Home Authors Posts by Rita J. Egan

Rita J. Egan

1114 POSTS 0 COMMENTS

North Shore Trump Supporters Rally in Car Caravan

by Rita J. Egan - September 22, 2020

0 206

1 of 5

More than 1,000 supporters of President Donald Trump (R) took to county roads Sept. 20 to participate in a car and truck rally.

The rally started in East Northport at the AMC movie theater parking lot. At 11 a.m., participants started heading east on Route 25. The caravan then continued on Route 58 to travel through Riverhead and Greenport.

The rally caught the attention of the president who tweeted, “THANK YOU! #MAGA.”

In a Sept. 21 Facebook post, the rally organizer Shawn Farash said he finally had a chance to reflect on the day.

“We were heard, seen, and it resonated,” Farash wrote. “It reached people. Young and old. We did that. We packed out that movie theater lot. We took over the North Fork, and we declared together, the phrase I’ve heard from so many of you over the past few days, that we will be #SILENTNOMORE.”

Family and Friends Come Together to Remember Hap Barnes

by Rita J. Egan - September 18, 2020

0 120

Hap-Barnes-Memorial_091420_Patricia Paladines — At the Sept. 12 memorial, Tom Manuel, founder of The Jazz Loft, led a six-piece jazz band followed by Barnes’ Model A car around the pond. Photo by Patricia Paladines

1 of 5

Those who knew and loved Hap Barnes finally had the chance to pay their respects to his family and memory at the Red Barn in Frank Melville Memorial Park the morning of Sept. 12.

Barnes died July 8 from complications of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He was 84 years old.

A long-serving trustee of Frank Melville Memorial Foundation, Barnes for many years was building and grounds manager of the park where he oversaw all maintenance and improvement projects.

At the Sept. 12 memorial, Tom Manuel, founder of The Jazz Loft, led a six-piece jazz band followed by Barnes’ Model A car around the pond.

Family and friends had the opportunity to say a few words, and as the service ended, many witnessed in the sky three bald eagles circling the barn, which was dedicated to him.

Incumbents Retain Seats in Old Field and Poquott

by Rita J. Egan - September 17, 2020

0 1008

Election results were announced in both the villages of Old Field and Poquott after ballots were tallied Sept. 15

Poquott

While only three names were officially on the ballot in the Village of Poquott — one for mayor and two for trustee — three additional residents garnered votes as a few dozen wrote in Dianna Padilla for mayor and Debbie Stevens and Felicia Chillak for trustee. All three have run unsuccessfully in the past.

At the end of the night, current trustee Chris Schleider won his quest for mayor with 237 votes, while Padilla garnered 54. Current mayor Dee Parrish and trustee Jacqueline Taylor won the two open trustee seats with 231 and 217, respectively. Stevens garnered 55 votes and Chillak received 61.

uOld Field

Trustee Bruce Feller is the new mayor of Old Field, garnering 80 votes the night of Sept. 15. Entering election day Tom Pirro was the only candidate on the ballot for trustee, even though two seats were open but residents wrote in former trustee and deputy mayor Thomas Gulbransen. Pirro regained his seat with 69 votes, and Gulbransen will be on the village board once again with 26 write-in votes.

Student-Athletes Protest to Get Some Fall Playing Time

by Rita J. Egan - September 17, 2020

0 155

Section-XI-rally_091520_ritajegan — Student-athletes and parents from across Suffolk County showed up at the Section XI offices Sept. 15 to protest the council’s decision to push fall sports into next year. Photo by Rita J. Egan

North Shore students say they want to play.

Student-athletes and parents from across Suffolk County showed up at the Section XI offices Sept. 15 to protest the council’s decision to push fall sports into next year. Photo by Rita J. Egan

More than a hundred young athletes and their parents rallied in front of 180 E. Main St. in Smithtown Sept. 15. The building houses the offices of Section XI, which manages Suffolk County high school sports.

Last week the athletic council voted to postpone the fall sports season and condense all three seasons to run from January through June next year. The Nassau County Council of School Superintendents had already decided to postpone sports, both councils citing the potential for increased positive cases of COVID-19 as well as the costs associated with meeting coronavirus restrictions at games. The decision is contrary to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s (D) August announcement stating schools could allow certain sports to practice and compete starting in September, such as cross country, track and soccer, which have been deemed low to medium risk. Sports that were originally excluded from a fall start included football and volleyball.

The Sept. 15 rally was organized by field hockey players Carolena Purpura, a 12th-grader at Harborfields High School, and Jenna Halpin, a high school senior from Locust Valley High School. Halpin started the Let Them Play social media campaign. The two spoke at the event along with state Assemblyman Mike Fitzpatrick (R-St. James).

Halpin said students were excited after Cuomo’s August announcement.

“We texted our teammates, we dusted off our gear and got ready to play, something we were waiting five months to do,” Halpin said.

Purpura said she wonders why surrounding states have figured out how school sports can continue during the pandemic but not Long Island. She added how playing sports is good for mental health, serving as an outlet for pent-up energy or emotions. She said many times during a bad day at school she has imagined being on the field, and it’s a way for many to express themselves like others may do with music and art.

“There’s more to sports than competition, championships and making friends,” she said. “It goes way deeper than that and serves a greater purpose.”

Fitzpatrick said Cuomo and other state officials have stated it’s important to follow the science.

“The science has shown that we can do sports and other activities safely,” Fitzpatrick said, adding that practices such as social distancing, wearing masks and other safety protocols can be incorporated so students can play sports like they are doing in other states.

Fitzpatrick, a former student basketball player, encouraged the attendees to contact their elected officials on the state, county and town levels to put pressure on Section XI to let them play.

Athletes from several school districts including Miller Place, Comsewogue, Three Village, Smithtown, Hauppauge, Central Islip and more were on hand.

Hauppauge’s Jamie Devine, a 12th-grader who plays soccer and basketball, said if other states are able to practice sports and local students can attend classes in person, she doesn’t understand why Long Islanders can’t participate in sports, especially soccer which is played outside. The high school senior said she played in basketball tournaments in Pennsylvania this summer where everyone wore masks to the games, and everyone was fine.

“Not being able to play is really upsetting to me, because I’ve worked hard since I was little and to never get to play again upsets me,” she said.

Ward Melville cross country team members Katelyn Giordano, Alexis Bell and Julia Bell said they were training all summer. Finding out they couldn’t compete this fall, they said, was disappointing, especially when last season was cut short and they weren’t able to go to winter nationals or compete in the spring.

Miller Place High School senior Jonathan Flannery, who plays football, wrestling and lacrosse, said he feels robbed.

“Everyone has been dreaming of their senior year of football since we were [little], and it just feels so abrupt, and it’s just not right,” he said. “I’ll come back in the middle of the summer just to play a season. I don’t care. I didn’t play my last game yet.”

Elected Officials Send a Plea to Washington

by Rita J. Egan - September 16, 2020

0 61

Lee-Zeldin_local-legislators-091420-Smithtown_ritajegan — Local legislators joined U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R) at a press conference Sept. 14 in Smithtown. Photo by Rita J. Egan

Town of Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R) invited elected officials from across Suffolk County and from all levels of government to join him Monday, Sept. 14, on the front steps of Town Hall to send a plea for help to the capital as Congress members prepare to negotiate the next federal COVID-19 package.

Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine speaks at the Sept. 14 press conference in Smithtown. Photo by Rita J. Egan

On hand was U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY1), who along with Rep. Antonio Delgado (D-NY19) introduced the Direct Support for Communities Act in the House of Representatives. The bill was also introduced in the Senate by New York Sens. Chuck Schumer (D) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D).

Wehrheim said the legislators are calling on Congress for direct coronavirus funding while their municipalities face historic financial shortfalls. He thanked Zeldin for working across the aisle and advocating for a bipartisan proposal for the funding that local governments could use for essential services and to offset lost revenues during the ongoing pandemic.

Zeldin said while there has been legislation to provide relief for families, small businesses and for state and local governments under the CARES Act, there was still more that needed to be done.

He gave the example of the Town of Brookhaven, which was excluded from the last relief package. The congressman said for a town to receive CARES Act funding directly it needed a population of more than 500,000. Brookhaven has just under that number. The town had requested $12 million from the federal government, according to Zeldin.

“It’s very important that if and when Congress provides additional support for state and local governments, that the money that is sent from D.C. to Albany actually makes its way to the constituents represented by the men and women who are here.”

— Lee Zeldin

“The formula of how that CARES Act money was distributed was very strict to ensure that the money could only be used for COVID-19 related expenses,” he said. “It’s important for there not only to be more funding for state and local governments, but also more flexibility in how that money is spent.”

The legislation introduced recently by Zeldin would allow a new formula to disperse relief funding based on population. Under the new guidelines, if the act is passed, Brookhaven could potentially receive the $12 million.

Zeldin said with the new formula half the money would go to the counties based on population and the other half to towns, cities and villages.

“It’s very important that if and when Congress provides additional support for state and local governments, that the money that is sent from D.C. to Albany actually makes its way to the constituents represented by the men and women who are here,” the congressman said.

During his speech, four protesters jeered Zeldin as he spoke and held up signs, one of which read, “Lazy Lee Must Go! CD1 Deserves Better!”

Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) also spoke at the press conference. He said the pandemic has shut down the economy and the effects will reverberate for the next 100 years. He thanked Zeldin for his help with what he called “a rescue bill.”

“Government is no different than the average family,” he said. “Our revenues are down, and we still must provide services. We need some help. We need some leadership.”

Town of Huntington Supervisor Chad Lupinacci speaks at the Sept. 14 press conference in Smithtown. Photo by Rita J. Egan

Huntington Supervisor Chad Lupinacci (R) said since the middle of March towns have provided much needed essential services such as senior centers providing meals for those in need, garbage pickup and public safety agencies patrolling the beaches and parks, which he said may have seen more visitors in the last few months than in the last 15 years. He added that the continuity of services continued without federal assistance and it’s important to remember that the future is unknown with COVID-19.

Suffolk County Comptroller John Kennedy Jr. (R) said the coronavirus has wreaked havoc on every aspect of county and local government functions.

“We are on the verge of utter collapse, and without intervention and swift intervention from the federal government, our county government and local governments will no longer exist as we know them here,” the comptroller said. “And guess what? We deserve better. We deserve better from Washington. We deserve a government that is going to actually be receptive to this crisis.”

New York State Assemblyman Mike Fitzpatrick (R-St. James), Suffolk County Legislators Leslie Kennedy (R-Nesconset) and Rob Trotta (R- Fort Salonga), plus Islip Supervisor Angie Carpenter (R), Riverhead Supervisor Yvette Aguiar (R), Southampton Supervisor Jay Schneiderman (D) and New York State Assemblyman Fred Thiele (I-Sag Harbor) also spoke at the event to show their support for the bipartisan bill.

Huntington Officials Join Families to Remember Those Lost on 9/11

by Rita J. Egan - September 13, 2020

0 115

1 of 12

Due to attendance limitations for gatherings during the pandemic, only a few dozen joined town officials Friday at the 9/11 Memorial in Huntington’s Heckscher Park to pay tribute to residents lost 19 years ago.

Families of the 43 Huntington victims were invited to the ceremony, while visitors to the park observed the event from outside the event area. Bill Ober, chairman of the town’s Veterans Advisory Board, led the Pledge of Allegiance, while Linda Catania performed the national anthem and Rabbi Yaakov Raskin delivered an invocation.

Supervisor Chad Lupinacci (R), Councilwoman Joan Cergol (D), Town Clerk Andrew Raia and Receiver of Taxes Jillian Guthman read the names of 43 residents and first responders who perished in the attacks. Ober and Fred Amore, vice chairman of the Veterans Advisory Board, delivered a bell salute for each victim. After reading the names, each town official placed roses in a vase.

The event ended with a moment of silence and Catania singing “God Bless America.” Raia also read a poem titled “Remember the Towers,” which was written by his former New York State Assembly staff member, the late Jack Townsend, and Amore played taps on the electric bugle.

Smithtown Remembers Residents Lost on 9/11

by Rita J. Egan - September 11, 2020

0 140

1 of 17

Smithtown legislators, clergy, fire department and chamber members joined families of local residents who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001.

The ceremony was held at the Smithtown 9/11 Memorial Friday and included prayers, Rabbi Mendel Teldon from Chabad of Mid-Suffolk blowing the shofar horn, the reading of the victims’ names and a wreath laying at the memorial. The town limited attendance to the event due to COVID-19 and live streamed it via Facebook Live.

Current Slate of Old Field Candidates Leaves One Seat Open

by Rita J. Egan - September 11, 2020

0 887

Trustee Bruce Feller runs for mayor in 2020 election

Old Field Lighthouse-2 — The Old Field Lighthouse. Photo by Huberto Pimental

When it comes to one trustee position, Old Field residents will find no candidates on the ballot during the Sept. 15 election.

While trustee Bruce Feller is running for mayor this year, only current board member Tom Pirro, a certified public accountant, will be on the ballot for the two available trustee seats. Both candidates were elected to their current positions in 2018.

If there are no write-in candidates, the trustees will appoint someone to the seat.

Feller said he knew in 2019 he would run after current Mayor Michael Levine decided not to run again after 12 years in the position. While elections were originally scheduled in March, they were moved to September due to the pandemic.

Feller, besides his current two years on the board, served as a village trustee in 1998 after taking over the expired term of Barbara Swartz when she became mayor. He and his wife, Marianne, in the past have also served on a village committee to preserve the Old Field lighthouse.

Feller said regarding the board, which includes a mayor and four trustees, he plans to treat it as “a hand.”

“Those five fingers have to work together,” he said. “They each have different roles — each finger including the opposing thumb — and those roles can shift through any of the five of us. My view is I’m no more or less than one out of five votes.”

He said usually after a March election the trustees would be sworn in during April and wouldn’t hit the ground running until the next board meeting. He said this year after the election and the votes are counted, elected officials will serve in their positions immediately.

The Village of Old Field will hold its election Tuesday, Sept. 15, from noon to 9 p.m. at the Keeper’s Cottage located at 207 Old Field Road.

Village of Poquott Election Set for Sept. 15

by Rita J. Egan - September 10, 2020

0 936

Poquott-Village-Hallw — The Incorporated Village of Poquott. File photo

Despite contentious elections in the past, this year the Village of Poquott’s races for mayor and two trustee seats are both unchallenged.

Chris Schleider is running for mayor of Poquott. Photo from candidate

Trustee Christopher Schleider will be running for mayor Sept. 15. A teacher and lifeguard at Robert Moses State Park, he has been a trustee in the village for three years. He said he decided to run for mayor because he wants “to be a part of all of the good things that are happening in the village.”

Schleider is impressed with how Poquott has dealt with the pandemic, and during the last few months he has witnessed residents volunteering their time to help with landscaping and cleaning up debris after Tropical Storm Isaias.

“Through all of the uncertainty of these past months, I have been inspired as residents and the board displayed their ‘can do’ spirit, working together to overcome the many challenges the village faced,” he said.

As mayor, Schleider said he hopes to build not only on the sense of community but also “ensure that, together, our village will be able to handle whatever comes next.”

Current mayor Dee Parrish as well as trustee Jacqueline Taylor will be running for the two empty trustee seats. Taylor was appointed to the board after William Poupis’ departure as trustee in July 2019.

Parrish has been mayor for six years. One of her main projects during her tenure was ensuring the construction of the village dock, which was completed in June 2019. The mayor said in an email that the dock has been an asset to the Poquott community, and during the pandemic, “it gave our residents a place to go and a place to run into neighbors during a troubling period of isolation.”

She said besides resident boaters and fishers using the dock, the Setauket Harbor Task Force has used it twice for environmental studies.

Parrish, who publicly stated on the three candidates’ campaign website that she didn’t receive much training from the administration prior to hers, has also said she spent a good amount of time during her last term to train and prepare the “next generation.” In an email she said she decided to stay on as trustee to provide a smooth transition among other things.

“I decided to stay on as trustee because there are still other projects that I want to see completed for the village — projects I’ve been working on directly with residents that are still counting on,” she said. “I’m also staying on to facilitate a smooth transition for the next mayor by being available to answer any questions or assist in any way based on my six-and-a-half years’ experience on the board of trustees. I have always volunteered for the village and plan on doing so for years to come with or without a position on the board.”

Village of Poquott residents can vote in person Tuesday, Sept. 15, from noon to 9 p.m. at Village Hall located at 45 Birchwood Ave. One voter at a time will be admitted inside to vote and everybody is required to wear a mask and socially distance.

Stony Brook Resident Walks Away from Popular Show with $52.5K

by Rita J. Egan - September 8, 2020

0 189

Celeste-WElls — Celeste Wells on the "Wheel of Fortune" set. Photo by Carol Kaelson

One Three Village woman is finally able to talk about a lucky winter trip.

It was nerve-wracking but, once you get into it, your adrenaline kicks in and you’re excited and you want to win.’

— Celeste Wells

At the end of February, Celeste Wells and her husband, Bill, traveled to California after she was chosen to be a contestant on the game show “Wheel of Fortune.” Like all participants on the show, Wells, along with her husband and two friends who attended the taping, had to keep quiet about how well she did.

While she taped the show Feb. 27, the episode didn’t air until Sept. 3 as production shut down soon after her visit because of the pandemic and the episode took longer to air than usual. The Stony Brook resident of 15 years, who lived in Kings Park for 30 years prior, said it was difficult to keep her winnings a secret with everyone asking her questions about how she did.

The night of the airing, Wells’ son Bill and his family came over to see the results. She said she turned off her answering machine to make sure her daughter Suzanne, who lives in Rochester, and other relatives who would see the show earlier due to different broadcasting times in other areas, wouldn’t call and give anything away before her son’s family saw the show.

Wells, who will turn 80 on Sept. 11, said at first, she was trailing behind the other two contestants, who had about $11,000 each, and she made a couple of mistakes solving puzzles. With one round, she admitted she forgot to take the clue into consideration. She added that it’s easier to solve the puzzles at home watching, which she has done for more than 30 years.

“Now I’m a little more sympathetic with the players when they make mistakes,” Wells said.

Soon her luck changed and her total climbed to $15,500, even though she was unaware she had taken the lead until host Pat Sajak started approaching her.

“I hadn’t even realized it until Pat walked over to me that I was the winner, and I was going to go to the bonus round,” she said. “I was in shock.”

In that bonus round, Wells solved the puzzle correctly by guessing “group of wild boars.” She then picked an envelope with her prize, which turned out to be $37,000. The amount commemorates the 37th season in syndication of “Wheel of Fortune.”

“It was nerve-wracking but, once you get into it, your adrenaline kicks in and you’re excited and you want to win,” she said.

Wells said she wasn’t sure she would make the Feb. 27 taping due to a scheduled trip to Florida March 1, but she and her husband were able to work it out and flew to California Feb. 26. Wells said the staff produces six episodes a day. She arrived at 7:30 a.m. and had the opportunity to meet the show’s hostess Vanna White before filming.

She and other contestants practiced spinning the wheel, which weighs about 2,400 pounds, before taping. Standing 4 feet, 11 inches tall and weighing in at 108 pounds, she was afraid she wasn’t going to be able to turn it. While it was difficult, Wells said as she practiced, the crew adjusted the small platform she was standing on. She also tried each hand spinning the wheel until she could give it a good spin.

“The entire staff at ‘Wheel’ is just marvelous,” she said. “They can’t do enough for you. They make you feel like a queen for a day when you’re there. They pamper you. They’re constantly touching up your makeup, bringing you water. Pat and Vanna are kind and really humble people that just make you feel so comfortable.”

Wells is still shocked she won or even made it past auditions. More than 10,000 “Wheel of Fortune” fans audition each year and only 600 are chosen to compete.

“That in itself was monumental that they chose me,” she said, adding it was a years-long journey that began when she sent in a video in 2012.

After sending the video, she was asked to audition in Brooklyn twice. Both times 50 applicants took part in two practice games, and then were narrowed down. She made it to the second round both times. Last year, she attended an audition in Manhattan and received a letter shortly after saying she made it.

While contestants pay for their own trip, Wells said everyone walks away with $1,000, which helps with airfare. With her winnings, she is hoping to take a family trip after the pandemic passes with her husband, children, their spouses and her three grandchildren.

Wells had advice for other game show fans. She said everyone who is interested in being a contestant should try out.

“Even if you only win $1,000, it’s a wonderful experience,” she said. “And, don’t give up. Even if you don’t make it the first time, keep going. I’m that kind of person. When I’m determined to do something, I don’t give up.”

Prev 1...454647...112 Next

Page 46 of 112