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Village Center file photo by Heidi Sutton

Let there be light.

Representatives from Johnson Controls, an energy performance contracting company, presented a plan to the Port Jefferson Village board of trustees at a meeting Tuesday that would save the village about $1.6 million on energy costs and electrical supplies over 20 years.

The project would entail providing Village Hall and the Village Center with more than 500 LED lighting upgrades, LED lighting fixtures for the village’s more than 1,100 streetlights and 60 new tennis court lights.

“We really haven’t done a lot of upgrades to the existing lighting in forever,” Mayor Margot Garant said during the meeting Tuesday. She called the proposed project “a thing of beauty.”

Dan Haffel, Johnson Controls’ liaison to the village, estimated during the presentation that the project would pay for itself in about 11 years. Port Jefferson would pay the company $1.8 million out of their energy savings — “it’s completely self-funded; there’s no out-of-pocket exposure,” Haffel said — for the consulting and improvements over the life of a 15-year contract, with an interest rate somewhere in the 2 to 3 percent range.

The agreement would come with a guarantee from Johnson Controls.

“The project is guaranteed to pay for itself in 15 years — we’ll pay the village a shortfall if there is one,” Haffel said.

Rob Rolston, the lead project manager from Johnson Controls, said it would be ideal to complete the project before winter, given the complications cold weather and winter storms could present. That would require quick movement from the village.

But the company also put forth a more conservative potential timeline as part of their presentation. If the board approved the proposal in July, fixtures and lights could be ordered by August and construction could begin in September. The job could then be completed in May 2017.

Many of the upgraded lights in Village Hall and the Village Center would incorporate motion sensors as another means to save electricity. The streetlights come with a 10-year manufacturer warranty.

Johnson Controls is a nationwide Fortune 100 company that has been in the field of performance contracting for about 30 years. They have received awards for their environmental impact and energy efficiency from entities like Newsweek and utility PSEG Long Island.

Port Jefferson school district is working on a contract with Johnson Controls for a similar project, according to Assistant Superintendent for Business Sean Leister. He called the proposed upgrades, which still require school board-approval, a “win-win” for the district for the energy and cost savings it would present in a phone interview last week.

The village board has not yet set a date to vote on the proposal.

Sylvan Ave. Park in Miller Place will see an expansion as a result of a land swap. Photo by Desirée Keegan

Miller Place’s popular Sylvan Avenue Park will soon be significantly larger.

Thanks to a land swap agreement between the Town of Brookhaven and Rocky Point developer SMW Property Holdings, the park will gain land in exchange for parkland in Rocky Point. The site, near Rolling Oaks Golf Course in Rocky Point was originally zoned commercial, when a Burger King restaurant was built, though the town purchased it about 10 years ago with the plan to make it a clubhouse for the golf course. The clubhouse never came to fruition.

“We had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to almost double the size of Sylvan Avenue Park in Miller Place, so we jumped on it,” said Brookhaven Councilwoman Jane Bonner (C-Rocky Point), who spearheaded the effort to make the deal happen.

The Town of Brookhaven submitted a home rule message to the New York State Legislature to allow for the swap, which put the decision in the state’s hands over Brookhaven’s local jurisdiction. This is a requirement in New York State in any deal involving a land swap.

Open space land near Rolling Oaks Golf Course in Rocky Point, is being swapped to make way for an expansion at Sylvan Ave. Park in Miller Place. Photo by Desirée Keegan
Open space land near Rolling Oaks Golf Course in Rocky Point, is being swapped to make way for an expansion at Sylvan Ave. Park in Miller Place. Photo by Desirée Keegan

Also, in New York State, to eliminate parkland in one area, it must be replaced with equal or greater valued parkland somewhere else. The development company offered the area they owned near Sylvan Avenue Park, which is larger than the would-be commercial site they are taking over, to the town for the parkland near Rolling Oaks.

The land swap was approved by the ways and means committee, the rules committee and the State Assembly in Albany last week. Brookhaven’s six board members voted unanimously in favor of the request to the state during a special meeting a week prior.

Miller Place Civic Association President Woody Brown said he appreciates anyone advocating for more park space in Miller Place.

“That’s a heavily used park,” he said. “It’s got a lot of activities on it. Expanding parks in a community is always a good thing.”

Brown offered some thoughts about what he might like to see the additional space at Sylvan Avenue Park eventually used for.

“I always think of central park,” he said. “It’s got your active areas where you can play basketball and baseball and all those kinds of active sports, but then it also has places where one can informally throw a Frisbee or play hacky sack. Then it’s got other areas where one can go and contemplate in nature or fly a kite.”

He said an area dedicated to more relaxing activities as a complement to the existing fields and courts used for sporting activities could improve the park.

Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine and Councilwoman Jane Bonner were on-site in Rocky Point for the knocking down of a zombie home on Monroe Street earlier this year. Photo from Town of Brookhaven

On June 13, Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) and Councilwoman Jane Bonner (C-Rocky Point) were on-hand for the demolition of a “zombie house” located at 17 Monroe Street in Rocky Point.

The house, which had been vacant for many years and fire-damaged, was the source of resident complaints leading to Town of Brookhaven housing code violations dating back to 2008. The house was demolished by the town’s department of waste management in accordance with Chapter 73 of the Town Code, which provides a “fast track” to rid neighborhoods of unsafe structures. The property will be cleared of debris and graded by the town.

“This house was a dangerous eyesore on Monroe Street, and for a long time it had a detrimental effect on the quality of life and property values in the neighborhood,” Bonner said. “I am very happy for the residents that live on the street. Some stopped by during the demolition just to say how very thankful they were that it was coming down.”

The cost of demolition and debris removal is the responsibility of the property owner, and the Town places a lien on the property that is then placed on the tax bill. Suffolk County reimburses the town and then collects the money from the property owner.

“Nearly every community in Brookhaven Town has been hit by the increase of vacant, neglected houses,” Romaine said. “Unfortunately, many of them are run-down and not secure from animals and squatters. We will continue to clean up properties like this and I thank the town law, building and waste management departments for their efforts to help clean up this neighborhood and others across the town.”

Asharoken Mayor Greg Letica, center, and Trustees Laura Burke and Mel Ettinger are all seeking a third term in Village Hall. Photo from Laura Burke

Asharoken is not shaking up its leadership in the coming year, as per the results of Tuesday’s village election.

Mayor Greg Letica and Trustees Mel Ettinger and Laura Burke were all re-elected. Letica recieved 167 votes, Ettinger got 150 and Burke had 143.

Ettinger said he is excited to begin another term for Asharoken.

“I’m thrilled to have been re-elected together with Greg and Laura,” he said in a phone interview Wednesday. “The three of us are looking forward to working with the other two trustees for another two years, and continuing to work on some of the issues facing our village and whatever new issues arise.”

Letica echoed his sentiments.

“I am very happy to be re-elected and I look forward to continuing to serve the residents,” he said. “And I also want to thank them for their support.”

Burke said she is excited to continue to help the village.

“I would like to say that I am pleased and honored to serve alongside the other elected officials of Asharoken, in particular Mayor Letica who brings a tremendous amount of honesty and integrity to our village government,” she said in an email. “I will continue to strive to make decisions in the best interests of our residents and village.

Mayor Dolores ‘Dee’ Parrish will serve another two-year term in Poquott. File photo

Incumbent Mayor Dolores “Dee” Parrish defeated challenger Barbara Donovan in her bid for a second term at the helm of Poquott Village on Election Day Tuesday.

Parrish did not appear on the ballot after a state Supreme Court judge ruled in favor of a lawsuit, brought about in part by Donovan, that claimed there were errors in her nominating petition, yet she received 239 write-in votes. Donovan received 190 votes. The race was a rematch of the 2014 election, which saw Parrish unseat Donovan, who was a 12-year incumbent.

Fifteen-year village resident Michael Schaefer and member of Poquott’s planning board captured one of the trustee seats up for election, while small business owner and lifelong Three Village resident John Mastauskas grabbed the other. Schaefer campaigned with Donovan and former Village Clerk Joan Hubbard as a member of the Party of Unity and Respect. Mastauskas, like Parrish and trustee candidates Gary Garofano and Sandra Nicoletti, was forced to pursue election as a write-in candidate.

Schaefer and Mastauskas received 205 and 198 votes, respectively. Hubbard finished third with 187 votes. Nicoletti’s name was written in 149 times, and Garofano’s 82.

None of the seven candidates could be reached for comment by press time Wednesday.

Lawsuits, allegations, closed-door meetings and hard feelings highlighted the campaign in the buildup to Tuesday’s vote. Parrish reached out to voters on the eve of the election Monday night in a nearly 2,000-word email.

“I will continue to improve the beaches and parks, and I will continue to run quality community events for all ages,” Parrish said. “My thoughts are that if beaches and parks are beautiful, safe and remain pet-friendly, people will come out to enjoy them. Physically bringing people together is the first step toward quenching the fires sparked by the few at the expense of the many.”

Port Jeff Village is asking residents to use the online parking sticker portal. File photo by Elana Glowatz

Port Jefferson residents shook up the village court on Tuesday night, voting for a new justice to take over the bench.

Tara Higgins is the new village justice. Photo from the candidate
Tara Higgins is the new village justice. Photo from the candidate

In addition to re-electing Trustees Bruce D’Abramo and Bruce Miller, who were running unopposed, to their positions on the village board in this week’s election, voters chose attorney Tara Higgins to serve out the three years remaining on the term of former Justice Peter Graham, who died in office late last year shortly after being re-elected to his judgeship — and after more than 30 years of service.

Candidate Bill Glass had been appointed to serve in Graham’s place until an election could be held, but he lost his bid for re-election, with only 330 votes to Higgins’ 390 votes.

A third challenger, attorney Scott Zamek, garnered just 158 votes.

The defeat is a repeat for Glass, who also lost a try for the village bench against Graham in 2011.

Higgins, a 50-year-old East Setauket native, has lived in Port Jefferson for 18 years. Her connection to the village goes further back: the Tara Inn pub uptown, owned by her father, was named for her.

Tara Higgins: 390 votes
Bill Glass: 330 votes
Scott Zamek: 158 votes

A graduate of Seton Hall University School of Law, she works at Islandia-based Lewis Johs Avallone Aviles LLP, where she does municipal defense work and civil defense litigation.

The unopposed trustees, D’Abramo and Miller, secured their fourth and second terms, respectively.

Miller has listed his goals for a new term as pushing for the Port Jefferson power plant to be upgraded, to keep it a viable form of energy and property tax revenue; making the village more energy-efficient; and strengthening the power grid in Port Jefferson to better withstand storms. For his part, D’Abramo wants to revitalize the uptown area and improve the village’s infrastructure.

Photo by Alex Petroski Tom Suozzi speaks to voters. Photo by Alex Petroski.

Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) is one of five candidates vying for the Democratic nomination in the 3rd Congressional District to win the right to face off against Republican Jack Martins (R-Mineola) in November.

The seat was previously held by U.S. Rep. Steve Israel (D-Huntington), who announced in January he would not seek re-election after 15 years in the seat. Suozzi will square off with Suffolk County Legislator Steve Stern (D-Dix Hills), former North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jon Kaiman (D-Great Neck), North Hempstead Town Board member Anna Kaplan and attorney Jonathan Clarke in the June 28 primary.

Suozzi served as Nassau County Executive from 2002 to 2009 and mayor of Glen Cove from 1994 to 2001, but has been out of politics for about six years. He is a certified public accountant and is currently of counsel to Harris Beach law firm in Uniondale. He lives in Glen Cove with his wife Helene and their three children. In his time in office, Suozzi said he fought to root out corruption in state politics and was named environmentalist of the year by the New York League of Conservation Voters, a statewide environmental organization.

The candidate spoke to voters from Kings Park last Thursday at a town hall at American Legion Post 944. He pledged to display two important traits to voters: a willingness to take on the status quo in politics and a desire to cooperate across the partisan aisle.

“If there’s one thing I’m convinced of, it’s that everyone is sick and tired of politics,” Suozzi said. “People have just had it with government. They’re frustrated. They see too many problems in their lives that are not being addressed in the political arena.”

“If there’s one thing I’m convinced of, it’s that everyone is sick and tired of politics.”
— Tom Suozzi

He vowed to take on corporations and special interests that have a stake in government policies remaining status quo.

A main topic of conversation at the town hall was affordable health care.

Suozzi said he would be in support of a voucher program that would create a hybrid health care system, allowing taxpayers to choose the best option for them, be it Medicare/Medicaid or a private insurance. In 2004 he fought to create a cap on local Medicaid expenses.

Suozzi also said he believes an ideal candidate is a moderate one that doesn’t swing too far to either side of the issues.

“To win a democratic primary you’ve got to go way to the left,” Suozzi said. “To win a republican primary you’ve got to go way to the right. So people end up in office who are at these two extremes and they won’t do anything in the middle to actually solve the problems. All they’re doing is yelling at each other. We have to figure out how we can get people of good will who actually care about doing these jobs, who also actually do something, not just get the job, but do the job, to come together and actually solve some problems.”

Care for veterans was another issue raised by a Kings Park voter at the event.

“I believe that the number one obligation that government has … is to take care of veterans,” Suozzi said. “We have to figure out how to create a program where there’s a transition from the armed forces back into society again and it has got to be made a priority.”

Suozzi was also pressed about drug addiction on Long Island.

He said he’d like to see addiction to substances like heroin treated more as a disease than a crime, with an emphasis on prevention at younger ages, rather than simply treatment after the fact.

The Port Jefferson jitney stops on Arden Place near Mariners Way. Photo by Elana Glowatz

The village jitney is up and running again, shuttling residents and visitors through Port Jefferson on summer weekends. But in its third year, village officials may take things up a notch.

At a village board of trustees meeting last Monday, Trustee Larry LaPointe announced they had received a $12,600 grant from Suffolk County to build three small shelters for people waiting to hop on the jitney.

It is a matching grant, so the village will have to kick in as much money as it accepts from the county. That may be slightly lower than the total available, as the trustees approved a proposal from Freeport-based Columbia Equipment Company to build the three red shelters for $19,500 — meaning each municipality would kick in just shy of $10,000.

LaPointe described the shelters as aluminum squares measuring 5 feet by 7 feet — the ridership numbers don’t justify building big shelters, he said — without benches inside.

“Benches attract people who want to take a nap,” he said.

Port Jefferson officials often contend with loitering vagrants or drunken people. There are frequently homeless people sleeping on the few benches around the area.

While the village could choose to put in benches down the road, LaPointe noted that because the shelters are small, leaving out a bench would improve access to the shelters for people in wheelchairs.

The shelters would be installed at the three points along the jitney route: at its start uptown on the east side of Oakland Avenue, near the Long Island Rail Road station; on the north side of Arden Place close to East Main Street; and at the harborfront park off East Broadway.

Those shelters are going to be red so they match the color of the shuttle bus.

“The shelters will really brand it — red jitney, red shelter,” LaPointe said.

The bus service, which resumed on Memorial Day, will keep trucking until Labor Day. Fare is $2, but children under 12 can ride for free.

When the jitney first started running in summer 2014, the village board saw the shuttle as a way to connect the vibrant downtown and the struggling uptown areas.

“It’s a good way to start bridging the gap between upper and lower Port,” Mayor Margot Garant said at the time. “We’ve got to get people circulating back up and down.”

Port Jefferson Village parking committee chairman George Westbay had originally presented the concept as a year-round service to link uptown and downtown, given the village’s push to revitalize the upper Port area and with a new apartment complex going up on Texaco Avenue to bring in more residents. He also saw it being used by visitors who could take the LIRR to Port Jefferson and then use the bus to go to a waterfront festival, for instance, instead of using a car.

Nazi material, along with weapons were seized from a home in Mount Sinai last June. File photo from the SCPD

Police are seeking the public’s help with information after Nazi paraphernalia and a bomb-making manual were found during a raid in Mount Sinai early Thursday.

At 6 a.m. on Miller Place Middle Island Road, just before it merges into Mt. Sinai-Coram Road and Miller Place Road, brothers Edward and Sean Perkowski were arrested after authorities executing a search warrant uncovered 10 assault rifles, a hand gun, high capacity magazines, a shotgun, a stun gun, more than $40,000 in cash, marijuana, illegal mushrooms, Nazi material and a manual on how to make bomb. The Nazi-related material included framed photos of Adolf Hitler, Nazi flags with swastikas and books on white supremacy.

Ten assault rifles, a hand gun, high capacity magazines, a shotgun and a stun gun were retrieved from a home in Mount Sinia. Photo from SCPD
Ten assault rifles, a hand gun, high capacity magazines, a shotgun and a stun gun were retrieved from a home in Mount Sinai. Photo from SCPD
Edward Perkowski mugshot from SCPD
Edward Perkowski mugshot from SCPD

Edward Perkowski, 29, currently faces drugs and weapon charges, and Sean, 25, was charged with an outstanding warrant.

“This was a public threat on multiple fronts,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Tim Sini said. “We have two individuals who clearly subscribe to a hateful, violent ideology, who had an illegal arsenal at their fingertips.”

Although unable to discuss the details of the case as the investigation is still ongoing, such as if an event to use the arsenal of weapons was planned, whether they’ve been cooperative or if they were working alone or as part of a group, Sini said the department is currently working with the Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is made up of local police department and federal agencies, including the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

“Today’s search warrant might have prevented a deadly, violent incident, like the one we recently saw in Orlando,” Sini said. “I have a message to the residents of Suffolk County: The Suffolk County Police Department will do everything in its power to ensure your safety. We can only do our job most effectively if we have your cooperation and your collaboration.”

A large binder containing hand-written and printout material on bomb building was found during the search warrant in Mount Sinai. Photo by Desirée Keegan
A large binder containing hand-written and printout material on bomb building was found during the search warrant in Mount Sinai. Photo by Desirée Keegan

Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) said he’s never seen such coordinated police activity in all his years as an elected official, in regard to going after drug dealers and those promoting hate. He said the latter is what is of the utmost importance in this given case.

“Obviously this was a drug house, but drugs were only part of the problem,” he said. “This was a house infected with that disease called hate, and we want to stop hate in this country. There’s enough of it, and we’ve seen what hate can do and how it can destroy and hurt our nation.”

John Leonard, a neighbor who has lived two houses down for 18 years, said there was a brawl out in front of the home a couple of months ago, and 911 was called. When he saw the public police report following the search warrant, he went to police headquarters to offer his help.

“I’ve never spoke to them, we keep our distance,” he said. “There’s four or five cars parked in front [of the house] at all times and constant cars coming in and out. I had my car broken into in the driveway about a year ago. My neighbors had the same thing. We found prescription medication laying out in the street a couple of months ago. It wasn’t too hard to figure out something is going on.”

What he said horrified him, though, was the large bomb-making manual found, which included hand-written and printed out material.

“That scares the hell out of me,” he said. “That takes it to a whole new level.”

Sini also said he is concerned.

“To think that this was in the Town of Brookhaven is extremely disturbing and the police department, the brave men and women of this department, will stop at nothing to neutralize threats like this,” he said.

Nazi and drug-related reading material were found inside a home in Mount Sinai. Photo from SCPD
Nazi and drug-related reading material were found inside a home in Mount Sinai. Photo from SCPD

While Sini cannot say what pointed the department in the direction of the home, the commissioner explained it took time to get probable cause to establish a case, and tips from residents have been instrumental in much of the police’s recent findings. He said more than 600 tips on drug homes and drug spots in local communities have come through the 631-852-NARC hotline, which Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) was instrumental in launching.

“We need to use our most vital resource, and that is the residents of Suffolk County,” Anker said. “We need to have a safer environment, but we need that information from the public.”

To report any information regarding the suspects from the Mount Sinai case, call 800-220-TIPS.

“We took two dangerous individuals off the street and we’ll fully investigate and prosecute this case,” Sini said. “We’ll spare no cost and no time. The fact that this is in our backyard is very concerning. That’s why the message today is to the public. Regarding criminal activity, please call the tips hotline or 911 immediately.”

Mayoral candidate Barbara Donovan with trustees Michael Schaefer and Joan Hubbard. Photo from Unity and Respect Party

Dear Poquott Village residents,

As most of you know, I was mayor of the Village of Poquott for 12 years and I’m running again. I believe in fiscal and environmental responsibility and transparency at all government levels. I want to spend the next two years getting the job done. I will work within the parameters of the law to do the right thing. I have always respect residents, whether homeowners or renters, and have valued their input.

I’ve lived in Poquott for 44 years. My late husband’s family arrived in the 1890’s and purchased property in the original Bayview Park area. They were involved in the incorporation of the Vilage of Poquott in the 1930s.

I’m a 28-year member of the Setauket Fire Department, having served as a firefighter, EMT, and now as fire police/peace officer. I am also a member of the Poquott Civic Association and many other community organizations. As you can see, I love this community and have “walked the walk” to make Poquott the best it can be.

I’m now retired, but have 30 years of experience in marketing, development and public relations. Budgets were and are my specialty.

As mayor, I consistently attended New York State mayors conferences, planning board and zoning board of appeals workshops and other county and town informational sessions to keep myself current on the latest updates and changes in all local, state and federal laws and mandates.

My door was always open and my personal phone accessible. Residents were welcome to use village hall at any time when village business was not being conducted. All meetings were held in the open and residents were encouraged to attend and comment without fear of repercussions.

When re-elected, these principles will be reinstated immediately. I am, and have always been, committed to courteous and respectful interactions with everyone. I expect the same behavior from all members of my board. The Unity and Respect Party promises to bring back the quality of life that all residents — homeowners and renters alike — have come to expect.

I hope the Unity and Respect Party candidates, trustees Michael Schaefer and Joan Hubbard, and I as mayor, can count on your vote on Tuesday, June 21 at village hall from noon to 9 p.m.

Thank you for your support.

Barbara Donovan, candidate for mayor of the Village of Poquott