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Ward Melville Patriots open season against East Islip

by Bill Landon - September 1, 2021

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Ward Melville’s girls soccer team finished last season atop the League II leader with a 9-0-1 record in an abbreviated COVID-shortened season to advance to the Suffolk Class AA final. The Patriots, No. 1 seed, faced Sachem East, the No. 3 seed,w and played to a 1-1 tie to share the Class AA title as co-champions.

Ward Melville opened their 2021 campaign at home where they hosted East Islip to kick off a full season the first time since 2019. After 80 minutes of regulation and two overtime periods, the results were the same, ending in a scoreless 0-0 tie in a non-league game Aug. 30.

The Patriots are back in action Sept. 1 in another non-league matchup on the road against St. Anthony’s with a 7 p.m start before league play begins Sept. 4 on the road against Walt Whitman. Game time is 10 a.m.

Boat build and race sails back to Port Jeff

by Julianne Mosher - September 1, 2021

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The Sikaflex “Quick and Dirty” Boat Building Competition and Race finally came back to Port Jefferson after a long-awaited year.

Hosted by the Long Island Seaport and Eco Center, the 10th annual competition took off this past weekend on Aug. 28 and 29. Originally scheduled for the previous weekend, it was postponed due to rain and winds caused by Tropical Storm Henri. The 2020 event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sponsored by the Sika Corporation, a supplier of marine adhesives and sealants, the event provides would-be boat designers and builders a chance to showcase their creative skills and talents.

Throughout the weekend, visitors could watch two-member teams, working under a time limit of five hours, build their boats in the parking lot of Harborfront Park next to Bayles Boat Shop.

Not only did the contestants have to finish constructing their makeshift boat within a few hours, but they were also expected to assemble it using a meager supply of plywood, plastic cable ties and Sikaflex sealant — no nails or screws allowed — and make sure the boat wouldn’t sink in Port Jefferson Harbor.

Len Carolan, the event’s coordinator, said during the boat race at 2 p.m. that it had been “a wonderful weekend.”

“Everybody seems to be enjoying themselves,” he said. “The weather’s been great for us, and we’ve had a lot of newcomers. Everyone’s having fun.”

Two of those newcomers were Allyson and Richard Nuss, who just moved to Port Jefferson village from Setauket this summer. The duo decorated their blue cardboard boat with paw prints to give a shout-out to their small business, The Social Hound Dog Park and Hotel located on Belle Mead Road.

Richard said that while walking past the Bayles Boat Shop every other night over the last few weeks, they have gotten to know the workers there. The shop encouraged the couple to build their own boat for the race and they immediately said ‘yes.’

“We’re trying to be part of everything,” Allyson said. “We thought it would be like a cool thing to do.”

Not the competitive types, they had just two goals.

“All we wanted was 1, not to sink; and 2, not to come in last,” Allyson said.

And while seven boats raced around the pier, dozens upon dozens of spectators cheered the teams on from the beach.

“It’s getting bigger every year,” Carolan said. “And having it around the dock, it’s a perfect spot.”

Originally, he added, three more teams were set to build, but could not make the new date after the storm last weekend.

“Seven teams are usually the average,” he said. “And I think we’ll have at least a dozen next year.”

The event ended with an awards ceremony, where guest judge Mayor Margot Garant helped announce first, second and third place winners, as well as best design.

“The Sikaflex boat build and race is a great day to raise awareness about the LISEC organization, which is one of our founding partners down here at the maritime campus at Jeanne Garant Harborfront Park,” the mayor said. “They do wondrous things in that boat shed building, and it’s a great way to see the community connect with them, and the contributions they make.”

Garant said the turnout of viewers was “phenomenal.”

“I think this was the biggest turnout I’ve seen,” she said.

Following the award ceremony, LISEC raffled off a special item made at the Bayles Boat Shop — a 14-foot stand-up paddle board.

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Take part in a scarecrow contest in Stony Brook Village!

by Press Release - August 31, 2021

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scarecrow-contest-2017-f — Photo by Heidi Sutton/2017

This October, scarecrows will once again line the walkways throughout Stony Brook Village in the Ward Melville Heritage Organization’s 31st annual Scarecrow Competition! Register as an individual, group or professional and create a scarecrow masterpiece. First place winners will receive a cash prize.

Registration forms can be found at any of the shops in Stony Brook Village, or you can download it digitally from the events section of the Stony Brook Village Center website. To enter this competition, please return the completed registration form to the Ward Melville Heritage Organization – P.O. Box 572, Stony Brook, NY 11790, with the entry fee of $25 by Sept. 24.

Vote for your favorite scarecrows between Oct. 1 and 25. Ballots can be found in all shops and eateries in Stony Brook Village and must be returned to shops no later than Oct. 25 to be counted. Winners will be notified on Oct. 26 by 5 p.m. and will be announced during the WMHO’s Halloween Festival on Oct. 29.

For more information, please call 631-751-2244.

UPDATED: University celebrates Stony Brook Union grand opening

by Kimberly Brown - August 31, 2021

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SBU President Maurie McInnis, SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras, Graduate Student Organization speaker Helena Van Nieuwenhuizen, Undergraduate Student Government President Manjot Singh, Kevin Law from the Stony Brook Council, and Dean of Students Ric McClendon join SBU mascot Wolfie to cut the ribbon. Photo by Kimberly Brown

Updated. The student union is currently closed due to damage after Hurricane Ida.

Stony Brook University officially opened the newest addition to its campus, the remodeled Stony Brook Union center, Wednesday, Aug. 25. With performances from the Seawolves Marching Band for the ribbon-cutting celebration, as well as free drinks and food, students were eager to explore the 177,000-square-foot building.

“We want students to consider this as a resource, to relax, to study, to learn, to perform, to meet new people and pursue new interests,” said Maurie McInnis, president of SBU. “There is so much to be discovered in this impressive space.”

The renovations for the Stony Brook Union center took three years to complete at $63.4 million. The finished building has three levels that include student services, an IT help desk, comfortable studying sections with couches and powered stations, as well as collaborative spaces.

SBU President Maurie McInnis. Photo by Kimberly Brown

“As we are fully reopening our campuses, we are feeling a renewed energy and optimism from everyone around,” said Jim Malatras, State University of New York chancellor. “Our students deserve this and it matches the outstanding education they receive from this university, one of the best in the world.”

The Stony Brook Union will be a central location for faculty and staff offices that will provide easy access for students to use at their convenience. Some of the new offices include Student Community Development, Student Engagement and Activities, Fraternity and Sorority Life, and Commuter Student Services.

“I’m excited to see the new opening of the student union because I think it’s a great place to go to get some studying in, but also for socializing at club events,” said Jessie Lin, a SBU student.

The lower level of the building includes expanded space for the Stony Brook Food Pantry and resources such as the Interfaith Center, Club Hub, Esports Club and the Science Fiction Forum.

With more than 26,000 students attending the university this year, the Stony Brook Union center will provide a large, welcoming space for undergraduates to enhance their studying practices.

“Seeing the student union being built from my freshman year to now being fully completed as a senior gives me nostalgia,” said Tania Thomas, a SBU student.

FDA-approved PSMA PET imaging agent for prostate cancer now at SBUH

by Press Release - August 28, 2021

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PSMA Riverhead Imaging. (729/21) — PSMA Riverhead Imaging. Photo from Stony Brook Medicine

According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetimes. Until now, conventional imaging, especially at low PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) levels, has not been able to identify the location and extent of the disease in the majority of cases of men with a suspected cancer recurrence. Now, Stony Brook University Cancer Center, in conjunction with Stony Brook Advanced Imaging, is the first on Long Island to offer men with prostate cancer targeted Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging with PYLARIFY® (piflufolastat F 18) Injection, a Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA) imaging agent.

PSMA Riverhead Imaging. Photo from Stony Brook Medicine

Backed by the experts and state-of-the-art technology at Stony Brook Advanced Imaging Center, this type of imaging enables visualization of lymph nodes, bone and soft tissue metastasis to determine the presence or absence of recurrent and/or metastatic prostate cancer.

Dr. Dinko Franceschi, Chief of Nuclear Medicine and Director of Clinical PET in the Department of Radiology at the Renaissance School of Medicine, states, “For years, there has not been good imaging modalities for prostate cancer – now we have this tool to see exactly where the tumor is in a patient, which will help in determining the best approach going forward.”

Developed by Lantheus, PYLARIFY® was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (May 2021) as the first commercially available PSMA PET imaging agent for prostate cancer. Those with suspected metastasis who are candidates for initial definitive therapy or those with suspected recurrence based on elevated serum PSA level are eligible for the scan.

PSMA scans are available at two Stony Brook Medicine imaging centers (Riverhead and Stony Brook) with more locations to follow.

For more information or to make an appointment, visit imaging.stonybrookmedicine.edu. To learn more about Stony Brook Cancer Center and prostate cancer treatment, visit cancer.stonybrookmedicine.edu.

About Stony Brook Medicine:

Stony Brook Medicine integrates and elevates all of Stony Brook University’s health-related initiatives: education, research and patient care. It includes five Health Sciences schools — Dental Medicine, Health Technology and Management, Medicine, Nursing and Social Welfare — as well as Stony Brook University Hospital, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital, Stony Brook Children’s Hospital and more than 200 community-based healthcare settings throughout Suffolk County. To learn more, visit www.stonybrookmedicine.edu.

About PYLARIFY®

PYLARIFY® (piflufolastat F 18) injection s a fluorinated small molecule PSMA-targeted PET imaging agent that enables visualization of lymph nodes, bone and soft tissue metastases to determine the presence or absence of recurrent and/or metastatic prostate cancer. For men with prostate cancer, PYLARIFY PET combines the accuracy of PET imaging, the precision of PSMA targeting and the clarity of an F 18 radioisotope5 for superior diagnostic performance. The recommended PYLARIFY dose is 333 MBq (9 mCi) with an acceptable range of 296 MBq to 370 MBq (8 mCi to 10 mCi), administered as a bolus intravenous injection.

Dozens show up at SBU Hospital to protest new vaccine mandate

Village Times Herald

by Kimberly Brown - August 27, 2021

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Over 100 Long Islanders gathered at Stony Brook University Hospital and alongside Nicolls Road Wednesday, Aug. 25, to protest against the updated COVID-19 vaccine mandate recently put in place for hospital and long-term care workers.

The first dose will be required by Sept. 27 with limited exceptions for those with religious or medical exemptions. According to data from New York State, new daily positives are up more than 1000% over the last six weeks.

About 80% of the positive cases are linked to the new Delta variant. However, protesters felt this new mandate is unfair, and that medical workers should be allowed to have a choice as to whether or not they want to be vaccinated.

“It’s not in the Constitution that the government can mandate anything medical,” said Barbara Luvin, a Freeport resident. “This mandate does equal communism, because you shouldn’t be forced to do anything. It’s a matter of freedom for your own body.”

Many medical care workers are being terminated from their jobs due to not being compliant with the vaccine mandate.

Commack medical care worker Diane Eder expressed her frustrations, saying she will be terminated from her work on Sept. 24 due to her opposition to receiving the vaccine.

“Let me make it clear that I am not against vaccines,” Eder said. “I’ve been in the medical field for 40 years, but I’m going to be terminated because I won’t get vaccinated. We don’t know what the future holds for people who get the vaccine, and I know that I do not want it. All I’m asking for is to wait another year or two.”

Signs including “Last Year’s Heroes, This Year’s Unemployed” and “Nurses For Medical Freedom — We Have The Right to Choose” were held high as protesters with megaphones shouted to the crowd from the second floor of the parking garage.

It wasn’t only medical care workers who came to the protest, but also friends, families and other local residents who disagreed strongly with the new mandate.

“It should be people’s personal decision, and it shouldn’t be mandated by the government — that’s the bottom line,” said Kimberly Riegel, a Miller Place resident. “If people want to get it, that’s fine, but if I don’t want to get it. I shouldn’t have to, and I don’t think that’s an argument that we should have to dispute.”

A statement from Stony Brook Medicine said, “Stony Brook Medicine follows all state and DOH guidelines regarding immunization against COVID-19. COVID-19 vaccines have proven highly effective at preventing serious illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19. They are important tools to keep patients, patient-facing health care workers, and the wider community safe as we observe a rise in COVID cases in New York State, driven by the Delta variant.”

Article was updated Aug. 31 with a statement from Stony Brook Medicine.

Brookhaven paves Hawkins Road

by Press Release - August 27, 2021

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Brookhaven Town Highway Superintendent Daniel P. Losquadro (R) and Councilman Kevin LaValle (R-Selden) have announced the completion of two paving projects in Centereach and Selden.

In the first project, heavily-traveled Hawkins Road was resurfaced from Magnolia Drive in Selden to Wireless Road in Centereach.

Prior to paving, crews inspected drains and made concrete improvements, including replacing damaged concrete sidewalks, curbing and aprons.

Crews removed and replaced 5,260 linear feet of concrete curb, 7,552 square feet of concrete sidewalk, 3,675 square feet of ADA-compliant handicap ramps, and 7,514 square feet of concrete aprons, at a cost of $506,900.

The total cost for this project was approximately $1.1 million.

“Hawkins Road is so heavily-traversed and, as such, was in great need of resurfacing,” said Losquadro. “It had been on our radar for some time and I am very grateful we were able to include its resurfacing in our 2021 paving season.”

Additionally, in another paving project, crews resurfaced three nearby residential roadways: Capri Road, Impala Drive and Lark Drive in Centereach. The total cost for this project was $113,557.

“The town’s investment in infrastructure improvements makes our roads safer for motorists, bicycle riders and pedestrians,” LaValle said. “I thank Superintendent Losquadro and the men and women of the Highway Department for the important work they do all year round for the residents in Council District 3 and throughout the town.”

Natural Hounds store embarks on a new journey in Port Jeff Village

by Kimberly Brown - August 27, 2021

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A new all-natural dog food store called Natural Hounds is making its mark in the Port Jefferson Village scene.

St. James resident Conor Wooley, 23, is not only the owner of Natural Hounds, but also doubles as the chef, creating new concoctions for nutritious dog food that includes meats, vegetables and grains.

He co-owns the store with his longtime friend, Rick Orlandi, who is also a St. James resident, and started their business venture back in 2018, operating out of the house of Wooley’s mother.

Trying to make as many appearances as possible at farmers markets and fundraisers, Wooley and Orlandi were determined to establish credibility for their business and build a clientele.

“The first year everyone was just kind of looking at us thinking, ‘Am I really going to buy dog food from 18-year-olds?’ So that was kind of a challenge, but then they kept seeing us come back year after year,” Wooley said.

The concept Wooley and Orlandi like to explain to their customers is their belief that there is no “dog food” and “people food” but more so only good food versus bad food. Their ingredients are outsourced from restaurant suppliers on Long Island and designed to be biologically appropriate for a dog to eat.

There are four wet food recipes for sale right now, namely turkey, beef, pork and lamb. The newest addition of crunchy biscuits and chicken jerky treats have been added to their menu, but Orlandi said there are more options available in store. Customers can opt for delivery for convenience as well.

“Comparing our brand to dry food brands is like comparing McDonald’s to a steakhouse. I never understood why other brands make their food so expensive. I always try to give value to the customer and will not have someone pay a ridiculous amount of money for dog food,” Orlandi said.

Mentioning how some customers have expressed their gratitude for Natural Hounds making their pups healthy again, Wooley recalled a customer who was preparing to put her dog down due to poor health until she was introduced to the company.

“We had a lady come in the other day and told us she was going to put her dog down, who was an old Yorkshire terrier,” Wooley said. “She gave him our original recipe and two weeks later he was much healthier and more mobile. So it’s nice to hear things like that and makes getting up at 6 a.m. to cook 500 pounds of dog food worth it.”

Wooley stressed that despite the saying “You are what you eat” is corny, it is also extremely true. When feeding animals an unhealthy diet, can change their personalities and their energy levels.

“It’s the truth if over the course of 10 years you’re feeding your dog something bad and their body isn’t functioning optimally, then they’re going to be in a much different spot than if you were to feed them natural meals.”

The business is looking to expand to other locations and thinking about adding a cat food section.

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Cayla’s Column: Town of Brookhaven launches Pollution Prevention Passport program

by Cayla Rosenhagen - August 27, 2021

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2021_08_18_West Meadow Beach-58-Edit_Pollution Prevention Passport_1 — Pictured with the West Meadow beach clean-up volunteers are, from left, co-founder of the Pollution Prevention Passport program, Cayla Rosenhagen; Town of Brookhaven Department of General Services Executive Assistant, Frank Petrignani; Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich; program co-founder, Iris Rosenhagen; Brookhaven Town Youth Board Chair Charlotte Pressley (third from right); Supervisor Ed Romaine (second from right) and Town of Brookhaven Environmental Educator, Nicole Pocchaire (right). Photo by Raina Angelier

By Cayla Rosenhagen

In the words of Dr. Jane Goodall, “Only if we understand, can we care. Only if we care, will we help. Only if we help, we shall be saved.”

Environmental awareness is critical in creating widespread care for the nature that surrounds us. And when we care, we are driven to protect.

A press conference was held on August 18 at West Meadow Beach in Stony Brook to announce the launch of Brookhaven Town’s new environmental conservation program for all ages. The event, preceded by a beach clean-up with over fifty volunteers, celebrated a novel way for locals to get involved in protecting and appreciating the natural beauty our town has to offer.

Members of Brookhaven’s Youth Board, including myself, joined Town Supervisor Ed Romaine, Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich, and town environmental educator Nicole Pocchiare at the beach to kick off the Pollution Prevention Passport initiative.

The Passport program encourages community members to visit Brookhaven’s many parks and beaches and record their travels in their very own document of travel. Additionally, it fosters environmental stewardship by supporting and suggesting eco-friendly decisions and collecting litter.

Inside the passport, participants will find pages to tally the kinds of litter they have found, to document and illustrate their experiences, and record the conservation efforts they have made during their outings. A map featuring an inspiring list of Brookhaven’s abundant parks and beaches can be found in the back of the passport.

After filling in the passport, it can be submitted to the Town for a “Stamp of Stewardship,” as recognition for the participant’s contribution to protecting Brookhaven’s green spaces.

To download and print a passport of your own, or to find out more about the program, please visit brookhavenny.gov/passport.

Cayla Rosenhagen is a local high school student who enjoys capturing the unique charm of the community through photography and journalism. She serves on the board of directors for the Four Harbors Audubon Society and Brookhaven’s Youth Board, and is the founder and coordinator of Beach Bucket Brigade, a community outreach program dedicated to environmental awareness, engagement, and education. She is also an avid birder, hiker, and artist who is concurrently enrolled in college, pursuing a degree in teaching.

Grand reopening celebration held for Mario’s Restaurant

by Heidi Sutton - August 27, 2021

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The Three Village Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting and grand reopening celebration for Mario’s Restaurant in East Setauket on Aug. 18. The community welcomed back brothers Jack and Gary Tiply, along with partner Billie Phillips, for a classic reboot of one of the oldest and most notable Italian restaurants on the North Shore.

The special event was attended by Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn, Brookhaven Town Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich, members of the chamber, family and friends.

The Tipleys owned Mario’s for 28 years before selling the restaurant in 2007. They reclaimed ownership in 2019 after a fire damaged the restaurant’s kitchen. Renovations have been completed and the restaurant has put pizza back on the menu.

“Mario’s Restaurant is a community treasure as are the owners. Everyone in the community can tell a story about being there for a reunion of friends or classmates, a special life event or family gathering. So many people in the area also met their spouse here. Congratulations to Gary, Jack and Billie on the new Mario’s,” said Leg. Hahn.

Pictured in first photo from left, Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich, Three Village Chamber President Jane Taylor; chamber members Carmine Inserra, Colette Frey-Bitzas, Rob Taylor; Legislator Kara Hahn; owners Gary and Jack Tipley; and chamber members Charles Lefkowitz, and Michael Ardolino.

Located at 212 Main St., East Setauket, the restaurant is open from 11:30 a.m. to midnight Tuesday to Sunday for indoor dining and takeout. For more information, call 631-751-8840 or visit www.mariossetauket.com.

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