By Bill Landon
The Three Village Historical Society hosted their annual Candlelight House Tours on Dec. 6 and 7. It was the 45th edition of the time-honored tradition where six historical homes opened their doors for guided tours, offering a glimpse into yesteryear. These windows into the past took place in the East Setauket historic district this year.
To learn more about the TVHS, visit www.tvhs.org or call 631-751-3730.
This December, the Long Island Gay Men’s Chorus (LIGMC) invites its audience to join with them as they “Make a Joyful Noise” to celebrate their love of singing and the spirit of the holiday season.
During concerts set for 6 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8 at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 12 Prospect St., Huntington village; 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13 at St. Francis Episcopal Church, 1692 Bellmore Ave., North Bellmore; and 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14 at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at Stony Brook, 380 Nicolls Road, East Setauket, LIGMC will fire up the musical sleigh for a first half dedicated to the joy of singing and a rollicking second half filled with holiday favorites and surprises. Tickets are $25 and are available for purchase at the door or online at https://www.ligmc.org/concerts.
“The joy of singing is what brings these men together season after season, and the camaraderie and musicianship that grows from this bond is certainly something to celebrate!” said LIGMC Artistic Director and Accompanist Jeanette Cooper. “As showtime draws closer, I just know that the hard work of every single one of our choristers is going to give you something to remember and cherish.”
Earlier this season, LIGMC’s 19 singers hosted its “Heroes and Villains” cabaret brunch at VFW Post 433 in Sayville. Earlier in the fall, members sang the National Anthem at the Village of Manorhaven Sept. 11 memorial ceremony for the second consecutive year. Looking ahead, LIGMC members are set to make the trek to Manhattan on Wednesday, Dec. 18 to perform in the lobby of the InterContinental Barclay New York, continuing a longstanding holiday tradition of spreading holiday cheer in the Big Apple.
“This season, we have had the pleasure of welcoming five new singers to LIGMC’s ranks – each of whom has quickly made their own mark on our brotherhood of song,” said Bill McCarthy, President of LIGMC’s Board of Directors. “We have found each other through the universal language of song – and this holiday season, we are looking forward to celebrating the season and sharing our unifying love of music with all of you.”
About the Long Island Gay Men’s Chorus (LIGMC)
The Long Island Gay Men’s Chorus is a volunteer, not-for-profit, community-based organization that provides diverse audiences with high-quality choral performances and musical experiences. LIGMC uses music to unite the LGBTQ+ community, fight prejudice and discrimination, foster a welcoming and inclusive space for LGBTQ+ individuals to be their authentic selves and explore their diversified interests, and affirm the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community to the region’s cultural life.
By Toni-Elena Gallo
After an extended vote-counting process, Rebecca Kassay has defeated incumbent Assemblyman Ed Flood (R-Port Jefferson). Official results and certification are expected from the Board of Elections in the coming weeks. As of now, Kassay is leading Flood by 813 votes.
Kassay released a statement on her Facebook page Tuesday, Nov. 26, declaring victory in the race for New York State Assembly District 4. She wrote, “After a spirited campaign, I am declaring victory in the race for New York State Assembly District 4, having secured an insurmountable lead over my opponent, Ed Flood. Official results and certification are expected from the Board of Elections in the coming weeks.”
Kassay added, “I am heartened by our community’s trust in me to bring public service back to politics. It will be a great honor to represent District 4 in the New York State Assembly and to deliver resources to our communities. As discussed during civic debates and at residents’ doors throughout my campaign, I will serve with a community-up approach — one that prioritizes transparency, communication and meaningful action on pressing issues.”
Assemblywoman-elect Kassay has already begun laying the groundwork to ensure she and her team “hit the ground running and serve the district effectively on day one.”
“Throughout the coming weeks, I will be meeting with civic groups, school district representatives, nonprofits, first responders, local government officials and other community stakeholders to collaborate on the important work of shaping the projects and policies that will guide the district forward,” the statement continued.
Kassay invites residents or groups to connect with the incoming District 4 Assembly team by emailing [email protected].
By Toni-Elena Gallo
In the wake of last Tuesday’s election, the race for NYS Assembly District 4 remains to be called.
With mail-in ballots still being counted, there is no exact timeline for when results will be in.
Rebecca Kassay released a statement last Thursday, saying, “We knew that the race for the NYS
Assembly seat in District 4 would be one of the most competitive races in New York State, and as of Wednesday, November 6, I hold a 211 vote lead. In a race this close, results will not be determined until the affidavit ballots and final mail in ballots are counted. This might take until late November, so in the meantime, our team is reflecting on our gratitude for the incredible individuals and community groups who we’ve connected with and built stronger relationships with during the journey of this campaign.”
“There is so much work to be done here in our district, our town, our county and our state, and I hope to have the opportunity to serve you as your Assemblymember,” Kassay continued.
TBR requested comment from Assemblyman Flood and his response was as follows: “As we await the final numbers, I want to express my heartfelt appreciation to everyone who has supported me throughout this campaign. I remain deeply committed to representing, advocating for and listening to our community. This dedication is not new; it has always been the foundation of my work and will continue to guide me moving forward.”
“Serving our community is an honor, and I am committed to ensuring that every voice is heard and every concern is addressed,” he continued.
By Sabrina Artusa
Savion Energy representatives stood before the Three Village Civic Association membership Monday, Nov. 4, to present their proposed battery storage facilities in East Setauket. Savion is a Shell Group portfolio company that develops utility-scale solar and energy storage projects.
One project is proposed for a lot off Sheep Pasture Road, while another location would be between Parsonage Road and Old Town Road.
Environmental benefits
These proposals arrive in the midst of a statewide effort to increase green energy sources and transition away from fossil fuels. In 2022, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) doubled the state’s energy storage goal. Further, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) in 2019, aims for 100% zero-emission electricity by 2040.
These battery storage facilities is one among many being proposed across Long Island as power plants like the fossil-burning plant in Port Jefferson close.
Savion’s facilities will consist of containers of lithium-ion batteries that store excess energy during peak hours and discharge electricity as needed. The batteries, which have a life of about 20 years, will be charged and discharged on a daily basis but would be especially useful during increment weather when renewable energy sources are unreliable.
The batteries would take eight hours to charge and allow Long Island to ease its reliance on nonrenewable energy. The transition is intended to diminish adverse environmental effects by lessening greenhouse gas emissions.
Location and safety
The location is one of the major topics of contention. The locations are in close proximity to neighborhoods, making some residents uneasy.
Nicholas Petrakis, senior consultant of consulting firm Energy Safety Response Group, assured civic association members that scrupulous measures were instituted to minimize the chances of thermal runaway. This process occurs when a damaged cell releases heat and gasses, thus triggering the same reaction in nearby cells.
James McDaniel, senior battery storage engineer at Savion, said their systems are containerized and “designed to burn themselves out” and “fail safely”. The sites will be remotely monitored constantly by a team of experts, Petrakis said, and there is a sensor system that would notify the fire department and shut down the battery if anything is amiss.
Toxic off-gassing is a possibility — one that Petrakis said is a possible effect of most residential fires as well. Many present were apprehensive by this prospect. Further, the water used to counter any fires was a cause for concern, but Sean Flannery, senior director of permitting & environmental at Savion, said that “water runoff has not shown to be an issue” and that it will be contained on the property.
Residents from across the Island were present at this meeting, hoping to learn more about the battery storage systems that are proposed in their own towns. Many questioned the location, asking why it was necessary to install the facilities in such a dense area.
“Why would you consider putting something like this in this dense area?” one man asked. “The fact that in your proposed pictures you can see people’s houses doesn’t instill support.”
Indeed, the buffer wall intended to keep the noise to the 50 decibels allowed in the Town of Brookhaven code is visible in a picture of what Savion expects each site to look like from a surrounding residential area.
William Miller, managing partner at Clearview Consultants, explained that the project needs to be close to the electrical load it serves. Savion plans to lease the land for both sites.
County Legislator Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) and town Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) empathized with their constituents. Englebright, who throughout his career has supported environmental initiatives, said the locations have been historically difficult places to fill, given the zoning as light industrial.
“Something that is environmentally complicated and potentially harmful is not anything new to this area,” he said. Although he said he sympathizes with “all these correct uncertainties,” he added that residents have “to understand the larger context of what’s coming at us” in regards to the changing environment.
In response to a question of who will bear the financial burden of damages in the case a fire hypothetically causes damage to surrounding properties, Thom Rainwater, director of development at Savion, said, “In the case of an incident the company will be responsible. Full stop.”
By Toni-Elena Gallo with contributions by Lynn Hallarman and John Broven
Photo gallery to come.
According to the New York State Weather Risk Communication Center, Stony Brook recorded 9.4 inches of rain, in the 24 hours between Sunday, Aug. 18, and Monday, Aug. 19, amounting to a rainfall that is not just a once in a lifetime event —but a one-in-a-thousand year-event.
At a Monday press conference, County Executive Ed Romaine (R) spoke about the shock many Long Islanders experienced.
“This storm was not predicted for northern Suffolk,” he said. “This storm was over Connecticut and probably traveled south. When you get almost 10 inches of rain, that’s a once [in a lifetime event]. Unfortunately, these once-in-a-lifetime events seem to be coming more than that. I don’t think we’re going to have to wait another hundred years for another storm like this.”
“It tells you the impact that climate change is having on our weather,” the county executive added.
Stony Brook
In Stony Brook village, Harbor Road was split in half, and the pond at Avalon Nature Preserve ran off into nearby Stony Brook Harbor, taking dead fish and turtles with it.
“We have put drones up to document the before and after. We believe the damage will [amount to] $25 million, minimum. A minimum, between cleanup that’s required [not just here, but] other parts of the county, like Rocky Point,” Romaine said.
“We will document everything that we do, and all the expenditures that will be made, because we will be seeking some hope of state [and] federal reimbursement, because this is a huge hit on local government, on the town and on the villages along the North Shore,” he added.
At the press conference, Gloria Rocchio, president of The Ward Melville Heritage Organization, expressed her sadness and frustration, but was able to provide a small glint of hope.
“We did have a structural engineer come already, to check the [historic] Grist Mill … and it is, [fortunately] structurally sound. It was built in 1699. In 1750 the dam broke for the first time, and then once again in the 1800s, and the last time it broke was 1910,” she said.
Over at Stony Brook University, Judy Pittigher, an office administrator at the Renaissance School of Medicine, suffered an office full of water damage and a collapsed ceiling, forcing her to work from home for, at least, the remainder of the week.
“The squares of one doctor’s tile roof collapsed; the floor is disgusting, covered in mush. By the time I got there, half the rugs had already been pulled up … anything on them was destroyed, like boxes. One box had this past graduation’s programs, and someone picked it up and put it on my desk, and it was sopping wet,” she said.
Smithtown
In Smithtown, the Nissequogue River dam broke from the nearly 10 inches of rain. Two residents were saved by members of the Smithtown Fire Department, as they were trapped on the second floor of their home.
This is despite the town’s recent stormwater and drain infrastructure upgrades. However, Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R) said that Smithtown was lucky, in comparison to the nearby villages, as a result of these proactive measures.
Rocky Point
Rocky Point was extensively impacted, as well.
“I tried to take a tour of most of the damage this morning … and several catchment basins overflowed,” Romaine said. “I went down Hagerman Landing Road, and the tops of all the cars in sight had mud. The mudslide that came down Hagerman Landing Road was, easily, 7 to 9 feet. It left its mark on the trees, and the houses, right up to the windows. We had to rescue someone down there from their rooftop.”
Port Jefferson
At about 3 a.m., Monday, a rush of stormwater cascaded down Main Street, past CVS, affecting local property and flooding the Port Jefferson fire station.
According to Fire Commissioner Thomas Meehan, the flooding rose to about 36 inches in the station, bringing sewage and other debris into the building.
“We were just recovering from the flooding we had three years ago,” he said.
Port Jefferson village officials assisted the fire station in the initial cleanup in the early hours of Monday morning.
Several businesses along the Main Street corridor were impacted, including Theatre Three [see editorial].
Huntington
According to a Town of Huntington press release, “The Highway Department took to the roads at the early onset of the storm. After surveying the town, they reported approximately 10 sink holes and minimal trees down. Flooding, however, was the predominant issue, with the town reporting heavy flooding in a few areas.”
All areas will be rebuilt
The Town of Brookhaven’s superintendent of highways, Dan Losquadro (R), explained how the topography of the North Shore created a disastrous alignment of storm conditions.
“Water picks up velocity, as it travels down into these natural drainage points,” he said. “Many of these areas were built a very long time ago. They just have catch basins, and do not have sumps recharge basins, as we call them. [Even so] recharge basins, optimally, can only store 8 inches of water, and a catch basin, no more than 2 to 3.”
“This exceeded even the capacity of a modern sump. So, we saw our systems completely overwhelmed by this volume of water in such a short period of time,” he elaborated.
As for what’s next, Losquadro said, “We will get into the engineering and estimating phase, throughout the day, and, probably, for days to come. We have, unfortunately, been through this process with FEMA, and the state before, even back to the recovery from [Hurricane] Sandy. We will do our best to secure funding, from the higher levels of government, to ease the burden on our local taxpayers because as the county executive and the supervisor [Dan Panico (R)] rightly pointed out, many of these projects are beyond our ability to fund on a local level.”
“This process will take a great deal of time,” Romaine said. “[This damage behind me] will require permitting, not only from D.C., but from the EPA, and from the Army Corps of Engineers as well.”
Both Losquadro and Romaine expressed that the parts of the county hit by this storm will be built back “stronger and better.”
“We will clean this up, whatever it takes. These are our communities, these are our friends, our neighbors. We’re one county, one people and we will work together,” Romaine said.
By Evan McAteer
Located in Old Town Road, East Setauket where Old Fields Tavern once operated, Ixchel Mexican Cuisine opened officially in December 2023.
In a conversation with co-owner Daphnee Munar, she recounted a dream of opening a Mexican restaurant of their own with her husband Juan, backed by over 10 years of experience in the restaurant industry and a deep reverence for Mexican culture and cuisine.
“It was a very early decision that we made to focus on Mexican cuisine,” Munar said, expressing that Ixchel is proud to serve “100% authentic” fare.
When discussing the location in the East Setauket for Ixchel, Munar detailed the benefits of opening a restaurant in a place close to home, and how the location benefited the final concept for authenticity. Being residents of East Setauket themselves, she praised the community that greeted Ixchel with warmth. Juan and Daphnee are parents as well as restaurant owners, so living close to their new business is nothing but a bonus.
The inspiration for the restaurant itself was a point of great interest during the conversation. Munar once again stressed the importance of adhering to authenticity in everything Ixchel does when it comes to their cuisine, focusing on food staples prevalent in Mexican and Mayan culture, such as corn, squash, fish and various herbs.
Munar explained what elements make Mexican cuisine uniquely delicious. “Simple ingredients for, let’s say a taco, can be amazing on their own, and then can be elevated further like some of the dishes we make,” she said.
The name of the restaurant has its own interesting background. Ixchel is the name given to the Mayan moon goddess, linked with harvest times, rainfall and fertility. Juan and Daphnee found the name early on when researching Mayan cultural elements and it felt incredibly inspirational to them.
Daphnee emphasized that the restaurant was not a solo effort, but something born from team building and cooperation. She also highlighted Ixchel’s lead chef, Amelia Sanchez, praising her work, dedication to her craft and the fact that she is a woman in a position predominantly held by men.
“We have incredible staff — our chefs, our hosts and hostesses, our servers. Everyone matters, it’s not just me,” Munar said.
Ixchel Mexican Cuisine is open at 130 Old Town Road, East Setauket. The restaurant has an official website, which contains more information about their story, menu and drink selections, as well as a reservations tab. The website can be found at: ixchelmexicancuisine.com.
By Serena Carpino
Father’s Day is always a special time of the year. Families go out for breakfast at Sweet Mama’s, rent kayaks in the Stony Brook Harbor, play a round of golf at St George’s in Setauket, or continue their own fun traditions.
As Father’s Day approaches, TBR asked local personalities, “What does Father’s Day mean to you? How do you celebrate Father’s Day? What’s the best present you’ve given your father over the years?”
— Photos by Serena Carpino
Eric Rectanus, Stony Brook
Father’s Day is “a way of honoring the person who took care of you. It’s the person who put a roof over your head, made sure you had food in your belly, loved you and cared for you no matter what.” Rectanus, who lost his father last year, said. “Seeing Father’s Day now compared to when I had my dad, I see really what Father’s Day means because I don’t have him anymore. It’s just that person who gives you unconditional love, no matter what you do in life.”
Mario Solis, Stony Brook
“For me, it’s just a time that [my family] can get together, especially with my dad. We don’t have that close of a relationship, so that’s really the only time that I get to spend time with him.”
Solis said that he and his family celebrate Father’s Day with food. “We eat — eat and just spend time together. It’s nothing special but it means a lot to us.” Solis added that the best gift he has given his father was a tool set.
Solis declined for his picture to be taken.
Tatjana Trajkovic, East Setauket
“Father’s Day is a day to celebrate your dad because a lot of us who have dads sometimes take them for granted and don’t realize that some people aren’t as fortunate as us. So, it’s a day to appreciate these special people,” Trajkovic said.
The family celebrates her father and sister as a “two-for-one special” since her sister’s birthday is the same day. “Usually, we get a cake and split it between them,” she said.
Trajkovic will be attending college in the fall and hopes to give her father a meaningful present before she leaves. She explained, “On TikTok there’s a special Father’s Day present that’s trending where you have your dad write down all of his important memories and the best stories of his life. I want him to write all of these in a notebook so that I can carry them to college. That’ll probably be the best gift I’ll ever give him, but I suppose it’ll be a gift for me too.”
Christian McClain, Shoreham
Christian McClain, a student at Shoreham-Wading River High School, said that, to him, “Father’s Day means celebrating and appreciating the love, guidance and support my father has given me throughout my life.” 
On Father’s Day, McClain always has baseball tournaments. So, to celebrate his father, he wears light-blue socks and a light-blue wristband. In addition, McClain said that the best gift he ever gave his father “was when my family surprised him with a trip to Italy over the summer.”
Karen Gilmore, Stony Brook
For Father’s Day, Gilmore said that her “daughter gets a present and gives it to him. We usually take him out to dinner or something like that … we like to go to Ragazzi [Italian Kitchen & Bar, in Nesconset].”
This year, Gilmore’s daughter made her dad a nice picture with watercolor in a recent art class. Gilmore said, “She’s really proud that she’s going to give it to him. [It’s important because] it’s something personalized, something that she made, more than just buying something. It’s something that means something from the heart.”
By Mallie Jane Kim
A river of water ran down the steep hill of Gnarled Hollow Road when Sotiria Everett arrived home from work June 4. The water appeared to be coming from under the street at the top of the slope, she said, adding she had to move cones and navigate around Suffolk County Water Authority trucks to reach her driveway.
“It was a disruption for us, obviously,” she said, noting the water to their house was off until about 10:30 p.m. that night. “The other concern is the damage it’s doing now in Setauket Harbor.”
A broken pipe spewed about 350,000 gallons of mostly treated wastewater over about 4.5 hours from the corner of Harbor Hill Road and Gnarled Hollow Road, according to a New York State sewage pollution alert. The water, which hadn’t yet gone through the final step of disinfection, followed surface streets to pour into Setauket Harbor, near Setauket Pond Park.
The place where the effluent entered the tidal harbor is the slowest to flush out and get diluted into the Long Island Sound because of its tucked-back location, according to George Hoffman of the Setauket Harbor Task Force.
The high-pressure pipe that burst originated from a sewer facility that processes wastewater from Stony Brook University and surrounding neighborhoods. It was mostly treated but lacked the final disinfection step, which takes place in Port Jefferson before the treated water is pumped out into Port Jefferson Harbor, a method water quality advocates say is outdated.
“If you were building it now, you wouldn’t be allowed to outfall sewage into the middle of the harbor,” Hoffman said. “We’ve learned so much since then about nitrogen in the harbor.”
Too much nitrogen in area waters leads to various issues, including dangerous bacteria and algae blooms.
But water quality isn’t the only concern with piping effluent into the harbor, according to County Legislator Steve Englebright, D-Setauket.
“There are two broad themes that emerge when we talk about groundwater on Long Island,” Englebright said. “One is quality of water, and the other is quantity of water—this is a little of both.”
Suffolk County draws water from a single-source aquifer, and if more water from that source is pumped into the harbors than is recharged by rain, the aquifer starts to drain.
Coincidentally, that same week, Suffolk County legislators met about modernizing area sewage lines, including the one in question that runs from Stony Brook University to Port Jefferson, according to Englebright.
The group heard a presentation about the possibility of using processed sewage to water athletic fields and other green spaces on Stony Brook University’s campus, as well as St. George’s Golf and Country Club next door. Englebright pointed to Riverhead’s Indian Island Golf Course, which has been watering with effluent since 2016, as a model for this method.
In addition to helping recharge the aquifer, this method obviates the need to buy nitrogen to fertilize the grass since the cleaned wastewater already contains it.
The county is currently working out its budget, according to Englebright, and though he said it’s unclear whether such updates will make it into the budget as a capital improvement this year, he’s glad it is at least on the table.
“The sewer break underlined the urgency and reinforced the timeliness of some of these conversations,” he said. “It is important for us to reassess.”
After the spill, the Suffolk County Department of Health Services warned residents to take precautions when recreating in Setauket or Port Jefferson harbors and closed several area beaches, including Little Bay, Grantland, Bayview, Indian Field, and Bayberry Cove. The county lifted its advisory June 10, after testing showed bacteria was within “acceptable limits” for all areas except Indian Field Beach, which remained closed.
Englebright said the high-pressure pipe may have burst at that point because it takes a turn to be nearly vertical, accommodating the steep grade of the street. “That’s where the pressure was concentrated,” he said.
Regardless of why it happened, area resident Everett hopes it won’t happen again. The bottom of the steep road, she said, is often flooded enough from rainy weather.
“The area is always prone to flooding, and you add that it’s not from Mother Nature, not from rain,” she said. “Any way that could be prevented would be ideal.”
