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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.

Photo by Dawn Olenick

SUNDAY’S SURPRISE

Dawn Olenick of Baiting Hollow visited West Meadow Beach in Stony Brook on the evening of Dec. 13 and captured this beautiful sunset. She writes, ‘Mother Nature put on a show … tide pools and all her splendor … we all watched in awe!’

Send your Photo of the Week to leisure@tbrnewspapers.com

'Winter's Peace' by Irene Ruddock

The holiday season has long been called “the most wonderful time of the year,” and in many ways, that’s true. But it can also be a stressful time for many. This year, start the season by giving yourself a gift and visit the Setauket Artists Holiday Show, currently on view at The Atelier at Flowerfield in St. James.

‘Locked for the Winter’ by Robert Roehrig

The Setauket Artists is an association of Long Island artists that has just celebrated it’s 40th year here on the Island. Founded by the well-known local artist Flo Kemp, the group has been led these past 15 years by Irene Ruddock, president, talented artist and local columnist. Irene has acted as curator of the group and has mentored, encouraged and brought in many outstanding artists to the group.

The show, which opened on Dec. 4, features a selection of beautiful and affordable paintings by this popular association of artists at reasonable prices. There is also a selection of small paintings that will make wonderful gifts for the holidays.

This is truly “Art for a Lifetime.”

‘Sunken Meadow Marsh’ by Jane McGraw-Teubner

Participating artists include Joan Bloom, Renee Caine, Al Candia, Anthony Davis, Julie Doczi, William Dodge, Margaret Governale, William Graf, Melissa Imossi, Anne Katz, Flo Kemp, Karen Kemp, Celeste Mauro, Judith Mausner, Jane McGraw-Teubner, Terry McManus, Fred Mendelsohn, Muriel Musarra, Paula Pelletier, Joan Rockwell, Robert Roehrig, Irene Ruddock, Oscar Santiago, Barbara Jeanne Siegel, Angela Stratton, Marie Lourdes Velez, Marlene Weinstein and Patricia Yantz.

The exhibit will be on view at Atelier Hall, The Atelier at Flowerfield, Bldg #2 (in the Gyrodyne complex), St. James through Jan. 15. Visiting hours are Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, please call 631-250-9009 or visit The Atelier’s website at www.atelierflowerfield.org.

Ring in the holiday season with a stroll through the Ward Melville Heritage Organization’s annual Promenade of Trees!      

Over 60 decorated trees currently line the walkways of the Stony Brook Village Center, 111 Main Street, Stony Brook for the WMHO’s annual Holiday Tree Competition. Voting for the competition is now open to the public through Dec. 21. Ballots can be found in the shops and restaurants within the Center.

The “favorite” tree designer will receive a $150 gift certificate to the Stony Brook Village Center and will be announced on the Stony Brook Village Center Facebook page on Dec. 22. The festive trees will be on view through Jan. 4.

Photos courtesy of the WMHO

Nicolas 'Niko' Maldonado-Molina (standing in center) proudly shows off one the benches he built. Photo from Town of Smithtown

On Nov. 4, local and state officials joined with family, friends, and the Nesconset Chamber of Commerce to unveil the Eagle Scout Project of Boy Scout Nicolas “Niko” Maldonado-Molina of Troop 566.

Niko chose to build two benches, one standard and one which is ADA accessible, for residents to utilize at the newly renovated playground at Gibbs Pond Park. The project, created by hand, was designed to create inclusivity and hopefully inspire similar projects.

“Niko not only sought to build new benches for the playground area, he had the thoughtfulness of mind to create ADA accessible benches. This is a great new addition to Gibbs Pond Park and we are thrilled to be here today to unveil them as Nicholas Maldonado-Molina’s Eagle Scout Project for Troop 566,” said Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim.

The ADA compliant, handicap accessible bench has a 34 inch gap in the center, allowing for a wheelchair user to easily maneuver it into the gap and sit next to others, instead of having to place it beside the bench.

“Only 4% of Scouts in the Scouting program achieve the Eagle rank before their 18th year, which is the deadline. Reaching Eagle rank requires dedication, perseverance, and a very, very good work ethic. With the help of many people, I was able to complete this project. With over 50+ hours of collecting and recycling 10,000 bottles, we raised $500 so that we could build these cedar benches that belong to this park now,” said Niko. “I thought it would be unique to do this as a way to give back to my community, and include a portion of people who might be overlooked. ”

The benches at Gibbs Pond Park are one of several recent improvements made to the park. Other renovations include new landscaping, state-of-the-art LED sports lighting, turf resurfacing, reconditioning of the tennis and basketball courts, and new playground areas.

Photo from Town of Smithtown

Riley Meckley, a junior at Ward Melville High School has won the 84th annual Suffolk County American Legion Oratorical Contest.  

Riley Meckley

Gene Ordmandy Jr., a past commander of American Legion Wilson Ritch Post 432 in Port Jefferson Station, was the representative from the sponsoring post. 

On Dec. 5, high school students from public and private schools in Suffolk County came together to compete in a speech contest based on the United States Constitution. Each participant had to prepare a 10 min speech (no notes allowed) based on the Constitution. The contest teaches the importance of research, preparation, speaking and presenting skills as well as the history of our nation’s laws. On Jan. 9, the winners from Suffolk, Nassau and Queens debate for the title of Long Island Champion. 

Besides their prepared oration, competitors also have to give a second speech based on an Amendment or Article in the Constitution. Over the next few months, there are several elimination rounds and regional winners advance to the New York State Finals in Albany. Last year, Riley took 3rd place at the NY state finals.  

Photo by Tom Caruso

AUTUMN FAWN

Tom Caruso snapped this photo of a young whitetail deer in a meadow at Caleb Smith State Park Preserve in his hometown of Smithtown on Dec. 6. He writes, ‘I followed a small herd of deer for a while and was amazed by how comfortable they were with my presence. I snapped this picture of the smallest deer as it took a break from grazing to check me out. It was a great experience getting so close to them.’

Send your Photo of the Week to leisure@tbrnewspapers.com

File photo by TBR News Media

Every year we sit down with local candidates for our preelection political debates in the TBR News Media office. This year, of course, those debates were held via Zoom.

Despite the new format this year, one thing didn’t change — the first thing we do is thank each of the candidates for taking on the responsibility for running for office. We recognize being a public official is no easy task and running for office is just as difficult.

All candidates deserve an extra round of applause for their patience regarding the counting of mail-in ballots. After Election Day, as we reached out to the various candidates in our coverage area, those who were behind after in-person voting remained patient, and those who were ahead were humble. Most who were ahead didn’t claim victory as they understood the importance of making sure every ballot was counted, and they acknowledged every single vote mattered.

After a few long weeks, we would like to congratulate U.S. Reps Lee Zeldin (R-NY1) and Tom Suozzi (D-NY3); state Assemblymen Steve Englebright (D-Setauket), Mike Fitzpatrick (R-St. James), Steve Stern (D-Dix Hills); and state Sen. Jim Gaughran (D-Northport) for regaining their seats. We also welcome newcomers, state Sen.-elect Mario Mattera (R-St. James) and state Assemblyman-elect Keith Brown (R-Northport) to the world of legislation, as well as Sen.-elect Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk) and Assemblywoman-elect Jodi Giglio (R-Riverhead) to their new roles.

Now that the votes are counted, it’s time to get back to business. We urge each of our elected officials to take the next few weeks to carefully assess what is going on in their districts, so after they are sworn in come January, they can hit the ground running.

It’s no secret that the coronavirus has wreaked havoc on our local businesses. Those in Albany and Washington, D.C., need to get them the funds they need to keep their doors open and their employees on the payroll. If the funds aren’t available, those in government need to work together to come up with creative ideas to keep these businesses afloat while ensuring public health safety.

Elected officials also have to look deeper as to how hard the pandemic has hurt their constituents financially. The loss of jobs and pay cuts have left many unable to make their mortgage and rent payments or keep their refrigerators full. Conversations with residents may provide vital information about what is truly happening within districts.

While New York is one of the fortunate states to have strong leadership during the pandemic, there is still a lot of work to do. And while we can hope for federal aid, we can’t count on it, as all of the states are going through the same struggle as New Yorkers are. We need to come up with new ideas to help keep Long Island strong.

Looking beyond the coronavirus, there is one thing that comes up every year during our debates. How are we going to make the Island more affordable in order to keep both our young people and retirees here, but at the same time, not overdevelop our valuable open spaces? It’s time to stop talking about it and start doing something about it. A closer eye needs to be kept on developers who promise affordable housing but are completely out of touch regarding what wage earners can actually afford. What’s the sense of building affordable housing in precious open space if the housing is out of reach financially for most residents?

Most of all, we ask our leaders in government to work together, to extend their hands across the aisles. We have seen what divisiveness in the United States has done to our country over the last decade — let’s see people come together against partisanship, now more than ever.

We have one thing in common besides our humanity. Both sides of the aisle are Americans.

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Police commissioner Geraldine Hart. File photo

By Kimberly Brown

Concerned Suffolk County residents were able to voice their opinions on new reforms they believe the police department should enact at a virtual Suffolk County Police Reform & Reinvention Task Force public listening session for the 4th Precinct last month. The task force is used to address the needs of the community and any racial bias happening within the department.

Multiple speakers began their speeches by calling attention to the absence of Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy Sini (D) and County Executive Steve Bellone (D). A member of the Suffolk County Democratic Socialists of America expressed his frustrations concerning the nonattendance of the two key public servants in the county government.

“If they were truly committed to the process, they would take the time to be here,” the DSA member said. “Their continued absence is a slap in the face to everyone who is taking their time to speak tonight, and who has spoken in past meetings.”

Many attended the meeting with the goal of sharing ideas for accountability measures that should be enacted in the police department. A member of the LI United to Transform Policing and Community Safety discussed her thoughts on the issue in hopes to achieve a change in their process.

The passage of a right-to-know act was one recommendation a member discussed. This would require officers to distribute a card with their information printed on it when pulling over any resident.

“Oftentimes when stopped by police, the public gets little to no information about who is stopping you, and sometimes they’re not even told why,” the LI United member said.

“Having officers hand out a card with their name, badge number and reason for the stop will provide a new level of transparency.”

Other speakers think the police department has not showcased a racial bias against communities of color, and feel the department has been disrespected as a whole by various Suffolk residents.

“We need to talk about how to have a culture change, where parents teach children the cops are not the enemy, the cops are there to help you,” a speaker said. “Show them respect, they have a very difficult job because they don’t know if the call they go on is going to be their last.”

However, another Suffolk County resident disagreed with this statement, saying it is an entitled position to believe that concern over a job is equivalent to or supersedes the value of Black lives. He articulated those police officers have the choice to quit their job if they don’t want to be held accountable for any mishaps.

“There is no such thing as a blue life,” he said. “It is a job. They can quit and go home. I can’t quit being Black, nor do I want to.”

The task force continued to hold its virtual meetings until Dec. 21. Community members said they felt the reform discussions were helpful. For more details, visit the task force website at suffolkcountyny.gov/police-reform.

Editor’s note: Many speakers did not say their name before speaking during the Zoom meeting.

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Amy Laverty, the previous Pre-K through 8 assistant principal, was named the new principal of the Enda Louise Spear Elementary School Dec. 8. Photo from PJSD

At its Dec. 8 meeting, the Port Jefferson school board voted to appoint a new elementary school principal to replace Thomas Meehan, who is set to retire Dec. 31

The board unanimously voted to appoint Amy Laverty as the new principal of Edna Louise Spear Elementary School on a probationary basis effective Jan. 1, 2021 with an annual salary of $138,500. Laverty previously held the position of the assistant principal for Pre-K through eighth grade.

Laverty joined Port Jeff in 2019 from the Northport-East Northport School District. Before that, she was a classroom teacher at various elementary levels in the district’s Ocean Avenue Elementary School. She has a master’s of arts in liberal studies from Stony Brook University and a bachelor’s of arts in child study and students with disabilities from St. Joseph’s College. She holds initial certification in school building leadership and professional certifications in early childhood/childhood and students with disabilities. She also received an educational leadership advanced certificate from LIU Post.

“In addition to her strong instructional and curricular background, Ms. Laverty clearly articulated her vision for the building, outlining specific goals she would like to accomplish,” Superintendent Jessica Schmettan said.

At a previous board meeting, trustees honored Meehan for his decade of service to the elementary school. Schmettan spoke highly of Meehan’s decade of service at the helm of the elementary school, citing his skills and initiatives such as instituting the school’s Grade 5 Safety Patrol Leadership Program and collaborating with the Port Jefferson Fire Department in the annual 9/11 ceremony. She also spoke of his relationships with both the Royal Educational Foundation and the PTA over the years resulting in the raised garden beds for science and nutrition lessons, a gaga ball pit for physical education and socialization, and a book vending machine which encourages reading for education and fun.

Meehan is affectionately known as “Mr. Port Jefferson.” He is a graduate of the Port Jefferson School District, as well as a member of the fire department, is a part of the beach community and regularly hikes around the village. But most importantly, he is lauded for his commitment to the students of the district. 

“It’s always about our students,” Schmettan said. “He knows all of our elementary children and their families by name.”

She added that he isn’t afraid to jump into the gaga ball pit, shoot a few hoops, examine a science project, join in on a music lesson, direct a bus, investigate a furnace or read a class a book. 

“He truly is a master of all talents,” she said.

Schmettan and the board presented him with a gift and applauded his leadership
and service.

“It was an honor for me to be principal,” Meehan said. “It meant so much to me and my family.”

THE SECOND SPIRIT Andrew Lenahan stars as the Ghost of Christmas Present in Theatre Three’s virtual production of ‘A Carol for Christmas.’ The show premieres on Dec. 12. Photo by Eric J. Hughes

Theatre Three in Port Jefferson will premiere A Carol for This Christmas, a virtual performance adapted from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, on Dec. 12.

For over thirty-five years, Theatre Three has been presenting its acclaimed production of A Christmas Carol to thousands of Long Island theatergoers.  To continue this tradition, the theater has produced a virtual production that will be accessible through the theatre’s website and Facebook page on the Vimeo platform.

This new take on the holiday classic features six actors playing the many roles in the holiday classic, filmed socially distanced, with actors both onstage and in the theatre’s auditorium.  Jeffrey Sanzel has played Scrooge nearly 1,500 times and will once again play the miser who is redeemed by the ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Future.  He is joined by Theatre Three Christmas Carol veterans Andrew Lenahan, Michelle LaBozzetta, Linda May, Douglas J. Quattrock, and Steven Uihlein.

Sanzel has adapted and directed the 40-minute presentation, adhering closely to the heart and spirit of the 177 year-old novel.  Melissa Troxler is the Director of Photography.

As a gift to the Long Island community, the presentation will be offered for free at www.theatrethree.com. Donations to Theatre Three are greatly appreciated.

A Carol for This Christmas is made possible by the sponsorship of Andrew Markowitz.