CLOSE
Authors Posts by William Stieglitz

William Stieglitz

21 POSTS 0 COMMENTS

by -
0 2339
Route 347 and Nicolls Road overview in Stony Brook.

By William Stieglitz

The New York State Department of Transportation, in cooperation with local officials, is considering multiple design proposals for an overpass bridge at the intersection of Nicolls Road and Route 347, including  a new “preferred alternative” design that is distinct from the two designs previously made available to the public.

These previous proposals, explained Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook), included a diamond design and a clover design. The diamond design, similar to the intersection of Nicolls Road and Middle Country Road, would have an overpass providing straight passage for one road, but would require a traffic light for the perpendicular road underneath. “It would only solve half the traffic problem, not all of it,” said Kornreich.

The proposed clover shaped design. This rendering portrays ramps and would not require traffic lights. Photo courtesy Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich

The clover design, similar to the intersection of the Long Island Expressway and Nicolls Road, would feature looped ramps and no traffic lights. However, this would require more space, placing the ramps directly behind some homes. 

“It would affect a small number of people in a negative way,” said Kornreich. “However, for the vast majority of people, the thousands and thousands of people who use that intersection every day, by having the full clover leaf, now there are no lights at that intersection.”

The “preferred alternative” design, explained NYS Assemblymember Rebecca Kassay (D–Port Jefferson), was initially shown to her in May when she met with the DOT. The new design, she was told, “resulted from internal DOT conversations about design feasibility and traffic needs.”

Since that meeting, she has emailed the DOT with a list of questions regarding details of the design and plans to engage the public with updated information.  She asked if there is statistical data to support one design over the other two as well as accessibility differences for ambulances and commuters. 

She advocated for sound walls to prevent residents and businesses from being impacted by additional traffic noise, as well as landscape installations that could help drainage, water quality and beautification. Furthermore, she requested visual references of designs of other NYS DOT bridges for community consideration.

“My office has been coordinating closely with residents who have worked for many years to keep this intersection clean and welcoming for our community,” said Kassay. “I am grateful for the passion they have for our community and their willingness to go above and beyond to care for Nicolls Road and Route 347.”

Three Village Civic Association President Charles Tramontana said that while the DOT has been in contact with Kassay and Kornreich, the DOT had not been meeting with them regarding this phase of the project, and that they are awaiting updates. “We definitely have questions,” he said, referencing how he’d want to know how the chosen proposal would affect the clearing of woods and its aesthetic ramifications. 

Tramontana said the lack of communication presented a problem, citing as an example the DOT recently removing trees from the north side of the intersection, without the association being told it would happen beforehand. Tramontana said, “In everything, we always strive to have good communication so that there’s no surprises, there’s no rumors, everybody knows exactly what’s going to take place. That’s what we’re looking to facilitate as a civic association.”

by -
0 941
1 of 11
THE LGBT Network Float, with Bella Noche at the front. Photo by William Stieglitz
Parade Grand Marshall Ryan Cassata. Photo by William Stieglitz
Star Wars cosplayers in the parade. Photo by William Stieglitz
The audience in front of the Chapin Rainbow Stage. Photo by William Stieglitz
The Hecksher Museum of Art Float, blasting bubbles.Photo by William Stieglitz
Furry Pride attendees. Photo by William Stieglitz
The Hecksher Museum of Art Float, blasting bubbles. Photo by William Stieglitz
Parade Grand Marshall Ryan Cassata performing on the Chapin Rainbow Stage. Photo by William Stieglitz
Parade Grand Marshall and the Voice Finalist Shye Roberts performing. Photo by William Stieglitz
Local Poet and Stonewall Uprising veteran Rita Rusty Rose. Photo by William Stieglitz
The Family Zone for younger kids. Photo by William Stieglitz

By William Stieglitz

“We won’t be erased,” shouted attendees on June 8 at the 35th Annual Long Island Pride Parade, led in the chant by parade co-founder David Kilmnick. The parade’s theme of Defiant Joy, explained LGBT Network CEO Robert Vitelli, was aimed at being “defiant in the face of being told we don’t exist.”

Rainbow-clad cars and marchers made their way down Huntington’s Main Street with flags, balloon arches and floats, all to the cheers of attendees stretching from Clinton Avenue to Spring Road. Local organizations, including activist groups, businesses, synagogues and churches, marched with banners of support, while others performed live music or danced on roller skates. The march flowed directly into the pride festival at Heckscher Park, where attendees were met with many activities.

Hecksher Museum of Art Director Heather Arnet with a piece by Amy Adler. Photo by William Stieglitz

Attendees could enjoy food trucks and vendor booths, congregate at the beer garden or take photos against pride-themed backgrounds. A kids’ zone featured a bounce house, inflatable slide and balloon arches to run through in every color of the rainbow. And The Hecksher Museum of Art, located inside the park, offered free admission to their new “All of Me with All of You” exhibit, featuring work from over 90 LGBTQ+ artists. The collection, explained museum Director Heather Arnet, features art ranging from the mid-19th century to modern day, with the oldest piece being sculptor Emma Stebbin’s marble bust of her romantic partner Charlotte Cushman.

The festival’s biggest feature, however, was the performances on the Chapin Rainbow Stage. Co-hosted by the “mermaid of New York” drag queen Bella Noche and “CBS News New York” John Dias, the show featured the Long Island Gay Men’s Chorus, performances from the musicals “Fowl Play” and “Anything Goes” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race“ queens Tina Burner and Kori King, the latter of whom went into the audience and wooed the crowd with death drops. The audience was also treated to songs from the parade’s grand marshals, “The Voice” finalist Shye Roberts and singer-songwriter Ryan Cassata, who both have local roots. “The LGBT Network really saved my life,” said Cassata, “and it’s a big part of my success.”

Other guests included local poet and Stonewall Uprising veteran Rita Rusty Rose. “I’ve been here since the very beginning, when Steven [Heneghan] and them formed Long Island Pride,” said Rose. “It’s more important to be out and about right now with the political pressure and the hate that we have.”

Kilmnick echoed this sentiment, urging resistance against political efforts of erasure. He spoke on how he and others fought in court to establish the first parade in 1991 and how he now works to oppose actions such as the removal of Long Island native Harvey Milk’s name from a navy ship, who was the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California and was later assassinated. “[It’s] not a time to be nice,” Kilmnick said. “But it’s a time to love.”

by -
0 2131
1 of 3
Attendees of the BLARG rally on June 9. Photo by William Stieglitz.
BLARG cofounder Monique Fitzgerald. Photo by William Stieglitz
William Kokell, speaking on behalf of South Country Peace Group. Photo by William Stieglitz

By William Stieglitz

On Monday, June 9, the Brookhaven Landfill Action and Remediation Group (BLARG) rallied outside the Brookhaven Town Hall in Farmingville to call for the closure of the Brookhaven landfill and the development of “zero -waste” solutions. Pollution from the landfill, activists argued, has endangered the health and safety of those in North Bellport, where the landfill is located, and that its closure would provide both environmental and economic benefits.

“This landfill has been with our community for fifty plus years,” said BLARG co-founder Monique Fitzgerald. She introduced herself as a proud descendant of the Setalcott Nation, which originally occupied Brookhaven’s land, and described the landfill in the minority community as “a monument to environmental racism.” The closure of the landfill, she said, had been repeatedly promised since the 1980s, but each time the landfill had been expanded instead. “It is 270 feet tall. It’s one of the tallest structures in Suffolk County.” According to Fitzgerald, Brookhaven Town Councilman Michael Loguercio (R, Ridge) had previously said the landfill would close in 2024.

Loguercio said, “The landfill is forecasted to close sometime in 2028, consistent with our plan” and argued activists were spreading the false impression it could be closed sooner. He also said that as a Gold Star Family member, he objected to the setting of the rally, a memorial for fallen soldiers outside the town hall, being used for what he considered a “fanciful charade.”

William Kokell, however, who spoke at the rally as a veteran and as a member of the South Country Peace Group, said the landfill had become too large, and swift action needed to be taken to protect children’s lives. “I’ve been all over the Pacific Ocean, all over a lot of Southeast Asia. I have never ever, ever seen anything even close to that.” He said his son went to school with three young men from North Bellport who developed cancer, attributing the disease to air and water pollution in the area. 

John McNamara, who spoke as a coordinator from Christians Against Racism in the Apostolic Spirit (CARITAS), said solutions could be reached through a four-step plan toward zero waste. 

Step 1, he said, is to adopt a Save Money and Reduce Trash, or SMART, program, where instead of a set fee, “you just pay money for the amount of trash that you dispose of.” Step 2 is to implement both the “Bigger, Better Bottle Bill” and the “Manufacturer’s Responsibility Bill” in the state senate and assembly. The first, he explained, would allow more kinds of bottles to be covered for recycling, while the second would incentivize manufacturers to rely more on recyclable materials and limit the use of toxic chemicals. Step 3 would be a townwide composting program for Brookhaven, and Step 4 would be establishing “reuse and repair” centers for people to bring no longer wanted items where others could come to pick them up.

In terms of economic benefits, McNamara argued zero-waste policies would save taxpayer money he says is currently used to ship a portion of Brookhaven’s waste off the island to landfills in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and upstate New York. Fitzgerald also argued that the landfill, by bringing in industries like warehouses and truck terminals, and that this comes at the expense of funding needed to keep teachers employed at South Country district schools. 

Loguercio, responding to the topic, said, “We would love to reach a point of zero waste, so would everyone else in America, but it doesn’t work because the strength of the markets for recycling just don’t exist.” Fitzgerald, however, reading a statement from Zero Waste USA, argued that “communities across the US” using zero-waste policies have “cut their waste stream in half within a few short years: achieving 60%, 70% and 80% reductions.”

“We are looking for a partnership for zero waste,” said Fitzgerald. “We are looking to create, procreate, co-design, and get our hands dirty right along with the council and the town supervisor Dan Panico [R], so this is on all of us to do.”

by -
0 2389
1 of 4
Protesters outside Congressman Nick LaLota’s office. Photo by William Stieglitz
Protesters outside Congressman Nick LaLota’s office. Photo by William Stieglitz
Protesters outside Congressman Nick LaLota’s office. Photo by William Stieglitz
Protesters outside Congressman Nick LaLota’s office. Photo by William Stieglitz

By William Stieglitz

On Thursday, May 29, close to 100 people lined the streets outside Congressman Nick LaLota’s (R, NY1) Hauppauge office to protest planned cuts to Medicaid and other health programs under the One Big Beautiful reconciliation bill, passed by the House of Representatives the week before.

The rally’s speakers included grassroots organizers and health care workers, who argued that the bill LaLota voted for would cut health care funding for Long Islanders while giving tax breaks to billionaires. “The budget is a gift to the rich and a slap in the face to workers,” said Diane Cantave from Long Island Jobs with Justice. “We reject the idea that working families must carry the burden while the wealthy hoard more.”

The bill would place restrictions on Medicaid, including new work requirements to qualify, as well as on the SNAP and CHIP programs for food stamps and children’s health insurance. It would also reduce Medicaid funding by 10% to states like New York that provide health coverage to undocumented immigrants.

Dr. Eve Krief, speaking on behalf of Engage Long Island and the American Academy of Pediatrics, warned the bill would result in “tens of thousands of people right here on Long Island” losing their health care. “It’s going to raise our premiums regardless of what insurance you have, because hospitals are gonna be forced to provide uncompensated care to the uninsured… It’s gonna strain our hospital systems to the breaking point. They’re gonna be forced to cut staffing, and eventually, they’re gonna have to close their doors.”

Responding later, LaLota said, “You’re not gonna find anywhere that there’s a Medicaid cut” in the bill, describing the legislation as a commitment to Bill Clinton-era work requirements. “The main part of what this bill did was requiring able-bodied adults, so not pregnant women, not disabled people, not seniors… able-bodied adults to work or seek work for eighty hours a month. That burden is not too large to ask your neighbors to pay for your health care.” The other major aspect of the bill, he said, is that it will “check everybody’s qualifications” for Medicaid, and in doing so, “root out the waste, fraud and abuse in the system.”

However, Planned Parenthood Coordinator Kaitlyn Pawlukojc argued that the bill would also bar Medicaid funding toward Planned Parenthood so long as it provides its current abortions services. “Last year, Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic completed over 19,500 visits for Suffolk County residents,” she said, “providing vital health care like birth control, STI testing and treatment, and cancer screenings.” She added defunding Planned Parenthood would cost taxpayers “nearly 300 million dollars,” referencing the Congressional Budget Office estimates.

A further concern, touched on by Gender Equality New York Executive Director Juli Grey-Owens, is how the bill could threaten gender-affirming care for transgender youth. “For many, transitioning is crucial to continuing to live,” she said, adding that the surgery is a medical need for trans people suffering from gender dysphoria, and reduces suicide and depression. “We do not ask for special treatment. We ask to live safely, truthfully, and equally.” LaLota, when asked about the bill’s blocking of funds for gender-affirming care, stated, “I do not support using federal taxpayer dollars for transgender surgery.” Jennifer Capotorto, a local mother of two, said she worried about her children losing access to health care, as well as the impact for the rest of her family. “My sister will no longer be able to afford her rheumatoid arthritis medication and will live in chronic pain. In February, we lost our Navy vet father, and he suffered for months before his passing in a for-profit rehab that was neglecting him simply because they were understaffed.”

The bill also brings back SALT deductions, quadrupling the current $10,000 cap to $40,000, something many Long Islanders have argued for. 

 However, Suffolk Progressives founder Shoshana Hershkowitz said she does not support “gutting Medicaid” in exchange. “We can actually get our SALT deductions back, all they have to do is let the first Trump tax cuts expire.” Following the speeches, she and others marched to drop off letters to the congressman, also leaving salt packets while saying “Keep your SALT.” While the last group of people were dropping off letters, LaLota was walking to his office and spoke briefly with the group in defense of the bill before going inside.

These are arguments Krief touched on when she spoke, but claimed they were misleading. “The overwhelming majority of people on Medicaid do work,” she said. “So we’ll have these funding cuts without the actual [removal of] waste, fraud and abuse to make up for those cuts, which will then impact us all.”

The reconciliation bill now goes to the Senate, where it awaits its next vote.

by -
0 1018
1 of 5
Isabella donates blood. Photo by William Stieglitz
Donor Jason Hsueh at the Middle Country Library blood drive. Photo by William Stieglitz
A donor gives blood at the Middle Country Public Library on May 27. Photo by William Stieglitz
A donor gives blood at the Middle Country Public Library on May 27. Photo by William Stieglitz
Donors John Ryan, Austin Pelissier, & Bruce King, aftering giving blood. Photo by William Stieglitz

By William Stieglitz

The Middle Country Public Library’s Centereach branch hosted a blood drive on May 27 with New York Blood Center, drawing in many local donors. 

“We use a lot of blood, supplying all the hospitals in [the] New York area,” said NYBC team leader Vincent Verdi. “So we need to collect as much blood as possible.”

Donors start by filling out paperwork and getting an initial drop of blood taken behind a blue curtain. After the drop is tested and found to have the right amount of iron, donors go to a chair where blood is taken from their arm via a machine. “The whole thing from when you walk in [takes] probably, maybe a half an hour,” said blood donor Bruce King, not counting the 15 minutes after for observation and cookies.

King donates every few months. Another donor, John Ryan, said he tries to donate as often as he can. “[My] family had a traumatic hospital experience once, so it’s my way of giving back.” Austin Pelissier said it was his sixth or seventh time donating, and does so because “I don’t have an excuse not to… I like being able to save a life.”

Pelissier said he always gives the double red blood donation, which he explained was different from the full blood donation. “The double red – they take your blood, they filter out the red blood cells, take the red blood cells, and give you the rest of your blood back along with a little bit of saline solution. That way, you don’t feel as woozy, but they can take more of the red blood cells, which they do.”

NYBC volunteer Marie Rotolo said its important donors prep right by drinking plenty of water and making sure they ate enough protein beforehand. She and other volunteers observe people after their donation to make sure they’re okay. “If we see that someone is getting sick, we just help them to put their head down so they don’t fall… I call for assistance, someone will come over. They’ll ask them if they could get up to go in the chair, and they bring them back on the bed, raise their feet, do what they need to do.”

Rotolo became a volunteer after retiring from Stony Brook Hospital, and has done it three times a week since 2016 to give back. Another volunteer, Lynn Paul, began while she was still working as a retired nurse, and said she likes to give as much time as she can. She has volunteered at blood drives for fire departments, schools and other libraries. “I feel like I’m helping the community doing this. And, it’s fun. We have a ball. Nice people that we meet. The staff is friendly.”

Paul said the turnout can vary, with some having around 50 sign-ups and at least one she was at having over a hundred. But she also stressed that even small turnouts can make a big difference. “Some drives will only get 20, but 20 is 20 units. One unit can save three people. So it’s the gift of life, and we really appreciate it. And we thank them. We make sure that they’re well appreciated, and they know it. And they keep coming back.”

According to Verdi, the day’s blood drive kept a steady pace. “Some blood drives, we get 30 pints, which gets separated into three different components and which would be 90 products.” He explained how after spinning down the blood into red blood cells, plasma and platelets, they then send the products to the hospitals based on their specific needs.

The blood drive was one of many held at Middle Country Public Library, which supplies NYBC with their programming room and also helps with contacting donors. The library normally holds several blood drives each year.

For more information on blood donations or to schedule an appointment, you can go to https://donate.nybc.org or call 1-800-933-2566.

by -
0 2682
The Smithtown School District received nearly four times as many votes for this year's school budget compared to last years. File photo

By William Stieglitz

With three Smithtown Central School District Board of Education seats up for election on May 20 — two needing to be filled by new people due to term limits and the third due to a resignation — two trios of candidates are running to fill the spots. TBR News Media spoke with both slates of candidates about their experience and vision for the district. 

One group includes Bernadette Ackermann, who works as vice president of marketing for a software firm and previously served as the Tackan Elementary Parent Teacher Association president; Theresa Donohue, a 23-year educator with experience as a teacher, assistant principal and curriculum coordinator and currently as a central office administrator; and Brandon Solomon, a real estate project manager, PTA Council delegate and the husband of a Smithtown elementary educator. All three are endorsed by the teachers’ union.

The other group includes Karen Wontrobski-Ricciardi, who served as board vice president from 2021 to 2024 and beforehand worked within the PTA; Al Carfora, who works in insurance and is experienced negotiating bids with contractors; and Mike Simonelli, a retired Suffolk County police officer and author of “Justified Deadly Force and the Myth of Systemic Racism: The Facts Everyone Must Know.” All three have expressed that they don’t want the board fully controlled by those the teachers’ union backs. 

Budgeting

Ackerman, Donohue, Solomon: Solomon and Ackerman both emphasized their professional experience managing multimillion-dollar budgets, with Solomon saying how, if elected to the board, they should be “stretching every dollar we have.” Ackerman said it was also important to avoid unnecessary expenses, like “lawsuits between board members,” which she said happened five times in the period from 2021 to 2024, “all because there were certain people on the board who couldn’t get along.” 

Wontrobski-Ricciardi, Carfora, Simonelli: Simonelli, citing his time as a financial analyst officer in the military, argued the district should aim to reduce spending in a manner akin to the federal government. “We saw just recently with DOGE, they found fraud, waste and abuse in every agency they went to. So I believe we need a similar look.” He also stated that there could be funding issues if Smithtown and New York State “fight President Trump’s executive orders declaring all of that [DEI] should be coming out of the Department of Education.”

Bullying and mental health of students

Ackerman, Donohue, Solomon: Addressing bullying, according to Donohue, starts with upholding and building upon “The Smithtown Promise,” which promotes dignity, belonging, respect and ambition for students. She cited social media as a major factor and said limiting its use in schools helps reduce bullying proactively.

Solomon said another helpful factor is the district partnership with Northwell Health, which provides students with priority services for mental health. “It’s very important that that continues,” he said, “because bullying is an issue. Like Theresa said, it doesn’t go away when you go home, and people need help. And when they need help, they need it right away.”

Wontrobski-Ricciardi, Carfora, Simonelli: Simonelli stated he has seen depression and suicide rates go up despite there being “more mental health training and consideration being given in schools” than he’s ever seen and suggested “there’s a cultural thing going on that needs to be addressed by the families.” Wontrobski-Ricciardi made a similar statement, saying, “there is just a ton of support in place for our students’ mental well-being. And I think it’s great. It should be. But there are some fear mongers that will let you believe that there isn’t enough in place.”

Diversity, equity and inclusion

Ackerman, Donohue, Solomon: “For me,” said Ackerman, “it’s paramount that every student, regardless of race, gender, sexuality, socioeconomic status, is welcome and supported and made to feel safe in Smithtown schools.” She said that while the politicization of DEI has made it harder to achieve these goals, for her, “it’s basically making all students feel welcome and supported in every way — in terms of emotional [and] educational whether or not they learn differently.”

Solomon also spoke on accessibility, saying, “if a student needs extra time on a test, if a student needs to take a test on a Chromebook instead of using pen and paper, I think everybody needs every opportunity they need, and I think we owe it to them.” He emphasized too that, regardless of personal opinions on DEI, it is important that the board follow state law to avoid costly litigation for taxpayers.

Wontrobski-Ricciardi, Carfora, Simonelli: All three said the district is “pushing political ideology” on students regarding topics of race, gender and sexuality and that it is coming at the expense of academics, though the district says such claims are false and misrepresent their actual focus on safety, respect and support for learning. Among the trio’s arguments that DEI and anti-police material are being pushed was the claim that the district equity team was teaching about the Black Lives Matter movement counterproductively. “This was during the height of George Floyd,” Simonelli said. “The conversations among the group were sharing anti-police stuff, talking about deadly police incidents… This is the Philando Castile shooting, Alton Sterling, Michael Brown, all these incidents that have been proven to have been justified deadly force incidents.”

Wontrobski-Ricciardi and Simonelli also expressed concerns over Smithtown Library’s inclusions of children’s books featuring LGBT characters, describing it as a matter of topics of sexuality, questioning gender and pronouns being present. 

Communication and transparency

Ackerman, Donohue, Solomon: Donohue and Ackerman emphasized communication with parents as a top priority, particularly in regards to spending and the budget structure. “The district does many presentations when it comes to the budget planning,” Donohue said. “But at the same time, there’s a lot in there that’s just confusing that the normal person maybe doesn’t understand.” For Ackerman, reviewing previously discussed information is also important. “They’ll communicate something when it happens, but then it’s never discussed again,” she said, citing information on armed guards as an example.

Wontrobski-Ricciardi, Carfora, Simonelli: All three also expressed a desire to see more communication from the district. A particular concern for Carfora was in relation to the topic of potential mold in schools. “They have no answer other than trust us… we’re telling you there’s no mold,” he said, emphasizing what he called a lack of full testing. The district stated they did more testing than the third-party engineering firm they brought in suggested and that there was confusion due to circulation of outdated photos.

For more information visit the school website: www.smithtown.k12.ny.us.

by -
0 2212
1 of 10
The newly naturalized citizens with their certificates. Photo by William Stieglitz
From left, LIM co-executive director Joshua Ruff, Judge Bianco, Judge Choudhury, Judge Wicks (speaking), Judge Bulsara, Judge Scarcella. Photo by William Stieglitz
The presentation of the colors, by members of the Stony Brook and Nesconset fire departments. Photo by William Stieglitz
The new citizens with their friends and families. Photo by William Stieglitz
The new citizens after being naturalized. Photo by William Stieglitz
Gelinas students Jordan and Ada singing the national anthem, with the presentation of the colors behind them. Photo by William Stieglitz
Dr. Rahul Tripathi (Behind him, L to R_ Judge Bianco, Judge Choudhury, Judge Bulsara, Judge Scarcella). Photo by William Stieglitz
2nd Circuit Judge Joseph Bianco speaking to the crowd. Photo by William Stieglitz
Attendees taking the Naturalization Oath. Photo by William Stieglitz
Gelinas Student String Quintet. Photo by William Stieglitz

By William Stieglitz

Fifty citizenship candidates originating from 29 countries gathered with their families at Stony Brook’s Long Island Museum to be naturalized as U.S. citizens the morning of May 7. The countries of origin spanned five continents, including nations such as Ecuador, Israel, Nigeria and Taiwan.

The idea to hold the ceremony at the museum began with its new Building the Ballot Box exhibit, which chronicles the history of democracy on Long Island. “That project really was something that got us thinking about the possibility,” explained LIM co-executive director Joshua Ruff, noting that the Eastern District Court had held similar ceremonies at Sagamore Hill and Fire Island National Seashore. The museum then worked with the district court, alongside the Honorable Robert A. Katzmann Justice for All: Courts and the Community Initiative and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to bring the event to fruition.

The ceremony, held on the lawn outside the carriage exhibit, began with the “presentation of the colors” for the American flag by members of the Stony Brook and Nesconset fire departments, followed by Paul J. Gelinas Junior High students singing the national anthem. A student string quintet, also from Gelinas, provided further music throughout the ceremony led by Magistrate Judge James Wicks.

Judge Wicks led the group in the call and response of the naturalization oath. The event featured four other judges, including Judge Sanket Bulsara, who led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance; Judges Nusrat Choudhury and Louis Scarcella, who distributed the naturalization certificates; and Second Circuit Judge Joseph Bianco, who attended as the keynote speaker.

Bianco told the new citizens that this ceremony was not about them losing their connections to their countries of origin, but about adding something new. “You should always hold close to your hearts your native land, its people [and] its customs… that is an extremely important part of who you are deep in your soul.” He emphasized that they should regard the United States as being as much their country as anyone else’s. “Don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise. As of this day, your citizenship stands equal to that of every single other American.”

He encouraged attendees to become active citizens by voting in elections and aiding those less fortunate. “The truest measure of what we would call a great nation,” he said, “is how that nation treats those who are most in need — the most vulnerable, the most voiceless among all of us.” The League of Women Voters was in attendance as volunteers and said they registered about 20 people to vote.

Bianco, lastly, related his own family’s history of immigration, telling the stories of how his grandfather immigrated from Italy in the 1920s to pursue a better life, and how one of the newest members of his family, his 11-year-old son George, was adopted from China. “He’s a naturalized citizen just like you.” 

Bianco elaborated on the opportunity the country gave him, and said, ”This nation provides a path for its citizens willing to take the freedom and opportunity bestowed upon them, work hard, and then watch their world light up,” he said as the clouds that had hovered all morning parted above the crowd. “Just like that sun.”

The event’s final speaker was one of the 50 newly naturalized citizens himself, Dr. Rahul Tripathi. A physician from Stony Brook Hospital, he spoke about how he immigrated from India when he was just 11 months old. “I grew up entirely in The United States,” he said. “This country raised me. I went to school here, learned how to navigate two cultures, and carried with me a quiet awareness that while I might have been born elsewhere, my future was being built here every day.” 

Tripathi spoke too on the demanding nature of his job, and what his personal experiences allowed him to bring to the role. “In my training, I’ve had the privilege of caring for patients who remind me of my own family, immigrants whose first language isn’t English, who are trying to understand a complex health care system while also trying to make rent or get their children to school. I’ve been able to sit beside them not just as a doctor, but as someone who sees them, who understands the quiet bravery it takes to start over in a new country, and call it home. ”

Each new citizen was gifted a one-year membership to the museum and had the opportunity to explore the buildings. “We just want as many people as possible to come and take advantage of what we have to offer the community,” said co-executive director Sarah Abruzzi, emphasizing the museum’s variety of rotating exhibits and programming. “We do this for the community. We want everyone to feel that this is their museum.”

For many of the attendees, the path to citizenship was long. “In the past when I’ve talked to people after this ceremony, you hear numbers like 10 years, 12 years, 15 years,” said Bianco. “So that’s why there’s this joy.” Nurjahan Akter, originally from the UK, said it took her almost 10 years to become a citizen alongside her husband. Isaac Parra, another of the newly naturalized, came here from Colombia when he was 19, and is now 28.

“I left a lot behind,” said Parra. “All my family, my friends. I really had an established life back there. So it was definitely scary not knowing what was going to happen. And I’m glad it worked out this way.” He added that “it is definitely possible” for those who want to achieve the same goal. “I would encourage anyone who is seeking citizenship to apply as soon as they can.”

For more information on the Long Island Museum, you can visit its website at https://longislandmuseum.org.

For information on how to apply for naturalizstion visit www.uscis.gov.

by -
0 1689
From left, Board VP Karen Roughley, President Susan Rosenzweig, Superintendent Scanlon and Dr. Kerman. Photo by William Stieglitz

By William Stieglitz

The April 30 Three Village Central School District Board of Education meeting began with updates on the question of whether to arm school security guards. The district surveyed around 1,400 employees, with 55% saying they were for armed security and 45% saying they were against. Of the 55% in favor, 81% wanted security armed both inside and outside of the school. The board plans to survey the community next and said that, when ready, they will likely make the survey available through either an online link or the student database system Infinite Campus.

The board also announced that the ZeroEyes security system, an artificial intelligence weapons detection software that the district has been looking into since October, is finally up and running. The system connects school cameras to AI that scans the footage firearms and alerts the district and authorities in a matter of seconds if something is found.

“We got a chance to do some calibration and test it at this building and Mount Elementary,” said security coordinator Jack Blaum, speaking from the North Country Administration Building. “And I will tell you, I am absolutely impressed with the system.” He said that while the technology is only one part of a solution, he is confident it will act as a deterrent and that other local districts have expressed interest in implementing ZeroEyes as well.

In school funding news, the board announced that following their April 9 decision to remove earlier high school start times from this year’s planned budget, they were left with $1,014,000 to spend on other programs, as well as an additional $100,000 from savings in the textbook code. The board unanimously chose to use $760,000 from this to restore seven elementary school teachers and thereby reduce class sizes, which left around $340,000 to discuss. 

One option was to use $100,000 to restore fourth-grade science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Unlike the district’s previous STEM program, which ended during COVID and had allowed a STEM teacher in every building for every grade level, this would start smaller by having a STEM teacher go to each school for one day a week. Another option would be to restore the Intellectually Gifted Program, though with $100,000 costs for both staffing and transportation, this would be twice as expensive. A third option was to use an estimated $70,000 to restore summer reading programs, which would also require a new program coordinator.

Following debate, the board voted 5-1 (David McKinnon was absent) for using the funds to restore STEM and summer reading, with the rest being saved for future costs. While funding for fourth-grade IG was also discussed, this only received two out of six votes. “Whereas IG services a smaller number, the STEM program would service an entire grade level,” Superintendent Kevin Scanlon said when weighing the benefits of each. “We’re talking over 400 students being addressed there.”

The board also reviewed the district’s success in programming for Autism Acceptance Month. Schools such as Arrowhead, Minnesauke, W.S. Mount and Murphy elementary schools and Gelinas Jr. High school held assemblies, fundraisers, schoolwide walks and other related activities. “I think it’s important that we recognize all the students that we have in our district,” said Scanlon. “The population of autism has been diagnosed more readily in the more recent years, and I think that’s where we excel in this district, because of our attention to our students with special needs… I think this is a way of recognizing them in a special way.”

Another kind of assembly, exclusive to eighth graders at Gelinas, was a live performance of “From the Fires: Voices of the Holocaust,” which included a discussion with the cast. This was paired with interactive classes, led by Principal Corinne Keane and social studies teacher Christina Cone, on how to identify and combat antisemitism and other hate speech.

One more thing that brought students to school theaters this month was the spring musicals. These included performances of “Finding Nemo Junior” at Minnesauke, “Seussical the Musical” at Mount, “Beauty and the Beast” at Nassakeag Elementary School, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” at Setauket, “Newsies” at Gelinas and “Anastasia” at Murphy.

For more information visit the school website: www.threevillagecsd.org.

by -
0 1225
1 of 7
Setalcott Cochair Robert Thompson and members of the Setalcott youth plant a tree at the event. Photo by William Stieglitz
Suffolk County Legislator Steve Englebright speaks at the event. Photo by William Stieglitz
Setalcott group photo. Photo by William Stieglitz
DEC Acting Commissioner Amanda Lefton speaking. Photo by William Stieglitz
Setalcott Nation Flag. Photo by William Stieglitz
Suffolk County Legislator Steve Englebright and Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico plant a tree at the event. Photo by William Stieglitz
Setalcott group photo. Photo by William Stieglitz

By William Stieglitz

The New York Department of Environmental Conservation joined local officials, environmental leaders and the Setalcott Indian Nation April 24 to celebrate the opening of the newly improved Conscience Bay-Little Bay Tidal Wetland Area. In honor of Arbor Day, native trees and bushes were planted for the long-awaited event.

The DEC effort to purchase the Conscience Bay land started in 2008, when a privately owned property came up for sale. The land the DEC already owned there was mostly underwater, but the acquisition created the opportunity for parking space. Closing the deal took until 2015. Then over the following decade the DEC acquired six more properties spanning 15 more acres. This allowed for the demolition of vacated houses to expand the view as well as the removal of septic systems and underground oil storage that endangered the water. 

“There was a choice to be made,” said Adrienne Esposito, executive director for Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “You could either see the beautiful area you see here today, or we could have had a condo complex, or a couple of very large mega-mansions. But instead, there was a collaboration… to make sure that this little spot here on Long Island would serve to be preserved, literally, for generations and generations.”

Collaboration was a major theme through the varied speeches, with great emphasis placed on the partnership between Town of Brookhaven and Suffolk County officials with such groups as the Peconic Land Trust, Three Village and Strong’s Neck civic associations and the indigenous Setalcott Nation, who will be stewarding the land and from whom Setauket’s name originates.

The history was a major theme too, in terms of both heritage and geography. “To understand the antiquity of this habitat, you have to go back about 10 to 12 thousand years,” said Suffolk County Legislator Steve Englebright (D, Setauket), explaining how, before Old Field Beach existed, large waves deposited the high-energy environment of the now-still bay. “To have preserved this ancient habitat with interdune swales of freshwater wetlands and dunes is really quite extraordinary.”

The heritage, of course, was especially personal to the Setalcott Nation. “I’m pleased and beyond words, I don’t know where to begin,” said Helen “Hart of Morning Star” Sells, co-chair of the Setalcott Nation. “I’m so happy that this land has been returned home.” She explained how as a girl she and her mom would play at that very shore and how they knew nearly everyone who lived in Strongs Neck. Sells recited a native prayer before the crowd, which emphasized appreciation for “the magnificent creation of mother earth” and “respect for all people.”

Her co-chair, Robert “Silver Wolf” Thompson, also spoke, along with Setalcott Youth Committee Chairperson A’riel “Thundering Sparrow” Hart. “We are hoping,” she said, “this is not the only time we get together and preserve our land. And this day, hopefully, is the beginning, and not the end, of this beautiful moment.”

Following the speeches, all organizers and representatives worked together in 60-degree heat to plant trees for the new site while hawks flew overhead, an animal which Sells highlighted as a sign of good luck and blessing for the Setalcott Nation. The planted species included 10-year-old black oak and red maple saplings, along with two-year-old white cedar saplings. Each is native to the area and had been grown at a local nursery.

In terms of next steps, DEC Acting Commissioner Amanada Lefton hopes proposed changes in the state budget, backed by Governor Kathy Hochul (D), will allow for improved efficiency in the land acquisition program. As for the Setalcott Nation, they will be kelp farming at the Setauket Harbor by Poquott, a practice that helps reduce nitrogen pollution in our waters and produces kelp that can be combined with soil for gardening.

Sells also said she hopes the Conscience Bay victory will be a step forward in one day achieving state and federal recognition for the Setalcott Nation, who are considered a nonreservation. “When we first started out… 20, 30 years ago… we understood there were steps that we had to do. So we’re climbing the ladder.” 

For more information visit the DEC website: dec.ny.gov.

by -
0 1797
The April 22 Smithtown Board of Education meeting. Photo by William Stieglitz

By William Stieglitz

At the April 22 meeting, the board of education for Smithtown Central School District voted unanimously to adopt the proposed 2025-2026 budget. Set at $294,998,455, it would be a 1.74% increase from last year’s approximate $290 million. According to Superintendent of Schools Mark Secaur, the budget will allow the continuation of existing programs, including summer learning, while also keeping class sizes within district policy parameters.

The proposed property tax levy is set at $225,253,356, a 2.66% increase from last year’s levy of approximately $219 million. This is the maximum allowable levy for the budget to require a simple majority to pass, as opposed to the over 60% that would be required were the cap exceeded. The tax limit is calculated primarily based on the rate of inflation but also includes factors such as the tax base growth for the area, the Payment in Lieu of Taxes receivable and the capital levy exclusion.

The budget’s other revenues are primarily from state aid and the school district’s reserves. Since the New York State budget has not yet been passed, missing the April 1 deadline for the fourth year in a row, it is unknown how much state aid the district will receive. The board, instead, based its calculations on Governor Kathy Hochul’s (D) executive state budget as proposed in January, predicting about $51 million in aid. Should the state budget exceed what was expected, the board’s plan will be not to change the expenditure budget, but rather to reduce the dependence on around $7.5 million dollars in reserves. 

These reserves include $3.65 million from the Employees’ Retirement System, $2.725 million from the Teacher’s Retirement System, $770,000 from Employee Benefit Accrued Liability and $400,000 from Workers’ Compensation Insurance. The use of this last reserve is a significant change from last years’ budget, which did not pull from it at all. The smallest reserve change, by contrast, is for EBAL, which sees the same amount used from it as last year. Employee benefits see decreases in Social Security and Medicaid but also increases in health insurance, with an overall $4.13 million rise in benefits.

There will be a budget hearing May 13 for community members to learn more about the budget. Then the vote for both the budget and board members will be May 20, with polls open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and locations including Nesconset Elementary, Accompsett Elementary and Smithtown Elementary schools. Smithtown residents must be registered with the Suffolk County Board of Election by May 13 in order to vote. 

If the proposed budget doesn’t pass, the board may resubmit either the same budget or a revised version for a second vote. If this fails too, the board would have to adopt a budget with no increase to the tax levy, resulting in an approximate revenue loss of $5.85 million. In this situation, the district would have to either include more reductions or withdraw more from its reserves.

For more information visit the school website: www.Smithtown.k12.ny.us.

123Next Page 1 of 3
TBR News Media is your local news and entertainment website.
We provide you with the latest breaking news and information for your community.
Contact us: [email protected]

Most Viewed

©