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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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File photo

Suffolk County Police today arrested the driver involved in a fatal motor vehicle crash in Wading River that killed a 90-year-old woman after the driver provided a false name to officers.

Following an investigation, detectives determined that Tara Demauro was the driver of the Jeep that struck a Nissan on Route 25A on October 14. Following the crash, Demauro provided officers with the name of her relative, Meghan Cunningham of Rocky Point, who was not involved.

Demauro, 48, of Rocky Point, was charged with Criminal Impersonation 2nd Degree,  Making a Punishable False Written Statement and Driving with a Suspended License. She was released on a desk appearance ticket and is due to appear at the First District Court in Central Islip on a later date.

 

 

 

 

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Stock photo

If you ignore prejudice, you invite prejudice.

Stony Brook University officials recently hosted a forum in Port Jefferson to highlight how, despite efforts to stamp out prejudice in the local community, its specter constantly lingers in the background. The catalyst for the panel discussion was a recent incident, where a Sikh man was essentially barred from entering a restaurant because his religious garb was misunderstood.

Presenters praised the more than 40 people, mostly business owners, who attended the panel for being open-minded. Many walked away with new insights and goals in mind.

It makes little economic nor moral sense to restrict who can buy your products or shop because of a lingering prejudice, so we agree that all North Shore businesses should be looking for ways to become more inclusive. 

Prejudice sits just under the skin of a community and surfaces regularly. Back in May, a gay couple were called “faggots” by a waiter as they left a restaurant in Smithtown. The restaurant wrote a long apology on its Facebook page, but not until after the news was carried far and wide. That incident not only looks bad on that one individual and the business where they are employed, but the stigma is transmitted to all surrounding businesses.

People can pretend that prejudice is contained as overt acts of aggression, yet the truth is less obvious. In reality, much of Long Island is dotted with areas of high wealth, situated alongside areas of upper and lower middle class. Consider Long Island school districts, which dictate their own boundaries. Segregation among school districts is such that the majority of Brentwood students, for example, are black and Hispanic, while a district like Three Village is comprised of more than 80 percent white students. To pretend that such overt segregation doesn’t lead to ignorance and prejudice is fooling oneself. The truth is that Long Island is regarded as one of the most segregated metropolitan regions in the country. 

Restricting somebody from entering a restaurant is overt in its ignorance. It’s wrong for a whole host of reasons, and in the small relatively insular communities of the North Shore of Long Island, those ideas are hard to wrestle away.

But those ideas must be torn away, ripped up and be jammed deep to the bottom of the garbage bin.

Our local shops have a lot they can do to help. The Stony Brook University panel suggested businesses talk about hiring people to become more diverse. Simply putting a sign in a store window inviting people of all races, religions, creeds, sexual orientations and genders to shop can emphasize inclusivity.

Learn to recognize prejudice and then take a stand when you see it, especially if it’s within your own thoughts and actions.  There are benefits to racial and cultural diversity. Let’s celebrate our differences.

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Photo of the Week

DONNING DANCING SHOES

F..J. Buncke of the Stony Brook Camera Club caught this snowy egret  ‘doing the golden slipper dance’ in Stony Brook Harbor on Sept. 20. The handsome white wading bird sports black legs with yellow feet making it appear as if he is wearing shoes. All he needs now is a dancing partner.

Send your Photo of the Week to [email protected]

 

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Town of Huntington will host a Organ Donor Enrollment Day Oct. 10. File photo by Rohma Abbas

The Town of Huntington Planning Board will conduct a special meeting on October 10 at 10:30 a.m. at Huntington Town Hall to consider The Preserve at Indian Hills preliminary subdivision public hearing schedule. 

There are two parts of The Preserve at Indian Hills application happening concurrently: one part is the draft environmental impact study public comment period ending October 18; the other part is the cluster subdivision development, which follows the guidelines established by the New York State Town Law Sections 276 and 278. 

Typically, the SEQRA requirements considering the DEIS and the Preliminary Subdivision hearing occur together as one public hearing. In this case, the process has been extended, having two public hearings on separate days – the public hearing on the DEIS was held on September 18 and the preliminary subdivision public hearing will occur at a later date – expanding the opportunity for public participation.

Sections 276 and 278 of New York State Town Law do not require planning board action to schedule the preliminary subdivision public hearing however, due to high public interest in this project, the planning board has scheduled the meeting to consider the public hearing schedule to ensure the public is fully aware of the process.

The public hearing, once scheduled, will be held in the town board hearing room, Huntington Town Hall, 100 Main Street, Huntington, New York. Interested persons may attend and will have an opportunity to be heard on the proposed cluster subdivision development. 

Compiled by David Luces

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The Rocky Point High School History Honors Society stand with Joe Cognitore along with a plaque commemorating the flag that now flies over the 9/11 Memorial in NYC. Photo from Rich Acritelli

Just recently, Joe Cognitore, commander of VFW Post 6249 in Rocky Point spoke to the Rocky Point High School History Honors Society. He addressed the tragic attacks of 9/11, 18 years ago and an uncovered part of ground zero that was presented to this North Shore area.  

Cognitore recalled a past beautiful fall day, the afternoon of Oct. 4, when the Rocky Point school district held a major patriotic and remembrance ceremony only weeks after the terror attacks. It was the goal of this school district to remember and honor all of those national and local people that were impacted by these attacks. As Americans watched the rescue and recovery efforts in the city, they were reminded of a new war that was waged against the Taliban and al-Qaida some 19 days after Manhattan was hit by supporters of terrorism.  Those days saw a tremendous burden weighing on the minds of citizens, and this program presented a united front to support all of our Americans at home and abroad.

Local residents filled the bleachers of Rocky Point High School and in front of them was a Town of Brookhaven concert mobile. The VFW post marched in the colors and presented our flag to a crowd that was overcome with the memory of the four graduates that were killed from these attacks. The sounds of “God Bless America,” the armed forces music and “America the Beautiful” were played to the crowd. Veterans were invited to stand to represent different branches of the armed services that were all on alert during the earliest moments of the War on Terror. There were all of the local, state and federal government representatives, World War II veterans, and Boy Scouts that were all present on this day to present a dynamic unity.

This camaraderie resembled the same feelings that Americans felt when the Japanese  attacked Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941.  Flags were flown all over the nation and people stuck bumper stickers on their cars in support of the residents of New York City. People wrapped yellow ribbons around trees for those soldiers who going to be deployed. Cognitore and the other organizers of that event decided on a unique angle to demonstrate patriotism. Calverton-based Sky Dive Long Island planned to make a jump over the skies of this school with a large flag that would be seen well above the heads of the people. Only a few weeks before this jump, it was discovered under the debris of Lower Manhattan. It was originally flown outside of the World Trade Center and it was located by a volunteer recovery worker.

The plane took off from Calverton with jumpers Curt Kellinger, a Port Authority police officer and Ray Maynard. The crew made a memorable landing with a tattered yet historic flag that landed on the Rocky Point football field. Once the flag made it to the ground, it was presented to a representative of the Port Authority and brought back to the city. That year, it was flown over Yankee Stadium during the World Series, at Super Bowl XXXVI and at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. Even as this flag was scarred from the attacks of 9/11, it showed the resilience of our country to quickly rebound and rebuild.  The flag that once was displayed at Post 6249 has a permanent home at the 9/11 Memorial in New York City. Today, millions of people have visited this well-known museum and they can see a flag that has strong roots of patriotism and remembrance to this North Shore community.

Rich Acritelli is a social studies teacher at Rocky Point High School and an adjunct professor of American history at Suffolk County Community College.

The Rocky Point High School History Honors Society contributed to this story.

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Actors Brent Morden and Melanie Acampora portraying Miles the miller and Katie
Actors Brent Morden and Melanie Acampora portraying Miles the miller and Katie
Sarah Golden as Rebecca Mills Brewster;
Sarah Golden as Rebecca Mills Brewster;
Cassandra St. George portraying Phoebe Satterly Thompson
Cassandra St. George portraying Phoebe Satterly Thompson
Cassandra St. George portraying Phoebe Satterly Thompson
Gabrielle Lindau with photos taken in the Mount House
Amelia Huckel-Bauer portraying Ruth Mills Hawkins
Amelia Huckel-Bauer portraying Ruth Mills Hawkins

By Beverly C. Tyler

Many Long Islanders had the opportunity this past Saturday, on a beautiful fall day, to enjoy the stories of four Revolutionary War era women set in four historic buildings in Stony Brook and Setauket that are owned by the Ward Melville Heritage Organization. Titled Courageous Women of the Revolutionary War, the theatrical event presented a charming glimpse into the lives of these women portrayed by costumed professional actors.

Those who attended one of the three scheduled two-hour tours met at the WMHO Educational & Cultural Center in Stony Brook, received a bag containing program and historical details, WHMO materials and a snack and were directed to board one of four trolleys.

Assigned Bus A for the 11 a.m. tour we were greeted by Nancy Dorney, an active member of the Daughter of the American Revolution who explained the program and answered questions. At each stop we were greeted by another guide who ushered us into the historic building.

Our first stop was the circa 1725 Hawkins-Mount house in Stony Brook. We sat in the parlor and were soon greeted by Ruth Mills Hawkins who told us how difficult it was to raise her children, assist her husband Jonas in running the general store from their home, help cover his activities as a spy for the Culper Spy Ring, and do all of this with British forces in control of Long Island, watching their every move.

Outside the Hawkins-Mount house, WHMO’s Gabrielle Lindau showed tourgoers photos of the paint samples tried out on the walls of the upstairs room where William Sidney Mount worked on many of his paintings.

Next was the circa 1665 Joseph Brewster house where we met his wife Rebecca Mills Brewster, a fiery Irish lass who helped her husband run their tavern and inn while being reviled and insulted by British authorities.

In the circa 1709 Thompson House, we met Phebe Satterly Thompson, wife of Dr. Samuel Thompson, who was quite ill and described her symptoms, her husband’s work as a doctor and how she was dealing with her disease at a time when many of her neighbors were also infected.

Our last stop was the circa 1751 Stony Brook Grist Mill where we enjoyed the byplay between Miles the miller and Katie, an indentured servant from Cork, Ireland, who was living rough after the home she lived in was taken over by British troops. Everyone on our trolley thoroughly enjoyed the pleasant, instructive and well-organized tour, and the weather was delightful.

All photos by Beverly C. Tyler

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Animals were up for adoption at Save-A-Pet's Hounds on the Sound event in Port Jefferson 2015. Photo by Bob Savage

By Leah Chiappino

Save-A-Pet Animal Shelter is looking to expand its reach to the Berkshire Mountains in western Massachusetts where the organization plans to open a sanctuary.

The Port Jefferson Station-based animal shelter is due to close on a 20-acre property that contains a barn, house and space for a veterinary facility this month, according to shelter president Dori Scofield.

Starting around the holiday time, the sanctuary will be open to older or disabled dogs and cats that have had a difficult time finding a home.  The sanctuary’s first residents will be three dogs currently residing at the shelter from Mexico who were hit by cars and are now paralyzed.  However, they will still be available for adoption.

In the spring, Scofield hopes to welcome farm animals, such as pigs and goats that have been “faced with slaughter, factory exploitation, auctions, and whose lives have been wrought with fear and loneliness,”
she said.

The facility won’t just benefit animals. The shelter president said Save-A-Pet has plans to use the sanctuary to “provide an educational program where people can experience the individual personality of each animal, to become kindred spirits and therefore begin to understand the changes we must make in our own lives to stop the exploitation of animals for food and consumer products.”

The organization has fundraised what they need to make a down payment through a capital campaign and has mortgaged out the remainder of the cost. However, Scofield says the sanctuary still “desperately” needs funds. 

“I am nickel and diming my way through this just like I did with Save-A-Pet,” she said.

Scofield is looking for volunteers to provide services such as plumbing, electrical work and carpentry to assist in some capital repairs needed on the Massachusetts property. They are also looking for veterinary assistants and volunteers willing to care for the animals at the property, while building a staff of volunteers in the Berkshires. 

“Everything we have at Save-A-Pet we will need there,” she said.

Save-A-Pet will be hosting an Uncorked Love fundraiser at Madrian The Wine Bar at 209 Main St. in East Setauket set for 7 p.m., Nov. 7. Tickets are availble at Save-A-Pet located at 608 Route 112. All proceeds will go to the sanctuary.

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Sheriff Errol Toulon speaks at the Sept. 26 event. Photo from Suffolk County Village Officials Organization

The opioid epidemic is so expansive that it seems impossible that one individual can end the overdoses and deaths and the related crimes. But even in the smallest municipalities — the villages, fire districts, school districts, people have the opportunity to institute real change.

On Sept. 26, members of the Suffolk County Village Officials Organization met to hear from the district attorney, the police commissioner and the sheriff about the current state of the opioid crisis. Presenters reviewed a wide range of resources and programs available in the county, but also emphasized that we all need to think outside the box to collectively address the explosion of narcotic drug use, which has also led to a local increase in illegal gun crimes and sex trafficking.

Village officials should hold public information sessions on what was learned at this meeting and create committees comprised of residents committed to help.  People need to be better informed. In turn, other community leaders can invite speakers into local schools and religious centers to speak on the topic.

The facts are alarming.

In 2018, Suffolk police launched a sex trafficking investigation unit that has identified and interviewed over 200 local sex trafficking victims. County leaders say that the people behind these crimes exploit the young women by making them dependent upon opioids and demanding repayment through sex. Instead of calling it prostitution, law enforcement prefers that people now refer to these crimes as sex trafficking, and a modern day form of slavery.

An increase in narcotics-related, court-authorized surveillance in the county through search warrant and phone-line eavesdropping has translated into a 49 percent increase in illegal handgun seizures and a doubling of illegal shotgun seizures.

If you are an elected official in one of these villages, also consider opening a line of communication on the topic with residents. Submissions can be anonymous.

The county has outlined as its goals for the explosion of narcotic use and related crimes: prevention, treatment and recovery. Whatever your ideas are to better accomplish this, please let it become more widely known with your local elected officials, who can convey this to other branches of government. As a news publication, we also welcome your input.

Since 2013, an estimated 2,109 people have died of an opioid overdose in the county, according to its statistics. That toll would be higher, but thankfully Narcan, the opioid overdose antidote, is credited with saving lives and has reversed 599 overdoses so far in 2019.

Clearly, though, there still is ongoing, nightmarish trouble stemming from prescription pain killers and illicit opioid addictions. Action is needed.

For help, people can call these emergency numbers:

Suffolk County Substance Abuse Hotline: 631-979-1700

Suffolk County Police Department Crime Stoppers and Drug Activity Hotline:  631-852-NARC (6272). Messages can also be sent as a text to “TIP SUFFOLK” at 888-777, but investigators prefer the open dialogue of a telephone call. All calls are confidential.

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Jessica Petrina of Selden set a new overall female time of 20:42. Photos from All Souls Episcopal Church
Nine-year-old Hudson Gaeta from Fort Salonga won the gold medal for the 13 and under group. Photos from All Souls Episcopal Church
Centereach resident Laura Shann won the Bravest Costume award for her multicolored running tutu. Photos from All Souls Episcopal Church
A family after completing the 5K race. Photos from All Souls Episcopal Church

By Daniel Kerr

Runners and walkers gathered in front of All Souls Episcopal Church for the 11th annual Soles for All Souls 5K Race/2K Walk Sept. 29 as parishioners Annatje Clark and Veronique Velazquez sang the national anthem.

Nine-year-old Hudson Gaeta from Fort Salonga won the gold medal for the 13 and under group, and Stony Brook resident John Barker won the gold for the 80+ group. Stony Brook University alumnus Darian Sorouri set a new overall record time of 16 minutes, 41 seconds and Jessica Petrina of Selden set a new overall female time of 20:42.

Centereach resident Laura Shann won the Bravest Costume award for her multicolored running tutu, and Suffolk County Poet Laureate Barbara Southard led the Live Poets Society walkers. Several families fielded teams of multiple generations and fitness levels for this annual celebration. Local band DownPort provided live music during registration and the Olympic-style awards ceremony.  Expert pre- and postrace stretching was provided by Dr. Kiley Holmes from PhysioRoam.

All funds raised will be dedicated to adding a bathroom to the historic chapel and making the church and its outreach activities (concerts, poetry readings, dialing visitation, etc.) accessible to all.

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The Town of Brookhaven Town Hall. File photo

The Town of Brookhaven is looking into creating a program that could lower gas and electric rates for homeowners.

Town officials are planning an Oct. 3 public hearing that would be the first steps in creating a Community Choice Aggregation or CCA, which is an energy program that allows local governments to buy electricity and gas on behalf of its residents.

It would allow the town to take advantage of more competitive rates from energy suppliers for those in the CCA. The program, similar to a bulk purchasing agreement, would let the town purchase large amounts of electricity for a large pool of residents and small commercial businesses.

“The high cost of energy on Long Island continues to rise, making it difficult for many families and businesses to keep up,” said Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) in a release. “By creating a Community Choice Aggregation, the town will be able to help cut their energy costs and keep more money in their pockets.”

The program was created by the New York Public Service Commission in April of 2016. Westchester, in 2014, was the first town in New York State to launch the CCA program under Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D).

Following the public hearing, the town would have to adopt a local law authorizing the creation of a CCA, designate a CCA administrator and gain approval from the New York State Public Service Commission.

Once the town gets approval, residents will be able to join the program to take advantage of the lower energy rates. Residents are not required to be part of the CCA, do not have to sign a contract to join and can leave the program at any time without early termination or exit fees.

The public hearing will be held at 5 p.m. at Brookhaven Town Hall, located at 1 Independence Hill in Farmingville.

Compiled by David Luces

 

 

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