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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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Brother and sister Abby Walters and Capt. Jeremy Walters watch as the use of a ladder to reach a second-floor position is demonstrated. They then climb and enter the second floor. Photo by Bob O’Rourk
During a break in the practice, a conversation runs between Delaney Florio, Capt. Jeremy Walters, Roy Plume, Kaitlyn Lawrence and Abby Walters. Photo by Bob O'Rourk
Abby Walters ascends the ladder to climb through the window as an instructor watches and directs, if necessary, to complete the climb properly. Photo by Bob O'Rourk
Two firefighters are needed when using a ladder to enter a building. Here, Abby Walters has her feet on the ladder base while another climbs to the objective. Photo by Bob O'Rourk
The search experience had juniors entering a house and searching for people. They were in full firematic gear and used the same breathing devices used by Setauket firefighters. Above, Junior Lt. Gavin Plume has his mask adjusted by his father, firefighter Roy Plume. Photo by Bob O'Rourk

By Sofia Levorchick 

Over 100 junior firefighters across Long Island gathered at the Suffolk County Fire Academy in Yaphank and Hagerman Fire Department in East Patchogue from Friday, Aug. 25, to Saturday, Aug. 26, for lectures and hands-on training. 

“The event’s goal was to give the juniors some flavor of firefighting and all of the different aspects involved,” said Hank Lewis, a member of the Setauket Fire Department, which sent several junior firefighters aged 14-17 to this two-day program.

One primary objective each junior firefighter agreed upon was the need for collaboration, especially when participating in the hands-on training. “We learned to work with people we never met before,” 15-year-old Sophia Florio said. “The event definitely helped me understand how to work collaboratively.”

There were five stations, all of which involved some level of teamwork: vehicle extrication, forceful entry through doors, ground ladders, entry through windows and search in a blacked-out building. From roping hoses out to stabilizing ladders, each junior firefighter had to work together, even with others they didn’t know.

“It was a little bit more than what we would usually get at a normal training,” 14-year-old Jeremy Walters, captain of the Setauket Junior Firefighters, said.

“And it gave us an opportunity to work with different junior firefighters from other stations,” 15-year-old Katie Urso added.

Abby Walters, 17 years old, spoke of the lessons she learned throughout the training regimen. She noted how the program opened her eyes to the need for close collaboration during a fire rescue event. “If there’s a fire, it’s not a one-man job,” she said.

And with unfamiliar people came unfamiliar techniques, particularly those from new instructors. 

“One of the most important things I learned was being open to learning things in new ways,” Abby Walters added. “We’re used to how our instructors teach things to us in their own way, but you have to get used to the fact that your idea isn’t always going to work, and you’re going to have to have a plan B or plan C.”

“Some of those strategies work better in situations than the previous ones we learned,” Jeremy Walters added.

“It shows that if we were on a call, we would be working with other members from other stations, so it gave us that experience,” Katie explained.

However, each member faced challenges along the way, especially regarding trusting others and taking part in unfamiliar tasks.

“Searching buildings was probably the most difficult part of the training because there are aspects of the buildings that we have not experienced before,” 15-year-old Gavin Plume, first lieutenant of the junior firefighters, said.

Each junior firefighter managed to persevere through these obstacles, though, and felt that the event was rewarding, particularly in terms of what was learned and ultimately taken away from the experience. 

The five junior firefighters all found that becoming acclimated to unfamiliar situations and trusting new people were significant takeaways from this event.

“I valued the opportunity I had to attend this training,” Sophia said. “Although I’ve never met a lot of these kids before, I definitely gained trust from people and learned how to work with them.”

The junior firefighters who participated in the two-day training session were indelibly impacted. With its overall objective to introduce new firefighters to the multifaceted world of firefighting, the event successfully gave them a thorough education that included theoretical knowledge and practical skills.

Overall, this event prepared the junior firefighters to handle emergency responses, emphasizing collaborating with others while accepting new strategies to yield better outcomes. 

“It taught us not to be stuck in the box of what we already know,” Abby Walters added. “We have to venture out and think outside of the box.”

— All photos by Bob O’Rourk

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New York State Senator Anthony Palumbo

By Anthony Palumbo

A recent Siena College poll shows that 82% of New Yorkers view the wave of migrants flooding our nation and state as a serious problem. Compounding the issue has been Washington and Albany’s lack of action and a clear plan to address the humanitarian crisis their policies helped create. 

This failure of leadership can be seen daily in the news — migrants sleeping on the streets, shuttled to hotels throughout the state and haphazard plans complete with no-bid contracts to house these individuals and families in tent cities or on college campuses. 

While New York City and Albany lock horns, cast blame and piece together last-minute plans to address a problem that has been a long time coming, we need to ensure that Long Island is shielded, not from migrants, but from the failed leadership and policies that created this man-made disaster. 

That shield is local control.

During this year’s legislative session, I joined my colleagues calling for policies to block the use of New York’s ill-suited college campuses for migrant housing and proposed plans to bus them to our small communities without local input and approval.

We also requested that the governor’s office share with us the plan and the amount of New York tax dollars being used to house, transport and care for these individuals. 

Additionally, we requested the state comptroller provides a fully transparent accounting of all tax dollars being spent and make that information available via a searchable, public database. This information is critical as the state faces severe financial challenges and we work to stop additional burdens being placed on local governments, schools and, most importantly, taxpayers. 

Recent history, from the pandemic to the governor’s failed housing proposals, has shown that the top-down, Albany-centric approach fails because it doesn’t consider the diverse and unique communities that are the foundation of the Empire State. 

In light of Gov. Hochul’s [D] previously ill-conceived plan of housing migrants at Stony Brook University’s main and Southampton campuses, and other sites across Long Island, our local communities and officials must all be included in the discussion before any decisions are made. 

County and town officials are our partners and need to be treated as such. Strong local control, community input and funding from state and federal partners must be the first step toward crafting a plan to address the migrant crisis.   

New Yorkers are a welcoming people, and their change in mood is not one of the heart but in their lack of faith in the leadership of our state and nation. Midnight bus runs to motels and pop-up tent cities in suburban neighborhoods with inadequate services are not the answer.

The only solution comes with funding and proper planning. Plans where input from residents and approval from the town and local officials are required. Building consensus is not always easy, but it is the only way the New York State government will be able to solve this immediate humanitarian crisis and address the long-term impacts of uncontrolled migration until someone in Washington finds the courage to fix the crisis at our southern border.

Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk) is a New York State senator representing the 1st District.

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The Stony Brook School. Photo from Facebook

By Samantha Rutt

The Stony Brook School, a private Christian college-preparatory school just off Route 25A in Stony Brook, applied as of July 12 to the Town of Brookhaven Board of Zoning Appeals for a proposed expansion to add three new buildings to the 55-acre campus.

The boarding and day school’s plan includes the construction of an indoor practice facility, a three-story dormitory building and a three-story STEM building. The school’s original application proposed installing a parking lot from campus near the sports facility with exit points onto Chub Hill Road, Stony Road and Woodbine Avenue, potentially resulting in an uptick in traffic in the neighborhood.

Over a dozen residents turned out at Brookhaven Town Hall Wednesday, Aug. 23, presenting a signed petition, copies of emails and a collection of pictures to the zoning board.

At the meeting, representatives from The Stony Brook School presented the board with an updated plan that slightly altered the soon-to-be-constructed building’s exit points, resulting in lower-grade disruption to the surrounding neighborhood.

Residents of the surrounding neighborhoods have begun an outreach effort opposing the expansion, placing fliers in mailboxes and alerting residents of the incoming project.

In addition to fliers, nearby residents created a petition in opposition to the prep school’s plan. The petition addressed the Town Board and further explained the collective concerns throughout the neighborhood. Over a dozen Stony Brook residents signed the petition.

“My neighbors and I are very concerned this will intrude on the quiet enjoyment of our homes and potentially diminish property values,” said Stony Brook resident James Orlando in an email to members of the ZBA.

“This connection creates a new entrance to the interior of campus, which will bring increased student, parent, sports team and other school-related traffic into our neighborhood,” he added.

“I have contacted local real estate agents who have all said my property value will decrease if these buildings are constructed in what is basically my backyard,” Jenny Lorenzen, a Stony Road resident, said.

Some residents considered the expansion plan a safety hazard and a disruption to the tranquility of their neighborhood, noting the potential for increased traffic congestion and noise, decreasing property values and environmental impact.

Lorenzen and other residents voiced concerns at the zoning meeting, centered around emissions from the facilities as they will be air-conditioned and in use year-round. She is also concerned about other potential environmental impacts, mentioning clearance from the Environmental Protection Agency and road surveys.

As is, the neighborhood boasts narrow roadways that poorly accommodate two-way traffic. In addition, public school buses from the Three Village Central School District cannot enter the area. Instead, children must walk to designated bus stops at Quaker Path, Cedar Street or Christian Avenue.

Following the Aug. 23 meeting, the ZBA adjourned its review of the prep school’s application until Sept. 20.

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Runners take off from the starting line on Main Street in Stony Brook Village at last year's race. Photo from Dan Kerr
Registration underway for SOLES for All Souls Race

By Daniel Kerr

Historic All Souls Church has stood on the hill at the entrance to Stony Brook Village since 1896. Although much has changed in the village since then, the simple beauty of the building and the interior have remained true to Stanford White’s vision. 

Interestingly, life expectancy back then in the United States was less than 50 years, and accessibility for the elderly or handicapped was not part of the design. On Sunday, October 1st, the 15th SOLES for All Souls 5K Race/2K Walk will celebrate the role of the National Landmark chapel in the community and raise funds to make it accessible to all. 

Episcopal Bishop of Long Island Lawrence Provenzano stated, “Accessibility is an integral part of welcoming everyone in our communities into our parishes and we are proud to support this fantastic event with its goal to make All Souls a place that can truly serve everyone.” 

Three of the winners from last year’s race. Photo from Dan Kerr

Herb Mones, an All Souls Church member, and both president of the Three Village Community Trust and Land Use Chair for the Three Village Civic Association, recently observed “SOLES for All Souls is vital to raising the necessary funds for our accessibility project. I am hoping that the entire running and walking community turns out to support our efforts.” 

Richard Bronson, MD, former Suffolk County Poet Laureate, remarks, “How many times have I entered All Souls Church, felt its sanctity, marveled at its quiet beauty while listening to recited verse at the Second Saturday Poetry Reading? How can one not wish to participate in the SOLES for All Souls Race/Walk, an event that will raise funds to make this treasure accessible to all…and it is good for one’s health.”

SOLES For All Souls is perhaps the most inclusive race/walk on Long Island.  Serious runners compete for gold, bronze, and silver medals in age groups from under 13 to over 80 and receive their hard-won medals in an Olympic-style awards ceremony. Dogs are welcome to accompany their masters and students from Stony Brook University and others often come in costume. Senior citizens with walking sticks line up at the starting line along with parents pushing their kids in strollers. 

Looking back on last year’s race, East Patchogue resident and Overall Winner Adam Lindsey commented, “I love the opportunity to run in Stony Brook Village. The hills are the right amount of challenging yet very fun with lovely scenery. All Souls is such an integral part of Stony Brook Village, and it is a joy to run in a race to support them.” 

Port Jefferson Station resident Margaret Kennedy shared, “I look forward to this race every year, eager to see familiar faces and the creative costumes. The matched pair of peanut butter and jelly comes to mind. It is the camaraderie and fellowship that keeps us coming back to collect a new color in our t-shirt rainbow. Everyone is welcome, whether running up the challenging hill or walking with a team. This race is truly a labor of love.” 

The event is also a food drive for St. Gerard Majella’s food pantry. Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine encourages runners and walkers to feed the hungry: “I am proud to support the SOLES for All Souls and I urge everyone to donate to the ‘Lend a Hand, Bring a Can’ food drive. There are so many of our less fortunate neighbors who experience food insecurity and they rely on donations to feed themselves and their families. If we all chip in and do our part, we can help so many people in need and make a real difference in our community.”     

Registration for SOLES for All Souls 5K Run/2K Walk is through the ACTIVE.COM website (Search: SOLES for All Souls) or register on Race Day at the Reboli Center for Art & History, 64 Main St., Stony Brook from 7:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.; the race/walk begins at 9 a.m. Complimentary pre and post event stretching will be provided by Progressive Personal Training.  Local musician Bill Clark will perform throughout the morning.  

Please call 631-655-7798 for more information on the event or if you would like to be a sponsor. Donations dedicated to Handicap Accessibility Project can be mailed to All Souls Race, P.O. Box 548, Stony Brook, NY 11790.

Daniel Kerr is the Director of SOLES for All Souls Race/Walk.

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A Long Island Rail Road train arrives at Stony Brook train station during rush hour. Photo by ComplexRational from Wikimedia Commons
By Samantha Rutt

The Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning recently released a survey asking respondents to share their thoughts and opinions on the potential modernization of the Port Jefferson Branch of the Long Island Rail Road. 

“Community input underpins all aspects of our approach to economic development in Suffolk County,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) in a statement. “We look forward to hearing from all stakeholders on the opportunities presented by modernization to allow for a single-seat ride from Port Jefferson to both Grand Central and Penn Station for our communities along the North Shore.” 

The survey asks questions regarding the frequency of public transportation and LIRR ridership, the purpose of railway trips, specific and preferred branch use, among other questions.

Currently, the North Shore line offers limited direct train service to Penn Station with no direct service to Grand Central Madison. The decades-old proposal to modernize the line calls for electrification, double tracking and other rail yard improvements and modifications. 

If the project were approved, the Port Jefferson Branch could provide faster and more direct service options to Manhattan and more frequent service overall. 

Electrification of the Port Jefferson Branch was originally planned in the 1980s but stalled as the Ronkonkoma Branch took precedence. Critics and transit analysts regard the existing dual-mode diesel service as unreliable, inconsistent and environmentally hazardous. [See story, “Port Jeff Branch riders face potentially decades more electrification woes,” Feb. 9, 2023, TBR News Media website.] 

“It is vitally important that we electrify the Port Jefferson Branch to protect our environment from the polluting diesel trains, enhance service for our residents and create jobs for our hardworking men and women of union labor,” New York State Sen. Mario Mattera (R-St. James) said. “Our residents and our workers deserve to benefit from the funding provided to the MTA.”

A key objective of the electrification initiative is to mitigate the need for transfer services for those traveling to New York City. By eliminating transfer services, advocates for the project aim to increase ridership while promoting further development around each LIRR station. 

Updates could alleviate vehicular traffic congestion across the Island, according to New York State Sen. Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk), as commuters who regularly travel to alternate lines would have more local transit options.

Electrification would “alleviate traffic congestion, foster economic development and will help to achieve our climate goals,” the state senator said. “Clean, reliable and expanded transportation services are essential to meet Long Island’s growing population.”

The survey received nearly 2,500 responses in its opening week, according to the Department of Economic Development and Planning statement. Bellone encouraged all North Shore residents to complete the questionnaire, which takes an average of 5-10 minutes.

“I encourage everyone, including residents, businesses and students on the North Shore, to take the survey and demonstrate how important the modernization of the Port Jefferson Branch is to Suffolk County,” Bellone said.

The survey will remain open until Monday, Sept. 4. To fill it out, click on the link: https://theresearchsandbox.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bHJ093hEpvg5zmK

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Vincent Droscoski
Prepared By the Droscoski family

Vincent A. Droscoski Jr., 85, of Port Jefferson, passed away on Friday, July 28.

Vincent was a retired fire inspector at Brookhaven National Laboratory, ex-chief of the Terryville Fire Department and ex-captain of Port Jefferson Fire Department, with over 65 years of service.

Vincent was an avid fan of the New York Giants, the New York Rangers and the New York Mets. He so loved Polish music and made the best coleslaw one ever tasted.

He is the beloved husband of Linda (née Fletcher); loving father of Jeffrey (Leanne) and Gary (Beth); cherished grandfather of Stephanie, Lauren, Kaitlyn and Jenny; and devoted brother of Margaret Valient, Barbara Cassidy, Richard (Janet), Albert, and the late Carolyn and Thomas.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, Sept. 8, from 6- to 9 p.m. at the Bryant Funeral Home, 411 Old Town Road, East Setauket. Firematic Service to be held at 8:00 p.m. A memorial Mass will be on Saturday, Sept. 9, at Infant Jesus R.C. Church at St. Charles Hospital at 10:45 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Good Shepherd Hospice, www.chsli.org/good-shepherd-hospice/ways-give; or Hope House Ministries, www.hhm.org/donate-online.

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Photo by Raymond Janis

Prostate cancer awareness: Take it personally

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

Many readers may have either had the disease, know someone who’s had it or tragically know a man who’s lost his life to it. Having touched all three of those bases, I’d like to address this subject from a personal standpoint.

For me, it began with the insistence of my “old school family doctor” and friend to begin carefully monitoring an incrementally rising, but not especially high, PSA score. “Dr. John” felt it was important to establish a “baseline” number and then watch for increases based on the percentage of any jumps.

After almost a decade of “watching,” John recommended I see a urologist, who urged having a biopsy done. That’s when the idea of having cancer in my early 50s suddenly became a real possibility. How could that be when I had no overt symptoms? I went for the test, and another one a few years later. Both came back showing nothing growing. The third time, however, was not a charm.

Plans needed to be made going forward. My wife and I carefully studied all the treatment options and chose laparoscopic surgery, to be done at Memorial Sloan Kettering hospital in New York City.

When everything was confirmed we sat down with our children to go over the arrangements. It was a tough conversation, but she and I had confidence in my terrific surgeon and our decision. The operation was a complete success followed by a full recovery.

Having read articles on the possibility of this type of cancer running in some families, I brought male cousins into the loop. The emphasis was on following PSA results with a focus on the percentage of increase from previous scores. Shortly thereafter, two were diagnosed and very successfully treated for the disease.

A stunning, heartbreaking, little known statistic regarding this oft-times silent killer is how it has an especially outsized, negative impact on African Americans, who die at about two times the rate of their white peers.

Given advancements in testing, diagnosis and treatment, this disease is beatable. Have frank conversations with your wives, loved ones, doctors and men you’ve known who’ve had prostate cancer. If you’re a Black man, you need to be especially vigilant.

The trick is to not let this illness get too far ahead of you. Be proactive! September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. All men should take it seriously and personally.

Jim Soviero

East Setauket

Electrification survey a likely dud

The online survey being conducted by the Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning to understand the extent of public support for electrification of Long Island Rail Road’s Port Jefferson Branch is nothing new.

It is available on the Village of Port Jefferson website. The idea has been periodically advocated since the 1960s by generations of elected officials with no success. In 1970, electrification was extended from Mineola to Huntington. In the 1980s, discussions took place between the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, LIRR, Suffolk County and elected officials over which branch should be electrified first.

The Ronkonkoma Branch was selected over the Port Jefferson Branch. It took 35 years before completion of full double track-electrification between Hicksville and Ronkonkoma. The estimated cost to extend electrification east beyond Huntington today is $3.6 billion. This will increase over time.

Billions are necessary to pay for planning, design and engineering, environmental review, land acquisition for construction of power substations, expansion of commuter parking, relocation and/or consolidation of existing stations, new stations and platforms, new electric multiple-unit car storage yard, double tracking, third rail, signals and construction management.

From start to finish could require 15-20 years. For the project to proceed, it must be included within the MTA’s upcoming 2025-2044 Needs Assessment plan, due to be released in October.

To pay for future construction, the project would require a Federal Transit Administration Full Funding Grant Agreement under the national competitive discretionary Capital Investments Grant Core Capacity New Starts program. It would have to be matched by $2 billion or more of local MTA sources.

Even if the project is given a green light, based upon my past experiences on other FTA-MTA-LIRR projects, Port Jefferson Branch electrification will not be completed until 2040 or later.

Supporters should lobby Gov. Kathy Hochul [D], MTA Chairman Janno Lieber and LIRR President Catherine Rinaldi if you ever want to see this project get underway within your lifetime.

Larry Penner

Great Neck

Beyond nuclear deterrence

Joseph Levine’s letter [“Context for the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki,” Aug. 24] suggests that mutual assured destruction, or nuclear deterrence, will keep superpowers from launching preemptive nuclear strikes because of the prospect of devastating retaliation. This view reflects current U.S. policy and is held by many thoughtful persons, but there is a risk associated with this policy that deserves discussion.

The technological complexity of the current system of command and control of thousands of nuclear weapons on high alert capable of being launched within minutes leaves us vulnerable to disaster. A history of close calls involving accidents, computer failure, false alarms and human misjudgment shows the system is vulnerable and that its failure could lead to an accidental nuclear war.

In a world without nuclear weapons our nation, possessing overwhelming military superiority, could not be held at risk by an impoverished North Korea led by a dictator. The U.N. Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons has not been signed by the U.S. and other nations that possess nuclear weapons, but it is a step in the right direction toward a safer world.

Lester Paldy

South Setauket

Editor’s note: The writer is a distinguished service professor emeritus at Stony Brook University and a former Marine officer, who served as a member of the U.S. nuclear weapon negotiating delegations with the Soviet Union in Geneva, Switzerland, and at the U.N

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. Scan the QR code above or email letters to [email protected] or mail them to TBR News Media, P.O. Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733

 

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Sundown on the Bluffs, Kings Park Bluffs, Kings Park

New York State is preparing to distribute $4.2 billion to communities statewide, and Long Islanders must begin to make an aggressive push for that money.

Voters statewide approved the 2022 Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act by a more than 2:1 margin. Here in Suffolk County, our residents approved the referendum 64-36%.

During a listening tour event on Thursday, Aug. 24, state officials outlined their plans for dispersing the funds. Qualifying projects include flood mitigation, marshland restoration, stormwater infrastructure, farmland protection, open space preservation and much more.

Here in Suffolk County, we are experiencing all of these issues.

Vulnerable waterfront properties along the North Shore are increasingly at risk from harmful erosion at our bluffs. Low-lying areas are at ever-greater risk of flooding, compounded by more frequent and intense precipitation events and outdated stormwater infrastructure.

Too often, commercial corridors are developed with little or no community giveback. Consequently, communities along major state routes — such as 25 and 347 — are suffocated by overcommercialized lots with limited access to parks or recreation space.

Meanwhile, the few remaining farmlands and open spaces are in constant danger of deforestation, development and displacement.

This $4.2 billion state bond package represents a much-needed pool of cash that can help offset these regional trends. And while the state has committed to directing 35-40% of the pot to disadvantaged communities, competition for the remaining chunk of the pie will be even fiercer.

Residents and officials across Long Island have grown increasingly frustrated and alienated by our state government in Albany. Getting our hands on some of these funds could begin the path toward reconciliation.

Throughout the Aug. 24 meeting, the state officials present emphasized the collection of public input as a necessary component for identifying new projects. That is why we must all take the time to scan the code above and share the climate challenges we face. The survey remains open until Sept. 13.

Whether our particular hamlet or village is experiencing worsening flooding, heightened coastal erosion, limited open space or any other environmental hardship, we must take the time to alert the state and request funding.

The potential to tap into $4.2 billion doesn’t come around often. This money represents a generational opportunity to remediate some longstanding issues and counteract our regional decline. We cannot afford to squander this moment.

Let’s scan this code and share the extent of our challenges here at home. Let’s scan the code and tell our state government how desperately our community cares about and needs this funding.

Let’s all scan this code because our community’s future welfare and prosperity depend on how we act today. From the North Shore to Albany, may the voices of our people ring loudly.

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Scenes from the 62nd annual Greek Festival, held Aug. 24-27 at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Assumption in Port Jefferson. Photos by Aramis Khosronejad
Father Elias Lou Nicholas
By Aramis Khosronejad

The Greek Orthodox Church of the Assumption on Sheep Pasture Road in Port Jefferson held its 62nd annual Greek Festival last week, Aug. 24-27.

This local tradition puts Greek food and cultural customs on display. Among the wide variety of festivities offered through the festival were carnival rides, store tents selling trinkets, authentic Greek food, traditional Greek folk dancing and live music. 

In addition, the raffle held each year has grown increasingly popular, now representing one of the largest raffles in the Suffolk County area. The first prize was a 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLA 250 4Matic, and there were four other cars among the many raffle prizes.

The church is home away from home for many Greek descendants throughout the area. The idea for the church was established in 1956 by a small band of Greek immigrants looking to construct something to resemble their home country and culture. After years of raising the money necessary to build a church, the Greek Orthodox Church of the Assumption opened its doors for the first time in 1959.

‘You can’t separate the culture from the faith or the faith from the culture in Greek history.’

– Father Elias Lou Nicholas

Now, the church community consists of a tight-knit network of Greek families, many of whom hold fond memories of the church in their childhoods. The church comprises roughly 700 families today, a far cry from its small numbers when it first opened its doors.

Father Elias Lou Nicholas is the priest, or “proistamenos” (one who presides in the Greek language), at the church. He was raised in the very same church in which he preaches now. 

In an interview, Nicholas highlighted the rich culture of Greece and the thoroughly interwoven faith of the Greeks, noting the profound history of this heritage. 

“You can’t separate the culture from the faith or the faith from the culture in Greek history,” he said. “The culture and the faith are intertwined.” 

Nicholas also noted the architecture and art of the church, explaining how the church is designed to evoke the feeling of “ascending into the heavens.”

For Nicholas, the Greek Festival holds significance for the community, church and local Greek culture. In Greek, the word “philotimo” carries symbolic meaning, especially in the context of these festivities. Nicholas explained that it is not the easiest word to translate. 

“‘Philo’ means friendship,” he explained. “What [“philotimo”] does mean is that the Greek people have a love for life and want to share that with people.”

George Voulgarakis, first vice president of the Greek Orthodox Church of the Assumption and the principal organizer of the Greek Festival, has supervised the planning of these events since 2009. 

He noted how the festival’s popularity has steadily increased each year, with more and more people attending and cultivating interest in the spectacle.

Voulgarakis added how the festival “signifies the community getting together and unifying and making it a beautiful event.” 

He also pointed to the festival as a means to connect to the religious calendar. “It’s pretty much the festival of the assumption,” he said. “We’re celebrating the assumption.” Aug.15 is the feast of the Assumption. 

For him, Voulgarakis said, the festival mainly “symbolizes community.”

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Million dollar bleachers?

Is the Port Jefferson School District spending unnecessarily, yet again?

The Board of Education on July 11 learned that bids to replace present high school bleachers and press booths came in much higher than the $561,000 allocated in the 2022-23 budget. According to the superintendent of schools [Jessica Schmettan] the bids indicated a cost of “just under a million dollars” for bleachers, with significantly fewer seats than the present ones. The present bleachers seat 1,000 but the replacements will seat less than 600. Doing the math, this works out to spending over $1,600 per person on a bleacher bench.

The superintendent confirmed in an email that the present bleachers are structurally safe, evident also by the fact that they remain in use. They are not, however, compliant with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) code.

Given this huge price tag for a total bleacher replacement, consideration should be given to modifying our present bleachers to make them ADA-compliant. Only the first row would need modification. According to posted information, describing how other school districts faced with this issue addressed it, with the addition of some ramps, guard rails and removal of enough bench area to accommodate 10 wheelchairs in just the first row, we can meet ADA standards, retain the present 1,000-person seating capacity and likely stay well below the initially budgeted amount — and certainly way below the million dollar expense for all new bleachers. Extra handrails could also be installed as an option on upper rows of bleachers for additional safety. The press booth can simply remain as is and need not be enhanced.

The Board of Education will be discussing the bleachers at their Aug. 29 meeting. Surely there are more important priorities in our school buildings than spending a million dollars on all new bleachers if the present ones just need some modifications to meet ADA code. Installing a new HVAC system in the high school could be one of them.

Port Jefferson residents are very generous in supporting their schools. Hopefully the school board will in turn show respect for the taxpayers by avoiding more unnecessary or excessive spending.

Gail Sternberg

Port Jefferson

Context for the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

A firestorm cloud hangs above the Japanese city of Hiroshima following detonation of an atomic bomb on Aug. 6, 1945. Public domain photo

I felt some discomfort after reading Myrna Gordon’s letter [“Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki,” Aug. 10] regarding the North Country Peace Group’s vigil around the anniversaries of the dropping of the atomic bombs. 

I think it is clear to all that war is a terrible thing, and I certainly understand the mourning of those killed in wars. My discomfort comes from the selectivity and moral attitude taken by most people I have known, or heard from, regarding these attacks. I apologize if these factors may not apply to the members of the Peace Group.

To start, the letter seems to imply that these bombings were the most devastating ever. Reports note anywhere from 129,000 to 226,000 killed from the combined attacks. Yet, prior to these attacks, the firebombing of Tokyo killed between 80,000 and 100,000 people immediately in one night alone and does not get similar attention.

My bigger concern is the general perception of such mourners that these attacks were a moral atrocity. They fail to look at the overall picture. If the war had not ended this way, we were looking at an invasion of Japan. The estimates are/were that an invasion would have resulted in the loss of over 1 million people. 

While this number alone is large, it fails to note all the descendants that would never be born because of these deaths. I take this very personally because my father likely would have been killed in that invasion and I would never have been born. Millions of people are alive today for that reason. It should also be remembered that this action was our means of ending a war that we did not start. 

Lastly, as I was thinking about this topic during the past week and deciding whether to respond, a new thought came to me. While there has been some reasonable concern about the potential use of nuclear  weapons over the last several decades, one could make a case that their existence has saved many lives and prevented major wars. Once Russia, and later China, had nuclear weapons, we have not had a direct conflict between world superpowers. 

I think this might be because of the mutually assured destruction theory that the superpowers would not launch nuclear preemptive strikes on each other because of the understanding that it would result in both countries destroying each other. Yet another unappreciated benefit.

Joseph Levine

Stony Brook

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