Business

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pictured from left, King Kullen President and Chief Operating Officer Joseph W. Brown; LI Cares Database & Analytics Manager Alyssa Biscardi; LI Cares Chief Executive Officer Paule T. Pachter; LI Cares VP for Development & Communications Katherine M. Fritz; LI Cares Corporate Philanthropy Manager Kaylin Wasilchuk; and King Kullen Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer Bernard P. Kennedy. Photo from King Kullen

King Kullen and Wild by Nature recently came to the aid of Long Islanders in need by hosting their annual in-store “Check Out Hunger” campaign, raising $16,000. The money was donated to the Long Island Cares/Harry Chapin Food Bank, which has served Long Island’s food insecure population since 1980.

Tracey Cullen, King Kullen Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Initiatives and the great-granddaughter of King Kullen founder Michael Cullen, observed that King Kullen and its customers have a long history of supporting Long Island Cares.

“Since 1997, the ‘Check Out Hunger’ campaign has helped Long Island Cares advance its mission to provide food where and when it’s needed,” said Cullen, who serves on the Long Island Cares board of directors. “As always, we thank our customers for contributing to ‘Check Out Hunger’ and our food drives, which also benefit Long Island Cares. The fight against hunger is an important priority at both King Kullen and Wild by Nature.” 

King Kullen was the first supermarket chain to participate in the annual “Check Out Hunger” campaign, a unique partnership between Long Island Cares and the shopping community. One hundred percent of all donations go to Long Island Cares.

“For close to 30 years, King Kullen and Wild by Nature have made a significant difference in the fight against hunger,” observed Long Island Cares/Harry Chapin Food Bank Chief Executive Officer Paule T. Pachter. “Their customers continue to generously support our mission and we are forever grateful for their support all these years.”

Headquartered in Hauppauge, King Kullen is recognized by the Smithsonian Institution as America’s first supermarket. Also headquartered in Hauppauge, Long Island Cares was founded in 1980 by singer-songwriter and activist, Harry Chapin. 

Pictured from left, King Kullen President and Chief Operating Officer Joseph W. Brown; LI Cares Database & Analytics Manager Alyssa Biscardi; LI Cares Chief Executive Officer Paule T. Pachter; LI Cares VP for Development & Communications Katherine M. Fritz; LI Cares Corporate Philanthropy Manager Kaylin Wasilchuk; and King Kullen Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer Bernard P. Kennedy.

The Main Street Pub in Kings Park had a fire on Feb. 25. Photo from GoFundMe page.

By Sabrina Artusa

At around 10:40 p.m. Feb 25, Scott McKinnon, owner of Main Street Pub in Kings Park, received a call that a fire had emerged. He immediately drove to the bar he took over from his father decades before from his home 20 minutes away. Fire was visible above the building. 

“I was driving up and light was coming out of the roof,” McKinnon said. 

Scott McKinnon stands with Lori, Ellen, Krista and Evelyn at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Kings Park. Photo by Rita Egan

According to McKinnon, the fire started outside in an alleyway between the pub and the neighboring Euro Barber Shop. The fire department extinguished it swiftly and with no casualties, but the bar has endured tremendous damage; about 30-40% of the pub that has been in operation for about three decades was severely damaged, Mckinnon estimates. 

“The firefighters did a great job extinguishing the fire but there is a lot of damage from the smoke,” McKinnon said. There is also water damage. 

Evelyn Wood, McKinnon’s partner, said the last week has been “kind of like a rollercoaster.” The fire was devastating; however, at the Kings Park St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the community showed their support. 

“We are learning emotions we didn’t know we had and just trying to get through each one together,” Wood said. “It has been very overwhelming to [Scott]. This is everything. It has put a roof over his kids’ heads and helped them grow up and go to school and everything.”

The pub’s employees organized a booth on a side street next to the pub. They gave out food and raised money to supplement the income that the 80 employees have now lost. They chatted with regulars and tried to preserve the pub’s presence in the community. 

“It was nice to see the people that we always take care of and we always serve are taking care of us now,” Wood said. The pub’s employees, some who have been working at the pub for decades, are spearheading promotional fundraisers while McKinnon works with insurance companies and the town to navigate rebuilding. 

McKinnon described the bar as an “old-time” institution with regulars who spent “most of their time” there, drinking and talking.

“Regardless if you were an employee or customer, everyone knows everyone, cares for everyone. . . watches each other’s backs, it was just a tight knit place to be in,” Wood said. 

McKinnon, eager to get the bar back up and running, has had to wait for the insurance company to file the damages. He cannot touch or alter anything while this process continues, something McKinnon said is “impossible”.

During Covid, when the bar had to shut down, McKinnon supplemented the loss with his savings and income, ensuring the bar would get through the financial strain of extended closure. 

“All the means I had I had to put into the business,” McKinnon said. Now, he has to navigate town ordinances and insurance dealings before he can get the bar back to the state it was. He approximates the bar will be back in three to four months.

McKinnon said he might consider making some changes when the bar eventually reopens.

Wood started a GoFundMe page to support the bar. The link is https://www.gofundme.com/f/qrqzf3-helping-main-street-pub-recover-from-tragic-fire.

By William Stieglitz

On Saturday, March 1, Long Islanders lined the sidewalk outside the Tesla Showroom in Smithtown to express their grievances with Elon Musk, the Tesla CEO who simultaneously oversees the Department of Government Efficiency  established by President Donald Trump (R) this year. Protesters stretching a quarter mile down Smithtown Bypass held signs expressing concerns over corruption and the endangerment of democracy. 

The rally was part of the nationwide Tesla Takedown movement, which has spawned a multitude of protests since mid-February. More than 50 happened Saturday, March 1, alone, with the protests encouraging people to “sell your Teslas, dump your stock, [and] join the picket lines” in order to strike back financially against Musk. With Tesla stocks having fallen 28% last month, organizers believe it to be working. Many of these protests were also part of the nationwide Indivisible organization.

The Smithtown rally was organized by the newly created United Voices for Freedom, which describes itself as “a grassroots group that serves to amplify progressive voices in the northern central region of Long Island.” Tiffany, who founded the group and wanted her last name kept private, said, “We’re all worried about the overreach of Musk and his ransacking of our federal agencies. No one elected Musk.” The concern of Musk being “unelected” was repeated by nearly every attendee interviewed, each having a wide range of grievances regarding the billionaire.

“He has a tremendous conflict of interest,” said Deborah Roberts, an attendee who previously organized a rally for congressional town halls. “He just ended the Verizon contract and put Starlink in, he controls communications and platforms online… he’s interfering in our economy and ruining our guardrails for safety in this country, but he’s not chipping away at his welfare program for Starlink and for SpaceX. And not only that, he’s dismantling bureaucracies that have oversight for both of those programs. He doesn’t want anyone looking.” 

Roberts spoke too on concerns of Musk operating within the executive branch while neither having been vetted by Congress nor having divested himself of personal financial interest. His accessing of Americans’ private information was something many there found especially dangerous. “If you wanted a template for corruption,” said attendee Paula Fries, “this is it.”

Others elaborated on issues of what DOGE is cutting, expressing fear for Medicaid and Social Security, as well as concern that DOGE, having not gained congressional approval, has no legal standing to make those cuts. Attendee Ian Wilder described DOGE as “doing things that are frightening and destructive, like taking people out of the FAA, taking people who are in charge of nuclear weapons out.” There is some concern that because federal workers in the Social Security Admisitration have been fired, Social Security checks and Medicaid payments will not be made on time to help recipients.  

Laura Lesch, another attendee, said this was not the way to run a government. “It might be the way to run a tech company,” she said, “but the way he’s going about this, just slash, slash, slash, without any regard for any of the fallout, is just not acceptable to me.”

More expressed concerns over Musk and Trump’s actions being those of oligarchs, and spoke to fear of authoritarianism. Future elections, multiple people expressed, would not be a certainty with this administration, unless they were fought for. “This could be our last hope for democracy,” one person said. “Unless people mobilize in large, large numbers, we’re screwed.”

In this sense, the protest, for many, had nothing to do with partisan preference. Robert Schaller, who described himself as having formerly been a Republican his whole life, said, “The whole thing is just ridiculous. I can’t even believe if a liberal ever turned around or the Democratic Party went out there and did a Hitler salute like he did, and then they try to backtrack it. … I mean, to alienate our allies the way they’re doing, is embarrassing. If my father and grandfather and the people that fought in World War II saw this today, they would be turning over in their graves.” 

This sentiment was echoed by Fries, who made a similar statement. “My father is a World War II vet,” she said. “He fought in World War II, he fought against fascism, and this is the least I can do, is to show up and protest.”

Among the American flags waved by the protesters were Ukrainian flags too, the striking yellow and blue a reminder of the incident at the White House the day before. “I was appalled by yesterday’s news conference with Zelenskyy,” said attendee Lesch. “Our entire international relationships are going to go right down the tubes. It just doesn’t make sense to abandon all of Europe, which is what we’re doing, in effect.” She elaborated how at the conference, news groups such as the Associated Press were not allowed into the Oval Office, but “the Russian press was… and when asked how they got in, the answer was they just snuck in.”

A final issue among attendees was a desire to express all these concerns at an in-person congressional town hall, which has not occurred in Suffolk County since 2017. Roberts was collecting signatures at the event to petition for one. “My congressperson is Nick LaLota of CD1,” she said, “and he never has a public town hall meeting where he answers these important questions.” The petition has gained popularity with an online version as well, which thus far has garnered over 1,000 signatures.

The rally, overall, lasted two hours with over 500 people in attendance, according to the organizer, and a follow-up is planned for later this month. At the Tesla Showroom, no one was available for comment. 

Nationally, there are Tesla Takedown protests scheduled through at least the end of the month, with protests scheduled outside the United States in Iceland, Portugal and the United Kingdom as well. Responding to the nationwide presence of the protests, the United Voices for Freedom organizer Tiffany said, “I think it shows that everyone is really unhappy with this, I think that people are really concerned about the state of our democracy and that we’re quickly falling into fascism, and people feel the need to get out and stop it, or at least try to stop it.”

The 9/11 Memorial Park in Smithtown. Photo from Town of Smithtown

The Town of Smithtown was recently selected as a recipient of National Grid’s Community Engagement Grant. The $5,000 grant will support the reconstruction of the waterfall at the 9/11 Memorial Park on Main Street in Smithtown, ensuring that this cherished landmark continues to serve as a place of remembrance and reflection for the community.

Photo from Town of Smithtown

“We are deeply grateful to National Grid for their generosity and dedication to supporting local projects that enrich our community. The restoration of the waterfall at 9/11 Memorial Park is not just a necessary improvement—it is a meaningful tribute to the heroes, families, friends and neighbors we lost on that tragic day. In Smithtown, we made a promise nearly 24 years ago to never forget the lives lost and the extraordinary acts of bravery and selflessness witnessed. This waterfall is more than a peaceful sanctuary for remembrance; it stands as a powerful symbol of that promise. It represents our unwavering unity, faith, and resilience—the same spirit that guided us through our darkest hours and continues to inspire us today,” said Smithtown Town Supervisor Edward R. Wehrheim.

As part of the grant agreement, the Town of Smithtown and National Grid will collaborate to promote the project, highlighting the program and partnership. This initiative will include new public awareness, ceremonial ribbon cutting, and employee engagement opportunities for National Grid staff to participate in the restoration efforts.

The 9/11 Memorial Park serves as a place of remembrance, honoring Smithtown residents who were tragically taken from us on September 11, 2001. The waterfall has always been a symbolic and tranquil feature of the memorial, providing a special place for reflection and healing. The reconstruction efforts will ensure that future generations continue to have a dedicated space to honor and remember the fallen, keeping a promise to never forget.

Brown Altman & DiLeo, LLP, a Melville-based law firm specializing in commercial real estate and corporate law, has announced the addition of Eileen Rose Quinn as their newest Associate Attorney. Quinn joins the firm with a wealth of experience and a strong commitment to providing exceptional legal services to the firm’s clients.

In May 2020, Quinn earned her Juris Doctor from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, in Washington, D.C.  At law school, she served as a Student Attorney at the Columbus Community Legal Services Veteran’s Clinic, where she worked on veterans issues ranging from disability compensation to estate planning.

Quinn was admitted into the BAR in the District of Columbia in February 2021, where she remains an active member, and she is an active member of the New York BAR since May 2024.

Prior to joining Brown Altman & DiLeo, LLP, Quinn served as an Associate Attorney at Barton Law Group, a Trust and Estates Law Firm located in Huntington Station. She supervised that firm’s probate and administration practice and successfully resolved complex estate matters. She managed more than 45 estate proceedings and successfully achieved resolution and appointments in each proceeding.

Before joining Barton Law Group, Quinn began her professional career in Maryland, serving as a Research/ Remediation Analyst for Wells Fargo Bank – Corporate Trust Services in Columbia and as an Associate Attorney for the Law Offices of Bruce A. Johnson, Jr., LLC in Bowie, Md, where she worked on foreclosure matters.

In joining Brown Altman & DiLeo, LLP, Quinn is eager to make a significant contribution.

“I am excited to join Brown Altman & DiLeo and be a part of this talented and well-respected team that I had the pleasure of seeing firsthand ten years ago as a summer intern,” said Quinn. “The firm’s commitment to excellence and its collaborative culture align perfectly with my professional values.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Eileen back to our team and are looking forward to the immediate impact she will have on our firm,” said Founding Partner Keith Brown.

“Eileen’s sharp legal mind, her dedication to client satisfaction and her focus on legal research will be a tremendous asset as our firm continues to grow,” said Founding Partner David Altman.

Angelina Ioppolo. Photo from Mather Hospital

Northwell’s Mather Hospital in Port Jefferson recently announced the appointment of Angelina Ioppolo as the new administrator of its Transitional Care Unit (TCU), a short-term rehabilitation unit located in the hospital.

Ms. Ioppolo comes to the post after completing a six-month administrator-in-training program at Northwell’s Stern Family Center for Rehabilitation in Manhasset and obtaining her state administrator’s license..

“I understand there’s going to be a lot of challenges that will come my way in this new role,” she said. “I have a great support system with Carolyn (Germaine, RN, director of patient care for the TCU), Dr. Michael Fishkin (TCU medical director) and the staff at the TCU. Gerard Kaiser (executive director of the Stern facility and the Orzac Center for Rehabilitation in Valley Stream) is going to help guide me as my mentor.

She received her master’s in health administration degree from Hofstra University prior to entering the internship with Northwell. A resident of East Meadow, Ms. Ioppolo is originally from the Poconos in Pennsylvania.

Mather’s TCU provides focused care to patients who are not ready to be discharged to home or to another facility. TCU patients include recent stroke sufferers, post-surgical patients, those receiving therapy for systemic infections and those who need physical rehabilitation. The TCU was awarded a five-star rating by Medicare.

METRO photo

By William Stieglitz

With the end of President Donald Trump’s (R) 30-day pause for tariffs on Canada and Mexico fast approaching, TBR News Media spoke with local business owners regarding their thoughts on the tariffs. Explained simply, the tariffs would increase the cost of goods imported from each country by 25% (with energy imported from Canada taxed at 10%), a concern relevant to local businesses that rely on such goods to operate. These come in addition to other recent tariffs placed by the newest presidential administration, such as 10% levy on Chinese goods. When asked for their thoughts, both interviewees spoke first on the impact of past tariffs.

Claudia Dowling, owner of Claudia Dowling Interiors in Huntington, describes how the 2019 tariffs cost her “well over 30%” of her profit for that year. “Having written an order for a client, I felt it necessary to keep to the original pricing we agreed on. However, after the product arrived and [was] delivered, my final invoice … had one to sometimes three tariffs added.” 

She elaborated how in the years since COVID19 hit, freight costs became especially high, making it hard to turn a profit, and how this could be further inflated by new tariffs. And while larger companies can reduce these costs by relying on Amazon, she said this was not an option for smaller businesses like hers. 

“I have to eliminate many vendors making it impossible to fill my store. It goes on and on. The small business community is in more trouble than ever.” While she has been in her business for 50 years, she is now concerned about staying afloat.

Howard Stern, owner of East Bay Mechanical Corp. in Yaphank, has already seen his business impacted by the separate proposed 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum set to start on March 12. He described how even though he relies on domestic steel, he has seen those prices already go up in response, resulting in an approximate 20% increase in his metal costs. 

“It affects washing machines, it affects AC units, it doesn’t just affect the sheet metal … but everything that goes along with it, because everything requires metal and, unfortunately, it goes up but it never comes back down … even when the tariffs are lifted,” he said.

Stern also describes how tariffs affect costs at each step of the way “so by the time the end consumer gets on it, that 20% in raw material has been stepped on three to four times by four different people, so the end consumer is paying that tariff four times.” 

According to both the January Navigator Research Poll and the February Harvard Caps/Harris poll, approximately three in five Americans expect new tariffs will increase costs for consumers. The Navigator polls indicate a slim majority believes tariffs will be worthwhile if they can protect American manufacturing and jobs, but also that a majority believes the tariffs will hurt American consumers more than foreign countries. Further costs to Americans could come from retaliatory tariffs too, as Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau previously promised to implement.

Photo courtesy of Stony Brook University Hospital

Stony Brook University Hospital’s Emergency Department (ED) has received Level 1 Accreditation for Geriatric Emergency Care by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), one of only two hospitals in Suffolk County to achieve this status.

“Adults aged 65 and older represent one of the largest populations seeking emergency care here on Long Island,” says William A. Wertheim, MD, MBA, Executive Vice President, Stony Brook Medicine. “We are proud of our team’s persistent efforts to provide high-quality geriatric care and promote healthy aging throughout the community.”

“This designation shows Stony Brook Medicine’s commitment to preserving the independence and dignity of seniors on Long Island by providing the latest treatments, comprehensive services and improved patient outcomes,” says Carol Gomes, chief executive officer of Stony Brook University Hospital.

Hospitals earning a Level One Gold accreditation deliver the highest-quality, person-centered care,  within the ED and throughout the institution, to older adults in their community, through geriatric-specific initiatives tied to policies, guidelines, procedures, and staffing.

Data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey shows the senior citizens population is continuing to grow on Long Island. Between 2019 and 2023, an estimated 36.9% of total households included one individual who was 65 or older in Suffolk County, an increase of 3.4% compared to the five-year period ending 2018. The median age in the county, 42 years, is 10 percent higher than the national average.

Stony Brook’s ED has developed a number of policies, standards and evidence-based practices with an emphasis on delivering age-appropriate care. Some of these initiatives include comprehensive fall assessment and prevention protocols, pain management focused on geriatric-specific pain control measures and alternatives to minimize use of urinary catheters. In addition, the ED promotes access to nutrition 24/7 for older adults, has developed standardized discharge protocols addressing age-specific communication needs and has limited the use of physical restraints by incorporating trained companions/sitters.

The Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University expands the institution’s mission of providing seniors with the opportunity to live healthy, fulfilling lives. In 2023, the Stony Brook Center for Healthy Aging (CHA) was created to develop a better understanding of the biology, physiology, sociology and psychology of aging through research and innovation. Bringing together Stony Brook researchers conducting studies related to aging, the mission of the CHA is to improve methods for earlier interventions so seniors can age in their own homes and with a high quality of life. It also aims to develop new treatments – including potentially utilizing robots – to ensure Long Island’s seniors receive the highest quality care.

About Stony Brook University Hospital:

Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH) is Long Island’s premier academic health center. With 624 beds, SBUH serves as the region’s only tertiary care center and Regional Trauma Center, and is home to the Stony Brook University Heart Institute, Stony Brook University Cancer Center, Stony Brook Children’s Hospital and Stony Brook University Neurosciences Institute. SBUH also encompasses Suffolk County’s only Level 4 Regional Perinatal Center, state-designated AIDS Center, state-designated Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program, state-designated Burn Center, the Christopher Pendergast ALS Center of Excellence, and Kidney Transplant Center. It is home of the nation’s first Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Center. To learn more, visit www.stonybrookmedicine.edu/sbuh.

Joann Fabrics and Crafts in Bohemia

By Heidi Sutton

After more than 80 years in business, Joann Fabrics and Crafts has announced that it will be closing all of its stores after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for a second time. The announcement was made on Feb. 24.

A Joann spokesperson said in a statement that it “made every possible effort to pursue a more favorable outcome that would keep the company in business.” Going-out-of-business sales will begin immediately at their brick-and -mortar locations including Bohemia and West Babylon and on their website. 

“We deeply appreciate our dedicated team members, our customers and communities across the nation for their unwavering support for more than 80 years,” the company said.