Home Featured

Earl L. Vandermeulen High School celebrates its 2024 graduates

by Press Release - July 13, 2024

0 560

Elwood-John H. Glenn High School’s Class of 2024 graduates celebrated their commencement ceremony on June 28. Photo courtesy of Elwood School District

Earl L. Vandermeulen High School proudly celebrated the graduation of its Class of 2024, in a poignant ceremony.

This milestone event marked the students’ culmination of years of hard work, dedication and academic achievement.

Amidst a backdrop of cheers, applause and heartfelt speeches, the graduates of Earl L. Vandermeulen High School bid farewell to their alma mater, and embarked on the next chapter of their lives. The ceremony was attended by proud parents, family members, faculty and distinguished guests.

Superintendent Jessica Schmettan, and High School Principal, John Ruggero, delivered a heartfelt address to the graduating seniors.

As the evening concluded with the traditional tossing of caps, the atmosphere was filled with a sense of optimism and excitement for the bright futures that lie ahead for the Earl L. Vandermeulen High School students.

For more information regarding the Port Jefferson School District, and its students’ many achievements, please visit the District’s website at https://www.portjeffschools.org, and follow our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/PortJeffSchools.

International cricket takes Long Island by storm, for a while

by TBR Staff - July 13, 2024

0 1222

Nassau County International Cricket Stadium at Eisenhower Park. Courtesy Don Lockerbie, T20 USA

By John Broven

The 2024 International Cricket Council Men’s T20 World Cup final, held June 29 in Barbados, featured India and South Africa. Both teams had starred locally June 3-12 in Eisenhower Park at a temporary modular facility, grandly named Nassau County International Cricket Stadium.

The site was chosen after NIMBY opposition ruled out first-choice Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. Credit should go to Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman (R) for spotting the opportunities for the local economy and tourism.

The eight games were blessed with almost perfect sunny cricket weather. There was a short rain delay for the key India vs. Pakistan game, which India won and effectively knocked out their intense rival from the tournament. Crowds swarmed to see their Indian and Pakistani heroes from back home. Every one of the 34,000 seats was sold within minutes of the ticket office opening, resulting in a scalpers paradise. The attendance was only slightly less for USA’s honorable defeat by ultimate tournament winners India on the concluding Wednesday. All told, more than 150,000 fans saw the Nassau stadium games.

Overlooked features of the competition included USA, a non-cricketing nation, making it to the Super Eight stage and war-torn Afghanistan progressing to the semifinals stage.

T20 cricket at Eisenhower Park

So, how was my experience of international cricket on Long Island? Quite simply, it was wonderful. It was a joy to see top-class cricket again after many years living over here. Even with the rapid-fire T20 format, with matches hardly lasting four hours, the serenity, charm and strategy of the game came shining through. Somehow the introduction of loud recorded music was only a minor distraction.

The batting, bowling and fielding were all spellbinding on what was acknowledged to be a “slow” wicket, where the ball didn’t come quickly onto the bat. As is often said in cricket terminology, the state of the wicket was the same for both teams.

With friend Richard Tapp, who traveled all the way from England for the tournament, I had tickets for the games on Friday, June 7 (Ireland vs. Canada) and the Saturday (South Africa vs. The Netherlands). Both matches swung back and forth, with Canada edging the first game and the Netherlands almost pulling off a shock defeat after South Africa had lost their top four batsmen cheaply.

Meet-and-greet at Westbury LIRR station

The pleasurable experience started as soon as we disembarked June 7 at Westbury station from Stony Brook. A kind gentleman on the platform led us to the shuttle bus area where we were greeted cheerily by LIRR and NICE bus officials. If there were any fears of being stuck in traffic to Eisenhower Park, they were soon dissipated when we realized that the main arteries, Post and Merrick avenues, were dedicated to bus traffic. A lady driver said that the journey would be 8 1/2 minutes — and so it was.

The spirit of the event was captured by bus passengers discussing their presence with others. There was an Indian national who failed to get tickets for the “big game,” but was attending because he wanted to experience live international cricket in the United States. He said he was a fast bowler from New Jersey and played in a cricket league on Long Island with matted pitches (as opposed to grass). A French lady, who lives now in Nassau, said she wanted to experience the occasion even though cricket is as foreign in France as it is in the United States.

After leaving the shuttle bus, we approached the ticket and check-in areas. There were nervous moments as tickets were available only electronically and then on the day of the match. Luckily, the combination of ICC’s ticketing agency and Apple’s iPhone did the job. We had taken the precaution to acquire see-through bags for check-in, but that didn’t save from the trashcan a tasty deli sandwich or a bug spray, which proved to be unnecessary anyway.

Impressive stadium

As we walked the perimeter of the vast modular stadium it was hard to believe that it had been constructed from nothing since January. This included the cricket outfield grown from Kentucky bluegrass in New Jersey and the pitches, which were prepared in Florida based on guidance from the famous Adelaide Oval in Australia.

We were handed big red placards marked “6” — the equivalent of a baseball homerun — and “4,” which were waved vigorously whenever a boundary was struck, adding to the party-like atmosphere.

Our seats in the East Grandstand were perfect for watching the games although there was quite a lot of stair climbing, which was quite hard on the elderly. There was no shortage of bar, food and soft drinks facilities with merch stalls, ice cream vans and, importantly, restrooms and first-aid.

The Friday crowd was on the small side at just over 5,000 people. Although cricket is not a major game in Ireland or Canada, I had expected a larger contingent of Irish and Canadians. Saturday was much fuller, thanks to many enthusiastic South African supporters regaled in green and gold. There were quite a few Netherlands fans, too, dressed in familiar bright orange. The visible security force quietly kept order throughout. Indeed, good humor pervaded at all times among the attendees reflecting the uniqueness of the event.

A touching moment before each game was the competitors’ two huge national flags being unfurled across half the ground by local schoolchildren dressed smartly in white.

There was a strong local connection with T20 USA venue development director, Don Lockerbie, being the son of Bruce Lockerbie, former dean of faculty at The Stony Brook School.

The future of U.S. cricket

Cricket is seemingly destined to be a minnow sport in the U.S., but there’s no doubt that the Long Island T20 series did the game proud — more so than the matches held in Dallas and a weather-hit Florida. As expected, the coverage by the national media was spotty, but credit to the New York Times, News12 and Newsday for their reporting. I think the New Yorker’s doubting headline “If you build it (a cricket stadium on Long Island) will they come?” was well-answered in the affirmative.

English-born John Broven, of East Setauket, is an award-winning American music history author and a copyeditor with TBR News Media. This article is a follow-up to “International cricket coming to Long Island” (Feb. 29).

Pickleball, a uniquely American sport, is taking over the Town of Brookhaven

by TBR Staff - July 12, 2024

0 1519

asphalt-tennis-court-5354328_640 — Pickleball court. Photo by Pixabay

By Toni-Elena Gallo

It has a funny name and it was not something most of us grew up with. Now pickleball has gained the “likes” of the world.

A sport developed to happily pass the summer days has become an international phenomenon. Despite its similarities to tennis and ping-pong, pickleball has a rule set all its own. Time has seen the creation of the International Federation of Pickleball as well as the World Pickleball Federation, and there has even been talk of it becoming an Olympic sport.

Long Island is no stranger to this relatively new sport’s growing influence. The Town of Brookhaven installed its first 11 outdoor pickleball courts at Centereach Park over the last two years and has recently brought that number up to 22.

When asked if pickleball has become a trend among Brookhaven residents, town Supervisor Dan Panico (R), simply replied, “It is.”

Origins of pickleball

Pickleball originated on Bainbridge Island, Washington, in the summer of 1965. Joel Pritchard, a Washington State legislator and future congressman, with his close friend, Bill Bell, stumbled upon Joel’s 13-year-old, Frank, in a very annoyed mood.

He told the two men that he was bored on his vacation and had nothing to do. When he sarcastically told his father to “go make up a game” for everyone to play, his father took the words to heart.

Pritchard, Bell and their friend Barney McCallum, developed pickleball out of a rag-tag assortment of ping-pong paddles, the perforated, plastic ball of a kid’s bat-and-ball set and a badminton net. The name was coined by Pritchard’s wife, Joan, in reference to the mish mosh of people delegated to the sport of rowing’s “pickle boats.”

And, so was the beginning of pickleball, a game that since its infancy has been all about family and community.

Pickleball in Brookhaven

“Around the town, there has been an impetus to install more pickleball courts, because the popularity of the sport has exploded,” Panico said. “The existing courts were so heavily utilized that we put additional monies in the budgewt to double the number of courts townwide.”

He added that three existing courts, located at the Brookhaven Aquatic Center in Mastic Beach, will be resurfaced.

Panico said that the sport’s popularity is not only talked about, but visible: “When I left my house this morning, I went past the Moriches Athletic Complex, and I was pleased to see that the courts were full. And that was early in the morning, so people are utilizing them and that’s what we want them to do. We try to meet the needs of our residents to the best of our ability.”

There are new courts at the Moriches Athletic Complex, Sylvan Avenue Park in Miller Place and the Medford Athletic Complex. “So, you have South Shore, the middle of the town and the North Shore [covered],” Panico said.

The mass popularity of the game has caused courts to pop up throughout Long Island, including at Port Jefferson, Smithtown and Huntington.

Earl L. Vandermeulen prom plunges ‘20,000 Leagues Under the Sea’

by Press Release - July 12, 2024

0 887

1 of 12

Port Jefferson made waves this prom season with an extraordinary event — one that just may redefine high school celebrations across Long Island.

This year’s Earl L. Vandermeulen High School prom, themed “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” and held Monday, July 1, was not just an event, but a testament to the creativity, dedication and community spirit of Port Jefferson.

Transforming the high school gymnasium into a magical undersea kingdom, the prom committee created an immersive experience for its peers. With vignettes, professional and theatrical-level lighting and stage constructions, Port Jefferson high school’s prom theme transported students to an enchanting world beneath the waves. As the seniors entered the festivities, they walked a red carpet and were given star-level treatment.

The school’s prom has long been anticipated as a highlight of the academic year, showcasing the talent and dedication of Port Jefferson’s community members. This school set a new standard for high school celebrations, not only in terms of creativity and design but also in fostering a sense of pride and camaraderie among students and residents alike.

For more information regarding the Port Jefferson School District and its students’ many achievements, please visit the district’s website, www.portjeffschools.org, and follow its Facebook page.

Stop-Arm program in Suffolk County ignites controversy

by TBR Staff - July 11, 2024

0 940

By Christopher Schultz

For nearly five years, the Stop-Arm camera program has been implemented on most school buses on Long Island. The legislation was signed by then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) in August 2019.

The program uses security cameras at the front or back of each bus to report any car that illegally passes in front of a school bus when it is dropping off or picking up children. This legislation attempts to prevent drivers from getting around the buses and make the roads safer for children, especially elementary and middle school-aged children.

Last month, the Suffolk County Traffic and Parking Violations Agency issued a report of all known grievances between Sept. 1, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2022, on the program administered by TPVA and Bus Patrol America.

Violators are required to pay fines starting at $250 per offense, which increases in increments of $25 per added violation.

During the collection period of the audit, revenues from fines associated with the bus stop violations totaled $34,739,404 for TPVA and $2,232,323 for the East End towns/villages. Reimbursements (expenditures) to Bus Patrol for their contractual share amounted to $15,632,732 for TPVA and $904,090 for the East End towns/villages.

Yet, the TPVA cited nearly 52,000 instances, or more than 25% of total fines, where a suspected person did not pay their expected fine. It also cited other statistics in charts and graphs to show the law’s punitive effects on Long Island residents.

Some Long Island residents believe this law is problematic.

The debate remains about whether the new Stop-Arm program is necessary or just an easy revenue tactic. One thing is certain: Drivers of vehicles must be extra wary when school buses are stopping.

Newfield boys basketball opens summer league season with victory

by Bill Landon - July 7, 2024

0 1117

1 of 6

By Bill Landon

‘The Town of Brookhaven launched its summer league boys basketball season when the Newfield Wolverines took on the Blue Waves of Riverhead Thursday, June 27, at the Sachem East High School gymnasium. This season’s large school competition consists of 14 teams stretching along the North Shore from Half Hollow Hills West to Riverhead in a nine-game season that will conclude Aug. 1.

The Wolverines controlled the tempo of the game from the opening tipoff, keeping Riverhead off balance to win the game 57-40.

Newfield returns to the Sachem East High School gym Tuesday, July 9, when the team will face Ward Melville. Game time is slated for 8 p.m.

Suffolk County Legislature approves Water Quality Restoration Act, pending November referendum

by TBR Staff - July 7, 2024

0 1575

By Peter Sloniewsky

Suffolk County Legislature voted 15-2 Tuesday, June 25, to approve I.R. 1461 which will extend and revise the Suffolk County Drinking Water Protection Program. County Executive Ed Romaine (R) is expected to sign the measure into law July 8 for the mandatory referendum to be added to the November ballot.

This program, if passed via referendum, will establish the new Water Quality Restoration Fund supported by an additional sales and use tax of 1/8%. It is estimated the increase in sales tax collections will fund about $4 billion over 50 years to implement the county’s Subwatersheds Wastewater Plan.

In June and July 2023, a 10-7 vote along party lines doomed the measure from reaching that November’s ballot.

The 1.5 million people of Suffolk County currently rely on more than 380,000 cesspools and wastewater systems, including over 209,000 systems located in environmentally sensitive areas. This decentralized infrastructure has been a significant cause of nitrogen pollution across the county. In both surface-level and underground bodies of water, this nitrogen pollution causes harmful algae blooms, which can release toxins into fish, destroy ecosystems by consuming excessive oxygen in the water and cause a variety of conditions in exposed humans.

Passage of the referendum has economic as well as health benefits. Creating and maintaining new wastewater infrastructure will create a number of well-paying jobs for the county government. Additionally, the risks posed to businesses reliant on Suffolk County water cannot be understated, as well as the threats to beaches across Long Island.

The Water Quality Restoration Fund can be used for water quality improvement, such as enhancing and maintaining existing sewerage facilities, consolidating sewer districts and replacing and installing wastewater treatment systems in areas where sewers cannot be installed.

The language of the referendum itself is straightforward: “A yes vote ensures county funding to 2060 for clean water projects, improvements in drinking water, bays and harbors, and a no vote continues water quality degradation.”

Romaine claimed that passage of the referendum will be vital to fund sewer constructions, especially in less developed areas of the county, and the broad swaths of land with only cesspools installed. Romaine said that he “cannot emphasize enough the importance of this referendum” to address water contaminants.

Romaine was also the primary sponsor of the bill, which was co-sponsored by Legislators James Mazzarella (R-Mastic) and Ann Welker (D-Southampton).

Legislator Stephanie Bontempi (R-Centerport), who voted for the bill, claimed in a statement that while the bill gives the county the authority to establish longer-term funding for wastewater improvement projects, it also allows the county to apply for “much-needed” matching grant funding from the New York State and federal governments.

The final decision will rest in the hands of Suffolk County voters on Nov. 5.

Lawrence Aviation deal delayed in light of MTA uncertainty

by Mallie Jane Kim - July 6, 2024

0 1426

LA-700x467 — One of over a dozen derelict buildings that have been removed from the Lawrence Aviation Superfund site in Port Jefferson Station. File photo.

By Mallie Jane Kim

Plans to transform the Lawrence Aviation Superfund site in Port Jefferson Station hit a slowdown this week as a key contract deadline passed. New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority requested to extend its June 30 closing deadline to Dec. 31, in a letter addressed to the Suffolk County Landbank Corporation, which is managing the property.

All other terms of the contract, a $10 purchase of land suitable for building a railyard, should remain in effect, according to the letter.

“The MTA’s decision to delay the closing date is understandable given all of the pressing issues that MTA leadership is dealing with right now,” said Landbank board member Peter Scully. “The most important thing is that the community’s long-term vision for the future use of the Lawrence Aviation site is still alive.”

The delay may be related to MTA’s current focus on fallout surrounding Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) June 5 decision to pause congestion pricing for cars entering New York City’s central business district, which had been scheduled to begin at midnight June 30. That plan had been in the works for nearly two decades, but Hochul cited the currently difficult economic conditions as a reason to wait. She has said she did not want to add a financial burden to New Yorkers already struggling with soaring prices of groceries and utilities.

But the pause threw MTA into funding uncertainty. Funding from congestion pricing was designated to go toward critical improvements to subways, buses and rails, according to a congestion pricing information page on the MTA website. Now, $16.5 billion in projects will be deferred, and some projects already in progress have had to be stopped, MTA board members announced at a June 26 meeting.

For advocates of cleaner-energy rail, reserving the Lawrence Aviation space is an opportunity to allow for infrastructure that can make possible future upgrades to the Port Jefferson Branch of the Long Island Rail Road. That line currently runs on diesel.

“Acquiring this property is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Three Village Community Trust President Herb Mones, referring to the fact that it is unusual to find an appropriately-sized space available on Long Island for a railyard. “For MTA not to pursue it full throttle would be really unfortunate.”

The contract previously hinged on an easement agreement with New York’s Department of Transportation that would allow a future railyard to cross a straight line of DOT property that currently hosts the Setauket-Port Jefferson Station Greenway trail. In the proposed site plan, the Greenway trail would be adjusted to loop around a railyard once MTA decided to build one — disturbing the flow of any potential highway there.

There was no word whether those negotiations had yet been ironed out.

Mones, whose trust oversees the nonprofit that maintains the biking and walking trail, called the idea of someday replacing it with a four-lane highway “preposterous.”

Miller Place Panthers boys soccer prevails in summer league opener

by Bill Landon - July 4, 2024

0 837

WJL_6293 — Miller Place wins their summer league season opener against Mattituck. Photo by Bill Landon

1 of 4

By Bill Landon

Twelve teams comprise the Town of Brookhaven boys soccer summer league in the small school varsity division which kicked off its season Monday, July 1. There will be nine games through July 29.

The Panthers of Miller Place faced Mattituck at Diamond in The Pines Park in Coram where the Tuckers struggled to gain traction and trailed 2-0 at the halftime break. Miller Place put the game out of reach by rattling off five more unanswered goals in the second half to win the game 7-0.

Miller Place retook the field when the Panthers faced crosstown rival Mount Sinai July 3 at The Wedge in Mount Sinai, but the result was not available by press time.

Port Jeff AHEPA chapter holds 3rd annual car show

by TBR Staff - July 4, 2024

0 950

1 of 4

By Aidan Johnson

The Port Jefferson chapter of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association, also known as AHEPA, held its 3rd annual car show Saturday, June 29, at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Assumption, 430 Sheep Pasture Road, in Port Jefferson.

George Kallas, president of AHEPA, estimated that there were about 100 cars in attendance, including a red 1931 Ford that won first place.

The proceeds of the car show will be donated to the Greek Orthodox Church of the Assumption, AHEPA Service Dogs for Warriors, and AGAPE Meals for Kids, a Long Island organization that addresses childhood food insecurity and hunger.

During the car show, Brookhaven Town Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) presented the chapter of AHEPA with a certificate of congratulations, expressing his appreciation for the organization for everything it has done for Greek Americans, along with the children of the community by donating to AGAPE Meals for Kids.

Prev 1...789...98 Next

Page 8 of 98