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TBR Staff

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TBR News Media covers everything happening on the North Shore of Suffolk County from Cold Spring Harbor to Wading River.

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Gerald R. Zlotkowski

Gerald R. Zlotkowski was born on April 1, 1970 in Canada, and was adopted by his loving parents Robert and Betty Zlotkowski in New York.  He graduated from Ward Melville High School in Setauket in 1988.  He went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in Mortuary Science from Farmingdale State College in 1993 and worked at several funeral homes on Long Island. Zlotkowski’s belief in never letting age stop you from learning led him to go back to school at multiple points in his life. 

Zlotkowski also worked as a devoted firefighter, dispatcher and rescue EMT for several fire departments on Long Island, including West Sayville, Nesconset, Smithtown and Setauket.  Zlotkowski loved helping and being involved in his community.  He was the kind of person who always held out a helping hand for anyone who needed it.  Zlotkowski was a hero to everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him.

Zlotkowski was an avid outdoorsman and loved spending time hunting and at the gun range. His passion for firearms led him to become the owner and founder of Dakota Defense inn Aberdeen, South Dakota.  His love for law enforcement brought him to Ashley, North Dakota to pursue a career as an Assistant Deputy Sheriff.

Zlotkowski went on to a career as a conductor and engineer with Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway based out of Aberdeen, South Dakota, where he worked until his passing.  He was proud to serve the SMART-TD Local 233 Railroad Union as a past president as well as a secretary and treasurer up until his passing.

On October 5, 2006, his world changed greatly with the birth of his son, Gunner. Zlotkowski loved his son greatly and spent time with him whenever he could.  He passed on to Gunner his love of firearms and they enjoyed going hunting together. 

Gerald Zlotkowski is survived by his son, Gunner; sister, Susan Brocato; and numerous family and friends. He was predeceased by his beloved parents.

A celebration of life will take place at the Setauket Firehouse, 190 Main Street, Setauket on March 23 at 1 p.m.

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File photo by Raymond Janis

Poquott speed bumps

 In response to Poquott Village Board communication dated Dec. 26, 2024. I have the following comments to be shared with the community at the Feb. 6 town hall meeting and via our local newspaper.

As a 38-year resident of Poquott I have seen traffic issues take many forms from the widespread and out of control imposition of illegal ticket issuance by employees of the village to the addition of unnecessary stop signs like the one at White Pine and Van Brunt. More recently and sadly it has become known that a resident’s small dog got loose from an unfenced yard and was hit by a car at the junction of Van Brunt and Shore Road. Undoubtedly speeding is perceived as an issue and much of this stems from previous Poquott Board members’ inability adequately to manage the development of what is known this side of the village as “The Middle Kingdom.” In this respect the additional traffic on Van Brunt stemmed from inappropriately relying in large part on traffic egress of the development of new homes via what became known as White Pine. It is my understanding and belief that instead or in addition, egress roadways should have been mandated directly onto the area where Van Brunt meets Shore Road.

The whole matter has parallels I suggest with those who buy homes next to airports and then complain about aircraft noise. Be that as it may, it is what it is and our current board, I acknowledge, has to be seen to address the issue.

However, I am opposed to what has been done in the pilot programs implemented for the following reasons:

1. Why has one side of the village been greatly inconvenienced and impacted with multiple speed bumps and stop signs while the other has a perfectly reasonable digital monitoring system?

2. Traffic returning from 25A to homes on Van Brunt beyond Shore Road now have to stop a ridiculous 4 times:

1. Once at a nasty speed bump as one approaches the area in question.

2. A second time at the stop sign.

3. A third time at speed bump  2, and

4. An absurd 4th time at speed bump  3.

3. I am retired and no longer in a hurry to go anywhere but I recognize that employed residents have stuff to do and places to go and all this nonsense does is irritate and slow their normal progress down to get to where they need to go after which they are far more likely to speed up again to make up for time and energy lost in what are laughably called “calming measures.”

4. Returning to 25A from the other direction is just as bad with stops for speed bump, then stop at incorrectly placed stop sign (where visibility to traffic coming along Shore Road from the right-hand side is not properly  visible) then stop again at where the stop sign should have been placed to start with so that one can see traffic coming from the right, and finally once again at the next speed bump. Who decided upon this madness?

5. Even residents who will grind to an almost complete stop to get over these speed bumps will experience wear and damage to their vehicles suspension systems. This might be good news for those in the auto repair business but no one else. Will reimbursement be possible from the village? This could be financed by getting rid of the superfluous police force and saving further dollars from local taxes.

6. Needless to say, all this overkill results in the proliferation of a nasty aspect of living in Poquott – the unpleasant number of ridiculous signs that are indiscriminately plastered all over village roads and beaches. Talk about “nanny state” — my favorite is the particularly stupid one advising dog owners that they can only go onto the beach with a dog if waiting for or exiting from your boat. Which apparatchik of state thought this one up and how was it assumed this would be policed? It’s like a feeble attempt at a Monty Python sketch.

My suggestion is for the Board to rethink the entire mess. Either get rid of speed bumps entirely and perhaps use digital warning monitors on both sides of the village or re-site a single speed bump at a properly positioned stop sign.

 Peter Stubberfield

East Setauket

Letter to Superintendent Scanlon

Dear Dr. Scanlon, 

I am writing concerning the science teacher who was recently removed from the classroom because of online posts concerning the immigration policies of the new administration in Washington, D,C. My son was fortunate enough to be in this teacher’s class many years ago. She is an excellent and very patient teacher. 

I understand why many reasonable Americans find the current demonization of immigrants to be inappropriate, very upsetting and dangerous. While this teacher’s comments were not kind, they were not personally threatening and appear to be well within her rights of free speech. In the sermon by Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, less than one week ago, she reminds us all that the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors. They are faithful members of our churches, mosques and synagogues, gurdwara, and temples. She asks for mercy and dignity for immigrants and all people in the USA and throughout the globe. 

It appears that many of the responses from the Three Village community to this teacher’s post have been unkind and personally threatening. I ask you to return this excellent teacher to her classroom and ask everyone in the Three Village community to treat each other with the kindness, mercy and dignity we all deserve, and remember that while issues related to immigration policy may be complex and difficult for reasonable people to resolve, demonizing and poor treatment of immigrants is never appropriate. 

Susan Ackerman 

Stony Brook 

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Mark X. Cronin with his son John. Facebook photo
A response to President Trump’s remarks

By Mark X. Cronin

In times of tragedy, our words matter. We witnessed sixty-seven people lose their lives, suddenly tossing mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, friends, coworkers, and teammates into the darkest grief. In moments like these we must resist the urge to jump to conclusions.

President Trump, I heard what you said about the plane crash in Washington DC when you suggested that the hiring of people with intellectual developmental disabilities contributed to the tragedy. As the father of a young man with Down syndrome and an employer of people with differing abilities, I feel compelled to respond—not in anger, but to open a dialogue. I am not calling you out, instead I would like to invite you in, to learn more about what people with intellectual developmental disabilities can do and the contributions they are already making to our society and economy.

Let’s not blame people with differing abilities. Let’s not return to a time when they were shunned and ostracized. I want you to see how people with differing abilities contribute to our schools, workplaces, and communities. Across our nation and industries, people with differing abilities prove every day that they are valuable, skilled, and reliable employees. Companies like Microsoft, Walgreens, and EY have built successful programs hiring neurodiverse employees because they see their talent, not their limitations.

As an employer, I can assure you that no organization, least of all the FAA, knowingly places individuals in roles for which they are unqualified. Every air traffic controller undergoes intensive training and testing to ensure they meet the highest standards. The same applies to every pilot, engineer, and safety inspector. The inclusion of people with differing abilities does not mean lowering the bar; it means assessing skills fairly and placing people where they can succeed. That is not to say that no one made a mistake, but if mistakes were made, it is not because they had an intellectual developmental disability.

Mr. President, I invite you to see firsthand what inclusion looks like. Visit John’s Crazy Socks, meet my son John. He is an entrepreneur like you and a leader – EY named him Entrepreneur of the Year. More than half of our colleagues have a differing ability, meet them, see their dedication, talent, and hard work—not limitations. I believe that if you see this in action, you’ll understand why so many businesses, large and small, are embracing inclusive hiring as a competitive advantage.

America’s strength comes from the contributions of all its people. Never be blinded by a person’s limitations, be awed by their possibilities. When we focus on what individuals can do—rather than what they cannot—we build a stronger, more inclusive society. That’s the future and I hope you will lead us there.

Mark X. Cronin is co-founder and President  of John’s Crazy Socks in Farmingdale.

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Photo courtesy of Statepoint

The days of filing paper tax returns are gone, and criminals are taking advantage. With taxpayers managing their sensitive information online, thieves are finding new ways to scam victims. In 2023 alone, the IRS reported $5.5 billion lost to tax fraud schemes. And the increased prevalence of artificial intelligence means tax scams this year will likely be more sophisticated than ever.

Scammers have an arsenal of weapons, but no matter their tactics, the goal is the same – to have you give them money or access to it. Here are scams to look out for this tax season:

Tax avoidance scams. These scams often promise rewards too good to be true. Scammers claim to have specialized knowledge on exploiting loopholes to avoid taxes or maximize returns. High-income filers are heavily targeted through offers of seemingly legitimate annuities or tax shelters.

Refund scams. In this scam, a criminal will claim to be someone official notifying of an unclaimed or incorrectly calculated refund, prompting the victim to share information – and possibly bank account numbers – to claim it.

Violation scams. This is a fear-based scam, where the criminal poses as an IRS official threatening some punitive action, claiming the victim committed a violation and needs to contact them to resolve the situation.

Filing support scams. Similar to tech support scams, criminals offer to help create IRS accounts to assist with the online filing process. Frequently posing as tax preparers, scammers will go through the motions of gathering the victim’s personal information for tax forms they never intend to file.

Social media scams. Social media serves as a great place for criminals to find potential victims and carry out tax scams, fraudulently claiming to offer different types of services or possessing unique knowledge or access.

Recovery scams. Once a victim is scammed, criminals will try to strike again – believing the victim is gullible. Exploiting a time of vulnerability, they’ll contact the victim with promises of helping them recover their losses and will leverage this as an opening to commit additional crimes.

While it is not always easy to pick out a scam, here are indicators to watch for:

• Promise of a big pay-out. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Request for your account information. The IRS will never ask for your credit or debit account information over the phone.

• Random contact. The IRS contacts taxpayers by mail first and will never contact via random phone calls or digital means. The IRS will not leave prerecorded, urgent, or threatening voicemails.

• Demands or threats. The IRS can’t revoke your driver’s license, business licenses or immigration status and cannot threaten to immediately bring in local law enforcement. Taxpayers are allowed an appeals process, so any message of “now or else” won’t come from an official channel.

• Request for you to click a weblink. Odd or misspelled web links can take you to harmful sites instead of IRS.gov.

The IRS recommends these best practices to protect against tax fraud:

• Get an early start. File early so criminals have less time to impersonate you.

• Set up a verified account. Set up your own IRS account before someone else can and use an Identity Protection PIN – a six-digit number known only to you and the IRS.

• Wait for written notice. Do not respond to any supposed communications from the IRS if you haven’t first received official notification through U.S. mail. If you get a call from someone claiming to be the IRS, hang up and call the official number on the website before engaging. Further, never click a link sent digitally as initial contact.

Apply good cyber hygiene. Do not use public Wi-Fi when filing your tax returns. Do use strong passwords, secured network connections and multi-factor authentication. Run all software updates and keep systems current.

If you fall victim to a tax scam, report it to the IRS. For more scam protection tips, visit PNC’s Security & Privacy Center at pnc.com.

One wrong click can cause tremendous damage that ends up earning bad guys a windfall. However, a little caution can go a long way in helping you avoid a costly tax scam. (StatePoint)

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Pixabay photo

Recently, towns across our coverage area have had to confront the loss innate in progress, especially as it affects the delicate balancing scale of Long Island’s development. In Smithtown, the Kings Park Revitalization Plan enters its final stages leaving some residents overjoyed and others worried about congestion.

Simultaneously, in Setauket, the controversial battery energy storage facilities are being opposed partly because they would be located in population dense areas. These events have triggered vastly differing reactions, but all raise questions: How much change is too much? And, is change worth the loss?

The heart of the opposition in each of these issues is that Long Island is under threat of overdevelopment, as it has been for years. Despite this, it is becoming unlivable due to financial strains. Ever present in discourse across every sector, is the exodus of young Long-Islanders–the skills we lose when each one moves away taking their education and expertise with them, the sorrow of having a loved one no longer within driving distance. 

The Kings Park Revitalization Plan struck the balance—nearly. Some people decry the development it promotes, while others say it is the very thing their hamlet needs and has the potential to bring life and energy back to their community, perhaps enticing young people to stay and build their lives, families and careers. 

Each viewpoint, especially the critical ones, smoothed the rough surfaces of the plan. Paying attention to defects is an essential step in ensuring that we don’t become so infatuated with progress that we forget what we have. 

Some people are still unhappy with the Kings Park Revitalization Plan as it enters its last step before it is voted on for approval. However, their voices help develop a more complete, well-informed opinion on what matters to our community. 

Public hearings may slow down the process, delaying approval, but they prompt analysis and re-analysis, reminding us of the trade offs we need to consider. 

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Gary Cooper

The month of February has been home to many historical events over the years. Here’s a look at some that helped to shape the world in February 1925.

• After a severe depletion of his country’s potato crop due to heavy rainfall the previous summer and fall, Irish President W.T. Cosgrave appeals to the United States for food aid on February 1.

• The small town of Nome, Alaska, is saved from a developing diphtheria epidemic on February 2 upon conclusion of The Serum Run. The run was a transport of diphtheria antitoxin via dog sled that involved 20 mushers and roughly 150 sled dogs. The final leg of the run is led by Gunnar Kaasen and his lead sled dog, Balto, who becomes a canine celebrity as a result of the undertaking.

• Sears, Roebuck, & Co. opens its first department store at its headquarters in Chicago on February 2. The retailer had previously been a catalog-only operation.

• William Burke Miller interviews trapped cave explorer Floyd Collins on February 3. Collins was trapped in a cave in Kentucky on January 30, and Miller was small enough to climb into an opening in the cave and conduct an interview while hanging upside down. Miller ultimately won a Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the incident, which unfortunately ended with Collins’ death on February 13.

• Ten people are arrested in Russia on February 5 as part of a plot to assassinate revolutionary and Soviet politician Grigory Zinoviev.

• World heavyweight boxing champion Jack Dempsey marries actress Estelle Taylor on February 7 in San Diego. The two starred alongside one another on screen and on stage, but ultimately divorced in 1931.

• The film “The Lost World” premieres at the Astor Theatre in New York City on February 8. The film is the first production to include special effects.

• Turkish politician Halit Karsialan is shot by fellow politico Ali Çetinkaya during a fight at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey on February 9. Karsialan dies from injuries sustained during the skirmish on February 14.

• Ellen Wilkinson, an MP from the Labour Party, defies protocol when she addresses the British House of Commons without wearing a hat on February 11. Conservative MP Reginald Applin asks the Speaker of the House to determine if Wilkinson’s non-compliance with the dress code was in order, but the speaker ultimately rules in Wilkinson’s favor.

• Nikolai Golitsyn, the last Prime Minister of Imperial Russia, is arrested by the Russian secret police on February 12. Golitsyn, who was arrested on suspicion of association with counterrevolutionaries, is convicted and executed five months after his arrest.

• Paavo Nurmi runs a record-breaking two-mile race in Madison Square Garden on February 14. The Finnish runner, nicknamed the “Flying Finn,” completes the race in eight minutes and 58.2 seconds.

• On February 15, the London Zoo announces it will install lights to lift the spirits of the animals during the city’s famed spells of fog.

• Bavaria lifts the ban on the Nazi Party on February 16. The ban was initially implemented after the Beer Hall Putsch, a failed coup d’état orchestrated by Adolf Hitler and others in 1923.

• The Mayflower Hotel opens its doors on February 18. The hotel, located at 1127 Connecticut Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., earns the nickname the “Hotel of Presidents” and remains open today.

• Fifty-one miners are killed in a coal mine explosion in Sullivan, Indiana, on February 20. An additional 70 employees escape or are rescued from the blast.

• American actor Gary Cooper appears in his first film on February 22. Cooper would go on to stardom, even though his appearance in “The Trail Rider” was as an uncredited stunt rider.

• The last emperor of China, Puyi, accepts an offer of protection from the Japanese Empire on February 23. Puyi had been stripped of all of his imperial titles and privileges months earlier.

• The first electrical recording of a phonographic record is made by Art Gillham on February 25. Gillham and his orchestra use microphones to perform “You May Be Lonesome” and “Hesitation Blues.”

• Norwegian carpenter and inventor Thor Bjørklund receives a patent for the cheese slicer on February 27.

• A 6.2 magnitude earthquake strikes in the Canadian province of Quebec on February 28. The epicenter of the earthquake is in the St. Lawrence River near La Malbaie, and no major casualties are reported.

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The Chicken Hill exhibit at the Three Village Historical Society. Photo courtesy of TVHS
The Harts, Sells and Hines families were prominent residents of Chicken Hill. Pictured from left, circa 1934, Pearl White, Roger Hart, Bertha Hart (wife of William Hart) holding her daughter Petricia, Alice F. Hart holding her son Irvy, two Hines children, Grace Hines holding her daughter Charlotte, Raymond Hart (in cap), Gloria Hart (behind Raymond) and Violet Sells (Thompson). Photo courtesy of TVHS
The Chicken Hill exhibit at the Three Village Historical Society. Photo courtesy of TVHS
A photograph featured in the Chicken Hill exhibit at the Three Village Historical Society. Photo by TVHS
The Chicken Hill exhibit at the Three Village Historical Society. Photo courtesy of TVHS
A photograph of the Setauket rubber factory at the Chicken Hill exhibit. Photo from TVHS

By Scott Ferrara

The Three Village Historical Society and Museum (TVHS) is set to close its award-winning exhibit, “Chicken Hill: A Community Lost to Time,” marking the final opportunity for visitors to experience this cherished piece of local history. The exhibit’s closure is part of a broader collaborative effort leading up to the highly anticipated openings of the Dominick-Crawford Barn Education and History Center and the Three Village Community Trust’s Rubber Factory Worker Houses. The exhibit will remain open through February, with its final day of public viewing on February 23, 2025.

Conceived and curated in 2012 by historian Frank Turano, PhD, with the assistance of Society Archivist Karen Martin, Robert Gladwish, and Joseph Bova, Jr., the Chicken Hill exhibit has been a cornerstone of the Society’s programming. Generously underwritten by Fred Bryant and the Bryant Funeral Home, the exhibit has received national acclaim, including the prestigious “Award of Merit” from the American Association for State and Local History- an honor shared with the 9/11 Museum in New York City the year it was awarded.

This interactive multimedia exhibit delves into the fascinating history of a vibrant, working-class, multi-racial, and multi-ethnic community in the Three Village area between 1857 and 1960. Over the past decade, the exhibit has welcomed countless visitors, including group and school tours, and inspired educational projects while evoking cherished memories for long-time residents.

The history of Chicken Hill

“Chicken Hill” was the historical name for the area surrounding the Setauket Methodist Church at Main Street and Route 25A. Initially a hub for workers at the Nunns and Clark piano factory, the community gained its name from the many chickens that roamed freely among the homes. The factory, which included members of the renowned Steinway family, produced hundreds of pianos annually before its decline during the Civil War.

In 1876, the abandoned factory was transformed into the Setauket Rubber Factory, which became Suffolk County’s largest employer, with over 500 workers—many of whom were Eastern European Jewish immigrants. The factory’s closure in the early 1900s, following a series of mysterious fires, marked the end of one chapter in Chicken Hill’s story.

The exhibit focuses on the community’s final era (1930–1950), showcasing a rich tapestry of cultures, including Russians, Lithuanians, Poles, Italians, Irish, Native Americans, and African Americans. It highlights their contributions as business owners, house servants, gardeners, school bus drivers, and more. The area also reflected a unique religious diversity, with African Methodist Episcopal, Catholic, and Jewish congregations coexisting in this community.

Looking ahead

Visitors in February can enjoy special guided tours led by original exhibit creators and contributors. Following its closure, exhibit materials will be repurposed for an expanded display at the Rubber Factory Worker Houses, operated by the Three Village Community Trust at 184 Main Street, Setauket. This upcoming iteration will include newly unearthed artifacts and offer a deeper exploration of Chicken Hill’s legacy.

Additionally, educational programming inspired by the exhibit will be transformed into a digital format, making the history of Chicken Hill accessible through the TVHS website.

Located at 93 North Country Road in Setauket, the museum and gift shop are open Friday through Monday from noon to 4 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children and students, free for members. For more information, including tour schedules, call 631-751-3730 or visit www.tvhs.org.

Author Scott Ferrara is curator at the TVHS.

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Suffolk County Acting Police Commissioner Robert Waring, Commack Fire District Chairman of the Board Pat Fazio joined Susan Ciano, widow of Suffolk County Police Officer Glen Ciano during a press conference at the Commack Fire Department on Jan. 30 to announce the 15th annual blood drive named in memory of Officer Glen Ciano.

The annual event, which will be held on Feb. 1 this year, is held in honor of Officer Ciano, who was responding to a call when he was killed by a drunk driver in Commack on February 22, 2009.

“It’s Glen’s dedication to public service that brings us back to this blood drive each year to save the lives of as many strangers as possible. Most of us assume that if we need blood it will be available, but the reality is that the only way blood will be readily accessible is if people give up just a little bit of their time to donate,” said Commissioner Waring.

“Blood levels are dangerously low and with the cold weather it’s even worse,” added Chairman Fazio.

“This is a celebration for Glen,” said Ciano’s widow. “And that’s why having my fire department family and the police family here, everyone coming in donating blood, this means the world to our family.”

The New York Blood Center has declared a blood emergency due to a significant drop in blood donations following the holiday season. The blood center has seen a 30% drop in donations, which has resulted in 6,500 fewer donations and crippled the region’s blood supply. Donations of all blood types are urgently needed—especially Types O- and B-, which are both down to just a one- to three-day supply.

The blood drive will be held at the Commack Fire Department, located at 6309 Jericho Turnpike in Commack, on February 1 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is not necessary to make an appointment.

For more information, please call 631-499-6690.

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File photo by Raymond Janis

First Amendment rights cannot be stopped

Legislator Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) believes that constituents can be controlled and silenced by offering candy as if they were 5 year olds. It’s insulting and degrading that grown adults who speak out against injustices and understand how to use their First Amendment rights to free speech are being silenced. 

No, Steve, a Life Saver isn’t going to make me stop speaking out against the draconian rules that [Suffolk] County passes that harm the public’s general welfare by turning the county police department against the Latino population. The presiding officer infringed and trampled on my First Amendment rights because he didn’t like what I said. 

Let’s face it, the appearance of senior women speaking at public meetings exercising a constitutional protection of free speech surrounded by fully armed sheriff’s officers is bad public relations for the legislative body in a democracy. 

Lisa Sevimli, Patchogue 

We do not need another freight station

I wholeheartedly agree with Frank Konop [Smithtown freight yard is a threat to our community,  [TBR News Media, Jan. 23] that the proposed Townline Rail Terminal will do more harm than good to residents of Smithtown township.  However, his attempt to link it to the wildfires in southern California is way off base.

This has nothing to do with “social justice policies.”  Regarding the California fires, it’s false that they were related in any way to redirecting reservoir water to save fish.  State reservoirs storing water for southern California are at or near record highs.

The elephant in the room is global warming.  Although it’s impossible to narrowly tie it directly to a particular disaster, it’s foolish to deny its role in the increasing prevalence of wildfires, droughts, floods and freak weather.  In March 2024 the Smokehouse Creek fire burned over one million acres in the Texas Panhandle, compared with more than 40,000 acres burned in California thru January 2025.  In October 2024 in Valencia, Spain, 232 people were killed by a year’s worth of rain falling in a few hours.  Right here in Smithtown we were hit by a “rain bomb” last August that destroyed Stony Brook Pond and Stump Pond and flooded town hall.  The Main Branch of Smithtown Library is still closed.

Getting back to the TRT, there are lots of questions.  This facility will be used not only to ship incinerator ash as well as construction and demolition debris off Long Island, but also to transport construction materials, vehicles and other undefined goods and commodities onto Long Island.  What limitations are there?  Will propane, heating oil or hazardous materials be among these commodities?  We don’t know.  What need is there for two transfer buildings, track to accommodate 161 freight cars and a fleet of 50 trucks if this facility will run only one 27-car train in and out per day as its sponsor claims?  Will the tracks become a magnet for illegal dumping, attracting rats and mosquitos?  TRT will undoubtedly have impacts beyond wrecking the Kings Park residential community it’s adjacent to, including the pollution emitted by the 1970s era diesel locomotives pulling all those freight cars. 

The culprit behind this misbegotten proposal is not “social justice policies” or the “Green New Deal,” but our own Smithtown Town Board, which unanimously railroaded it through (pun intended) every step of the way.  It’s now proposing to change town zoning code to add a new use called “rail freight terminal” to districts zoned Light Industrial, of which there are many, including Flowerfield, around town.  Flowerfield was once a Long Island Rail Road station with its own siding track. Could this rezoning affect the disposition of Flowerfield?  The Smithtown Town Board is supposed to protect the interests of Smithtown residents.  But apparently, they’re so sure of being reelected due to their party affiliation that they presume it’s safe to ignore overwhelming opposition to TRT from the community.  And who’s to say they’re wrong?

David Friedman, St. James

Presidency of Dr. Shirley Strum Kenny and Dr. Jack Marburger

As the former president of the Three Village/Stony Brook Soccer Club from 1990 to 2002 and 2010 to 2017, I read with great interest your article on the presidency of Dr. Shirley Strum Kenny and her impact upon the Three Village community. While Dr. Kenny’s support for the local community and especially our local soccer club was second to none, I do not want the article to give the impression, as I think it does, that her predecessor, Dr. Jack Marburger, was not interested in the local community and was only interested in the science aspect of the university. Nothing could be further from the truth, especially as it related to the development of the soccer complex next to the P lot at [Stony Brook] University.

Prior to our request to be able to develop the unused land for a variety of soccer fields, our local soccer club played all of their games at our local schools, forcing our children and families to go from one site to another, or be forced to miss their games. Upon our request to Dr. Marburger to be able to develop the fields, he played a major role in giving us permission to develop the property and ensuring our success even in the face of considerable opposition from the local neighbors and others. Knowing that such a complex would be of great benefit to the larger community, Dr. Marburger made sure that we received a permit from his office and in fact only charged the soccer club $1 a year for the use of the property. I think it is fair to say that without his support and understanding of what such a use would mean to the thousands of children and families in our community there would have been no soccer fields for our community to use on the university campus.

Upon her acceptance of her position, Dr. Kenny continued her support for the decision of Dr. Marburger with regard to the soccer fields, allowing the permit to continue for $1 a year and allowing the soccer club to build a multi-use building which contained both “real bathrooms” for our families as well as a concession stand. In addition she allowed for the soccer club to hold various outdoor and indoor tournaments on the campus, at no charge, including the major tournament on Long Island at that time, the Long Island Junior Soccer League championships. She was a frequent visitor to the fields on Sundays when over two thousand of our children played during the day. She made sure her staff was always supportive of our efforts to improve the complex and supported our efforts to gain a state grant which we did with the support of former State Senator Jim Lack and former State Assemblyman Steve Englebright.

Both Dr. Marburger and Dr. Kenny understood that Stony Brook University is more than just buildings and research. It is a community asset of the Three Villages and as such must be engaged with the local community in more ways that just selling tickets to various events. Unfortunately, neither of their two successors understood how a state university and a larger community must be engaged with each other, to the point where the soccer complex was taken over by the recreation department and charged the local soccer club over $100,000 each year for the ability of our local children to play soccer on land which had been developed by the local soccer club. Unfortunately they looked at the soccer fields solely as a money maker and not as a community benefit, to the point where they now charge for almost everything, significantly reduced the amount of time allotted for games and practices and have closed the building which was built for the benefit of our families.

While one may think that this is all history, it is not, especially as Stony Brook University engages once again in the selection of a new president. The selection committee and the SUNY Board of Trustees must understand that Stony Brook University must be part of the community, as promoted by both Dr. Kenny and Dr. Marburger, and not merely located in our community as made clear by their successors who gratefully have gone on to other places far from here. One would hope that the new president will understand and promote a concept of togetherness and mutual commitment to each other and not just what is good for the university. We hope that the history of what Dr. Kenny and Dr. Marburger accomplished will be the type of history which the new president will provide and not the type of history which their successors failed to provide. Our community is a better place to live when the university understands that it is part of the community and not just located here.

Mitchell H. Pally, Former President

Three Village Soccer Club

1992-2002; 2010-2017

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