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William Stieglitz

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Ward Melville High School. File photo by Greg Catalano

By William Stieglitz

Students and parents spoke out at the April 9 Three Village Central School District BOE meeting, arguing for the programs and staff they did not want to see cut. The board had previously announced that in order to balance the proposed budget with later start times for high school students, it would need to remove 14 elementary teachers as well as the fourth-grade Intellectually Gifted (IG) program.

Students who once participated in the IG program, as well as parents of such students, voiced their support for it, saying it provided them with an academic challenge and motivation they were not able to experience before. “Once I joined the IG program, I was toward the bottom of the pack, so it was wonderful to finally get that experience,” said Althea Grubbs Albrecht, who joined as a sixth grader in the program’s last year. “It really prepared me for academic struggles in junior high and now in high school.”

“The teachers I had there, they encouraged my love for reading, they encouraged my ability to think about and consider different ideas,” said new valedictorian Oliver Wu. “Eliminating the IG program without putting anything else in its place, without initiating a new program to give enrichment to students who would benefit from it, is very harmful.” He, along with others, expressed concern that the IG program could be phased out, though  Superintendent Kevin Scanlon said this would not happen.

Simultaneously, many parents stressed the importance of later high school start time levels for students’ health. “We all want our children to be academically excelled, but they need health first,” said Jade Zheng, a mother of two kids in the district. “If I have to make a choice, health first.” Others stressed the long timeline of the effort to make the change, citing a petition from 2019 that garnered 1,700 votes.

The proposed cuts to elementary teachers were a concern too, not just for the sake of the teachers, but for the elementary students who would then be forced into larger-sized classes. Oliver Wu said he has been “one of the biggest supporters of start time changes,” but if the board “had to choose between cuts to dozens of staffs and educational programs or the start time, I would support delaying the start time.”

Board members responded that all three concerns were priorities to them, and they did not want students and parents to have to argue for one program over another. “We’re at a point this year, unfortunately,” said Vice President Karen Roughley, “where we need to put the education of our elementary students against start times for the older students and I don’t think that’s a good place to be.” Trustee Stanley Bak also expressed concern that the board could have better communicated the planned cuts beforehand so they came as less of a surprise. “Programs cost money,” he said. “Communication does not.”

The board debated withdrawing from their emergency reserves, a possibility touched on by parents, but according to Scanlon, spending those funds would only cover costs to next year, and would put them at risk in case of an unexpected emergency. “When COVID-19 hit, we spent $7.3 million out of our reserves,” said Scanlon. “If another COVID-like event occurred… we will not be able to do [what we did] in 2020.”

The board also discussed removing start time changes for this year, as it would save over $1 million to fund other programs. With how long parents had been pushing for the change, some members, such as Bak, were hesitant to delay this another year. Referring to the 2019 petition, he said “Here we are in 2025, and I think about those parents… Is 2025 different?” However, others like board President Susan Rosenzweig, felt elementary classes were the higher priority. In a 4-3 vote, the measure passed.

Afterward, the board voted 6-1 to adopt the proposed budget at just over $238 million. This would be an increase of approximately $2 million from last year and mean a $336 increase in tax per household. The proposed budget offers a line-item budget for how the funds would be distributed, though these can still be changed over the next month. The next budget meeting is set for April 30, with the budget hearing on May 13 to discuss final details and the vote on May 20.

“This has been an impossible budget cycle,” said Rosenzweig before the end of the meeting. “It is not pretty, it is not perfect, people will lose, everybody’s going to lose a little bit, but it is the best that we can do.”

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EarthCam showing live footage of Port Jefferson Harbor. Photo courtesy of Earthcam

By William Stieglitz

On the morning of April 14, an approximate total of 30,000 gallons of partially treated sewage was discharged into Port Jefferson Harbor over the course of two hours. According to the Suffolk County Department of Public Works, the discharge was caused by an electrical malfunction on a ultraviolet disinfection unit.  Upon identifying the problem, the plant ran the effluent through a second UV system, while they repaired and tested the first, then returned to routine operations. While the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation confirmed that the plant is now operating normally, but there are still health concerns. 

Port Jefferson village put out an alert, saying the sewage reached the surface of the water, and without the sewage having been fully disinfected, it can carry high levels of pathogenic bacteria and viruses. Residents and visitors are warned “to take precautions before recreating in Port Jefferson Harbor.” Additionally, the DEC announced a temporary closure on shellfishing for the harbor and its tributaries. The closure impacts approximately 1,639 acres of shellfishing beds in the NS5 harvest area, including Setauket Harbor, the Narrows and Conscience Bay, and will last until the department determines shellfish in the area are safe to use for food.

The response from local environmental groups has been one of concern for both the human and ecological impact. “It’s early spring, which means it’s spawning and breeding time for many species,” said Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment. She explained that finfish like winter flounder were at risk, as well as turtles and birds of prey that feed on juvenile fish. The horseshoe crab was of particular concern, as its population is already in steep decline in New York’s north and south shores. “This is the time when we want to protect this species, not add pollution to the water, which would harm them.”

Esposito predicted it would take “at least a couple of days” before the waters return to a normal state, but that it “is dependent upon water circulation and the tide.” She also said it would help for the DEC to do an investigation of what caused the UV unit to malfunction. “Is it because the unit is old? Does it need to be upgraded?” she asked. “Accidents happen, alright. And we understand that. But they need to assess the root cause and prevent it from happening again in the future.”

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Scene from the Long Island Youth Climate Summit. Photo by William Stieglitz
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Scene from the Long Island Youth Climate Summit. Photo by William Stieglitz
Scene from the Long Island Youth Climate Summit. Photo by William Stieglitz
Scene from the Long Island Youth Climate Summit. Photo by William Stieglitz
Scene from the Long Island Youth Climate Summit. Photo by William Stieglitz
Scene from the Long Island Youth Climate Summit. Photo by William Stieglitz
Scene from the Long Island Youth Climate Summit. Photo by William Stieglitz
Scene from the Long Island Youth Climate Summit. Photo by William Stieglitz
Scene from the Long Island Youth Climate Summit. Photo by William Stieglitz
Scene from the Long Island Youth Climate Summit. Photo by William Stieglitz
Scene from the Long Island Youth Climate Summit. Photo by William Stieglitz
Scene from the Long Island Youth Climate Summit. Photo by William Stieglitz
Scene from the Long Island Youth Climate Summit. Photo by William Stieglitz

By William Stieglitz

Approximately 300 students from 17 local high schools and at least one middle school gathered April 4 for the first Long Island Youth Climate Summit at Stony Brook University. Organized by Students for Climate Action and Renewable Energy Long Island, the event centered on environmental education and advocacy, with students encouraged to get involved with grassroots.

“It’s really important that students remember that they have a voice, that they have power, that there’s a lot they can do locally,” said Harrison Bench from S4CA. “We are teaching students about the science behind climate change, the science behind renewable energy, but we’re also giving them practical tools in advocacy. … They go back to their towns, their communities, their schools, and they have the actual skills necessary to continue to push for change, where change matters most.”

Speakers at the event came from a variety of organizations. Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, taught how to distinguish misinformation from environmental fact. Energy and construction organizations, such as the Haugland Group and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, spoke on the benefits of offshore wind and solar projects, while also encouraging careers in climate and energy. And Monique Fitzgerald, a climate justice organizer at Long Island Progressive Coalition, shared information on New York’s 2019 Climate Act, which aims to lower greenhouse gas emissions but has not been fully funded, and encouraged calling on Governor Kathy Hochul (D) “to double down on investments in New York State.”

Additionally, there was a panel with six elected officials — Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R), Suffolk County legislators Steven Englebright (D, Setauket) and Rebecca Sanin (D, Huntington Station), Southold Town Supervisor Al Krupski (D), East Hampton Town Deputy Supervisor Cate Rogers (D) and New York State Senator Monica Martinez (D/WF, Brentwood) — who all spoke on the importance of advancing clean energy. Bench expressed that he would have liked an even larger turnout of representatives, saying “it would have been really great to have more Republican elected officials on the town board,” but also that he hopes to increase the number for next year.

The student response to the event was positive, with the teens saying they especially appreciated learning about offshore wind and hearing from keynote speaker Christopher Gobler, from the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University. “I like that it brings attention to a lot of the issues right now,” said a student from Westhampton Beach High School. “It’s super, super important, especially in our political climate, with the pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement.”

“I feel like it was very empowering,” said another student, who does local beach cleanup each summer. “Before, I thought that maybe I wouldn’t have had as much of a difference, like, just one person at a time. Now I’m hearing that there’s 300 other students here that are all here for the same reason. We can all go out together and all make an impact and that together, I feel like, [we] can really make a difference in the world, which is what I really care about the most.”

After about 4 hours of learning, students took a break for pizza and to meet with exhibitors from organizations such as PSEG Long Island, the New York League of Conservation Voters and Drive Electric Long Island. They then reconvened for action items, starting with making postcards to send to their congressional representatives. Students wrote letters on one side and got creative with designs on the other. Among the colorful images of wind turbines and the globe were messages such as “Only One Planet Earth,” “Use your brain power! Support wind power!” and “Please support renewable energy before we go under water.” Afterward, the students started petitions to bring back to their schools, focusing on crafting their asks, arguments, methods of distribution and timeline.

Melissa Parrot, executive director of ReLI, said the summit “exceeded our expectations.” She wanted the event to be solution oriented rather than just restating the problems. “We know we wanted climate science. We know we wanted action. We know we wanted careers. We know we wanted elected officials to be part of this process. So it kind of just figured itself out.”

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Ward Melville High School. File photo by Greg Catalano

By William Stieglitz

Over a hundred people attended the March 26 Board meeting for Three Village Central School District, where reported incidents of antisemitism were discussed. The week before, Superintendent Scanlon had sent out a letter saying the incidents were part of “a larger issue occurring that we need to address” and that the district “is planning immediate and long-term, systemic methods to address antisemitism, racism and hate speech.” The meeting’s high attendance required the use of two overflow rooms, where community members watched the meeting down the hall via livestream.

Scanlon said the incidents “occurred at our middle level” and “most incurred speech and insensitive acts or remarks,” though there were no acts of violence or threats. Under state regulations, he could not comment on the specifics as a matter of protecting students’ privacy, though the public comments from community members, along with the district’s proposed solutions, did provide context.

Community member Shelly Samson thanked Scanlon for the letter following what she described as “the antisemitism incident that occurred at Gelinas Junior High School… in a social studies class after viewing a film on the Holocaust,” expressing concern for the “very insensitive remark.” According to Scanlon, the board had met with the Westchester Holocaust Center following the incidents and Christina Cone, the director of social studies, will be bringing in a Holocaust survivor on April 9 for 10th grade students to meet. Additionally, he announced they have been communicating with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Jewish Partisan Educations Foundation (JPEF), and that the board will be looking at training for teachers and reviewing the current curriculum. “It doesn’t matter if it was 1 or 41,” he said regarding the incidents. “One is enough.”

Everyone who made public comments on the incidents thanked or praised the board for their handling of the matter thus far. Community member and parent Galia Lahav said she’d like to see education on implicit antisemitism in addition to the “very explicit antisemitism” of the recent incidents. Rabbi Aaron Benson from the North Shore Jewish Center spoke on the number of antisemitic incidents nationwide, saying there were 3,697 reported in 2022, then 3,291 from the time of the October 7, 2023 attack in Israel to the end of the year alone. Deborah Peretz, from the Israel advocacy group Stand With Us, asked for learning related to current issues, in addition to Holocaust education. “The Jewish people are living through history right now…. There’s a 23-year-old,” she said, referring to Israeli American solider Omer Neutra, who was reported killed during the October 7 attack. “He’s dead but he’s in the Gaza tunnels right now. He’s from Plainview. It’s 30 minutes away.”

Rabbi Josh Gray from Temple Isaiah did not speak during the public comment portion, but said afterward that he had met with Scanlon that week and is grateful the district is being proactive. Speaking on what actions community members can take to combat antisemitism and other forms of discrimination he said, “the best thing to do is to speak up when something is said… Call out hate wherever we see it. Be an ally to marginalized communities, and don’t let it slide. I think if we all stick together and stick up for each other we can create a community of communities, which is the ultimate goal.”

The other matters discussed at the Board meeting included the questions of whether to arm school guards and whether to take money from the emergency reserves to fund the budget. “The district is bankrupt in the sense that we can’t make payroll,” said trustee Dr. David McKinnon, who added they are currently projected to lose about 80 employees. The proposed budget is set to be adopted on April 9 with the community vote on May 20.

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A scene from the 2nd annual Cold Spring Harbor Polar Plunge. Photo by William Stieglitz
A scene from the 2nd annual Cold Spring Harbor Polar Plunge. Photo by William Stieglitz
A scene from the 2nd annual Cold Spring Harbor Polar Plunge. Photo by William Stieglitz
A scene from the 2nd annual Cold Spring Harbor Polar Plunge. Photo by William Stieglitz
A scene from the 2nd annual Cold Spring Harbor Polar Plunge. Photo by William Stieglitz
A scene from the 2nd annual Cold Spring Harbor Polar Plunge. Photo by William Stieglitz
A scene from the 2nd annual Cold Spring Harbor Polar Plunge. Photo by William Stieglitz
A scene from the 2nd annual Cold Spring Harbor Polar Plunge. Photo by William Stieglitz
A scene from the 2nd annual Cold Spring Harbor Polar Plunge. Photo by William Stieglitz
A scene from the 2nd annual Cold Spring Harbor Polar Plunge. Photo by William Stieglitz
A scene from the 2nd annual Cold Spring Harbor Polar Plunge. Photo by William Stieglitz
A scene from the 2nd annual Cold Spring Harbor Polar Plunge. Photo by William Stieglitz
A scene from the 2nd annual Cold Spring Harbor Polar Plunge. Photo by William Stieglitz
A scene from the 2nd annual Cold Spring Harbor Polar Plunge. Photo by William Stieglitz

By William Stieglitz

Students from the Cold Spring Harbor Central School District plunged into the water at Lloyd Harbor Village Park Beach on March 29 to raise money for the New York Marine Rescue Center. This was the second CSH Polar Plunge to be hosted by the school’s marine biology club, which had been planning the event since September. The group, which has about 50 members and does volunteer beach cleanups, is led by science teacher Erin Oshan.

“We are a coastal town. The kids all live near the water, so they’re familiar with the water and the issues that face our marine life,” said Oshan, who teaches biology, marine biology and physics. She emphasized that habitat loss, pollution and microplastics can cause the biggest problems. “So there’s a bunch of kids that are passionate about trying to fix some of those issues.”

About two dozen students participated, consisting mostly of grades 8-12 as well as some elementary schoolers who came with their parents. It was a $20 donation to plunge, with people also able to donate through the purchase of sweatshirts, cookies and hot chocolate. Students described the water as “freezing,” though thankfully not as cold as it had been last time. 

“We had a polar plunge here two years ago. It was in February, though, when there was snow,” said ninth grader Molly Yulico. “This one’s nice because it’s, like, 75 degrees out, so it’s pretty warm in the outside temperature.” Several students, after coming out of the water, decided to go back in.

“It was a great success,” said Cold Spring Harbor Superintendent Joe Monastero, who emphasized his pride in the students. “We get our kids down here to participate in an activity to help support marine life and our local ecosystem, and it really brings us together as a community.”

The NYMRC, which received all profits from the event, had an information table set up to explain the work they do in the rescue and protection of marine animals such as sea turtles, dolphins and whales. “We’re in seal season right now,” said intern Lex Reveal. He explained that seals can get stranded for many reasons, but it mostly results from human interaction and pollution.

“Whenever we see a seal that is in an area that’s not safe for it to be in, so in someone’s backyard, for example, we’ll relocate it. If it’s injured, whether that’s from an entanglement situation or it’s been hit by a boat or it’s just sick for any reason, we will come by. We will take it back to the rescue center. We will go through the whole treatment process and then we will release it back into the water when it is healthy again.”

In terms of preventative measures, Reveal said that the best solution is education. “To get out there, tell people why interaction is bad and hopefully try and prevent it in the future.” He explains that interactions such as trying to feed, talk to or take selfies with the seals can be dangerous, not just for the animals but for humans too, especially with some species like the gray seal weighing around 400 pounds.

Reveal encourages anyone who finds a stranded marine animal not to get near it, and instead call the rescue center’s 24-hour hotline at 631-369-9829.

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