Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad detectives are investigating a stabbing that killed a man in Rocky Point on Nov. 9.
Seventh Precinct officers responded to a residence on Quail Road at approximately 1:25 a.m. after a 911 caller reported a stabbing at the location. When officers arrived, they found that a man living at the home, Joseph Zoll, had been stabbed.
Zoll, 61, was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Detectives are asking anyone with information on this incident, to call the Homicide Squad at 631-852- 6392 or anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
Pictured from left are owner, Pete Rotolo of Hune Enterprises; Councilwoman Bonner; Grimace; Rocky Point McDonald’s General Manager Sabrina Ambrosini; and Leg. Lennon. Photo courtesy of Councilwoman Bonner's office
Grimace with Leg. Chad Lennon. Photo courtesy Leg. Lennons office
Ribbon cutting ceremony at McDonalds in Rocky Point. Photo courtesy Leg. Lennon's office
Brookhaven Town Councilwoman Jane Bonner and Suffolk County Legislator Chad Lennon joined the McDonald’s at 463 Route 25A in Rocky Point for a grand re-opening celebration on Oct. 26. The long-time fast-food restaurant was completely renovated, both inside and out. McDonalds mascot “Grimace” (center) and staff were presented with a Certificate of Congratulations from both local officials.
Olivia Pesso heads the ball for the Wildcats in the Suffolk County Class A final. Photo by Bill Landon
Mia Mangano attacks the ball for the Wildcats in the Suffolk County Class A final. Photo by Bill Landon
Jocelyn Natasi settles the ball for the Wildcats. Photo by Bill Landon
Mia Mangano scores for the Wildcats in the Suffolk County Class A final. Photo by Bill Landon
Senior Ava Gengler settles the ball for the Wildcats. Photo by Bill Landon
Senior goal keeper Morgan Lesiewicz with a save for the Wildcats. Photo by Bill Landon
Senior Ava Gengler pushes the ball up-field for the Wildcats. Photo by Bill Landon
Senior Chloe Bergen crosses the ball for the Wildcats. Photo by Bill Landon
Senior Chloe Bergen heads the ball for the Wildcats. Photo by Bill Landon
Wildcats win. Photo by Bill Landon
Wildcats win. Photo by Bill Landon
By Bill Landon
It was a twist of fate that the Thomas Cutinella Memorial Field was selected as the venue for the girls soccer finals before the season began. As a result, the Shoreham-Wading River girls soccer team had a home field advantage in the Suffolk County Class A soccer final Tuesday night, Nov. 5.
Mia Mangano had a shot on goal that just missed eight minutes into the second half, but the Shoreham-Wading River junior capitalized on the rebound courtesy of an assist from sophomore Stamatia Almiroudis to put the Wildcats ahead 1-0 against Sayville.
It would be all the Wildcats needed to punch their ticket to the Long Island championship round Sunday, Nov. 10, at Farmingdale State College.
It was the Wildcats third straight county championship and their goal is to return to the New York State finals.
Shoreham-Wading River will face the Nassau winner of the North Shore vs. Wantagh final.
A scene from last year's ceremony in East Setauket.
Photo by Greg Catalano
November 11 marks the annual observance of Veterans Day, a day on which we honor the millions of brave men and women who have served in the Armed Forces. The following communities on the North Shore will pay their respects:
Calverton
Calverton National Cemetery, 210 Princeton Road, Calverton will hold a Veterans Day ceremony on Nov. 11 at 1 p.m. for a Veterans Day Ceremony. 631-727-5410
East Setauket
VFW Post 3054 will host a veterans recognition service at the Memorial Park at the corner of Shore Road and Route 25A in East Setauket on Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. Residents are invited to join local veterans for a short ceremony that will feature the laying of wreaths from local community groups. 631-406-1938
Farmingdale
Long Island National Cemetery, 2040 Wellwood Ave., in Farmingdale will hold a veterans’ honor ceremony on Nov. 10 at 2 p.m. 516-749-7085
Greenlawn
Hosted by American Legion Post 1244, a Veterans Day ceremony will be held at Greenlawn Memorial Park, Pulaski Road, Greenlawn on Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. with neighboring American Legion posts plus many community groups and Scouts. 631-487-4776
Huntington
The public is invited to join Town of Huntington officials, the Veterans Advisory Board and local officials for a Veterans Day Ceremony on Sunday, Nov. 10 at 10:30 a.m. on Veterans Plaza in front of Huntington Town Hall, 100 Main St., Huntington. 631-351-3012
Kings Park
VFW Post 5796 presents a Veterans Day Parade will be held in Kings Park on Nov. 11. Step off is at RJO Intermediate School, 99 Old Dock Road, Kings Park at 10 a.m. and ends at Veterans Plaza in front of the Kings Park Library and 1 Church St. The parade will be followed by opening prayers, guest speakers, Moment of Remembrance and wreath laying ceremony followed by closing prayers. 631-269-6421
Port Jefferson
American Legion Wilson Ritch Post 432 invites the community to attend a Veterans Day Ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park on East Broadway in Port Jefferson (across from Village Hall) on Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. 631-626-2911
Rocky Point
Join the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6249, 109 King Road, Rocky Point for a Veterans Day ceremony on Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. 631-744-9106
Smithtown
Smithtown American Legion Post 833, and Smithtown Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10870 will hold a Veterans Day Ceremony honoring our nations veterans at Veterans Plaza, Main St., Smithtown on Nov. 11 at 10:45 p.m. 631-724-1804.
Sound Beach
The Sound Beach Civic Association will hold a Veterans Day service at the Sound Beach Veterans Memorial Park on New York Avenue on Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. Miller Place School District students will provide patriotic music. All are welcome. 631-744-6952
St. James
Sgt. John W. Cooke VFW Post 395 will host a Veterans Day Parade in St. James on Nov. 11. The parade will kick off at 10 a.m. and heads down Lake Avenue to St. James Elementary School. 516-987-6201
Setauket
Caroline Episcopal Church, 1 Dyke Road, Setauket will host “A Day of Honor,” a service of appreciation and remembrance for those who have served (and currently serve) our country and communities, in the armed forces and as first responders, on Nov. 10 at 9:30 a.m. Join them for a unique service with music, special guests, and prayers for peace. 631-941-4245
Turning the tide:Celebrating the guardians of our water
I would like to note a recent report from Save the Sound and highlight the work of some local heroes: George Hoffman and the volunteers of the Setauket Harbor Task Force. Their unwavering commitment to the health of our local waters has helped bend the curve and set our surface waters on a path toward improved health and water quality, as reflected in the latest report from Save the Sound.
The water quality grade for Setauket Harbor, rising from a “C” in 2022 to a “B+” this year, speaks volumes about the positive impact of their work. The reduction in nitrogen levels by 50% over the last 30 years, thanks to improved stormwater systems and stricter regulations, shows what can be achieved with persistent advocacy for good policy and community engagement. Their leadership in educating boaters about using pump-out services to prevent waste from being dumped into the harbor has also been an essential factor in maintaining water cleanliness. The Setauket Harbor Task Force truly serves as guardians of the harbor, and we owe them a debt of gratitude.
As your councilmember, I am proud to work alongside groups like the Setauket Harbor Task Force, Coastal Steward Long Island and others, supporting initiatives that benefit our environment. One of the projects my office has been engaged with is expanding shellfish agriculture, especially the creation of oyster beds, which help improve water quality through natural filtration. Additionally, we are working to increase awareness and compliance of the use of pump-out boats, a crucial service that ensures boaters are able to dispose of waste responsibly. Cumulatively, and in partnership with groups like the Setauket Harbor Task Force and Coastal Steward, these efforts help contribute to cleaner, healthier harbors for all of us to benefit from.
The health of Port Jefferson and Setauket harbors is essential to the vibrancy of our community, and I look forward to continuing our partnership with local organizations and residents in this important work.
Jonathan Kornreich,
Brookhaven Town Councilmember
Stony Brook
Unintended consequences:Say a prayer for our community’s small business owners
A number of letters have appeared in your paper in recent weeks about the Town of Brookhaven’s relatively new Commercial Redevelopment District classification for “abandoned, vacant and underutilized shopping centers.”
Essentially, the CRD designation allows for the demolition of existing shopping areas, and a subsequent high density build-out of multilevel apartments with ground level businesses. Some might call this a financial gift or windfall to some developers who claim their center is “underutilized.”
The unintended consequence of the town’s CRD code is that it incentivizes certain commercial property owners to neglect or mismanage their holdings in order to apply for the generous terms afforded by the new zoning. And the best way to create high vacancy rates? Simply jack up the cost of new leases and lease renewals to drive out small shop owners. It couldn’t happen here. Or could it?
Herb Mones
Stony Brook
Another Election Day gone, now for the cleanup
Election Day has come and gone. It reminds me of “The Outer Limits,” a 1960s television show. With the end of round-the-clock commercials by politicians, political parties, political action groups and pay-for-play special interest groups, we now return control of your television back to you until the next election cycle. No more telephone robocalls, text messages, candidates campaign mailings clogging mailboxes and weighing down our hard working postal employees. Finally, some peace and quiet!
Candidates who claimed they cared about the environment can now do their part. Winners and losers should have their paid campaign staff and volunteers pick up all the thousands of campaign signs that litter our roads and highways to help clean up this waste. They could also use leftover campaign funds to hire homeless or unemployed people to collect this litter. Let some people sentenced by judges to perform community service be assigned this task. If candidates refuse to clean up after themselves, your local village, town or Suffolk County Public Works Division of Highway & Ground Maintenance should do the job and send candidates the bill.
The drive between my office and home has been treacherous for my tires over the past couple of years, with the potholes and broken stretches of blacktop causing them to whine in protest. I was taking all sorts of detours through adjoining neighborhoods to avoid them.
So, imagine my relief when a transportation ground crew appeared a couple of weeks ago and proceeded to repair and repave the roads. The route is now smooth enough for roller skating.
This could have been a metaphor for the coming election.
After mounting anxiety among the populace and near hysteria about what voting would be like and what would lie ahead by the media, it is such a relief that nothing violenthappened. It was only an exercise in demonstrating the will of the governed.
Yes, half the population is keenly disappointed that its candidate did not win and make history, and the other half is ecstatic that its candidate did win and did make history. But an amazing calm has descended.
Polls almost all across our nation were crowded but enabled orderly voting. There were a few bomb threats phoned in, largely attributed to Russian interference, which delayed our voting process in a minor way, but there were no scenes of perilous conflict.
We Americans did what we are supposed to do during elections. We voted—in greater number than usual—then went about our usual business and awaited the results.
The only uptick in normal activity was in the stock market, which soared wildly at the prospect of calm and stability. There was no factual basis for any claims of chaos. And no one so far seems to be challenging the results.
We can let out our collective breath.
This election should not pass from sight without our plaudits for the poll workers. When I entered my polling place about 10:45 a.m. on Tuesday, I was greeted cordially, directed to the proper table to register, then to another for the ballot and given a short explanation on how to fill it out.
When I emerged, ballot in hand, from the booth, I was further directed to one of the voting machines, then I left with a receipt and a sticker some kind soul had supplied that read, “I voted.” As I left, I was thanked a couple of times for voting by poll workers.
It occurred to me that we, the voters, should be thanking them. Despite the severe concerns expressed in the lead-up to the election about the safety issue for those workers, they showed up, graciously did their jobs, safely put in a long day, then returned to their homes.
They supported the ultimate key for democracy to happen: the vote.
So thank you to the many men and women, all across America, and those in our individual polling places, for your help. And thanks to those who came to protect them.
Many people had an enormous stake in the election.
Beyond the policies, the ideas, the rallies and all the other hoopla around the hotly contested Election of 2024, people contributed significant amounts of money to back their favorite candidate or candidates.
OpenSecrets predicted that the 2024 federal election cycle would be the costliest on record, at $15.9 billion.
That’s a lot of advertisements funded by people who felt compelled to offer their financial support to candidates they thought would be the best for them, their counties, their states and the country.
So, what did we get for all that money?
Well, for starters, we had advertisements that decried the unqualified or awful nature of the other candidate. Sure, I suppose there’s some value in that.
But as a die-hard Yankees fan — a fitting phrase this year after the Bronx Bombers committed the kind of errors my son described as U8 mistakes — I’m not sure I’d want my team to spend so much time and effort trash talking, beating up or insulting their opponents.
Yes, I get it. Sports and politics aren’t the same, and yet, we the fans, supporters and general public invest in people in these arenas, hoping for the best from them.
Talking about how bad the competition is doesn’t make you better. It can scare people into voting for you, I suppose, but that doesn’t seem like a particularly honorable way to win. It also doesn’t set the tone for our children, who watch these advertisements or hear the words from would-be political leaders and wonder why they should exercise restraint on the playground after they’ve heard political leaders call each other names or insult each other.
I suppose all those horrible words and a readiness to “fight” is far preferable to the historic human way of changing government regimes. In previous generations and in non-democratic societies, people shed blood to create a new government or bring in new leaders.
In theory, every four years, We the People can go to the ballot box and alter the direction of the country with our vote.
That brings me back to the money. Beyond the contribution to our candidate, what do we get back for the money we spend?
To borrow from Wall Street, what’s the return on our investment? Can we ask to speak with some of these leaders? Can we send ideas to improve the way government works?
No matter who wins any election, that person has a duty and responsibility to represent everyone, including those people who didn’t vote for them and their adversaries in the election cycle. The once and future president, whether he likes it or not, represents his constituents and his adversaries.
Getting elected doesn’t just give them power: it places enormous responsibility on their shoulders.
They came to us, electronic palms outstretched, asking for money and we gave it to them, despite concerns about our economic future, our desire to save for ourselves and our children and our need to invest in ourselves.
How else could we have spent that money? Could we have taken classes that enabled us to find other jobs? Could we have sent that money to charity to provide for the basic needs of people who are struggling to survive?
Now that donations helped fill many of those seats, those politicians, on day one, should make sure they listen to people, should affect positive changes and policies, and should work to ensure that they reward the public with effective leadership.
Let’s hope that money backed the right candidates, which can and should benefit the entire country.
Is it too much to ask that, one day, we all see a reasonable return on these investments?
Nick LaLota celebrates his victory on Nov. 5. Photo by Toni-Elena Gallo
By Toni-Elena Gallo and Aidan Johnson
At Stereo Garden in Patchogue, the GOP was a sea of red on the evening of Tuesday, Nov. 5. Guests mingled with drinks in hand, as music blared over the club’s speaker system.
The event was hosted by Jesse Garcia, chairman of the Suffolk County Republican Committee and Brookhaven Town Republican Committee, whose high energy propelled the evening and invigorated the large crowd. He spoke of the resilience of the Republican Party through the tumultuous past four years, and expressed confidence in Suffolk’s support for members of the GOP.
LaLota victorious over Avlon in battle for Congress, Avlon concedes
As results poured in from around 10 p.m. to the early hours of the morning, the race considered highly important in the flipping of the House majority in Washington, was decided. Incumbent Nick LaLota, representative of the 1st Congressional District, won 55.7% of the vote to Democratic opponent John Avlon’s 44.3%.
“Thank you so much to every single one of you. I’m only here because of everything you’ve done. You made the phone calls. You knocked on doors, you planted lawn signs,” LaLota said to the room.
“You’ve placed your trust in me and I’m going to take another term of office in a few weeks so I can continue to fight for you,” he continued. He added that he has run on his record, which is one committed to bipartisanship, and has seen more bills passed by him than “95% of Congress,” bringing “$150 million home” to Suffolk in the process.
“It’s a hard night in Suffolk County for us Democrats, it’s a hard night for many Democrats, but the fight continues,” Avlon said in a speech at the IBEW Local 1049 Union Hall in Holtsville, where many of the Suffolk County Democrats congregated for a watch party.
“It’s really important for us to keep the energy up, and understand that this is not a time for us to shirk back, but it is a time for folks to stand up continuously, because the good fight never ends and democracy depends on loving your country no matter who is president,” he added.
Anthony Palumbo celebrates his victory on Nov. 5. Photo by Toni-Elena Gallo
Palumbo comes out on top in state Senate race
Incumbent Republican state senator of the 1st District, Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk), beat Democratic opponent Sarah Anker, with 53.4% of the vote, to Anker’s 46.6%.
“This is a team win. I want to thank my wife, to thank my friends in law enforcement who supported us. We did this most importantly because of you folks. This is many, many months in the making,” Palumbo said. He continued by saying that he and his supporters worked hard on his campaign because “it is about what’s best for our constituency.”
Anker has not yet released a statement.
Mattera wins out over Herskowitz in NY 2nd Senate District
Incumbent Mario Mattera beat Craig Herskowitz, winning his third term in the 2nd Senate District, 58.7% to 41.3%.
Mattera was not on hand to make a speech, as he was in Smithtown speaking at another event. Chairman Garcia expressed his congratulatory feelings for Mattera, leading the crowd in a round of applause for him.
Kassay and Flood in tight contest for 4th District Assembly seat; Giglio defeats Chiaramonte in 2nd District
As of 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 6, no result has been confirmed for the state Assembly race between Republican incumbent Ed Flood and his Democratic opponent Rebecca Kassay, both from Port Jefferson. Kassay currently is leading Flood by 211 votes (29,246-29,035). The final result has not yet been announced as of press time.
Jodi Giglio (R-Riverhead) easily beat out Tricia Chiaramonte with 64.9% of the vote, to Chiaramonte’s 35.1%. Chiaramonte did not actively campaign against incumbent Giglio.
Fitzpatrick victorious over Basileo in NY 8th Assembly District
Incumbent of 22 years, Michael Fitzpatrick (R-Smithtown), beat Democratic candidate Steven Basileo by a sweeping 66.4% to 33.6%, in the 8th Assembly District.
Fitzpatrick was just one of many Republicans who has been reelected to his seat, as newer Democratic politicians did not attract the same amount of support across the North Shore. Voters seemingly preferred the current occupants.
10th and 12th Assembly Districts
In the 10th Assembly District, Democratic incumbent Steve Stern (D-Dix Hills) beat Republican Aamir Sultan, 55% to 45%. In the 12th District, incumbent Keith Brown (R-Northport) defeated Democrat Thomas Cox, 57.5% to 42.5%.
4th District Court Judge, Town of Smithtown
Republicans Paul Damato and John Zollo beat Democratic candidate Maria Scheuring, receiving a combined 79.2% of the vote — 39.6% each — winning the two vacant seats, while Scheuring received 20.7% of the vote. Scheuring was not active during this election season.
All these results are noted by the Suffolk County Board of Elections as “unofficial.”
6th District Court Judge, Town of Brookhaven
Evan Tannenbaum, Patricia Blake and Kenneth Lauri won the three available seats for District Court Judge of the 6th District. They received 23.4%, 23.2%, and 22.0% of the vote, respectively, beating out Democrats Margot Garant and Dorothy Cavalier.
“I want to thank the Town of Brookhaven and my fellow Republicans,” Lauri said. Tannenbaum echoed similar sentiments.
All these results are noted by the Suffolk County Board of Elections as “unofficial.”
Mark your calendars! The Holiday Market at Mt. Sinai Congregational Church, 233 N.Country Rd., Mt. Sinai, returns on Saturday, November 9 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Get a jump on your holiday shopping! The event will feature lots of vendors, delicious baked goods, crafts, holiday decorations, raffles and basket auctions. The Red Barn Thrift Store next door will be open for shopping as well! Free admission. Call 631-473-1582 for additional information.
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