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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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Optical Outfitters is now located at 158 East Main Street in Port Jefferson. Photo courtesy of Danielle Paulus
Optical Outfitters is now located at 158 East Main Street in Port Jefferson. Photo courtesy of Danielle Paulus

When Village Eye Care/Optical Outfitters on Barnum Avenue in Port Jefferson closed its doors for good last July after Dr. Alfred Cossari announced his retirement, it opened up an exciting new chapter for his daughter, Danielle Cossari Paulus, who had worked alongside her father as co-founder for three decades.

The businesswoman recently re-opened an Optical Outfitters boutique in the Village at 158 East Main Street, Suite 2, in the former Reruns clothing store. The front entrance is on Arden Place across from the Port Jefferson Free Library.

The new shop still offers affordable quality prescription eyewear for children and adults with an added focus on specialty collections only found in boutique optical shops like those in New York City along with quality sunglass brands such as Maui Jim polarized sunglasses, Ray Ban, and Oliver Peoples.

“Customers are looking for these products for their eyewear more now and are tired of seeing what they can get online or in every other optical shop,” said Paulus.

Known locally for her fashion and design sense, she has also added a gift section in the store offering scarves, hats, handbags, jewelry, candles and kitchenware. Some products are created by local artisans or made by women supported by small companies that want to help women all over the world who suffer from terrible circumstances. 

Local artists are also welcome to have their artisan products displayed there.

“People are missing more and more the one-to-one, mom and pop, independent care as group practice clinical offices have wiped them out so quickly,” said Paulus. “I’m calling it no more Big Business Baloney, which I mentioned in a casual conversation with friends but it really hit a nerve with a large group of people and has continued to ever since whenever brought up.”  

Paulus is committed to remaining an independent with one-to-one appointments with the owner/optician to give uniquely customized service to provide well-crafted individualized eyeglasses for good vision, safety and style. 

Her mission is simple — to continue doing what her patients have appreciated now as a concierge optical outfitter that does not plan on ever having to shift her focus on the numbers or seeing x number of people a day.

“Personalized quality service is becoming extinct and that’s what makes Optical Outfitters and its relationships with its patients so special,” said Paulus.

“When my father asked me 30 years ago to join him to open an optical shop I had no idea it would be the best decision I’ve ever made — to live near family/community where my kids go to the school I went to and learning how to provide care from a father with the highest values with all heart is really something,” she added.  

“Quality craftsmanship, like opticianry, does not have to die in our little corner of the world and helping people while doing it should be the way.” 

Join Paulus for her grand re-opening event on Saturday, March 22 from 4 to 7 p.m. to view the spring collection or drop in anytime to say hello. 

Upcoming events include Mother’s and Father’s Day Wishlist gatherings with a jewelry making demonstration and sunglass fittings to be announced on the shop’s website, opticaloutfitters.com. Operating hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and extended concierge appointment hours are available by calling 631-928-6401.

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Lilly Horner

Lilly Horner, of Centerport, passed away on Feb. 21, at 89 years of age. She was the beloved mother of Christian (Carolyn) Horner; loving grandmother of Michael (Carson Newton) Horner, Thomas (Dani) Brennan and Catherine Horner; and dear sister of Gunnhildur Sugurdardottir, Nannabjorg Sigurdardottir and the late Bergsveinn Sigurdsson.

Visiting hours were held at Nolan Funeral Home in Northport on Feb. 24. Cremation was private. Donations in Lilly’s name may be made to The Wounded Warrior Project ( www.woundedwarriorproject.org).

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Madeline C. Smith

Madeline C. Smith, of Kings Park, formerly of East Northport, passed away on Feb. 18 at 95 years of age.

She was the beloved wife of the late Warren and loving mother of Nancy Petit, Lisa Meinecke, Peggy Ann Smith, and the late Robert Smith; the cherished grandmother of Jennifer Fargnoli, Ryan Smith, Gina Neary, Kelly Brady, Steven Meinecke, and Katie Kostuk and the devoted great grandmother of Kira, Alyssa, Lea, Lindsay, Madeline and Layla. She was the dear sister of Marion Bopp.

The Funeral Mass was held at Feb. 28 at St. Anthony of Padua Church in East Northport. Cremation was private.

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Photo by Raymond Janis

Sugar kelp farming is a win-win 

Suffolk County has a unique opportunity to lead in sustainable aquaculture by adding seaweed farming to its existing lease program. Seaweed cultivation offers immense environmental and economic benefits, including improved water quality, carbon sequestration, and the development of innovative industries such as sustainable plastics, animal feed, and biodegradable materials.

Non-profit organizations like Lazy Point Farms and its partners have demonstrated their commitment to supporting this industry through research, infrastructure development, and community education. The Town of Brookhaven is committed to collaborating with organizations like this to build sustainable practices, and we have a chance to help pioneer a robust model for providing critical resources to local growers. This initiative will not only create new economic opportunities for small businesses and entrepreneurs but also help New York catch up with neighboring states already thriving in seaweed production. 

The opportunity is clear: there have been numerous inquiries from businesses for our locally grown seaweed, but not nearly enough supply to meet that demand. Seaweed production is truly a win-win, because as it generates revenue, it also helps drive the development of sustainable products and helps improve water quality in our bays and harbors. 

Concerns about potential conflicts with boating and visual impact are addressed by the seasonal nature of kelp farming, which occurs outside peak boating months. Additionally, kelp farms enhance marine life and mitigate harmful algae blooms, benefiting all who rely on our waters.

By supporting this initiative, we can position Suffolk County and the Town of Brookhaven as leaders in sustainable aquaculture: creating jobs, protecting our waters, and strengthening our local economy. For more information, check out lazypointfarms.org or do some research on sugar kelp harvesting. It’s an effort worth supporting!

Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich 

(D-Stony Brook)

WRITE TO US … AND KEEP IT LOCAL We welcome your letters, especially those responding to our local coverage, replying to other letter writers’ comments and speaking mainly to local themes. Letters should be no longer than 400 words and may be edited for length, libel, style, good taste and uncivil language. They will also be published on our website. We do not publish anonymous letters. Please include an address and phone number for confirmation. 

Email letters to: [email protected] or mail them to TBR News Media, P.O. Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733

 

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Michael Piersa. Photo courtesy Nolan Funeral Home

Michael Piersa, of East Northport, passed away on Feb. 27 at 61 years of age.

Piersa was the beloved son of Patricia and the late George M. Piersa, the loving brother of Theresa, Apel, Barbara Piersa and John Piersa and the dear uncle of Jonathan, James, Kaitlin, Ashley, Jacqueline and Mikayla. He was great uncle to Arriana and Emma.

Visiting to take place Tuesday, March 4, from 5-8 p.m. at Nolan Funeral Home, 5 Laurel Ave, Northport. Family and friends will gather at the funeral home Wednesday, March 5,  at 10 a.m. for a 10:30 a.m. prayer service with Friar Valentine officiating. A burial will follow at St. Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Michael’s memory to People’s Arc of Suffolk would be greatly appreciated.

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It could be a text from a co-worker, addressing you by name and asking for a favor: Could you please go pick up a gift card for them? They will pay you back. It is urgent, the unknown sender will tell you, using the name of a trusted friend, boss or co-worker. 

Using information online, “smishing” scams, a play on the acronyn SMS and the word “phishing”, can exploit existing workplace relationships and take advantage of the anonymity afforded by technology to potentially scam you out of hundreds of dollars. 

Scammers targeting workplace relationships attempt to take advantage of a person’s sense of occupational duty and responsibility to coerce them into making decisions they otherwise would have been skeptical of. For instance, an employee here at TBR News Media recently got a suspicious text, ostensibly from a coworker who works remotely. The text was urgent — the coworker was in a meeting and couldn’t talk on the phone, but needed, for some reason, a gift card.

This type of request is odd, but under the right circumstances, it is tempting to ignore the alarm bells ringing in our head and to simply comply. It is natural to want to be helpful, especially in work-matters and the texts, hectic, confusing and vague, puts pressure on the receiver to assent. 

This type of smishing scam preys especially on new employees—they are unfamiliar with the customs of the company and more likely to excuse bizarre behavior, they may be hesitant to turn down their boss or coworker as they want to make a good impression, and they don’t yet have the contact information of their coworkers, so the impersonation may not be detected immediately. 

The older generation, less versed in technology, may have a harder time discerning what is a “normal” text and what is abnormal. Younger generations that grew up with technology are more adjusted to its customs and still fall prey to scammers. Older generations are at a disadvantage, making them especially vulnerable. 

Luckily, there are a series of measures we can take to safeguard both our personal information and our finances. 

•Do not click on any unknown links you receive from an unknown sender. The link could be corrupt.

•Do not respond. 

•Verify the identity of the sender by contacting them in an alternate way. 

•Delete the texts. 

•Trust our instincts. If something seems strange, we should hold off on responding. 

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

• A military committee in France concludes that Germany committed gross violations of the Treaty of Versailles on March 1. The committee, led by Marshal Ferdinand Foch, accuses Germany of violating provisions related to the disarmament of its military.

• Huff Daland Dusters Inc., is founded in Macon, Georgia, on March 2. The company, which began as a drop dusting firm formed to combat a boll weevil infestation of cotton crops, would be sold near the end of 1928, at which time it is renamed Delta Air Service.

• The United States Congress authorizes the Mount Rushmore Memorial Commission on March 3. The initial design for Mount Rushmore initially featured each president depicted from head to waist. But funding for the sculpture dried up in 1941, so only President George Washington’s sculpture features any details below chin level.

• The second inauguration of United States President Calvin Coolidge takes place on March 4. It is the first inauguration to be nationally broadcast on radio.

• Alan Rowe opens the chamber of the tomb of Hetepheres I on March 8 in Egypt. Rowe, who was serving as deputy director of the Harvard-Boston Expedition, is the first person in 4,500 years to open the chamber.

• The state of Bavaria in Germany bans Adolf Hitler from speaking in public for two years on March 9. The ban limits Hitler to speaking only in private, closed meetings.

• Greek football club Olympiacos F.C. is founded in Piraeus on March 10. Olympiacos is now the most successful club in Greek football history, with 47 league titles to its credit.

• Cuba and the United States sign the Hay-Quesada Treaty on March 13. The treaty recognizes that the Isla de Pinos, now known as the Isla de la Juventud, is the territory of Cuba.

• Walter Camp passes away in New York City on March 14 at the age of 65. Camp, a college football coach considered the “Father of American Football,” created the sport’s system of downs and the line of scrimmage.

• An estimated 5,000 people are killed when a 7.0 magnitude earthquake strikes the Chinese province of Yunnan on March 16.

• Edvard Benes of Czechoslovakia proposes a “United States of Europe” on March 17. The proposal is an attempt to secure peace in Europe and includes a western bloc featuring nations including England and France, and an eastern bloc made up of countries including Poland and Austria.

• The Breakers, a luxury hotel in Palm Beach, Florida, burns down on March 18. The cause of the fire is later traced to the wife of Chicago mayor William Hale Thompson, who left an electric curling iron plugged in.

• On March 19, Martha Wise confesses to poisoning 17 members of her family. Wise was connected to the crimes by Medina County, Ohio, sheriff Fred Roshon, who had discovered a day earlier that she had recently purchased a sizable quantity of arsenic from a drug store.

• Clifton R. Wharton begins his diplomatic career on March 20. Wharton would become the first African American admitted to the United States Foreign Service and the first black U.S. envoy to Romania and the first black U.S. ambassador to Norway.

• The Butler Act takes effect in Tennessee on March 21. The act prohibits school teachers from denying the Biblical account of the origins of humanity and remains on the books until 1967.

• The Tokyo Broadcasting Station transmits the first radio broadcast in Japan on March 22. The first broadcast includes a recording of the Beethoven opera “Fidelio.”

• Scottish inventor John Logie Baird publicly demonstrates the transmission of moving silhouette pictures at a London department store on March 25. A contemporary report in Nature magazine characterizes Baird’s design as “television.”

• Fascists and Communists engage in a fistfight within the Italian Chamber of Deputies on March 26. The fisticuffs break out on the day Benito Mussolini returns to the Chamber for the first time in more than a month.

• The Philadelphia Daily News begins publication as a tabloid morning newspaper on March 31.

— Courtesy of MetroCreative Graphics

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Barbara Muttitt Thomas

Barbara Louise Muttitt Thomas, age 93, of Brentwood, NY, died on Feb. 10. The cause of death was heart failure.

Born March 22, 1931, in Port Jefferson, Thomas was the daughter of the late John S. Muttitt and Ruth Schmeelk Muttitt. She was married to Charles L. Thomas (deceased) with whom she had three children. They later divorced. She lived in the Setauket area most of her life and used the surroundings of the area as subjects of her paintings. Thomas developed quite a talent. Her artwork is prized by her family and friends. In 1984 she moved to Hartwell, GA, to be near her mother.  She was a secretary for the Department of Art at the University of Georgia, Athens. In 1992, she returned to Setauket to help care for her daughter’s two young boys.  She was a longtime member of Setauket United Methodist Church where she sang in the choir and led Bible studies.

Thomas is survived by two sons, Glenn Thomas of Santa Clara, UT, and Mark Thomas of Heathsville, VA; sisters, Lillian Muttitt of Patchogue, and Shirley Kowalski of Hartwell, GA; and by grandsons Jared Thomas, Charlie Thomas, Peter Steinert and Kristopher Steinert.  She was preceded in death by daughter Sharon Thomas Steinert of Setauket and brother Dennis Muttitt of Hartwell, GA.

Thomas donated her body to the medical school at SUNY, Stony Brook. A memorial service will be held at Setauket United Methodist Church in May.

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Jean Prysock

Jean Prysock, who passed away on June 28, 2024 at the age of 97 in North Carolina, leaves behind an extraordinary legacy and The Jazz Loft in Stony Brook is a big part of that story. Prysock, who was married to jazz great Arthur Prysock, was never one to take a back seat and embodied the old adage that if “you want something done, give it to a busy person.”

Her life was full with volunteer work and helping others. In her later years she became a key spark in establishing The Jazz Loft (TJL). As a founding board member, Prysock worked with founder and president Tom Manuel, attending initial meetings with The Ward Melville Heritage Organization board and their President, Gloria Rocchio, as the idea of TJL became a reality.

Tom Manuel and Jean Prysock

“Jean tirelessly worked public relations for The Jazz Loft when we first opened in 2014,” Manuel said. “She donated her husband’s archives and that was a big addition to our collections. It opened the door for others that followed. She was an incredible mentor to me, and a real pioneer in so many shapes and forms, and more importantly, one of my dearest friends.”

Born and raised in the Bedford Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn, Prysock graduated from Franklin K. Lane High School, receiving awards for her dedication to others and her athletic abilities. 

Prysock was married to Arthur for 49 years. The couple met at the Savoy nightclub, where Arthur was performing with the Buddy Johnson Band. 

“My dad thought my mom would be an easy pickup, but she wasn’t,” laughed daughter Jeanartta. But Prysock’s best friend Gloria was dating Arthur’s brother and that made for an introduction.

They were married on June 6, 1948.

They bought their first home in Jamaica, N.Y. Arthur and Prysock loved to entertain and their home was known for great parties, good food and the best BBQ around. Christmas Eve parties were Prysock’s specialty and people came from far and wide, which eventually required her to transform the party into a ticketed dinner-dance.

Following Arthur’s death in 1997, Prysock did not slow down, filling her days with a variety of volunteer opportunities and positions on advisory boards.

Prysock volunteered at the Veterans Hospital in St. Albans, Goldwater Hospital and Harlem Hospital. Prysock organized shows for the patients at Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, featuring her talented husband. She was active in the PTA at P.S. 140 in Queens. She eventually received a position on the P.S. 140 Board of Education, and headed the Higher Horizons program.

In addition to her school and community work, the sport of bowling called. For 22 years Prysock volunteered at Cardinal Lanes, and had a league of young bowlers known as the Prysock Junior Bowlers. Bowling became a big part of her life. Through communication with Charlie Venable, a pro bowler, she got involved with the pro bowlers at Paramus Lanes, becoming a sponsor of the team The Prysock Five.  Jean was the first female recipient of an award for dedication to the world of bowling.

“You couldn’t tell my mom ‘no’ to anything,” remembers Jeanartta. “That just made her more determined. She would find a way.”

When a local Portuguese family suffered a house fire resulting in the death of several children, Jean organized a fundraising effort to raise money so that the family could relocate to a new home. 

Even though the community was divided by race, income and ethnicity, Jean brought everyone together and not only raised enough money for the family to buy a new home, but she also organized an interracial-interfaith group hoping to bring better understanding between all people. 

The National Conference of Christians and Jews presented her the Ambassador of Good Will award and she was also recognized by local professional business groups and was named to the Nassau County Advisory Board of Volunteers Services.

Prysock leaves behind two daughters, Jeanartta and Jeanine; grandchildren Jara, Arthur, and Jeanisha; and great grandchildren Kiya, Kaily, and Hibiki..

Prysock’s motto was “Respect yourself and others will do the same. And remember no one owes you anything. Learn to love, learn to be better and the world will become a better place to live. When you help someone else up the hill, you help yourself.

JEAN

Jean

Am I just dreaming 

Or is it so

You are an angel

A glow

If I should awaken would you be there? 

Queen of my castle

In the air

You’re my inspiration and to hold you near

When I need consolation

You count every fear

Then

Jean, you make my life seem

Just like a dream

Please say you will always be my Jean

 Please say you will always be my Jean

Please say you will always Be my Jean

Just my Jean

– By Arthur Prysock

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Rolone “Lonie” Polhemus passed away peacefully in Huntington, New York on Feb. 16. She is survived by her sons, Sidney, Bradford and Tyler; nieces Stacey, Heather, Wendy and Bonnie; nephew Lindsey; grandchildren Jessica and Kyle; and great grandchildren James and Judah. She is predeceased by her husband, Sidney Polhemus; parents William and Opal DeRolf; and sisters Marvis Fast and Ardyn Hontz.

Growing up in Floral Park, New York, Polhemus was both of her time and ahead of her time. She loved music of the 40’s and adored watching and playing sports, so much so that she studied physical education at Beaver College (now Arcadia University) in Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania. Later on, by working in her father’s book and greeting card store, she gained the experience of working in a retail establishment and a love of learning – both of which would ultimately play major roles in her life.

Upon marrying Sid Polhemus, Polhemus moved to Centerport, New York and became, in her words, “Martha Stewart before there was a Martha Stewart” with various creative projects that once a year included some rather memorable Halloween costumes for her sons.

Some years later, the family moved to Dayville, Connecticut and Polhemus’ family began a new chapter in their lives. Polhemus quickly became well-known to her sons’ teachers for her commitment to their education and her refreshing, outspoken nature.

While Polhemus possessed an often spicy sense of humor, she was also a shrewd, determined businesswoman. With her husband Sid, Polhemus started The Bargain Sleuth, a surprisingly sophisticated local boutique store business in Northeastern Connecticut’s Quiet Corner in 1974. Polhemus was not only able to continue the business after her husband’s untimely death in 1979, but successfully expanded it to multiple locations.

After closing the business in 1997, Polhemus pushed the envelope of what it meant to be retired and continued her interest in art, history and ancient cultures with many courses at Quinebaug Valley Community College as part of the Learning in Retirement (LIR) program. Via Books on Tape, Lonie also was an avid reader and belonged to a book club where she kept up with the latest in fiction.

Although she struggled with vision at times in life, she maintained an astonishing eye for color, clothing and jewelry and her creativity and worldly outlook inspired many.

Polhemus was an original – forward-thinking, forever curious, resourceful, unconventional, a savvy bridge player, and generous to a fault – but she will always be especially remembered fondly for her quick, colorful, irreverent wit.

A celebration of Polhemus and her life will be held later this year in the Huntington, New York area.

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