The Reboli Center’s November Artisan of the Month is St. James woodworker Brian Tierney.
Tierney grew up in Port Jefferson and has lived in Saint James since 1972.He was in high school the same time, but a different grade, when the late artist Joseph Reboli was a student. The two did not know one another. It was while in high school that Brian developed an interest in woodworking and a hobby turned into a career.
Brian Tierney’s wooden stars
Many of the pieces of furniture in his home have been made by Brian. They include night stands, a jelly cupboard, shelves, benches and many more items. All were made with power tools and it wasn’t until about four years ago that he mastered hand tools, and had to learn how to sharpenchisels, planes and saws. With this new skill set, Brian learned how to make stars. At first, he created four pointed stars and then with a lot of practice was able to make stars with up to eight points.
All the stars are finished with mineral oil to bring out the grain, add a little sheen and prevent drying out. No dye or stain is used.
“I love the quietness of using only hand tools, and what I consider the artistic choices involved, like planning how many points to have, what size to make the star, and what combinations of wood to use. I look at a finished star and think, wow, I made that,” Brian said.
Brian obtains his wood from several sources and uses a variety of woods. Some pieces are reclaimed from unwanted furniture providing his with oak, sycamore, birch, and cedar, along with fir, pine, spruce and maple.He also buys wood online, such as walnut, African mahogany, purpleheart, zebrawood and padauk, which is a west African wood. According to Brian, “All wood has unique characteristics of color, grain pattern, and hardness. Purpleheart is a beautiful color, but is over three times as hard as red oak, and dulls saws and planes blades very quickly. It doesn’t even glue well because it is so waxy.”
“It is very complimentary to have my work chosen to be displayed at the Reboli Center, a place of such good taste and style, by such talented artists and artisans,” Brian added.
Lois Reboli, a founder of the Center and president said, “As the holiday season approaches, I think Brian’s work will find a new home with many of our visitors. The stars will be a beautiful addition to one’s holiday decorations or as gifts.”
The Reboli Center is located at 64 Main Street in Stony Brook, and is open Tuesday – Saturday from 11 a.m to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free,. For more information, call 631-751-7701. Please check its website at www.ReboliCenter.com for additional programs and upcoming events.
Al Kopcienski, right, with his great-grandson in a Miller Place Fire Department Ambulance.
Photo courtesy Elizabeth Schwartz
Born 90 years ago this past Sunday, Al Kopcienski of Miller Place has led a life of uninterrupted service to his community.
Kopcienski’s sizable extended family flew in from around the country Oct. 22 to honor his life. On this joyous occasion, his daughter Elizabeth Schwartz thought it necessary to look back on her father’s life and reflect upon his achievements.
In an interview, Schwartz shared her father’s long commitment to the area. “My dad has been so invested in this community in a very quiet way,” she said. “The community needs to know. We need to remember people who are our unsung heroes.”
Kopcienski’s legacy of community service spans nearly a century. Among his many posts, he served as president of the Mount Sinai School District Board of Education, more than 60 years with the Port Jefferson Rotary Club, and the Miller Place Fire Department where he served as chief from 1967-68.
He lives by the Rotarian motto, “Service above self.” Schwartz said she and her siblings were also raised to follow this ethos.
“We were all raised — all eight of us — were raised with this mantra, ‘Service above self,’ that hard work is good work, that our job is to give to the community,” she said. “It is about community and not always about one person or self.”
Over the past nine decades, Kopcienski has witnessed firsthand the gradual transformation of the area. He said the little farming economy he once knew has gradually become a bustling environment.
“This area was a big farming area, and through the transition of years the farmers have disappeared,” he said. “The farming industry disappeared, and then the developers came in and started building houses.”
Despite the differences today from the undisturbed landscape Kopcienski knew growing up, he said young people can still derive vital lessons from his generation.
“One of my favorite sayings is ‘rest means rust,’” he said, emphasizing the value of physical movement and manual labor. “The service industry is well organized and has well-paying positions.”
While on the Mount Sinai school board, Kopcienski pushed for expanding opportunities for students pursuing professional trades. While today, many may place higher education at a premium, he still sees the value of these alternative career paths.
“There was a local superintendent of schools that would say, ‘All my kids graduate and go on to college,’” Kopcienski said. “I said to him, ‘What about the poor kid that can’t go on to college? What about the kid who went to BOCES, a trade school, where he spent half the day at school and then learned a trade?’” He added, “One of the problems we have is that people don’t want to get their hands dirty.”
Even at 90 years old, Kopcienski is still getting his hands dirty today, driving the ambulance for the fire department. He said he receives his fair share of raised eyebrows when arriving on the scene of an emergency.
“They say, ‘That old man’s driving the ambulance?’” he joked. Schwartz interjected, adding, “He comes home and tells us about all of the old people he drives to the hospital. And I said, ‘The old people, like 20 years younger than you, Pop?’ He said, ‘Yeah.’”
Despite the many changes he has observed over time, Kopcienski sees reason for hope. With 24 grandchildren, he now gets his chance to sit back, watch and follow the rising generation as it embarks on its path.
Still, at 90, there appear to be no signs of rust or rest on this lifelong community servant.
It was on a rising tide in mid-afternoon, on an 82-degree late summer day, that I slipped into the opening of the kayak, placed my feet on the rudder controls and pushed off the gently sloping bank in the southern reaches of Stony Brook Harbor, not too far from the famous Hercules Pavilion positioned along the harbor’s edge.
Stony Brook Harbor. Photo by John Turner
Even in shallow, foot-deep water I was easily able to ply the kayak along the shoreline. The first view that drew my attention were nine bright white, long-necked wading birds. Egrets they were, both the larger American Egret and the more diminutive Snowy Egret feeding in the shallow water of the creek that spills from the Stony Brook Grist Mill. Their likely targets were small, two-inch long baitfish, schools of which I would repeatedly see in the hours ahead as I explored the harbor.
Within a couple of minutes I had plied across a deeper channel running alongside Youngs Island and moments later alongside one of the many marsh islands found within the harbor.
For the next four hours I explored the many gifts Stony Brook Harbor had to offer — red beard sponges, several species of floating seaweeds, fiddler crabs scuttling across sand flats, baby horseshoe crab molts, the aforementioned baitfish and their pursuers — baby bluefish known as snappers, snapping the placid tension of the water surface — countless shells, and, of course, the birds: Double-crested Cormorants (many, comically, with their wings outstretched, drying in the sun); more long-necked and long-legged wading birds; a small plover pulling on a long red worm; the plaintive, three part call of Greater Yellowlegs; the ubiquitous gulls; and an adult Bald Eagle, dominating the sky over the southern edge of the harbor.
Like tiny sailboats, many bird feathers floated over the placid surface of the water during the visit, a tell-tale sign that late summer is a time for many birds to molt by replacing older worn out feathers with new ones.
That small plover was not a Piping Plover but its darker colored cousin — the Semipalmated Plover, so named because its feet are partially webbed. A handsome bird the color of chocolate on the top of its head and back, a bright white belly, breast, and throat offset by a black chest band and line through the eye, and an orange bill and yellow-orange legs, the Semipalmated Plover breeds in the far north; this bird probably flew south from Labrador, Nova Scotia, or Northern Quebec, but perhaps even further north in its breeding range above the Arctic Circle, to make its way to Stony Brook Harbor on its much longer journey to the Caribbean or South America.
The same is true for the Greater Yellowlegs, a slightly larger shorebird with a salt-and-pepper plumage with, you guessed it! — bright yellow legs. The plover was feeding in a sand/mud flat and the three yellowlegs in very shallow water adjacent to the flat. Suddenly, the yellowlegs exploded into the air, winging away rapidly, apparently due to some danger they could (but I could not) perceive. Their emphatic calls rung out over the water, harkening to more desolate and windy places.
This little shorebird vignette in the harbor illustrates and underscores the value it and countless other coastal embayments on the East Coast play as critical way stations for migrating shorebirds that stitch together the Northern and Southernhemispheres. These are like the highway rest stops we use while traveling, providing opportunities for these long distance migrants to feed and rest.
Ribbed mussels along the harbor. Photo by John Turner
As I turned south into the more open waters at the southern end of the harbor I slid by a long muddy embankment, the leading edge of a salt marsh, when two objects caught my eye — many clumps of Ribbed Mussels and dozens of Cordgrass or Spartina plants in full bloom.
Ribbed mussels are less well-known and appreciated than the edible Blue Mussel since, unlike the latter species, they are not harvested for food. Nevertheless, they are very important to the healthy functioning of tidal wetlands. So named because of the numerous parallel ribbed lines that run the length of its shell, this species grows in bunches in the mud, often tangled in the roots of Cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora), with which they have a “mutualistic” or mutually beneficial relationship.The mussels benefit from anchoring their shells, through the use of byssal threads, to the roots of Spartina and also benefit from the density of the plant shoots that makes it harder for predators, like crabs, to gain access.
The plant benefits by the waste products excreted from the mussel as it is high in nitrogen which acts as a plant fertilizer. The material also helps to build the marsh — filtering tiny organic particles out of the water column and depositing it on the marsh. Because of these important services the Ribbed mussel is referred to as an “ecosystem engineer.”
Cordgrass in bloom along Stony Brook Harbor. Photo by John Turner
Cordgrass is the most recognizable plant of the marsh. It dominates the view of much of the harbor and along the lower elevations of the tidal marsh, with its sister species Salt Hay (Spartina patens), occurring in the higher portions. These are two of only a small number of plants that can tolerate the presence of salt and its desiccating qualities; they do this by extruding the salt from pores in the surface of the frond; take a close-up view and you can often see the salt crystals sparkling along the stems of the plant.
Cordgrass is wind pollinated and not surprisingly, therefore, their interesting one-sided flowers aren’t showy nor do they exude nectar in an effort to lure pollinating insects. The winds care not for such things. Still, they are beautiful and arresting as the hundreds of flowers on each stalk move in the slightest breeze.
Unfortunately, a storm cloud has appeared over the harbor that would likely compromise its beauty and ecological quality. This “cloud” is in the form of two large docks proposed on properties located in the harbor’s shallow southern end in the Village of Nissequogue.
Despite the fact there are two commercial marinas in the northern reaches of the harbor at which a boat can be stored or the fact each property owner currently has access to launch kayaks or canoes from the shore, these residents are seeking approval to install monstrously long docks that would jut well out into the water. One is more than two hundred feet long.
The proposed site for one of the docks. Photo by John Turner
Installing the dock pilings would be disruptive to the harbor bottom, cause turbidity and sedimentation problems, affecting wetland dependent wildlife such as diamondback terrapins (I saw a dozen terrapins floating and swimming in the southern portion of the bay on the kayak visit and fifteen from a vantage point onshore at Cordwood Park about a month earlier).
Turbidity problems and disruption to the harbor bottom by “prop scouring” will occur each and every time boats are run out on low tide. Further, the docks will make it more difficult for you and I to walk along the shoreline as is our legal right “to pass and repass” along the shoreline as guaranteed by the Public Trust Doctrine and did I mention the ugliness and visual blight caused by the docks at a site landscape painters find inspiration?
Perhaps of greater concern is the precedence that approval of these two docks could establish. If these are approved, what’s to stop the harbor’s “death-by-a-thousand-cuts” as several dozen other property owners ringing the harbor, through time, request the same?
And is it reasonable to assume that, as the years roll by, these owners clamor for the very shallow southern reaches of the harbor to be dredged to ease navigation and better accommodate their boats?Yes, it is.
For the sake of this most special and unique place the request for these mega docks must be denied. The public interest in, and use of, Stony Brook Harbor and recognition of the significant ecological value of the harbor dictate against approval and must prevail. Will public officials heed the call?
A resident of Setauket, John Turner is conservation chair of the Four Harbors Audubon Society, author of “Exploring the Other Island: A Seasonal Nature Guide to Long Island” and president of Alula Birding & Natural History Tours
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‘Beween Stony Brook Harbor Tides’
If you wish to learn more about the human and natural history of Stony Brook Harbor, I encourage you to read “Between Stony Brook Harbor Tides — The Natural History of a Long Island Pocket Bay” authored by Larry Swanson and Malcolm Bowman, two professors who taught at Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences. The book provides an overview of the natural conditions that shape the harbor, the human imprint on the harbor, and the many species of wildlife that call it home. It is a most worthwhile read.
Pictured above, the PJSTCA executive board. Photo by Raymond Janis
The Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Civic Association met Tuesday, Oct. 25, at Comsewogue Public Library for its monthly general meeting covering various topics.
Due to a recent shortage of Suffolk County COPE officers, civic vice president Sal Pitti, whose background is in law enforcement, delivered the public safety report. He concentrated on the crime trend of catalytic converter thefts in the area.
“It’s a multiagency, multilevel thing going on, and we’re not the only ones,” he said. “They’re getting hit upstate. They’re getting hit downstate. They’re getting hit everywhere in New York and in other states.”
The most popular models among auto thieves, according to Pitti, are the older models of the Honda Accord, Honda CR-V, and Ford F-150. Given the uptick in this phenomenon, he announced the Suffolk County Police Department is exploring an auto crimes unit.
“The last time I talked to the commissioner [Rodney Harrison], he told me he’s working on establishing an auto crimes unit … that can get more in-depth, more cross agency and get more information from other places,” he said.
A student representative from Comsewogue School District announced an upcoming Halloween event at the high school. “This upcoming Friday, Oct. 28, from 4 to 6 [p.m.] is Trick or Treat Street at the high school with diverse clubs and organizations creating a safe environment for the young trick-or-treaters,” he said.
With news from the library, Comsewogue director Debbie Engelhardt announced that Andrea Malchiodi has recently assumed the role of the assistant library director.
“Andrea brings excellent experience to the library, most recently having worked at the Lindenhurst Memorial Library as a department head and prior to that at Mastics-Moriches-Shirley [Community Library],” Engelhardt said.
Also making an appearance was Bruce Miller, former Port Jefferson Village trustee. Miller gave a string of updates on the ongoing efforts to electrify the Long Island Rail Road’s Port Jefferson Branch line.
Though MTA is funneling billions of dollars throughout New York City and Nassau County, Miller held that the railroad is showing little concern for the needs of its North Shore riders.
“There’s $10 billion on the table for the MTA, and they don’t show a lot of preference for the Port Jefferson/North Shore line,” Miller said. “They’re stripping off ridership from this line here, who are commuting to Ronkonkoma and some [going] as far as Hicksville or Huntington to get a decent ride.”
Responding to this assessment, Charlie McAteer, the civic organization’s corresponding secretary, concurred. “I think your point is well taken that we’re losing ridership because it’s inconvenient,” he said.
Pitti chimed in, discussing how electrification would tie into an overall plan to redevelop the Lawrence Aviation property. However, according to him, the gears can only begin to turn with a commitment from the MTA-LIRR.
“Everything is set and ready to move forward, but we all know how everything moves,” the vice president said. “We’re basically waiting for the MTA.”
Garboski said the Town Board selected a map that constituted the least amount of change for Council District 1. This district encompasses Port Jefferson Station and Terryville. “They made the least amount of change for our area,” he said.
While CD1 remained primarily unchanged by the end of the redistricting process, a tiny sliver of the community east of Pine Street shifted into CD2. However, Garboski suggested this change was understandable.
“Most of the people in the area that got redistricted go to Mount Sinai schools,” he said. “Everything else stays. The [Train Car] Park stays in our area. The revitalization area. All of the things that everyone was concerned about, we have.” Following this outcome, the civic leadership sent a letter of thanks to the Town Board for keeping the PJS/T community intact.
Before adjourning, Garboski and Pitti announced they had sold their houses recently. Within about a year, both will no longer be residents of the area, precipitating a turnover of the civic’s top two posts.
The body passed a resolution to allow the two civic leaders to stay in their seats for the interim period. A special election will likely take place in the fall of 2023.
The Port Jefferson Free Library, 100 Thompson St., Port Jefferson presents The Homegrown String Band in concert Sunday, Nov. 6 at 2 p.m.
The Homegrown String Band™ celebrates the American tradition of families making music together. This family band’s repertoire includes a healthy portion of early country music classics by the likes of The Carter Family and Delmore Brothers, along with a tasty sprinkling of original material inspired by the rural American string band and folk traditions of the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first centuries. Comprised of husband and wife plus daughter, this dynamic trio adds their own musical DNA to an American tradition, taking you on a musical journey from ancient ballads of the British Isles to blues and bluegrass of the twentieth century.
The family has been performing together for twenty-five years, playing such venues as The National Theatre in Washington DC to the Festival of American Music in Branson Missouri.
Open to all. Pre-registration is necessary to keep the music flowing. Sign up at portjefflibrary.org, or call 631-473-0022 to reserve a seat.
Community members, first responders, civic leaders and elected officials gathered at the Sound Beach Veterans Memorial on Saturday, Oct. 22, in celebration of the life of Ann Moran.
She was born in Rockville Centre Jan. 14, 1943, and died on June 30 at age 79. Throughout her life she remained active in Sound Beach and the Rocky Point school district. Moran seemed to have made a lasting impression on those who knew her, whether as an educator, a teachers union president, a volunteer or a civic leader.
Dozens attended the memorial event, which featured the dedication of a bird bath at the park’s edge, a permanent marker honoring her lasting legacy of service to the community.
Above, Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai). Photo by Raymond Janis
Sound Beach Civic Association, where Moran was longtime treasurer, hosted the event. Bea Ruberto, president of the civic, told a tale of the memories she shared with Moran over the decades they worked together.
The civic president commented on the picturesque weather of the early afternoon: “Who doesn’t believe that Ann had something to do with this beautiful day?”
Ruberto described Moran as “a force” whose abundant energy was devoted tirelessly to the betterment of her community. For this reason, the memorial celebration included several perspectives on her life.
“There is no one voice that can speak to how important Ann was to all of us, so a number of people are going to speak to that,” Ruberto said.
Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) spoke of Moran’s contagious effect on her peers. “When one person touches another and inspires and encourages them to do good things in their community and good things to other people, it’s like a ripple in a pool, and it just keeps going,” the county legislator said. “Ann always seemed to start this ripple, and she will continue because we are here today celebrating her legacy.”
Above, Town of Brookhaven Councilwoman Jane Bonner (R-Rocky Point). Photo by Raymond Janis
Town of Brookhaven Councilwoman Jane Bonner (R-Rocky Point) was also in attendance. She spoke of Moran’s professionalism and ability to keep a civil dialogue in the face of contention.
“Ann was just cool, calm and collected,” Bonner said. “Even though we had opposite political philosophies, [we had] very respectful conversations, interesting conversations about life in general.” The councilwoman added, “She was a dynamo, a tiny, mighty person that never took ‘no’ for an answer.”
Following her remarks, Bonner delivered a special announcement. “Very few individuals get two days in the Town of Brookhaven, but today has been declared Ann Moran Day.” The other day in Moran’s honor is Sept. 12.
Susan Sullivan, a trustee of the Rocky Point school district board of education, described Moran’s impact as the district’s teachers union president. According to her, Moran led the union with a steady hand, representing the teachers firmly and holding her ground when necessary.
‘I was impressed by her strength, confidence and assertiveness — she stood down to no one.’
— Susan Sullivan
“She was a woman ahead of her time,” Sullivan said. “I was impressed by her strength, confidence and assertiveness — she stood down to no one.” Sullivan added, “She was respected by the administration, teachers, and [school-related professionals], which is a tribute to her ability to work respectfully with everyone.”
Moran served four terms as president of the Sound Beach Fire Department Auxiliary. Nancy Ford, trustee of the auxiliary, discussed Moran’s nearly three decades of contribution to this institution.
“She was a loyal member of our organization for 28 years,” Ford said. “As was her mission, she raised her hand to help with all of our events.” The auxiliary trustee added, “She worked on Military Bridge, getting donations for the fire department’s steak dinners, fire department anniversary celebrations, [which] were just some of the many ways that Ann helped out.”
Joseph Russo, at podium, right. Photo by Raymond Janis
Sound Beach civic member Ernestine Franco knew Moran for around 15 years. During that time, the two cultivated a close friendship. Responding to the turnout of the memorial celebration, Franco said Moran would have been delighted.
“I think she would have loved this today,” Franco said. Following Moran’s selflessness and commitment to service, however, Franco added, “There is only one thing she would have loved better: If she could be standing here and we could be honoring somebody else.”
Last to speak was Moran’s son, Joseph Russo. He told an endearing personal anecdote epitomizing the bond the two shared. Russo then thanked those who attended, honoring his mother’s legacy.
“I just want to thank you all for coming today on a nice, sunny day,” he said. He concluded, “Thank you, Mom.”
Teen volunteers in kayaks tackle invasive aquatic plants at Frank Melville Memorial Park. Photo by Robert Reuter
Teen volunteers in kayaks tackle invasive aquatic plants at Frank Melville Memorial Park. Photo by Robert Reuter
John Turner was on hand to help volunteers on Oct. 16. Photo by Robert Reuter
Volunteers were on hand to pull invasive plants out of the pond at Frank Melville Memorial Park Oct. 16. Photo by Robert Reuter
Teen volunteers in kayaks tackle invasive aquatic plants at Frank Melville Memorial Park. Photo by Robert Reuter
Teen volunteers in kayaks tackle invasive aquatic plants at Frank Melville Memorial Park. Photo by Robert Reuter
Local volunteers recently took on invaders of the natural kind at Frank Melville Memorial Park.
Park volunteers and staff members joined forces with Four Harbors Audubon Society members and teen volunteers from Avalon Park’s Nature Initiative on Oct. 16. Their goal was to rid the FMMP pond of non-native and invasive aquatic plants.
Setauket-based environmentalist John Turner informed the FMMP board that water hyacinth and water lettuce in the pond were dangerous plants. It was the first time someone spotted them in the pond. Turner was leading the Nighthawk Watch at the park with members of the local Audubon society when the plants were observed.
The volunteers first went out on the pond via kayaks to pull, gather and bag the plants. FMMP trustee Luci Betti-Nash, who also is on the board of Four Harbors Audubon Society, was on hand for the cleanup. She said the team cleaned out the northern section of the pond and part of the southern portion. Betti-Nash said there are still more plants in the most southern portion of the pond. These, she said, will be taken care of at a later date. She added there is a possibility they may die off in the winter. If the winter is a mild one, the floating plants can potentially take root and survive.
“It’s important to nip it in the bud, get them out as soon as you can,” she said.
Within a month of the plants being discovered, Betti-Nash said, “they multiplied enormously.”
She said the teen volunteers have helped with cleanups in the park in the past to pull out invasive species, including vines such as porcelain berry and mile-a-minute, that take over trees.
Generally, the kayaks used by the teens this time around are not allowed on the pond, which Betti-Nash said made it more fun than past volunteer jobs.
“They really enjoyed it, and they did a great job,” she said. “They worked really hard.”
Turner said if the plants weren’t pulled out of the water, they could cause issues over a few years.
“If they’re not controlled and then eradicated within a fairly short period of time — probably within a year or two or three — the entire pond surface will be covered with these plants and create a whole series of adverse environmental conditions,” he said.
Among the detrimental ecological effects would be wading birds, such as egrets, green herons and belted kingfishers, which depend on visually seeing fish, not being able to find food to survive and feed their young.
“People just aren’t aware of the problem that these plants pose,” Turner said.
He added the plants, that are native in South America, have caused problems in the southern United States. The decomposition process pulls oxygen out of the water and leads to an excess of nitrogen, which happens often in Long Island and coastal waters.
“It’s of great concern, because it could adversely impact both turtles and, certainly, fish that would suffocate,” Turner said.
Betti-Nash and Turner said they only have theories as to how the plants wound up in the pond and no definitive answers. Many people use them for decorative purposes in their personal koi ponds. However, the naturalists are not aware of anyone dumping the plants in the park’s pond as sometimes happens when people get rid of aquarium products into freshwater ponds, which is not recommended. Seeds can also get stuck on birds and, when the animal lands, the grains can be introduced to an area, which is also a possibility.
The street-level view of the Port Jefferson Crossing apartments, a 45-unit affordable housing complex opening within weeks. Photo by Raymond Janis
The transformation of Upper Port is happening in real time after years of well-documented social issues and underinvestment.
In the coming weeks, the village will complete two major initiatives. Station Street will soon open to traffic, and the Port Jefferson Crossing apartments, a 45-unit affordable housing complex developed by Conifer Realty, will launch.
As these projects open, further planning is in full swing. Conifer is working with the Village of Port Jefferson Planning Board on a second development located at the Main and Perry streets intersection. Meanwhile, the Board of Trustees is actively pursuing a vision for the proposed Six Acre Park along Highlands Boulevard.
In an exclusive interview with Mayor Margot Garant, she summarized the activities. “I think we’ve made great progress,” she said. “I think it’s a great start to what will continue to make [Upper Port] a safe and welcome place.”
Completing these projects marks the next chapter in a multiyear village undertaking to revitalize its uptown. Yet as the area undergoes its metamorphosis, a broader conversation is emerging.
Community revitalization in context
‘
A good plan is the genesis of effort and conversation between the constituents, elected officials, economists, environmentalists, civic organizations, resident groups, business owners and, yes, real estate developers.’
— Richard Murdocco
Richard Murdocco is an adjunct professor in the Department of Political Science at Stony Brook University. His writings focus on land use, economic development and environmental policies on Long Island. In an interview, Murdocco detailed the regional and historical context surrounding redevelopment efforts in Port Jeff.
Downtown revitalization on Long Island dates back at least six decades, said Murdocco, when communities started tackling the effects of suburbanization and population boom.
“Downtown revitalization is not anything new,” Murdocco said. “The first comprehensive plans were drafted in the early ’60s by the Long Island Regional Planning Board and Dr. Lee Koppelman. Those identified key downtown areas where to focus growth, and the whole point of the plans was to mitigate the ever-ongoing suburban sprawl that western Suffolk County, especially, was getting a taste of at that time.”
With the eastward expansion of the Northern State Parkway and the construction of the Long Island Expressway, downtown areas soon became targets for growth. Ideally, this growth consisted of additional multifamily housing options, expanded retail sectors and developing neighborhoods near train stations.
Although development plans today are often pitched as novel or innovative, Murdocco contends that the general framework underlying revitalization has been replicated across generations.
“These concepts are as old as city building,” he said. “It may be new for Long Island, but it’s not new in practice.”
The view of Port Jefferson train station from the Port Jefferson Crossing apartments. Photo courtesy Margot Garant
The Patchogue model
‘For an area to be successful, there has to be people and there has to be a reason for people to be there.’
— Paul Pontieri
Today, proponents often cite the Village of Patchogue as a cornerstone of community revitalization on Long Island. Spearheading these efforts is Paul Pontieri, who has served as the village’s mayor since 2004.
In an interview, Pontieri detailed his approach to community building. For him, areas that thrive are those with people.
“For an area to be successful, there has to be people and there has to be a reason for people to be there,” he said. “Businesses go where people are.”
Another priority for Pontieri was attracting young families into Patchogue. “We have a lot of young families,” he said. “That happened because we provided the kind of housing they can afford.”
Apartments were central for creating affordable housing options, according to Pontieri. While existing rents may appear overpriced to some, he believes these rent payments are preferable to the mandatory down payments when taking out a mortgage.
“Right now, if you have to put 20% down on a $500,000 home, you’re telling me that a 22- or 23-year-old that just got married has $100,000 to give on a down payment — it’s not going to happen, and that’s the reality,” he said. “You have to have the apartments because they will come into the apartments and begin to save their money, even though the rents on those apartments seem exorbitant.”
Pontieri holds that Long Island communities today face the challenge of drawing and keeping youth. According to him, young people will inevitably move away from unaffordable areas.
“You have a choice: You can sit there in your house — you and your wife at 75 years old — and your kids move someplace else because they can’t afford to live in your village,” he said, “Or you make your community user-friendly, kid-friendly, young-family friendly.”
Murdocco said Patchogue had been held up as the standard-bearer for community rejuvenation because Pontieri more or less carried his vision through to completion. Though revitalization brought unintended consequences for Patchogue, such as magnifying a “parking problem that was enhanced and amplified by growth,” Murdocco said the example is generally regarded favorably.
“Overall, it’s lauded as a model because they did it,” the adjunct professor said. “For all intents and purposes, the area is thriving relative to what it was.”
Differentiating Upper Port
‘Our little footprint can’t really hold as much as Patchogue.’
— Margot Garant
While Garant acknowledges the utility of Pontieri’s method for Patchogue, she points out some key distinctions unique to Upper Port.
Like Pontieri, she holds that the neighborhood’s success depends on the people it can attract. “I believe that new residents and the new opportunity will drive an economic base and new economic success,” she said. Though arriving at this new resident base, Garant is employing a different approach.
For one, the two villages differ widely concerning their respective topographies. When organizing a plan, Garant said Port Jefferson must operate within the confines of limited space, further constrained by the existing built environment.
“Patchogue is flat, and it’s a grid system, so you can spread out there and have larger parcels that connect to the heart of your village,” she said. “In Port Jefferson, we’re in a bowl. We’re surrounded very much by residential [zones] on both sides of Main, so I see us as able to grow a bit differently.”
Tying into the issue of topography is the matter of density. Garant maintains Pontieri had greater flexibility, enabling vertical and horizontal expansion to accommodate a growing population. “Our little footprint can’t really hold as much as Patchogue,” Garant said.
Applying the Patchogue model to Upper Port is further complicated by the historical and cultural differences between the two villages. Garant stated she intends to bring a family oriented culture to Upper Port. In contrast, Patchogue attracts a more robust nightlife scene accentuating its bar and restaurant culture.
“I just have a different philosophy when trying to revitalize the neighborhood,” Garant said. “I think Patchogue became known for the young, jet-setting community, the Alive After Five [street fair] bringing people to Main Street with a different sort of culture in mind. We’re looking at making things family oriented and not so much focused on bars and restaurants.”
In an email statement, trustee Lauren Sheprow, who emphasized revitalizing Upper Port as part of her campaign earlier this year, remarked that she was impressed by the ongoing progress. She remains committed to following the guidelines of the Port Jefferson 2030 Comprehensive Plan, published in 2014.
Referring to the master plan, she said, “It does appear to be guiding the progress we are seeing take shape uptown. It would be interesting to take a holistic look at the plan to see how far we have progressed through its recommendations, and if the plan maintains its relevance in current times where zoning is concerned, and how we might be looking at the geography east of Main Street.”
Six Acre Park
‘The Six Acre Park is something that I see as a crucial element to balancing out the densification of housing up there.’
— Rebecca Kassay
Along with plans for new apartments, Garant said the proposed Six Acre Park would be integral to the overall health of Upper Port. Through the Six Acre Park Committee, plans for this last sliver of open space in the area are in high gear. [See story, “Six Acre Park Committee presents its vision.”]
Trustee Rebecca Kassay is the trustee liaison to the committee. She refers to the parkland as necessary for supporting new residents moving into the village.
“As far as Upper Port, I am hoping and doing what I can to plan for a vibrant, balanced community up there,” she said. “The Six Acre Park is something that I see as a crucial element to balancing out the densification of housing up there.”
Plans are ongoing to convert the remaining six acres of open space along Highlands Boulevard into a tranquil, arboretum-like setting. Photo courtesy Rebecca Kasay, taken from Google Maps Street View
With more density, Kassay foresees Six Acre Park as an outlet for the rising population of Upper Port. “Everyone needs a place to step out from a suburban or more urban-like setting and breathe fresh air and connect to nature,” she said. “The vision for Six Acre Park is to allow folks to do just that.”
In recent public meetings, a debate has arisen over a possible difference of opinion between the village board and the planning board over active-use space at Six Acre Park. [See story, “PJ village board … addresses Six Acre Park.”]
Garant said the Board of Trustees has yet to receive an official opinion on behalf of the Planning Board. Still, the mayor does not see sufficient reason to modify the plan.
“We’re talking about creating an arboretum-like park used for educational purposes,” she said. “At this point in time, we don’t have enough land. The uptown population is welcome to use the rest of the parkland throughout this village.” Garant added, “But we are extremely mindful that when the new residents come to live uptown and they bring their needs, there’s a lot more that’s going to happen uptown and a lot more opportunity for us to make adjustments.”
Identifying the public good
‘In my opinion, property owners have allowed their buildings to deteriorate so that they would be able to sell the properties to — in this case — subsidized developers.’
— Bruce Miller
New development, in large part, is made possible by the Brookhaven Industrial Development Agency, which can offer tax exemptions to spur economic growth. Former village trustee Bruce Miller has been among the critics of Upper Port redevelopment, taking issue with these IDA subsidies.
“It’s an open secret that the properties were very poorly maintained up there,” Miller said. “In my opinion, property owners have allowed their buildings to deteriorate so that they would be able to sell the properties to — in this case — subsidized developers.”
In Miller’s assessment, while the projects are taxpayer supported, their community benefit is outweighed by the cost to the general fund.
“The buildings that are being built are paying very little in the way of taxes,” Miller said. “At 10 years it ramps up, but even at 15 years there’s not much tax they’re paying on them.”
Responding to this critique, Lisa Mulligan, CEO of Brookhaven IDA, released the following statement by email: “In accordance with our mission, the Brookhaven IDA is committed to improving the quality of life for Brookhaven residents, through fostering economic growth, creating jobs and employment opportunities, and increasing the town’s commercial tax base. The revitalization of uptown Port Jefferson is critical to the long-term economic well-being of the region, and housing is one key component of this.”
Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook), who represents Port Jefferson on the Town Council, also took issue with Miller’s claim. For him, the purpose of IDA subsidies is to identify benefits to the community and advance the public good.
“So often, there is no public benefit,” he said. “If it’s the will of Port Jefferson Village to revitalize an area that has struggled to attract investment for many years, that may be an appropriate use of IDA funding.”
However, Kornreich also acknowledged that these tax incentives come at a cost for ordinary taxpayers. For this reason, it remains crucial that the IDA has a firm grasp of the public good and advances that end alone.
“When this unelected body gives these benefits to a developer, it’s a tax increase on everyone within that taxing district … they are increasing your taxes,” the councilmember said. “When you pay those increased taxes, what you’re doing is supporting this vision of a public good.” In instances where the IDA functions without a view of the public good, he added, “It’s a huge betrayal.”
Garant suggested that ridding Upper Port of vacant lots constituted a public good in itself. While IDA benefits may mean short-term sacrifices for village residents, the tax exemptions will soon expire and the village will collect its usual rates.
“For us in the short term, we might be making a little bit of a sacrifice, but I can tell you right now what I’m making on the payment in lieu of taxes program is more than what I was getting on those buildings when they were blighted,” she said. “Six, seven, eight years down the road, when we’re at the end of those PILOT agreements, we’re going to be getting a sizable tax contribution from these properties.” She added, “I was looking down a 10- to 15-year road for the Village of Port Jefferson.”
Murdocco foresees opportunities for continued discussions within the village. According to him, community development done right is highly collaborative, uniting the various stakeholders around a common aim.
“A good plan is the genesis of effort and conversation between the constituents, elected officials, economists, environmentalists, civic organizations, resident groups, business owners and, yes, real estate developers,” he said. “I know for a fact that in Upper Port Jefferson, a lot of that did happen.”
The SBU adjunct professor added, “In terms of defining a public benefit, it depends on what the community wants. Do they want economic growth for an underutilized area? Do they want environmental protection? Do they want health and safety? That all depends on the people who live there.”
The Smithtown Historical Society, 239 East Main St., Smithtown will light up the holiday season with Suffolk County’s FIRST immersive Winter Lantern Festival from Nov. 4 to Jan. 8, 2023. The walk-through holiday light show will feature lanterns and displays in the shape of flowers, mushrooms, farm animals, dinosaurs and many more, all handmade by artisans with decades of dedication to their craft.
The event will be held on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Be ready for photo ops with friends and family, as this will be an unforgettable experience! Tickets are $22 per person, $12 ages 3 to 12. For tickets, visit https://www.showclix.com/tickets/suffolk-winter-lantern-festival. For more information, call 631-265-6768.
The cast of the 2022 Spirits Tour. Photo by Raina Angelier
A scene from the 2022 Spirits Tour
A scene from the 2022 Spirits Tour
A scene from the 2022 Spirits Tour
A scene from the 2022 Spirits Tour
A scene from the 2022 Spirits Tour
A scene from the 2022 Spirits Tour
A scene from the 2022 Spirits Tour
A scene from the 2022 Spirits Tour
A scene from the 2022 Spirits Tour
A scene from the 2022 Spirits Tour
A scene from the 2022 Spirits Tour
A scene from the 2022 Spirits Tour
A scene from the 2022 Spirits Tour
A scene from the 2022 Spirits Tour
A scene from the 2022 Spirits Tour
A scene from the 2022 Spirits Tour
A scene from the 2022 Spirits Tour
A scene from the 2022 Spirits Tour
A scene from the 2022 Spirits Tour
A scene from the 2022 Spirits Tour
A scene from the 2022 Spirits Tour
A scene from the 2022 Spirits Tour
A scene from the 2022 Spirits Tour
A scene from the 2022 Spirits Tour
A scene from the 2022 Spirits Tour
A scene from the 2022 Spirits Tour
A scene from the 2022 Spirits Tour
A scene from the 2022 Spirits Tour
Perfect weather and a gorgeous sunset kicked off the Three Village Historical Society’s 28th annual Spirits Tour, Spies of the American Revolution: Known and Unknown, on Oct. 22.
Volunteer guides introduced almost 300 guests to the ghosts of 16 spies (Benjamin Tallmadge; Benjamin Floyd; Thomas Strong; Keturah Strong; Jonas Hawkins; Ruth Hawkins; Jesse Smith Woodhull; Major John Andre; Nathan Hale; Catherine Roe; Austin Roe; George Washington; Abraham Cooper Woodhull; Caleb Brewster; and Amos and Mary Underhill) waiting for their arrival at the Caroline Church and Setauket Presbyterian Church graveyards during the sold-out event.
Along the way, visitors had the opportunity to walk in on conversations from whale boat captains, soldiers, tavern owners and children who were involved in the Culper Spy Ring.
“Participants learned about the struggles of everyday people who risked their lives for what they believed in … and that these brave Three Village residents were just like all of us, with a burden to carry to help our young nation turn the tide of the Revolutionary War,” said TVHS Director Mari Irizarry, who was pleased with the successful turnout with special thanks to Luigi’s Pizzeria, Ann Marie’s Farmstand, Druthers Coffee, Dunkin Donuts of Stony Brook, Stop & Shop of Setauket, Setauket Presbyterian Church, Caroline Church, Daughters of the American Revolution – Anna Smith Strong Chapter and the Long Island Youth Development, Inc. Music Club “and of course all of the countless volunteers.”
Representing the 16 spirits, from left, Art Billadello, Stephanie Carsten, Owen Murphy, Iris Rosenhagen, Mort Rosen, Donna Smith, Ryan Worrell, Chris De Francis, Steve Healy, Bianca Dresch, Stephanie Sakson, George Overin, Rob Pelligrino, Tom Cominskey, Theresa Travers and George Fear.
Next up, the TVHS will host their 43rd annual Candlelight House Tour on Dec. 2 and 3. Check their website, www.tvhs.org, for updates.
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