Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta is participating in the 12th Annual Legislative Food Drive Challenge to collect pet food for the clients of Long Island Cares through the end of April. Since 2009, Long Island Cares has provided free pet food and supplies to individuals and families in need, in an effort to enable them to keep their pets at home instead of placing them in shelters.
Legislator Trotta pointed out that, according to Long Island Cares, dog and cat food are the most requested items by their member agencies. “I would be most appreciative if the generous residents and pet lovers in my district would help out,” he said.
The pet pantry is in need of canned and dry cat/dog food, cat/dog treats, birdseed, and food for fish, rabbits, and ferrets, as well as kitty litter and small new toys. The drive is from now until the end of April, and donations may be brought to Legislator Trotta’s district office at 59 Landing Avenue, Suite 1 (Blue Door), Smithtown. The office is open Monday through Friday from 9am until 5pm. For more information, please call his office at 631- 854-3900.
Alyson Bass, left, and Neil Manzella are the Democratic and Republican nominees, respectively, for the Town of Brookhaven’s 3rd Council District. Left from Bass’ LinkedIn page; right courtesy Manzella
The eyes of Brookhaven are upon Middle Country, where a special election later this month will help gauge the pulse of the people.
Former Town of Brookhaven Councilman Kevin LaValle (R-Selden) took over as town clerk in February, vacating his seat on the Town Board and triggering a special election Tuesday, April 25, to complete his unexpired term ending in December.
The 3rd Council District spans Centereach, Selden and Lake Grove, with parts of Lake Ronkonkoma, Farmingville, Port Jefferson Station and Holtsville. Republicans currently occupy eight of the town’s 10 elected offices and hold a 5-1 majority on the Town Board.
Less than three weeks until Election Day, citizens townwide will be watching CD3, with implications for general elections this November.
Attorney Alyson Bass and civil servant Neil Manzella have received the town Democratic and Republican committee nods, respectively.
Bass, of Centereach, worked in private practice before entering the Suffolk County Attorney’s Office, where she currently deals with procurements, contracts and legislative drafting while coordinating with law enforcement agencies.
She is also involved in various community activities, serving as vice president of the Greater Gordon Heights Chamber of Commerce and president-elect of the Amistad Long Island Black Bar Association.
“My whole entire career was built on helping people, resolving problems and communicating,” she said in an interview. “To some extent, I’ve always felt that I was in public service to some degree because of the nature of my work,” adding that pursuing elective office “feels like a natural progression for me.”
Manzella, of Selden, has held various civil service posts throughout his professional career, working in the information technology department at the William Floyd and Longwood school districts before transferring to the Suffolk County Board of Elections. He currently works in the Town of Brookhaven Assessor’s Office, where he has been for five years.
“Ever since I got involved in government, I’ve loved being able to serve the community,” he told TBR News Media. “I was offered this opportunity to run for an office that can really focus my attention on my home community, and I jumped at the opportunity.”
Policies
Bass indicated that the 3rd District is simultaneously grappling with several quality-of-life concerns as the Town Board works to overcome the financial and logistical pitfalls associated with closing the Brookhaven landfill. This facility constitutes roughly half of the town’s public revenue.
“I think pushing to have a plan in place so that we aren’t so affected by the closure of the town dump is huge,” she said.
Given the 3rd District’s dense commercial and residential areas, Manzella highlighted the need for continual and close coordination with the town Highway Department in repaving local roadways.
“Kevin [LaValle] did a fantastic job on helping our roads, and I want to see that continued,” the Republican said.
This month’s special election comes amid calls from Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) to increase statewide housing stock by 3% over three years, a plan recently ridiculed by town Supervisor Ed Romaine (R). [See this week’s story, “Brookhaven officials speak out against governor’s proposed housing plan.”]
Despite gubernatorial pressures, both candidates for CD3 preferred local municipal oversight over development projects in Middle Country. Bass, a former Queens resident, was apprehensive about applying a New York City standard to Brookhaven.
“I came back here for a reason, and I am interested in preserving the suburban lifestyle,” she said, noting that expanding affordable housing options for district residents remains “hugely important.”
Manzella centered his development aims around CD3’s commercial sector, which includes the bustling corridors of Middle Country and Portion roads. The candidate suggested the numerous undeveloped lots as a potentially lucrative tax base for the town.
“If somebody’s going to be coming in and building a shop, we don’t want to drag our feet with it,” he said. “We want to help them get through any red tape that they might hit governmentally and get them on the tax roll.”
Encouraging district residents to remain on Long Island by hosting frequent community events and activities are necessary, Manzella added. For Bass, reducing the town’s carbon footprint, promoting renewables and expanding teen programs are all on the agenda.
Prior to the special election April 25, early voting will occur at 700 Yaphank Ave., Yaphank, beginning Saturday, April 15, and running through Sunday, April 23. For more information, click here.
Pictured above, left to right: Village of Port Jefferson trustee Rebecca Kassay; trustee Lauren Sheprow; Mayor Margot Garant; Deputy Mayor Kathianne Snaden; and trustee Stan Loucks. Photos by Raymond Janis
The Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees unanimously approved the annual budget Monday evening, April 3, though appropriations weren’t top of mind for the sea of residents crowding the boardroom.
Dozens turned out to confront the board over its recent decision to extend the terms of service for village offices from two to four years — a decision it promptly reversed. Less than 90 days until village elections, the community and board instead now grapple with the competing demands of streamlining election administration and public oversight over term changes.
“We wanted to kind of say ‘sorry’ and take a giant step backward,” Mayor Margot Garant told the public.
Upon rescinding the resolution, the mayor noted the need to relieve village clerk Barbara Sakovich in administering the coming June elections, adding that neighboring municipalities have generally implemented such changes.
“Probably the majority of other townships and municipalities — villages specifically — have their elections in March and have moved to four-year terms,” she said. “I think it’s the direction we may all agree to at some point,” but the board is “taking pause” before rendering further judgment.
Trustee Rebecca Kassay offered to begin exploring how other municipalities procedurally implemented term changes, keeping open the possibility of forming a committee to collect public input on the matter.
“Please look probably to the next meeting if you want to get this going while everyone has it in mind,” she said, adding the board “will be talking more about the process of helping to gather resident input and really handing it to the residents to make these decisions.”
In the wake of the reversal, Deputy Mayor Kathianne Snaden and trustee Lauren Sheprow, both mayoral candidates, offered their commentary. Snaden said she had a change of opinion after learning of the high signature threshold to move the measure onto the June ballot via permissive referendum.
“It just made sense to me at the time, again, because of the ability for the residents to come forth and let us know,” she said. “After that happened and I heard from some residents — what the numbers were for them to bring forth the permissive referendum, that’s when I said that’s burdensome.”
The deputy mayor added, “We’ve had discussions, and we talked about bringing it tonight and considered rescinding and starting from scratch, giving it to you guys to say to us what you want to do.”
Sheprow raised the possibility of the village acquiring electronic voting machines ahead of the June elections.
“What we didn’t realize when we were meeting, and it really wasn’t discussed holistically at the last meeting, was whether or not there are voting machines available to rent or purchase,” she said. “As long as they’re certified by the Suffolk County Board of Elections, we have that option available to us.”
Leaders of the recently resurrected Port Jefferson Civic Association made formal contact with the village government, exchanging introductions and outlining their organizational agenda.
Civic president Ana Hozyainova thanked the board for rescinding the resolution for term extensions but asked for more public input over village decision-making.
“The civic association didn’t take a stance on whether it should be two or four years but really took objection to the fact that such an important issue which doesn’t have a clear-cut solution … was taken without any public debate,” she said, adding that more public deliberations over fortifying the eroding East Beach bluff could have occurred.
The board approved $0.50 increases in managed parking rates for weekdays and weekends, setting the rates at $1 per hour Monday through Thursday and $1.50 per hour Friday through Sunday.
Budget highlights
Village treasurer Denise Mordente delivered the fiscal year budget presentation, highlighting the budgetary constraints imposed by rising inflation and costs, also declining public revenues from the Long Island Power Authority through the Port Jefferson Power Station.
“The interest for our [bond anticipation notes], gasoline, heating oil, all of that ties in,” Mordente said. “We tried as best as we can to not put the burden again on the taxpayers.”
The budget increased by 7% from last year from $10.59 million to $11.37 million. However, the village drew $257,882 from its $1.8 million fund balance to minimize tax increases, Mordente explained. The village lost roughly $107,000 through the LIPA glide path agreement, with 15% and 20% increases in medical benefits and insurance, respectively.
The village committed to reductions in staff, opting against filling some vacant positions while assigning multiple titles to existing personnel. The administration also instituted a spending freeze for department heads, who stayed within their respective budgets from last year.
“The overall for our tax increase on an average house of $1,500 [assessed valuation] is $75 a year,” Mordente said. “We’re trying not to impact the way of life for our village.”
The Board of Trustees will meet again Tuesday, April 18, at 3 p.m., with scheduled presentations from Johnson Controls and the Six Acre Park Committee.
To watch the full general meeting, see video above.
There is substantial agreement among environmental groups that we want a circular economy — that is, we want to reduce waste by all means possible — by reducing, re-using, repairing, and recycling our waste — so that there is none, arriving at “zero waste.”
The DEC has just released a draft solid waste management plan designed to help New York State meet the climate goals of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, passed in 2019. It proposes reducing waste at its source, returning materials back to productive use, and diverting waste from landfills to avoid the emission of greenhouse gases, reaching a reduction of emission by 85% by 2050. The DEC has also issued rules requiring that any facility with over 25 pounds of food scraps either donate it or take it to a designated site for recycling. (Suffolk County has only one food-recycling site, so that requirement has been waived, leaving the food in the landfill.)
Because waste removal is a town responsibility, there has been no movement toward creating a county role which could be funded by the DEC, along with its role of regulating and overseeing town operations. Much of the municipal waste in Suffolk County is incinerated, with the ash deposited in landfills in the towns of Brookhaven and Babylon. Towns without landfills are sending their waste off the island to other states, using trucks with high rates of carbon fuel emission. Construction and demolition waste from building projects, and yard waste have been recycled more successfully, except for glass, which is currently part of municipal waste. It is being studied as a subject for recycling if markets can be developed for its final stage.
A conference held recently (by the Evan R. Liblit Memorial Scholarship Committee) at Stony Brook University with speakers on waste to energy efforts, large scale organics management, and funding through the Inflation Reduction Act, ended with a roundtable of four of the town supervisors in Suffolk County and a representative from the NYS Department of Energy Conservation who welcomed the attendance of the town supervisors and commented on the unusually large number of people in attendance, showing a growing concern with the issue of waste reduction.
The town supervisors who participated in the conference — from Brookhaven, Smithtown, Islip, and Babylon — all agreed that they communicate regularly about issues of waste and are taking steps to reduce it but they said they cannot do it alone. How do we create and implement a regional or county approach? Most of the town supervisors reported that the residents of their towns are not aware of the problem and their part in it. To reduce our emissions by 2050 will require an accurate calculation of how the population is growing and the amount and nature of the waste.
Concern about the waste problem is most often expressed by residents objecting to measures taken to deal with the problem. In Smithtown the plan to utilize rail lines to move the waste to other states has met with opposition to the idea of railroad areas, despite the fact that it would reduce the emissions from trucks from the road and reduce road traffic. In Brookhaven, plans by Winters Brothers for removing ash by rail have also been opposed. How would people react to increases in garbage collection rates if more towns implement a Pay-as-You-Throw program, although many areas of the country now use it, substantially reducing the trash they pick up.
The supervisors cited successful efforts by teachers and schools to build understanding of the waste crisis, but how can we do more?
Community groups are leading efforts to create community composting for our farmlands, open repair cafes, and create anaerobic digesters. Small groups of concerned citizens meet regularly as Carbon Crews, to learn new ways of reducing their footprints. Larger organizations, such as Beyond Plastics, have publicized the dangers of producing and burning plastics and are working on state regulations (Extended Producer Responsibility) to make producers aware of the costs to municipalities of disposing of the waste their products create.
We can all do more, at home and away. If each of us cannot throw away less, little will be accomplished. Watch the DEC webinar to be held on April 11 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. to describe the Draft New York State Management Plan. For more information go to https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/41831.html
Nancy Marr is vice-president of the League of Women Voters of Suffolk County a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government and influences public policy through education and advocacy. For more information, visit https//my.lwv.org/new-york/suffolk-county.
Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich joined local officials at Stony Brook train station to express his concerns with the governor’s housing proposal. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Town of Brookhaven elected officials made it clear at a March 30 press conference how they feel about a plan proposed by Gov. Kathy Hochul (D).
Brookhaven officials gather at Stony Brook train station to express their concerns with the governor’s housing proposal. Photo by Rita J. Egan
The governor has included a housing program titled The New York Housing Compact in the 2024 state budget. Opponents say the proposal should be a stand-alone item and not incorporated in the budget which was due Saturday, April 1. However, on April 3, state lawmakers voted to extend the deadline to April 10.
Town deputy supervisor Dan Panico (R-Manorville) and councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) joined town Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) at the March 30 press conference to express their concerns regarding the housing proposal. Members of the Three Village Chamber of Commerce, The Ward Melville Heritage Organization and Stony Brook Concerned Homeowners were also on hand to show their opposition to the governor’s plan.
In her State of the State message earlier this year, Hochul proposed the housing strategy calling for 800,000 new homes to be built in the state over the course of a decade to address the lack of housing. Among the plan’s requirements would be municipalities with Metropolitan Transportation Authority railroad stations to rezone to make way for higher-density residential development. All downstate cities, towns and villages served by the MTA would have a new home creation target over three years of 3%, compared to upstate counties that would need to build 1% more new homes over the same period.
Romaine criticized the plan setting goals that would eliminate current local procedures
“You are exempt from environmental concerns,” he said. “You don’t have to have sewers. There are no height restrictions. There is no community feedback and local zoning is ignored.”
Romaine said if the plan goes through it would cause quality of life issues, including more traffic and congestion on the roads.
“We need incentives because we need sewers,” the supervisor added. “We need infrastructure, and we are willing to work with the state. But if you seek to override zoning and impose against the will of the community housing that is not compatible, you are undermining the very fabric of the quality of life in Brookhaven Town.”
Panico echoed the supervisor’s sentiments and added there are areas in the town where multi-housing developments make sense due to town codes being amended.
Brookhaven’s Deputy Town Supervisor Dan Panico joined local officials at Stony Brook train station to express his concerns with the governor’s housing proposal. Photo by Rita J. Egan
“I can give you a couple of examples, right in Port Jeff Station, in Mastic Beach, in East Patchogue, in North Bellport,” Panico said. “Places that lend themselves to this type of development that are not overly constricted by traffic already.”
Kornreich also said the plan is misguided and that local control is important because elected officials possess the granular information to make decisions that are the best for the community.
“The point that my colleagues have made is that different areas have different challenges and require different solutions,” he said. “But we’re not here to engage in scare tactics, and this isn’t NIMBYism, we’re just trying to say a one-size-fits-all approach isn’t going to work community by community in the same way.”
Kornreich added plans are already in the works to “revitalize and redevelop a true downtown area around the train station in Port Jefferson Station, just one stop down the line from here, and create a walkable neighborhood with diverse housing stock that people can actually afford.”
The councilmember said near the Stony Brook station, where the press conference took place, “is not a downtown that can bear any real intensity.”
He added there are no privately held plots around the Three Village train stationlarge enough for major development.
Jane Taylor, executive director of the Three Village Chamber of Commerce, said housing plans need to take into consideration local zoning, location and consider community support.
“Being told by the state that we have to do it creates landmines for those of us who live here,” Taylor said. “We’ve got concerns about sewers, our water supply. Those are all things that are very important and need to be addressed.”
Gloria Rocchio, WMHO president, thanked Romaine for “shining a spotlight” on the issue.
“While Long Islanders, traveling back and forth to work trying to make a living, not really knowing what’s happening, this negative zoning proposal is looming,” she said. “It will change our beautiful Island forever. The reason that Long Island is the way it is now is because of local elected officials working together with residents.”
New York State Assemblyman Steve Stern, center, is joined by Long Island elected leaders and members of law enforcement to announce the implementation of the Blue Alert System to aid in the apprehension of suspects of killing or seriously injuring a law enforcement officer in New York State. Photo from Steve Stern’s office
A system to track down those who kill or injure law enforcement officers across the nation has been implemented locally.
The Blue Alert System was recently rolled out in New York state and on Long Island.
State Assemblyman Steve Stern (D-Dix Hills), one of the sponsors of the legislation to utilize the alert system, announced the implementation at a March 24 press conference in Mineola. The system is designed to help apprehend suspects who authorities believe killed or seriously injured a local, state or federal law enforcement officer.
The state Legislature unanimously approved the legislation.
“I was proud to sponsor and pass this critically important legislation in support of the brave men and women of law enforcement who sacrifice so much to keep our neighborhoods safe,” Stern said in a press release. “The Blue Alert System has a proven track record of success nationwide and its implementation is long overdue in New York state. This initiative will help protect our community, protect our officers and save lives.”
The Blue Alert System is similar to the Amber Alert used to find missing children and the Silver Alert for missing vulnerable adults. New York joins 37 other states in using the new system, including New Jersey, Connecticut and Vermont. According to Stern’s office, the law creating the system went into effect March 16, allowing the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services to begin issuing alerts when needed. The state agency will be in consultation with law enforcement authorities.
The system is modeled after the nationwide alert system titled Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu National Blue Alert Act of 2015. The nationwide system was named as such to honor Ramos and Liu, two New York City police officers who were killed in the line of duty in Brooklyn in 2014.
Among the system’s supporters is Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney (R), who was on hand for the press conference.
“Police officers go to work every day facing the risk of physical danger or death, selflessly confronting that peril to allow us the chance to live in peace,” Tierney said in a press release. “An attack against our first responders is an attack against our society and we must take every measure possible to help ensure the safety of our police.”
Law enforcement agencies can request the alert if they believe “that the public dissemination of information may help avert further harm or accelerate apprehension of the suspect,” according to the legislation. Depending on the case, the alert can be issued on a regional or statewide basis. The system will be used in coordination with the New York State Department of Transportation, public television and radio broadcaster organizations. Information may include details such as the suspect’s vehicle or license plate number.
The National Fraternal Order of Police has reported as of April 3, 99 officers in the country have been shot in the line of duty so far this year, a 44% increase from 2021 year to date. Of the 99 shot, 10 of them were killed by gunfire, which is 33% less year to date from 2021.
Sketch by Kyle Horne: @kylehorneart
kylehorneart.com
The Village of Port Jefferson will host community members for the Climate Resilience Plan workshop on Wednesday, April 5, at Village Hall from 6:30 to 8 p.m. During this meeting, residents will learn about the climate phenomena impacting the area, such as rising tides and intensifying flooding.
In an exclusive interview, trustee Rebecca Kassay, who also serves as the village’s sustainability commissioner, offered a preview of the meeting, detailing challenges associated with worsening flooding, accelerated erosion and the need to plan accordingly.
What are your expectations for the April 5 meeting?
The upcoming meeting is funded by the [New York State] Department of State under a grant that helps Port Jefferson Village plan to be a climate-resilience community. This information is pertinent to every community, but especially in a village like Port Jefferson, where we have such an intimate relationship with the harbor.
In our history, the village was named Drowned Meadow because it was a marshland. No one needs to be told that we’ve been experiencing increasing frequency, and the amount of flooding has increased greatly. We’re looking at this very seriously as a village on how to mitigate the flooding as climate change continues to increase in its impacts.
What is climate-resilience community planning?
A climate-resilience plan is planning to undertake both green and gray infrastructural projects as well as shifting planning and expectations in the community regarding the facts of climate change.
One of these for us is sea-level rise, the water level in the harbor being higher. Another notable one for us is the increased frequency of heavy rainfall, which causes flooding. In a climate-resilience community, we are planning to mitigate the flooding results from the effects of the climate.
Unfortunately — and I always feel like the bearer of bad news — flooding will affect almost every shoreline community on Long Island in an increasingly drastic way. As a community, we need to digest this future, start planning to protect the community assets that are most important to us and make the best planning and fiscal decisions for our future as a village.
Do you foresee coastal erosion mitigation as part of this equation for developing climate-resilience community planning?
Coastal erosion definitely falls under the umbrella of the results of climate change. We’ve been seeing this problem increase, especially in the last 10 to 20 years. Erosion is a natural process. It does happen over time. We’ve just seen a huge increase in the rate of coastal erosion.
Looking at coastal erosion and what our community plans to do regarding coastal erosion is part of climate resilience planning. Sometimes planning means building an infrastructure project, and sometimes it means a strategic retreat from an area that we, as a community, believe floods too frequently or is eroding at such a rate that the assets within that zone are very difficult and costly to protect.
One of the most difficult things about climate planning is that you have to realize that what’s been working for the last 50 to 100 years will not necessarily work in the near future.
What are some distinguishing characteristics between sustainable planning and the kind of planning that has existed up to this point?
The difference actually starts with being able to humble ourselves enough to realize that human-made solutions will not always solve the problem of climate change.
In the past 50-plus years, if there’s an issue with flooding or erosion — all these different problems that now fall into the realm of climate change — we as governments and communities have said, “Let’s build a project to fix it.” But the scale at which we are looking at climate issues is so vast that the thinking has to shift.
We have to realize that the environment is shifting around us, and our built environment is butting up against it in a way that we might have to change what we’re doing. It’s more working with nature as opposed to continually trying to work against it.
What role can residents play in this effort, and how critical is it for residents to educate themselves about the climate issues at stake?
The best way to fight fear is with action. I acknowledge completely that hearing and internalizing climate change data and projections is a very scary process.
I am currently working with [New York] Sea Grant and their local representative, Elizabeth Hornstein. We’ve recently discussed creating a workshop aimed not just at governments and nonprofits but at individual landowners, businesses and residents to empower them on what they can do with their properties to help mitigate climate change issues.
I’m hoping that within the next few months, we might be able to come up with a date for a workshop like this where residents can tune in and see if there are actions they can take to help. The Conservation Advisory Council in Port Jefferson has been working on some strategies [as a village advisory body].
We’ve designed this workshop so that it will be recorded in a high-quality fashion, just like the Board of Trustees meetings, so that residents who cannot or choose not to attend can view the meeting indefinitely on the village’s YouTube page.
The false narrative by our governor, Kathy Hochul (D), continues with this nonsensical, heavy-handed housing plan that threatens to override long-established law and the will of the people who live in local communities. It’s a false narrative because the notion that local municipalities aren’t approving housing is patently false; it’s the lack of sewer infrastructure coupled with the practical aspects of a developer’s land and construction costs that make the practical application of the idea extremely difficult, not obstinance derived from local municipalities. Let’s discuss some examples.
Across the Town of Brookhaven in Port Jefferson Station, North Bellport, East Patchogue and Mastic Beach, there are four quick examples of pending proposals where mixed-use redevelopment is desired by the community and embraced by the town, and three are in proximity to a train station. Each development would offer new restaurant and retail options, as well as brand new housing options for young and old and everyone in between. The municipal opposition portrayed by the governor simply does not exist here; it is a false narrative.
However, with the exception of East Patchogue, where the Town of Brookhaven in a very forward-thinking manner buried dry sewer lines to connect to the nearby Village of Patchogue sewer district years ago, the biggest hurdles in the other three project examples remain the lack of readily available sewer capacity. While we are working with Suffolk County on each other project, the costs associated with the sewer infrastructure necessary for such development and redevelopment render the projects unbuildable without some sort of government sewer funding. That is where the governor should invest her time and the state’s funding by helping Suffolk expand sewer infrastructure so local municipalities can continue to work on community-based redevelopment.
To continue to threaten local municipalities with state rubber-stamp approvals demonstrates a glaring lack of awareness of the realities of the situation or the logistical realities of what real development actually entails. Moreover, in most areas on Long Island a developer could not realistically build these state-envisioned housing projects because of the high cost of land, divided into so many small parcels with single-family homes and businesses, combined with costly construction requirements, parking requirements and sewer infrastructure costs that would never make the project financially viable, let alone affordable. This fact is being overlooked as the governor portends opposition to projects that have not come forward and proposals that simply do not exist. In fact, it’s the exact opposite approach in Brookhaven, as we are leading the way by amending our codes and seeking out and working with developers.
The governor would be better off stopping the political charade and giving funding to Suffolk County from the federal infrastructure bill and the recently passed NYS Clean Water Bond Act so that local municipalities can do the work of redeveloping our downtowns. It’s compromise and cooperation that make things happen, not threats and political theater.
Dan Panico (R) is the Town of Brookhaven deputy supervisor and councilman for the 6th District, which includes Mastic, Moriches, Eastport, Manorville and Calverton. He is currently running for Brookhaven Town supervisor.
Above, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, right, joins Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker, left, who chose Walter Colleran for Legislative District 6. Photo from Steve Bellone’s Flickr page
In a sea of orange and green, Suffolk County officials, community groups and Irish Americans converged upon the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge on Friday, March 24, commemorating the first-ever Irish American Heritage Celebration in county history.
In 2019, the Suffolk County Legislature unanimously approved a resolution designating March as Irish American Heritage Month. Friday’s event marked the first such celebration sponsored by the county government.
Above, Legislator Leslie Kennedy with District 12’s pick, Matthew Kelly. Photo from Steve Bellone’s Flickr page
“We’re celebrating the incredible contributions that the Irish have made to the United States of America and to the world,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D).
The county executive also used the occasion to acknowledge the Ancient Order of the Hibernians, an Irish American heritage group with nine divisions across the county, including Port Jefferson, Selden, Smithtown and Huntington. Bellone said the AOH enriches Suffolk communities by celebrating Irish culture while giving back through various charitable endeavors.
Legislators from each of the county’s 18 districts had an opportunity to recognize an Irish American making an impact within their communities. Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst) read off the biographical descriptions of each honoree.
Choral and bagpipe arrangements from several Irish American folk groups were performed, along with Irish historian Mike McCormack detailing the historical contributions of the Irish in Suffolk County.
Residents are concerned that a proposed house of worship on the property of Timothy House on Route 25A will destroy the historical integrity of the property. The property is known for its ‘allée’ of sugar maples, which have not yet bloomed in this photo. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Head of the Harbor residents are waiting for village officials to schedule a meeting to discuss the proposed plans of the Monastery of Saint Dionysios the Areopagite.
The monks who reside in the historic Timothy House on Route 25A are proposing a plan to construct a house of worship and school on their property. While some residents say they have no concerns as long as the historic house itself isn’t altered, others worry that it may change the historical integrity of the property and the landscape.
On Wednesday, March 15, Village of Head of the Harbor trustees canceled a public hearing regarding the monastery’s proposal. According to Mayor Douglas Dahlgard, the monks originally submitted an application to the village’s Planning Board in 2021. The application was delayed when the monastery decided to change counsel and amend the plan. Dahlgard said the amended plan will require a special use permit and will also involve a time-consuming process. The public hearing was delayed to give the board more time to prepare, according to the mayor.
The Russian Orthodox Monastery of the Glorious Ascension, also known as the Monastery of Saint Dionysios the Areopagite, purchased Timothy House in 2018.
“It’s rare to have such a beautifully, perfectly balanced relationship between the structure and the landscape, and that ‘allée’ leading to the house balanced by the open space of the field.”
—Robert Hartman
According to Head of the Harbor’s code 107-1, “The land, buildings and major landscaping on both sides of North Country Road, extending to a depth of five hundred (500) feet within the Village of Head of the Harbor, is declared an historic area.”
The code requires criteria such as changes not creating a depreciation of adjacent buildings, and the proposed structure needing to be consistent with the area’s general appearance. Applications are required to be approved by the village Architectural Review Board before a building permit is issued unless the trustees decide otherwise.
Lisa Davidson, who ran unsuccessfully for village trustee, said she heard residents’ concerns about the property while she was campaigning. After speaking to hundreds of residents, she said, “When the topic of development was discussed, not one person was in favor of the church and school proposed for Timothy House.”
Residents have cited concerns about increased traffic and a proposed parking lot abutting neighboring properties. Davidson said a few people who live close to the house are worried that their property values may be diminished.
Davidson added the Joint Village Coastal Management Commission would also need to weigh in on the proposal.
Timothy House history
Many in Head of the Harbor remember when the home was owned by Barbara Van Liew, a former village historian and preservationist, who died in 2005.
Head of the Harbor resident and preservationist Robert Hartman knew Van Liew. He said the house, which was built around 1800, was constructed on property that had been part of a land grant since the 1730s.
He added it’s important to distinguish between the house and the property, and he said he and many have no problem with the monks living in the house.
“I just think that this site is problematic because it’s not conducive to having a second building that’s equal in volume to the house,” he said.
Hartman said there are three important historical and architectural phases to the parcel.
The first period of importance was when the home was built around 1800 by a Smith, who was a descendant of Smithtown founder Richard Smith. Hartman said the house is a well-built, classical farmhouse considered Federal style in that era. It is named after one of the former owners, Timothy Smith.
The second historical and architectural phase was when it was purchased around 1900 by Lawrence Smith Butler, who was also a descendant of Richard Smith and the nephew of architect Stanford White. Butler moved the house back from the roadway to where it stands today.
“He planted that beautiful ‘allée’ [walkway] of sugar maples,” Hartman said. “That was all part of his training at the École des Beaux Arts and plugged into the Colonial Revival movement in architecture here in this country, and he’s the one who really created the landscape that we have now. And, it is a remarkable landscape.”
Hartman added the third phase of importance was when Van Liew owned the home. In addition to preserving Timothy House, she was involved in the village and taught about the importance of preservation. The late owner was also engaged in work outside of the village on state and county levels, including being instrumental in convincing the state governor not to widen Route 25 near the historic homes that now make up the Smithtown Historical Society.
“It’s rare to have such a beautifully, perfectly balanced relationship between the structure and the landscape, and that allée leading to the house balanced by the open space of the field,” he said.
Hartman said keeping the land intact maintains open space in the area and it’s “like being able to touch history.”
“It’s just so beautiful to be able to see something that so connects you to the past,” he said.
Bass indicated that the 3rd District is simultaneously grappling with several quality-of-life concerns as the Town Board works to overcome the financial and logistical pitfalls associated with closing the Brookhaven landfill. This facility constitutes roughly half of the town’s public revenue.
Because waste removal is a town responsibility, there has been no movement toward creating a county role which could be funded by the DEC, along with its role of regulating and overseeing town operations. Much of the municipal waste in Suffolk County is incinerated, with the ash deposited in landfills in the towns of Brookhaven and Babylon. Towns without landfills are sending their waste off the island to other states, using trucks with high rates of carbon fuel emission. Construction and demolition waste from building projects, and yard waste have been recycled more successfully, except for glass, which is currently part of municipal waste. It is being studied as a subject for recycling if markets can be developed for its final stage. 
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