CLOSE
Authors Posts by Rita J. Egan

Rita J. Egan

1114 POSTS 0 COMMENTS

by -
0 144
1 of 5
Memorials honoring those who fought in recent conflicts were unveiled at the annual Setauket Veterans Day Ceremon on Nov. 11, 2020. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Post Commander of VFW Post 3054 Jay Veronko stands by one of the new memorials. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Photo by Rita J. Egan
Veterans lay wreaths at the memorial during the annual Setauket Veterans Day Ceremony Nov. 11. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Attendees salute during the annual Setauket Veterans Day Ceremony Nov. 11. Photo by Rita J. Egan

Every year on Nov. 11, veterans are remembered at a ceremony at the Setauket Veterans Memorial Park on the corner of Route 25A and Shore Road. This year, two new memorials were unveiled to recognize those who served in the Cold War, Granada/Lebanon and Panama, the Gulf War and the Global War on Terror. The new memorials are the result of the combined efforts of Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket), commanders of local American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts located in Setauket, Stony Brook and Port Jefferson Station and the Long Island Veterans Home at Stony Brook University.

The War Memorial Fund Committee updated several memorials last year on Setauket’s Village Green, in Stony Brook Village and along the Port Jefferson Harbor.
The project was funded by local businesses and community members.

Jack Gozdziewski, a member of American Legion Post 432 and VFW Post 3054, who initially approached Hahn with the idea to update the monuments, said it was important to honor all soldiers whether they had boots on the ground or served during the Cold War. Gozdziewski pointed out how one side of the Gulf War and Global War on Terror stone is left blank in case of another conflict, and the hope is that it will stay blank.

“Please pray for that and thank all the veterans that have protected us so this wall will never be used again,” he said. 

by -
0 125
1 of 5
Huntington's Veterans Day ceremony was held Nov. 8. Photo by Lina Weingarten
Huntington's Veterans Day ceremony was held Nov. 8. Photo by Lina Weingarten
Makayla Connolly sings at Huntington's Veterans Day ceremony Nov. 8. Photo by Lina Weingarten
Chad Lupinacci speaks at the Huntington Veterans Day ceremony Nov. 8. Photo by Lina Weingarten
Chad Lupinacci speaks at the Huntington Veterans Day ceremony Nov. 8. Photo by Lina Weingarten

The Town of Huntington held its Veterans Day Ceremony Sunday, Nov. 8, in Veterans Plaza at Huntington Town Hall. The event was limited to 50 people due to the pandemic and included Broadway star Makayla Connolly, upper left photo, singing “God Bless America” and the national anthem. Joining elected Huntington officials including town Supervisor Chad Lupinacci (R) were members of the Veterans Advisory Board and U.S. Coast Guard Station Eaton’s Neck, and veterans organizations from the Huntington area. Chief Brian Keane of the Huntington Fire Department, Chief Jon Hoffmann of the Huntington Manor Fire Department and volunteer firefighters displayed the American flag for the ceremony from fire trucks on Main Street.

by -
0 105
Jennilyne Hamm, lower left, and her twin sister Karla have been getting to know their newfound half-siblings through Zoom. Photo from Jennilyne Hamm

This holiday season, many will have more family members to celebrate with thanks to popular DNA tests that not only break down a person’s ethnic background but also connect them to people with similar DNA.

Jennilyne Hamm and her twin sister Karla. Photo from Jennilyne Hamm

The tests that estimate how two people may be related to each other can sometimes provide some surprising results. This was the case for Smithtown resident Jennilyne Hamm, who was inspired to take a test through 23andMe after her daughter Isabella had done so. She said her daughter was curious about her ethnic background, and her results turned up some relatives that they didn’t know about.

One of those relatives, John,  asked questions to see how they were related, Hamm said. They couldn’t figure out the connection, so they chalked it up to them being distant relatives.

Hamm, who just turned 50, said when her husband, Erik, didn’t use a test she bought him, she decided to use it herself. She and her twin sister, Karla, grew up in Whitestone with their parents, sister and four older half-siblings from her mother’s first marriage, and she said the tight-knit family never suspected any other close relations.

On Aug. 4, a month after sending in her test, Hamm said she read her results and was surprised to see she had three half-siblings she didn’t know existed: John, Irene and Elaine. At first, she thought it was a fluke.

She said the younger of her new half-siblings, Irene, was curious and the two of them were texting one day when Hamm was out on the Long Island Sound on her boat. She said she started to realize her mother may have had an affair. Looking at her ethnic background she noticed she was all Italian instead of mixed with Scottish and German heritage as she thought. She gave her twin sister her login information so she could look over the results. It was then when a message from Elaine, one of the newfound half-siblings, wrote back, “We’ve known about our baby twin sisters. We’ve been waiting for you.”

Jennilyne Hamm discovered recently that her biological father, above, was John Joseph Schiavo Sr. and not the man who brought her and her twin sister up. Photo from Jennilyne Hamm

“It’s turned out to be such a wonderful experience,” Hamm said. “Nothing that we ever asked for or looked for or even knew about.”

While Hamm’s parents and older relatives are deceased, the new family members have been able to piece together part of the story. Elaine said she and John found out from two uncles after their father passed away that there were a set of from an extramarital affair. Hamm said she discovered that while the father who raised her, Ed, and her mother wanted to have their own children, they had trouble conceiving. Her mother and biological father, John, had an affair, even though no one knows how they met. When her mother got pregnant, she told John she wanted to raise her child with her husband. Hamm said at the time her mother didn’t know she was pregnant with twins.

“John gracefully bowed out and accepted that, and then later found out through the grapevine that it was twins, and he respected my mother’s wishes,” Hamm said. “Of course, that little girl inside of you still wished that she knew.”

Hamm and her twin sister now know that their biological father was married to a woman named Alice, and they had John and Elaine. After the affair with her mother, Hamm said father John then married a woman named Shelley and had Irene.

A 23andMe representative said the company is hearing of more stories like Hamm’s.

“With genetic testing readily available to consumers, we are increasingly hearing stories of families discovering and reuniting with newfound relatives, and of customers finding unexpected results in their reports,” the spokesperson said.

Jennilyne Hamm, right, was inspired to take a DNA test after her daughter Isabella did and found relatives they did not know about. Photo from Jennilyne Hamm

According to the company, the kits are not designed “to help people confirm parentage or find biological parents.” However, the DNA relatives tool, which is optional for customers, provides an opportunity for users to find and connect with participating genetic relatives. The company also lists a disclaimer that the tool may lead to finding unexpected relatives.

Hamm said the siblings meet on Zoom and talk and text regularly. With Elaine in Texas, John in Florida and Irene in Colorado, the pandemic has made it impossible for Hamm and her sister to meet them in person. However, the hope is that in the future the twins can travel to Florida where Irene’s mother Shelley lives near John, and they all can meet there.

Hamm said she loves sharing the story with everybody.

“It’s funny how God works or the world or whatever you believe in,” she said. “That emptiness I used to feel is finally gone.”

by -
0 3288
1 of 5
The cover jacket of Steven Drielak's latest book
Long Meadow farmhouse shortly after the kidnapping. Three Brookhaven Town policeman can be seen standing on the property. Photo courtesy of the Three Village Historical Society
William Parsons and Alice Parson's Frank McDonell conducting a news conference at farm. Photo courtesy of Three Village Historical Society
115 volunteers leaving the Stony Brook Boys's School auditorium to being the search for Alice Parsons. Photo courtesy of the Three Village Historical Society
This New York Daily News front page on June 11, 1937 was similar to others in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco. Photo courtesy of Newspapers.com
Forensic expert delves into disappearance of Stony Brook heiress

Reviewed by Rita J. Egan

The only thing more intriguing than a mystery is a true story that happened practically in the reader’s back yard. That’s the case with author Steven C. Drielak’s book Long Island’s Vanished Heiress: The Unsolved Alice Parsons Kidnapping recently released by Arcadia Publishing and The History Press.

Drielak tells the tale of the real-life kidnapping case of 38-year-old Alice McDonell Parsons, the heir to a vast fortune, who disappeared from Long Meadow Farm in Stony Brook on  June 9, 1937. The accounts of three witnesses — her husband, the housekeeper and the housekeeper’s son — were reported in newspapers across the United States. It was a case where the Federal Bureau of Investigation stepped in to help solve, but despite countless interviews, crews combing and revisiting beaches along the north and south shores of Long Island, and the careful excavation of the farm, a body was never discovered.

For Long Islanders, the story will have added appeal with the familiar backdrop of Stony Brook and other local areas mentioned such as Huntington, Bay Shore, Glen Cove and more. While many may be familiar with the case of Alice Parsons, who reportedly was last seen getting into a large black sedan with a couple to show them a family estate in Huntington, there is so much more to learn as Drielak takes the reader on a trip into the past using articles from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, The New York Daily News, The New York Times, and the Chicago Tribune as well as FBI case files.

Right from the beginning, the author shows immense attention to detail as he takes us step by step through the infamous day starting at  6:30 a.m. as Alice Parsons’ husband, William, starts the morning feeding the livestock. He also describes what the Parsons’ Russian housekeeper Anna Kupryanova was doing that morning as well as Anna’s 10-year-old son Roy. We also get to meet Alice before her disappearance.

Early chapters give some background on the main players in this unsolved case. The reader learns of Alice’s privileged past, how William Parsons became involved in agriculture and events that led to Anna’s arrival to the United States. Delving into everyone’s pasts and characters, as well as how they interacted, helps the reader in understanding the possible motives of all the suspects in this case.

What many will find interesting is a case such as this one in the 1930s relied more on interviews and interrogations than forensic science as it wasn’t as developed as it is today. As the story unfolds, so do the clues, confessions and lies.

Making the story even more compelling is a disappearing chloroform bottle, paper found in the house that matches the kidnapper’s ransom note, a near confession and, to add even more to the intrigue, an affair that cannot be ignored.

What will leave the reader even more suspicious of Alice’s husband and housekeeper is the marriage of William and Anna in 1940 before the heiress is declared legally dead. The new couple never waited for a body to be found before starting a life together in California as husband and wife. Their relationship definitely raised eyebrows, especially since Anna was the last to see Alice alive.

There are also transcripts of recorded interviews between William and Anna that were part of the investigation. The conversations are interesting in that it seems as if Anna was dominant in the relationship, telling William he didn’t know what he was talking about when it came to a chloroform bottle being found. She also mentions that Alice is still alive. The conversations are an example of how difficult it was to solve how the heiress disappeared or if she was kidnapped or murdered.

Last but not least, the photos used in the book, many from the author’s personal collection and the Three Village Historical Society, are interesting to see. Local history buffs especially will enjoy them as some of the photos depict Stony Brook in the 1930s with William addressing reporters outside of his home, and volunteers ready to search the area standing outside The Stony Brook School. The photos drive home that this unsolved mystery happened right here in our own back yard.

Author Steven C. Drielak is an internationally recognized expert in the area of Hot Zone Forensic Attribution. He received his master’s degrees from John Jay College of Criminal Justic and has more than 30 years of law enforcement experience. He has authored six textbooks in the areas of environmental crimes, weapons of mass destruction and forensic attribution, as well as two historical fiction novels. Long Island’s Vanished Heiress is available at ArcadiaPublishing.com, Book Revue in Huntington, Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.

by -
0 145
Mario Mattera, left, and Mike Siderakis, right, are both political newcomers running for State Senate District 2. Photos from campaigns

After former state Sen. John Flanagan (R-East Northport) decided to end his political career this summer, leaving his seat in the 2nd District empty for a job with Northwell Health, two contenders emerged for Election Day 2020.

Former state trooper Michael Siderakis, of Nesconset, is running on the Democratic ticket and plumber union official Mario Mattera, of St. James, received the Republican nomination. Siderakis spent nearly 30 years as a New York State Police trooper and was a second vice president for the New York State Troopers Police Benevolent Association. Mattera is the business agent for Plumbers Local 200 and a board member of the Suffolk County Water Authority. He also sits on Smithtown’s advisory board for new construction projects where he has been active with the Lake Avenue Revitalization project. Both candidates are longtime residents and have raised their families in Smithtown hamlets, where their children have attended schools in the Smithtown Central School District.

In a Sept. 28 Zoom debate with TBR News Media, the two candidates discussed the state’s response to COVID-19, school budgets and more. While the two agreed on ways to resolve most issues, they differed regarding bail reform.

Bail Reform

While Siderakis feels the 2019 bail reform bill that limited the number of crimes judges could set bail for needs to be looked at again and revised, Mattera said it should be repealed. 

“Our bail system is not a fair system, where somebody who has $500 available to them for the same crime can go home, while somebody who may not have $500 in the bank for no other reason than the fact that he doesn’t have $500 has to go to jail,” Siderakis said.

‘We need to be safe and businesses need to enforce their own business.’

—Mario Mattera

The Democrat added bail reform should have been put in as a stand-alone bill and not included in the state budget vote. He said he also feels that legislators shouldn’t decide on what crimes require bail, and judges should be able to decide on a case-by-case basis.

Mattera said the bail system needs to go back to the way it was, especially with cases where people have been arrested for looting, robbing, selling drugs and then released only to commit the same crime again.

“It needs to go back to the way it was,” he said. “It’s not working now. I’m very frightened. We need to give the tools back to our law enforcement.”

Education

With talks of a projected 20 to 30 percent cut to state aid for schools, both candidates said they would fight to send money back to schools in the 2nd state Senate District. 

“We have to make sure we have someone up there fighting for our education system down here on Long Island,” Siderakis said, adding it’s important to keep good teachers on Long Island.

Mattera said with 70 percent of residents’ taxes going to education, it was important to make sure local school districts receive their fair share.

“Our children are our futures for all of us,” he said. “For Long Island, we need to make sure they’re part of the workforce and stay here.”

Mattera added that many local schools need updating and the state aid is desperately needed.

Siderakis said the state also needs to stop relying on local property taxes and receive more aid from the state to ensure everyone across New York has a fair and equal education. He said several districts don’t have the same income base, and the state should step up to provide the help needed for equal education.

Mattera said if elected he would take a good look at the budget to see why cutting state aid to education is on the table.

“It shouldn’t even be part of the conversation,” he said.

COVID Response

Both candidates said New York’s response was appropriate at the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis but agreed that business needed to be opened up sooner. They said wearing masks, social distancing and handwashing are important to keep the virus at bay and businesses alive.

Mattera said that unused beds in field hospitals such as the ones at Stony Brook University, the Javits Center and the USNS Comfort should have been considered to decide when a region was reopened. He noted the beds were barely used. Adhering to the public health guidelines are key, he said, as he pointed to the 1,300 members of the plumbers union where only one person contracted the virus. He said he feels people have been educated about the virus and businesses can enforce the public health guidelines. He added that the State Liquor Authority has done a good job where it follows up a complaint with an inspection visit to a restaurant.

“We need to open up,” Mattera said. “We need to be safe and the businesses need to enforce their own business.”

Siderakis said in addition to the state’s response he thought the federal government overall did well with providing businesses with loans through the Paycheck Protection Program, but he feels small businesses need even more help.

‘There are people here who have been here for generations who won’t be able to weather the pandemic.’

—Mike Siderakis

“We have to make sure local stores are treated equally, not just the big box stores,” he said. “People have felt the pain and lost their livelihoods. There are people here that have been here for generations that won’t be able to weather the pandemic.”

Mattera also said he feels it’s important for all students to return to school five days a week for in-person education.

“These kids need their educators,” he said. “They need the interaction with their fellow students.”

Economy

Siderakis said he’s familiar with the problems young people on Long Island face economically with his oldest daughter trying to make it on her own with having an apartment in Port Jefferson.

“I think our small communities have a great advantage to attract businesses here where we can offer the distancing and the safety for workers,” he said.

He added we need to look at traffic patterns to avoid congestions on the roadways.

“We’re going to have to look for alternatives, and businesses are going to have to look outside of the box,” he said.

Mattera said in addition to young people, he’s also concerned about keeping people of all ages in the area. He said the Long Island Innovation Park at Hauppauge is something he worked on with Smithtown officials to make sure it becomes the premier pharmaceutical area not only of the state but in the country providing good jobs, health care and pensions for the future. He said he also sees the potential of the former Kings Park Psychiatric Center and said its future use should be planned carefully.

“We have such great talent that can work right here in the Second District,” Mattera said.

The Republican candidate pointed to the Amazon facility project that was lost to New York City. He said it would have been ideal on the grounds of the former Pilgrim Psychiatric Center in Brentwood due to its proximity to parkways and the Long Island Rail Road.

“It’s a shame that politics lost a project that would have had 25,000 people working there,” Mattera said. “I just can’t understand how politics lost that.” 

Siderakis said he feels the governor has done a great job in attracting businesses to the state and believes the wave of the future is going to be green energy jobs.

“We have to make sure that we make Suffolk County known as the technology center, or Silicon Valley here, of New York state, and make sure we have enough incentives for companies to come here and start up small businesses and have the jobs for the future,” he said.

by -
0 154
From left to right: Town of Huntington Councilman Ed Smyth (R) is going against State Senator Jim Gaughran (D) for a seat in NY’s 5th District. File photos

Town of Huntington Councilman Ed Smyth (R) is looking to unseat state Sen. Jim Gaughran (D-Northport) in the 5th District. Smyth is currently serving his second term on the Town Board, while Gaughran is completing his first term as state senator.

The two participated in an Oct. 16 Zoom debate with the TBR News Media editorial staff to discuss their strategies regarding issues on the forefront of constituents’ minds, including the state’s actions during the pandemic, bail reform, water quality and more.

COVID Response

Both the councilman and senator agreed that the state’s response to the pandemic was appropriate, and the decision to give Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) executive authority was warranted.

“There was no road map for this,” Gaughran said. “Everyone got hit over the head with this.” 

The senator said he still remembers when he and his colleagues being briefed by Dr. Howard Zucker, New York State commissioner of health, back in March about the virus and how there was a need to move forward quickly and give Cuomo the power to make decisions quickly. 

“We went through a lot of pain, and now we’re climbing back,” Gaughran said.

While the senator doesn’t feel businesses should open up fully all at once, he does want them to open as quickly as possible while remaining safe.

Smyth said he wants to help businesses open up quicker as he feels the emergency has now passed regarding the coronavirus and medical professionals have a better grasp on it. He said it needs to be recognized that every type of business has a different need, and that every person can decide to enter a business based on their own health conditions and fears.

“An electrical contractor has a very different need than a restaurant or bowling alley,” Smyth said.

Gaughran said his office has been working closely with businesses to identify their needs and wants. He has seen many working well with the new public health guidelines,

“I’m working every day with businesses in my district trying to help them reopen fully but safely,” he said. “But these decisions shouldn’t be made by politicians, they should be made by health officials.”

Smyth agreed that legislators need to sit down with health officials and let them weigh in. He said during the pandemic, some of the guidelines were applied unfairly and unevenly, and he said he didn’t understand why a person could go on a plane but not go to church or a gym.

“The quarantine is being applied unequally, while one size doesn’t fit all,” Smyth said. “The logic behind this, to me, doesn’t pass a common sense test.”

Gaughran said he has seen some unfairness, but he said with slight upticks in the infection rate, “we need to be safe.”

LIPA

A hot topic in the district has been the Long Island Power Authority’s Northport power plant.  For years, many local residents have been waiting for a settlement with LIPA. The Northport power plant was taxed at $86 million, which LIPA said was overassessed, and the entity was seeking a court-order reduction which could have led to a 90% cut of taxes for the company. This in turn would have led the Town of Huntington being responsible for an $800 million refund to LIPA and school taxes would have been raised.

A recently proposed settlement, agreed on by the Northport-East Northport school district and the town, will cut LIPA’s taxes to $46 million from $86 million over the next seven years, lessening the burden a court-ordered reduction would have imposed.

Gaughran said the town should be obligated to make the final agreement accessible to residents.

“Until you get the final agreement, you don’t know exactly what it is,” he said.

Smyth said while the details of the settlement are still being worked out, all information so far has been made public. He said looking over the case, “it was begging to settle,” adding the power plant had been overly assessed and calling it “a dinosaur.”

“It would be great if it could be redeveloped into a far more efficient plant,” he said, adding that would be up to LIPA.

Education

Smyth said by nature he is a “debt hawk” and doesn’t believe in any government going into debt, but regarding school funding and with the COVID-19 impact, he said it may be appropriate to accrue some debt to ensure schools are funded properly. He said it’s also important to comb through the budget to find any abuse, citing a recent audit by New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli (D) that found millions of dollars of abuse from the Medicaid program. 

“Every line item has to earn its way into the budget, but school funding should not be a negotiable item,” Smyth said.

Gaughran said he was behind a bill that made the 2% tax cap permanent in New York state, adding that he thought the new permanent law would be a “game changer.” He said he was also proud that he brought more school aid to his district than ever before during his first year in office. The state senator said if President Donald Trump (R) gets reelected he is concerned that the state won’t receive the federal funding it needs. Without the proper federal and state funding, it will add to the property tax burden and more people will leave the state.

“This is a very slippery slope,” Gaughran said.

Smyth pointed out that whether or not New York receives federal aid is not solely Trump’s decision, as the house and senate also vote on aid too.

“It’s not solely one person calling all the shots in Washington, D.C.,” Smyth said.

Bail Reform

Smyth said the bail reform bill that was passed in 2019 needs to be repealed, saying the results of the bill have been “disastrous.”

“No one should ever spend a night in jail for an expired registration, but low-level crimes were a Trojan horse that carried far more serious crimes into the bail reform bill,” Smyth said.

Gaughran said the bill was originally presented on its own merits but was blocked by many legislators which led to the governor inserting it into the budget. Gaughran said it was important to get passed the permanent 2 percent tax cap, which was also in the same budget, and he wasn’t going to walk away from schools.

“At the end of the day when you get to Albany you have to make some tough choices sometimes, and when you’re making those decisions you have to decide whether or not you’re going to vote on a budget based on what’s in it,” the senator said.

He added that he met with colleagues and law enforcement representatives after the bail reform bill was passed, and he and others immediately filed a bill to restore some violent offences back to allowing judges to set terms of bail.

Smyth said Gaughran should have been standing on his desk arguing the bail reform law. He calling any changes made to the reform “window dressing.”

Protecting Waterways

Both candidates discussed the importance of protecting the health of local waterways. 

Smyth said he is a big proponent of homeowners being allowed to demolish debilitated homes and rebuilding a new one while keeping the current tax assessment as long as it is the same size. He said in doing so septic tanks and heating systems would be updated. He pointed out that what goes into the ground we eventually drink or wash into the harbors and bays. Providing an incentive to update septic systems would help to secure the health of local waters.

Gaughran said he recommends that the New York State Department of Conservation cracks down on New York City storm runoffs, which eventually flows into the Long Island Sound. He also is in favor of updating septic systems and working on ways to install sewer systems, water filtration systems and rain gardens. If he gets reelected, he said he has a plan to provide funding to municipalities to do just that.

by -
0 112
Drivers need to proceed with caution when they spot deer on the side of roadway. File photo by Phil Schiavone

Deer grazing near roadways may look innocent but they can pose a possible hazard — even a deadly one — for drivers.

As fall arrives, the animals’ presence becomes an even greater danger. A higher percentage of deer are now more likely to dart out into the road as they are in the midst of their rutting season, which runs from October through December. Driving during dusk and dawn exacerbates the problem with reduced visibility.

According to a press release from AAA Northeast, there were 36,445 animal crashes in New York State in 2019, and the number of crashes has increased over the past five years. Suffolk County was found to have the third highest amount of animal crashes with 1,415. In 2019, Brookhaven had 423 animal crashes while Smithtown had 120.

The data was taken from the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research, an affiliate with the University at Albany’s Rockefeller College of Public Affairs, which does not cite which animals were involved in the crash. However AAA Northeast said in its press release that “data from New York and other states previous years found deer were involved in 88 to 98 percent of crashes.”

“Striking a deer can be extremely dangerous, with the animal possibly going through the windshield, seriously injuring or killing the driver and passengers,” said Robert Sinclair Jr., spokesman for AAA Northeast.

AAA Northeast recommends drivers brake gently and avoid swerving when encountering any animals.

“Going to the right could send the vehicle into a ditch, tree or light pole,” the AAA Northeast press release said. “Swerving to the left could result in a lethal head-on crash. Even hitting the brakes hard could send the front end of the vehicle into a nosedive, promoting the animal rolling up the hood and through the windshield.”

Other tips from AAA and insurance companies include:

● Be extra cautious when you see a deer-crossing sign along a roadway. The sign means that there have been deer-vehicle collisions near the sign location.

● Decrease speed when you approach deer near roadsides as they can bolt out or change direction quickly. If you see a deer, look for others as they are herd animals and usually travel in groups. Especially during rutting season when a buck may be chasing a doe.

● Move your vehicle to a safe place if you hit an animal. If possible, pull over to the side of the road and turn on your hazard lights. If you must leave your vehicle, stay off the road and out of the way of any oncoming vehicles.

● Call the police. Alert authorities if the animal is blocking traffic and creating a threat for other drivers. If the collision results in injury, death or more than $1,000 in property damage, you must fill out an official crash report and send it to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles.

● Look for leaking fluid, loose parts, tire damage, broken lights, a hood that won’t latch and other safety hazards. If your vehicle seems unsafe in any way, call for a tow truck.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation recommends not getting out of your car and approaching an injured animal as they can strike out with their legs or hooves. In Brookhaven, residents can call the Animal Shelter at 631-451-6950 to report deceased deer on the road or curbside. Town employees cannot remove animals found on front lawns, backyards or on driveways.

by -
0 135
1 of 5
A classic car takes part in the Oct. 11 rolling car show in Commack and East Northport. Photo by Jennifer Castillo
A classic car takes part in the Oct. 11 rolling car show in Commack and East Northport. Photo by Jennifer Castillo
A classic car takes part in the Oct. 11 rolling car show in Commack and East Northport. Photo by Jennifer Castillo
A classic car takes part in the Oct. 11 rolling car show in Commack and East Northport. Photo by Jennifer Castillo
A classic car takes part in the Oct. 11 rolling car show in Commack and East Northport. Photo by Jennifer Castillo

Residents in Commack and East Northport were treated to a rolling car show Oct. 11. The show was the eighth one that took place this year and the last for 2020. Smithtown resident Patty Mancuso organized the events and started the Facebook page Smithtown Rolling Car show. “I started this because there were no car shows this spring, something me and my husband Phil really look forward to,” she said. “As I watched one SUV birthday parade after another pass my house while working from home, I dreamed of something better to watch.” Mancuso said after choosing what neighborhood to drive through, she would map out the route and contact residents through the Nextdoor app. During the last few months, the rolling car show has been spotted in Smithtown, Hauppauge, Dix Hills, Commack, East Northport and Kings Park.  Photos by Jennifer Castillo

by -
0 1556
David Dombroff, above, opened the Rolling Pin 25 years ago with former business partner Beth Litt . Photo by Rita J. Egan

Hitting a milestone such as 25 years in business is a sweet accomplishment to celebrate but, due to the pandemic, Rolling Pin bakery had to scale down its plans.

The Rolling Pin bakery celebrated 25 years in business this September. Photo by Rita J. Egan

Owner David Dombroff said the hope was for current and past employees to come together at a gala at the Setauket Neighborhood House this year.

“We had gotten in touch with so many people — many who worked through high school at the bakery and now some have kids of their own,” he said. “Social media helped us get in touch with dozens of people from a long time ago.”

While the gala couldn’t take place due to state guidelines that limit indoor gatherings to 50 people or less, the Rolling Pin owner and employees still celebrated by giving out free cupcakes on the bakery’s anniversary Sept. 22 and then again Sept. 26 at its Three Village Shopping Center location.

The pandemic has been a big blow to bakeries. Dombroff said baking wedding cakes is a significant part of business, and while people are still celebrating and ordering cakes, the sizes of them are much smaller than usual.

“This was by far the biggest hit — we lost over 70% of the business — and are still down nearly that much — as all of our wholesale accounts have shut down,” the bakery owner said. “This time of year we would typically be making 45 to 55 wedding cakes per weekend.”

During the pandemic, Dombroff said the bakery adapted by offering curbside pickup and working with the food delivery service DoorDash.

Dombroff, who has lived in Setauket for 30 years, grew up in the local small business world. His father for 15 years was the owner of Bagel King that was once located in the same shopping center where Rolling Pin is today.

After high school, Dombroff attended The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park and completed the program with his associate in occupational studies degree by 19. After working in the culinary field for a hotel chain in both Boston and Long Island, he said he realized the corporate culinary business wasn’t for him.

He went on to work in his father’s bagel store for a few years, he said, and when he heard the former Glendale Bakery was for sale, he bought it. At first, Dombroff went into business with Beth Litt-Wahl. After five years, she went on to work for Whole Foods and now has a line of brittles called Brittle & Beyond.

“Through the ups and downs of running a small business, he was able to pivot and make it work throughout it all. He has wonderful support from his Rolling Pin bakery team, family and friends.”

— Beth Litt-Wahl

Litt-Wahl said she is proud of Dombroff for keeping the bakery open for 25 years and wished the Rolling Pin team continued success.

“Through the ups and downs of running a small business, he was able to pivot and make it work throughout it all,” she said. “He has wonderful support from his Rolling Pin bakery team, family and friends.”

While Dombroff no longer has a business partner, store manager Rene Augello has worked for the bakery for more than 19 years. Augello graduated from Suffolk County Community College’s culinary arts program, where Dombroff said he’s been teaching one class each semester for 15 years.

Augello said working for the bakery is an amazing experience.

“I love being a part of the community bakery,” she said. “I get such a sense of pride when I see the trucks out on the road knowing they are going all over the Island to make people happy. After 19 years of working for the Rolling Pin, I am still in awe at how much production can come out of one little store, and I’m so proud to be a part of it.”

For eight years, the bakery owner also ran a second Rolling Pin location in Bay Shore. Dombroff said while he loved the area and people, “we couldn’t replicate the magic from Setauket” and closed the doors to that store last year.

Looking toward the future, while he and his wife Marlo, who works at Stony Brook Medicine, have two children Benjamin and Sydney, he said he doesn’t foresee them going into the business.

Through the quarter of a century, Dombroff has seen dramatic changes in the bakery industry, especially with supermarkets and warehouse clubs selling baked goods, so he’s thankful for Three Village and nearby residents.

“Thankfully, the community has supported us through the years by shopping local,” he said. “This is what allows us and other small businesses to survive against these chain stores. Otherwise, we will all be left with just a few places to shop and none too close or very good.”

by -
0 102
Michael Ehrlich, left, is walking more than 100 miles to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. His daughter Rachael, right, was diagnosed with the condition in 2016. Photo from Michael Ehrlich

Last Friday, a South Setauket resident started walking, heading east on Route 347 with the hopes of possibly making it to Riverhead. He wasn’t worried about the distance, as the long journey wasn’t his first.

“You really have to retool how you fundraise, and I was like, ‘You know what, it’s my calling. I need to go on another walk.’”

— Michael Ehrlich

Michael Ehrlich, 49, is in training to walk 107 miles Columbus Day weekend with the goal of raising $50,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The nonprofit funds Type 1 diabetes research, provides community services to T1D patients and advocates for them. Ehrlich will walk from the Manhattan side of the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge to Orient Point beginning Saturday, Oct. 10. He estimates that it will take roughly 50 hours.

The T1D battle is a personal one for him, as his 16-year-old daughter Rachael was diagnosed with the condition in 2016. At first his family had to wait for the insurance company to approve a much-needed insulin pump for her, and a couple of years ago she was finally able to get it. With the pump and continuous glucose monitoring, the Ward Melville High School student is doing well.

Ehrlich has raised money for the foundation before by walking more than 100 miles. In 2017, the father, who was featured in a TBR News Media article for his effort, garnered nearly $35,000 by walking from Manhattan’s Times Square to Montauk Point. He had hoped to participate in other events to raise money for JDRF, and in 2018 walked from his house to Manhattan and was training to run in the New York City Marathon to represent JDRF, but an ankle injury acted up. Despite the injury, he raised an additional $32,000 with smaller events

The injury is one he has suffered with on and off since his 2017 walk, but he knew it was important to get back out there walking to raise money for the foundation.

“It must be really hard to fundraise as a nonprofit when they can’t have their balls and charity events,” he said. “You really have to retool how you fundraise, and I was like, ‘You know what, it’s my calling. I need to go on another walk.’”

To deal with his injury he wears Hoka sneakers, which he said aren’t the most attractive but provide good support, and he utilizes Chi walking when his foot hurts. He learned the method, which uses the core principles of T’ai Chi, before his 2017 walk.

“It’s not the most intuitive walking style but it’s definitely the most pain-free way to do it,” he said. “It’s just having the discipline because you do have to think about a whole bunch of things at the same time.”

To get ready for the trek, Ehrlich has been walking for hours at a time, sometimes late at night or in the early morning hours which will prepare him for walking overnight. When he’s done with his practice walks, he’ll either call his wife to pick him up, or if it’s late, he’ll use Uber to get home.

During his first fundraising walk in 2017, Ehrlich said he chose the South Shore because it had less of an elevation increase than the North Shore. But this time, he wanted to travel through places such as the Three VIllage area.

“It’s not like you’re hiking a mountain, but there are a lot of hills,” he said

Another change from his 2017 walk is that Ehrlich won’t be carrying a backpack with several essentials. He said he plans on having a waist belt with water, an energy bar and batteries. To eat and drink along the way he’ll rely on friends and anyone who hears about his journey. A couple of friends have also offered to walk part of the distance with him.

“Mike is a passionate guy that loves his family, community and the outdoors.”

— Carmine Inserra

Carmine Inserra said he hopes to join Ehrlich on part of the walk if his schedule allows. The two belong to the Facebook group Three Village Dads and recently the both of them completed the virtual Michael P. Murphy Run Around the Lake Half Marathon.

“Mike is a passionate guy that loves his family, community and the outdoors,” Inserra said. “This walk to Orient and his previous one to Montauk just shows how committed he is to them and juvenile Type 1 diabetes.”

Inserra added that Ehrlich has raised awareness that diabetes isn’t about poor dietary habits and there is a need for more research.

He has raised nearly $35,000 already, he said, from 291 donors toward this year’s $50,000 goal. The father said many have donated through his professional network in the mortgage industry, as well as previous donors and members of the Three Village Dads Facebook group, which he belongs to.

“Before the walk, during the walk or after the walk, I really want to get that $50,000,” he said. “I think I will. People are pretty generous.”

Maureen Fitzgerald, executive director of JDRF’s Greater New York City chapter, said the foundation was started 50 years ago by volunteers who wanted to see a world without T1D for their children. She said Ehrlich is one of the people who carries on that vision and in a “highly unique” way.

“When Michael walked from Times Square to Montauk in 2017 to bring attention to JDRF and to the daily struggle that his daughter Rachael faces as she manages her Type 1 diabetes, we marveled — not only at his stamina, but at his clear love for his daughter and his willingness to raise awareness and funds, whatever it took,” Fitzgerald said. “Today, as Michael prepares to embark on this journey for a second time, our JDRF team marvels all over again — at his energy, his enthusiasm, his love for Rachael, and his power to teach many about what the 1.6 million Americans living with T1D face every day.”

For more info on the fundraiser and Ehrlich arrival times for the walk visit his Facebook page, Manhattan2Montauk.

Prev1...434445...112Next Page 44 of 112
TBR News Media is your local news and entertainment website.
We provide you with the latest breaking news and information for your community.
Contact us: [email protected]

Most Viewed

©