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A scene from a previous Polar Plunge at Mt. Sinai’s Cedar Beach. Bill Landon photo

Hundreds of brave Special Olympics New York supporters are expected to participate in the Polar Plunge Saturday, November 23, running into the freezing waters of the Long Island Sound to raise funds and awareness for local Special Olympics athletes and programming.

The Polar Plunge is one of the most popular, profitable, and exciting fundraisers for Special Olympics New York. Participants raise money by asking friends, family, colleagues, and acquaintances for donations. Event details are as follows.

When: Saturday, November 23, 2024
            9:30 a.m. – Registration
11:30 a.m. – Polar Plunge

Where: Cedar Beach, Mount Sinai
             244 Harbor Beach Rd, Mt Sinai, NY 11766

Link: Donate or Support the Plunge Here.

For additional information, please contact Alexis Dawson at [email protected] or 631-386-8038.

About Special Olympics New York

Special Olympics New York is one of the largest state chapters in the country, serving more than 45,000 athletes across New York with year-round sports training, athletic competition, and health screenings. The organization also partners with more than 300 schools statewide to offer Unified Sports, where students with and without disabilities compete as teammates. All Special Olympics New York programs are offered at no cost to athletes, their families or caregivers. The organization has earned the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.com and a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, making it one of the most trusted charities in the business nationally. For additional information about Special Olympics New York, to learn more about getting involved, or to make a donation, visit www.specialolympicsNY.org.

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Lauren Sheprow, mayor-elect of the Village of Port Jefferson. File photo by Raymond Janis

At an emergency meeting of the Port Jefferson Village Board of Trustees on Oct. 30 the board voted unanimously to suspend the carrying of firearms by any and all Village employees, in furtherance of their duties and responsibilities as employees of the Village of Port Jefferson, including, but not limited to Code Enforcement Bureau personnel.

 “This is something we as a board have been discussing since my first meeting as mayor, as one of many departmental deep dives,” said village Mayor Lauren Sheprow. “We have been working with a consultant on this particular issue among others and the board agreed that this was in the best interests for the health, safety and welfare of Village employees, residents and the public.”

The mayor explained at the meeting that the incident that perpetuated this emergency meeting was that a firearm was left in a public restroom in Village Hall, fortunately without incident. This resulted, she said, in this immediate action.

TBR is following this story closely. More information about this development will be covered in our Nov. 7 editions.

View the meeting on the village’s YouTube channel. The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is a work session on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 5 p.m.

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Brookhaven Town Councilwoman Jane Bonner and volunteer Brian McCaffrey. Photo from Councilwoman Bonner's office

On October 26, Councilwoman Jane Bonner and Coastal Steward Long Island volunteer Brian McCaffery attended the Shellfish Restoration Project event at Mt. Sinai Harbor. The organization and volunteers placed 50,000 oysters in both the Mt. Sinai and Port Jefferson Harbor sites. It was the final Shellfish Restoration Project oyster release of 2024. They were raised at the Town of Brookhaven Mariculture Facility at Mt Sinai Harbor until May and June 2024. 

The 20 mm oysters were donated to the Coastal Steward, a not-for-profit group that volunteers for the Town of Brookhaven. The Coastal Steward then grows the oysters as part of their Mariculture Restoration Program until they plant them in October on a Town Management Area in Port Jefferson Harbor.

Coastal Steward Long Island received 75,000 small Eastern oysters, raised at the Town of Brookhaven Mariculture facility at Mt. Sinai Harbor and divided into 75 bags. With the help of volunteers, the bags were placed in large growing cages and submerged. Throughout the summer and fall, their health and growth were monitored. In addition, every two weeks the oysters are removed from their cages and cleaned to prevent overgrowth of algae and other organisms that may inhibit their growth. For more information about the Coastal Steward Shellfish Restoration Project, go to www.coastalsteward.org.

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Photo from Councilwoman Bonner's office

On October 27, Councilwoman Jane Bonner (right) was a guest at the Rocky Point Historical Society’s 26th Annual Tea at the North Shore Beach Clubhouse in Rocky Point.

The fundraiser featured a presentation by Debra Scala Giokas, author of the new book about Claire McCaredll (1905-1958), an American fashion designer of ready-to-wear clothing in the 20th Century. The annual event also featured food, homemade cookies baked by members and raffle baskets.

Pictured with Councilwoman Bonner is Rocky Point Historical Society president Suzanne Johnson (right).

Monthly historic programs are free and open to the public. The Rocky Point Historical Society meets at 7:00 p.m. on the 2nd Thursday of each month at the VFW Hall, 109 King Road in Rocky Point. For more information, call 631-744-1776 or go to rockypointhistoricalsociety.org. 

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Head of the Harbor village trustee and neighborhood preservation coalition spokesperson, Judy Ogden, speaks in favor of a lawsuit aimed at delaying the Gyrodyne subdivision approval on the Flowerfield site. Photo by Chris Mellides

A recent court decision found that the environmental review of the proposed Gyrodyne development plan met the minimum legal requirements, but the legal battle is far from over, according to members of the Saint James – Head of the Harbor Neighborhood Preservation Coalition. The coalition, along with the Village of Head of the Harbor and local property owners, filed a lawsuit challenging the review. Meanwhile, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is finalizing appraisals to acquire portions of the property for preservation as open space.

“The fight to preserve this important parcel as open space is not over,” said Judy Ogden, a Village of Head of the Harbor trustee and spokesperson for the coalition. “We plan to appeal the recent court decision. More importantly, the DEC is continuing efforts to acquire Flowerfield Fairgrounds for preservation.”

The Gyrodyne site is located near several farms and includes land in the Mills Pond National Historic District. The proposed development includes a 125-room hotel, 175,000 square feet of office space, 250 assisted living units, a sewage treatment plant and parking for over 2,500 vehicles. These elements require special approvals from the Smithtown Town Board, as they are not allowed under current zoning regulations.

Smithtown’s recently updated Comprehensive Plan recommends that assisted living facilities be located in designated areas, not near residential neighborhoods. It also states that mixed-use projects like the Gyrodyne plan should be developed in business districts, not along highways.

“Based on sound planning principles alone, the town has the authority to reject the Gyrodyne development,” Ogden said. “This project would overwhelm St. James and Head of the Harbor with traffic and damage water quality in Stony Brook Harbor.”

The coalition and local officials have long opposed the development. In 2021, the group expressed support for converting the entire site into a park. If that wasn’t possible, they supported a compromise to preserve the 48-acre Flowerfield Fairgrounds as open space while allowing limited development on land already occupied by buildings.

Severe flooding

After the Smithtown Planning Board approved the subdivision on March 30, 2022, the coalition and 23 local property owners filed a lawsuit, arguing the environmental review was inadequate.

“The review process was not thorough,” said Joseph Bollhofer, a member of the coalition. “It didn’t seriously consider public input and failed to account for severe weather events.”

On Aug. 19, a 10-inch rainfall caused severe flooding around the Gyrodyne site, forcing the closure of Route 25A for three days.

“Even with most of the property undeveloped, the flooding was enough to burst the dam at Stony Brook Mill Pond,” Bollhofer said. “If Gyrodyne’s development had been in place, experts say it could have destroyed the historic Stony Brook Grist Mill.”

Bollhofer added that the coalition plans to challenge the court decision, citing the review’s failure to account for the increasing frequency of severe storms.

“The community’s support for our legal efforts is a testament to the widespread opposition to this development,” Ogden said. “We will continue to work with the DEC and local officials to preserve Flowerfield Fairgrounds for future generations.”

Local elected officials, including Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R) and county Legislators Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) and Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga), have all opposed the Gyrodyne subdivision and expressed strong support for preserving the site.

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Photo courtesy of Councilman Manzella's office

On October 19, Town Councilman Neil A. Manzella (left), Town Clerk Kevin J. LaValle (second from right), NYS Senator Dean Murray (second from left), and Suffolk County Legislator Nick Caracappa (right) were joined by over 550 Middle Country Youth Civic Association members for some early Halloween fun at Brookhaven Town’s Centereach Pool.

This year, the Councilman transformed his automobile trunk into the classic “Fix-it-Felix” Arcade and the Town Clerk portrayed the “Karate Kid” character, “Daniel LaRusso,” with his car trunk themed from the hit movie. Both trunks were filled with goodies for the enthusiastic “Trick or Treaters.”

Dozens of car trunks at the weekend event were changed into Halloween attractions with Town officials and
their staff handing out candy and toys to the youngsters all dressed in their pre-Halloween costumes.
Councilman Manzella and the Civic Association said the event “never disappoints!”

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Participants from last year's supermarket drive. Photo from Councilman Ferro's office
Participants from last year's supermarket drive. Photo from Councilman Ferro's office
Harborfields Tornadoes Head Coach Rocco Colucci, with Councilman Salvatore Ferro, Director Kevin Thorbourne, Director of Community Development, Angel Cepeda, Suffolk County Second Precinct Police Officer Claudia Delgado.

Huntington Town Councilman Salvatore Ferro has announced the collaboration between his office and Town Director of Minority Affairs Kevin Thorbourne for the third annual Supermarket Food Drive.

This community-driven event will take place for Harborfields, Huntington, and John Glenn high schools on Sunday, October 27 from noon to 4 p.m. and for Northport on Sunday, November 10 from noon to 4 and will bring together local high school football teams to raise hunger awareness and support local food pantries.

The Supermarket Food Drive will feature a friendly competition among several football teams from high schools across the Town of Huntington.

These teams will be collecting non-perishable food items outside the following locations:

  • Harborfields Tornadoes Football: Greenlawn Farms, 777 Pulaski Road, Greenlawn
  • Huntington Blue Devils Football: Stop & Shop, 60 Wall Street, Huntington
  • John Glenn Knights Football: Stop & Shop, 3126 Jericho Turnpike, East Northport
  • Northport Tigers Football: Stop & Shop, 454 Fort Salonga Road (25A), Northport

Councilman Ferro emphasized the significance of the different football teams coming together to give back to the community, stating, “The Supermarket Food Drive embodies the strength of our community spirit. I’m proud of our local high school football teams for their commitment to supporting those in need within our community. This event showcases the unity and compassion that define our town.”

Residents are encouraged to join Councilman Ferro, Director Thorbourne, and the high school football participants on Sunday, October 27, for Harborfields, John Glenn, and Huntington Football Teams and on Sunday, November 10 for the Northport Football Team to donate non-perishable food items and help make a positive impact on the lives of those facing food insecurity in Huntington. For more information, call 631-351-3175.

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File photo by Raymond Janis

By Lauren Feldman

At its Oct. 17 meeting, the Smithtown Town Board announced the 2025 preliminary town budget.

“I am pleased to present the 2025 tentative budget, which is both balanced and under the tax cap, despite years of inflation, national economic climate and costly unfunded state mandates that are forced upon local municipalities to manage,” said Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R).

The supervisor said over the last year, the town completed significant upgrades to popular facilities. 

“I am pleased to report that our path will continue forward to complete the total renovation of the Smithtown park system — expanding open-space preservation, tree planting and inventory efforts,” he said.

The town is also making efforts to increase cybersecurity and disability accessibility. 

“We have accomplished all of this despite a 16.6 percent increase to health care insurance, New York State retirement contributions, minimum wage and other state mandates with over $2 million added in operating costs solely for health care insurance for our union employees,” Wehrheim continued. 

“These vital investments have already proven to be a benefit for our community and will continue well into the future.” 

The supervisor thanked his fellow town officers for their tireless work on the budget proposal. 

The budget has been balanced with a focus on quality of life, which includes prioritizing essential services and local infrastructure. 

The budget will result in a $29.60 increase for the average household for the year, which is under the tax cap limit.

An additional $3 million will be bonded for highway repaving and drainage projects. 

Solid waste residential fees will increase by $4 from $540. The increase includes leaf and brush removal.

The supervisor also addressed the state’s minimum wage increase, set to take place in 2025, which will consequently increase the cost of services the town uses. 

Extremely difficult budget

However, no reserve funds were used to balance the budget. “I will add that this was an extremely difficult budget,” Wehrheim said. “It gets more and more difficult every year.”

He said that increases and pressures from the state have contributed to the stress of the budget. While he was proud of the team for coming in with an increase under the tax cap, this may be even more challenging next year.

“I think you will find that getting more difficult for next year, but we’ll see what happens,” the supervisor said. “Perhaps the economy improves. But we did our due diligence, and I think we produced a budget that’s very fair to the Smithtown taxpayer while continuing to provide all the services that we do.”

At the end of the budget presentation, John Savoretti, came forward to say, “As a resident and business owner in Smithtown, I felt it was important for me to come out and thank you for the hard work that you did keeping this [budget] under the cap.”

Wehrheim thanked Savoretti for his kind words. “This was a lot of hard work by our department heads, our Comptroller’s Office and this Town Board. It was not easy to achieve at all, but we strived to achieve it and we made it work.” 

The tentative 2025 budget is posted on the town’s website at www.smithtownny.gov. 

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Photo from Town of Brookhaven

On October 18, Brookhaven Town Councilwoman Jane Bonner (back row, fifth from right) and Brookhaven Town Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (kneeling at right) visited the Sunshine Alternative Education Center (SAEC) in Port Jefferson Station to speak with the students about their roles on the Brookhaven Town Council. Also pictured is Dr. Carol Carter (second from right) Administrator/Prevention Professional.

The mission of the SAEC is to provide a safe, nurturing environment for all children and families that is designed to build self-esteem and positive social skills, empower youth to make healthy choices and decisions, prevent or reduce substance abuse and violence, and strengthen connections between families, schools and communities. Sunshine Prevention Center provides a variety of prevention-focused programs and services to the youth and families in Suffolk County.

For more information, go to www.sunshinepreventionctr.org.

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Photo from Councilwoman Bonner's office

On October 10, Town of Brookhaven Councilwoman Jane Bonner (center) met with Miller Place High School students in Tara Penske’s 12th Grade Civics classes. She spoke about her role in local government, her responsibilities and those of colleagues on the Town Board. Councilwoman Bonner was eager to speak with students about her job as an elected official and answered their questions. She also spoke with the students about pursuing a career in government and how they can make a difference in the community where they live.

Councilwoman Bonner said, “High School is an exciting time when students really start thinking about finding a career that suits them best and they will enjoy So, it was great to meet with Ms. Penske’s very curious students. They asked questions, eagerly joined in the discussions and a few said they would even be interested to pursue a career in government.” 

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