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By Default: Gallery celebrates spirit and work of Jeffrey K. Fisher

by TBR Staff - March 26, 2015

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queensboroughw — 'Queensborough,' oil on prepared acid free paper. Image from Gallery North

Gallery North is mourning the loss of illustrator and friend Jeffrey K. Fisher. Beginning Friday, March 27, the gallery honors this dynamic illustrator with a one-man show titled “By Default: The Work of Jeffrey K. Fisher.”

Judith Levy, director of Gallery North, speaks of Fisher with both tears in her eyes and a smile on her face. “I knew Jeff for four and a half years. He helped me with a couple of important exhibitions. He was an exuberant person!”

The name of the show evolved from a joke Fisher had with Levy in which he said he was “only in the Gallery’s shows by default.” It was his tongue-in-cheek way of joking about why his work was included in its shows. Fisher’s passing has left a void in the art community. Levy said the reception and show will “represent the spirit, the energy and the fun of Jeffrey Fisher.”

Fisher, an award-winning artist, cast his spell on everyone he met. Adrian Sinnot, illustrator and friend of Fisher, shared words of praise, which will resonate with those who knew the artist. “He was a giant of a man both physically and artistically. At 6 feet 4 inches he towered over the members of the Berndt Toast Gang, the Long Island chapter of the National Cartoonists Society.” He continued to say that Jeff was a “prime example of a fellow artist who was always willing to help other artists in the highly competitive professional work they were engaged in.”

Artist Jeffrey K. Fisher at last year's 'The Drawn Word' opening reception. Photo by Jeff Foster — Artist Jeffrey K. Fisher at last year’s ‘The Drawn Word’ opening reception. Photo by Jeff Foster

From professional organizations such as the Society of Illustrators to his formation of the Long Island Drawing Studio in Smithtown, to the Joe Bonham Project, Fisher left behind many people who miss his presence. Amanda Reilly, a freelance illustrator who was a student of Fisher’s for two years, at the Drawing Studio, is grateful for his guidance. “He always found the time to talk to me about my work and I will always remember the support and confidence he gave me. Through his continued criticism, he made me realize that I am always learning and growing.” Reilly laughed about the crazy drawing exercises he would make them do, such as drawing with their nondominate hand or with their feet. Reilly and other members of the studio are proudly renaming the studio “The Jeffrey K. Fisher Studio” to honor the commitment and dedication he shared with the students.

Victor Juhasz, fellow illustrator, met Fisher in the early 2000’s when they were serving on the board of directors for the Society of Illustrators. Juhasz reflected, “Jeff was one of those guys who goofed around but when he talked about art and drawing he was utterly fluent and poetic.” Juhasz and Fisher worked together on the “Joe Bonham Project” where they would spend hours talking to wounded service members about their war experiences while documenting their stories through drawings. “I literally think of him almost every day,” said Juhasz.

Fisher offered so much of his life and passion to the art community and his family. Sinnot added with pride, “[Fisher’s] passing leaves a great hole in the lives of the many thousands of people he touched through his teaching and his art. One of the great things we do as artists is to leave behind a part of ourselves in our work for future generations to share and enjoy.”

“By Default” offers visitors an opportunity to experience an array of work that Fisher created over the years, which according to Levy “includes a variety of illustrations prepared for various books and other publications.”

'Babe Ruth,' ink sketch. Image from Gallery North — ‘Babe Ruth,’ ink sketch. Image from Gallery North

“To see one of Jeff’s pieces brings him back to us if only for a moment. If you never had the chance to know Jeff, get to know his work, as he lives and breathes through it,” reflected Sinnot, Fisher’s friend and colleague of 25 years.

Please join Gallery North on Friday, March 27, from 5 to 7 p.m. for the opening reception, which will not only honor Fisher but also keep alive his humor with live caricaturists and calligraphers drawing for guests.

“By Default” will run from March 27 through April 17. Gallery North is located at 90 North Country Road in Setauket. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. For more information contact Gallery North at 631-751-2676 or visit www.gallerynorth.org.

Let’s hear it for the ladies

by Erika Karp - March 25, 2015

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Women's-Recognition-Group1w — The 2015 Women's Recognition Awards honorees. Photo from Town of Brookhaven

Brookhaven Town celebrated some of its most dedicated women at the town’s 29th Annual Women’s Recognition Night on March 19. Twelve women were honored at the reception for their commitment and excellence in their respective endeavors.

Every year, Brookhaven residents nominate women who either live or work in the town to receive the award. Members of the town’s Women’s Advisory Board then select the honorees based on resumes and letters of recommendation. Winners are selected in a variety of areas and professional fields including business, community service and health care. Below are the 2015 honorees.

Business: Lorice Belmonte, Patchogue, The Colony Shop owner
Community Service Professional: Linda Bily, Selden, Stony Brook Cancer Center director of patient advocacy
Community Service Volunteer: Michelle L. Benincasa, Patchogue, South Country Ambulance Co. emergency medical technician
Education: Deborah A. Lang, Middle Island, Longwood Central School District educator
Government: Sophia Serlis-McPhillips, Stony Brook, Middle Country Public Library director
Health Care Provider: Pamela Koch, Yaphank, Stony Brook University Hospital certified nurse midwife and clinical instructor
Law: Karen M. Wilutis, Miller Place, Suffolk County District Court judge
Law Enforcement: Gail P. D’Ambrosio, Port Jefferson Station, Suffolk County senior probation officer
Medicine: Dr. Alice J. Kolasa, Mount Sinai, John T. Mather Memorial Hospital director of palliative medicine
Religion: Grace G. LoGrande, Selden, St. Margaret of Scotland Roman Catholic Church volunteer
Science: Dr. Nancy C. Marshall, Port Jefferson, Stony Brook University professor
Visual and Performing Arts: Judith Levy, Stony Brook, Gallery North director

Smithtown celebrates first baby of 350th year

by TBR Staff - March 25, 2015

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The-Family-w — Parents Glenda Corvera and Jose Granados welcome baby Christopher Granados to the world as Patrick Vecchio, supervisor of Smithtown, offers them honorary residence. Photo from Karla Mason

Smithtown’s St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center welcomed a newborn baby only a day after the town marked the beginning of its sesquarcentennial.

Baby Christopher Granados met his parents Glenda Corvera and Jose Granados when he was born March 4 at 8:49 a.m., weighing 8 pounds, 3.4 ounces at birth.

Members of the Smithtown 350 Foundation officially welcomed the infant as the first to be born since the town celebrated its 350th year. Although Christopher was born at a medical facility in Smithtown, the couple who had him are actually residents of Brentwood.

Smithtown Supervisor Patrick Vecchio (R) awarded the family with honorary lifetime residence in the town of Smithtown during a reception in St. Catherine of Siena’s own St. Luke’s Medical Library.

“Christopher is a star already,” said father Granados.

To further congratulate the family, the couple received a gift basket with baby essentials and $350 for their new son’s savings.

“We are proud of the staff at St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center and are happy to be part of the 350th birthday celebration of Smithtown,” said Paul Rowland, St. Catherine’s executive vice president and CAO. “We are all pleased to have the first sesquarcentennial baby here at the hospital and look forward to participating in future events.”

Suffolk County requires liquid nicotine warning signs

by Erika Karp - March 25, 2015

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Bellone signs Anker's legislation into law

Anker_YoungAdultHousing_KARP6w — Sarah Anker introduced the legislation to require the warning signs last year. File photo by Erika Karp

Suffolk County retailers who sell liquid nicotine will now have to display a sign warning customers of the possible dangers associated with the product.

On Monday, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) signed the legislation into law, which officials say is the first of its kind in the nation. The bill was sponsored by Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) and seeks to educate consumers about liquid nicotine — an ultra-concentrated nicotine substance used in e-cigarettes. The product could be poisonous if swallowed, inhaled or if it comes in contact with skin. Anker pitched the legislation in December following the death of a Fort Plain, N.Y., one-year-old who ingested the product.

“This potent and possibly toxic product requires regulation, and without leadership from the federal Food and Drug Administration, Suffolk County must move forward to protect our residents with the required warning sign,” Anker said in a press release.

Calls to poison control centers regarding liquid nicotine poisoning have increased throughout the last few years, according to the press release. In 2012, there were fewer than 100 cases of nonlethal liquid nicotine poisoning; in 2013, the number rose to 1,300; and in 2014, the number jumped to 4,000.

The Suffolk County Department of Health Services will enforce the law and provide the downloadable warning signs. The law will take effect 90 days from filling with the Office of the Secretary of State.

Businesses in violation of the law could receive an up to $250 fine for a first offense. Fines increase to $500 for a second offense and $1,000 for a violation thereafter.

Last year, the county prohibited the sale of e-cigarettes and liquid nicotine to anyone younger than 21 years old.

Domestic violence reform passes Suffolk County Legislature

by Phil Corso - March 24, 2015

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KaraHahn_03242015_PhilCorsow — Legislator Kara Hahn, center, speaks about her domestic violence bill as officials look on. Photo by Phil Corso

This story was last updated on March 25.

The Suffolk County Legislature stood united Tuesday as it approved a new bill that will change the way police and advocacy agencies approach domestic violence by taking a new look at different risk factors.

The bill, which County Executive Steve Bellone (D) said he will sign into law, emphasizes a three-pronged approach: directing county police to assign grades of recidivism risk to offenders, providing domestic violence victims with self-assessment opportunities, and linking them up with advocates to deliver more resources. County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket), who introduced the bill, plugged the measure alongside Bellone, Presiding Officer DuWayne Gregory (D-Amityville) and other Suffolk leaders just hours before the Legislature voted Tuesday evening, with 16 legislators in favor and one absent at the time of the vote.

“One out of four women in the United States will experience some type of domestic violence during her lifetime, and every year more than 1,500 of these women will be killed by their abusers,” Hahn said. “Key to addressing this issue is to realize that over half of domestic violence victims who are murdered, or are the victim of an attempted murder … did not accurately perceive his or her risk.”

According to the state Division of Criminal Justice Services, 38 domestic violence-related homicides have been reported in Suffolk County between 2009 and 2013.

The legislation plays off of a Portland, Ore., police initiative that assesses risk for intimate partner violence — an initiative that Suffolk police used on a limited basis. The 20-question assessment, lawmakers argued, helps victims see how much danger they are in while also linking them up with advocacy groups near them.

As far as the offenders go, Bellone and Sgt. Kelly Lynch, commanding officer for the Suffolk County Police Department’s Domestic Violence Bureau, said cops will use a new danger assessment tool to identify at-risk victims and assign a level of risk to previous offenders on a scale of one to 13, with the highest number meaning they are most likely to repeat an offense.

“This computer program automatically collects and analyzes data from internal police records and produces a score that will identify offenders who are most likely to ‘recidivate’ in domestic violence offenses,” Lynch said. “Domestic violence officers will use this tool to contact the victims and families who are associated with these high-risk offenders.”

Bellone called the legislation both a personal and professional endeavor for Hahn and described domestic violence as one of the most important issues facing the county.

“As the police are some of the first people to come into contact with victims of domestic violence, it is important that they have access to proven assessment tools and the most effective resources to best serve and protect victims,” he said. “This legislation will do just that.”

Laura Ahern, executive director of the Crime Victims Center at Parents for Megan’s Law, said the 20-question self-assessment will better identify certain risk factors, making violence more predictable and preventable. She said lawmakers must pay close attention to the victims of such crimes and help empower them to prevent future incidents.

“This is an enormous step,” Ahern said. “All three components of this bill empower domestic violence victims. The police department will then use objective means to assess, identify and help these victims.”

Leftenant pleads not guilty to attempted murder of police officer

by Barbara Donlon - March 23, 2015

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DA says suspect faces life in prison if convicted of shooting Mark Collins

DA-Tom-Spota-SheldonLeftenant-PressConference-Riverhead-032015-Donlon2w — District Attorney Tom Spota says Sheldon Leftenant faces life in prison if convicted of shooting police officer Mark Collins. Photo by Barbara Donlon

A shot in the neck was close to fatal for a Suffolk County cop injured in the line of duty, according to a details of the struggle with his alleged shooter law enforcement officials recapped last week.

District Attorney Tom Spota released new details surrounding the March 11 shooting of Suffolk County Police Officer Mark Collins in a news conference on Friday afternoon. The DA said after investigators spoke with Collins, they found out the play-by-play of what happened that night in Huntington Station.

The suspect, Sheldon Leftenant, 22, of Huntington Station was indicted by a grand jury in Riverhead on Friday shortly before the news conference. Leftenant pleaded not guilty to attempted aggravated murder of a police officer, resisting arrest and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

The suspect could be facing up to life in prison if convicted of the charges, Spota said.
Collins, who worked for the 2nd Precinct’s gang unit, pulled over the vehicle where Leftenant, who is allegedly a member of the “Tip Top Boyz” gang, was a passenger. After being asked to get out of the vehicle, the suspect fled out of the right rear passenger door and Collins chased after him.

“Collins gave chase, he had his police-issued taser in hand,” Spota said. “He never drew his weapon.”

The officer continued to chase Leftenant when he cornered the suspect, after Leftenant was not being able to open a gate at 11 Mercer Court. A confrontation took place and the officer tasered Leftenant. The officer was unaware the suspect had a gun, Spota.

“Collins successfully deployed his taser twice in Leftenant’s back and while it brought the defendant to the ground, unfortunately it did not completely immobilize him,” Spota said.

The officer dropped down to handcuff Leftenant when a struggle ensued. At that point, Collins was on top of Leftenant and reported seeing two blue flashes and hearing four gunshots in quick succession. The officer was shot in the neck and hip. The neck shot, had it been any closer, could have hit the carotid artery and killed him, officials said.

“Police Officer Collins knew right away he had been shot because he couldn’t feel anything on his right side and he couldn’t move at all his right arm or his right leg,” Spota said.

Collins began to try and drag himself over to a stoop on the property, as he was trying to protect himself the best he could.

“He tried to draw his weapon, but he had lost the complete use of his right arm, right leg, that’s why he is actually crawling to get over here,” the DA said, pointing to a spot on a photo of the crime scene where the officer went to protect himself.

Spota said Collins knew the gun was .38 caliber revolver and that there were at least two shots left. He covered himself with his police-issued bullet proof vest and faced it towards the suspect, as he felt Leftenant would walk over and shoot him again.

After allegedly shooting the officer, Leftenant fled and dropped the weapon in the backyard of 13 Mercer Court. He then ran about a quarter-mile away from the scene and hid. According to Spota, canine units quickly arrived and found the gun and Leftenant.

Two bullets were found inside the Mercer Court home where the struggle took place. While people were home as the two struggled outside, no one was injured by the shots.

After court, Leftenant’s lawyer Ian Fitzgerald said the defendant was sorry to be in this situation, but wouldn’t comment any further.

“I don’t think he showed any mercy at all, after all he fires two shots one in his neck virtually point blank range, that doesn’t tell me there is any mercy at all,” Spota said.

During Leftenant’s arraignment, a handful of the suspect’s family members were in the audience. While they wouldn’t comment, they left the courtroom chanting, “Free Shel.”

Rocking St. Baldrick’s like a Hurricane

by TBR Staff - March 23, 2015

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Locals stopped by Hurricane Grill & Wings on Route 112 In Port Jefferson Station on March 22 to go bald for a good cause.

The bold attendees shaved their heads or cut their hair short to raise money for childhood cancer research through the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. Many of those buzzing their heads clean were children themselves.

There is another St. Baldrick’s shaving event in the area coming up, on Saturday, March 28. The event will be at Schafer’s restaurant, on West Broadway in Port Jefferson, from 6 to 9 p.m.

St. Baldrick's Foundation

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Miller Place gearing up for driver’s ed program

by TBR Staff - March 23, 2015

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CarsTrafficHighwayDrivingw — Miller Place officials proposed a driver's education program for next year. Stock photo

The Miller Place school district plans to bring a driver’s education program back to the district after roughly 10 years without it.

At the Feb. 25 budget meeting, Superintendent Marianne Higuera included a summer pilot driver’s education program in the budget — at no cost to the district. She said course fees would cover the cost of the self-sustaining program.

The district decided to add the program back as there is no location in Miller Place for students to take driver’s education. Currently, they must travel to neighboring districts or schools to participate.

No details have been made regarding the program, but the district expects to have more information at the end of May.

Grant to help restore Vanderbilt marine collection

by TBR Staff - March 20, 2015

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The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum has received a grant of $135,000 from The Robert D. L. Gardiner Foundation to support the restoration of the museum’s extensive marine collection, the largest privately assembled collection of sea specimens from the pre-atomic era.

William Vanderbilt (1878-1944) created his Marine Museum, which he called The Hall of Fishes, in 1922. He stocked it with marine specimens collected during voyages to the Galapagos Islands and opened it to the public for a few hours a week. He added to the collection after his circumnavigations of the globe in 1928-29 and 1930-31.

Jennifer Attonito, executive director of the foundation, said, “The Vanderbilt Museum is a Long Island gem and a major anchor of local history. We are proud to help preserve this valuable collection to benefit museum visitors and to help raise awareness of Long Island’s heritage.”

The Gardiner Foundation, established in 1987 in Hampton Bays, supports the study of Long Island history, with an emphasis on Suffolk County. The foundation was inspired by Robert David Lion Gardiner’s personal passion for New York history.

Stephanie Gress, the Vanderbilt’s director of curatorial affairs, said, “The Gardiner Foundation grant will help us to restore and preserve many rare specimens in our Marine Museum that have long needed critical attention. Our marine collection is the foundation for several key Vanderbilt education programs that serve Long Island schools.”

The Vanderbilt marine collection of 13,190 specimens is housed in the Marine Museum, Habitat and Memorial Wing. Of these, she said, 919 are invertebrates in fluid (displayed in “lots” — from two to many in a single display container); 719 dry fish specimens; 1,746 wet fish specimens in lots and 9,806 dry marine invertebrates (shells and corals). Dry specimens are exhibited on the first floor of the Marine Museum, wet specimens on the second floor.

The two largest marine specimens are a 32-foot whale shark — caught in 1935 and restored in 2008 with a federal Save America’s Treasures grant — and an imposing manta ray, caught in 1916 and restored many years ago, with a 16.5-foot wingspan. William K. Vanderbilt II called it the “Sea Devil.”

Gress said cartilaginous fish, such as sharks and rays, which have spines of cartilage instead of bone, are the most difficult to preserve. Another problem is the age of the collection — many of Vanderbilt’s earliest specimens are nearly 100 years old. When preservation fluid (ethanol and distilled water) in specimen containers degrades the wax seals, comes in contact with air and evaporates, specimens can decompose, she said.

The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum is located at 180 Little Neck Rd., Centerport. For more information, call 631-854-5579 or visit www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

History close at hand: Spy books tell tales of North Shore’s past

by TBR Staff - March 20, 2015

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2013-05-04-SPIES!BikeTour-2w — Residents make their way through a Culper Spy Ring tour in East Setauket. File photo

In 1954, at the age of 15, I read “The Man Who Never Was” by Ewen Montagu. I loved this 160-page book about a successful intelligence operation, called Operation Mincemeat, that used a dead body as a fictitious British Marine Officer to convince Hitler and the German generals that the invasion of southern Europe would take place in either Sardinia or Greece instead of in Sicily, where the actual amphibious landing took place in 1943.

This year, I just completed the book “Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured and Allied Victory.” Published in 2010 and written by Ben Macintyre, this 400-page book brought to life the declassified details that were still secret until very recently.

Along the way, Macintyre enumerates the many intelligence operations that were conducted during World War II. He details the German spies who were turned to work for the British and provide false information back to Germany. He also elaborates about the spies in Spain, Germany, Italy and France who worked for the Allies, as well as the spies and intelligence leaders who worked for the Axis.

As a youth, I loved the stories that came out of World War II including “Reach for the Sky” by Paul Brickhill, published in 1954, a true story about Douglas Bader, a fighter pilot who lost his legs but continued to fly with artificial legs. I also loved the “Hornblower” series, novels by C. S. Forester, the historical novels of France in the 17th and 19th centuries by Alexandre Dumas and the American novels of the period from the Revolutionary War through the War of 1812 by Kenneth Roberts, especially the novel “Rabble in Arms.”

One of the books that really got my attention was “The Spy” by James Fenimore Cooper, written in 1821. In the introduction, Cooper noted that the man in charge of a secret committee for Congress, later determined to be John Jay, employed a spy, a common man of no great wealth, “but cool, shrewd, and fearless by nature,” who penetrated the center of British military activity in America and kept a steady stream of intelligence flowing to General Washington. I always had an idealistic idea that this spy was a member of the Setauket-based Culper Spy Ring if not its leader. The novel, “The Spy,” however, transfers the location of activity to Westchester County, Cooper’s home territory and the no-man’s land between British and American lines. This was exactly where Dragoon Major Benjamin Tallmadge, who ran the operations of the Culper Spy Ring, operated for much of the war.

If you have not visited the exhibit SPIES! at the Three Village Historical Society, this might be a good time to see the exhibit and learn the true story of the Culper Spy Ring. The story will be dramatized, sometimes wildly, for the second year on the AMC cable network beginning on Monday, April 13, 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. The television series is called “Turn.”

Beverly Tyler is the Three Village Historical Society historian.

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