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File photo by Raymond Jani

By Aramis Khosronejad

In March, nearly 50 Long Island projects, totaling $87 million, were approved in both the first and second tranche of appropriations bills that the U.S. Congress approved. 

U.S. Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY1) was able to secure monies to carry through these projects with other local congressmen, Andrew Garbarino (R-NY2) and Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY4), and Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). 

According to LaLota, after “months of relentless advocacy, including the crafting of detailed proposals and concerted efforts directed at members of the House Appropriations Committee,” they were finally able to integrate various initiatives and final appropriations bills. 

For some time now, the water infrastructure on Long Island has been brought into question and, by extension, the quality of water available for citizens. Suffolk County has seen protests over the past year concerning the basic right each citizen has to clean water [See story, “Suffolk County Legislature recesses, blocks referendum on wastewater fund,” July 27, 2023, TBR News Media]. The conflict has evolved into a political issue. 

The FY2024 Consolidated Appropriations Act passed with “overwhelming” bipartisan support in the House. LaLota described the local funding as “a significant milestone in our commitment to serving the people of Suffolk County.”

Included are the Town of Brookhaven’s Port Jefferson Harbor dredging and wave wall construction projects, for which $1.5 million has been secured. “This funding will cover the costs of much-needed structural improvements to maintain the harbor,” LaLota said.

The town will benefit from another sum of $1.5 million for sewer treatment facility expansion secured by Garbarino. The congressman also secured $2 million for a Suffolk County sewer expansion project.

A further $1.25 million has been secured by LaLota for the Suffolk County Water Authority’s Westhampton Water Main Extension project. Old Country Road in Westhampton, which serves as an area housing 64 homes and families, has long been identified by the Suffolk County Department of Health Services for polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, contamination. An allocation of the federal monies will be used to ensure access to clean, regularly tested drinking water for affected households.

Charlie Lefkowitz, chairman of Suffolk County Water Authority, emphasized that “clean drinking water is the right of every New Yorker but making these projects affordable is critical to giving access to that resource.” 

“Thanks to this funding we will soon be able to extend high-quality public water to these families, giving them peace of mind every time they turn on the tap,” he added. 

LaLota and Lefkowitz, along with their teams, continue to “maintain our unwavering commitment to addressing water quality issues and prioritizing the well-being of every Long Island family,” LaLota explained in an email. With the passing of the Consolidated Appropriations Act and the considerable federal funding that comes with it, the future of the water infrastructure on Long Island looks brighter.

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Pictured at the ceremony, are from left, Legislator Rob Trotta, Marge Connick, her son Bill, and behind them, his three sons who are triplets.

In 2019, the Suffolk County Legislature passed a resolution requesting each Legislator to select an Irish American person of distinction who resides in his or her district to be honored at the Irish American Heritage Celebration in Hauppauge during the month of March.

On March 27, a celebration was held at the Dennison Building in Hauppauge to recognize each legislator’s honoree.Several Irish musicians, Step Dancers, the Suffolk County Pipes & Drums and Suffolk County Police Emerald Society entertained the honorees and their families, as well as various county officials.

Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta recognized Kings Park Resident and 2024 Grand Marshal of the Kings Park St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Marge Connick, as the 13th Legislative District Irish American of Distinction.

Marge Connick is a proud Irish American as her grandparents came to the United States for a better life and found one in Kings Park, where they raised their five daughters. Her parents moved to Smithtown, but she still had friends in Kings Park. At a farewell party for her cousin who was leaving to serve in the military, she met her future husband Bill. While they dated in high school, it was not until after she finished nursing school that they were married. They bought a house in Kings Park, where they raised their two children and where she continues to live today.

Legislator Trotta said, “I have known Marge for years and she was a dedicated and caring nurse for 48 years working primarily in the oncology unit at St. John’s Hospital which was later renamed St. Catherine of Siena. Marge is the consummate volunteer – offering her services to such organizations as the Kings Park Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary, Catholic Daughters of America, St. Joseph’s Church and is a proud member of the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians.”

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William “Bill” Doherty Jr., center, was chosen as an Irish American of Distinction in the Suffolk County Legislature’s Fifth Legislative District. Doherty is shown with his father, Bill, and mother, Kathy.

Suffolk County Legislator Steven Englebright honored William “Bill” Doherty Jr. as the 5th Legislative District’s 2024 “Irish American of Distinction.” Bill joined his fellow honorees at the county’s Irish American Heritage Month celebration at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge on Wednesday, March 27.

The celebration highlighted Irish Americans’ contributions throughout Suffolk County. Each Legislator selected an Irish American person of distinction who resides in his or her respective legislative district.

Bill has been a volunteer member and employee of the Setauket Fire Department for 13 years. The 33-year-old South Setauket resident works full-time in the fire department’s maintenance department and volunteers as a firefighter, following in his father’s footsteps.

Bill is known for his contributions to many fire department community functions, whether front and center or working behind the scenes, to make them successful. He participates in various community events, including the department’s car wash and other fundraisers. Bill also serves as a liaison for whoever runs an event to ensure they have everything they need.

Bill plays a significant role in the upkeep of the department’s 9/11 Memorial Park, which is open to the public. In addition to answering alarms, he operates the district’s snowplow during a fire emergency to ensure access to a person’s driveway and walkway during a snowstorm.

Throughout the department, he is known as a member who is always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone who needs it.

Caption: William “Bill” Doherty Jr., center, was chosen as an Irish American of Distinction in the Suffolk County Legislature’s Fifth Legislative District. Doherty is shown with his father, Bill, and mother, Kathy.

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From left, Judy Greiman, Chief Deputy to the President and Senior VP for Government and Community Relations, Shawn Heilbron, Director of Athletics, President Maurie McInnis, Mayor Lauren Sheprow, Carol Gomes, CEO, COO of Stony Brook University Hospital, Rick Gatteau, VP for Student Affairs (L-R Rear) Trustees Drew Biondo, Robert Juliano, Stan Loucks, and Rebecca Kassay. Photo by John Griffin/SBU
From left, Judy Greiman, Chief Deputy to the President and Senior VP for Government and Community Relations, Shawn Heilbron, Director of Athletics, President Maurie McInnis, Mayor Lauren Sheprow, Carol Gomes, CEO, COO of Stony Brook University Hospital, Rick Gatteau, VP for Student Affairs (L-R Rear) Trustees Drew Biondo, Robert Juliano, Stan Loucks, and Rebecca Kassay. Photo by John Griffin/SBU

On April 24, at the Port Jefferson Board of Trustees Regular Board Meeting, Stony Brook University President Maurie McInnis and members of the university’s leadership team were presented with a proclamation by Port Jefferson Mayor Lauren Sheprow declaring Port Jefferson as “Seawolves Country.”

In addition to President McInnis, the other university leaders in attendance included Chief Operating Officer of Stony Brook University Hospital, Carol Gomes; Vice President for Student Affairs, Rick Gatteau;  Director of Athletics, Shawn Helibron; and Chief Deputy to the President and the Senior Vice President for Government and Community Relations Judy Greiman.

“In Port Jefferson, we are so lucky to be here as a resource and a respite for the 40,000 plus…people who live, work, and study on that beautiful, amazing [Stony Brook University] campus six miles down the road from us,” said Mayor Sheprow, who worked for the university for sixteen years.

Highlighting the time honored relationship between the Village of Port Jefferson and Stony Brook, the proclamation formally presented a step forward in identifying the Village as a welcoming place for students, faculty and staff to “enjoy all that the Village of Port Jefferson has to offer.”

“On behalf of everybody who is here, our students, but really the entire Stony Brook community, I could not be more excited to accept, on behalf of Stony Brook University, this great proclamation, and, Go Seawolves!” said President McInnis.

The Village is home to the Port Jefferson EMS, which provides a residential paramedic training program available to Stony Brook students. Also nestled in the Port Jefferson Harbor is the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences’ Research Vessel, the Seawolf, which provides research capabilities through large-scale oceanographic sampling and trawling. Approximately 250 students and 500 faculty and staff also live in Port Jefferson.

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Legislator Steven Englebright with the Legislature’s Bicycle Safety Poster Contest winners. Photo from Suffolk County Legislature
Legislator Steven Englebright with the Legislature’s Bicycle Safety Poster Contest winner Nora Boecherer. Photo from Suffolk County Legislature
Legislator Steven Englebright with the Legislature’s Bicycle Safety Poster Contest winner Nora Boecherer. Photo from Suffolk County Legislature
Legislator Steven Englebright with the Legislature’s Bicycle Safety Poster Contest winner Nora Boecherer. Photo from Suffolk County Legislature
Legislator Steven Englebright with the Legislature’s Bicycle Safety Poster Contest winners. Photo from Suffolk County Legislature

At the Suffolk County Legislature’s General Meeting in Riverhead on April 9, students from the Fifth Legislative District were commended for their exceptional bicycle safety knowledge.

Suffolk County Legislator Steven Englebright (D-Setauket) was thrilled to announce the Legislature’s Bicycle Safety Poster and Video contest winners, both from his district. For the annual contests, all 18 legislators invite students from local schools to participate. Elementary students are asked to send in a poster, while intermediate and high school students are eligible for the video contest. Each legislator picks one poster and one video from entries submitted to his or her district to be considered the overall Legislature winners.

This year, Nora Boecherer, a first grader attending Edna Louise Spear Elementary School in Port Jefferson, placed first in the County Legislature’s poster contest. Nora attended the April 9th General Meeting and, with her assistant principal Brianne Antenucci by her side, accepted a proclamation from Legislator Englebright.

John F. Kennedy Middle School’s E-News Club members were the overall winners in the video contest. The Comsewogue District Students (Mark Peck, Isabella Manganello, Savannah Prescott, Dean Tuckett-Rivera, Emily Sullivan, Hunter Hojnacki and Raymond Callender), along with their faculty adviser Steven Nielsen, principal Amanda Prinz and Comsewogue District Superintendent Jennifer Quinn, were on hand to accept their proclamation.

“Nora and the J.F.K. Middle School E-News Club members have set an excellent example for their peers,” Englebright said. “They prove that even our youngest citizens can help to keep our local neighborhoods safe places to travel and play. I was impressed by their creativity and hope they enjoyed their visit to the Legislature’s General Meeting.”

 

 

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Photo from TOB

On April 24, Councilwoman Jane Bonner (center) was a guest speaker at the Eastern Suffolk BOCES Eastern Suffolk Board of Cooperative Educational Services (ESBOCES) Community Legislative Committee meeting. The Community Legislative Committee, which is open to the community, is generally comprised of ESBOCES students, staff, parents, and ESBOCES Board Members. The committee is for those who are interested in learning about the issues impacting school districts and BOCES and how to advocate for positive change.

Also pictured are (left) ESBOCES Chief Operating Officer, David Wicks and (right) ESBOCES Board Vice President, Bill Miller. Councilwoman Bonner said, “The training that the students receive from BOCES will give them a smoother path when they are seeking employment. Navigating the employment market can be a challenge, but the career training they get at BOCES will help to turn their dream job into a reality.”

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Caption: Legislator Steve Englebright, right, congratulates Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich on being named the 5th Legislative District's Champion of Diversity.

Recently, Suffolk County legislators were tasked with naming a Champion of Diversity in their legislative district. For Legislator Steven Englebright (D-Setauket), the choice was easy: Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook).

The legislators introduced their Champions of Diversity at the Suffolk County Legislature’s April 9 meeting in Riverhead. While Kornreich could not attend due to a scheduling conflict, Englebright read a biography summarizing the councilmember’s achievements. The legislator was able to present Kornreich’s proclamation to him personally at Brookhaven Town Hall on April 23.  

Legislator Englebright has known Kornreich for more than a decade and has witnessed firsthand the councilmember’s efforts in creating a more diverse and equitable community, even before Kornreich served as an elected official.

Included among Kornreich’s accomplishments is the councilmember helping to create the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Advisory Board (AANHPI) at the Town of Brookhaven. The board aims to build bridges of friendship and understanding between the town government and the Asian American community.

The councilmember speaks annually at the North Shore Jewish Center to educate the senior community about the various town resources available. He secured recognition of Pride Month in 2021 for the first time by the Brookhaven Town Board. He also coordinated with the LGBTQ+ community from Stony Brook University for Pride Month to host the school’s first Pride block party, which now takes place annually.

Currently, Kornreich is working on a heroic project with various community members to raise funds through private donations to restore the American Legion Irving Hart Post 1766 in Setauket. The building, now in disrepair, was a de facto community center for decades. Established after World War II by members of the mixed-heritage Black and Native American community who lived in the Bethel-Christian Avenue-Laurel Hill Historic District area, the Post served as a local veterans’ service organization for those who returned home from serving their country and found other posts would not accept them.

Kornreich said, “I am deeply grateful to Legislator Englebright for recognizing the work of our team in making sure that the diverse voices of Brookhaven’s Council District 1 are seen and heard. As one of the most diverse districts in the town, we believe it is central to our government mission to make sure our residents’ diverse perspectives are included in our work in a meaningful way.”

The councilmember has served the residents of Brookhaven’s First District since being elected to office in a special election in 2021. He is a former Three Village Civic Association president and a former board member of both the North Shore Montessori School in Stony Brook and Three Village Central School District Board of Education.

 

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East Setauket Pond Park. Photo by Mallie Jane Kim

By Mallie Jane Kim

East Setauket Pond Park is due for a facelift next year, and Brookhaven Town Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) is assembling a diverse set of voices to help make plans for the landmark property, which sits next to Se-Port Deli on Route 25A.

Kornreich said the people he invited to join the committee include descendants of the Setalcott Nation and parents of young children — in addition to residents who are often involved in Three Village area community service, leadership and decision-making.

The park sits on a likely landing point of the first European settlers of Brookhaven, an event commemorated by a 1955 mural housed in Town Hall. The mural depicts a busy Setalcott village with European ships approaching in the distance, and some believe the perspective of the painting is East Setauket Pond Park.

Kornreich said he wants to be sure he is considering the history as well as the future of the property.

“When you’re doing something as important as creating a park that’s going to be there for the next 100 years, I think we have to be thoughtful and include some other voices that maybe we don’t always listen to,” Kornreich explained of his effort to broaden his advisory group to include more than the usual suspects. “A diverse set of voices generally yields better decision-making.”

Some of those usual suspects include members of the Setauket Harbor Task Force, whose advocacy started the process of the park rehabilitation in the first place. The tidal pond water drains into the harbor itself, and when the task force formed in 2014, the pond was filled with sand, sediment and pollutants from Route 25A road runoff. 

Task force co-founder George Hoffman remembers working to bring the park onto Brookhaven’s radar. The town’s parks department began mowing and clearing some invasive plants, he explained, as the task force worked with former state Sen. John Flanagan (R-East Northport) to secure a $1 million clean water grant in 2016. After various delays, the money went toward dredging the pond in 2022 and building an appropriate drainage system for the highway in 2023.

Hoffman said he understands the need to include a variety of voices in developing the park, but he acknowledges it is hard to adjust after advocating for it for so long. “We’ve always seen ourselves as unofficial stewards of Setauket Pond Park,” he said. “It’s been our baby, but now it’s kind of everyone’s baby.”

He added that he hopes the environment will remain an important aspect of any development. “The pond is tied into water quality as the headwaters of the harbor,” he said. “It’s important we don’t do anything to jeopardize that.”

Hoffman and Kornreich both said they hope a redeveloped park will serve as an anchor for revitalization of downtown East Setauket as well as provide an economic boost to the area, giving residents a clear view of the harbor and providing an enjoyable outdoor space near local businesses.

One woman tapped for the new committee, East Setauket resident Stephanie Alwais, said she is excited to be a part of the process. In her five years on the board of North Shore Montessori School in Stony Brook, she has had a lot of exposure to the needs and desires of area families with young children. 

“North Shore is such an embedded school within the community, and the park is also right in the center of the community,” Alwais said. “As a mom in Setauket, I’d love for the park to be a place where families can go.”

Kornreich said his advisory committee will work with the parks department to figure out the best use of the land, which will expand to include the parcel that currently houses Setauket Automotive, next door to the current park. Brookhaven purchased that land late in 2022 with plans to tear down the auto-shop building once the business-owner tenant’s lease expires at the end of July 2025. 

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Firefighting foam erupts from fire hose a product that is a regular host of PFAS chemicals, resistant to oil and water. Pixabay photo

By Daniel Dunaief

Forever is wonderful when it comes to love, but not so much when it comes to chemicals that don’t break down and stay in the human body, accumulating over time and threatening people’s health.

In a move applauded by environmental advocates and health officials, the Environmental Protection Agency last week set a limit on the amount of so-called forever chemicals, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, called PFAS, of four parts per trillion in drinking water.

Water companies have until 2027 to complete initial monitoring to reduce chemicals that have been linked to damage to the kidney, testes, liver, thyroid, reproductive and immune system, according to the new regulations. Found in a host of products including fireman’s foam, carpets, clothing, food packaging and nonstick cookware, PFAS are resistant to oil and water.

New York State already had one of the toughest regulations in the country, as the Empire State set maximum contaminant levels of 10 parts per trillion for these chemicals in 2020.

Charles Lefkowitz, chairman of the Suffolk County Water Authority applauded the EPA for this new national standard.

The SCWA has been “preparing for this and we are well on our way to meeting all regulatory requirements within the time frame laid out by EPA,” Lefkowitz said in a statement. “Since 2020, when New York enacted its own PFAS rules, SCWA has been meeting or surpassing all standards. It has given us a great head start on the new rules, but there is still work to be done.”

Suffolk County Health Commissioner Dr. Gregson Pigott noted that the state’s water standards for emerging contaminants are among the most protective in the country.

“The new federal measures will have the greatest impact nationwide and will also further protect our drinking water on Long Island,” Dr. Pigott explained in an email.

Environmental groups recognized the ongoing work at the SCWA to meet these standards and appreciated the authority’s public disclosure of its testing results.

Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, described the SCWA as “ready” for this rule change and “poised for action.”

Since 2016, the SCWA installed 27 new Granular Activated Carbon treatment systems that remove PFAS from drinking water, The authority expects to install as many as 80 new GAC systems to meet the new regulations.

“We are well within our way to achieving that within the timeframe set by the EPA,” Jeff Szabo, Chief Executive Officer of SCWA, explained in an email. 

Each new system costs about $1.5 million to install. SCWA had already instituted a $20 per quarter water quality treatment charge to customers in 2020, when New York State established its PFAS limits.

SCWA has also secured $9 million from New York State for GAC treatment, which, Szabo explained, would help reduce the cost to customers.

Rates won’t be increasing in the next fiscal year. The rates, which are based on the budget, may change in future years, depending on the operating budget, a spokesman said.

SCWA tests all of its wells at least semi-annually for PFAS. If the authority finds a well with these chemicals, it retests the well at least quarterly and, in some cases will test it every month or every two weeks.

Private  wells

Esposito urged people with private wells to test their water regularly.

“People think when they have a private well, it comes from a mysteriously clean spring,” said Esposito. “They must get their wells tested. Ignorance is not bliss. If there are PFAS, they must call and report it and see if they’re eligible to get federal funds for filtration.”

Esposito estimates the cost of testing for private well water could be $200 to $250.

Carbon filtration, using a process called reverse osmosis, can remove PFAS.

The cost of installing filters depends on the home and the type of filter. Several online providers estimate a cost between $800 and $3,000, although specific costs from different providers may vary.

Residents can call the Department of Health Services Office of Water Resources at (631) 852-5810 for information on testing by either the health department or a local contract laboratory. Health department staff are also available to provide treatment recommendations.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has provided alternate water supplies to a limited number of private well owners on a case-by-case basis over the last several years.

The New York State legislature is considering proposed legislation to provide grant funding to private well owners with impacted wells to connect to public water or install treatment.

The county health department coordinates with the DEC and the state Department of Health when they receive information regarding water that exceeds PFAS containment levels.

People interested in further information about the health effects of the PFAS are urged to reach out to the New York State Department of Health.

Jaymie Meliker, Professor in the Department of Family, Population and Preventive Medicine in the Program in Public Health at Stony Brook University, added that private wells have numerous potential contaminants in part because Long Island has so many septic systems.

These wastewater systems are a source of nitrogen for waterways, leading to fish kills and can also add contaminants to drinking water.

Wastewater treatment is “vastly under resourced,” said Meliker. The county and the state need infrastructure investments.

As for PFAS, they can vary from one neighborhood to the next.

On the manufacturing side, companies are working to lower the toxins of PFAS, creating shorter chains that provide the same benefits without the negative effect on health.

Meliker was pleased that the EPA had established low level limits for these chemicals that accumulate in the human body.

The studies and concerns have been “going on for a couple of decades,” he said. “There’s enough evidence to suggest it’s prudent to do something.

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Pictured at the Legislature are Dr. Sylvia Diaz and Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta. Photo from Leg. Trotta's office

In 2022, the Legislature passed a resolution that each Legislator shall designate a Diversity Champion for their district in April of every year. The honoree is one who demonstrates an openness in thinking and respects diverse racial, cultural and ethnic differences.

Sylvia Diaz received her Ph.D. from the School of Social Work at SUNY Stony Brook. Dr. Diaz has had a long career in Suffolk County government where she headed the Office of Minority Affairs, then the Division of Human Services and lastly served as the Chief Deputy Commissioner for the Department of Social Services. She left public service in 2003, to serve as the Regional Vice President for the American Cancer Society. A position she held until 2013, when she joined the Suffolk County Community College Foundation as its Executive Director. She was there until early this year.

This past January, newly elected County Executive Ed Romaine appointed her as his Deputy County Executive for Health, Human Services and Education. Currently, she is serving as the Acting Commissioner of the Department of Social Services while a search is underway for a candidate to fill the position of Commissioner.

Legislator Trotta said, “I am thrilled to have a woman of Dr. Diaz’s caliber as my honoree and am confident that she will be a valuable asset to County Executive Ed Romaine and the residents of Suffolk County.”

 

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