Pink Wonder:
Briana (aka Billy) Nagy of Sound Beach took this beautiful photo of a pink flower in her backyard garden with her Samsung Galaxy S5 last weekend.
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Home Village Beacon Record
An inside look at the presidential debate on LI
By Victoria Espinoza
A historic political event, which carried what felt like an unprecedented level of uncertainty, took place close to home Sept. 26.
Hofstra University was the place to be, as thousands of reporters, protestors, students and politicians flocked to the Hempstead campus to witness a debate featuring the first female presidential nominee of a major political party in United States history and one of the most powerful businessmen in the world. Hillary Clinton (D) and Donald Trump (R) were the main attraction, but there was so much more to be seen and heard on campus in the hours leading up to show time.
Major news outlets from all over the world covered the event.
The scene was already buzzing around 10 a.m. Businesses set up booths to hand out free debate gear, and MSNBC, Fox News and CNN were already warming up their outdoor stages for a full day of coverage.
Some students carried signs with Clinton and Trump’s name, while others raised humorous, homemade signs with messages like “Mom, please come pick me up, I’m scared.” Freshmen to seniors visited the photo booths and interview stands set up, and seemed enthused and excited to be a part of the historic day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y4EhseIuAE&feature=youtu.be
One of the more popular activities of the day was an inflatable, replica White House for students to jump around in. In the early morning it lit up the parking lot and seemed like a spot students would enjoy a carefree few minutes after the stations focused on national issues were seen.
But soon enough, the inflatable White House became a backdrop for a serious scene.
Dozens of #BlackLivesMatter supporters stood silently arm in arm, in front of the White House. Observers around the area were silent as well.
It was a reminder early on that this debate was not just an exciting event, but also would spur a serious conversation about the state of America, and how it we will be led into the future.
Bernard Coles, a senior at Hofstra, said he wasn’t confident the issues important to #BlackLivesMatter supporters would come up at the debate.
“We’ve been talking nonstop about Brangelina for the past week so I’m not very optimistic about it coming up but I hope so,” he said in an interview. He also said he feels Clinton best represents the #BlackLivesMatter cause.
“I feel a thousand times more confident in the direction Hillary Clinton would take the country. She’s been trying to listen to us and support us and represent us for decades and I don’t understand why people are forgetting that.”
Although #BlackLivesMatter was not directly referenced Monday night, moderator Lester Holt asked a question entirely focused on race relations. Both candidates talked about solutions they have proposed to help improve the criminal justice system, while also touching on their personal relationships with ethnic communities.
About a half-mile from the center point of campus was the free speech tent, an area heavily guarded by police where supporters of lesser-known presidential candidates Jill Stein (G) and Gary Jonhson (L) protested their exclusion from the event.
Entrance to the free speech tent required passage through a metal detector and a search of belongings. Officers on horseback lined the street, and at the tent, a man dressed in a polar bear costume spoke out on global warming, and an “election frog” croaked “Rig it, rig it.”
Chris Roy, a Stein supporter, said it was a disgrace that she was not allowed into the debate arena.
“I’m thoroughly disgusted and disturbed and furious,” Roy said in an interview. He questioned why two parties are allowed to make the rules for other minor parties, and said Trump and Clinton should be speaking up to allow the other candidates in.
“She [Stein] is the only one that is in the trenches fighting with the people,” he said. “They’re [Clinton and Trump] both just totally corrupt. They don’t speak out for open debates, which is awful. When you turn on the television all you see is Hillary and Trump.”
Stein has been the presidential nominee for the Green Party for the last two debates, and was escorted off the premises Monday after reportedly failing to present the necessary credentials.
Like Stein, Johnson is not new to the presidential campaign circuit. He has been the Libertarian Party’s presidential candidate for the last two elections.
Both candidates have been vocal about being denied the opportunity to debate.
Neither reached the 15-percent polling threshold on national surveys needed by the Commission on Presidential Debates to qualify.
Hofstra students throughout campus donned “Make America Great Again” hats and “I’m With Her” pins, and at the end of the night everyone argued over which candidate had the most success.
After leaving the scene of the debate, and walking out of what felt like a bunker, it seemed like all issues discussed during the day had been forgotten and all that mattered was Clinton and Trump’s performances.
Hofstra’s campus gave a voice to more than just the typical election season rhetoric, and helped remind a reporter like me that this election season is about so much more than just the two candidates who stood on the stage for 90 minutes.
Route 25A rivals come up scoreless for second tie
By Desirée Keegan
All Lydia Kessel was thinking in the final seconds of overtime is that she couldn’t let Mount Sinai score.
The Shoreham-Wading River junior goalkeeper wanted action, but received almost more than she could handle. A cluster of frenzied girls squeezed between the six and 18-yard line, and that made it difficult to get a hand on the ball.
“It was like a game of Pong,” she said of the final frantic moments of the Sept. 27 match. “It was just touches — the ball was going back and forth and the only thing going through my head is that I had to get the ball. If I could get the ball, I could get it out and we can get through the last 10 seconds. I did not want to lose in the last 10 seconds.”
Kessel eventually muscled her way to the ball, although she missed it on the first grab and left a Mount Sinai player with an open net. She threw herself on top of the loose ball, scooped it up and tossed it away to escape with the 0-0 draw for her Wildcats and the Mustangs after two 10-minute overtime sessions.
“They’re a much more physical team,” Shoreham-Wading River head coach Adrian Gilmore said of Mount Sinai. “But we played a hard game. [Mount Sinai] plays a lot in the air, which is different from the way we play, since we play more to feet. I feel like any time we play them, anything could happen, because they’re so physical.”
Mount Sinai controlled the game for the first few minutes and showed that toughness, but Shoreham-Wading River pushed right back, and came up with back-to-back chances at a goal, the first of which went off the right post.
After the two teams tied 2-2 Sept. 8, Mount Sinai head coach Courtney Leonard expected much of the same the second time around.
“I thought something like this would occur,” she said. “Shoreham — their personnel, our personnel are very evenly matched. They had chances and we had them. They had an unfortunate post in the beginning of the game that could’ve gone in and we had some opportunities in the middle of the net with nobody there that we should’ve gotten. But I thought we did a great job.”
Shoreham-Wading River senior outside midfielder Alex Kuhnle had several opportunities to help her team put one away in the second half. First, she attempted a fake from 25 yards out, but Mount Sinai’s junior goalkeeper Caiya Schuster saved her shot. Later, sophomore striker Nicky Constant, took a pass from senior midfielder Sarah Stietzle, but the touch was too soft. Kuhnle also tried to set up Constant twice, but Schuster saved the first, and although the second attempt went in, an offside call waved off the goal. Another shot went in within a five-minute span, but offside was called again. Schuster made 10 big saves on the evening to keep her team in the game.
“Mount Sinai is always a tough team to go up against,” Kuhnle said. “They always come out strong, and I think that we reacted well. We were just unlucky with our shots. We had a lot of opportunities, so that’s a good thing, but moving on, we need to work on finishing.”
Despite junior sweeper Samantha Higgins being forced to leave the game with a foot injury, Shoreham-Wading River’s defense held its own. Kessel made a save with 5:54 left in regulation, one of her five for the game.
“It was a tough battle, but we all helped,” Mount Sinai sophomore midfielder and forward Brooke Cergol said. “We focused on covering their top players, attacking and looking outside; we just really wanted to score and win this game.”
Gilmore said having Kessel, a three-year varsity starter, in goal helped her feel more comfortable about the matchup.
“I think having her in the back is such a dangerous weapon,” she said. “My assistant coach [Brian Ferguson] thinks it was one of the best games he’s seen her play. I expect her to do what she does, and it’s a nice feeling.”
With the draw, both teams move to 4-1-2 in League VI. It is the last time the two rivals — that are just miles from each other down Route 25A — are scheduled to battle this season, but it certainly may not be the last time they face off.
Kuhnle said if they see each other again in the postseason, her team will be ready.
“There’s a ton of talent on this team and we can go as far as we want to go if everyone comes together and plays hard,” she said. “This will help fuel a fire for playoffs and show us what we have to work on, so maybe we’ll focus a little more in practice to improve. I’m not disappointed with our performance though; we just got unlucky.”
Miller Place-bound family moved by community support
By Desirée Keegan
The Cote family is overwhelmed.
After Glen, a Gulf War veteran, and Renée found out that they would be receiving a new home for veterans in Miller Place, they got a phone call that some of the proceeds from Joe Cognitore’s VFW Fischer/Hewins Post 6249 ninth annual Veterans of Foreign Wars Rocky Point Post 6249 annual golf outing at Willow Creek Golf & Country Club in Mount Sinai, on Sept. 26, will go toward their new home.
“People keep asking us about the process with the house,” Renée Cote said. “I’m still trying to absorb everything — and then we get a call about this — there’s so much love here and to be on the receiving end of that, it’s a blessing.”
The Cotes have been through several hardships, from Renée Cote being diagnosed with a rare and painful metabolic disorder called acute intermittent porphyria, which requires expensive biweekly treatments that she has undergone for 14 years at John T. Mather Memorial Hospital, to her 7-year-old son Zachary being diagnosed with Grade 4 medulloblastoma, brain cancer, in 2014.
Most recently, the family was told they were being kicked out of their home because the landlord had let the rental fall into foreclosure.
“It’s awesome to see this much love for somebody from out of town like myself, that they don’t know, it’s incredible,” Glen Cote, who’s from Texas, said. “Everyone is so supportive and friendly.”
The family recently met with Cognitore, Rocky Point’s post commander, for the first time when Landmark Property owner and developer Mark Baisch chose the family to receive the 11th home for returning veterans. The two are still looking for a family for the 12th home.
“It’s a good feeling, especially given their circumstances,” Cognitore said of helping the family. “We’ve been doing things over the phone, and it helped me in the hospital. I felt very good. It was a big relief to know that we’re helping this family out.”
The Cotes said they’ve begun meeting their new neighbors and community members and they’re excited to make the move. Their previous rental home was in Sound Beach,
“They are the nicest people,” Renée Cote said. “I like the fact that — because, we kind of stalked the house — they came out and they were saying hello to us, they’ve been in the community for 30 to 40 years, they were very welcoming and we’re excited. I’m excited to have little BBQs with them and stuff like that.”
“When Mark [Baisch] heard about Zachary Cote’s situation, he came to the rescue, and talk about superheroes, [Mark Baisch and Joe Cognitore] are our local superheroes.”
— Sarah Anker
At the golf outing, where more than 160 golfers hit the course to help support veterans, Sen. Ken LaValle (R-Port Jefferson) and Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) came out to meet the family and commend Cognitore and Baisch for all of their work helping local veterans.
“They are literally warriors to those that need help,” Anker said. “They get out there, they understand the struggles and they’re there to help, and that’s what’s so important. When Mark heard about Zachary Cote’s situation, he came to the rescue, and talk about superheroes, they are our local superheroes.”
LaValle was glad to seewho have helped him remain in the Miller Place school district, which was most important to his family.
“It all comes together very, very nicely,” he said. “We can’t do enough for our veterans to say thank you, and this is one of many ways that we can appreciate their service that they have made to our country.”
Renée Cote said she is also teaching her son to give back, and said she feels thank you will never be enough.
“I could sit there and write a million thank you cards, and to me, it would not be enough for what they’re doing,” she said. “And I don’t even think they realize what they’re doing. To first serve our country, and then to give back — and I mean give back in a huge way — it’s good to be surrounded by people like that. They’re angels walking the Earth.”
Scenes from Hofstra University on Presidential Debate day
The highly-anticipated first Presidential Debate of the 2016 election between Hillary Clinton (D) and Donald Trump (R) was at Hofstra University in Hempstead Sept. 26. TBR News Media’s Victoria Espinoza was on campus taking in the events leading up to debate time at 9 p.m. Check out photos and follow @TBRNewspapers and @ByVEspinoza on Twitter for more.
Lawmakers, scientists and community members to attend panel discussion on opioids
Opioid addiction will be the topic of discussion at a community forum on Saturday, Oct. 1 at Stony Brook University. The free event, titled The Opioid Epidemic, will be hosted by the group Scientists for Policy, Advocacy, Diplomacy and Education at the Charles B. Wang Center Theatre from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Hear from policy experts, community leaders and scientists on how to combat this growing threat to our community. A series of short presentations will be followed by a round-table discussion with community participation. Refreshments will be served.
Speakers will include state Sen. John Flanagan (R-East Northport), State Sen. Ken LaValle (R-Port Jefferson), Suffolk County Deputy Sheriff William Weick, Director of Adult Inpatient Services at Stony Brook Constantine Ioannou and Columbia University Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurobiology Jermaine Jones.
Attendees are encouraged to bring excess or expired medication for the “Shed the Meds” disposal program. Narcan (opioid OD antidote) training is available after the event for selected pre-registered participants.
Free parking is available at the Administration parking lot across from the Wang Center.
For more information or to register online, visit opioidepidemicforum.eventbrite.com or call 267-259-7347.
New trail hub opens south of Rocky Point Pine Barrens
By Desirée Keegan
A day when Montauk and New York City are connected across Long Island by trails might not be too far off.
On Sept. 22, the Department of Environmental Conservation celebrated the completion of a piece of the Rocky Point Pine Barrens State Forest Multi-Use Trail Hub Project. The project is an effort to connect trail systems across Rocky Point, Ridge, Yaphank and Shirley. The entire trail system when completed will pass through the DEC’s Pine Barrens, Suffolk County and Town of Brookhaven parkland, and end in the Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge.
The new trail hub can be found on the north side of Middle Country Road in Ridge, between Wading River Road and Woodlot Road.
“The completion of this trail hub is an instrumental step in the effort to connect Long Island’s trail systems,” DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said. “The multiple features of this hub will allow local residents and visitors, young and old, and of any ability, to take advantage of Long Island’s stunning natural diversity.”
The new hub, located on the south end of the Rocky Point Pine Barrens State Forest, is expected to be one of the central public access spots for the new trail system. It features a car and horse trailer parking lot, a newly built half-mile Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible hiking trail, an accessible horse mounting platform, and a half-mile connector to an existing horse and hiking trail.
“I am fortunate to represent one of the most beautiful regions of New York State,” Sen. Ken LaValle (R-Port Jefferson) said. “As the sponsor of the legislation that created the Pine Barrens Preserve, I am pleased that we are creating an opportunity for more individuals to access the trails. The ADA accessibility will enable those with mobility issues to enjoy more of Long Island’s natural beauty firsthand.”
Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) also commended the DEC for its work with the ADA.
“It’s very important that all residents get the opportunity to share in the natural beauty that surrounds us and we must do whatever we can to preserve it for generations to come,” he said.
The project began in October 2014, with funding from NY Works, and was completed in June for a total cost of $460,000. The trail hub is located on the property of the former Lustgarden Nursery in Ridge. In April, the DEC worked with Students Taking Action for Tomorrow’s Environment in an Arbor Day reforestation effort. The student volunteers planted 250 seedlings of native New York tree species.
“The new trail hub is about connecting people with nature and making it easier to get out and explore Long Island’s treasure of trails and the beautiful wildlands they traverse,” Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) said.
The DEC acquired the 274-acre site in 1996 from Baier Lustgarten. It was the site of Baier Lustgarten Farms and Nursery, which used the acreage to plant nursery stock, including native and non-native trees, shrubs and ornamentals. Several neglected structures were razed from the property, including a house, a barn, greenhouses and cottages for farm hands.
“The new multi-use trail hub is a wonderful community centerpiece that gives residents greater access to enjoy the beautiful Rocky Point Pine Barrens,” Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) said. “The new hub connects several communities and allows for hiking, horseback riding and bike riding. The DEC has done a wonderful job in creating this very important greenway park that will truly make a difference as we experience our spectacular outdoor environment.”
Man killed in one-car crash in Rocky Point
Suffolk County Police 7th Squad detectives are investigating a single-car crash that killed a man in Rocky Point Sept. 24.
Thomas Farley was driving a 2010 Toyota Corolla northbound on Rocky Point-Yaphank Road, north of Whiskey Road, when his vehicle crossed over the southbound lane and struck a tree at approximately 8 a.m.
Farley, 25, of Astoria, Queens, was pronounced dead at the scene by a physician’s assistant from the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner.
The vehicle was impounded for a safety check and the investigation is ongoing. Detectives are asking anyone with information to contact the 7th Squad at 631-852-8752.
Miller Place, Setauket celebrate centenarians
By Desirée Keegan & Donna Newman
Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) and Councilwoman Jane Bonner (C-Rocky Point) joined with the Mount Sinai Senior Citizens Club to recognize centenarian Beatrice Caravella at her 100th birthday bash on Sept. 6.
Born Beatrice Mercatante on Sept. 9, 1916, in Brooklyn to parents who emigrated from Sicily, she met her husband Fred while attending church, and together they had two children, Marilyn and Richard.
Beatrice and Fred Caravella were instrumental in spearheading a Pentecostal Church in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. They lived in Richmond Hill and Franklin Square before retiring to Miller Place. She was widowed in 1985, after 41 years of marriage.
Caravella is an avid reader and in retirement happily volunteered her time and service in hospitals, nursing homes and churches to help those less fortunate than herself.
Today she has four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She still lives in her own home and celebrated her milestone birthday with her family and friends.
The Mount Sinai Senior Citizen Club celebrated Caravella’s centennial birthday with coffee and cake at the Rose Caracappa Senior Center in Mount Sinai. Romaine and Bonner presented her with a proclamation declaring Sept. 9, 2016, as Beatrice Caravella day in the Town of Brookhaven.
Out in Setauket, the Energizer bunny has got nothing on Ingrid Herland.
She celebrated her 106th birthday Sept. 18 with a whole weekend of partying. She shared birthday cake with her friends at Sunrise of East Setauket on Saturday and planned to spend Sunday with family at her daughter’s home.
Herland is an inspirational example of the power of positive thinking. A poetry lover, she recites verse from memory, some that she has written herself and some favorite poems — with a little Shakespeare thrown in for good measure.
Ingrid attended New York University, and said biology was her favorite subject. She left before graduation to marry and raise a family. She has three children: Warren and twins, born on Washington’s Birthday, George and Martha; five grandchildren and one great-grandchild she is looking forward to meeting at Christmastime.
Asked if she could share the secret for long life, she replied, “I never thought about it at all. I took it one year at a time. I went with the flow.” And that’s the secret. Son-in-law Don Richtberg said, “She is the most accepting person I have ever known. She seems to find the good in everyone — and everything.” And the best way to handle getting old? “You just have to be a good sport about it,” she said.
Suffolk County extends help to first-time homebuyers
Down Payment Assistance Program to help 35 families
By Donna Newman
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) recently announced the extension of the Suffolk County Down Payment Assistance Program, which assists first-time homebuyers with funds for a down payment to help make the “American Dream” of homeownership a reality.
Assistance will provide up to $10,000 in grant funding to eligible first-time homebuyers — helping an additional 35 Suffolk County families. Since the program’s inception, Suffolk County has helped more than 1,700 families with down payments on their first homes.
Applications are now being accepted through Nov. 30. Residents may download the application through the Community Development tab on the County’s website, www.suffolkcountyny.gov.
Applications will be accepted by mail only and may also be requested by telephone from the Community Development Office: 631-853–5705.
Bellone stressed that qualified Suffolk County residents must purchase a home within the consortium area. They will have 90 days from the date of issuance of the Purchase Certificate to submit a fully executed Contract of Sale to the Community Development Office — or 300 days to submit a fully executed contract of sale if the first-time homebuyer is purchasing a new construction home.
The consortium includes all of Suffolk County, excluding the Towns of Babylon and Islip.
Comprehensive details of the eligibility criteria, income guidelines and other elements of the program are available on the County website. Key eligibility elements include:
• An applicant must be a first-time homebuyer as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as a household that has not owned a home during the three-year period immediately prior to the purchase of a residence with HOME funding.
• Prospective applicants must represent a low to moderate income household with an annual income not exceeding 80 percent of the area median income as determined by HUD, which includes an adjustment for family size; must have at least $3,000 banked at the time of application; have a documented minimum income of at least $30,000 and be able to obtain a mortgage from a qualified lender.
• The maximum appraised value of a single-family residence to be purchased within the Suffolk County Consortium HOME Selection Area cannot exceed $356,000 for existing housing or new construction. Single-family homes, condominiums and cooperative apartments (co-ops) are eligible.
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