On Feb. 4 the Walt Whitman boy’s basketball challenged Riverhead High School. After a slow first start, the Wildcats pounced in the second quarter, gaining a lead that Riverhead could not overtake. The Wildcats wrapped the game up nicely with a win, 74-61.
Photos by Media Origin Inc.
By Melissa Arnold
There’s something about a train set that captures the imaginations of kids and adults alike. Maybe the clatter of the tiny wheels on their metal tracks calls to mind our favorite Christmas movies, a busy day at Penn Station, or the promise of a future adventure.
For me, the memories are of my mother’s Uncle “G” (for Guido), who maintained an elaborate miniature world in his basement for the family’s youngest visitors to enjoy. His sprawling setup included trains, buildings, snow-flecked trees, people and even animals. I was enthralled by the scene. And at Christmastime, my Dad and I would set up a more humble collection of Lionel train cars under the tree. Our big highlights were the functional log car and cardboard mountain tunnel.
In Dix Hills, nearly 80 members of the TMB (Train Masters of Babylon) Model Train Club meet regularly to bring their own imaginary scenes to life. The group includes men and women of all ages who are united in their love of O-gauge trains.
Founded in 1994, the group has gathered in various locations around the Island to build and eventually run train displays. New venues were required as both the membership and its displays continued to grow. They’ve recently moved from a 4,000-square foot space in Farmingdale to their new 6,500-square foot location rented from a Dix Hills private school, and are looking forward to sharing their new build with a series of open house events.
“We are not just a bunch of people who forgot to put the trains away after Christmas. For us it’s a full-time, year-round hobby,” explained club president Steve Scagnelli. “A home-based layout can be set up in as quick as a few weeks. When you tackle a layout as large as our club’s, it takes several years.”
Scagnelli, a retired accountant from Plainview, got his first Lionel train set for Christmas in 1961. He shelved the hobby when he went to college and started working, but the interest rekindled years later when his young son got hooked on – you guessed it – Thomas the Tank Engine.
“I wanted to do something that I could share with my son,” Scagnelli said. “[Building scenes] encompasses all the elements of the STEAM acronym: science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics.”
The work of planning and executing a build can be intense, especially with so many people involved. It’s a democratic process, and Ideas and suggestions from group members are funneled through committees that determine the best ways to include them and when. It’s also dependent on what materials are available
The club meets four days a week, though members have 24/7 access to the space. Everyone has their own interests and areas of expertise, and all are encouraged to help out regardless of their skill level. First the track is planned, then the table is built and the tracks are laid. Wiring and electronics go down next, with lots of detailed scenery to add depth to the display.
“The old adage is that you’re never really done. A model train layout is never truly complete because there’s always a new idea, or something you can add or repurpose,” Scagnelli said.
The previous Farmingdale setup had four train lines and a separate subway station. The new Dix Hills location features steam and diesel trains, a NYC subway replica, and the layout from the Blue Comet episode of HBO’s iconic crime drama, “The Sopranos.” The club’s version is slightly altered from the one seen on the show, and it includes interactive buttons so that visitors can be a part of the action. The current layout has been in progress for more than a year and will continue to expand.
Each showing will feature a different set of trains, providing a fresh experience and a fun way to show off the club’s collection. Many of the members buy trains, scenery kits and other supplies from local hobby shops, including Trainland in Lynbrook and Nassau Hobby Center in Freeport, online markets like eBay and even amongst themselves.
It can be a pricey hobby for collectors, Scagnelli admits — box cars can cost around $75, while detailed engine and passenger cars with sounds sell for hundreds of dollars. But no one in the club is required to buy their own trains, and those that do tend to save up as others might for a concert or vacation.
Over the years, more than 50,000 people from across the country have visited the club, sometimes with several generations of family in tow. Many have trains of their own.
The group also travels occasionally to train meets held around the northeast, where they can connect and learn from other enthusiasts. Some members also enjoy traveling to see “real” trains as well.
“I enjoy all the aspects of the hobby, whether that’s operating my trains, collecting trains or building the layout. We strive to grow our membership and a world-class model train layout,” Scagnelli said. “But what keeps me involved is the friendships of the members, interacting with other clubs and the hundreds of connections made online. We want to be active in the community and share our love for the hobby with our neighbors.”
The next open house for the TMB Model Train Club will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Feb. 8 and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Feb. 9 in the Upper Room Christian School basement, 722 Deer Park Ave., Dix Hills. Admission is free, donations are welcome. For more information, visit www.tmbmodeltrainclub.com.
Phase 1 of the East Beach Bluff Stabilization was the first part of a $10 million initiative aimed at arresting bluff erosion and preventing the Village of Port Jefferson-owned country club from sliding down the slope.
This first phase of the project was completed in June 2023. By any official accounts of the time, Phase 1 was a success. But within months of completion a series of storms in late 2023 and early 2024 damaged the site, undoing costly work, setting back progress and hampering the goals of the project.
According to the May 2024 Bluff Monitoring Report covering the period from September 2023 to February 2024, conducted by GEI Consultants of Huntington Station (the engineering firm that designed Phase 1), the village had not implemented recommended repairs, increasing the risk of more complicated and expensive upkeep and repair in the future.
The report stated that “no maintenance or repairs to date were undertaken by the village following the storms,” further suggesting that the village implements “necessary repair to the project as soon as possible.”
The report’s findings have raised questions among residents and officials about the long-term viability of the stabilization efforts and financial resources needed for continued upkeep and repairs.
TBR News Media reviewed GEI’s 2024 Bluff Monitoring Report — required under the Department of Environmental Conservation permit for Phase 1 — and spoke to experts, village officials and residents, exploring the report’s recommendations and the obstacles confronting the village in completing its requirements.
Costs of phases 1 and 2
At the completion of Phase 1, a 358-foot wall of steel and cement was constructed at the base of a steep bluff, about 100-feet-tall, situated on East Beach, facing north toward the Long Island Sound.
As part of the project, the severely eroded bluff face — scoured and denuded by years of storms — underwent restoration. Native vegetation was planted and secured with eight rows of timber terraces, and coir logs (interwoven coconut fibers) at the lower section and, toward the crest, with burlap netting.
The total cost of the Phase 1 project according to village treasurer, Stephen Gaffga, is “$6,024,443 million, of which $677,791 is related to design/engineering/permitting/ surveying, and $5,346,652 was spent on construction.”
At the crest of the bluff, approximately 30 feet beyond the precipice, sits the country club. Phase 2 involves the installation of a 545-foot long, 47-foot-deep steel barrier driven into the bluff’s crest, just a few feet seaward of the country club. The barrier is designed to stabilize the area landward of the bluff and prevent erosion, further reducing the risk of the building collapsing.
The cost of Phase 2 will be partially funded by federal taxpayer dollars as a $3.75 million FEMA grant, the final approval recently completed this past week, allowing for the village to receive bids for the work in the coming months for the construction of the upper wall. Local taxpayer dollars will fund the remaining Phase 2 expenses.
According to Gaffga, the Phase 2 “complete expenses are yet to be determined,” he explained in an email. The total cost will be better understood once the village receives bids for constructing the upper wall
The stabilization project, since its inception in 2017 has been presented by village officials as an urgent necessity. With this imperative in mind, the trustees approved a $10 million bond resolution, without a community referendum, in 2021 to fund the project’s two phases.
In a January 2023 statement by former Mayor Garant, after permitting and plans had been finalized, she warned, “If immediate measures to combat and stop the erosion are not implemented, the building foundation will get exposed, will lose structural support, and slowly but surely will fail — causing significant structural damage first, followed by complete collapse of the [country club] building.”
2024 GEI report findings
Heavy rainstorms swept across Long Island in the early fall of 2023, beginning with Hurricane Lee on Sept. 12 followed by another severe storm on Sept. 23.
According to the GEI report, these storms caused “post-storm stress” to the new vegetation leading to plant die off, shifting sands and forming a small ravine — also referred to as a gully — past the western edge of the wall at the base of the bluff.
To prevent further damage, GEI recommended that the village “replant beachgrass in stressed areas of the bluff face and protect the western edge of the wall by adding a filter fabric and stone.”
However, two additional major storms in December 2023 and February 2024 brought strong winds and heavy rainfall expanding the damage started in September. A GEI post-storm inspection in the days following the storms found that a large ravine had formed on the eastern edge of the bluff face, further damaging the vegetation, matting and terracing within the ravine.
In total, the May 2024 report outlined detailed recommendations involving improved drainage, repairs to terracing, laying down of erosion control fabric and replacement of beachgrass. The report’s recommendations concluded with concerns about utilizing honeycomb grids by Coastal Technologies Corp. under consideration by village officials, namely: “GEI has expressed concern that such an installation may not be effective at East Beach due to the types of soils present and the steepness of the East Beach Bluff.”
Despite these concerns, the Board of Trustees at the Oct. 23 public meeting approved a resolution to use American Rescue Plan Act funds at the total cost of $33,920 to pilot test Coastal Technologies stabilizing devices, pending a revised permit from the DEC.
In response to GEI concerns, George Thatos, Coastal Technologies co-founder and head of design, said, “Our Cliff Stabilizer system stabilizes near-vertical slopes with vegetation, unlike terracing which requires major regrading and cliff-top land loss.” He added, “Our solution naturally reforests bluffs.”
According to DEC representative, Jeff Wernick, if a permit holder “cannot follow a report recommendations due to environmental conditions, DEC works with them to modify the permit to correct the issues. If the recommendations are not followed due to negligence, it could result in a violation of the permit and enforcement action.”
Port Jeff Citizens Commission on Erosion
This reporter attended a recent meeting of the Port Jefferson Citizens Commission on Erosion. Their mission, in summary, is to act as a volunteer resident advisory group to the village on matters of erosion confronting the village. So far, much of the group’s focus, chaired by village resident David Knauf, has been on the East Beach Bluff Stabilization project.
On Jan. 20, the committee submitted detailed written questions to Mayor Lauren Sheprow expressing concerns about the overall status of the stabilization project. It questioned plans to proceed with Phase 2 before implementing drainage recommendations and before updating the land survey of the upper bluff that is about three years old. The commission urged these steps be completed before soliciting bids for the construction of Phase 2.
”There was damage that occurred since the Phase 1 was completed that hasn’t been addressed, meaning that it keeps getting more pronounced. There were ongoing reports that were done during the past year,” Knauf said at the Jan. 23 commission meeting.
He added that repairs “should have been done up to now so that whatever was occurring [with Phase 1] didn’t get worse.”
The commission, to date, has not received a comprehensive update on maintenance done on the bluff/wall as recommended in the May 2024 report, according to Knauf.
According to village trustee Robert Juliano, any maintenance and repair done during the time frame of the 2024 report “was minor, such as grooming the beach by village employees.”
Other concerns brought up at the meeting included a request to review a retreat plan allegedly completed under former Mayor Garant and actively participating in vetting of contract bids.
Sheprow, present at the meeting, told TBR News Media her responses to the written questions from the commission, reviewed at the Jan. 23 meeting, would be posted on the village website.
“The village will look to enlist the Citizens Commission on Erosion to help facilitate an open forum where GEI will present the Phase 2 project design and a path forward for Phase 1 remediation and restoration,” the mayor said in an email to TBR News Media.
The 2023 Annual Post-Construction Bluff Monitoring Report dated May 2024 and related items can be viewed at the Port Jefferson Village website at: www.portjeff.com/ 206/East-Beach-Bluff.
For earlier reporting by TBR News Media, visit tbrnewsmedia.com and key in “East Beach Bluff Stabilization project.”
Poquott speed bumps
In response to Poquott Village Board communication dated Dec. 26, 2024. I have the following comments to be shared with the community at the Feb. 6 town hall meeting and via our local newspaper.
As a 38-year resident of Poquott I have seen traffic issues take many forms from the widespread and out of control imposition of illegal ticket issuance by employees of the village to the addition of unnecessary stop signs like the one at White Pine and Van Brunt. More recently and sadly it has become known that a resident’s small dog got loose from an unfenced yard and was hit by a car at the junction of Van Brunt and Shore Road. Undoubtedly speeding is perceived as an issue and much of this stems from previous Poquott Board members’ inability adequately to manage the development of what is known this side of the village as “The Middle Kingdom.” In this respect the additional traffic on Van Brunt stemmed from inappropriately relying in large part on traffic egress of the development of new homes via what became known as White Pine. It is my understanding and belief that instead or in addition, egress roadways should have been mandated directly onto the area where Van Brunt meets Shore Road.
The whole matter has parallels I suggest with those who buy homes next to airports and then complain about aircraft noise. Be that as it may, it is what it is and our current board, I acknowledge, has to be seen to address the issue.
However, I am opposed to what has been done in the pilot programs implemented for the following reasons:
1. Why has one side of the village been greatly inconvenienced and impacted with multiple speed bumps and stop signs while the other has a perfectly reasonable digital monitoring system?
2. Traffic returning from 25A to homes on Van Brunt beyond Shore Road now have to stop a ridiculous 4 times:
1. Once at a nasty speed bump as one approaches the area in question.
2. A second time at the stop sign.
3. A third time at speed bump 2, and
4. An absurd 4th time at speed bump 3.
3. I am retired and no longer in a hurry to go anywhere but I recognize that employed residents have stuff to do and places to go and all this nonsense does is irritate and slow their normal progress down to get to where they need to go after which they are far more likely to speed up again to make up for time and energy lost in what are laughably called “calming measures.”
4. Returning to 25A from the other direction is just as bad with stops for speed bump, then stop at incorrectly placed stop sign (where visibility to traffic coming along Shore Road from the right-hand side is not properly visible) then stop again at where the stop sign should have been placed to start with so that one can see traffic coming from the right, and finally once again at the next speed bump. Who decided upon this madness?
5. Even residents who will grind to an almost complete stop to get over these speed bumps will experience wear and damage to their vehicles suspension systems. This might be good news for those in the auto repair business but no one else. Will reimbursement be possible from the village? This could be financed by getting rid of the superfluous police force and saving further dollars from local taxes.
6. Needless to say, all this overkill results in the proliferation of a nasty aspect of living in Poquott – the unpleasant number of ridiculous signs that are indiscriminately plastered all over village roads and beaches. Talk about “nanny state” — my favorite is the particularly stupid one advising dog owners that they can only go onto the beach with a dog if waiting for or exiting from your boat. Which apparatchik of state thought this one up and how was it assumed this would be policed? It’s like a feeble attempt at a Monty Python sketch.
My suggestion is for the Board to rethink the entire mess. Either get rid of speed bumps entirely and perhaps use digital warning monitors on both sides of the village or re-site a single speed bump at a properly positioned stop sign.
Peter Stubberfield
East Setauket
Letter to Superintendent Scanlon
Dear Dr. Scanlon,
I am writing concerning the science teacher who was recently removed from the classroom because of online posts concerning the immigration policies of the new administration in Washington, D,C. My son was fortunate enough to be in this teacher’s class many years ago. She is an excellent and very patient teacher.
I understand why many reasonable Americans find the current demonization of immigrants to be inappropriate, very upsetting and dangerous. While this teacher’s comments were not kind, they were not personally threatening and appear to be well within her rights of free speech. In the sermon by Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, less than one week ago, she reminds us all that the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors. They are faithful members of our churches, mosques and synagogues, gurdwara, and temples. She asks for mercy and dignity for immigrants and all people in the USA and throughout the globe.
It appears that many of the responses from the Three Village community to this teacher’s post have been unkind and personally threatening. I ask you to return this excellent teacher to her classroom and ask everyone in the Three Village community to treat each other with the kindness, mercy and dignity we all deserve, and remember that while issues related to immigration policy may be complex and difficult for reasonable people to resolve, demonizing and poor treatment of immigrants is never appropriate.
Susan Ackerman
Stony Brook
By Daniel Dunaief
With temperatures soaring, the large gathering of friends and family used programs to fan themselves.
Sweat dripped down my back as I waited in a wooden chair amid bright sunshine to witness and celebrate my brother’s graduation from Colgate University. Thoughts of my brother mixed with a need to find shade and an ice cold drink.
I had attended several graduations before this one, including my older brother’s and my own from college. I recall my Ward Melville High School graduation being incredibly warm as well, but this one seemed longer and more protracted, perhaps because we had to drive several hours to attend.
I pondered all the phone calls to the 315 area code with my younger brother, who complained about the snow, the ice and the bitter cold temperatures, which was an enormous contrast to the stifling heat of that day.
The commencement speaker, Fay Vincent, was the commissioner of baseball at the time. His tenure started when his predecessor Bart Giamatti died of a heart attack at 51, eight days after banning Pete Rose from baseball for life for gambling on the game.
I thought about Vincent this week when I learned he had died at the age of 86 from cancer. I remember a surprising number of thoughts and ideas he shared during that momentous and proud day in our family’s life.
Fortunately, the sound system on that field was clear enough that I could hear almost every word he said.
He started off by saying that there’s no such thing as a good, long commencement speech. Similarly, there’s no such thing as a bad, short commencement speech.
The overheated audience laughed at both well-delivered lines, relieved that their children’s names would be called fairly soon.
He had three pieces of advice for these graduates. He recommended that they do something good. While that course of action depended on each person’s definition of “good,” he urged people to use their time effectively and to contribute something to society.
He then suggested that people do something well. Merely taking a job, moving on to graduate school, or doing some kind of internship wasn’t enough: graduates needed to commit to completing any task well, whatever that might be.
And, finally, he urged them to do something. That line also elicited considerable laughter from the appreciative crowd, who, by now, was eating out of his hand and wasn’t so sure they wanted this speech to end too rapidly.
He urged graduates not to return home and spend too much time pondering their future. They needed to go out and experience life. And, of course, once they took whatever next steps, they should remember to engage in good work while committing to doing it well.
Recognizing that the commissioner of baseball couldn’t get off the dais without sharing a baseball story, he also offered one about a rookie umpire.
The Houston Astros were playing the Yankees at the Astrodome in front of more than 50,000 adoring fans during their home opener.
Nolan Ryan, the ace of the team and one of the best pitchers in baseball who still holds the record with seven no hitters, was on the mound.
Mickey Rivers, the speedy Yankees center fielder, was stepping up to the plate. The umpire signaled for Ryan, who entered the Hall of Fame in 1999 as a Texas Ranger, to throw the first pitch.
The ball exploded into the catcher’s mitt. The fans waited as the seconds ticked by. The players looked in for the call. The umpire signaled weakly, “strike?” and extended his arm. The crowd cheered wildly as the catcher tossed the ball back to Ryan, who had started out his 27-year career as a member of the New York Mets.
Rivers took a step out of the box and smiled at the umpire. “Hey, it’s okay, blue,” Rivers said. “I didn’t see it either.”
Vincent told the story and offered his advice with such gusto and passion that I can still recall the speech and its effect on people all these years later.
Is it possible that Ryan was on another team during that speech and that another batter shared such relatable words to the umpire? Sure. But, I can remember the message, the charm and the encouragement (and, of course, the searing heat) as if I were sitting in that field yesterday, celebrating my brother’s graduation and appreciating Vincent’s word’s of wisdom.
By Leah S. Dunaief
Cancer. Half a century ago, it was a word only whispered, so dreaded was the disease. It was considered a death sentence. People who had it were often shunned, as if it were contagious. And hospital treatments were demonic. As one cancer specialist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston put it, “We were kind of just pushing poisons and hoping for the best.”
But cancer deaths have plummeted in the last 30 years, as scientists and physicians have greatly improved their understanding of the pathology, and treatments now target some cancer-causing genes. Likened to diabetes, cancer might be thought of as a manageable chronic disease.
What exactly is cancer?
An excellent article in this Tuesday’s issue of The New York Times science section tackled that question. “Every day, billions of cells in our body divide or die off. Once in a while, though, something goes awry, and cells that should stop growing or die simply don’t. Left unchecked, those cells can turn into cancer,” writes Nina Agrawal.
Why that happens and how to treat the problem still puzzles scientists and doctors, but there has been great progress in understanding the disease in its various forms. While they used to think that mutations of genes caused all cancer, that has turned out to be only part of the story. Some mutations lay dormant an entire lifetime and never lead to cancer.
Separate from DNA code mutations, there are epigenetic changes, changes due to our environment in the way genes are expressed, that play a huge role. These may be caused by aging, dietary and environmental exposures, and chronic inflammation.
Some chemicals have long been known to cause cancer, like asbestos and those in cigarette smoke. Air pollution is now thought to increase risk, especially for lung and breast cancers, triggering inflammation. So does eating an unhealthy diet, which “can upset the balance of our microbiome, allowing certain bacteria to grow unchecked. Scientists think this may cause chronic inflammation, which can lead to colon or pancreatic cancers,” Dr. Davendra Sohal, a gastrointestinal oncologist, told The New York Times.
Interestingly, malignant tumors are made up of cancer cells, as well as normal cells “that have been recruited to support their growth,” according to The NYT. “Many of these normal cells are the same type of immune cells that will flood the site of an injury or infection to help heal that wound—by helping new cells multiply, generating blood vessels, stimulating new connective tissue and avoiding attacks from other parts of the immune system. These are capabilities that cancer cells can co-opt indefinitely to support their own growth.”
Epidemiologists estimate that 40 percent of cancers and cancer deaths can be caused by controllable risk factors. These include cigarette smoking, sun exposure, alcohol use and excess body weight. Some infections, for example, caused by hepatitis B and C viruses, human papillomavirus and H. pylori bacteria, can also cause certain cancers, according to the article.
Understanding better how the immune system works has opened up a new treatment field called immunotherapy, using T-cells, immune system fighters produced or processed by the thymus gland that kill cancer cells in lungs and skin, among others. Engineered by doctors, T-cells, forming CAR T-cell therapy, have been most effective against blood cancers, the reporter said.
Can cancer be cured?
While physicians are reluctant to use that term, newer treatments like stem cell transplants and CAR T therapy make for optimism, especially after a number of years elapse when a patient is in remission.
Research further to develop prevention and treatments must continue.
By Mark X. Cronin
In times of tragedy, our words matter. We witnessed sixty-seven people lose their lives, suddenly tossing mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, friends, coworkers, and teammates into the darkest grief. In moments like these we must resist the urge to jump to conclusions.
President Trump, I heard what you said about the plane crash in Washington DC when you suggested that the hiring of people with intellectual developmental disabilities contributed to the tragedy. As the father of a young man with Down syndrome and an employer of people with differing abilities, I feel compelled to respond—not in anger, but to open a dialogue. I am not calling you out, instead I would like to invite you in, to learn more about what people with intellectual developmental disabilities can do and the contributions they are already making to our society and economy.
Let’s not blame people with differing abilities. Let’s not return to a time when they were shunned and ostracized. I want you to see how people with differing abilities contribute to our schools, workplaces, and communities. Across our nation and industries, people with differing abilities prove every day that they are valuable, skilled, and reliable employees. Companies like Microsoft, Walgreens, and EY have built successful programs hiring neurodiverse employees because they see their talent, not their limitations.
As an employer, I can assure you that no organization, least of all the FAA, knowingly places individuals in roles for which they are unqualified. Every air traffic controller undergoes intensive training and testing to ensure they meet the highest standards. The same applies to every pilot, engineer, and safety inspector. The inclusion of people with differing abilities does not mean lowering the bar; it means assessing skills fairly and placing people where they can succeed. That is not to say that no one made a mistake, but if mistakes were made, it is not because they had an intellectual developmental disability.
Mr. President, I invite you to see firsthand what inclusion looks like. Visit John’s Crazy Socks, meet my son John. He is an entrepreneur like you and a leader – EY named him Entrepreneur of the Year. More than half of our colleagues have a differing ability, meet them, see their dedication, talent, and hard work—not limitations. I believe that if you see this in action, you’ll understand why so many businesses, large and small, are embracing inclusive hiring as a competitive advantage.
America’s strength comes from the contributions of all its people. Never be blinded by a person’s limitations, be awed by their possibilities. When we focus on what individuals can do—rather than what they cannot—we build a stronger, more inclusive society. That’s the future and I hope you will lead us there.
Mark X. Cronin is co-founder and President of John’s Crazy Socks in Farmingdale.
Recently, towns across our coverage area have had to confront the loss innate in progress, especially as it affects the delicate balancing scale of Long Island’s development. In Smithtown, the Kings Park Revitalization Plan enters its final stages leaving some residents overjoyed and others worried about congestion.
Simultaneously, in Setauket, the controversial battery energy storage facilities are being opposed partly because they would be located in population dense areas. These events have triggered vastly differing reactions, but all raise questions: How much change is too much? And, is change worth the loss?
The heart of the opposition in each of these issues is that Long Island is under threat of overdevelopment, as it has been for years. Despite this, it is becoming unlivable due to financial strains. Ever present in discourse across every sector, is the exodus of young Long-Islanders–the skills we lose when each one moves away taking their education and expertise with them, the sorrow of having a loved one no longer within driving distance.
The Kings Park Revitalization Plan struck the balance—nearly. Some people decry the development it promotes, while others say it is the very thing their hamlet needs and has the potential to bring life and energy back to their community, perhaps enticing young people to stay and build their lives, families and careers.
Each viewpoint, especially the critical ones, smoothed the rough surfaces of the plan. Paying attention to defects is an essential step in ensuring that we don’t become so infatuated with progress that we forget what we have.
Some people are still unhappy with the Kings Park Revitalization Plan as it enters its last step before it is voted on for approval. However, their voices help develop a more complete, well-informed opinion on what matters to our community.
Public hearings may slow down the process, delaying approval, but they prompt analysis and re-analysis, reminding us of the trade offs we need to consider.
By Dylan Friedman
Northport-East Northport Union Free School District Board of Education held a meeting Jan. 23 to provide an initial overview of the district’s budget planning for the 2025-2026 school year. Superintendent David Moyer and Assistant Superintendent for Business Bob Howard presented details on the budget development process, expenditure projections, revenue sources and long-term financial planning.
“The objectives for the presentation are to provide an overview of timelines and the budget development process, review expenditures and five-year budget and facilities projections, and review anticipated revenue and levy history,” Moyer explained.
One key challenge the district faces is the shifting tax burden due to the LIPA settlement. As Moyer stated, “We recognize the challenges of the shifting tax burden to our community due to the LIPA settlement, and are sensitive to being as fiscally responsible as possible while maintaining the quality of programming that the community expects.”
The administration is also closely monitoring staffing levels amid declining enrollment. “This year, it is possible that the district may need to assess some staff to meet its programming needs and levy a budget target,” said Moyer.
Providing an overview of the district’s five-year budget history, Howard noted that while personnel services costs have seen modest increases, the district has made continual reductions in staffing. “The fact that the total cost, despite those contractual increases, is only increasing by an average of 0.2% is illustrative of and showing the facts that there have been staffing and salary reductions,” he explained.
However, contractual expenses and employee benefits have faced higher inflationary pressures. As Howard stated, “These are the costs that are driving a lot of our budget increases so salaries are flat or relatively low. Contractual costs are inflationary sensitive areas [and] are higher than average.”
Looking ahead, the administration is anticipating modest increases in health insurance, salaries and BOCES tuition as well as a slight decrease in the teachers’ retirement system rate. “We’re expecting about a 3.5% increase in our BOCES tuition costs. They’re giving us an indication that, you know, maybe they’re trying to keep it under 4%,” Howard said.
The district also shared its five-year master facilities plan, which outlines a combination of “pay-as-you-go” capital projects funded through the annual budget and more significant bond-funded initiatives. As Howard explained, “The district has recently invested more in its facilities, budgeted more, and transferred more into capital to maintain its buildings than it has in the past.”
On the revenue side, the presentation reviewed the district’s tax levy history, which has been below the tax cap limit each year. The administration is projecting a tax levy increase between 2.1% and 2.3% for 2025-2026, which is lower than the current year’s 2.33% increase.
“We are committed to doing everything possible to minimize this year’s levy recommendation to the board,” Moyer said.
Despite the challenges ahead, the administration reaffirmed its dedication to fiscal prudence while prioritizing the continued excellence of educational programs for students. Their proactive approach aims to balance budgetary constraints with the community’s expectations for quality education, ensuring that every financial decision supports the district’s long-term goals and the success of its students.
By Tara Mae
Heritage, humanity, and hope are explored through works of legacy and lineage in Robert Graham Carter: The Art of Reflection. The exhibit at the Heckscher Museum of Art, from February 2 to May 25, 2025, encapsulates as it illuminates the past six decades of the artist’s career.
“It’s a retrospective—a little glimpse into virtually all the stages and turning points within my art career. It’s interesting for me to see it put together like this—it gives you a perspective that you don’t get working day to day,” said Carter, who is also a long-time art professor at Nassau Community College.
Featuring 22 artworks and several archival pieces, the show explores three themes central to Graham’s work: charm of childhood; importance of spirituality in his life; and, social inequities, with a concentration on topics that connect to Black experiences.
“Mr. Carter came up with the three messages, or themes, he wanted to have the exhibit explore. We selected the works with that focus,” Heckscher guest curator Sarah Battle said. Battle is affiliated with the Speed Art Museum in Louisville, Kentucky, where Carter is set to have an exhibition in 2027.
Influenced by his youth in Louisville, Kentucky, during Jim Crow, and his adulthood and career on Long Island, the exhibit is an exchange between past and present as well as Carter and the audience.
“It is really special to be able to see some early works in conversation with larger pieces,” Battle said.
Art is the language Carter uses to discuss his individual narrative and how it is a chapter of a larger story. It evokes memories, moments, and imagination.
“All of us wear many masks. For example, I am a father, a husband (before my wife passed), an educator, an artist, a neighbor, a friend, and on and on,” he said. “I found myself responding to the things that were interesting and important to me within these roles. I would end up making a series of works based on one of these masks.”
His examination and meditation on these concepts are expressed through mixed media works from the 1970s-2010s, including pencil or pastels on paper; sketches; multi-scale paintings; and sculptural components. One of Carter’s high-relief sculptural paintings, “Mama Taught Me Piano and Much More,” is part of the Heckscher’s permanent collection.
The versatility of his form underscores the sometimes subtle vibrancy of his scenes, like striking portraits or snippets of everyday life.
“What draws me to them and his art in general is that it works on a couple of different levels; they usually reveal something personal, like a memory or experience of the artist and makes you reflect on your own memories or experiences,” Battle said. “Or, his art acts as commentary for the artist.”
These elements offer insight into both process and progress. Both the singular perspective and the collective understanding are presented as Carter’s art evokes emotional introspection and community celebration through subject and substance.
“This has been a positive experience for me, and I hope that the people who see this exhibit are positively affected also. Basically, I feel that art is a communication process and for me I am hoping visitors have a good response,” Carter said.
Admission to The Heckscher Museum of Art is free. Located at 2 Prime Avenue in Huntington, the museum is open Thursday through Sunday, from noon to 5 p.m. For more information, call 631-380-3230 or visit www.heckscher.org.
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