars has organized the event for more than 20 years where attendees can also check out items from vendors such as automotive parts, car memorabilia, artwork, toy cars and more.

The next car show will take place at Flowerfield Oct. 24.

St. James lodge hosts summer fun

by Rita J. Egan - August 26, 2021

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Like many organizations, the Sons of Norway Loyal Lodge #252 in St. James was unable to hold events, including its annual bazaar, last year due to the pandemic.

On Aug. 21, the lodge members hosted its Scandinavian Fun Day that included axe throwing, cooking demonstrations, games, penny pitching and more.

The lodge members are currently planning their Viking Auction on Friday, Sept. 17 and the 2021 Scandinavian Bazaar for Nov. 20. For more information about both events, call 631-862-8017.

Brookhaven resident, former ADA ready to take on Sini in DA race

by Rita J. Egan - August 26, 2021

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Ray Tierney photo — Suffolk County D.A. Raymond Tierney

A former Suffolk assistant DA is ready to take over the main seat in the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.

Ray Tierney, who will be running on the Republican and Conservative tickets Nov. 2 to challenge current DA Tim Sini (D), stopped by TBR News Media’s office last week to introduce himself and answer some questions about his campaign.

“When I talk about this contest, I say that it is a contest between the prosecutor and the politician, or when you look at my opponent’s record — what he’s done and what he’s claimed to have done, more accurately — it’s a contest between the prosecutor and the pretender,” Tierney said.

Background

Tierney resides in the Town of Brookhaven with his wife, Erica, and their four children.

The prosecutor grew up in Commack and is a graduate of St. Anthony’s High School where he played football and was a member of the school’s track team. He went on to play football for Brown University where he graduated in 1988, and after taking a short time off from his studies, he attended St. John’s University’s School of Law.

He began his law career in the Suffolk County DA’s office under DA James Catterson (R).

“At first, I had a very sort of infantile concept of what it meant to be a lawyer,” Tierney said. “I always wanted to be a prosecutor. I always wanted to be in court. Although there’s so many things you could do, that’s all I really ever wanted to do, and as I got older, more sophisticated, my focus never changed.”

He decided to leave the DA’s office in 1999 when his first two children were born and worked for a private firm. Tierney said the tragic events of 9/11 changed his life. He was at a meeting in Queens when the attacks happened, and he watched the towers fall on TV.

“I was driving back out east and all the emergency vehicles were flooding into the city, and I could see the smoke and I was, like, ‘What am I doing with my life?’” he said. “This job that I have right now is inconsequential. So, I wanted to get back into public service.”

He returned to the DA’s office in 2002 during the time of Tom Spota (D) and worked there for another six years. Tierney said he decided to leave the office when he was told they may fire him for insubordination.

“They tried to get rid of me because I wouldn’t go along with their illegal, unethical ways,” he said. “I worked in an office whose job it was to uproot political corruption. But, instead, it was the office’s leadership that was corrupt, as history has proven.”

He then went on to work in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York as an assistant attorney for more than 11 years.

He left the office in 2019 to become an executive assistant district attorney in the Kings County District Attorney’s office where he was in charge of the violent criminal enterprises bureau, crime strategies unit and body worn camera unit.

In order to run for Suffolk County DA, Tierney had to leave the Brooklyn office and is currently Suffolk Regional Off-Track Betting Corp.’s chief counsel for compliance and enforcement.

His experience

During his time in Brooklyn, among his responsibilities, Tierney oversaw violent street gang investigations and prosecutions. He came to the position with extensive experience prosecuting MS-13 cases, which he said led to the incarceration of dozens of gang members.

One of the most high-profile MS-13 cases involved gang leaders Heriberto Martinez and Carlos Ortega. The two were found guilty for commissioning five murders in 2010, including Vanessa Argueta, 19, of Central Islip, and her son Diego Torres who was only 2 years old. Martinez and Ortega are currently serving life sentences. Tierney also tried Adalberto Guzman who was found guilty of killing the 2-year-old and is also serving a life sentence.

Tierney was the assistant U.S. attorney who prosecuted Ed Mangano, former Nassau County Executive, and Mangano’s wife as well as former Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto for corruption in 2018.

In addition to gang violence and public corruption, he also has been a prosecutor on cases involving Colombian drug cartel, racketeering and white-collar crimes.

Issues with Sini

Tierney takes issue with the press releases sent out by the DA’s office. He said he feels a high percentage of the releases are about arrests and arraignments but not about sentencing.

“What he does, because he’s in show business, he has the glitzy arraignment, and this is the biggest, baddest, greatest case, and then you never hear what happens at the time of the sentence,” the candidate said.

Tierney added he could take any of Sini’s accomplishments and dissect them and show that the current DA is “a fraud” and is “looking for that initial blast of publicity.”

“You don’t get to decide where your next case comes from, the streets tell you where the next case is,” Tierney said. “So, if you have an investigation here but the violence is settled here, you put your resources here, you put your resources there.”

He gave an example that Sini convicted several MS-13 members on charges such as acts of conspiracy instead of murder or gun charges. He said Sini then turned the gang members on each other so they would testify against one another. The result was they each pled to lower charges and got out of jail.

Tierney said he would use overarching tactics such as conspiracy, but then tie the case to the murders committed and pull the case all together to ensure the murderers would serve jail time.

His campaign

Tierney said the job is a balance between law enforcement and fairness, and that will be his goal if elected. He added he has never aligned himself to one party and has prosecuted defendants on both sides of the political aisle. He is running to bring experience, integrity and independence to the office.

He said regarding the county and the Suffolk County Police Department, it’s important to work with them but also maintain independence from each other.

“When it comes to law enforcement, I make the decisions,” he said. “No one else makes the decisions. I support the county, I support the police department. But I don’t work for them when it comes to law enforcement, and I don’t excuse bad behavior.”

Owner set to sell Smithtown theater, GoFundMe organized to save building

by Rita J. Egan - August 25, 2021

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Smithtown-theater_rita-j-egan_082421_2 — The nearly 90-year-old Smithtown theater is up for sale. Photo by Rita J. Egan

Last week the owner of the Smithtown Performing Arts Center building put it up for sale, leaving the future of local entertainment in the town in jeopardy.

“We need to keep this historic building in the town, and not only do we want to buy the building, we want to bring the building back to how it was before.”

— JoAnne Romanelli

Soon after the building at 2 E. Main St. was listed, a GoFundMe page was initiated by the SPAC board of directors to avoid the possibility of it being purchased by private investors. JoAnne Romanelli, secretary of the not-for-profit SPAC, said the board of directors is hoping to raise $400,000 to put a down payment on the building that is listed at $1.6 million.

“We need to keep this historic building in the town, and not only do we want to buy the building, we want to bring the building back to how it was before,” Romanelli said, adding that SPAC is under new management as well as having a new board of directors.

After only being up a few days, the GoFundMe has already garnered $4,500.

“People have been so loving and giving, and we’re so grateful for that,” she said.

The building which houses the center was once a movie theater. It first opened its doors in 1933, and it operated as such until November of 2001. Live performances began in the theater in 2002. The building, which has not been significantly altered aesthetically in nearly 90 years, is owned by Ken Washington, the former managing and artistic director of SPAC.

Washington said in a phone interview that for the last 15 years he has advocated for the building “to be publicly owned — either owned by the not-for-profit or by the town or by the historical society — so that the building could live in perpetuity to be what it is and what we created back in 2002, when my wife and I renovated it and restored it and created the performing arts center.”

“I’m retiring. I’m 66 now, and I am putting the building up for sale to whoever wants to take it forward.”

— Ken Washington

He said unfortunately it’s something the previous and current board as well as other potential owners have been unable to find the means to do.

“I’m moving on,” he said. “I’m retiring. I’m 66 now, and I am putting the building up for sale to whoever wants to take it forward.”

Washington said he’s pleased with what he, his family and the center have accomplished since 2002.

“I’m proud of the legacy that I’ve left there,” he said, adding selling was a decision that he had to make in the best interest of himself and his family.

The property is being handled by New York Commercial Real Estate. According to the listing, the theater seats 360 people and the taxes are more than $21,000. The real estate company’s owner Jack Jawdat said in a phone interview that the building includes the theater and two storefronts, one which the center currently uses and the other a shoe repair shop. Jawdat said while he has received a few calls about the property, there have been no serious offers.

The center hasn’t had a yearly lease in three years and has been operating with a month-to-month lease, Romanelli said. According to the board member, the owner agreed to lower the rent for SPAC during the pandemic. She said then full rent would be expected once things returned to normal. However, Romanelli said Washington recently wanted back payment on rent.

Washington subsequently issued a statement to TBR News Media: “Smithtown Performing Arts Council is currently operating with an expired lease and is in arrears with regard to past due rent. Nonpayment of rent and termination of tenancy notification has been proffered to the tenant. The building at 2 East Main Street is for sale.”

“We support the organization’s efforts to ensure the building remains a theater, and have been in constant contact with the board to help in achieving this mutual goal.”

— Ed Wehrheim

Romanelli said that the SPAC board members hope their fundraising is successful and their top priority is to serve the community and actors.

“This is a new board,” she said. “This is new management. We’re going to take it to a whole new level.”

Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R) said the town supports the board’s efforts.

“Our main priority is preserving the Smithtown Performing Arts Center and the incredible arts programming the community has enjoyed through the generations,” he said. “We support the organization’s efforts to ensure the building remains a theater, and have been in constant contact with the board to help in achieving this mutual goal.”

Romanelli added that the board is made up of all volunteers who are committed to restoring the building.

“This is our passion project,” she said. “We are committed to the town and investing in Smithtown. We’re committed to our community, and we’re committed to being fiscally sound.”

Romanelli said the board is in the process of writing grants and planning fundraisers to continue SPAC’s role in providing educational programs for children and affordable theater for the community.

“We’re doing everything possible to save this building and to bring it back to its original historic beauty,” she said. “That is our mission.”

State legislators weigh in on new governor, Kathy Hochul

by Rita J. Egan - August 19, 2021

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After Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced his resignation last week, Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) began to draw up plans to take over the role. Her first day in the governor’s chair will be Aug. 24.

Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul poses for a portrait and headshot in her office at the state Senate. Photo from Hochul’s office

She was selected by Cuomo as his running mate as lieutenant governor in the 2014 New York gubernatorial election. Hochul, who began her career as an attorney, had served as a member of the Hamburg Town Board from 1994 to 2007, Erie County clerk from 2007 to 2011 and was congresswoman in the state’s 26th District from 2011 to 2013.

State senators and assemblymen in Suffolk County filled in TBR News Media on what they know about the first female governor.

State Sen. Jim Gaughran (D-Northport) in an email described her as “competent, experienced and absolutely ready to lead New York State forward.” Freshman senator, Mario Mattera (R-St. James), wrote in an email that he only had the opportunity to meet her briefly in the past but found her to be “cordial and approachable.”

State Assemblyman Mike Fitzpatrick (R-St. James) said in a phone interview he has met her a few times and said she is a nice person who he believes is capable of doing the job ahead of her. Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) described her as a hard worker who is warm and open to learning about what people think. He said in a phone interview that while he has never had any policy interaction with her, he has met her.

Both assemblymen said that Cuomo kept Hochul on the outside during his tenure. Despite the soon-to-be former governor not providing her with opportunities to demonstrate what she’s capable of, Englebright said he believes she has always known to be prepared to take on the position because she knew it was one of her responsibilities.

Gaughran and Englebright commended Hochul on getting out into the state to familiarize herself with constituents’ issues. Gaughran said he was confident that New Yorkers would like her.

“She has spent the past few years as lieutenant governor traveling the state and has tremendous knowledge about Long Island’s needs,” Gaughran wrote. “She has experience at every level of government — from local to state to federal — and will be able on day one to continue leading New York through the pandemic and the challenges posed by the Delta variant, as well as heal New York from this dark moment in history.”

Englebright echoed the sentiments.

“She knows New York and has traveled to every county in the state as basically an envoy of the executive chamber of goodwill,” Englebright said, adding her good listening skills she demonstrated during these trips will be an asset in the role.

Fitzpatrick said he believes Hochul has a hard time ahead though.

“I think Governor Hochul not only has a tough job, but I think she has a very difficult path to the nomination,” he said.

He added she will need to satisfy those who are progressives in the Democratic Party while also pleasing moderates.

“She’s in a difficult position,” he said.

Mattera agreed.

“She has a lot of work to do to overcome the issues that derailed the Cuomo administration, and I am sure the residents of New York will be keeping a keen eye on how she handles the last portion of Governor Cuomo’s term,” he said.

Englebright agreed she will be tested.

“But this is not her first rodeo,” he said. “She’s experienced so I think the state will be in good hands.”

Gaughran and Englebright, who both believe she has a good chance of winning in 2022, said if they were to give her advice they would tell her how important it is to have a good and cooperative relationship with the state Legislature. Something they felt Cuomo didn’t have. Mattera echoed the sentiment.

“There is a wealth of knowledge in the Senate and Assembly members since they closely represent those they serve in their respective districts,” Mattera said. “That can help our state move forward following this year’s crisis and the ongoing controversy surrounding Governor Cuomo and his administration.”

Man arrested for Leandra’s Law following motor vehicle crash

by Rita J. Egan - August 19, 2021

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Suffolk County Police last night arrested a man for Leandra’s Law for driving while allegedly intoxicated with his three children in the vehicle following a crash in Commack.

Ryan McDonald was driving a 2019 Nissan Pathfinder northbound on Townline Road, just south of Old Northport Road, when the vehicle left the roadway and crashed into a large boulder at approximately 7:10 p.m. McDonald’s three children, a 6-month-old boy, a 3-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl, were in the backseat of the Pathfinder. Fourth Precinct police officers responded to the scene and determined McDonald was intoxicated.

McDonald and the children were transported to a local hospital. McDonald was treated for minor injuries. The children were not injured and were released to the custody of their mother at the hospital.

Fourth Squad detectives charged McDonald, 33, of Commack, with Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated with a Child Passenger 15 Years Old or Younger (Leandra’s Law), Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs, and three counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child. He is being held overnight at the Fourth Precinct and was scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip Aug. 19.

WMHO president, restaurant manager respond to residents’ cries

by Rita J. Egan - August 18, 2021

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Pentimento-rally_081521_kimberly-brown4 — Chelsea Gomez, left, is a former employee who says Pentimento's owner has properly taken care of the septic system at the restaurant. Photo by Kimberly Brown

Residents who have banded together to save Pentimento Restaurant in Stony Brook Village Center, before taking to the village streets Sunday to protest, started a Facebook page and petition earlier this month.

The petition on Change.org, started by Patricia Kirchner, has received almost 3,300 signatures as of Aug. 18. It states that the restaurant has been refused a lease renewal by The Ward Melville Heritage Organization.

Eagle Realty Holdings is the owner of the Stony Brook Village Center storefronts, which selects tenants, collects rent and maintains the shopping center property. Net proceeds are distributed to WMHO. According to Gloria Rocchio, president of Eagle Realty Holdings and WMHO, the realty company pays more than $725,000 in real estate taxes a year.

Rocchio added the WMHO board of trustees are non-salaried volunteers.

On the Save Pentimento Facebook page, which has more than 400 followers, the administrators have requested that, in addition to members calling and emailing WMHO’s office and Rocchio, they also contact trustees and have listed the board members’ phone numbers and email addresses.

In a phone interview Aug. 16, Rocchio said she believes many community members are acting on misinformation.

“They don’t have all the facts,” she said. “They only have one side of the story.”

Rocchio added that it’s not standard protocol to discuss where a tenant stands as far as a lease, rent or any other interactions between the landlord and business.

Earlier this month, Pentimento owner Dennis Young told TBR News Media that last year he was required to request an extension of the lease, which expires at the end of September. He said while trying to keep the restaurant afloat during the pandemic, renewing slipped his mind.

While Young is thinking about retiring in the near future, he said friends were interested in buying the business and keeping Pentimento as it is.

Rocchio said in addition to not providing notice of an interest to renew the lease last year, the tenant failed “to comply with the requirement to maintain the septic system” which is described in the lease. She added the new owners that were recommended by Young were interviewed as well as other candidates.

Young said he has maintained the property during his 27 years of ownership.

Restaurant manager Lisa Cusumano in a phone interview said she and Young have not been part of any of the planning of the petition or the rally and have been too busy running the business to keep up with the comments on the Save Pentimento Facebook page.

“The community is taking it in their own hands, and it has a life of its own,” she said.

In an Aug. 6 post to the Pentimento Restaurant Facebook page, residents were asked to remember that the business isn’t a separate entity but is part of Stony Brook Village Center. Patrons were encouraged to support all the businesses in the shopping center.

“The community outpouring has been overwhelming and it’s touching, but we don’t want people to go against the village center because that’s our home, and they’re all our neighbors — those businesses are just like us,” Cusumano said.

Not only have Young and her been overwhelmed by the community’s response via social media and the Aug. 15 rally, they said customers come in every day asking why they are closing.

“There isn’t a customer that does not walk in our restaurant every day and says, ‘What is going on, why is this happening?’” Cusumano said.

According to Rocchio, no final decision has been made as far as a future tenant.

Setauket foundation welcomes new president

by Rita J. Egan - August 13, 2021

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P1020904 — Greg Ferguson is the new president of the Frank Melville Memorial Foundation which oversees Frank Melville Memorial Park. Photo by Robert Reuter

The Frank Melville Memorial Foundation’s new president is a familiar name to many in the Three Village area.

Greg Ferguson replaced Robert Reuter as president of FMMF earlier this year. Reuter said after nine years in the role it was time to make room for someone new. The former president, now trustee, said it was a unanimous decision for Ferguson to take on the role. He described him as having strong management skills as well as getting along with everybody.

“He’s shown himself to be very enthusiastic about the full range of projects in the park,” Reuter said. “He initiated movie nights. He’s been a strong supporter of all the programs, and I think he’s an excellent person to lead the park in our challenging post-COVID times.”

Ferguson is the founder of Brookhaven Bike Co-op, which has locations in St. James and Manorville. The Setauket resident and attorney also runs the Ferguson Foundation with his brother Chris. The foundation strives to find organizations where its philanthropic investments will have an ongoing impact on the beneficiaries.

Ferguson, who has lived in Setauket for more than 18 years with his wife Rena and children Hugh, Sophie and Ella, said he lives a short walk from Frank Melville Memorial Park. He became involved with the foundation as a trustee more than four years ago and said it’s been fun being involved. When asked to join the board, Ferguson said he “happily and humbly agreed.”

“It’s a great organization, and the park is a beautiful place,” he said. “There’s a ton of stuff going on, too, so it’s not a museum or static type of thing. It has programs and initiatives and efforts.”

Ferguson said while the foundation may be smaller than other nonprofits, it is well run by its board members.

“We have financial people, lawyers, scientists and naturalists, so it’s really a fantastic variety of skill sets that the board brings to the place,” he said.

As far as his skill sets, in addition to being an attorney, the Setauket resident has also been a writer with his work published in U.S. News & World Report. The opportunity came about while he was in college and an exchange student in China during the time of the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. He said people were needed to report on what was happening during the incident.

“I had no fear for my safety,” he said. “It was pretty much confined to one area.”

Today Ferguson and the board members deal with the issues that COVID-19 has brought to the area.

During the pandemic, the new foundation president said the park has become more popular and events have been even more well received than before. He said that it’s due to many other recreational places being shut down, while the park was only closed for a short time toward the beginning of the pandemic. He added that the increased interest in the park is wonderful, but it also means that the foundation board has had to enhance security.

Ferguson said the board members have long-term goals and are currently waiting for a permit to dredge the ponds. He said the park staff is tackling invasive plants and drainage issues, too. A cutting-edge septic system will also be installed on the property for one of the homes.

Ferguson said he’s looking forward to the board’s future work.

“Over the years I’ve been involved in a bunch of different nonprofits and this is by far the best run I’ve ever experienced,” he said. “It’s definitely wonderful to be involved.”

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