Your new Long Island Champions in the regional class C final. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place sophomore Laney Vomero drives the ball deep. Photo by Bill Landon
Sadie Hoffmann scores in the Long Island Championship game against Seaford. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place freshman Sadie Bryant steals 2nd base in the Long Island Championship game. Photo by Bill Landon
One out left as the Panthers smell victory. Photo by Bill Landon
Sadie Hoffmann crosses the plate for another run in the Long Island Championship game against Seaford. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place sophomore short stop Laney Vomero throws the runner out at 1st base. Photo by Bill Landon
Winning pitcher Ava Zicchinelli delivers. Photo by Bill Landon
Panthers can smell victory. Photo by Bill Landon
Laney Vomero and Ava Zicchinelli high five. Bill Landon photo
Emily Lopez lays down the bunt for Miller Place. Photo by Bill Landon
Sophomore short stop Laney Vomero throws at 2nd base for the Panthers. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place sophomore short stop Laney Vomero throws the runner out at 2nd base. Photo by Bill Landon
Panthers WIN! Photo by Bill Landon
By Bill Landon
Without a single senior listed on their roster Miller Place softball team, fresh off their Suffolk County championship victory, demonstrated that this Panther squad will be a powerhouse to be reckoned with for the foreseeable future.
After three-and-a-half scoreless innings against Nassau champions, Seaford, Ava Zicchinelli’s bat spoke first with an RBI double in the bottom of the fourth. Laney Vomero stepped into the batter’s box with the bases loaded, and drove in two more runs to put the Panthers ahead 3-0 at the end of four.
Seaford capitalized in the top of the sixth inning on a Miller Place throwing error, plating two runners then drove in two more to take the lead 4-3.
After going 0-3 at bat, Miller Place junior Emily Lopez drove in a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth to retake the lead at 5-4. With two outs, the Panthers plated two more runs on a Seaford error to surge ahead 7-4. Leading by three, Zicchinelli did what she’s done all season and kept Seaford on its heels for the final three outs to claim the first Long Island Class A championship title in Miller Place history.
The Panthers will now enter uncharted territory when they return to the Martha Avenue Recreation Park sports complex in North Bellport Friday, June 7, for the NYS semifinal round where they will face Pittsford Sutherland. First pitch is slated for 9 a.m.Tickets can be purchased at: nysphsaa.org/sports/softballtickets.
Port Jefferson Village Center. Photo by Heidi Sutton
By Samantha Rutt
On the evening of May 29, a crime occurred near the village center, shedding light on gaps in the village hall’s communication protocols. The incident has raised questions and concerns among residents and officials about the effectiveness of current systems for public safety notifications.
Incident details
Between 6 and 6:30 p.m., a man who had been stabbed or slashed sought help at the Village Center near Harborfront Park. Covered in blood, the victim’s appearance alarmed bystanders. The assailants were reportedly still at large, fleeing in a white SUV. Suffolk County Police responded with several police cars and retrieved camera footage from the area to aid their investigation.
Compounding the situation, a senior awards ceremony and several sporting events were taking place at the nearby school. Despite the proximity of these events to the crime scene, school leadership was not informed about the incident, raising concerns about the safety and well-being of students and attendees.
Response timeline
Seeking clarity and answers, an email was sent to village officials on May 31. The email was addressed to Mayor Sheprow and trustees Loucks, Juliano, Kassay, and Biondo. All below events are reported from Traci Donnelly’s Facebook page.
May 31, 6:25 p.m.: Initial inquiry sent to village officials.
May 31, 8:26 p.m.: Trustee Loucks responded, indicating he was unaware of any official communication from the village. He learned about the incident from the manager of the village center and noted that more than 50 hours after the incident, trustees had still not been provided with any updates or information.
May 31, 9:11 p.m.: A follow-up email was sent, questioning the lack of community notification.
May 31, 9:32 p.m.: Trustee Biondo responded, suggesting that if the incident were serious enough, the Suffolk County Police Department would have notified the community.
June 1, 7:02 a.m.: A request was made for clear communication protocols and criteria for alert systems.
June 1, 1:51 p.m.: Trustee Biondo advised attending the next public meeting for discussions and deliberation with the trustees. It was reiterated that, according to the village attorney and mayor, public comments are not meant for deliberations.
Several concerns have emerged in the wake of this incident. No public alert was issued, despite the severity of the incident and its proximity to community events, no alert was sent to residents. A lack of real-time information as schools and trustees were not informed in real time. Trustee Loucks learned about the incident from the village center manager and other trustees were also uninformed prior to the email. Additionally, it was made evident there are communication gaps as the current strategy for notifying residents about serious incidents is unclear.
The incident has prompted several questions from concerned residents, in Donnelly’s post she asks “Why wasn’t the incident on May 29 considered a public safety issue warranting a Code Red alert? Who decides when these alerts are issued and who is on the village’s emergency response team? Were all trustees informed of the incident in real time?”
The community is calling for increased transparency and the development of a comprehensive communication plan with public input. Residents are encouraged to email trustees directly for accurate information and to avoid relying on social media for critical updates.
“It is important to have communication between village officials and residents. We are looking to wirk alongside residents to have an effective emergency response system in place,” village trustee Rebecca Kassay said.
The email exchange regarding this incident is available upon request for anyone interested in complete transparency.
The four person MSU crew Patricia Babiam, Kristofer Martin, patient Bill Rothmeier, Anthony Papaleo and Frank Time, reunite for a reunion.
By Daniel Dunaief
Ralph Sabatino, a lawyer and St. James resident, was in his bedroom, sitting at his computer when he fell out of his chair.
Ralph Sabatino of St. James. Photo courtesy Stony Brook Medicine
When his sister Maria, who was visiting from New Jersey in April of 2023, came into the room, she immediately called his wife Claire, a registered nurse, to come check on him.
“I noticed his left arm and left leg were paralyzed,” said Claire Sabatino, who has been married to Ralph for almost 44 years. “HIs speech was garbled.”
Claire called 911 and told the dispatcher that her husband was exhibiting the signs of a stroke. Within minutes, an EMS ambulance and one of the two Mobile Stroke Units from Stony Brook hospital arrived.
In the mobile stroke unit, technicians conducted a CAT scan, forwarding the results to Dr. David Fiorella, Director of the Stony Brook Cerebrovascular Center and Co-Director of the Stony Brook Cerebrovascular and Comprehensive Stroke Center at Stony Brook Medicine. When he arrived at the hospital, Sabatino bypassed the emergency room and went directly into an operating room.
Fearing the worst, Claire Sabatino called their adult daughter Gabrielle and told her to get to the hospital as quickly as possible.
“I never saw anybody with the symptoms my husband was exhibiting that fully recovered in the past,” she said. “When I saw him on the floor, I thought that would be the way he’d live for the rest of his life, if he survived. I wasn’t sure he would.”
After the stroke and the operation, Sabatino, who is now 68 years old, has no symptoms following what is far too often a life-altering condition.
“It’s sometimes hard for me to fathom how massive the stroke was because I have had no lingering effects,” he said.
Indeed, Sabatino estimates that the time between when he had the stroke until he was wheeled in the recovery room was about an hour and a half.
“Stroke is an emergency,” said Fiorella. “Although it’s not painful, numbness, weakness involving one side of the body, difficulty with speech, understanding speech, difficulty with vision, anything that presents acutely shouldn’t be ignored. It needs prompt attention.”
As a way to recognize the signs of stroke and the urgency to get help, doctors in this field suggest that people remember the acronym BE FAST, which stands for balance, eyes, face, arm, speech, time.
With seniors representing the fastest growing population on Long Island, residents and their families and caregivers need to be aware of stroke symptoms and, in the event of a stroke, to have an action plan in place.
“We have an aging population and the prevalence of stroke is increasing,” said Fiorella.
In Suffolk County, Stony Brook has two mobile stroke units, positioned on the Long Island Expressway at Exits 57 and 68. These units are located within 10 miles of 46 EMS territories.
Since Stony Brook started deploying these mobile stroke units in April of 2019, these specialized and life-saving ambulances have responded to about 8,000 stroke calls.
During those years, the hospital has demonstrated a significant reduction in time to treatment, with more patients receiving clot busting medications while in transit, and lower rates of mortality and morbidity, Fiorella explained.
A workup and diagnosis at other hospitals can take three or more hours, which a mobile stroke unit can perform with a CAT scan.
Additional benefits
David Fiorella, MD, PhD stand for photo at Stony Brook Hospital on Monday Sept. 12, 2022. (9/12/22)
Fiorella explained that the technicians in the ambulance share considerable information about the patient while in transit, including whatever contact numbers they could collect from family members on site.
Stony Brook Hospital can then begin a dialog with those family members, preparing them for any potential procedures and, if the patient is a candidate for a new treatment, receiving authorization.
A well-established and industry leading stroke unit, Stony Brook is involved in several experimental protocols designed to improve treatment.
“Whenever we can, we offer newer and better technologies,” said Fiorella. By participating, patients not only benefit from advances in the field, but also help the thousands who come after them. Patients can “make tremendous contributions to their own care and to medicine” amid developments and advanced technologies, he said.
In cases where patients or their representatives prefer not to use any advanced or newer technology, Stony Brook provides other life-saving services.
Fiorella added that the mobile stroke unit doesn’t only bring patients to Stony Brook, but also takes them to other comprehensive stroke centers for advanced treatment.
While strokes disproportionately affect the elderly, with the Medical University of South Carolina estimating that 75 percent of strokes occur in people 65 and older, certain conditions can increase the risk of strokes, such as smoking, vascular or heart disease, high blood pressure and peripheral vascular disease.
Another success story
The four person MSU crew Patricia Babiam, Kristofer Martin, patient Bill Rothmeier, Anthony Papaleo and Frank Time, reunite for a reunion.
Bill Rothmeier, who lives in Oakdale, was coming back from upstate in 2019 when his wife Eileen recognized that he was driving strangely.
She asked him to pull over so she could use the restroom. When she returned, she took over the driving. By the time they got home, Rothmeier’s ability to speak had declined.
Eileen Rothmeier spoke to a next door neighbor, who was involved with a community ambulance in Sayville. He had heard about the stroke unit.
“The next thing I knew, two ambulances were in front of my house,” said Bill Rothmeier, who is now 68. The MSU did a CAT scan and gave him a shot on the way to the hospital.
When he was in the recovery room, Rothmeier said Fiorella came in and told him he put in a stent and pulled two blood clots out of his brain.
“He said it like I was going out to a deli to get lunch,” said Rothmeier, who, as it turns out has owned the Lake Grove Deli for 29 years. “If it wasn’t for those guys,” including the MSU crew and Fiorella, “I could be in a nursing home or worse right now.”
Rothmeier was one of the first to receive life saving treatment through the mobile stroke unit and at the hospital.
A rewarding job
While the mobile stroke unit provides an important service for people battling a stroke, it doesn’t add any cost for the patient.
Stony Brook provides the units “free of charge,” because the “outcomes are so much better,” Fiorella said.
Patients who have untreated strokes or whose strokes are treated much later can have an irreversible brain injury, which could involve hospitalizations that last for months.
Stony Brook receives the same flat rate from Medicare for stroke victims, which helps provide financial support for the ambulance and is a “home run” for the patient, Fiorella added.
From Fiorella’s perspective, the opportunity to help people more than compensates for the 2 am calls he sometimes gets when he needs to come in for emergency surgery.
In the 25 years he’s been involved in stroke care, Fiorella has “never lost the fascination in how great the technology has become and how quickly it’s advanced,” he said. After treatment, people who couldn’t speak or understand speech and who couldn’t move the dominant side of their body can return to normal activities.
“It’s such a wonderful experience being involved with this,” he said. “I wouldn’t be able to do this without the support of Stony Brook.”
As for Claire Sabatino, who had never heard of the mobile stroke unit before the ambulance was parked on her driveway last April, the benefit of the rapid transit and the Stony Brook team is “nothing short of a miracle.
Tickets are now on sale for the 12th annual Rocky Point Garden Tour, a self-guided walk through the community’s best home gardens, on Saturday, June 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with garden goods for sale and raffle. $20 per person. Tickets are available at Heritage Paint, 637 Route 25A, Rocky Point and Flowers on Broadway, 43 Broadway, Rocky Point. All proceeds benefit the Rocky Point Civic Association. For more information, call 631-521-5726.
Francesca Augello is holding her proclamation, commending her actions, (center) and with her are from left to right Michelle Collison, principal of Wood Park Primary School, Commack School Superintendent Jordan Cox, Legislators Rob Trotta and Leslie Kennedy, her children Vincent, Adrianna and Rocco and husband Sammy. Photo courtesy of Leg. Trotta's office
At the May 7 General Meeting of the Suffolk County Legislature, Legislators Leslie Kennedy and Rob Trotta recognized Francesca Augello, a school monitor at Wood Park Primary School, who noticed a second grader was choking on his slice of pizza during lunch. She immediately responded and performed the Heimlich technique on the child, which dislodged the piece of food.
Ms. Augello had seen posters at the school and in the cafeteria that explains and illustrates the Heimlich maneuver. Married and a mother of three school aged children she believes she did what any parent would do.
Legislators Trotta and Kennedy welcomed Francesca Augello and her family, as well as school officials to the legislature to praise her quick thinking and for remaining calm during a crisis.
Fathom Events and Warner Bros. invite fans to experience one of cinema’s most iconic fantasy epics as “The Lord Of The Rings” Trilogy returns to select theaters nationwidethis month.
Each screening puts the spotlight on the remastered, extended editions of Peter Jackson’s Oscar®-winning adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels, kicking off with The Fellowship Of The Ring on June 8, 15 and 22; The Two Towers on June 9, 16 and 23; and The Return Of The King on June 10, 17 and 24.
In the first part of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings, a shy young hobbit named Frodo Baggins inherits a simple gold ring. He knows the ring has power, but not that he alone holds the secret to the survival—or enslavement—of the entire world. Now Frodo, accompanied by a wizard, an elf, a dwarf, two men and three loyal hobbit friends, must become the greatest hero the world has ever known to save the land and the people he loves.
In the second part of the Tolkien trilogy, The Two Towers, Frodo Baggins and the other members of the Fellowship continue on their sacred quest to destroy the One Ring—but on separate paths. Their destinies lie at two towers—Orthanc Tower in Isengard, where the corrupt wizard Saruman awaits, and Sauron’s fortress at Barad-dur, deep within the dark lands of Mordor.
In the conclusion of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic masterpiece, The Return of the King, as armies mass for a final battle that will decide the fate of the world—and powerful, ancient forces of Light and Dark compete to determine the outcome—one member of the Fellowship Of The Ring is revealed as the noble heir to the throne of the Kings Of Men. Yet the sole hope for triumph over evil lies with a brave hobbit, Frodo, who, accompanied only by his loyal friend Sam and the hideous, wretched Gollum, ventures deep into the very dark heart of Mordor on his seemingly impossible quest to destroy the Ring of Power.
This landmark franchise won a combined 17 Academy Awards®, including Best Picture honors for The Return Of The King and Best Director for Peter Jackson; and boasts groundbreaking effects, sets, and costumes, fueled by a star-studded ensemble featuring Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Sean Astin, Viggo Mortensen, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, Orlando Bloom, Liv Tyler, Hugo Weaving, John Rhys-Davies, and Brad Dourif, among others.
Locally, participating theaters include AMC Loews Stony Brook 17, Island 16: Cinema de Lux in Holtsville; AMC Huntington Square 12 in East Northport, AMC Shore 8 in Huntington, Showcase Cinema de Lux in Farmingdale, and Regal UA in Farmingdale. To purchase tickets in advance, visit www.fathomevents.com.
On June 5, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced the start of the Summer 2024 Internship Program in the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, with 101 law school, graduate, and undergraduate students joining the Office as summer interns.
“I am excited to welcome this elite group of students to our team. Internships are vital to career development and boosting employability after graduation,” said District Attorney Tierney. “This internship class will get hands-on experience working alongside prosecutors, investigators, and other staff, assisting with active investigations, preparing misdemeanor and felony cases for hearings and trials, and participating in community outreach.”
This internship class currently studies at 16 different law schools and 36 different undergraduate universities and colleges across the country. While many of the students attend schools in New York, many are traveling to Suffolk County from elsewhere, including Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, and the Philippines. The students come from varied ethnic backgrounds and speak 16 different languages, including American Sign Language, Ancient Greek, Farsi, French, German, Gujarati, Hindi, Korean, Latin, Mandarin, Punjabi, Sindhi, Spanish, Tagalog, Urdu, and Vietnamese.
Throughout the program, the Office enhances the internship experience by providing interns the opportunity to observe arraignments in Suffolk County First District Court, tour portions of the Suffolk County Police Department, the Suffolk County Crime Laboratory, Suffolk County Correctional Facilities, and the Suffolk County Medical Examiner, and the United States Federal District Court.
I was delighted to read TBR’s article [“Early learning educators participate in National Day Without Child Care,” May 30] covering the National Day Without Child Care, a nationwide annual event bringing parents and early childhood educators together to advocate for a child care system that works for every family and pays early childhood educators the thriving wages they deserve.
As the campaign manager for the Empire State Campaign for Child Care, we are advocating for universal child care in New York state, moving to make early childhood education a public good rather than the private burden it currently is for families. A fully-funded early childhood education system would provide children with the opportunities needed to develop and learn. It would give parents the ability to be a part of the workforce knowing that their children are cared for and safe, and it would fairly compensate early childhood educators, who currently earn less than 96% of the workforce in our state.
For many families across the country, child care is the second highest expense in their budget, right behind housing. Most New Yorkers live in what is known as “child care deserts,” where there is a wait list for every available child care slot, due to a lack of staffing. We cannot address the lack of child care availability without first improving recruiting and retaining child care educators with higher wages.
Child care is an educational and economic issue that requires bold and robust public investment. The data shows that this investment yields excellent educational and economic returns. It is why we have advocated for and will continue to call for New York state to enact universal child care, and support legislation that removes the barriers to access for families and compensates the child care workforce with the wages they deserve.
Shoshana Hershkowitz
Empire State Campaign for Child Care
Stony Brook’s Maurie McInnis
Very disappointing to note President Maurie McInnis’ bailing on Stony Brook University for Yale two weeks after Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie [D] advised Stony Brook’s graduating class that the university was “just as good as those Ivy schools like Princeton and Yale.” Best to select next time around a more committed administrator who doesn’t have designs on leading one of those “Ivy schools.”
No matter how the spin her leaving after only four years — on 30 days’ notice no less — is not a positive for the university. Lesson learned for Stony Brook!
Kevin Seaman
Stony Brook
Memorial Day note
Just before Memorial Day, I sent a “Thank you for your service” email to an old friend of mine. He served in Vietnam and shared point on patrol.
Sadly, like so many other vets who returned during that time, Kevin wasn’t shown the proper appreciation for his sacrifices. It got so bad some servicemen felt compelled to remove their uniforms on flights home, lest they be accosted or harassed upon arrival. He had simply joined tens of thousands of other young men drafted into military service to fight in what became an unpopular war.
It was a “call to duty” and they answered. Kev continued answering that call stateside by being part of the solemn, oft-times heartbreaking “folded flag” ceremony.
Given that and so much more left unmentioned here, Kevin’s humbling, uplifting response to my note was, “Thank you. I served proudly for this great country.”
We’re blessed as a nation that he, along with millions of other patriots, have done the same. God bless them all.
Jim Soviero
East Setauke
Xena for village trustee
In the June 18 Village of Port Jefferson election, I am voting for Xena Ugrinsky for trustee. Xena has the expertise we need to solve one of our most complex problems: How to modernize the power plant and prevent a catastrophic loss of tax revenue for the village and our schools. She has extensive experience in the energy, finance and information technology sectors.
As a trustee she can utilize her connections with National Grid and LIPA, also state and federal regulators, to make our voices heard before decisions are made. She will fight to bring clean energy to the power plant and preserve our tax base. We will be well served to have someone of Xena’s caliber as our next trustee. Vote for Xena on June 18.
Bruce Miller
Former Port Jefferson Village Trustee
Former Port Jefferson Village School Board President
Public meeting on the bluff was neither proper nor truly ‘transparent’
When, as required by law, village Clerk Sylvia Pirillo failed to publicly notice the Town Hall meeting at Port Jefferson Country Club May 28 about the bluff, Mayor Lauren Sheprow first told some of the trustees they could not attend, notifying those with differing opinions to stay home. When that didn’t work, she told them they could attend but couldn’t speak, essentially gagging our elected officials.
All elected trustees attended and sat at the dais, along with the village clerk and treasurer, constituting a quorum.
In a failed attempt to circumvent NYS Open Meetings Law, the trustees were told not to talk. Not a single trustee was allowed to give an opinion, ask a question or speak in any capacity.
I know for a fact that at least two of the three trustees have contradictory opinions from the mayor, as they have publicly spoken about them during board meetings.
The community was told the purpose of this meeting was to hear all options. The mayor gave her opinions about the benefits of building the upper wall. She gave examples of private property walls that were built and “worked.” We heard why she wants to build the wall. She brought in two speakers, both of whom supported her opinion.
We heard from many residents in attendance. Most, regardless of being for or against the wall, were for a referendum on the project. But without balanced information, residents were left to create their own analysis.
We didn’t hear from experts. We didn’t hear alternatives or options, nor about a retreat plan nor costs associated with such. We didn’t hear from experts with opposing opinions. I know that at least one trustee had some of these alternative ideas and plans to discuss but was not “allowed” to.
Let’s hope the trustees, those we elected to represent us, get to speak and give us their opinions and thoughts on this project at some point.
There are two very concerning issues here. The first is that the NYS Open Meetings Law was blatantly violated. A quorum present and conducting business on the bluff violates that law. Second, the mayor’s dog and pony show displaying only her opinion and side of things under the guise of transparency and communication was in no way fair or balanced and was certainly anything but transparent.
This meeting was a sham. Don’t be fooled by the mayor’s attempt to frame this as an open forum while controlling the entire discussion. We deserve better.
Sarah Lansdale updates the Three Village Civic Association on plans for the Lawrence Aviation superfund site. Photo by Mallie Jane Kim
By Mallie Jane Kim
A redevelopment plan for the Lawrence Aviation Superfund site in Port Jefferson Station is at risk due to a proposed rail yard intersecting a straight strip of property owned by the New York Department of Transportation, where the Setauket-Port Jefferson Station Greenway trail runs, according to Suffolk County Planning Commissioner Sarah Lansdale.
Lansdale, speaking at a Three Village Civic Association meeting on June 3, reviewed the existing plan to transform the former aviation factory into three parcels: a 5-megawatt solar array, space for a rail yard that the MTA will own and protected open space that is earmarked for the Town of Brookhaven.
“We’re in contract with all three parcels right now,” Lansdale said, adding that contract terms require an agreement between DOT and MTA by the end of June. “In order to get to closing, there are conditions that need to be met.”
DOT would need to agree to divert a small section of the Greenway path to make way for the planned rail yard, which would help accommodate future modernization of the Port Jefferson Branch of the Long Island Rail Road. However, this change would interrupt DOT’s solid straight line of property, which they reserve in case the need for a highway arises in the future.
“From what I understand, that would serve as a bypass for Route 25A should sea level rise or climate change impact the navigability of 25A,” Lansdale explained.
The Greenway is not currently protected parkland, though Suffolk County Legislator Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) spoke up at the meeting to announce that he had been working with state Assemblyman Fred Thiele (D-Sag Harbor) to fast-track last minute legislation designating the Greenway as parkland.
“The session has the potential to resolve this question,” Englebright said, though as of press time, no related bills had been yet introduced and the 2024 legislative session in Albany is scheduled to end June 6.
Civic association leaders expressed frustration at DOT even considering the possibility of tearing up the Greenway sometime in the future.
“They shouldn’t be going down that road — that’s insulting to our community,” said Herb Mones, who also heads the Three Village Community Trust which oversees the nonprofit that maintains the trail.
Mones added that the DOT had always been a vital partner in building and maintaining the Greenway. “It would be very disappointing if the DOT as an agency isn’t the most cooperative, most helpful in making sure the future of the Greenway continues without nonsense talk of putting in a highway,” he said.
The Lawrence Aviation plan has been in the works since 2022, though discussions between officials and concerned community members about what to do with the site have been going on much longer.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has already led the demolition of buildings on the site, according to Lansdale, who added that the DEC also completed an environmental investigation to remove the site from the Superfund list, which will clear the way for the solar development.
Lansdale expressed hope that the contract requirements will be ironed out on time, as she said the plan has had the benefit of community involvement and support.
“This is a federal Superfund site,” she explained. “The way that these sites are usually sold is on the auction block, with zero community input, to the highest bidder.”
Advocating for modern train technology
Though the Lawrence Aviation site plan reserves space for a rail yard, the MTA has given no indication it has imminent plans to modernize the Port Jefferson Branch of the LIRR, according to clean-train-energy advocate Bruce Miller, who said he has been talking with MTA officials and keeping tabs on the agency’s plans.
At the civic meeting, Miller urged local civic associations to lobby Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) to force the MTA to follow state environmental laws by looking into new train technologies to replace the diesel trains running along Long Island’s North Shore.
“It would be very helpful to be somewhere on the [MTA’s] 20-year plan,” said Miller, who indicated one of his catchphrases when dealing with a New York City-focused MTA is, “We pay taxes, too.”
Miller, who favors hydrogen-powered or separate-car battery trains, said he’d like to get civic leaders and elected officials from both sides of the political aisle to put their heads together and figure out how to get the MTA to explore cleaner train technologies.
Englebright agreed with Miller’s assessment that the MTA is essentially a “rogue agency” not following state directives toward cleaner energy, and suggested lawsuits as a good way to rein it in. He pointed to both the 2021 state constitutional amendment that gives residents the right to clean air and water, and the State Environmental Quality Review Act as bases for lawsuits from the community to force the MTA to look into newer, cleaner trains.
“There should be a lawsuit considered by the civic community to challenge whether the actions or inactions of the MTA and the LIRR are consistent with the Constitution of the State of New York,” Englebright said, adding, “No agency of the state is immune to SEQRA.”
Civic association board member George Hoffman, who said he had listened to LIRR President Rob Free speak earlier in the year, expressed frustration that North Shore trains seem to be an afterthought with the MTA.
“We want to get a solution for the Port Jefferson line,” Hoffman said. “I don’t know if it’s electric, I don’t know if it’s hydrogen — we certainly know it shouldn’t be diesel, it’s one of the dirtiest forms of air pollution.”
Hoffman praised Miller for his leadership on the issue and indicated the civic association hoped to support his advocacy efforts. “The squeaky wheel gets the grease,” he said
Scene from the 20th annual Gallery North Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Ben Samuels
Scene from the 20th annual Gallery North Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Ben Samuels
Scene from the 20th annual Gallery North Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Ben Samuels
Scene from the 20th annual Gallery North Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Ben Samuels
Scene from the 20th annual Gallery North Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Ben Samuels
Scene from the 20th annual Gallery North Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Ben Samuels
Scene from the 20th annual Gallery North Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Ben Samuels
Scene from the 20th annual Gallery North Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Ben Samuels
By Katherine Kelton
For the 20th year, Gallery North of Setauket, held its Wet Paint Festival at the Tyler Homestead, located on Main Street in Setauket, on June 1‒2. The festival attracted 70 artists who set up in areas around the homestead, including Frank Melville Memorial Park, Patriots Rock, the Caroline Church, Emma Clark Public Library, the Factory Worker Houses, the Red Barn and the Setauket Green. The different scenery resulted in greatly varying works of art. Admission to the festival was free to all those who wanted to observe artists, eat good food and listen to music.
One artist, Christie Jones, from Patchogue, stated, “Most of my work is inspired by nature, so to be actually immersed in it enhances the work.” She has been painting plein air for a while, and the weekend event was the first time she was able to do it with an audience. Jones invited friends and family and welcomed feedback on her work, stating, “I enjoy chatting with people about my work and I know that everyone who’s talked with me has said I’m the only artist to work without an easel. So that has been interesting to hear.”
The goal of the festival was to showcase plein air art. As Ned Puchner, executive director of Gallery North, characterized, “It’s outdoor painting. It is artists working on-site doing landscape or outdoor subject matter paintings. Plein air means plain air.” He wanted to attract anyone interested in art and history to explore the area and see something unique.
The work created during the festival will also be displayed at the Reboli Center for Art & History on Main Street in Stony Brook from June 25 to July 7 in its own exhibition.
Artist Debbie Foglia had previously worked closely with Joe Reboli before his passing. She shared her emotional story about her connection to Frank Melville Memorial Park, where she elected to paint. “I grew up in the area. When I was a teenager, I took lessons with Joe Reboli, and this was one of the places that we painted.” For her, the day meant not only enjoying nature and painting with an audience but also reminiscing on the memories she made with the famous painter.
Gallery North, a not-for-profit organization, aims to promote fine local art.
The Tyler Homestead, where much of the festival occurred, is owned by the Three Village Community Trust, which promises to “protect the places you love.” While the food, tents and check-in were stationed there, people surrounded the home with easels to capture its “American farmhouse” style, which is why it gained popularity. The trust also provided tours of Patriots Rock and explained the significance of Setauket in America’s fight for independence.
Gallery North also partnered with Level Up Kitchen, which catered the event, and WUSB 90.1 FM/107.3 FM for live music.
Many artists, if not the majority, set up in Frank Melville Memorial Park for the picturesque views of the water and trees. The weather attracted many people to come and stroll the park while watching professional artists create work in real time. With the local roads lined with cars for the entirety of the event, it was a clear success for Gallery North.
Tickets are now on sale for the 12th annual Rocky Point Garden Tour, a self-guided walk through the community’s best home gardens, on Saturday, June 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with garden goods for sale and raffle. $20 per person. Tickets are available at Heritage Paint, 637 Route 25A, Rocky Point and Flowers on Broadway, 43 Broadway, Rocky Point. All proceeds benefit the Rocky Point Civic Association. For more information, call 631-521-5726.
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