Holtsville Hal’s handler, Greg Drossel, shows him to the crowd during a previous Groundhog Day celebration. Photo courtesy of Town of Brookhaven
By Heidi Sutton
Pennsylvania may have the legendary groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, but here in Suffolk County we have our very own prognosticator of prognosticators, Holtsville Hal. The cute little rodent with his buck teeth and short bushy tail will be the star of the day as the Holtsville Ecology Site and Animal Preserve celebrates Groundhog Day with a special event on Feb. 2.
Hundreds will gather to hear Brookhaven Highway Superintendent Daniel P. Losquadro announce Holtsville Hal’s famous forecast.
According to tradition, if a groundhog sees its shadow after stirring from hibernation on Groundhog Day, there will be six more weeks of winter weather; if not, spring should arrive early. Superintendent Losquadro will reveal Hal’s prognostication at approximately 7:25 a.m.
“Our annual Groundhog Day celebration is an enjoyable tradition for many local families,” said Superintendent Losquadro in a press release. “I’m always hopeful Hal will predict an early spring to help my snow removal budget, but either way this is a much-anticipated event each year in Brookhaven Town.”
Although he’s sure to be the center of attention, Holtsville Hal will not be the only animal available for viewing on Feb. 2. Following the ceremony, residents are welcome to enjoy complimentary hot chocolate, coffee and bagels provided by 7-Eleven and Bagel Lovers and visit the more than 100 non-releasable, wild or injured animals residing at the Animal Preserve, including its latest resident, Leonardo “Leo” DiCatprio, the Eurasian Lynx.
The Preserve is also home to a buffalo, black bear, bobcat, coatamundi, hybrid wolves, an artic fox, goats, horses, pigs, cows, alpaca, deer and many more.
Gates will open at the Holtsville Ecology Site & Animal Preserve, 249 Buckley Road, Holtsville, at 7 a.m.; parking is free. Residents are asked to arrive as close to 7 a.m. as possible to get a good view of Hal. Call 631-451-5330 for more information.
Mather Hospital in Port Jefferson announced on Jan. 23 that it is one of America’s 250 Best Hospitals for 2024, according to new research released by Healthgrades, aleading resource consumers use to find a hospital or doctor. This achievement puts Mather Hospital in the top 5% of hospitals nationwide for overall clinical performance and reflects Mather Hospital’s commitment to exceptional patient care. Mather Hospital has received the America’s 250 Best Hospitals Award for two years in a row (2023-2024).
“This recognition highlights Mather Hospital’s commitment to clinical excellence and patient safety,” said Executive Director Kevin McGeachy. “Together with Northwell Health we are continually investing in the future of health care for our communities, from recruiting the highly skilled physicians, the construction of our new advanced Emergency Department, and our commitment to advanced technology such as robotically assisted surgical systems. Congratulations to the entire Mather team for this achievement.”
To determine the top hospitals for 2024, Healthgrades evaluated risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates for more than 30 conditions and procedures at approximately 4,500 hospitals nationwide. Unlike other hospital studies, Healthgrades ratings are based solely on what matters most: patient outcomes. The 2024 Healthgrades analysis revealed significant variation in hospital performance, making it increasingly important to seek care at top-rated programs. From 2020-2022, if all hospitals, as a group, performed similarly to America’s 250 Best Hospitals, on average, 178,402 lives could potentially have been saved.*
“Healthgrades commends Mather Hospital for their leadership and continued dedication to high quality care,” said Brad Bowman, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Data Science at Healthgrades. “As one of America’s 250 Best Hospitals, Mather Hospital is elevating the standard for quality care nationwide and ensuring superior outcomes for the patients in their community.”
Consumers can visit Healthgrades.com to learn more about how Healthgrades measures hospital quality and access a patient-friendly overview of how we rate and why hospital quality matters here.
*Statistics are based on Healthgrades analysis of MedPAR data for 2020 through 2022 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients only. Click here to view the complete 2024 America’s Best Hospital Awards Methodology.
Theatre three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson will hold ensemble auditions for its upcoming production of The Producers on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 10 a.m. and Monday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. Seeking strong singers/dancers to play usherettes, show girls, storm troopers, street characters and more. Prepare 16 bars from the song of your choice; bring sheet music in the proper key; accompanist provided. You may sing from the score. Be prepared to dance. Tap a plus (bring tap shoes if available). Bring headshot/resume if available. Callbacks TBD. Rehearsals begin in March and performances will be held from May 18 to June 22. For more information, visit www.theatrethree.com/auditions.html.
“It’s not a question of whether you will hurt, or of how much you will hurt; it’s a question of what you will do, and how well you will do it, while pain has her wanton way with you.”― Daniel James Brown, The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
Gazing over the tens of thousands of foreigners entering the arena that would be the 1936 Berlin Olympic games stood the presence of dictator Adolf Hitler. During the midst of the Great Depression, the tyrannical leader of Nazi Germany promised to rebuild his nation to its former glory.
In 1931, the International Olympic Committee permitted the summer games to be held in Berlin as a peaceful way of putting World War I behind the Europeans. Instead, the world saw the flying of Swastikas signaling the rise of Nazi Germany. The games began on Aug. 1, 1936, with Hitler present to watch his country prove its status as a restored national power.
A rumored American boycott to oppose the fierce Nazi treatment of its minorities, loomed over, though President Franklin D. Roosevelt granted his country’s athletes to participate in these games.
Watching the ignition of the Olympic flame, stood Jesse Owens or “Buckeye Bullet”. Owens a famed-athlete, grew up in an Alabama sharecropping family, where much of his childhood was riddled with racism. Despite his adversarial childhood, Owens went on to become a talented track and field athlete at Ohio State University. It soon became a goal of Owen’s to dispel the Nazi “Aryan” propaganda promoting others inability to defeat Hitler’s “Master Race” of athletes.
Hitler’s much-publicized hatred did not shake the American resolve of Owens and the other African American participants. American runners went on to earn 11 gold medals in track and field; six by Black athletes, with Owens earning four gold medals and two impressive Olympic records.
Later in the games, a fatigued Owens sought rest, with this, he offered the torch to American teammates, Marty Glickman and Sam Stoller suggesting they could compete in 4×100 race in his stead. Instead, Owens was directed to race and Glickman and Stoller, both of Jewish culture, were barred from participating. Concerns arose that American coaches were fearful of upstaging Hitler by using Jewish-American athletes to gain additional medals.
An aspect of these games often overlooked is the athlete’s personal contention with the economic and social issues of the Great Depression. The economy was poor in Germany and its regime paid for the training and living expenses of its athletes. Many American athletes looked at sports in a secondary manner as they tried to gain essential items to survive. Americans had to contend with twenty-five percent unemployment and a struggling economy.
On Christmas Day, Hollywood released a heartwarming look at the tribulations of the Great Depression through the production of ‘The Boys in the Boat’, written by Brown and directed by George Clooney. Like ‘Cinderella Man’ and ‘Seabiscuit’, this film delves into the intersection of sports and the Depression.
Even as the New Deal was established by Roosevelt, American people faced difficulties in finding work and buying food. ‘The Boys in the Boat’ is based on the Washington State Rowing Team’s quest to win the gold medal during the Berlin Olympics.
This film, set on the outskirts of Seattle, chronicles the harsh extent of the Depression. It focused on Joe Rantz, who was abandoned by his family and forced to care for himself. Actor Callum Turner portrayed an engineering student facing the threat of removal from Washington State for being unable to pay his tuition. With holes in his shoes and making a home in an abandoned car, this student desperately sought a chance to improve his economic situation by trying out for his school’s rowing team.
Joel Edgerton stars as Coach Al Ulbrickson, an uncompromising figure who demanded athletic and physical excellence. The film takes some artistic liberties depicting the triumphs of the team modifying the succession to highest levels of college and Olympic competition to one year as opposed to the three years presented in Brown’s book.
As a director Clooney scores in the eyes of film, history, and sports fans. He portrays the determination of the team’s coach in utilizing a junior varsity team that would eventually become the best in the nation and would go on to win a gold medal.
There are many moments that present Rantz’s competitive side. In the film, Rantz found a father figure in the team’s boat builder, a man who took a special interest in his athletic talents by constructing and maintaining their equipment. The builder provided sustinent advice on handling the complexities of life and listening to authority. This film identifies the American-will to persevere, showcasing a team pitted against highly-respected Ivy League crews. The film shares an outstanding story of American resilience to achieve greatness through the masterful stroke of Clooney’s direction.
Councilman Neil Foley being sworn in by Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico on Jan. 11.
Snapshot from the town website
Newly elected Supervisor Dan Panico (R) headed the first Town of Brookhaven board meeting of the new year Jan. 11. Panico opened the meeting with a brief call to recognition of children, noting, “Children in this world do not ask for war and are the most innocent among us.” He urged everyone to “think about the children of our world and what they are enduring.”
Before the meeting commenced, Panico swore in Councilman Neil Foley (R), for his 10th year in office. Foley serves District 5, which encompasses Blue Point, parts of Lake Ronkonkoma, Holbrook, Holtsville and Medford, North Patchogue, Patchogue, East Patchogue and Davis Park Fire Island.
Following Panico’s opening acknowledgment, the members of the Town Board addressed their several agendas for the Thursday evening meeting. Each meeting has a built-in time slot welcoming public comments, though this particular meeting had no cards registered for comment.
Some of the most important topics addressed were:
• Approval of a one-year intermunicipal agreement to provide demolition and disposal services for the Village of Port Jefferson for its blighted properties. Approval of this agreement further addresses Port Jefferson’s vacant, abandoned, derelict and blighted properties needing to be demolished.
• Establishment of a Suffolk County Water Quality Protection and Restoration Program for Cedar Beach Habitat Restoration. The cost of the program is projected around $120,000. The project plans to remove invasive plants, establish native plant species and install wildlife tunnels in order to reduce erosion. Additionally, to promote coastal resiliency, improve water quality in Mount Sinai Harbor and the Long Island Sound and support the improvement of vulnerable local diamondback terrapin populations.
• Approval of various improvements to the Brookhaven Town landfill using proceeds from serial bonds totaling $4.5 million. The funding will go toward the cost of various original improvements including, but not limited to, gas management, odor control and leachate control improvements.
• Improvements to localities such as town parks and recreational areas, town parking lots, road reconstruction and right-of-way improvements, among others, were also approved using bonds.
• Authorized the issuance of $250,000 in bonds for the development of a Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan for the North Shore.
More information on this Town Board meeting can be found at brookhavenny.portal.civicclerk.com. The next meeting will be held Feb. 1 at Brookhaven Town Hall.
Ice sculptures by Rich Daly, above, will be featured throughout the village.
Photo by Julianne Mosher/TBR News Media
Visitors to last year's festival pose with a Little Mermaid ice scuplture created by Rich Daly.
Photo by Raymond Janis/TBR News Media
Ice sculptures by Rich Daly, above, will be featured throughout the village.
Photo by Julianne Mosher/TBR News Media
Ice sculptures by Rich Daly, above, will be featured throughout the village.
Photo by Julianne Mosher/TBR News Media
A scene from a previous Ice Festival in Port Jefferson. Photo by Julianne Mosher/TBR News Media
ICE FESTIVAL FUN
The 6th Port Jefferson Ice Festival returns this weekend after being canceled last week due to the weather. Photo by Julianne Mosher
Update: Because of the rain on Sunday, January 28, the second part of the Port Jefferson Ice Festival will be held on Sunday, February 4 from noon to 5 p.m.
By Julianne Mosher
Back by popular demand, the fifth Annual Ice Festival is heading back to the Village of Port Jefferson on January 27 and 28 from noon to 5 p.m.
Hosted by the Port Jefferson Business Improvement District (BID) in partnership with the Greater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, the festival is a fan favorite that bring hundreds in to admire and pose alongside handcrafted ice sculptures created by Guinness Book World Record holder ice carver Rich Daly.
But that’s not all. According to Barbara Ransome, director of operations at the Port Jefferson Chamber, there will also be a new horse-drawn wagon available for rides (fee) and the now-sold-out Mac and Cheese Crawl.
Visitors can enjoy live music, performances by local Shine Dance Company, ice skating demos at the Rinx as well as character photo opportunities and interactive games (cornhole, bowling and tic tac toe) — made out of ice, of course.
Daly, who has been the star of the festival throughout its entire run, said that this year will be “bigger and better than ever.”
“We have about 200 blocks of ice ready for both days,” he said. “And while the ice is awesome, there are a lot of activities for families to do in Port Jeff, so it’s a great event.”
Daly said that on Saturday alone, there will be about 30 sculptures around town outside different Port Jeff shops. Sunday there will be another set ready to photograph with.
And these are not small statues. The famed interactive graffiti ice wall set up in the Frigate parking lot stands large enough for a whole family to pose with, but what’s most fun to watch are the live ice carvings done by Daly in the flesh.
On both days, there will be three live ice carvings starting at 12 p.m. at Mill Creek Road, 2 p.m. at the Meadow Parking Lot and 4 p.m. at Pocket Park. Each carving lasts at minimum an hour.
As founder of Ice Memories Inc. based out of Mastic, Daly is one of only eight certified master carvers in the U.S. Since starting Ice Memories in 2000, Daly has won over 200 ice carving competition titles and received the Guinness World Record for carving 60 ice sculptures in under three hours.
Compared to previous festivals which included Olaf from Frozen, a turtle and a lighthouse, “There will be new characters this year like Spider-Man and Barbie,” Daly said. However, this won’t be your typical doll-sized blonde fashionista.
“She’s going to be a big girl,” Daly laughed. “She’ll be about 6-feet-tall and start off at 2,400 lbs of ice.”
A rain date is set for Feb. 3 and 4. The event and parking are free for both days. For a full schedule and map of events, visit www.portjeffchamber.com. For further information, please call 631-473-1414.
Comsewogue's Nicholas Flaherty pinned Joseph Delgado @145lbs. Photo by Bill Landon
Comsewogue’s Ben Field (top) defeats his West Islip opponent @ 138lbs. Photo by Bill Landon
Comsewogue’s Mason Mangialino (top) defeats Danny Alini of West Islip @ 124lbs. Photo by Bill Landon
Comsewogue’s Mason Mangialino (top) defeats Danny Alini of West Islip @ 124lbs. Photo by Bill LandonComsewogue’s Mason Mangialino (top) defeats Danny Alini of West Islip @ 124lbs. Photo by Bill Landon
Comsewogue’s Ben Field (top) defeats his West Islip opponent @ 138lbs. Photo by Bill Landon
Wrestling took center stage at Comsewogue High School in the Warrior Duals tournament in a multischool invitational that featured three mats of action-packed wrestling Saturday, Jan. 13.
Comsewogue’s Mason Mangialino the All-State standout made short work of this West Islip opponent in the opening round with a pin at the 1:59 mark at 124lbs. Teammates Ben Field followed at 138lbs with a pin in the closing seconds of the second period with Nicholas Flaherty ending his match at the 1:29 mark with a pin at 145lbs. Brandon Bermingham won at 285lbs with a pin at the 1:04 mark for the Warriors and Irving Cruz picked off his opponent at 170lbs at the 1:25 mark.
The Warriors are back in action when they travel to Harborfields High School Saturday, Jan. 20. First match is scheduled for 9 a.m.
Joan T. McCool-Kelly. Photo courtesy Bryant Funeral home
Joanie was born in Brooklyn to Joan B. (Geoghan) and Hugh B. McCool on Feb. 5, 1958. In 1965, she moved with her parents and sister Susan to Port Jefferson, the place that Joanie treasured most.
She was a graduate of Infant Jesus School, Seton Hall and then Mercy High School and Niagara University. Joanie’s bachelor’s degree in transportation, travel and tourism landed her a management position at Amtrak. It was there that she met and married Chuck Szynkiewicz and moved to Princeton, New Jersey. While there, Joanie began a new career as a mortgage lender.
Life eventually brought Joanie and Chuck back to Port Jefferson, where life was good. Joanie was a member of the initial team that got the Jefferson’s Ferry Lifecare Community off the ground. Joanie and Chuck, along with their beloved yellow Lab, Jack, enjoyed life in Port Jefferson and had many friends. This abruptly ended when Chuck passed away suddenly on the morning of Dec. 5, 2005. Joanie’s tremendous courage sustained her through this loss, as well as several serious health issues.
In December 2006, she met Pat Kelly, whom she married on Sept. 9, 2011, at St. Charles Chapel. Joanie and Pat enjoyed life on Long Island, spending time in Port Jefferson and taking in beautiful sunsets at the harbor. Every year, usually around June, they went on a cruise to Bermuda.
Joanie was completely devoted to her parents and took great pride in her niece and nephew, Annie and Timmy. She will be remembered for her extreme generosity and kind heart, her courage and loyalty and her sense of humor, mischief and fun. Joanie’s passing will leave a painful void in the lives of her family and countless friends.
She is survived by her husband Pat Kelly; her mom Joan McCool; her sister Susan Facciola; her niece Annie Facciola; and nephew Timmy Facciola. One of Joanie’s favorite charities was the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, where donations in her memory would be greatly appreciated (www.t2t.org).
S.H. West’s first blacksmith shop. Photo courtesy Beverly Tyler
By Beverly C. Tyler
The first of the West family line to come to the Three Village area were Mary Morris West and her two sons Kendall (known as Harvey) and Ebenezer. In 1836 Mary’s husband, Ebenezer West, died in Delaware. The 1850 census lists a Mary M. West, of the right age and birthplace, living in Connecticut with another family, suggesting she may have moved there from Delaware. By 1860, the West family bought a house on Old Town Road. Mary and Harvey were living there along with his wife, Mary Eliza Terrell, whose family lived just south at Walnut Tree Farm, and three children, including Samuel.
Samuel and Ida West and children on July 4, 1892. Samuel is holding his twins Harvey and Hazel West. There are seven children present. Mary, George and Ida were yet to be born. Photo courtesy Beverly Tyler
Carrie West, wife of Clinton West, noted that her father-in-law Samuel, born on April 8, 1953 in East Setauket, went to Bay Shore to learn the blacksmithing trade of George Thorne. Here, Samuel boarded with the Thornes and spoke of them as a fine family. In 1875, he bought the old Elbert Wheeler blacksmith shop that had earlier belonged to blacksmith William Smith, who owned the house on the corner of Main St. and Gnarled Hollow Road.
As told by Clinton’s son, Forrest West, “In April of 1881, West had a new shop built on the same site as his first and eventually added a two-story building next door where carriages were repaired.”
Carrie West noted, “Houses were built up to West’s blacksmith shop. Samuel West was a thorough high-class mechanic, a hard worker, a man of integrity, a devout Christian, a worker for temperance, devoted to his family and home. He had an extensive horse-shoeing trade where he shod the numerous running horses for the Vinguts, farm horses and many carriage horses for Strongs, Tinkers, Rebouls and many other well-known families from Miller Place to Smithtown. He was a clever ironworker; he did the carriage and wagon repair work for the community. He was a wagon maker and built farm wagons, light delivery wagons, and butcher wagons and sleds. He enjoyed hunting and he and Mr. Selah B Strong with their bird dogs enjoyed hunting together. They were great friends. Special horses were brought from a distance, because of his ability in handling them. His shop was a well-equipped, light shop, always very neat, and it has been said by his customers he was always so gentlemanly and courteous.”
Samuel West’s second blacksmith shop. Photo courtesy of Beverly C. Tyler
In 1879, Samuel married Ida Augusta Hulse. Together they kept house in a rented home on Station Road, now named Gnarled Hollow Road. Here, five of their children were born. In 1889, he built a spacious two-story house on the corner of Main St. (now 25A) and Bayview Ave, where five more children were born, the first being twins. A great tragedy came to this happy family when Ida Augusta died in 1899 at the birth of the tenth child.
Samuel’s only sister, Mary Emmaline Loper (Mrs Gilbert E. Loper Sr.) of Port Jefferson, took his tenth baby into her home and tenderly brought her up with their children. Although crushed in heart, Samuel, a faithful father, brought his large family up in a splendid useful manner, each helping the other. He lived to enjoy four generations. (Based on Carrie West’s notes).
West used the 1881 shop until the 1930s, practicing as one of two East Setauket blacksmiths (Henry Rakow, the other smith, operated a shop on Shore Road.) West’s shop moved in 1951 to become a part of what is now the Long Island Museum of American Art, History and Carriages in Stony Brook. The shop still can be seen with most of the equipment used by West to make and repair the metal parts of wagon wheels, shoe horses, and fashion various items that were essential to the community.
Samuel West in his blacksmith shop. Photo courtesy Beverly Tyler
As detailed in the “Island News” on August 15, 1932, “Three years and six months before entering the blacksmith trade, Mr. West went to sea with his father, who was by trade a spar maker. This October will end the 57th year he has been open for business on the same spot…One man in Miller Place calls in his car to take the smithy to his horse. He now charges $3 a head but [the Miller Place man] pays three and a half times as much for shoes. Mr. West says that when he first raised his price one customer sold his horses rather than pay it.”
It is difficult now to understand how important the blacksmith was to this community from the firstsettlement through the early twentieth century. The blacksmith was vital to the early farm family as he was an artisan, performing a trade in which few men had the ability to do themselves. Working mostly with iron, he produced hand-cut nails; farm tools, such as axes and hoes; cooking utensils, such as pot hooks, toasters and dippers; and hardware for houses and barns, including hinges and door bolts. He was also a farrier, shoeing horses and oxen. The blacksmith took a great deal of pride in his work as evidenced by the fine ornamental iron pieces that exist as candle holders, gates and other decorative accents. Many blacksmiths also provided various related or unrelated services for the community, such as pulling teeth for local residents and treating horses for minor ailments. These services were quickly abandoned when a doctor or a veterinarian was available
Beverly Tyler is Three Village Historical Society historian and author of books available from the Three Village Historical Society, 93 North Country Rd., Setauket, NY 11733. Tel: 631-751-3730. http://WWW.TVHS.org
Six years ago, Navy veteran Fred Acosta created a children’s card game called Red Light Green Light. His invention would, in the following years, go on to sell on an international scale.
The 76-year-old game inventor claimed that the secret to creating successful children’s games is “to have a good sense of humor.” He has been inventing all sorts of innovations for roughly 40 years with his brother, Nick Acosta. Both of the brothers were born in Brooklyn where they were raised. They eventually both served in the U.S. Army in the Vietnam War — Fred in the Navy and his brother in the Marines.
Fred Acosta shared how tight-knit he and his brother are. Acosta explained how he and his brother are “partners” in almost everything.
It seems that being an inventor runs through Fred Acosta’s blood. His father and both his brothers all share the common passion of innovating creations. According to Acosta, this familial talent hadn’t manifested itself until after he and his brother served in the Vietnam War. “When you’re an inventor, you’re an inventor 24/7,” Acosta said. “You’re always looking for something to improve upon.”
When Acosta returned home from the war, he got married, had a family and in 1981 moved to Port Jefferson. Acosta didn’t start making games officially until he was 36. “When you’ve got a family, you have to support them,” he said. Acosta outlined the various struggles he faced in pursuit of his passion: “An inventor can’t make money unless he sells an idea — it’s very hard, you’d be surprised.”
In respect to his game Red Light Green Light, Acosta admitted that he thought the key to the success of his game was because of its design carefully catered toward children. “It’s very popular because it’s extremely simple,” he said. “It’s also quick, so kids don’t get bored playing it.” The inspiration for the impressively rated game “just came” to Acosta who explained his spark of inspiration by saying “I’m a natural inventor.” Red Light Green Light has stunning reviews on Amazon and can be found at Kohl’s and Walmart.
While making a nice profit, it seems the success of Acosta’s creation carries a more sentimental reward for him. After many years of inventing games and dealing with the struggles a profession such as his brings, success is something heavy with importance for him.
“We’re in our 70s and we’re selling card games, you know?” said Acosta, referring to his brother and himself. “You’re never too old to create something successful.” Acosta is not only a game creator but he has also invented all sorts of different gadgets, some artwork and even done graphic designing.
Now, Acosta lives with his large family of three children and nine grandchildren in Port Jefferson. Even after his big success, Acosta is pursuing his passion and intends on creating more games in the future. He said he still previews his game inventions with his grandchildren before the games are sent out into the market.
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