GO AHEAD, MAKE MY DAY
Michael Boren of Setauket caught this squirrel in the act on July 28. He writes, “This squirrel has reached my backyard ‘squirrel proof’ bird feeder and has no intention of giving way.”
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Prepared by the Verbeek Family
Cecilia M. Verbeek, a longtime resident of Stony Brook, died Monday, July 1, in Potomac, Maryland, of natural causes. Her brother, Robert Miguel who also lived in Stony Brook, predeceased her in 2023 in Whiting, New Jersey. Her husband of 53 years, Clemens, died in June 2020.
Survivors include her brother Mauro Arturo Miguel and his wife Gloria of Severn, Maryland, their children Celerina, Arturo, and Fernando, along with their families. Mrs. Verbeek is also survived by three sons: Christiaan and his wife Siobhan and their two sons, Nicolaas and Aidan, of Potomac; Erik and his wife April and their daughter Alexa of Morgan Hill, California; and Philip and his wife Tara and their daughter Brooklyn of Hudson, Massachusetts. She also leaves behind a large extended family on her husband’s side in the Netherlands.
Mrs. Verbeek, a registered nurse and 1962 graduate of Cornell Nursing School, lived and worked in New York City before moving to Long Island. She enjoyed the arts with lifelong friends and roommates Dottie Eva, Barbara, and Lizzie. After nursing school, she traveled extensively through Asia, parts of the Middle East, and Europe, where she met her husband in Amsterdam. They married in New York in 1966. Mrs. Verbeek first worked at New York Hospital in Manhattan — now New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center — alongside her mother Celerina, also a registered nurse, and later at Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip, Long Island, until her retirement.
An avid gardener and skilled baker and cook, Mrs. Verbeek was also a master quiltmaker and enjoyed music – singing and playing the piano – well into her 80s. She was a central figure in her large family, who emigrated from the Philippines after World War II, and will be deeply missed.
A funeral service for Cecilia Verbeek was held July 20 at the Robert A. Pumphrey Funeral Home in Maryland.
A family burial is scheduled for August 2 at 10 a.m. at Pinelawn Memorial Park and Arboretum in Farmingdale. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to a charitable organization of the donor’s choice.
By Aidan Johnson
From a young age, children are taught that the ocean isn’t actually blue but is simply reflecting the color of the sky. However, the ocean recently took on a turquoise color not caused by the sky but by organisms called phytoplankton in the water.
Phytoplankton are tiny, commonly single-celled photosynthetic organisms in bodies of water that are carried by tides and currents and are too weak to swim against them.
Along the South Shore, all the way from Montauk to Brooklyn and spanning about 100 miles into the Atlantic Ocean, there is an algal bloom full of a specific type of phytoplankton called coccolithophores, explained Christopher Gobler, a professor at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University.
According to Gobler, this particular type of phytoplankton has a shell that’s made of calcium carbonate, which is the same substance that clam shells are made of, albeit to a much larger degree.
“What can happen is that after [the coccolithophores have] grown for a while, the shell begins to dissolve and then they might start dying off,” he said in an interview. “And so the coloration seems to be from the dissolution of that shell. It looks green, but it’s really just the interaction of the calcium carbonate with the seawater and the sunlight that collectively leads to that color.”
Gobler also clarified that the coccolithophores do not pose a direct health risk to sea life, but instead “fuel the food chain.”
“And so for the present time at least … we can call it a neutral deposit,” he said.
The bloom already seems to be dissipating, according to Gobler, which means that the sky will once again take credit for the water’s blue appearance.
Unjustified dismantlement of West Meadow Beach cottages
I am writing in response to last week’s article concerning the new West Meadow Beach sign which memorializes the cottages that once stood there [“New West Meadow Beach sign evokes old controversy,” The Village Times Herald, July 25]. Like the sign, the article fails to reflect the more nuanced story of the West Meadow Beach cottages and their significance to our community. As someone deeply connected to this community, I must address the misrepresentations and the devastating loss we have suffered.
Steve Englebright [D-Setauket], the former state assemblyman [and current county legislator], has shown himself to be a disgrace. Even if his story from his 20s about landing on the beach and being chased away were true, his relentless pursuit to remove the beach cottages was an abuse of his office. Englebright’s personal crusade and the narrative he and his associates crafted used circumstantial evidence to paint a false picture of a community that I knew intimately.
The beach cottages were not the domain of a privileged few but a bucolic community of families who created memories and contributed to the fabric of Stony Brook. Englebright’s claim that “most of the people of Brookhaven Town were denied access to their own public land” is simply untrue. Instead of addressing a genuine community concern, he pursued a personal agenda with the help of a few local activists who exploited his political influence to achieve an extreme outcome.
Herb Mones, of the West Meadow Beach Advisory Committee and one of the privileged homeowners behind West Meadow Creek, pursued a hateful agenda rather than working with the community on solutions. His group started the first legal challenges against the cottages in 1991, resulting in rulings that public parkland didn’t belong to private interests. This act has torn a hole in our marvelous town and demonstrated a cruel use of legislation to destroy a special place for so many. Rather than seeking an alternative zoning plan to balance access and preservation, Englebright and his cohorts chose destruction.
Today, the strip of land where the cottages once stood is a barren wasteland, neglected and unprotected. The community that once thrived there is gone, and the town is poorer for it.
Englebright’s defeat from his Assembly seat is a small consolation, but he should be further removed from any position of power. His version of events starkly contrasts with the experiences of many other town residents. My stepfather, for instance, was welcomed and rescued by the cottage community when his boat ran ashore. Similarly, I witnessed my late father coming to the aid of a pilot who crashed his lightweight aircraft on the beach. We welcomed the pilot into our home, shared stories, and my father helped him repair his aircraft.
Englebright’s defensive claims and narrative paints a very different picture than The New York Times story from 2004 [www.nytimes.com/2004/06/27/nyregion/long-island-journal-cottages-at-west-meadow-beach-face-end.html] reflecting a community of caring residents who became legislative victims. Nancy Solomon, a folklorist and executive director of Long Island Traditions, rightly pointed out that the bungalows reflected local architectural tradition and that tearing them down was a loss of history. George Barber, president of the Brookhaven Bathing Association, feared that the removal of the cottages would lead to the beach becoming a garbage dump, which we now see happening.
If there is to be a second sign, it should inform the community of Englebright’s abuse of office and the destruction of a cherished treasure of the Three Villages. He and his cronies should be ashamed of themselves, and their actions will not be forgotten.
Jen Schaedel, Stony Brook
Editor’s note: Our front-page story covered the erection of a new sign at the beach and was not a detailed history of the cottages controversy, which was still discussed.
An alternative view of the West Meadow cottages controversy
Last week’s Village Times Herald article, “New West Meadow Beach sign evokes old controversy,” reminded me that it’s been 19 years since the beach liberation.
Back then, our local newspaper was besieged with letters, including those from owners who promised dire consequences if the cottages were razed — arson, crimes, drugs, pollution and increased traffic. I was one of the people who wrote letters arguing that they must come down, and that the beach be returned to the public.
I thought back to a Brazilian trip where all the beaches were accessible to the public. No hotels or houses were built along the waterfront. A local explained to me that such building was illegal because beaches belong to the public, not the wealthy, would-be homeowners.
Here on Long Island we have a system where, generally, people of means reside on the waterfront and the rest of us share the places that remain public. The West Meadow Beach cottages were one of the worst examples of beachfront land abuse, because it was rented at a discount to those who “voted correctly.” And, yes, I was approached by more than one cottage owner who menacingly advised, “We know where you live.”
A champion of the beach reclamation was Herb Mones who first brought the issue to the taxpayers. And Steve Englebright will always be considered a heroic figure to me because he risked his career against overpowering odds and personal threats in order to do the right thing.
The dire predictions never materialized. No arson, crime, crack houses or increased traffic — just less sewage. It’s a joy seeing people taking that beautiful, serene walk on our peninsula, which is slowly evolving back to its natural state.
Bruce Stasiuk, East Setauket
Horseshoe crabs need our help!
To readers of this newspaper there is good news about horseshoe crabs but your help is needed.
Legislation to prohibit the harvest of horseshoe crabs has passed the New York State Assembly and Senate (A10140/S3185-A) and awaits action by Gov. Kathy Hochul [D].
Please take a moment to urge her to sign the bill into law. You can do this by either:
1. Calling her office at 518-474-8390.
2. Sending a letter of support to:
The Honorable Kathy Hochul
Governor of New York State
New York State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224
3. Going to this website: www.governor.ny.gov/content/governor-contact-form and type in a comment in the message box.
We have never been closer to stopping the killing of tens of thousands of horseshoe crabs —NYS regulations allow baymen to kill 150,000 annually for bait — and your voice is needed.
Horseshoe crabs have declined significantly over the past several decades and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission earlier in 2024 determined that New York’s horseshoe crab fishery is in “poor condition” — the only state along the East Coast with this troubling designation.
This poor condition is borne out by our personal experience: Who over the age of 50 doesn’t remember our bay and harbor bottoms once being filled with these iconic animals? This species, known as a living fossil, plays a vital role in the coastal ecosystem with their eggs being eaten by a number of migratory shorebird species, including the red knot which is protected by the federal Endangered Species Act. Their eggs are eaten by many fish species too and the adults are consumed by sea turtles, also listed and protected in the Endangered Species Act.
There are bait alternatives baymen can use that have proven effective. Over the past 25 years about 3.6 million horseshoe crabs have been killed for bait. It’s time that New York joins our neighboring state Connecticut, which recently enacted a statewide ban on the taking of these living fossils and stops the slaughter. These fascinating animals deserve better. We call on Gov. Hochul to sign the ban into law. It is vital the governor hears from the public by expressing your support for the ban. Please contact Gov. Hochul today!
John Turner
Four Harbors Audubon Society
St. James
By Ava Himmelsbach
The July 18 Town of Brookhaven Board meeting consisted of discussions regarding local concerns, happenings and authorizations.
The board reclassified certain local events as programs for public good. With the town as a co-sponsor, these events would qualify for coverage under the public good insurance.
Discussed as a potential program for public good was the Bethel Hobbs Community Farm Run the Farm event in Centereach.
“This would be Saturday, Aug. 10,” Councilman Neil Manzella (R-Selden) noted. “This is a fantastic event to help bring money and awareness back to the only farm in the 3rd District, I would say, and probably one of the only farms in the middle of the island like that. It is a fantastic farm, [and it] does a lot of [good] for the community, so come on and give a little back. Go on a nice 4-mile run — it’s very popular — [as] most runs are a 5K. This is actually a legitimate 4-mile run, [on] very hilly roads. It draws a huge crowd who partake in it, and we have a great time every year.”
The board voted unanimously to approve this classification for the farm. Manzella, along with the Bethel Hobbs Community Farm, has high hopes for this fun, summer event. He added that he will be playing a managing role in this gathering: “I will run the event, I will not run in the event. How’s that!”
The National Night Out event, scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 6, was also considered an event for public good.
This night will consist of multiple free events across Brookhaven. Hosted by the town and Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department, this event will bring local law enforcement out to host activities and run various displays.
“They’re all convenient to every council district, and we hope that everybody chooses to participate in one,” Councilwoman Jane Bonner (R-Rocky Point) said. “It’s always a really fun family night, it really is.” The vote regarding the town’s sponsorship and insurance coverage for these events was unanimous.
The board also voted to accept $3,100 in funds donated to the town from the Three Village Dads Foundation for the Gerard Reggio Plaque. “I want to thank the Three Village Dads,” Supervisor Dan Panico (R) said. “That foundation is doing a lot of great work in the Town of Brookhaven, and also helping out Stony Brook Children’s Hospital quite a bit. It’s great work. If you’re watching and you are from Three Village Dads, we thank you.”
Other actions that were approved included the town’s sponsorship and classification of the Shakespeare in the Park and Suffolk County Youth Bureau Division’s Bilingual Drug and Alcohol Education, Prevention and Awareness Presentation events as programs for public good, along with the acceptance of a donation from Canvus of six benches made from recycled materials of wind turbines. These benches will be installed at various town facilities.
Despite decisions on approvals and authorizations involving property planning and contracts specific to local businesses, the popular topics for local families and individuals were largely relating to the town’s public good insurance coverage and classification of local events and happenings. As made clear by these talking points, Brookhaven residents have much to look forward to in the month of August.
It was impossible to ignore last week’s internet outage — a Microsoft processing error turned into mass panic.
Flights at MacArthur, LaGuardia, JFK and Newark airports were delayed, canceled or grounded.
Local businesses were unable to complete payrolls, accept cards or run order-ahead options.
Hospitals had to work around interruptions and in some cases halt services, resulting in canceled appointments and rescheduled surgeries.
So, with every aspect of our lives so inextricably linked to computers and smartphones, we are led to the question: What to do if the metaphorical — and literal — lights go out?
It is important to be informed, follow reliable news sources to stay updated on ongoing outages. You can also sign up for notifications from your service providers to receive real-time updates about outages.
Keep backup communication methods. Alternative communication tools such as email accounts from different providers, messaging apps or even traditional SMS technology can provide a different route to efficient communication.
Ensure access to critical information. Much like the days of the Rolodex or encyclopedia, it is essential to store offline copies of crucial documents and information. Ensure you have important contact numbers written down or stored in a non digital format. Using physical storage devices like USB drives or external hard drives for backups can be beneficial in times of outage.
Don’t rely solely on one service provider, have accounts with multiple providers. For instance, use both Google Drive and OneDrive for file storage. Use websites like Downdetector, Is It Down Right Now? and similar services to monitor the status of various online services.
Look to the community. Join professional and community networks where members share updates and solutions during outages. Participate in forums and groups related to your industry to stay informed about how others are coping with outages. Local libraries offer free technology and computer classes.
Protect your information by regularly backing up your data to multiple locations, including cloud services and physical storage. Implement redundancy in your critical systems, such as having secondary internet connections, power backups and alternative software tools.
By Aidan Johnson
Singers and musicians of all ages showcased their talents at Open Mic Day in the Park on Saturday, July 20, in Port Jefferson Station.
The event, which was hosted by the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Chamber of Commerce, gave bands and singers a chance to perform on stage at the Train Car Park.
Real estate agent and chamber of commerce vice president, Paul Perrone, had the idea for the open mic event after wanting to support his son’s musical endeavors.
“My son James plays the drums with three different of his school-age friends’ bands, and I support him, and I wanted to see him get out there,” Perrone said. “I figured what better way to get them out there, get them on stage, get them the experience of performing live. So I did this for him.”
James performed as part of the band Just The Steves, which played covers of well-known classics such as Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” and Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”
Brookhaven Town Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) also participated in the event, performing with his band Rumdogs.
“This event was so much fun and got a lot of people from the community involved. It was so wonderful to see the community starting to use this new park that they built for such a great event,” Kornreich said in a statement.
“Paul Perrone and his team deserve a lot of credit for putting this together, and I think we’re going to see a lot more events like this in the future,” he added.
The event also featured karaoke performances, including from 9-year-old Ava Tulkop, who performed “You Belong With Me” by Taylor Swift, and 14-year-old Zachary Esposito, who performed a variety of songs including “At Last” by Etta James and “Isn’t She Lovely” by Stevie Wonder.
Zachary said while he felt nervous at first, he became more sure of himself as he continued onto his next tune.
His song choice was significant to him, saying that he picked “At Last” because “I wanted my moment for a long time, and at last it actually happened.”
By Serena Carpino
Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) announced Wednesday, July 17, the start of construction on Sunrise Wind, an offshore wind farm about 30 miles off the coast of Montauk. The project is spearheaded by Ørsted, a global leader in renewable energy. To celebrate the groundbreaking of the project, officials from Ørsted met with several government leaders at the Boys & Girls Club in Bellport.
Earlier this year, Sunrise Wind received its Record of Decision from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management for clearance to begin construction. At the time, the project was run by Ørsted and Eversource, another clean energy leader.
Sunrise Wind is now fully overseen by Ørsted, which agreed to buy Eversource’s 50% share at a value of $152 million, a significant decrease from the projected purchase price in January, set at $230 million due to a reduction in the anticipated capex for the project. The two closed a deal earlier this month, with Ørsted expecting the wind farm to be operating in 2026.
David Hardy, Ørsted executive vice president and CEO of Region Americas, in a statement said, “Sunrise Wind has been significantly de-risked and achieved important milestones since we agreed with Eversource to buy their share. The transaction is a value-accretive opportunity for Ørsted as we continue to develop the project.”
In addition, Hardy highlighted the companies’ achievements and expressed gratitude for Eversource. “As a centerpiece of New York’s clean energy economy, Sunrise Wind builds on our momentum from South Fork Wind [another wind farm developed by Ørsted and Eversource], further expanding the local offshore wind supply chain and workforce. We thank Eversource for their years of partnership and ongoing support.”
The Sunrise Wind plan is to create 800 direct union jobs and $700 million in economic revenue. Officials expect that, upon completion, the 924 megawatts of clean energy generated by the farm will power around 600,000 homes.
Groundbreaking ceremony
Leaders in attendance at Wednesday’s groundbreaking ceremony included Elizabeth Klein, director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Doreen Harris, president and CEO of New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, and Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R).
Ørsted was congratulated for this advancement in the development of Sunrise Wind. The importance of this project was stressed in helping New York State officials achieve their current energy goals: utilizing 70% clean energy by 2030 and 100% by 2040.
“Today’s shovels in the ground … marks yet another step forward in advancing offshore wind in New York state, and realizing the potential of this powerhouse industry in accelerating the state’s energy transition and growing our economy,” Harris said.
In addition, Klein commented that the wind farm is a key step in allowing the Biden-Harris administration as well as New York to meet their renewable energy goals, reiterating that “BOEM is proud to join the State of New York and Ørsted in celebrating this milestone as we work together for a cleaner energy future, while providing good-paying jobs and ensuring economic opportunities are accessible to all communities.”
Sunrise Wind has also received significant bipartisan support, with many politicians commenting on the benefits of the wind farm.
“The day has finally come when this important project starts to take the final step toward becoming a reality,” Romaine said. “These projects will help transform the region and keep Suffolk County more affordable. I thank Governor Hochul for her efforts and commitment to clean energy in New York state.”
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D) also highlighted the significant impact that offshore wind farms will have on improving New York’s economy and reducing harmful emissions.
“Today’s groundbreaking marks the start of construction on Sunrise Wind — New York’s largest job-creating and clean-energy producing offshore wind project that will change the energy landscape in New York for the better,” he said.
“Built with union labor, Sunrise Wind will provide clean energy for hundreds of thousands of New York homes and boost the regional economy. New York’s energy needs are vast, and so is the urgent need to reduce the greenhouse gasses driving climate change,” he added.
Schumer emphasized that he would continue to work with other government officials to further future renewable energy projects.
By Peter Sloniewsky
In response to the early summer heat waves, Suffolk County Water Authority has increased its efforts to promote water conservation.
The prime action taken by SCWA is in the form of an odd/even lawn watering system. In this system, customers with odd-numbered addresses may only water their lawns on odd-numbered days, and the inverse for even-numbered addresses. SCWA has also enacted a policy that forbids watering between the peak water usage hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
On average, approximately 70% of the 70 to 80 billion gallons of water pumped by SCWA each year will be used between May and October, largely due to the prevalence of in-ground sprinkler systems.
Increased strain on the system due to heat waves requires the construction of additional infrastructure unless water usage is reduced elsewhere. In this case, about two-thirds of the hundreds of public water wells are only necessary because of irrigation demands. This infrastructure would cost millions, and would be paid for by customers through increased rates.
If every household and business is to follow SCWA’s odd/even lawn watering schedule, it would effectively cut the biggest driver of water use in half, allowing the utility to keep pace with demand and preventing any need for additional infrastructure.
Encouraging customer response
Reassuringly, SCWA’s guidance has been respected by customers. In a July 17 press release, Chairman Charlie Lefkowitz said, “During hot periods of the summer, we have to pump up to 530,000 gallons of water per minute to keep up. This year we haven’t seen those levels, and we think it’s because customers are responding to our calls to save water.” He described these statistics as an “encouraging sign” for the remainder of the season.
SCWA has also made it clear that this system benefits consumers as well.
Citing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the same press release explained that most lawns only need about 1 inch of water per week to remain lush and green, whereas watering every day can lead to harmful patterns of root growth.
Jeff Szabo, chief executive officer, noted the decrease in cost to consumers, saying, “SCWA may be the smallest utility bill that most of our customers pay but the savings can add up.” Reducing demand will also keep rates low by avoiding the need for expensive additional infrastructure.
In addition to the odd/even watering system, SCWA has both enacted and improved some previously set policies for water use.
In 2020, SCWA implemented a tiered rate structure that charges high-usage customers more. Taken in accordance with an initiative by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, SCWA set the policy in an effort to reduce peak-season water use by 15%. The policy has reduced water usage since.
In recent years, SCWA has offered a program, Water Wise, as well. This program offers customer account credits for the purchase of water-saving devices such as rain barrels, EPA low-flow showerheads and solar pool covers.
However, as Lefkowitz made clear in the press release, “None of these things are a silver bullet for solving water conservation alone. … It’s going to take years to change the culture on Long Island but SCWA and other water providers in the region knowbthat this is necessary because our summers aren’t getting any cooler.”
Big thanks to local good Samaritans
After completing our shopping trip at the Trader Joe’s store in Lake Grove last week, my daughter and I placed our purchases in the trunk of my usually-reliable automobile. This time it decided not to start. The electrical system was completely dead. We couldn’t even open the trunk to retrieve our frozen food (note to automakers: please install a manual trunk release in all vehicles).
Yet almost as soon as we raised the hood, passersby began to stop to offer help. A succession of kind souls provided jumper cables, moved their vehicle so that it would be in position to give us a jump, offered advice, went into Trader Joe’s to ask for help and even offered us a snack. (Unfortunately, the jump didn’t work.) The AAA roadside assistance person came quickly and was equally kind (and proficient). This note is a thank you to all of the good Samaritans in our community. We will pay your kindness forward.
Marci Lobel
Setauket
Local public transport has benefited from Americans With Disabilities Act
Let us all celebrate the 34th anniversary for the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). This was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush [R] on July 26, 1990. The Federal Transit Administration has done an excellent job during this period when it comes to investing in public transit to bring capital assets into compliance with ADA.
Billions of dollars in FTA grants to over 900 transit agencies across America, including the MTA Long Island Rail Road, Suffolk County Transit Bus and Huntington Area Rapid Transit (HART) Bus, have paid for tens of thousands of buses, paratransit vans, light rail, subway cars, commuter rail and ferries that are ADA accessible. Numerous subway, light rail and commuter rail stations, bus and ferry terminals, along with other transportation facilities, are accompanied in many cases with elevators and/or ramps and have also become ADA compliant.
Larry Penner
Great Neck
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