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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 COVID–19 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.

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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.

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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.

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Tami Nelson

United Cerebral Palsy of Long Island (UCP-LI) in Hauppauge has announced the appointment of Tami Nelson, Senior Director at Techstars, to the UCP-LI Board of Directors.

“We are thrilled to welcome Tami Nelson to our Board of Directors. Ms. Nelson’s expertise, vision and leadership will be invaluable as we continue to grow and achieve our mission. We look forward to the positive impact she will have on our organization,” said Thomas Pfundstein, Board Chair, in a press release.

Nelson has held multiple leadership positions in globally recognized organizations such as A&E Television Networks, Paramount, and HBO and most recently served as the Senior Director of Strategic Projects at Techstars. Her expertise in creating transformative strategies, fostering partnerships, and delivering measurable results will be a tremendous asset to UCP-LI as the organization continues to provide innovative programs and services.

Nelson has made a profound impact throughout her career, supporting underrepresented communities and spearheading initiatives to rebuild generational wealth. Her addition to the UCP-LI Board signifies her continued commitment to advocacy, excellence, and innovation.

“I am honored to join the Board of Directors at UCP of LI, an organization with a profound legacy of empowering individuals and advocating for inclusivity. I am excited to contribute my expertise and collaborate with such a passionate and dedicated team as we work to create opportunities and improve the quality of life for those we serve. Together, we can continue to make a lasting impact on our community,” said Ms. Nelson.

For more information about UCP of Long Island and its programs, visit www.ucp-li.org

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Mary Maguire. Photo courtesy of Little Flower

Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York (Little Flower), a social services organization based in Wading River supporting children, youth, families and individuals with developmental disabilities across New York and Long Island, welcomed Mary J. Maguire, SPHR, CDE, to the senior executive team as the organization’s new Vice President of Human Resources and Culture, effective February 18, 2025.

With more than 20 years of experience in human resources and operations leadership, Maguire brings strategic expertise in workforce transformation, talent optimization, and culture development to support Little Flower’s mission of empowering individuals, strengthening communities, and transforming care into action.

As a key member of the Senior Executive Council, Maguire will lead the human resources strategy across the organization, ensuring that talent development, employee engagement, workforce planning, benefits, and equity and inclusion work align with Little Flower’s long-term vision. She will also advance leadership development, enhance employee relations, and cultivate a workplace culture that promotes service excellence.

“Mary’s outstanding leadership in human capital strategy, organizational development, and culture transformation makes her an invaluable addition to our team,” said President and Chief Executive Officer Corinne Hammons in a press release. “Her ability to drive impactful talent initiatives, develop inclusive and high-performing teams, and implement HR innovations will strengthen our organization and enhance the employee experience.”

Maguire’s career includes senior leadership roles in human resources and operations, such as Chief Operating Officer (and Global CHRO) at SAPRO, Chief Human Resources Officer at PKF O’Connor Davies, LLP, Regional Director of Human Resources at Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP, and Director of Human Resources at RSM. She has led transformational HR strategies, initiated award-winning DEIB programs, optimized talent management, and driven operational efficiency, positioning organizations for sustainable growth and success.

As a recognized HR strategist and workforce development leader, Maguire holds certifications as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and a Certified Diversity Executive (CDE). She has played a pivotal role in designing and implementing innovative talent initiatives, promoting compensation equity, and fostering a learning, inclusion, and professional growth culture.

“I am honored to join Little Flower, an organization that is genuinely committed to transforming care into action,” said Maguire. “By building a dynamic, engaged workforce and advancing strategic people initiatives, we will strengthen our mission, empower our employees, and drive sustainable impact for the children, families, and communities we serve.” 

About Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York

Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York is a nonprofit organization serving individuals and families across New York City and Long Island. Since 1929, Little Flower has been committed to improving the well-being of children, youth, adults with developmental disabilities, and families by building on their strengths and supporting their success.

Today, Little Flower’s staff provide community-based services, foster care and adoption programs, services for people with developmental disabilities, medical and behavioral health services and coordination, and residential treatment care.

To learn more about Little Flower, please visit www.littleflowerny.org

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Mather Hospitaal. Photo by Jim Lennon

Northwell’s Mather Hospital  in Port Jefferson has announced that it has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Advanced Total Hip and Knee Replacement Certification by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a healthcare organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care. 

The certification, offered in collaboration with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, focuses on the pre-surgical orthopedic consultation to the intraoperative, hospitalization or ambulatory surgical center admission, rehabilitation activities, and follow-up visit with the orthopedic surgeon. 

Mather Hospital underwent a rigorous review January 29-30, 2025. During the visit, a Joint Commission reviewer evaluated compliance with related certification standards such as program management, supporting self-management, and delivering and facilitating clinical care. Joint Commission standards are developed in consultation with healthcare experts and providers, measurement experts and patients. The reviewer also conducted onsite observations and interviews.

“Advanced Total Hip and Knee Replacement Certification recognizes healthcare organizations committed to striving for excellence and fostering continuous improvement in patient safety and quality of care,” says Ken Grubbs, DNP, MBA, RN, executive vice president of Accreditation and Certification Operations and chief nursing officer, The Joint Commission. “We commend Mather Hospital for using The Joint Commission certification process to reduce variation in clinical processes and to strengthen its clinical program to drive safer, higher quality and more compassionate care for individuals served.”

“Mather Hospital is proud to receive this prestigious certification from The Joint Commission in recognition of our high standards in total knee and hip replacements,” said President Kevin McGeachy. “The certification demonstrates to our patients that Mather adheres to the best practices of quality, safety, and better patient outcomes and affirms our standing as the highest-ranked orthopedic program in our area according to U.S. News and World Report”. 

“This certification is the result of the collaborative efforts of our orthopedic coordinator, preoperative, operating room, PACU, and floor staffs, as well as our physical therapists, discharge planners, home therapists, board certified orthopedists and anesthesiologists,” said orthopedic surgeon Brian McGinley, MD.

Michael Fracchia, MD, director of Mather’s orthopedic program, noted that with the support of hospital administration, Mather surgeons have  used computer or robotic assisted surgery since 2001 for the total joint program. 

“Mather surgeons were the first in the country to perform robotic-assisted total knee replacements and we  continue to work with the equipment companies to improve the technology,” he said.

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From left, Linda Lugo accepts her award from Sylvia Ryndock, NYSAR 2025 Awards Committee Chair. Photo courtesy of New York State Association of REALTORS®

The New York State Association of REALTORS® (NYSAR) honored Linda Lugo of Huntington with the 2024 Community Service Award for her dedication and commitment to animal rescue in Long Island during the association’s “Opportunity Awaits” Mid-Winter Business Meetings at the Crowne Plaza Albany–Desmond Hotel in Albany from Feb. 3 to 6.

The NYSAR Community Service Award recognizes REALTORS’® community involvement supporting initiatives aimed at a community’s youth, improving the quality of education, quality of life for older Americans, homelessness prevention, as well as efforts following natural disasters and other community needs.

For over a decade, Lugo, a member of the Long Island Board of REALTORS®, has been instrumental in helping displaced animals across Long Island and beyond, find homes. Her journey began just after Superstorm Sandy when Long Island was devastated and many people, and their pets, were without homes. Lugo helped care for pets that were left behind or unable to be reunited with their owners. In less than a year, Lugo helped care for over 400 dogs.

Since then, Lugo started “Animal Response and Rescue Coalition,” a non-profit organization which helps teach first responders how to work with animals during a disaster. She has also fostered over 40 dogs in her own home, working with Proud Rescuers of Puerto Rico, who help abandoned dogs and cats find their forever homes in the United States.

“I am honored to receive this award because it helps to bring greater awareness to what is happening to dogs, cats, and other animals in places like Puerto Rico,” said Lugo. “I thank the Awards Committee from the bottom of my heart for this award. It means the world to me!”

Along with an inscribed award, a grant of $1,500 will also be made in Lugo’s name to a charity of her choice.

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