From left, Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci presents an Archives Month proclamation to Town Archivist Antonia Mattheou and Town Clerk Andrew P. Raia
Scenes from the Farming in Huntington exhibit
Scenes from the Farming in Huntington exhibit
Scenes from the Farming in Huntington exhibit
Scenes from the Farming in Huntington exhibit
Huntington Town Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci presented Town Clerk Andrew P. Raia with a proclamation commemorating American Archives Month in front of the Town Clerk’s new Farming in Huntington exhibit on Oct. 20.
“Farming has a long and fascinating history in the Town of Huntington, and I would like to thank those farms which are participating in my office’s Farming in Huntington exhibit as part of Archives Month 2020,” said Raia.
“Our rural roots are on display in the Town Clerk’s “Farming in Huntington” exhibit, which also punctuates the need to preserve this type of open space to maintain the character of our Town,” said Sup. Lupinacci. “The Town Clerk’s Archives Month exhibit highlights the significance of preserving historical records and help us understand how our past has influenced our present.”
Farms featured in the exhibit include Albert H. Schmitt Family Farms, Albert Schmitt & Sons Farms, Carlson’s Elwood Farms, Crossroads Farm, DeLea Sod Farms, Dobler Farms, ELIJA Farm, Elwood Pumpkin and Christmas Tree Farm, F & W Schmitt’s Family Farm, Kerber’s Farm, Lewis Oliver Dairy, Makinajian Poultry Farm, Manor Farm, Mediavilla Orchards, Prianti Farms Inc., Richters Orchard, Schneider’s Farm, Tilden Lane Farm and White Post Farms of Melville.
“The images, artifacts and antique items loaned to the exhibit from owners of the participating farms provide an in-depth look into the evolution of farming in Huntington and serve as an educational experience for individuals of all ages,” said Raia.
A virtual Farming in Huntington exhibit with an interactive tour map is also in production, and will be announced when it is available for viewing. A dedication and renaming of the Huntington Town Clerk’s Records Center & Archives Division in honor of Jo-Ann Raia, Huntington’s Town Clerk for 38 years, originally scheduled for 2020 will take place in 2021, with details to come.
The exhibit will be on display on all three floors of Huntington Town Hall for one year and will be open to the public free of charge by appointment. Please call the Town Clerk’s office at 631-351-3206 or the Town Archivist at 631-351-3035 to schedule a tour.
The Smithtown Township Arts Council will present its latest exhibit, Celebrating Creativity: Creative Responses to Challenging Times, from Nov. 7 to Dec. 19 at the Mills Pond Gallery in St. James. The fine art exhibition features 86 works by 51 artists
Artists were asked to show what they have been creating during the pandemic and to share with their thoughts and feelings about creating during these challenging times. Some works in the exhibit express the fear and anxiety while others find beauty in nature, or celebrate simple pleasures of everyday life. Some artists created to share memories of past joyful times … some created work specifically about the pandemic. Many shared that the creation of their art helped process their feelings. The common thread … joy in the simple act of creating.
“We encourage [everyone] to visit the gallery … it is a safe space with social distancing and the use of masks required and limited numbers of visitors (20 allowed in the gallery at one time — 4 per gallery room).Enjoy the exhibit and experience Art’s capacity to bring joy and hope in challenging times,” said Allison Cruz, Executive Director of the Mills Pond Gallery.
Exhibiting artists include Marsha Abrams (Stony Brook), Lucia Alberti (Smithtown), Tina Anthony (Northport), Ryanne Barber (West Babylon), Bonnie Bennett Barbera (Ronkonkoma), Shain Bard (Huntington Station), Ron Becker (Deer Park), Victoria Beckert (Holbrook), Sheri Berman (Dix Hills), Joyce Bressler (Commack), Nan Cao (New York), Carol Ceraso (Hauppauge), Lou Charnon-Deutsch (Stony Brook), Donna Corvi (Montauk), Bernadette De Nyse (Sound Beach), Lou Deutsch (Stony Brook), Doris Diamond (East Setauket), JoAnne Dumas (Wading River), Paul Edelson (Poquott), Ellen Ferrigno (Port Jefferson), Modern Fossils (Frenchtown, NJ), Kathleen Gerlach (Greenlawn), Maureen Ginipro (Smithtown), Jan Guarino (East Northport), MargaretHenning (Sayville), David Jaycox Jr (Northport), and Anne Katz (Stony Brook)
Also, Lynn Kinsella (Brookhaven), Julianna Kirk (Brookhaven), John Yannis Koch (Port Jefferson Sta.), Myungia Anna Koh (Stony Brook), Liz Kolligs (Glen Cove), Frank J Loehr (Bethpage), Mary Lor (New York), Martha Mcaleer (Hampton Bays), Kristyn Mehl (Mount Sinai), Diane Oliva (Middle Island), RobinRoberts (Sayville), Lori Scarlatos (Saint James), Gia Schifano (New Hyde Park), Anita Schnirman (Kings Park), Joan Sicignano (Central Islip), Susan KozodoySilkowitz (Lynbrook), Gisela Skoglund (Kings Park), Mike Stanko (Valley Stream), Madeline Stare (Smithtown), Tracy Tekverk (Kings Park), Victoria Twomey (Northport), Nicholas Valentino (N. Babylon), Mary Ann Vetter (St James), Patricia Yantz (Setauket), and Theodora Zavala (East Meadow)
The Mills Pond Gallery, 660 Route 25A, St. James is open Wednesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. The gallery will be closed from Nov. 25 to 29. Visit millspondgallery.org or call 631-862-6575 for directions or information.
Local and state officials have long talked about electrification of the Port Jefferson rail line, but missed deadlines and other issues may push any real project back decades. File photo
By Larry Penner
If the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, on behalf of the Long Island Rail Road, will not progress a planning study to look into the feasibility of extending electrification from Huntington to Port Jefferson, this project may never be completed in our lifetime.
Larry Penner
There is $4 million in real funding from the MTA $32 billion 2015 -2019 Five Year Capital Plan to pay for this study. The MTA previously promised that a contract would be awarded in the summer of 2019. They are now 15 months late in awarding a contract. There is no new recovery schedule for the contract award. If the MTA is unable to initiate a planning study, it may be an indication that this project will never go forward.
Estimated costs for electrification are $18 million per mile. The $260 million funding provided for electrification of the 7-mile Central Branch, running east of Hicksville on the Ronkonkoma line to Babylon is also on hold. This is due to the ongoing MTA financial crisis. This capital improvement would provide additional options for thousands of Babylon riders. They could travel from the Central Branch to Jamaica via the $2.6 billion Main Line Third Track and on to either Penn Station or future Grand Central Terminal by December 2022. Electrification of the Central Branch could also afford creation of a new north/south scoot service, running from Huntington via Hicksville and to Babylon. If results from any planning studies are positive, the next step would be the environmental review process, which would cost millions more. Funding would have to be included under the next MTA 2025 to 2029 Five Year Capital Plan.
The MTA2020 – 2040 Twenty Year Long Range Capital Needs Plan documents how much money, years or decades will be required before each MTA operating agency, including New York City Transit subway and bus, Staten Island Railway, Manhattan Bronx Surface Operating bus, MTA bus, Long Island and Metro North Rail Roads have reached a state of good repair.Categories for each agency include such assets as existing bus, subway and commuter rail fleet, stations and elevators to meet Americans with Disabilities Act and escalators, track including switches, signals and interlockings, communications, line structures, and painting, protective netting on elevated structures and bridges, line equipment including tunnel lighting and pump rooms, traction power, power substations, yards and shops and supervisory vehicles. It would be revealing if the MTA and LIRR is serious about extending electrification to Port Jefferson over this time period, it would be included within this report. Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) and the MTA promised that this document would be made public by December 2019. It is now eleven months late.
Extending electrification of the Port Jefferson branch east of Huntington has been talked about for decades. In the 1980’s, discussions took place between the MTA, LIRR, Suffolk County and various elected officials over which branch should be electrified first. The Ronkonkoma branch was selected over the Port Jefferson branch.
Without electrification east of Huntington, Port Jefferson branch riders may not have a one seat ride to the future LIRR Grand Central Terminal. Service is promised to begin by the end of December 2022. Thousands of daily LIRR riders from diesel territory branches, including those commuting from stations east of Huntington to Port Jefferson, east of East Williston to Oyster Bay, east of Babylon to Speonk and east of Ronkonkoma, will still have to change at Jamaica for travel to the future Grand Central Terminal or Atlantic Avenue to Brooklyn.
Future opportunities for funding to progress this project beyond a planning study will be under upcoming MTA 2025 – 2029, 2030 – 2034 and 2035 -2039 Five Year Capital Plans. The estimated cost will grow over time to $1 billion or more. This is necessary to pay for planning, design and engineering, environmental review, land acquisition for construction of power substations, expansion of commuter parking, potential relocation and/or consolidation of existing stations, new stations and platforms, new electric Multiple Unit car storage yard, new track, third rail and signals. From start to finish, the project could require 15 to 20 years. Based upon my past experiences on other FTA, MTA and LIRR projects, I would not be surprised if electrification of the Port Jefferson branch is not completed until 2040.
Larry Penner is a transportation advocate, historian and writer who previously worked for the Federal Transit Administration Region 2 New York Office. This included the development, review, approval and oversight for billions in capital projects and programs for the MTA, NYC Transit, Long Island Rail Road, Metro North Rail Road, MTA Bus, Suffolk County Transit, Town of Huntington HART Bus, New Jersey Transit along with 30 other transit agencies in NY & NJ.
The Reboli Center for Art and History in Stony Brook presents its holiday inspired exhibit, “Celebrate the Season” from Nov. 5 to Jan. 24, 2021. The show will feature the artwork of 22 local artists along with works by the late Joseph Reboli, the Long Island based artist for whom the Center is named.
Participating artists include Al Candia; Casey Chalem Anderson; Donna Crinnian; Linda Davidson Mathues; Grainne de Buitlear; Julie Doczi; Molly Dougenis; Pam Herbst; Liz Kolligs; Joanne Liff; John Mansueto; Lynn Mara; Jim Molloy; Karen Osti; Joseph Reboli; Doug Reina; Irene Ruddock; Gia Schifano; Mike Stanko; Ty Stroudsberg; Hal Usher; Mary Jane Van Zeijts; Laura Westlake and Patty Yantz.
In addition, the Design Shop is the envy of Santa’s workshop as it is decorated for the holidays and stocked with beautiful, unique and handcrafted gifts for all of your family and friends. There is truly something for everyone of all ages in the festive shop, including jewelry, ornaments, crafts, books, scarves and art. Free gift wrapping is available while you enjoy the holiday spirit at the Center.
“The Center is adhering to New York State and Suffolk County coronavirus guidelines, which limits the number of attendees at one time and requires all visitors to wear a mask and socially distance. Please be assured that staff and volunteers will wear masks, and do continuous cleaning and sanitizing,” said Lois Reboli, president of the Reboli Center.
The Reboli Center for Art and History is located at 64 Main Street in Stony Brook Village. Hours are Tuesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. Between November 27 and December 24 the Center will have extended hours and select pop up shops so be sure to visit the gallery’s website at www.ReboliCenter.org. For more information, call 631-751-7707.
From left, Miss Long Island Teen 2019 Chloe Jones of North Babylon, Olivia Collins, Jasmine Williams and Miss Long Island 2019 Madison Argandona of Stony Brook. from J & L Dream Productions Inc
J & L Dream Productions, Inc., have announced their newest Long Island Queens! On October 4,in the first virtual pageant, Olivia Collins from Wading River was crowned Miss Long Island Teen 2021 and Jasmine Williams from Elmont was crowned Miss Long Island 2021.
They will begin their year of appearances promoting their platforms and engaging in the Long Island Community. Olivia will be promoting her platform of, suicide and mental health awareness and Jasmine will be promoting increasing access to services for children with intellectual disabilities.
Next year, the 2021 queens will compete for the titles of Miss New York USA® and Miss New York Teen USA®, a title that is no stranger to the Long Island Pageants. Last year, Chloe Jones placed in the top 16 out of nearly 120 teens from across New York state. The award winners include:
Top 5 Finalists Miss
Miss Long Island 2021, Jasmine Williams, Elmont; 1st Runner Up, Samantha Trocchia, Franklin Square; 2nd Runner Up, Maxine Cesar, Valley Stream; 3rd Runner Up, Aterahme Lawrence, Greenpoint; and 4th Runner Up, Jamilah Silver, Middle Island
Top 3 Finalists Teen
Miss Long Island Teen 2021, Olivia Collins, Wading River; 1st Runner up, Isabella Scuteri, Medford; 2nd Runner Up, Jennifer Argueta, Hempstead
Other Award Winners
Miss Photogenic Teen: Alexa Mazzamuto, Plainview; Miss Photogenic: Jillian Dunne, Seaford; Community Queen Miss: Nicole Manza, Lynbrook; Directors Award Teen: Olivia Collins, Wading River; Directors Award Miss: Samantha Mastronardi, Port Jefferson Station; and Pageantry Spirit Award: Melanie Weidman, Sound Beach.
Also, I Am An Inspiration Teen: Keiry Martinez, Amityville; I Am An Inspiration Miss: Tiffany Bonet, Uniondale; Leader of Tomorrow Award Teen: Emily Smeich, Rocky Point; Leader of Tomorrow Award Miss: Alexandra Vernice, Garden City; Leader of Tomorrow Award Miss: Meena Elango, Garden City; People’s Choice Teen: Aaliyah Flores, Hauppauge; and People’s Choice Miss: Christina Bove, Oceanside.
To follow their journey to the state title or to apply to compete for the dream of a lifetime, visit www.lipageants.com.
Here is the rub, we’re in tense, dangerous times. We all feel it, a sense of unease blowing on the wind from who knows where. We don’t know what will come in the weeks following election day Nov. 3.
Absentee voting has been around for years, but the pandemic has caused a new swath of residents looking to vote remote. In New York state, boards of elections will not even begin to count absentee ballots until Nov. 6, and that process could take weeks to finish, especially if this year’s Democratic primary is anything to go by. Some experts have said we could not see the final results until December.
Due to this, sites like FiveThirtyEight, which often analyses election polling, said New York may initially skew Republican and then edge Democratic as more absentee ballots are counted.
Effectively, as we look at the preliminary results in the days after Tuesday, we have to remember that nothing is set in stone, especially this year.
It’s only fair that every person who voted in this year’s election is counted, no matter which way they may have voted. Anything else would be undemocratic, and nobody can judge another for deciding to stay home and cast a ballot by mail, especially if they or a person in their family is in the high-risk category for getting COVID-19.
Despite this, President Donald Trump (R) has continually called absentee votes into question, despite the likely fact that many of the people voting for him have cast absentee ballots, and that he himself has voted by mail, specifically by giving it to a third-party individual to return. He has even suggested legal action to mandate only the votes counted by Election Day are applied.
We’ve been trained to want our results election night, but no state has ever fully counted every ballot on the first Tuesday in November. Some states, like North Carolina, are counting absentee ballots that arrive as late as Nov. 12.
And lacking any bombshell reports of vote mismanagement, we have to trust the system. New York’s process double checks each absentee ballot to make sure the person also did not vote in person. Voter fraud remains rare, and multiple states use mail-in ballots as the primary way people can vote in local, state and federal elections.
And what should we expect in those days after? Are we really going to see violence? Will people really accept the outcome of this year’s election? That’s the real question, and as we write this editorial for an issue that comes out two days after the initial results, we cannot say what’s on the horizon.
We urge everyone to stay safe and stay sane. We’re all looking for someone to take the lead in asking for calm, but it seems we should be looking to those in education for a guiding light. Stony Brook University’s new President Maurie McInnis wrote: “While we wait for the results, we are bound to be anxious and tense. Practice patience, extend courtesy and be considerate. When results do come, given the variety of political affiliations that are part of our strength as a diverse community, some are bound to feel elation while others will be disappointed and distressed. I encourage you to reach for empathy. Reach for critical understanding. Reach for the profound combination of caring and intelligence.”
We know tensions will be high, we know the national news will be covering unrest in different parts of the country, but we want to believe our communities have the right mindset to move forward, and that we can stifle the most radical voices with a bulwark of civic mindedness and a sense of neighborly compassion.
Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police 6th Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the man who allegedly stole merchandise from a East Setauket store earlier this year.
A man allegedly stole items from Walmart, located at 3990 Nesconset Highway, Sept. 19 at approximately 12:20 p.m. The man fled in a newer white Subaru, possibly an Impreza Hatchback.
Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS, utilizing a mobile app which can be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play by searching P3 Tips, or online at www.P3Tips.com. All calls, text messages and emails will be kept confidential.
Photo from Suffolk County Police DepartmentPhoto from Suffolk County Police Department
Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police 4th Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate three people who allegedly stole liquor from a Hauppauge store last month.
Two women and a man allegedly stole approximately $700 worth of alcohol from Aqua Vitae Wines and Liquors, located at 597 Route 347, Oct. 27 at approximately 6:30 p.m.
Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about this incident can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS, utilizing a mobile app which can be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play by searching P3 Tips, or online at www.P3Tips.com. All calls, text messages and emails will be kept confidential.
‘Night Fishing’ by William Low of Huntington. Photo from Heckscher Museum
The 2020 Long Island Biennial, a juried exhibition featuring art from contemporary artists across Suffolk and Nassau Counties, opened at the Heckscher Museum of Art in Huntington on Oct. 17 and will run through Jan. 10, 2021.
The museum received more than 800 artwork entries, with 100 works selected for exhibition. The final exhibition represents 52 artists living in Long Island communities stretching from Freeport to Port Washington to Shelter Island Heights. For the first time, most artists will show two or three artworks, presenting viewers with a fuller picture of their recent work.
Inaugurated in 2010, the Long Island Biennial offers Long Island’s professional artists a singular opportunity to share their work through a prestigious exhibition, and provides a unique and exciting space for visitors to see a snapshot of contemporary art on Long Island.
“In the year of our centennial, it was serendipitous that the three jurors happened to select 100 artworks for exhibition,” said Karli Wurzelbacher, Curator. “The volume and quality of the submissions challenged the jurors, yet resulted in a remarkable exhibition that incorporates many media, genres, and styles.”
Wurzelbacher added, “I find the art in the Biennial to beautiful, inventive, and thought-provoking, particularly the work that engages with contemporary events and concerns, including the Black Lives Matter movement, the COVID-19 pandemic, human migration, and the environment.”
The jurors for the 2020 Biennial are Erin Kimmel, Art Writer and Ph.D. candidate in Art History at Stony Brook University; Heidi Lange, Director of DC Moore Gallery, New York City; and Paton Miller, Artist/Curator.
Participating artists in our neck of the woods include Chris Ann Ambery of Hauppauge; Denise Jones Adler, Wendy Curtis, Joyce Kubat, John Linnemeyer, William Low and Kristine Perelle of Huntington; Patricia Colombraro of Nesconset; Alisa Shea of Northport;SungsookSetton of Setauket; SusanBuroker of Smithtown, Han Qin of St. James and Doug Reina of Stony Brook.
This year, a robust program of events will coincide with the exhibition. Long Island Biennial programming engages both artists and guests alike through in-person and virtual events.
Selected artists will be in the galleries on Fridays during the exhibition to discuss their work. Virtual studio tours through Zoom will give visitors a peak into artists’ workspaces and their work in progress. The Conversation Series, also through Zoom, will feature Curator Karli Wurzelbacher and panels of artists discussing various themes.For a complete schedule of events, artists, and registration information, please visit www.Heckscher.org/libiennialevents.
The Heckscher Museum of Art is located at 2 Prime Avenue in Huntington. For more information, call 631-380-3230.
The Long Island Biennial is sponsored by Pien and Hans Bosch.
Above, a representative from One Love Dog Rescue and OSJL store associates with some rescued puppies.
As part of Ocean State Job Lot’s “Close to Our Heart” program, the OSJL store located at 2150 Middle Country Road in Centereach made a donation of $400 to One Love Dog Rescue of Smithtown on Oct. 5 to support and contribute to its important mission. The 100% volunteer and foster-based rescue group is dedicated to the rescue, healing and re-homing of abused, unwanted and abandoned dogs.
“A cornerstone of our company is our philanthropy,” said David Sarlitto, Executive Director, Ocean State Job Lot Charitable Foundation. “Whenever we open our doors in a new community, we make a donation to a non-profit that is ‘close to the heart’ of our local team, but with so many communities struggling right now, we’ve expanded this program to allow our associates to make additional donations to organizations that are meaningful to them.”
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