MASTER OF DISGUISE
While removing a downed tree on the Port Jefferson Station Greenway Trail during a Friends of the Greenway cleanup on Aug. 19, Gretchen Oldrin-Mones of Stony Brook spotted this praying mantis and snapped a photo with her iPhone. She writes, “It was almost invisible on a small brown branch, but as it moved to a green leaf it stopped and posed for this ‘portrait.’
Send your Photo of the Week to [email protected]
By Judy Patrick
Citizens have a right to know who they’re dealing with, whether it be in government or private enterprise. But that’s not the case when it comes to limited liability companies, or LLCs, which for example can own property, apply for grants, operate as landlords and donate to political campaigns. Holding government accountable for its actions demands a well-informed public. We need to know who, not what, is benefiting in order to do our jobs as citizens.
Discovering who’s behind the curtain isn’t easy. Cruise through your local property tax rolls or the state’s campaign finance disclosure database. You’ll see plenty of LLCs but you won’t see many names.
Anonymous shell companies have been a popular vehicle for money laundering, tax evasion, organized crime, terrorism and other forms of corruption for decades. Yet, as the proposed New York State bill notes, establishing an LLC requires less personal information than getting a library card.
That’s why it’s imperative for Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) to sign the LLC Transparency Act, passed in both the state Assembly and Senate, which would require these special kinds of business organizations to publicly identify the owners to the state and to the public registry run by the Department of State.
At the federal level, the Corporate Transparency Act, taking effect next year, seeks similar disclosures from businesses, including LLCs, but stops short of making the information publicly available. A wide variety of businesses, from pizza shops to mall developers and property buyers, use the LLCs as an organizing business structure.
The approach, sanctioned by state law, provides the owners some limits on liabilities the company could face. As a practical matter, LLCs also offer the people who actually own the company the ability to remain anonymous.
Under current reporting requirements, LLCs need only supply a company name, county of operation and a basic address where legal documents should be sent. Sometimes, the address is a P.O. Box, sometimes it’s an attorney’s office, sometimes it’s a registered agent.
For anyone interested in knowing more, the information provided is often frustratingly nondescript and consequently useless. We all have a well-established interest in this information, and the state Legislature should be commended for recognizing this by including solid public disclosure requirements.
The lack of transparency with campaign donations is just one of the reasons the LLC Transparency Act has the support of good government groups, such as Common Cause and the League of Women Voters. While a 2019 law change required LLCs making political donations to disclose their owners, many are ignoring the requirement, the groups say.
The Business Council of New York State opposes the law, saying it would violate the privacy of law-abiding businesses — including thousands of small businesses organized as LLCs — and put their security at risk. There are some provisions in the legislation for public disclosure to be waived when “a significant privacy interest exists.” The law’s efficacy will be determined in part in how waiver requests are handled.
Given the benefits state law confers upon LLCs, it’s not too much to ask that they at least let us know who they are. This is a good step toward much-needed transparency
Judy Patrick is vice president for editorial development of the New York Press Association, of which TBR News Media is a member.
Recognizing Kara Hahn’s efforts for the 5th District
I’d like to express my gratitude to outgoing Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn [D-Setauket] for her unwavering dedication to the residents of the 5th Legislative District. While we may have differing viewpoints on some issues, I truly appreciate her commitment to serve our district with utmost integrity.
Kara’s background as a social worker gave her unique insights into the harrowing reality of drug addiction — especially into Suffolk’s fentanyl crisis. She was instrumental in championing a law to provide our police with Narcan, a crucial measure that has saved numerous lives from drug overdoses. Moreover, her efforts in stewarding the allocation of funds from the opioid settlement to aid those battling addiction in Suffolk are commendable.
Kara understood the significance of preserving our county’s natural splendors. Her advocacy for funds to enhance parks and conserve open spaces in our district has left an indelible mark.
As a father with three young children, I resonate with the principle of prioritizing families over politics. Kara’s commitment to constituent service is a mantle I will carry close as we move to this next and exciting chapter in our community.
On a personal note, I’d like to wish Kara great success in her new endeavor as the Long Island deputy regional director for the New York State Parks Department. It’s a role that undoubtedly befits her expertise and passion.
Anthony M. Figliola
East Setauket
Constituent and Republican candidate for Suffolk County Legislature, District 5
DMV closure an unnecessary hardship for Northern Brookhaven
I was disappointed to read about the recently announced plans to close the local DMV Office in the Three Roads Plaza in Port Jefferson Station.
This facility not only provides important services to motorists around our region, it has served as an important anchor to the small businesses which surround the office that benefited from the additional “traffic” the DMV office created. Beyond that, the present location offered a reasonable and convenient alternative to the longer drive to Medford or Hauppauge where one would be met with mass confusion and interminable wait times when seeking out the many services one needs from the DMV.
Though a smaller facility, the PJS staff were always pleasant and professional and even when needing to be patient in waiting your turn, you knew when you were done you were close to home and even closer to a great slice of Colosseo’s pizza. These benefits have been important to many in the Northern Brookhaven area, and this announced change presents an unnecessary hardship to those of our hamlet and beyond.
There were attempts in the past to make this move which thankfully were quashed by our previous state Assemblyman [Steve Englebright (D-Setauket)]. I call upon our current state officials in the Assembly and Senate to show the same grit and intercede on our behalf and halt this diversion which will “drive” this hub of local activity from our midst.
Ira Paul Costell
Port Jefferson Station
Editor’s note: The writer is president of the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Civic Association.
Discrepancies in Aug. 7 meeting coverage
I hope this message finds you well. I am writing as a concerned citizen to express my disappointment in the coverage of the recent village meeting held on Aug. 7.
It has come to my attention that there were significant omissions in your report on this event. Most notably, the tabling of warrants due to the mayor’s failure to review them, which resulted in checks being held and the accruement of late fees.
This is a significant matter that directly affects the fiscal health of our community and the fair disbursement of taxpayer funds. While it may be an uncomfortable subject to report, it is vital for maintaining transparency and public trust in our local government.
Additionally, I was surprised to learn that the settlement with Martin Burden was not included in your report. This settlement was a key reason for the meeting transitioning into an executive setting, a fact that was also omitted.
As a respected news source in our community, we depend on TBR News Media to provide accurate, comprehensive and timely information about key events and decisions that shape our village’s future. As the editorial staff stated in the March 23 issue, “we view one of our roles as the watchdog of local government for the people.” Selectively reporting on certain aspects while neglecting others can create a skewed perception of events and undermine the transparency necessary for a healthy, functioning democracy – the opposite of being a “watchdog for the people.”
I kindly ask you to address these omissions and provide your readers with the complete picture of the Aug. 7 meeting. It would be greatly appreciated if you could also elucidate your editorial policy when it comes to reporting on such matters. This will help your readers, including myself, understand the process and considerations that guide your reporting.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to your response and continued commitment to fair, comprehensive and transparent journalism.
Keith Ottendorfer
Port Jefferso
Battery storage proposal a bad idea
Due to the intermittent nature of renewable energy, no generation when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine, battery backup/storage is presented as the solution.
Renewables have an output of about 20% of nameplate capacity. Disregarding the huge cost and the fact that lithium ion batteries are rated at only 4 hours discharge, many battery backup storage sites are being proposed.
One, Key Capture Energy of Albany, is on Pulaski Road west of Town Line Road, in Huntington, near residences. It is near a LIPA substation, so interconnection is not a problem. But the issues are concerning:
1. Lithium ion battery storage units unexpectedly and spontaneously explode and catch fire. This fire is self-fueling and inextinguishable. Fatal, toxic clouds of poisons are emitted and fire companies need sealed oxygen breathing apparatus to fight the fires. Residential areas near the fire must be evacuated.
2. The site is over a Suffolk County Sanitary Code Article 7 Deep Recharge Area — an aquifer protection zone. That means this is a designated area where our drinking water is recharged, and there must not be hazardous materials present to contaminate our water supply. Lithium poisonous runoff from a destructive battery storage fire goes into the ground to endanger our drinking water.
3. Gov. Kathy Hochul [D], recognizing this problem, has convened a panel to address the battery storage fire problem. There have been three battery storage fires in New York state and elsewhere, too.
4. The site is near the Huntington Landfill, laced with methane, also the Iroquois natural gas pipeline and the Huntington animal shelter.
5. With China, Russia, India and others opening many reliable, cost-effective and clean fossil-fueled and nuclear generators, all our efforts of renewable generation, with their negatives of high cost, unreliability, rare-earth needs from child labor and hostile countries, intermittency, huge land and seabed needs, destruction of sea life and flying birds like eagles, terns, bats and more, all our efforts of destroying our current, reliable generation are wasted and weaken us.
This is a revenue-generating plan that wants to cash in on taxpayer subsidies, ignores the life-or-death safety concerns of the nearby residents, potentially poisoning our sole source of drinking water and endangers firefighters. It is a Band-Aid for faulty, unreliable renewable electricity generation and endangers our health and safety. This proposal should be denied.
Mark Sertoff
East Northport
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
By Sabrina Artusa
At Village of Northport Park Sunday, Aug. 13, with a view of the water, art lovers from across Long Island gathered to enjoy everything from photography to poetry readings.
The annual Art in the Park fair, organized by the nonprofit Northport Arts Coalition, started at 10 a.m. and ran until 5 p.m. As patrons walked through the lines of stalls — perhaps stopping to admire watercolor landscapes or handmade wooden spoons — poets, musicians and dancers performed in the center of the park in front of a gazebo.
Patrice Golde, a Melville resident, wasn’t planning on going to the fair. But, she said, the experience is one of the reasons she loves her community.
“It cannot be a more picture-perfect town,” she said as she left a poetry stall. “This is like hanging out.”
According to artists and patrons, Northport has established itself as a place that embraces the arts. Photographer Frank D’Agostino said he often drives to Northport to shoot in the mornings and that he appreciates the “artsy town.” In fact, one of the high-resolution photographs hanging in his stall was of Northport Park.
Photographer John Lazzaro, who was exhibiting pictures of abandoned buildings across New York, noted how the festival provides a sense of place and belonging to local artists.
“Northport is a pretty vibrant community,” he said. “There’s a lot of people out and about.” Lazzaro has also been involved in NAC’s annual Northport ArtWalk, another event in which local businesses lend their shops to artists and musicians.
Many artists honed their crafts during Sunday’s festivities. One poet read a poem she wrote only the night before. Others were sitting in front of their tables, working on new pieces while talking to intrigued customers and visitors.
Artistic conversation, or “creative chit chat,” as photographer Frank Murray put it, could be heard at almost every stall among patrons and artists alike.
Poet and musician Bruce Pandolfo particularly relies on this chit chat in creating his art — poetry on any topic the customer chooses. He finds his particular process of creating “so collaborative” — “an experience together” with the customer — that he allows the customer to choose how much they pay for his poems.
Artists, too, help each other in creating. One writer and publisher, who goes by Mankh, was at the fair not only promoting his own work but also those of others. In fact, one performer’s book of poetry was published by Mankh, who said he loves that his art has “put him on a path toward helping other people.”
For many artists, the fair was the perfect opportunity to bring their work more exposure. Owner of PM Jewelry by AM, Allison Mack, said her “mystical and magical jewelry” is a hobby she is trying to turn into a business.
The executive director of NAC, Amy Connor, said she believes “in bringing art into the community.” Secretary and poetry coordinator, Linda Trott Dickman, said she got involved because she “wanted to promote good poetry and make it fun.”
NAC’s other programs include music performances every Friday until Sept. 1, poetry readings on the last Friday of every month and more, which can be found on the website www.northportarts.org/programs.
Pure water is our most essential natural resource.
Suffolk’s economy is anchored by our two largest industries which are tourism and agriculture. Each of these forms of commerce needs clean water in order to remain viable. Polluted beaches and contaminated produce will not draw visitors from afar nor will they sustain farming. Public health needs, however, are more concerning. Living on top of our drinking water has proven to be very challenging because it is easily contaminated by our daily activities. The chemicals we continuously introduce into local ground and surface waters are what threatens the health of our families, communities and economy, each of which depends upon a generous supply of predictably pure drinking water.
All of the water that we drink or use for everything from industry to personal hygiene is sourced from wells that tap Long Island’s aquifers which are natural water-bearing sediment horizons. Long Island’s aquifers are a reservoir of rain-absorbing sand and gravel that is everywhere below our feet. This fresh groundwater eventually seeps into the tidewaters that define our island’s edges. Virtually all of our fresh and salt waters are connected which is why pollution that enters the system on land eventually will contaminate our harbors and bays.‘How we manage this issue will guide the destiny of our county.’
— Steve Englebright
Scientific research has proven that the most widespread source of groundwater contamination in Suffolk is human waste, especially nitrate-rich urine, that is flushed into Suffolk’s more than 380,000 cesspools. Because cesspools do very little to cleanse the waste that enters into them they are a major source of nitrate contamination of our ground and surface waters. When any large amount of this chemical enters a body of surface water it may cause explosive plant growth. Seasonal decay of this overgrowth often causes ecological harm such as fish kills.
In recent years millions of state and county dollars have been invested into learning how to halt the progressive decline of water quality. This work led directly to a proposed referendum which is entitled the Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act. This legislation — which would require voter approval — economizes by consolidating numerous county-owned sewer districts and dedicating 1/8 of 1% of county sales tax toward installing both technologically advanced cesspool upgrades and new sewers for compact business districts. No property taxes are involved. Seventy-five percent of the sales tax that would be collected could be used to address the greatest need which is to provide grants to homeowners to cover most of the costs of installing advanced wastewater treatment technology within each cesspool.
If approved by Suffolk’s voters, money raised could be leveraged to attract matching federal and state dollars to further reduce local costs.
Because of the importance of protecting reserves of pure fresh water this issue has historically been a bipartisan legislative priority that has largely been off limits to red and blue bickering. Unfortunately, that wholesome tradition was compromised on July 25 when the Suffolk Legislature’s Republican majority voted unanimously to deny residents the opportunity to vote on the issue of pure water. By killing this highly anticipated public referendum, citizens have been blocked from directly weighing in on efforts to protect and improve ground and surface waters.
It has been widely reported that this outcome was insisted upon by political party operatives who want to believe that this environmental referendum would bring out so many Democrats to vote that it would disadvantage Republican candidates in the election on Nov. 7. As the voter-approved $4.2 billion New York State Environmental Bond Act recently demonstrated this is just plain wrong. That referendum passed easily last November even though there was a low Democratic turnout.
Tellingly, none of the Republican candidates for the many county offices that will be on the November ballot showed up at the hearing of July 25 to speak for passage of the referendum. Their absence made it clear that the county Republican Party has turned away from Suffolk’s most urgent environmental issue in an attempt to profit politically from a voter suppression scheme.
Cleaning up our water sources requires an informed and engaged citizenry. The county’s Water Quality Restoration Act referendum would enable vigorous public education on this subject to occur as voters of all political persuasions strive to inform themselves ahead of their vote. Unfortunately, by canceling the referendum county Republicans have lost their way; they should not have taken from Suffolk’s residents their constitutional right to say through their votes what the county’s future should be.
Trying to suppress voter turnout in Suffolk by blocking public participation in the single most important economic and environmental issue affecting the county’s future contradicts the bedrock premise and promise of our democracy. It was wrong to cancel every local voter’s sacred right to express their opinion in a public referendum.
How we manage this issue will guide the destiny of our county. Clearly, the people of Suffolk deserve to have a chance to vote either for or against clean water at the next opportunity which could be as soon as next year. This crisis demands that we again all work together.
Restoring direct voter participation to the most critical questions relating to our sole source of drinking water and related quality of life issues is the best way to protect and enhance the equity of our homes, the health of our loved ones and the viability of our regional economy.
Steve Englebright served as New York State assemblyman for the 4th District from 1992-2022. He is a Democratic candidate this November for the Suffolk County Legislature, running against Anthony Figliola (R-East Setauket) for the 5th Legislative District.
Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) recently organized a local history initiative to help tell the story of historic Mount Sinai.
Initially, “I want to try to bring together the local community and the historians to document the history of the Chandler Estate, Mount Sinai Congregational Church, Sea View Cemetery and Mount Sinai Harbor,” Anker said. “There’s a lot of fascinating history. I’ve spoken to a number of folks that are in their 80s and 90s, and they have really amazing stories.”
Through this undertaking, Anker said she hopes to enhance the existing historical archives by adding documentation, stories, photos and maps collected from the surrounding area.
The event will feature a round-table discussion of around 25 participants, including key members of the Miller Place-Mount Sinai Historical Society, Brookhaven Town historians and other local advocates who will contribute to the documentation process.
“We’re meeting to talk about what information can be identified, and move forward hoping to open it up to anyone who has additional information,” the county legislator explained. “The meeting on Friday will be mainly focusing on the historians and how the process works and what information they have.”
For nearly 30 years, Anker has lived in the Mount Sinai community. Shortly after settling in, she came across the Mount Sinai Civic Association in a local newspaper. There on the cover stood a group of people from the civic association standing in front of bulldozers fighting to preserve the Chandler Estate as it was set to be a site for new development.
As a result Anker decided to get involved, becoming a member of the organization.
“When I saw that article, that picture sparked my interest because it’s near where I live,” she said. “I like that they’re getting involved with their community and doing good things. … And that’s when I became a member.”
The local history project will touch upon the Chandler Estate, originally an upscale resort that overlooked Mount Sinai Harbor. Years after closing, the resort caught fire, leaving minimal remains that have since been taken over by a great deal of brush.
Residents now use the land for leisure. “I grew up right by there,” said Noreen Guilfoyle, a Mount Sinai resident of the once-luxurious estate. “The land used to be a big fancy mansion. … It burnt down though. There’s a trail there now, it’s a really pretty trail. But there are a lot of old foundations from buildings that are no longer there.”
Anker has plans to open up the forum, pending the initial meeting’s success.
“Following that [initial meeting], in another month or two we could open it up … and see if folks want to come to sign up or send us [something in] writing,” she said. “Then we can add it to the information that we have.”
To help on the complex history project, Anker is partnering with Ann Becker, a local historian and librarian. Becker is an established author with her book, “Mount Sinai,” centered around the hamlet’s fabled history.
The project is set to include input from the Suffolk County Historical Society, Mount Sinai-Miller Place Historical Society and Stony Brook University Library Archives’ special collection.
“There are so many of our local folks that have the stories, but we’re going to lose their stories and information about their experiences if we don’t document them now,” Anker said.
TO CACHE OR TO EAT? THAT IS THE QUESTION
Elyse Benavides of Coram spied this blue jay with its favorite food, a peanut, in its beak outside her window on Aug. 13 and snapped this beautiful photo. According to the Wild Birds Unlimited website, blue jays will cache seeds and nuts to retrieve later, and make repeated trips to feeders to gather food and hide it in a safe spot. Research studies have recorded blue jays making over 1,000 trips per day when hiding food, earning them the nickname ‘the Caching Extraordinaire.’
At the historic Bethel Hobbs Community Farm, the last standing farm in Centereach, the 9th annual 4-mile Run the Farm event was held Saturday, Aug. 12.
The run, initially created to help support the farm and its mission of supplying organic food to food pantries, has become an eclectic event for the local area, featuring participants who are competitive runners to casual strollers.
Ann Pellegrino, president of the community farm, took pride in the success of the farm and the run. “The more hands we have, the more mouths we can feed,” she said. “It’s a community effort. Every year we’re just growing and growing.”
The run was originally an idea introduced by Brookhaven Town Clerk Kevin LaValle (R), who represented the area in District 3 on the Town Board from 2013 to 2023. Amid some financial struggles nine years ago, LaValle proposed organizing a run to raise money and introduced it to Pellegrino.
The farm “isn’t just something to remember our history by, but also something the community can rally behind and the mission of Hobbs Farm,” LaValle said.
As a native of the hamlet, LaValle referred to Hobbs Farm as “the centerpiece of Centereach.” The run has been growing in popularity with each passing year. Now, it’s become a local staple.
“The run brings more awareness,” Pellegrino said. “It helps spread the word of what we’re doing, and people get interested.”
Town Councilman Neil Manzella (R-Selden) added to this sentiment. He attended the family-friendly event with his two children, who participated in the fun-run race. “For me, it’s about showing my kids what a community should be,” he said.
The event was replete with food stands and other activities. Suffolk County Comptroller John M. Kennedy (R) and his wife, county Legislator Leslie Kennedy (R-Nesconset), also joined the fun.
“We’ve attended many of the runs and also been here for some of the other events they host,” John Kennedy said, noting how much he and his family appreciate community events such as the run. He added that Hobbs Farm represents a “hidden jewel here in Centereach.”
Since 2008, Peter Castorano has been a member of Hobbs Farm as a volunteer, caretaker and tenant. Pellegrino considers him part of the farm family.
“To work with Ann is great,” Castorano said. “She’s a superwoman, always doing something.”
While reminiscing over how Hobbs Farm started, they began talking of the Rev. Gregory Leonard. While trying to persuade the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, which owns the property, to let her use the land for farming, Pellegrino got help from Leonard.
“We all just became family,” Pellegrino remembered. She said she became very close with him and his late wife, Sandra Leonard.
The Rev. Leonard retired in 2021 from the Bethel AME Church in Setauket. He remarked on what Hobbs Farm symbolizes for him. “It’s the church and the community working together to create something,” he said.
Bethel Hobbs Farm holds a rich history. The previous owner was Alfred Hobbs, and the farm had been passed down through his family for generations. According to Leonard, who knew Hobbs passingly, he was “a man involved with his community.”
Castorano spoke of Hobbs’ passion for his family land and how defiant he was against the farm being sold. As a result, the farmland lay dormant and unused for a few years until Pellegrino began her mission.
“Years ago, I was a single mom with three kids,” Pellegrino explained, reflecting upon her incentives for beginning this project. “I was working two jobs. … There were times when I had to go to food pantries to feed my kids.”
Now, Hobbs Farm itself supports and supplies over 15 food pantries with nutritious and organic produce, feeding local families in need.
Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki
The North Country Peace Group observed the 78th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan at our weekly vigil in Setauket on Saturday, Aug. 5.
This is a time for our community to gather in mourning, remembrance and in solidarity with all people affected by the destructive power of nuclear weapons at every level of their development, testing and use. It is also a time for us to amplify the call that nuclear weapons must never be used.
Myrna Gordon
North Country Peace Group
Fare hikes don’t help Port Jeff LIRR riders
Gov. Kathy Hochul [D] and MTA Chairman Janno Lieber’s boosting of the new MTA One Metro New York fare collection system does little for Port Jefferson Branch riders on the Long Island Rail Road.
In 2017, the MTA awarded a $573 million contract to Cubic Transportation Systems to replace the Metro Card. OMNY was originally promised to be completed between 2019 and 2023.
The cost of OMNY has grown to $645 million. The project is currently $130 million over budget. The MTA has never made public any detailed recovery schedule from the contractor. Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad will not reach substantial completion until late 2025.
In 2022, the MTA lost over $600 million to fare evasion. There is no indication in 2023 that this financial loss will be significantly reduced. Neither Hochul nor Lieber is able to explain how OMNY will end routine fare evasion as it continues to flourish today.
Another critical failure that Hochul, Lieber or their predecessors never acknowledge, is the inability to come to agreement for integration of OMNY with NJ Transit, Port Authority Trans Hudson subway and NYC Economic Development Corporation Private Ferry fare collection systems.
Larry Penner
Great Nec
Sherwood-Jayne Farm animals represent our local history
The recent upheaval at the Sherwood-Jayne Farm in East Setauket has primarily been focused on the current animals and myself, but it should really be about preserving our local history.
History isn’t something that just is, it is something that was and then becomes. The organization, Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities, was founded in 1948 by many people, including Mr. Howard Sherwood. He did this to bequeath his property, the Jayne Farm, to it.
Sherwood’s vision was to preserve a bucolic farm setting and educate the community about its history. He started a flock of sheep in 1933 and had blankets woven from their wool.
Preservation Long Island, formerly known as SPLIA, has since kept a flock as a tribute to him. Current PLI executive director, Alexandra Wolfe, was quoted in the July 27 TBR article written by Mallie Jane Kim as saying, “The animals serve as a visual respite for people on the road, but they don’t really connect the property to what we do.”
Historically, livestock were an integral part of life. Horses and cattle were used for plowing, poultry for eggs and meat, everyone had a family cow and sheep were kept for their wool. Our ancestors didn’t hop on their phones to order a new shirt and have it show up in two days on their doorstep.
The sheep were shorn, the wool washed, carded, spun, woven into fabric and sewn into clothes. So how does getting rid of the resident sheep help to connect the property better to history? It doesn’t. What it does is take away from it.
A visual respite is what people love about this farm. The animals draw their attention. So let them be drawn in, and then educate them about what life was like. Let’s build the flock back to what it was and really teach about the “sheep-to-shawl” process.
People love farms because they show a different way of life. This farm was preserved for the community. Let’s teach the community about the place they live in and what makes it so special. Let’s allow the locals to learn the old ways of life. Let’s bring life back to the farm instead of taking it away.
What we do in the days, weeks, months and years ahead will impact our children’s children. Please help preserve our local history. The current animals and I will thank you and all the ones to come will as well.
Susanna B. Gatz
Caretaker, Sherwood-Jayne Farm
East Setauket
Prev
