Sneaky leprechauns visited Mt. Pleasant Elementary School kindergartners in Smithtown on St. Patrick’s Day. Students found a trail of gold dust, a bit of a mess and shiny gold coins along with a special message. Unfortunately, students found their leprechaun traps empty as they were unable to catch one. Better luck next year.
By Michael Scro
The Mount Sinai Mustangs met the Wantagh Warriors in the Long Island girls A basketball final game at Farmingdale State College on March 15.
The Mustangs entered the final after beating Islip on March 9. Wantagh presented fierce competition to Mount Sinai with their then 21-2 record.
Building on their 12-9 lead, Wantagh defeated the Mustangs 54-30, securing the championship title. Mount Sinai had their best performance in the third quarter, gaining 11 points, but it wasn’t enough of a comeback to reach the Warriors, who finished the quarter 12 points ahead. The Mount Sinai girls varsity basketball team ends their season with a 19-4 record.
— Photos by Michael Scro/Media Origin
By Bill Landon
Mount Sinai, the No . 2 seed, earned a bye in their Suffolk County playoff run picking off Kings Park on March 3, to advance to the county final on March 9 where they squared off against Islip, the No. 4 seed, and would trail the Buccaneers the entire way until the 3-minute mark of the fourth quarter.
Deadlocked at 37-37 with 3:52 left in regulation, it was the Mustang defense that answered the call, holding Islip to just 5 points in the final 8 minutes of play, allowing the Mustangs slowly slip away to capture the Class A title 47-40, at Farmingdale State College.
Mount Sinai’s Mia Betancourt, a junior, led the way for the Mustangs with 10 field goals and 6 free throws for a team high 26 points. Senior forward Kyla Orlando finished with 8 points and Alex Cergol, the sophomore, netted 6.
The win lifts the Mustangs to the Long Island Championship round where they will face Wantagh the No. 2 seed (22-2) on March 15 again at Farmingdale State College. Game time is scheduled for 8:00 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased here: https://gofan.co/app/school/NYSPHSAAXI.
— Photos by Bill Landon
Sometimes it takes a village.
Suffolk County Legislator Steven Englebright (D-Setauket) and Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) joined members of the Four Harbors Audubon Society (4HAS) and Three Village Dads Foundation for an osprey pole raising at the West Meadow Creek inlet in Stony Brook on March 9.
According to a joint press release from Englebright’s and Kornreich’s office, an osprey pole was recently removed from Suffolk County’s Old Field Farm. Despite successful nests in earlier years, 4HAS members observed in recent years that sporadic activity in the area surrounding the pole was scaring away adult ospreys for long periods, leaving the birds’ eggs or newborn chicks susceptible to predators.
Elaine Maas, 4HAS co-chair of co-Chair Education and Outreach, and John Turner, 4HAS co-chair of Conservation Committee, who both sit on the society’s board, brought the issue to the attention of Englebright. The county legislator reached out to the Suffolk County Parks Department to discuss relocating the pole to a nearby location. Maas and Turner also contacted Kornreich’s office to request using town property abutting the county park for a new pole in an area that is less accessible than the old nest.
On Saturday, March 1, concrete, water and a mixer were delivered to the Brookhaven property. JM Troffa Hardscape, Mason and Building Supply provided the concrete, while K. Dymond Industries lent the use of their equipment. Members of the Three Village Dads Foundation and 4HAS, along with Englebright and Kornreich, were on hand to dig a hole and set a pole sleeve in concrete for the new osprey pole.
Before the preparation for the new pole, the Suffolk County Parks Department removed the old one at Old Field Farm to prevent ospreys from nesting at this nonviable spot.
Volunteers delivered the new 20-foot pole donated by Haig and Jack Seferian of Flagpoles, Inc., and the nest structure built by Elite Home Improvement to the site on Sunday, March 9. Three Village Dads Foundation and 4HAS members and Flagpole, Inc. also donated or paid for additional materials to cement and build the nest structure. The volunteers were again on hand, preparing the nest box for the birds and raising the pole.
Maas and Turner were among the volunteers on March 1 and 9. Maas said the pole was raised just in time as the ospreys, who migrate south to Florida or South American in the winter, usually return to Long Island around St. Patrick’s Day. She added she was “grateful for the widespread community support.”
Kornreich thanked the members of Three Village Dads Foundation and its chairman, David Tracy, as well as 4HAS.
“We were up against a time crunch because the ospreys start nesting in a few weeks, and the Dads really delivered,” Kornreich said. “Thank you to Elaine Maas and John Turner from Four Harbors for bringing this situation to our attention, and we are glad we were able to help connect the dots and find a solution.”
Englebright echoed the sentiments.
“It was good to see the community come together in the interest of protecting these remarkable birds,” the legislator said.
By Daniel Palumbo
Under a beautiful blue sky, the Town of Huntington celebrated its 91st annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade Sunday, March 9, as sponsored by The Ancient Order of Hibernians. The Huntington parade is the largest and oldest one on Long Island.
This year’s parade was led by Grand Marshal and New York State Assemblyman Keith P. Brown [R-Northport], who kicked off the festivities on New York Avenue. As the parade made its way down a vibrant display of green, white and gold along Main Street, hundreds of community members packed in closely to show their support for the dozens of local businesses, musicians and students marching. The streets were filled with the sounds of bagpipes, dancing, loud cheers and a vibrant display of Irish pride throughout the duration of the afternoon.
Although the route concluded at The Church of St. Patrick, the festivities kept on for hours afterward, as people continued to celebrate their Irish heritage in good spirits.
–Photos By Daniel Palumbo
By Steven Zaitz
As brush fires swept across Suffolk’s South Shore this past weekend, passions flared along Route 347 in Port Jefferson Station, where nearly 500 women, men, and children gathered for ‘The War on Our Rights’ rally, part of the global observance of International Women’s Day.
At noon on March 8, a fervent crowd—spanning generations, as well as genders —assembled at the intersection of Routes 347 and 112. Undeterred by the blustery conditions, demonstrators packed the sidewalk three, four, and even five people deep, stretching down to Canal Road. These local voices joined a far-flung chorus of approximately 300 protests across the U.S, alongside rallies as far away as Spain, Turkey, France, and Nigeria.
While scattered individuals had their own divergent agendas, the overwhelming sentiment of the crowd coalesced around a singular theme — deep-seated disdain for the Trump administration and concerns over its impact on women’s issues.
Shannon Russo, a 28-year-old social worker from Port Jefferson Station, organized the rally with a careful balance in mind: projecting an uplifting and empowering message for women while also underscoring the potential harm another Trump term could inflict on women’s rights and autonomy.
“Everyone at the rally stuck to the facts of what’s going on politically,” Russo said. “It’s difficult to not involve Trump because he’s directly putting people’s lives in danger with recent policies so I think these two concepts are currently very much intertwined. The key difference of our rally was we were peaceful, inclusive and supportive. The ”red side” of Long Island typically is not.”
In the 2024 election, Trump won Suffolk County with 54% of the vote over then-Vice President Kamala Harris. Seven weeks after his inauguration, his policies are sparking concern, and the crowd was not hesitant to speak out against them.
Some of the more pointed signs carried by marchers read “Respect my Existence or Expect my Resistance” and “Angry Women will Change the World.” Others struck a softer tone like “Hate Won’t Make Us Great,” “Strong Women, Strong World.” and one that simply read “Unity.” Multiple posters read, “My Body, My Choice,” a slogan woven into the fabric of the feminist movement since the 1960s.
Evoking the spirit of that very era, a megaphone wired to a small amplifier carried Russo’s voice — and those of other speakers — who urged the crowd to never stop fighting for their rights. Between speeches, songs like Helen Reddy’s “I Am Woman” anthem and Carole King’s “A Natural Woman” crackled through the amp seemingly on a two-song loop, as some in the flower-power-styled crowd swayed and danced nearby.
Sarah Friedman, of Setauket and a 2019 graduate of Ward Melville High School and her sister Maggie, currently a senior there are proud to be a part of the younger generation of louder, female voices.
“We are all proud to be out here for social justice and it’s important to stand up for our marginalized communities and the people who don’t have voices,” said Friedman, 24. “I’m glad that so many of us have enough time during the day to come out here on a Saturday, and shove signs in peoples’ aces who definitely don’t want to see them or us. We have seen our share of middle fingers and stuff like that from cars that pass by, but that’s okay.”
Her sister Maggie, 18, was undeterred.
“Women have voices and nothing is ever going to change that. We’re here, and we’re not going anywhere!”
Although about 80-85% female, the men in the crowd were also eager to champion their causes.
The father-son team of Clark and Luke Blanton of Mount Sinai are deeply concerned about potential Medicaid budget cuts, which could directly impact Luke, who has special needs. He takes art, music and kickboxing classes at Blue Umbrella Experiences in Smithtown and volunteers at the Branches Food Pantry in Middle Island.
“I play keyboards and sing lead vocals,” said Luke. “I love volunteering at the food pantry as well and I’m proud to be out here marching for women’s day.”
Clark Blanton, Luke’s dad, has watched the budgetary fight in Congress very closely.
“Funding for what keeps Luke active in the community all comes through Medicaid,” said the elder Blanton. “Our congressman, LaLota [Nick LaLota (R-NY 1], voted to pass a budget to potentially cut $880 billion out of Medicaid. Is this going to come from a program that has to do with my son? Chances are the answer is yes. That’s why we are out here.”
As it was her first time in the top job as organizer of the project, Russo was pleased at not only the number of marchers she was able to muster, but the spirit that they brought with them.
“This is my first time doing this, but I feel like the energy of everybody is making me feel good,” Russo said. “I couldn’t have done it without the moral support of Skyler Johnson, who is the Chair of Suffolk Young Democrats, my family, colleagues and friends. I’ve never hosted or organized a rally before, but I assisted colleagues with a few over the years. I’ve attended rallies in support of Women’s Rights and the Black Lives Matter movement. It was so important for me to do something to connect and support women on International Women’s Day. It feels so empowering to stand with so many passionate women — and men — in solidarity.”
By Bill Landon
The road to the Suffolk Class AA girls basketball championship went through Walt Whitman High School, pitting the Bulls of Smithtown West (No. 2) against the Centereach Cougars (No. 6) in the semifinal round on March 4.
Centereach broke out early with a dominant performance out-scoring the Bulls by 14 points in the first eight minutes of play. Smithtown West would regain their footing in the second quarter with a scoring frenzy of their own, to make it a new game at the halftime break tied at 25-25.
Still only a two-point game to open the fourth quarter, Smithtown West stretched their legs led by Kate Braun, a senior, and Catherine Piccininni, the junior notching 20 points apiece, to slam the door on the Cougars and winning the game 50-40.
Delaney Walters, an eighth grader, topped the scoring charts for the Cougars with 14 points; sophomore Leah Norman added 11 and Hayley Torres, a junior, netted nine.
Centereach concludes their 2024-2025 campaign with an impressive 17-4 season.
In victory Smithtown West advances to the Class AA championship final where they’ll face Westhampton Sunday, March 9 at Farmingdale State College. Game time is slated for 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at: https://gofan.co/app/school/NYSPHSAAXI
— Photos by Bill Landon
By Bill Landon
Mattituck and the Port Jefferson Royals met twice in the boys basketball regular season and the Tuckers came out on top on both occasions. The Royals looked to avenge those losses when both teams collided again in Suffolk Class B County final March 2 at St. Joseph’s University.
Mattituck edged ahead with a four-point advantage coming out of the halftime break and the Royals clawed their way back to their first lead of the game in the closing seconds of the third quarter. The lead would be short lived as Mattituck’s defense surged and were able to hold off the Royals in the final eight minutes of play to secure a 58-50 victory. The win sends the Tuckers to the Long Island Championship round at Farmingdale State College March 16.
Seniors Ryan Sommerstad topped the scoring chart for the Royals with 14 points and Patrick Johnston added 13. Sophomore guard Daniels Rose netted 10.
– Photos by Bill Landon
By William Stieglitz
On Saturday, March 1, Long Islanders lined the sidewalk outside the Tesla Showroom in Smithtown to express their grievances with Elon Musk, the Tesla CEO who simultaneously oversees the Department of Government Efficiency established by President Donald Trump (R) this year. Protesters stretching a quarter mile down Smithtown Bypass held signs expressing concerns over corruption and the endangerment of democracy.
The rally was part of the nationwide Tesla Takedown movement, which has spawned a multitude of protests since mid-February. More than 50 happened Saturday, March 1, alone, with the protests encouraging people to “sell your Teslas, dump your stock, [and] join the picket lines” in order to strike back financially against Musk. With Tesla stocks having fallen 28% last month, organizers believe it to be working. Many of these protests were also part of the nationwide Indivisible organization.
The Smithtown rally was organized by the newly created United Voices for Freedom, which describes itself as “a grassroots group that serves to amplify progressive voices in the northern central region of Long Island.” Tiffany, who founded the group and wanted her last name kept private, said, “We’re all worried about the overreach of Musk and his ransacking of our federal agencies. No one elected Musk.” The concern of Musk being “unelected” was repeated by nearly every attendee interviewed, each having a wide range of grievances regarding the billionaire.
“He has a tremendous conflict of interest,” said Deborah Roberts, an attendee who previously organized a rally for congressional town halls. “He just ended the Verizon contract and put Starlink in, he controls communications and platforms online… he’s interfering in our economy and ruining our guardrails for safety in this country, but he’s not chipping away at his welfare program for Starlink and for SpaceX. And not only that, he’s dismantling bureaucracies that have oversight for both of those programs. He doesn’t want anyone looking.”
Roberts spoke too on concerns of Musk operating within the executive branch while neither having been vetted by Congress nor having divested himself of personal financial interest. His accessing of Americans’ private information was something many there found especially dangerous. “If you wanted a template for corruption,” said attendee Paula Fries, “this is it.”
Others elaborated on issues of what DOGE is cutting, expressing fear for Medicaid and Social Security, as well as concern that DOGE, having not gained congressional approval, has no legal standing to make those cuts. Attendee Ian Wilder described DOGE as “doing things that are frightening and destructive, like taking people out of the FAA, taking people who are in charge of nuclear weapons out.” There is some concern that because federal workers in the Social Security Admisitration have been fired, Social Security checks and Medicaid payments will not be made on time to help recipients.
Laura Lesch, another attendee, said this was not the way to run a government. “It might be the way to run a tech company,” she said, “but the way he’s going about this, just slash, slash, slash, without any regard for any of the fallout, is just not acceptable to me.”
More expressed concerns over Musk and Trump’s actions being those of oligarchs, and spoke to fear of authoritarianism. Future elections, multiple people expressed, would not be a certainty with this administration, unless they were fought for. “This could be our last hope for democracy,” one person said. “Unless people mobilize in large, large numbers, we’re screwed.”
In this sense, the protest, for many, had nothing to do with partisan preference. Robert Schaller, who described himself as having formerly been a Republican his whole life, said, “The whole thing is just ridiculous. I can’t even believe if a liberal ever turned around or the Democratic Party went out there and did a Hitler salute like he did, and then they try to backtrack it. … I mean, to alienate our allies the way they’re doing, is embarrassing. If my father and grandfather and the people that fought in World War II saw this today, they would be turning over in their graves.”
This sentiment was echoed by Fries, who made a similar statement. “My father is a World War II vet,” she said. “He fought in World War II, he fought against fascism, and this is the least I can do, is to show up and protest.”
Among the American flags waved by the protesters were Ukrainian flags too, the striking yellow and blue a reminder of the incident at the White House the day before. “I was appalled by yesterday’s news conference with Zelenskyy,” said attendee Lesch. “Our entire international relationships are going to go right down the tubes. It just doesn’t make sense to abandon all of Europe, which is what we’re doing, in effect.” She elaborated how at the conference, news groups such as the Associated Press were not allowed into the Oval Office, but “the Russian press was… and when asked how they got in, the answer was they just snuck in.”
A final issue among attendees was a desire to express all these concerns at an in-person congressional town hall, which has not occurred in Suffolk County since 2017. Roberts was collecting signatures at the event to petition for one. “My congressperson is Nick LaLota of CD1,” she said, “and he never has a public town hall meeting where he answers these important questions.” The petition has gained popularity with an online version as well, which thus far has garnered over 1,000 signatures.
The rally, overall, lasted two hours with over 500 people in attendance, according to the organizer, and a follow-up is planned for later this month. At the Tesla Showroom, no one was available for comment.
Nationally, there are Tesla Takedown protests scheduled through at least the end of the month, with protests scheduled outside the United States in Iceland, Portugal and the United Kingdom as well. Responding to the nationwide presence of the protests, the United Voices for Freedom organizer Tiffany said, “I think it shows that everyone is really unhappy with this, I think that people are really concerned about the state of our democracy and that we’re quickly falling into fascism, and people feel the need to get out and stop it, or at least try to stop it.”
By Rita J. Egan
Spring-like weather provided a “great day for the Irish” in Kings Park on Saturday, March 1.
A few thousand people lined up along the hamlet’s main thoroughfares to cheer on participants in the 15th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Grand Marshal Susan Benjes led the procession and was joined by Scouts, fire department members, elected officials, Irish step dancers and more. Parade participants marched up Lou Avenue and Pulaski Road and continued on Main Street before turning north on Church Street and stopping at William T. Rogers Middle School.
Many spectators, who in the past would visit Main Street Pub for a drink during the parade, stopped by nearby tents to donate to the establishment this year. A few days before the parade, the fire left the bar and Euro Barber Shop with extensive fire, heat and smoke damage. Main Street Pub owner Scott McKinnon and his employees were on hand Saturday to thank those who donated by handing out refreshments.
