Dawnwood Middle School student of the month, My’Kell Durham, with Assistant Principal Bruno Bernardino and teacher Margaret Porcelli, left photo. Selden Middle School student of the month, Logan Haberstroh, with Principal Andrew Bennett, right photo. Photos courtesy MCCSD
The Middle Country Central School District recently named My’Kell Durham and Logan Haberstoh as middle school students of the month for May, honoring the two students at a recent Board of Education meeting.
Dawnwood Middle School student My’Kell Durham is an energetic student with a vibrant energy, smile and welcoming personality. He is eager to help those around him, listen to his teachers and put in extra effort in all subject areas.
Throughout his years at Dawnwood Middle School, My’Kell’s growth as a student and individual has been recognized by teachers and peers. My’Kell has blossomed into a youngster exuding self-confidence and congeniality. Recently, My’Kell went around to students in his school to help raise awareness for the school’s dance and yoga fundraising event, culminating in the raising of $800.
Selden Middle School student Logan Haberstroh excels academically. He has maintained impressive grades throughout middle school, with grades regularly averaging 95 or higher. As a member of the National Junior Honor Society, Logan has done community service at a local home for disabled adults and has worked to improve the gardens at New Lane Elementary School, where he attended elementary school.
Logan enjoys being involved in the National Junior Honor Society, which provides him skills and knowledge to become a responsible local and global citizen.
For more information regarding the Middle Country Central School District and its students’ many achievements, please visit the district’s website: www.mccsd.net.
How should I travel to the recent Association for Recorded Sound Conference in Pittsburgh? Although the air flight from New York is short, I was shocked when I found the round trip would cost up to $500. A 430-mile car journey didn’t come into consideration.
Following a quick call to Amtrak and after negotiating the inevitable automated messages, I was quoted a return fare of $133.20 on the daily Pennsylvanian train.
After checking the Long Island Rail Road app, I found the connections between Stony Brook and Penn Station were workable, even if it meant all-day journeys to and from Pittsburgh on a Wednesday and a Sunday. I had the time.
With the booking made, I wondered how much extra a business-class seat would cost. When I was quoted $116.40 for the privilege, I accepted with alacrity. Why not travel in comfort? The total outlay was still half the price of an air flight without the hassle of going through LaGuardia Airport and the rest.
The 7:43 a.m. train from Stony Brook arrived on or close at Penn Station. After a short hike through the building site that is one of the premier U.S. rail stations, I arrived at bustling, brand-new Moynihan Train Hall in plenty of time for the 10.58 a.m. Amtrak train to Pittsburgh. We headed south on a perfect sunny day through New Jersey to Philadelphia before we veered west via Lancaster and Harrisburg. “This beautiful farming countryside is Trump country,” I mused to myself.
With a compelling book to hand, Mack McCormick’s “Biography of a Phantom: A Robert Johnson Blues Odyssey,” detailing the author’s travails through 1960s Mississippi in search of family and friends of the country blues legend, the hours flew by.
The business-class carriage was located next to the café car. The meals were hardly haute cuisine, rather adequate comfort food that was washed down with acceptable Pinot Grigio wine.
At one point, the conductor excitedly announced that we were approaching the World Famous Horseshoe Curve where Irish immigrant workers in the 1850s had constructed rail tracks from the side of the Allegheny Mountains. It was a sight I would never have savored from 35,000 feet in the air.
On past Amtrak trips, my trains had been held up for longish periods by freight convoys, including the Tropicana orange (blossom?) special from Florida. Passenger trains, it appeared, were playing second fiddle to the more profitable freights. For certain, Amtrak has suffered for years from underinvestment, lack of political will and poor reputation.
Still, our train, due in Pittsburgh at 7:58 p.m., was only 10-minutes late on a mellow sunlit evening. “Are there any taxi cabs at the station?” I asked the ever-polite conductors on my first visit to the reinvigorated Steel City. “Never seen any,” they said in unison.
With my Uber app on the blink, I tried the iPhone map and was delighted to find it was just a 10-minute walk up Grant Street to the conference hotel.
The closeness should have been no surprise. Amtrak rail and Greyhound bus stations were invariably built in or near city centers, not miles away on the outskirts. I found out later that taxi fares from the airport cost $60.
The music conference, after the pandemic hiatus, was good. Aside from seeing record-collecting and archivist friends old and new, there were excellent presentations on Harlem’s Apollo Theatre, pioneering blues pianist Leroy Carr and Pittsburgh disk jockey Porky Chedwick. A personal highlight was seeing the film, “How They Got Over: Gospel Quartets and the Road to Rock & Roll,” including a stunning black-and-white clip of the Consolers husband-and-wife duet from some 60 years ago.
And so the return journey to New York, starting out at 7:30 a.m., was more of the pleasant same, although on this occasion the Horseshoe Curve view was obliterated by, you guessed it, a freight train coming in the opposite direction.
Downhill with LIRR
The scheduled 4:50 p.m. Amtrak train arrived some 10 minutes early at Penn. There was a 5:10 LIRR train which meant a modest wait at Huntington for a Port Jeff connection but it avoided another change of train — and track — at Jamaica.
From here on, the journey went rapidly downhill. My trolley bag, indeed any suitcase, would not fit into the overhead rack. There was one pull-down seat but the space was taken up by a bicycle zealously guarded by its owner. I knew I would not be permitted to block the carriage walkway with my case. What to do? Luckily, a kind lady from Hudson Valley, on her way to JFK airport and London, made room for my bag — and me.
Consider this: LIRR is serving one of the world’s major airports yet is almost totally commuter focused. There is little or no thought given to travelers and their luggage. “Oh, for Amtrak’s business coach class,” I thought.
We arrived at Huntington on the opposite platform to the scheduled Port Jeff departure. “Use the elevator,“ the conductor helpfully announced. Not so fast. The contraption had broken down, not for the first time in my experience. And so I had to haul the trolley bag and myself up and down one of the long footbridges.
The train eventually limped into Stony Brook “on time” at 7:34 p.m. My journey from New York, allowing for the 36-minute stopover at Huntington, had taken 2 hours, 24 minutes — in the year of 2023. High-speed rail, anyone?
Is there any better argument for the electrification of the Port Jefferson Branch line – which services prestigious and populous Stony Brook University — along with a complete review of the LIRR system? How long are North Shore residents going to put up with a third-world rail service? Will the proposed Lawrence Aviation rail yard at Port Jeff Station happen? Yet there is no sign of any positive movement in the Metropolitan Transit Authority capital budgets, as the aging diesel trains continue to pollute the environment and potential riders take to the road in this age of climate change. I cannot forget I was spoiled by superefficient European trains in my younger life. America is a wonderful country, as I saw on my trip to Pittsburgh, but it deserves a better rail system everywhere. Meanwhile, our local elected officials — state, county, town, village — of every stripe should continue to lobby LIRR, MTA and Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) for a 21st-century railroad for the future benefit of us all.
John Broven, originally from England, is a copy editor with TBR News Media, and author of three award-winning American music history books.
Middle Country Public Library, 575 Middle Country Road, Selden hosts a Healthcare Job Fair on Wednesday, June 7 from10 a.m. to noon.
Join them to learn about hundreds of job opportunities within the healthcare industry from Suffolk County companies looking for local talent!
Representatives from Concern Housing, Elder Home Care, Long Island Community Hospital, Maryhaven, Northwell Health, NYU Langone Health, Options for Community Living, Our Lady of Consolation, Outreach Development Corporation, Samaritan Daytop Village, SightMD, Stony Brook Medicine, Stony Brook University Associates-SB Clinical Practice Management Plan, Inc., The Bristal Assisted Living, The Hamptons Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing, WellLife Network, Whisper Woods of Smithtown and more will be in attendance.
Suffolk County Community College’s new, 26,000 square foot, two-story, state-of-the-art Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) building opened on June 1 with a celebratory ribbon cutting featuring area high school students, elected officials, business leaders, scientific and robotics presentations, and the unveiling of The National Grid Center for Workforce and Energy Innovation. The building sits on the Michael J. Grant Campus in Brentwood. The high school students from Central Islip, Brentwood and Bay Shore participated in STEM related activities as well as informative panels about STEM careers.
“This beautiful new building will help Suffolk County Community College prepare a new generation of graduates for the demands of the STEM economy,” College President Dr. Edward Bonahue, said. “We are grateful for the generosity of our County and State sponsors and National Grid for their significant support of our mission to prepare students for service in our regional energy workforce. National Grid’s Project C program supports our mission and vision for Suffolk’s workforce future,” he said.
“This new state of the art building is a win-win for county residents looking to further their education in the STEM field at Suffolk County Community College,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. “I would like to extend my thanks to College President Dr. Edward Bonahue for always doing what’s best for his students and to National Grid and New York State for partnering with us on this initiative. It is always a pleasure to put forth a collaborative effort in providing clean and energy efficient facilities that benefit our residents.”
“It is essential as leaders in the public and private sector, that we work together to create educational and workforce opportunities that keep our highly educated students on Long Island. We look forward to having this incredible STEM center here in Brentwood in the Town of Islip, home to one of Suffolk County Community College’s premier campuses,” said Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter.
Suffolk County Community College Board of Trustee’s Chairman E. Christopher Murray said, “The new STEM building is a symbol of our commitment to excellence in STEM education. We are excited to see what our students will accomplish in this state-of-the-art facility.”
“As I leave the college’s Board of Trustees following 12 years of past service, I am delighted that one of my last acts is participating in today’s ribbon cutting, an event that looks to a sustainable future for the students of Suffolk County Community College and, indeed, a sustainable future for all of Long Island’s citizens,” said Suffolk County Community College Board of Trustees Vice Chair Jim Morgo.
“I am excited to join with SCCC in celebrating the opening of the new, net-zero energy, STEM building, funded by New York State and Suffolk County. This state-of-the-art facility will provide students with cutting-edge resources to excel in science, technology, engineering, and math. It showcases renewable energy and offers training in renewable energy systems, while accommodating over 1,600 students in various STEM disciplines. It represents our commitment to innovation, workforce development, and a sustainable future,” said Assemblyman Fred Thiele who was instrumental in garnering state funding for the building with now retired New York State Senator Kenneth LaValle.
“I am proud to have helped secure the state funding for this building, which will provide Suffolk County Community College students with the resources they need to succeed in the 21st century economy,” former New York State Senator and Chair of the State Senate Select Committee on Higher Education Kenneth P. LaValle said. “This building will help prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow, and it will ensure that Suffolk County remains a leader in innovation and economic development.”
The $21.3 million building — funded by New York State and Suffolk County — provides students with a new facility to learn chemistry, physics, engineering, math and other workforce initiatives, provides a showcase for the merits of renewable energy, and a facility where the installation, repair and maintenance of renewable energy systems can be taught as well as house laboratories and classrooms. The building will also be used for renewable energy training and other STEM related courses and certificate programs.
“National Grid is proud to partner with Suffolk Community College on this beautiful building and we are honored it has our name on it,” said Melanie Littlejohn, Vice President for New York Customer and Community Management at National Grid. We are committed to higher education and creating the clean energy workforce of the future. We are excited to announce the ‘National Grid Scholarship for Excellence in Renewable Energy Workforce Development,’ and we believe this will propel students to help develop a clean, sustainable, and equitable energy future.”
The National Grid Center for Workforce and Energy Education is supported by a generous $250,000 gift from National Grid that includes a National Grid Workforce and Energy Innovation Endowed Scholarship, part of a series of donations from National Grid including a campus beautification mural near the new STEM building, and solar trees – solar powered recharging stations with tables and seating – on the college’s Ammerman and Grant campuses. Solar Trees provide students and faculty with opportunities to better understand energy innovation on our campuses and throughout our community, said Dr. Sylvia A. Diaz, executive director of the Suffolk Community College Foundation.
The net zero energy building – the energy required to illuminate, heat, cool and ventilate the building will be equal to or less than the energy produced from renewable sources – will potentially be home to more than 1,600 STEM students taking courses in subjects including Biology; Computer Science: Information Technology; Cybersecurity; Environmental Science; Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning/Refrigeration and Marine Biology among others.
The completely electric building’s high-tech green roof has a 468 solar panel array that can generate 208 kW of power and will generate as much power as it consumes over the course of a year – – pulling power from the grid on high-energy consumption days and feeding power back to the grid on others. The building’s geothermal exchange system will reduce the energy needed to both heat and cool the building.
The building has new classrooms, meeting rooms and lab study space and includes:
– The National Grid Center for Workforce and Energy Education – an open symposium center with seating for 300 and computer and network accessibility.
– Biology lab and support lab
– Cybersecurity Lab
– Multi-use lab for solar technology and other programs
Chela Novak with Buddy. Photo courtesy of LI Game Farm
The Long Island Game Farm has announced the passing of their beloved blue-and-yellow macaw, Buddy. He was approximately 50 years old. The sad news was sent out in a press release on June 1.
Buddy came to the Manorville wildlife park and zoo in 1999, and had become one of first animals to greet visitors as they entered the park.
Chela Novak, whose family has owned and operated since 1970, was particularly close with Buddy and gave him a peanut ever day. She recalls he would say “Shut up, Gomez” when a rescued sulphur-crested cockatoo nearby got too loud. Buddy also loved dancing and would raise his wings for “Big Bird.”
Education is a critical element of the Long Island Game Farm’s work, and Buddy, along with fellow parrots, provided a unique opportunity for visitors to learn more about this intriguing species. He will be missed by game farm staff and visitors alike.
In the depths of the Long Island Sound, stationed among the crustaceans and fish, lie hundreds of thousands of lobster traps.
These traps, a shadow of a once-vibrant lobster industry, have been abandoned for decades. Yet still active, they perpetuate a dangerous trend for marine life: ghost fishing.
Ghost fishing isn’t a supernatural phenomenon. It is a problem created by humans. It is the result of fishermen abandoning old but sometimes still functioning lobster pots and similar fishing gear in the Long Island Sound. While there are few lobsters left, those that remain can still be trapped, along with other sea life. With no way to escape, they end up dying a needless death.
The problems don’t end there, as Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) explained. “People are like, ‘It’s fine, no one sees it,’” she said. “But that’s not true because a lot of these lobster pots are starting to break down. They’re partly plastic, and the plastic is polluting the water.”
The solution, the county legislator insisted, is to remove the ghost gear as soon as possible. New York state law, however, prohibits the removal.
“No person other than the licensee shall set out, tend, haul or unduly disturb, or take or remove lobsters from, a lobster pot or trap or other commercial gear, or damage, take, remove or possess such gear,” New York’s Environmental Conservation Law states.
While there have been efforts to remove the equipment, the near million derelict traps still there continue to take a toll on sea life. “My vision is to have a massive flotilla … go out to Long Island Sound, remove hundreds of thousands of lobster pots and ghost gear,” Anker said.
The problem gets worse with the realization that some of the fishermen aren’t around anymore, Anker added. “Maybe they’ve left the area, they’ve passed away, they’re no longer fishing in the area. There’s all kinds of reasons and it’s really a detriment to our local nautical community.”
To address these concerns, Anker is working with New York State Assemblyman Fred Thiele Jr. (D-Sag Harbor) to draft legislation that could allow the state to remove the ghost gear after a designated period of time.
Organizations such as the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County have joined the efforts to remove as many ghost traps as the law currently permits. “What happens is they pay the fishermen about $850 to charter their boat for the fishermen to go and then retrieve these pots,” Anker said.
According to a CCE statement made in March, 19,000 traps have been recovered from the Long Island Sound under this initiative. The traps are then recycled or returned to their owners, and burnable debris from them is converted into renewable energy.
Cooperation of the fishermen has helped the process. “These are local fishermen, and they want to do more,” Anker said. “They’re out there trying to make a living doing what they can.”
She added, “We have one of the largest seafood industries in the country and we have to keep our water clean.”
Anker is also working on a separate $2 million project funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that is focused on cleaning up the Sound and removing marine debris.
While there still may be many lengths to go before the Long Island Sound is free from ghost gear, with the help of lawmakers, organizations, and fishermen, the Sound floor could soon be friendly to all sea life, Anker hopes.
A scene from the NSGC's 2019 Flower Show. Photo from Leighton Coleman III
A scene from the NSGC's 2019 Flower Show. Photo from Leighton Coleman III
A scene from the NSGC's 2019 Flower Show. Photo from Leighton Coleman III
A scene from the NSGC's 2019 Flower Show. Photo from Leighton Coleman III
A scene from the NSGC's 2019 Flower Show. Photo from Leighton Coleman III
By Tara Mae
The allure of foliage and other flora is an alchemy of fanciful imagination, artistic interpretation, and scientific intuition. Such traditions, planted a century ago, will bloom with a renewed vision at the North Suffolk Garden Club’s (NSGC) annual garden show, “Sands of Time,” at Deepwells Mansion, 2 Taylor Street in St. James on Wednesday, June 7, from 1:30 to 4 p.m., and Thursday, June 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Members of the NSGC will be joined by different garden clubs from Long Island and around the country, including the Kettle Moraine Garden Club, whose members primarily hail from Waukesha County, Wisconsin.
Generally affiliated with the umbrella organization, Garden Club of America (GCA), all participating garden clubs will showcase their horticultural aptitude with a variety of individual and collaborative creations. As a juried show, entrees will be assessed by a panel of three GCA approved judges.
Featuring between 30 and 50 horticulture exhibits (plants and cuttings), approximately 12 floral exhibits, and a miniatures exhibit (tiny floral arrangement done in diminutive dimensions), “Sands of Time” is a testament to the NSGC’s robust history of industry and ingenuity.
“We are celebrating our 100th year with this centennial flower show as a way to display our abilities in horticulture, floral design, and photography,” flower show committee co-chair Deanna Muro said. “Our show is based on the history of our club…We picked a historic venue, Deepwells, to set a really nice stage for all our different displays relating to the history of the club and this area.”
With four distinct categories, Floral Design, Horticulture, Photography, and Education, the display explores how NSGC’s growth and development is reflected in the evolution of its surroundings. Every category has different classes that are a tribute and testament to the nature of life and budding environmental awareness in the 1920s.
“Each flower show must include an educational component. ‘Sands of Time’ focuses on 100 years of conservation, which has always been the root of the garden club. In the 1920s or 1930s, women of the NSGC, carrying their parasols and dressed in their finery, sailed down the Nissequogue River to draw attention to runoff and other water pollution. One of the classes is a floral homage to those parasols,” NSGC president Leighton Coleman III said.
From its inception, conservation was a primary concern of NSGC. Established at the onset of widespread automotive culture, the club quickly recognized its environmental hazards: air pollution, littering, disruption of natural plant and animal habitats, etc.
Thus, over the years NSGC has addressed issues both aesthetic and atmospheric, likebattling to ban roadside billboards; preserving scenic views and open spaces; promoting the plight of endangered waterways as it seeks to preserve them; highlighting the vulnerabilities of wildlife dependent on native plants; and creating community gardens.
Hosting this year’s event at Deepwells is itself an homage to this fertile history. It was the summer home of William Jay Gaynor, mayor of New York City from 1910-1913, and his wife Augusta Cole Mayer Gaynor, an avid gardener whose scrapbooks and other belongings will be present in the exhibition.
Intricately intertwined with the local cultural, climate, and communal past, NSGC was founded in 1923 by Smithtown residents. Accepted as an official member of the GCA in 1931, NSGC gained further prominence shortly after World War II when the club’s successful victory gardens and canning kitchens earned it government recognition.
Cited then as a club that others should emulate, NSGC’s membership base continues to strive for such excellence. Over the decades, through education and community outreach, it supported the successful effort to save the 500-acre Blydenburgh Park and amplified the importance of the Pine Barrens legislation in the 1980s. More recently, NSGC collaborated with the Stony Brook Yacht Club to restore the Stony Brook Harbor oyster beds.
Gardeners of NSGC are devoted to furthering its efforts in ecology and conservationism with the varied crop of projects it nurtures throughout the year. “Sands of Time” is just one element of the group’s ongoing effort to advance its original mission of conservationism as it engages the public in ecological and environmental awareness.
“We want to get people interested in gardening, conservation, and things associated with that, like indigenous plants, including pollinators,” Coleman said. “Our history of being involved in ecology dates back to the beginning of the club, starting with the development of auto culture in the 1920s, then expanding in the 1960s with revved up interest in ecology, dealing with pesticides, urban sprawl and development, and promoting habitat for endangered animals and parks.”
NSGC strives to promulgate such interests through its community outreach endeavors including maintaining the Long Island Museum’s herb garden and championing conservation and environmental endeavors on the local as well as national level.
“We are looking forward to letting the public know what we do and giving an idea of the importance of garden clubs…the flower show basically gives you an introduction of what the garden club does and a sense of community,” Rockwell-Gifford said.
The club currently consists of approximately 55 individuals, including retirees and professionals, many of whom are second or third generation members.
“I love all of the friendships I have made joining the garden club…Members are a dynamic mosaic — a real kaleidoscope of personalities. We welcome new people to join us,” Coleman III said.
In downtown Port Jefferson Saturday, May 27, we asked the passersby if they had ever considered moving away from Long Island and if so, why? Some had actually moved away and returned. Others said family and connection to the place they called “home” were contributing factors for staying on Long Island. While some people cited the high cost of living and taxes, only one native Long Islander committed to leaving the Island for this reason.
— Photos by Carolyn Sackstein
John Stoldt with daughter Jocelyn, 4, Mount Sinai
“We talk about either South Carolina or Florida.” He continued by saying that his wife “went to college down in Miami and she loved it, plus we like the warmer weather. Ultimately, it is because of the high taxes and the expenses here on Long Island. And there is less opportunity for jobs here for what I do. I manage warehouses, micro-fulfillment centers, distribution centers. There are not many on Long Island, so I have to commute into the city. That makes it difficult for a work-life balance.”
Michelle and John Chiappino, Smithtown
Michelle said, “I was born and raised in Smithtown, then I lived in Port Jefferson for 15 years. We lived in Nesconset, and now we are back in Smithtown.” Michelle explained they stay here “because it’s home, I really have no desire to go someplace else.”
John added, “It’s home. Leaving Long Island — there’s nowhere really to go. All our family is here.”
Nancy Volpi, Port Jefferson
“My business brought me here from Albertson 20 years ago. The shop, Carry-All Wine & Liquors, was in Mount Sinai. I still see a lot of my customers.” When asked what keeps her here, she added, “My son. He lives around the corner from me.” When asked if she ever thought about moving, she said, “Yes, I have a daughter in Knoxville, Tennessee and a son in Jupiter, Florida. Maybe someday the family will get back together.”
Larry Bramer, Shirley
“I have always lived in Shirley.” When asked what keeps him there, he replied, “The pay, the jobs. There are a lot of opportunities here.” When asked if he ever considered leaving, he replied, “I did leave for about a year. I went to Tampa Bay, Florida. It was beautiful. It was just very hard to survive there. We found work. My wife and I went there for a new start, but it was just hard. There are just a lot of opportunities in New York. That’s why we came back here.”
Maureen Corrdeliso, Mount Sinai
“We are connected with friends. Our medical care is really good here — that’s a big thing — between the two hospitals [in Port Jeff] and Stony Brook. And we are close to the city. I like Long Island. I have spent most of my life here. It’s home. If you go somewhere, you have to start off anew. I don’t want to do that.”
Karla Jimenez, Stony Brook
“I am from Mexico City. My sister moved here, and I kind of just followed her. I have been here 25 years. I finished high school here, and then got my associates [degree] from Suffolk [County Community College].” When asked if she would leave she replied, “No. I married young and have three kids. My oldest is about to [attend] The Stony Brook School. We are home schooling the younger children. They will go to The Stony Brook School. I just like the way we are set. We get the four seasons. We have the beach, and we have the city.”
Joseph Lubrano, Shirley
“Yeah, we are going to move away when I retire [and] get Social Security. We already have a house in Maggie Valley, North Carolina. It is on the western border. Taxes! I can’t afford to retire here. $13,000-a-year here. There, it is only $1,500. How do you compare?”
The Golden Rule, a peace ship manned by Veterans for Peace, enters Port Jefferson Harbor. Photo by Aidan Johnson
By Aidan Johnson
The Golden Rule, a peace ship operated by Veterans for Peace, docked in Port Jeff on Friday, May 26, encouraging conversations about ending wars, raising environmental consciousness and promoting nuclear disarmament.
Over a dozen people welcomed the vessel into Port Jeff Harbor. As it arrived, crew members, led by Captain Steve Buck, symbolically asked permission to dock and come ashore from members of the Setalcott Nation. This Native American tribe had initially inhabited the land.
Myrna Gordon, a member of the North Country Peace Group and coordinator of the docking ceremony, said plans for the event were in the works for over four months. NCPG had also collaborated with the South Country Peace Group and the Conscience Bay Quakers, among other local peace groups.
Veterans for Peace were looking for a North Shore harbor to dock their ship. When their original plans to bring their boat to Northport didn’t work out, Port Jefferson was suggested.
“I jumped on board and said this is the most beautiful harbor on the North Shore,” Gordon said. “We have a park. We have all the facilities. We have an agreeable government who will willingly accept the boat for a few days.”
After docking, Catherine Green, a representative of Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket), read a proclamation in which the Suffolk County Legislature recognized the efforts of the crew of the Golden Rule in the cause of peace on earth. Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) also presented a proclamation on behalf of Brookhaven, establishing the date as Veterans for Peace Day.
Village of Port Jefferson Mayor Margot Garant suggests Conifer Realty’s Port Jefferson Crossing project, pictured above, may help ease workforce housing shortages. File photo by Raymond Janis
By Aidan Johnson
Decades-old fears over a possible Long Island “brain drain,” or people in their 20s and 30s leaving the region, have not been quelled. Instead, some are worried that the brain drain has spread to other age demographics as well.
Martin Cantor, director at the Long Island Center for Socio-Economic Policy, suggests every age demographic is looking to escape the Island.
“The young don’t come and stay,” he said. “Most kids, if they go away to college, don’t come back. The middle class is leaving because it’s too expensive.”
‘We’re just too darned expensive to live here.’
— Martin Cantor
While some suggest that this may be due to a lack of housing options, Cantor is not entirely on board with this diagnosis. “There is a general feeling out there that they want to blame people leaving [on the] housing options and, to an extent, yeah,” but this doesn’t paint the complete picture, he said. “It’s because we’re just too darned expensive to live here, plain and simple.”
Sal Pitti, former vice president of the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Civic Association, is moving to Florida. His case exemplifies how even prominent local leaders feel the squeeze of high costs, fleeing the communities they helped build and grow due to financial pressures.
“I’m retired from the NYPD, so I’m pretty much on a fixed income,” he said in a phone interview. “My wife’s been working, and her salary has gotten better over the last few years … but with the rising amount of taxes and everything else that’s going on on Long Island, it’s pretty much going to be unsustainable.”
Instead of waiting a few more years, Pitti and his wife decided to take advantage of the recent high spot in the housing market and were able to sell their home relatively quickly.
Problems also arise with Long Island’s minimum wage, which currently stands at $15 — the same as for New York City and Westchester, with the rest of the state at $14.20. Even though the Long Island rate is more than double the $7.25 national minimum wage, it is still not nearly enough to afford a two-bedroom apartment at fair market rent.
According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s 2021 Out of Reach report, the minimum hourly wage necessary to afford a two-bedroom apartment in the Nassau-Suffolk HUD Metro Fair Market Rents Area is $39.13. This means that two local adults working full time on minimum wage could still not afford an apartment.
In an interview, Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) described his conversation with one homeowner who, along with her husband, works a minimum wage job. To afford the mortgage, she had to work two shifts.
The simultaneous problems of low wages and high rents represent a conundrum for policymakers. The interplay of local and societal factors can make this puzzle even more problematic.
“I don’t know what the answer is,” Kornreich said. “I don’t know how we value work in a way that allows people to do important work that’s societally vital” while also paying workers “enough that they can afford just to live a basic existence.”
While Long Island’s minimum wage will continue to increase — set to reach $17 an hour by 2026 — that would still not be enough to afford a two-bedroom apartment.
Village of Port Jefferson Mayor Margot Garant described her administration’s efforts to cater for affordable housing options.
“There is nothing that we’re going to do to stop building more workforce housing as long as I’m involved,” Garant said.
‘It just shows the need for clean, affordable workforce housing.’
— Margot Garant
The village mayor described the heavy demand for affordable housing, with roughly 1,300 applications being submitted for Conifer Realty’s Port Jefferson Crossing project in Upper Port that offers 45 apartments based on the median income in the area.
“It just shows the need for clean, affordable workforce housing,” Garant said.
While new affordable housing units may partially help alleviate some of the housing shortages throughout the region, it is not a solution to the overarching problem of high expenses.
To ease economic pressures on Long Island, Cantor urged policymakers to worry about costs and cut spending where possible.
“Nobody is worrying about costs,” he said, suggesting regional income taxes replace property taxes. “This way, people pay based upon what they earn, not the value of their assets.”
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