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Suffolk County Leg. Sarah Anker launches Mount Sinai historical project

by TBR Staff - August 18, 2023

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Anker_Headshot — Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker. File photo from Anker's office

By Samantha Rutt

Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) recently organized a local history initiative to help tell the story of historic Mount Sinai.

Initially, “I want to try to bring together the local community and the historians to document the history of the Chandler Estate, Mount Sinai Congregational Church, Sea View Cemetery and Mount Sinai Harbor,” Anker said. “There’s a lot of fascinating history. I’ve spoken to a number of folks that are in their 80s and 90s, and they have really amazing stories.”

Through this undertaking, Anker said she hopes to enhance the existing historical archives by adding documentation, stories, photos and maps collected from the surrounding area.

The event will feature a round-table discussion of around 25 participants, including key members of the Miller Place-Mount Sinai Historical Society, Brookhaven Town historians and other local advocates who will contribute to the documentation process.

“We’re meeting to talk about what information can be identified, and move forward hoping to open it up to anyone who has additional information,” the county legislator explained. “The meeting on Friday will be mainly focusing on the historians and how the process works and what information they have.”

For nearly 30 years, Anker has lived in the Mount Sinai community. Shortly after settling in, she came across the Mount Sinai Civic Association in a local newspaper. There on the cover stood a group of people from the civic association standing in front of bulldozers fighting to preserve the Chandler Estate as it was set to be a site for new development.

As a result Anker decided to get involved, becoming a member of the organization.

“When I saw that article, that picture sparked my interest because it’s near where I live,” she said. “I like that they’re getting involved with their community and doing good things. … And that’s when I became a member.”

The local history project will touch upon the Chandler Estate, originally an upscale resort that overlooked Mount Sinai Harbor. Years after closing, the resort caught fire, leaving minimal remains that have since been taken over by a great deal of brush.

Residents now use the land for leisure. “I grew up right by there,” said Noreen Guilfoyle, a Mount Sinai resident of the once-luxurious estate. “The land used to be a big fancy mansion. … It burnt down though. There’s a trail there now, it’s a really pretty trail. But there are a lot of old foundations from buildings that are no longer there.”

Anker has plans to open up the forum, pending the initial meeting’s success.

“Following that [initial meeting], in another month or two we could open it up … and see if folks want to come to sign up or send us [something in] writing,” she said. “Then we can add it to the information that we have.”

To help on the complex history project, Anker is partnering with Ann Becker, a local historian and librarian. Becker is an established author with her book, “Mount Sinai,” centered around the hamlet’s fabled history.

The project is set to include input from the Suffolk County Historical Society, Mount Sinai-Miller Place Historical Society and Stony Brook University Library Archives’ special collection.

“There are so many of our local folks that have the stories, but we’re going to lose their stories and information about their experiences if we don’t document them now,” Anker said.

Architect Michael Schwarting to retire from teaching, still designing

by TBR Staff - August 1, 2023

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Architect Michael Schwarting presents during a climate resilience forum at Port Jefferson Village Hall on April 5. File photo by Raymond Janis

By Aidan Johnson

Port Jefferson is known for its rich history. Many of its buildings have designated placards that show how they fit into the village’s unique story. However, the newer buildings have just as much of a story to tell, thanks to Michael Schwarting.

For decades, he has worked as an architect, helping to shape the identity of the local area.

Schwarting knew he wanted to be an architect from the time he was in high school. He has served as a professor at Columbia University and the New York Institute of Technology. Now, he is retiring after 50 years of teaching architecture and urban design and from the latter he will be a professor emeritus.

While teaching at Columbia, Schwarting met his wife, Frances Campani.

“I had met her when I was teaching at Columbia, but she wasn’t my student, and I had actually hired her to teach at New York Institute of Technology when I was a chairperson there,” Schwarting said in a phone interview.

‘It’s really been quite wonderful to be in a town where you could really be connected to everything that’s going on and be involved in important public things.’

— Michael Schwarting

Schwarting and Campani were married in 2000 and opened Campani and Schwarting Architects.

“Frances had been living for some years in Port Jefferson and practicing on her own, and we combined to make Campani and Schwarting,” he said.

Schwarting has enjoyed working with his wife at their firm and says that it isn’t rare for firms to have husband-and-wife teams.

Together, Schwarting and Campani have striven to keep the character of Port Jefferson and its surrounding towns alive.

“I think that’s one of the really gratifying things,” he explained. “It’s really been quite wonderful to be in a town where you could really be connected to everything that’s going on and be involved in important public things,” he added.

One such project that Schwarting and his firm designed was Heritage Park in Mount Sinai, colloquially known as the Wedge, in the early 2000s.

“That was a wonderful project, because the Mount Sinai community organization was really wonderful to work with,” he said.

“It started out with a project that they came to us about when we were teaching to have our students do some design ideas, which were presented to the community, and that evolved into being more realistic than the students usually are,” Schwarting elaborated.

One of his favorite memories and most important projects was the work done for Port Jefferson’s harbor front. While he was the director of an urban design program at NYIT, he had his students present their plans for the harbor at one of the village meetings.

Even though the plans were all extravagant, the mayor was still excited by the presentation, and asked them to continue working on it.

“And that sort of turned into a grant the village got to study the harbor front, and we made this harbor front plan that was part of the village comprehensive plan,” Schwarting said.

“We finished it in 2014 and it … was combined with a lot of our work on village projects, but that one is the one that we’re still kind of referencing in trying to deal with the stormwater mitigation and also rising tides, which are right there in the village harbor.”

While the mitigation efforts are difficult due to Port Jefferson’s natural flooding, which has been exacerbated by the parking lots and asphalt being put over ground that once absorbed the water, Schwarting says that they are “slowly uncovering all kinds of possibilities to do natural storm surge mitigation.”

Schwarting has been recognized for his work, and has received multiple American Institute of Architecture awards for places such as the mixed-use building on Main Street at Mill Creek Road.

While he may be retiring from teaching, Schwarting will still be going full steam with the grant for flood mitigation and will continue to help the hamlets and villages within Brookhaven keep their unique aesthetics.

While some decry trash, Brookhaven official defends Cedar Beach upkeep

by TBR Staff - July 29, 2023

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Cedar_Beach_in_Mount_Sinai,_New_York — Cedar Beach in Mount Sinai. Photo from Wikimedia Commons

By Sabrina Artusa

Nicole, a Miller Place resident, has long frequented Mount Sinai’s Cedar Beach, saying she has often enjoyed visiting this scenic destination with her family. In recent years, however, she has noticed one “really unsettling” trend.

“So much garbage is left behind on the beach,” she said. “It makes me sad.”

Nicole said she and some other locals have grown increasingly agitated with the Town of Brookhaven over a perceived buildup of litter and fishing debris at Cedar Beach, with some even suggesting a lack of code enforcement and security measures.

In the face of these objections, many continue enjoying the beach, according to town official Kevin Molloy, chief of staff in the supervisor’s office.

While Molloy acknowledges that some debris is left on the beach occasionally despite town efforts, he argues that residual garbage is inevitable during heightened summer activity and the “thousands of people” enjoying the beach each week.

“We comb the beach every morning, every day — sometimes multiple times a day, we will remove garbage,” Molloy noted. “We are not seeing anything different compared to past years.”

The beach contains a marina, harbor, yacht club, oyster and clam hatchery, nature preserve, basketball courts and a playground. There is also live music and sunrise yoga.

Given all this activity, Molloy says that the town is attentive to its upkeep responsibilities and that its staff is “continuously cleaning and picking things up.”

He said that the town leads an annual beach cleanup, partnering with local environmental groups before each season. The oyster and clam hatchery also works to improve water quality.

Molloy further emphasized that Brookhaven prides itself on being accessible to anyone who wants to use it as long as they follow town rules.

“There is something for everybody from the little kids with the playground to kayaking to basketball,” he said, adding, “That’s not to say we don’t have a host of rules.”

To access the beach, Brookhaven residents must either possess a $30 annual parking permit or pay hourly parking fees. The cost for seniors (60+), handicapped and veterans per vehicle is just $7 for 2023. Nonresidents can pay hourly for parking or buy the $350 annual parking permit.

Given the general cost of beach access and public resources put toward maintenance, some residents feel that the state of the beach could be better. Nicole, who pays for the permit annually, said the lack of ticketing and security is problematic.

“People are parking and not paying the meter,” she said. “They take complete advantage.”

Nicole argues that the “code needs to be enforced” by penalizing violators in the act instead of simply cleaning up after the damage is done.

She added that she and others are upset by fishermen who don’t clean up after themselves or encroach upon bathing areas.

SWR Wildcats pick off Mount Sinai Mustangs in Class C title game

by Bill Landon - June 1, 2023

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Having lost to the Mustangs 11-7 earlier in the season, the Shoreham-Wading River Wildcats had a score to settle when they went head-to-head with Mount Sinai in the Suffolk Class C championship at Stony Brook University Tuesday afternoon, May 30. Mount Sinai, the no. 1 seed at 17-0, hadn’t tasted defeat all season. The Wildcats would change that when they jumped out to a 9-2 lead in the closing minutes of the third quarter.

Mount Sinai chipped away at the deficit, drawing within two goals in the final four minutes of play. But the Wildcat defense was able to corral the Mustangs, holding on for the 10-7 victory. With it, they punched their ticket to the Long Island Championship.

Nick Carretta topped the scoring chart for the Mustangs with three goals. Cole Marsala followed with two, and teammates Jake Spallina and Christian Colantonio scored. Mount Sinai goalie Brayden Wilcken had 10 stops in net.

Liam Kershis had the hot stick for the Wildcats with five goals. Seniors Steven Cain and Alec Gregorek scored twice, and Alex Kershis stretched the net. Goalkeeper Jaden Galfano, a junior, had 15 saves between the pipes.

The Wildcats retake the field at Stony Brook Saturday morning, June 3, to face Manhasset for the Long Island Championship title. Gametime is scheduled for 10 a.m.

Tickets can be purchased here.

— Photos by Bill Landon

Feasts For Beasts served not just pets, but an entire community

by TBR Staff - May 27, 2023

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By Aidan Johnson

Mount Sinai is saying goodbye to the beloved pet store Feasts For Beasts, as owner Alan Ghidaleson moves onto the next chapter of his life with his wife, Diane.

Ghidaleson, who has owned and operated his shop since 1977, originally started working in building maintenance in Manhattan. “It was fun in the beginning because it was new, but then it just wasn’t my passion,” he told TBR News Media in an exclusive interview. “What I always had a passion for was pets, especially dogs.”

‘I really had a great time doing what I love.’

— Alan Ghidaleson

The industry was suggested to him by a friend who managed a few pet stores in Atlanta. “He said, ‘This is an industry you would absolutely love,’ and I went for a visit,” Ghidaleson shared. “I did like what he was doing, but said, ‘You know what, I’m a New York boy, so I’m going to do it in New York.’ And that’s what I did.”

Ghidaleson found success in his new business, going from operating a single store to, at one point, running 10 locations including a pet hotel by the mid-1980s. “I really had a great time doing what I love,” he said.

Among its other professional services, Feasts For Beasts handled dog grooming and dog training.

Ghidaleson described his staff as being “the best staff of employees of anybody in any industry,” taking pride from working with some of them from their teenage years to their 30s.

He also detailed watching his customers progress through the different stages of life, going from teenagers to parents to even grandparents.

Over the course of nearly a half-century, Ghidaleson had many fond memories, including participating in the annual Miller Place-Rocky Point St. Patrick’s Day Parade. People from across Long Island would come to watch him and his Rottweiler pet riding on his motorcycle.

Ghidaleson also used to raffle off a new car and loved calling people to tell them they had won. “I’d buy a car from Ram, Chevrolet and raffle it off,” he said. “Calling people to say that you won an automobile, I have to say that was very exciting.”

Being in business for as long as he had meant witnessing several tragedies. After Hurricane Katrina, which resulted in over a thousand deaths in Louisiana in 2005, Ghidaleson and a few friends traveled to New Orleans to help out. They managed to save hundreds of dogs over the course of 10 days.

Ghidaleson’s service to the community did not end at the pet shop. He completed a 68-mile walk from Mount Sinai to Chinatown in 2019 in order to raise money for the New York Warriors, a Long Island-based quadriplegic rugby team. It took him 28 hours to complete straight through, though it may have been shorter if the torrential rain hadn’t forced him to dry his clothes in the bathrooms of multiple Starbucks locations.

Despite his contributions to the community, Ghidaleson only recently realized the effect his business has had through the years. “It’s a feeling that’s hard to put into words,” he said. “It’s magnificent.”

He added, “I didn’t realize what an impact that Feasts For Beasts has had on the community until the past month or so, because I get an abundance of people calling and coming in, and crying on the phone and crying in the store.”

Ghidaleson said he will still be around as he and his manager, Nick Kucharski, transition into the real estate business. While the pet store may be closing, Ghidaleson maintained he will still be there for anybody needing pet advice and information.

Northeastern Brookhaven communities prepare to vote for school budgets and BOE members

by Raymond Janis - May 13, 2023

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democrats-g5f6ea93e5_1920 — Pixabay photo

Residents of the Miller Place, Mount Sinai, Rocky Point and Shoreham-Wading River school districts are gearing up for this year’s school elections on Tuesday, May 16.

Miller Place Union Free School District

Voters in Miller Place will consider the district’s proposed 2023‒24 annual budget. With total expenditures at approximately $80.4 million, the budget increased by 3.47%, with a 2.34% tax levy increase and staying under the tax cap.

According to school officials, the increases will enable the district to accommodate new elective course offerings; continued funding for co-curricular activities, clubs and athletics; and universal prekindergarten.

Residents will also pick two of the three candidates running for the district’s Board of Education. Three-term incumbent trustee and BOE president Lisa Reitan will defend her seat against challengers John Galligan and Jenna Stingo, both of whom ran for the school board in 2022.

The three candidates squared off during a Meeting the Candidates forum on Tuesday, May 2. The full video from this meeting can be accessed from the district website’s homepage.

Voting will occur from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at North Country Road Middle School.

Mount Sinai Union Free School District

Mount Sinai residents will consider a proposed 2023‒24 annual budget totaling $66.8 million, which stays under the tax cap with a tax levy increase of 4.65%.

Three additional propositions are on the Mount Sinai ballot, including Proposition II, the district’s $1.8 million library budget.

Proposition III would authorize the district to use $1.5 million from its capital reserves to renovate and/or replace science classrooms with proposed renovations of library, technology and guidance facilities at Mount Sinai High School. Proposition IV calls to amend the district’s capital reserve, increasing its ceiling to $20 million. District officials maintain these capital improvements will not affect the tax levy.

For this year’s Board of Education election, voters will select three candidates to serve three-year terms. In a crowded field, incumbent BOE president Peter Van Middelem and trustee Edward Law will defend their seats against Nicholas DeVito, Christy Barbera and Charles Carron. Incumbent trustee Robert Sweeney is not seeking reelection.

The budget and BOE votes at MSSD will take place from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Mount Sinai Elementary School.

Rocky Point Union Free School District

The proposed 2023‒24 annual budget for the Rocky Point Union Free School District increased to $93.9 million, up from $88 million last year. The proposed budget carries a tax levy increase of 3.23% that stays under the tax cap.

According to the district newsletter, the budget increases would enable Rocky Point schools to maintain existing programs and services; implement a nine-period program at the middle and high schools; expand elective opportunities; and build upon safety and security efforts.

This district’s current capital reserve fund expires this month. Consequently, voters will also weigh in on a ballot measure, Proposition II, creating a new 10-year capital reserve fund, with no funds allocated to this reserve in this year’s budget. This reserve would enable the district “to set aside funds for future capital building maintenance and improvement projects,” according to the newsletter.

Rocky Point residents will also select two candidates to serve three-year terms on the district Board of Education. Incumbent BOE president Jessica Ward and trustee Erin Walsh will defend their seats against challenger Nicole Kelly, who ran for the school board in 2022.

Voting will be held in the gymnasium at Rocky Point High School from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Shoreham-Wading River Central School District

Shoreham-Wading River Central School District proposes an $84.8 million annual budget for the 2023‒24 school year, up 2.2% from the previous year and carrying a 1.61% tax levy increase that stays under the tax cap.

According to the district newsletter, the proposed budget would maintain existing programs and class sizes, support facilities maintenance, enhance safety and security standards and lower the use of reserves.

Three incumbents are up for reelection in this year’s Board of Education contest, all of whom are running unopposed. BOE president Katie Andersen, vice president Henry Perez and trustee Michael Lewis have each declared bids for reelection.

To read their candidate profiles, visit the district website, selecting the “Meet the BOE Candidates 2023” tab on the homepage.

Voting at SWRCSD will take place from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the main gym at Shoreham-Wading River High School.

Collaboration is FIRST for Port Jeff robotics team

by Press Release - April 17, 2023

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PJ Robotics — Earl L. Vandermeulen High School robotics team. Photo courtesy PJSD

Members of the Earl L. Vandermeulen High School robotics team took part in the recent FIRST competition at Hofstra University, putting their knowledge to the test against 50 other New York high school teams and six international teams from as far as India and Taiwan.

This year, Port Jefferson was joined by Mount Sinai High School students. Their combined efforts helped the team make it to the final rounds to place seventh overall — an extremely challenging event to win, given the level of international competition.

Students used their math, science and engineering abilities and took months to design and build their robot, following strict rules, limited resources and an intense time limit. The teams were challenged to raise funds, design a brand, hone teamwork skills and program their industrial-size robots to play a complex field game against like-minded competitors.

“We call FIRST Robotics Competition the ultimate sport for the mind,” Port Jefferson’s technology and engineering teacher and robotics team adviser Brian Chalmers said. “Applying skills learned in the classroom during competition is always a positive opportunity for our students. It’s as close to real-world engineering as a student can get.”

He added, “We are proud of our students and grateful for our professional volunteer mentors who shared their time and talents to guide these students to success.”

Suffolk County Legislator recognizes pastor for community service and humanitarian efforts

by Press Release - April 15, 2023

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Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) recently recognized Lesaya Kelly for her years of dedication and leadership in the local and global community.

“As the founder of Crossover Christian Church, Lesaya has displayed outstanding leadership and has touched the lives of folks spanning all ages and backgrounds,” Anker said. “Lesaya has been, and continues to be, a powerful force in our community.”

Kelly has been in pastoral ministry for 35 years. She served in her homeland of South Africa before traveling worldwide for Youth with a Mission, an interdenominational Christian training organization. She then settled and became a U.S. citizen. When she met her husband, Chris, she relocated to Long Island, where they raised their daughter, Savanna.

For more information, contact Anker’s office at (631) 854-1600.

Mount Sinai Mustangs outpace Comsewogue Warriors, 8-6

by Bill Landon - March 29, 2023

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Mount Sinai senior attack Taylor Cline broke the ice for the Mustangs when her shot on goal split the pipes two minutes in, followed up with a goal from teammate Alexa Spallina at the 16-minute mark. Then Cline stretched the net again, putting the Mustangs out front 3-0.

Comsewogue answered back, however, as senior midfielder Gabby Constant scored twice in three minutes, followed by freshman attack Gianna McNulty’s shot on goal assisted by Jackie Riviezzo, tying the game at 3-3 with just under eight minutes left in the half.

Spallina scored again, capped with a pair of goals by senior Lea Flobeck to lead it 6-3. The Warriors fought their way back to make it a one-score game when McNulty’s shot once again found its mark with just under seven minutes left in this Div. II matchup on Monday, March 27.

Spallina would score the insurance goal, firing at the cage while falling to seal the deal for the Mustangs, who won 8-6. Mount Sinai goalie Sara Flobeck had six saves in net.

Both teams are back in action this Friday, March 31, when the Mustangs host Bayport-Blue Point at 4:30 p.m. and the Warriors host Shoreham-Wading River at 5 p.m.

— Photos by Bill Landon

Mount Sinai educators duel it out on the court

by Bill Landon - March 12, 2023

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It was the 21st edition of the coveted “Battle of the Educators,” where the Mount Sinai School District faculty squared off in an annual basketball game pitting the high school teachers against their middle and elementary school colleagues on Friday, March 3, at the Mount Sinai High School.

Funds raised from gate admission, food and snacks and apparel sales supported the Mount Sinai Booster Club, with the proceeds going towards athletic scholarships awarded in June.

The game took place in front of a near-capacity crowd, with attendance approaching pre-pandemic levels.

— Photos by Bill Landon

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