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Alejandro Vargas-Diaz
Alejandro Vargas-Diaz Hid in Florida for Three Years After He Shot Albert Luis Rodriguez-Lopez at a Port Jefferson Pool Hall in 2018

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on July 24 that Alejandro Vargas-Diaz, 41, of Port Jefferson, pleaded guilty to Murder in the Second Degree and other related charges for the 2018 fatal shooting of 27-year-old Albert Luis Rodriguez-Lopez, a father of three and resident of Selden.

“For five years, the relatives and loved ones of Mr. Rodriguez-Lopez have waited for justice for this senseless murder. Today, with his admission of guilt, justice has been served,” said District Attorney Tierney. “While the defendant may have prolonged his freedom by hiding out in another state, it was only a matter of time before the law caught up with him and now, he is being held to account for his actions.”

According to court documents and the defendant’s statements during his guilty plea allocution, on July 22, 2018, Vargas-Diaz and the victim got into an argument inside a pool hall in Port Jefferson. During the argument, the victim punched Vargas-Diaz in the face, knocking him to the ground. A short time later, Vargas-Diaz ambushed the victim inside the pool hall, and shot the victim in the back, neck, and shoulder. The victim died at the scene. Vargas-Diaz immediately fled and absconded from New York state.

One month after the murder, members of Suffolk County Police Department found the murder weapon, a 9 mm pistol, hidden in a tree at the Setauket Port Jefferson Greenway Trail.

On June 18, 2021, nearly three years after the fatal shooting, Vargas-Diaz was arrested by members of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office in Florida after a tip to crime stoppers. Vargas-Diaz was extradited back to Suffolk County on November 11, 2021, to be arraigned on the charges related to the murder.

On July 24,  Vargas-Diaz pleaded guilty before Acting Supreme Court Justice, the Honorable Steven A. Pilewski, to Murder in the Second Degree, a Class A violent felony, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a Class C violent felony.

Vargas-Diaz is due back in court on September 13, 2023 for sentencing, and is expected to be sentenced to 23 years to life in prison. He is being represented by Christopher Brocato, Esq.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Elena Tomaro of the Homicide Bureau and Carlos J. Benitez II of the Major Crime Bureau, with investigative assistance from the Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad and Sergeant Norberto Flores of the Internal Affairs Unit.

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File photo

By Aidan Johnson

[email protected]

While the mantra “Every vote matters” applies to all elections, it can be best highlighted in local races in which a handful of votes can decide the outcome. Consider county Legislator Sarah Anker’s (D-Mount Sinai) 2015 win that was decided by just 19 votes.

However, there are some elections and referendums, like last year’s Tri-Harbor Ambulance District Referendum, which could have been decided by one singular person — because no one voted.

The Tri-Harbor Ambulance District, which covers Mount Sinai, Port Jefferson and Belle Terre, held a referendum last year and is once again holding it on Aug. 1 at Port Jefferson EMS at 25 Crystal Brook Hollow Road, Mount Sinai, between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

This vote deals with the Length of Service Award Program, which rewards volunteers by providing them a pension based on the length of their service.

In a statement, Brookhaven Town Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) explained what the changes would entail. If volunteers have served for at least five years, he stated, they currently receive $20 per month for each year of service starting at age 65. However, the proposal would change that to $30 per month starting at age 60. 

“For example, under the current plan someone who served for 10 years would receive $200 per month starting at age 65. Under the new proposal they would get $300 per month starting at age 60,” Kornreich further explained.

Since no one voted last year, the referendum didn’t pass; hence it is being held once more.

While Kornreich was surprised that no one voted, he wasn’t necessarily shocked. 

“Most of the volunteers at PJ EMS are college students who do not participate in LOSAP. There are probably less than 10 people in the service there who do participate, and they are not the type to run out and self-promote a program which would benefit themselves, even if it is a modest increase,” Kornreich stated.

Confusion over who was supposed to publicize the vote, Town of Brookhaven or the Tri-Harbor EMS, could have also been the reason that many people did not even know that it was happening.

If you live in the Tri-Harbor Ambulance District, remember to vote on Aug. 1 at 25 Crystal Brook Hollow Road, Mount Sinai. 

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Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich. Photo from Brookhaven Town website

By Leah Chiappino

[email protected]

Recreational marijuana has been legalized in New York state since 2021, allowing for adults 21 and older to possess up to three ounces of cannabis.

Despite Brookhaven being one of just four Long Island towns to allow sales, with conditions, no locations have opened shop within the township. The first recreational cannabis shop on Long Island opened last month in Farmingdale in the Town of Oyster Bay, Nassau County. 

The Town of Brookhaven zoning restrictions include bans on recreational cannabis shops within 500 feet of homes and 1,000 feet of schools, as well as a “church or other place of religious worship, park, playground, or playing field, library, hospital or similar public or semi-public place of general congregation, or non-degree-granting instruction/programs, including self-defense, dance, swimming, gymnastics, and other sports.” Stores must also be at least a mile apart and aren’t permitted in downtowns. 

Town Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) said in a recent phone interview he can’t think of locations in his Council District 1 — extending from Stony Brook to Port Jefferson Station and Terryville — that would fit these requirements. However, he has received calls from those eager to open cannabis shops, but in order to do so, need an exemption to the zoning rules. 

“There are already people who are contacting us saying, ‘We found a property … it meets most of the requirements, but not all of them. Can we get an exception?’” he said. “And people are already looking for exceptions to a brand new rule and there’s a lot of pressure.”

Kornreich isn’t keen on granting exemptions, in large part because the rules are new, he said. He also worries that once one exemption is granted, the town will have to approve the next person who comes along wanting the exemption.

“I am extremely reluctant to immediately start walking back the rules that we’ve just finished establishing,” he said. “I think for now we should probably stick with no exceptions.”

A self-described progressive, Kornreich said he understands the benefits to legalization, from a “personal liberty” point of view, as well as the benefits of the town gaining tax revenue from sales, which is why the Town Council chose to opt-in in the first place. 

“If people want to smoke this stuff, it’s probably not as dangerous as alcohol, which is legal,” he said. “We also have to figure out how to balance that out against things like traffic safety, and how do we monitor for people driving under the influence because it does affect reaction times.”

The Drug Prevention Coalition, an advocacy group in Kornreich’s district that is focused on drug prevention for youth, is trying to advocate and educate against underage cannabis consumption, and is doing as much outreach as possible. 

Kornreich said he is concerned that allowing cannabis stores in downtowns and smoking in public will normalize cannabis smoking for children.

“I don’t think it’s going to be healthy for our kids to create this permissive environment where people are just doing it all over the place,” he said.

The look of having cannabis stores around them, much like vape shops, he said, is “not great.” Another concern Kornreich has is the public being inconsiderate, and smoking in parks and other community spaces.

“I think most [cigarette] smokers are pretty considerate and they will go off to the side and they stay out of the way,” he said. “But people who are smoking weed, they just seem to be OK with walking down the street and doing it.”

In order to shore up the regulations and compliance, Kornreich would like to see enforcement from New York State and Suffolk County on stores illegally selling cannabis.

“This was never meant to turn into a free-for-all,” he said. “We were just trying to legalize it.”

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Not a resignation

I would like to take this opportunity to make a correction to a statement which appeared in the July 13 edition of The Port Times Record [see story, “Port Jeff village board cans code changes for Maryhaven, tensions flare amid reorganization”].

 It was reported that at the Port Jefferson Board of Trustees reorganization meeting that I resigned from my position as village clerk. This is not fully accurate, as I was unceremoniously informed by newly elected Mayor Lauren Sheprow that I would not be reappointed to my position in her administration.

I love this community where I have raised my family, and was honored to have served and worked tirelessly for the last 13-plus years. I consistently performed my job duties with integrity, honesty and professionalism, attributes I will bring to my next job, which regrettably will not be in the Village of Port Jefferson.

Barbara Sakovich

Port Jefferson

Voters deserve legislators who do their homework

The notion that Suffolk County Republicans “don’t care” about the environment is, of course, absurd [letter, “Suffolk County Legislature neglecting wastewater infrastructure,” two directors from League of Women Voters of Huntington, July 13]. 

We live, work and raise our children on Long Island just as much as Democrats do. Creating a false sense of urgency, some have suggested that all opportunities to improve our water quality will be lost if we do not act today. Hardly. 

Suffolk County’s Subwatersheds Wastewater Plan’s goal of restoring and protecting the waters of Suffolk from the impacts of nutrient enrichment-related water quality degradation is a 50-year plan. I am very proud of our pro-environmental record to date, which speaks for itself.

The Republican majority and Democratic minority, in a bipartisan fashion, have approved more than 200 resolutions, resulting in the appropriation of more than $155 million for sewers and other infrastructure projects, clean water initiatives and open space preservation. 

To be clear, at the June 21 general meeting of the Suffolk County Legislature, we did not “vote down” two important pieces of legislation that came before us; both in accordance with the Suffolk County Subwatersheds Plan’s goal of reducing the nitrogen level in our groundwater and surface waters. 

We simply voted to recess the public hearing, as we need to work out some concerns we have with the proposed legislation, one being that it allows for 10% to cover administrative costs and 75% for Innovative/Alternative Wastewater Systems. 

Let’s do the math. Once 10% has been deducted for administrative costs, 67.5% remains for I/A systems, not 75%. And there is no set amount set aside for sewer infrastructure — zero dollars could be used for sewers.

It is our full intention to ultimately allow the voters to decide, via a referendum, whether this legislation should be adopted or not. However, it would be irresponsible to rush through this important work as it is our responsibility to put forward financially viable, sensible and fully transparent legislation. Should a referendum not take place in November, there will be another opportunity during primary elections in the spring, at no additional cost to the taxpayers.

I don’t need to “score political points.” What I need to do is serve the residents of Suffolk County with integrity, responsibility and transparency. And yes, once the voters have all the facts, it will be up to them to decide — of course.

Stephanie Bontempi (R-Centerport)

Suffolk County Legislator

18th Legislative District

Proposed sales tax a blank check for developers

I must respond to the letter to the editor in the July 13 edition regarding the proposed 1/8% sales tax increase that was recessed by the Legislature on June 21.  

The estimated $3-to-4 billion additional tax is in addition to the 1/4% sales tax already in place for sewer expansion and septic system replacement. The building industry is strongly in favor of additional sewer expansion, which will permit further development, increase density and traffic and ultimately result in more pollution. If anyone thinks that Nassau County, which is mostly sewered, has better water quality than Suffolk, then I have a bridge to sell you.

If developers desire to connect to sewers and if homeowners desire to install $25,000 so-called advanced septic systems in their front yard (really underground sewage treatment plants with blowers, pumps and continuous electrical and maintenance costs) then they should pay for it themselves and not on the public dime.  

The county is already losing population to lower taxed areas. If this wrong-headed proposal does appear on the November ballot, it should be voted down as a blank check to developers to build, build, build at an exorbitant cost to the public and the environment.

Peter Akras

Wading River

LIRR fare hikes needed to improve services 

How many Port Jefferson LIRR riders remember that in July 1947 the LIRR increased fares by 20%?

MTA NYC Transit Bus, Subways and Staten Island Railway, MTA Bus along with Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad have been required every few years to exist on much smaller rate increases. Fare hikes are needed if the MTA operating agencies are to provide the services we count on. The rate rises are inevitable due to increasing costs of labor, power, fuel, supplies, materials, routine safety, state of good repair, replacement of worn-out rolling stock, upgrades to stations, yards and shops.

In 1993, 30 years ago, MetroCards were introduced. These provided free transfers between the subway and bus. This eliminated the old two-fare zones, making public transportation an even better bargain. It has been eight years since the $2.75 base fare was adopted.

Purchasing a weekly or monthly MetroCard, OMNY card or LIRR commutation ticket reduces the cost per ride and provides virtually unlimited trips. Employers offer transit checks which help subsidize a portion of the costs.

The quality and frequency of service is dependent upon a secure revenue stream. MTA management, MTA unions, riders, taxpayers along with city, state and Federal Transit Administration — that provides both capital and operating assistance — all must do their fair share. 

This is necessary to ensure a safe and reliable service that millions of daily riders count on. We all have to contribute, be it at the farebox or through tax revenues generated by different levels of government redistributed back to the MTA. 

TANSTAAFL stands for “There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch” — or, in this case, a free ride. 

Larry Penner

Great Neck

WRITE TO US … AND KEEP IT LOCAL

We welcome your letters, especially those responding to our local coverage, replying to other letter writers’ comments and speaking mainly to local themes. Letters should be no longer than 400 words and may be edited for length, libel, style, good taste and uncivil language. They will also be published on our website. We do not publish anonymous letters. Please include an address and phone number for confirmation.

Email letters to: [email protected] or mail them to TBR News Media, P.O. Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733

 

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A scene from the 2nd annual Port Paws Dog Festival. Photo by Kevin Wood
Leaping dog Anna from Ridge. Photo by Karen Maier
A scene from the 2nd annual Port Paws Dog Festival.
Participants enjoying the dog fest at the misting tent. Photo by Kevin Wood
A scene from the 2nd annual Port Paws Dog Festival.
A scene from the 2nd annual Port Paws Dog Festival.
Kevin Wood and his dog Brody.
The dog festival has a soggy day on Sunday. Photo by Kevin Wood

By Julianne Mosher

[email protected]

With high humidity, torrential rainstorms and hot temperatures, the Village of Port Jefferson brought a new meaning to the dog days of summer last weekend.

The second annual Port Paws Dog Festival was initiated last year and is a friendly competition for dogs of all sizes, ages and breeds. Dogs from all over the East Coast — and even Canada — came downtown to participate in what was supposed to be a three-day event. 

On Saturday, July 15, Kevin Wood, economic development director for the village and chair of the event, said the event brought in more than 160 registered people and their furry friends while the start of the festival on July 14, a day for noncommitted competitors, brought more than 70 dogs to try it out. However, severe flooding resulting from Sunday’s rainstorm caused the last day of the festival to be canceled.

Wood said that the event, which has been in the planning since last year’s festival took place, won’t be rescheduled for 2023 as they are already preparing for next summer.

The Port Paws competition looks to see who can jump the highest, swim the farthest and retrieve a toy in the pool the fastest after jumping and diving off a dock, built on the field, and into the giant pool. All money raised goes to the Port Jefferson Harbor Education & Arts Conservancy.

“The conservancy brings something special to Port Jefferson village and I am proud to plan and manage it,” Wood said. “A big thank you to the village parks, DPW and code departments for making this event one of the highlights of the summer in Port Jefferson.”

Located at Joe Erland Field on Caroline Avenue, a 30,000-gallon pool was installed as well as tents, a misting station and games; animal lovers alike were able to find something to do. Some played cornhole while others visited the tables of several local businesses that helped sponsor the event. 

Throughout the show, Dock Dogs presented the Big Air Wave competition accompanied by the Extreme Vertical and Speed Retrieve competition for both competitors and spectators to enjoy. The Big Air competition featured dogs running down a 40-foot dock and diving into a pool of water for an object, in which they were electronically judged for the length of their jump. Rounding out the action was the Speed Retrieve — where the dogs were put on the clock to see how fast they could run down the dock, jump into the water, swim to the end of the pool and retrieve an object that was held by a modified extender arm.

The Extreme Vertical competition is a “high jump” for the dogs as they each lunge to snag a “bumper” suspended in the air. With each grab, the height increases in 2-inch increments until only one dog is crowned king. 

Wood had previously said he first saw the competition while visiting the East End of Long Island, and soon realized he needed to bring it Down Port. 

“Port Jefferson is a dog-loving town,” he said. 

The Wood family always had small, lap dogs — whom they loved — but when they adopted Brody, who adores the water, Wood thought it would be fun to see how he, and all the other local dogs, would do in a friendly competition. 

“No municipality has done this before,” Wood said. “I wanted to bring it to the next level and bring it to the village.”

This year’s winners were Tonka Bean, from Millerton south of Albany, who won a basket donated by Fetch Boutique and was crowned Top Iron Dog. Another pup, Gilly, won second place for Big Air and received a Fedora Lounge Salon gift certificate. 

Also in attendance were the Suffolk County Police Department Canine Unit which showed off some of their lifesaving methods.

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Suffolk County Water Authority Board Chair Charles Lefkowitz, at podium, urges residents to adjust their watering patterns. Photo by Raymond Janis

By Raymond Janis

[email protected]

Tucked away on 5th Avenue in Bay Shore, just south of Sunrise Highway, lies the heart of the Suffolk County Water Authority’s operations.

Data streams into this control center around the clock, funneling information from each of the water authority’s myriad wells and pumps from Melville to Montauk. Amid these summer months, that data indicates Suffolk residents are overloading the system through excessive water consumption.

SCWA officials held a press conference at this site Thursday, July 13, sending a singular message to Suffolk County residents: Conserve water.

“We’re pleading to the public at this point to conserve,” said Charles Lefkowitz, chair of the SCWA Board. “We need all the residents to participate in these conservation efforts.”

Lefkowitz attributes the problems with overpumping primarily to irresponsible irrigation practices. “It starts with the irrigation systems,” he said. “Lawns do not need to be watered every single day.”

Joe Pokorny, deputy CEO for operations at SCWA, indicated that county residents are pumping 500,000 gallons per minute during peak irrigation periods during this summer season. By contrast, peak levels are around 100,000 gallons per minute during non-irrigation months.

“This time of year, people are using about five times as much water during the peak as they would in the off period,” he said.

He added that if residents en masse do not begin to curtail their water consumption, they may begin to experience issues with water pressure. This phenomenon impacts those on the East End most markedly.

“When demand outstrips supply, our tank levels fall,” the deputy CEO noted. “When our tank levels fall, the pressures in our system go down. And if the pressure in your water system goes down, the people that are irrigating are not going to get much irrigation on their lawns at all.”

To counteract these challenges, SCWA is encouraging residents to adopt an odd-even watering pattern, that is, irrigating their lawns every other day. 

“This will theoretically divide up the water usage by half,” Pokorny indicated. “That will then allow more people to water during those periods … and they will have green lawns as a result.”

But the problems associated with overconsumption continue beyond the front lawn. With too much stress on the tanks and diminished water pressure, there could be public safety repercussions as well.

“If firefighters need to fight a fire and a water tank is low, that means there’s less water available for fighting fires,” he added.

Along with the odd-even irrigation schedule, Lefkowitz implored residents to avoid watering during the peak hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. The SCWA Board chair also announced that it has instituted up to $250 per year in “water credits” for residents who use rain sensors, irrigation timers, leak detection and compliant faucet heads.

To learn about SCWA’s water credits program, visit www.scwa.com.

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Pixabay photo

By Daniel Dunaief

Daniel Dunaief

We are miles, three graduations and almost exactly five years removed from leaving the first house my wife and I bought.

As a close friend prepares to move into the first house he and his wife will own, I started to reflect on the way that first house served as a backdrop for such a seminal period in our family life.

As the temperatures have soared recently, I recalled how our children, who were born in Manhattan, reveled in the chance to run through their own sprinklers. They raced in and out of the water, laughing as their bare feet gripped the soggy, cool ground.

We moved into the house when our daughter had just turned five. On one of her first walks around the neighborhood, she brought back an inchworm on her finger. Eager to share the magic of that tiny life with her mom, she carried it all the way back inside our house, where it disappeared into our steps moments after its arrival.

In the backyard, a perfect climbing tree called to our children. Both of them displayed considerable prowess in scaling that tree towards the top, reaching over 15 feet above us. Their grandparents were in awe of their climbing skills and a bit unnerved by the heights they reached.

Our son and daughter shared a blue swing set. At the top of a small rock climbing wall, they sat on a board sheltered from the sun and rain by a triangular blue cloth. There, they enjoyed ice cream and a few moments in the shade.

On the lawn, we and our children played kickball with their friends and relatives, tossed around a baseball and softball, and played games like Kan Jam.

The seasons each had their defining characteristics. In the spring, a bush by our driveway announced the approaching warm weather with a celebration of white flowers.

Amid a few memorable hurricanes, including the vicious Sandy, we sought shelter in our protected basement, where we slept on mattresses we lugged downstairs, away from howling winds and driving rain. Fortunately, downed trees which cut power for nine days and reduced the temperature inside to 50 degrees didn’t hit our house.

With one season moving both slowly and rapidly into the next, we watched in wonder as our children grew up, bringing hard-earned athletic trophies home and filling the walls with the sound of music that became increasingly melodic and precise.

Family members pulled up to our steep driveway, bringing carved pumpkins, presents and support for our children.

At the end of their treks around the neighborhood during Halloween, our son and daughter emptied enormous pillowcases or bags of candy onto our living room floor, lining up and trading the kind of candy haul that would have made Willy Wonka proud.

Often as my birthday approached, my wife and I spent more time than we probably should have making soft chocolate chip cookies.

During one particularly difficult summer, I developed my first kidney stone. Not wanting to wake anyone, I sought solace in the basement, where I contorted my body into positions on the same floor where we found shelter amid the hurricanes. In the middle of the night, my daughter came down and stood on my back, providing some relief.

Like its occupants, the house wasn’t perfect, with water that took a while to heat at times, bulbs that needed replacing, and appliances that didn’t always work.

And yet, that first house served as the launching pad for new days, dreams and friendships. My wife and I greeted our children’s friends and their parents, who sometimes stopped by for barbecues or to drop something off before the next activity.

As my friend prepares to enter the next phase of his life, I hope the house he shares with his wife bears witness to excitement and adventures that lay ahead, one magical inchworm at a time.

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Pixabay photo

By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief

Big mammals must appeal to me. I love horses. When I visited South Africa, I fell in love with elephants. And now that I have returned from a few days on Cape Cod, I am totally smitten by whales.

It was my first whale watch foray. We boarded a ferry-size boat in Provincetown, off the eastern tip of the Cape, and I was surprised to see at least 200 people, who had the same idea, seated on two decks. It was a perfect day to be out on the water, hot, humid, with only a soft breeze barely stirring the ocean. We finally found seats in a shaded section of the upper deck just as the boat took off heading north east into the Atlantic.

Everyone seemed in a holiday mood, talking and laughing for over an hour until someone yelled, “Look! There are mists ahead.” Then silence, as everyone peered at the horizon. The captain slowed the boat and as we got closer, we could see the backs of two whales, diving and surfacing, expelling air through their blowholes as they breathed.

“Those are humpbacks,” the tour guide explained over the PA system. “There are many different kinds of whales,” she continued. It seems there are about 80 species of living whales, and they fall into two groups: baleen and toothed. We were seeing baleens, a word that refers to the manner in which they secure their food. Instead of teeth, baleens are like broad vertical Venetian blinds that grow down from the roof of the whale’s mouth. They are hard, like our finger nails, each one at least a foot long, maybe five inches wide and close together. They act to filter what the whale takes in, excluding anything wider than plankton.

Two years ago, around this time, a whale swallowed a man just off the Cape. This is a true story that made headlines all over the globe, and the man, Michael Packard, lived to tell the tale. 

“I’m done! I’m dead!” was the immediate reaction of Packard, who is a lobster scuba diver, when he was sucked into the mouth of a whale that came up behind him as he was descending to the seabed to search for lobster. Whales feed by opening their mouths like a wide elevator door, squeezing whatever is ingested, then spitting out what doesn’t get filtered by their baleen. 

Suddenly he felt a huge shove and it got completely black, and Packard realized he was inside a whale. “ I could feel the whale squeezing with the muscles of his mouth,” said Packard, as quoted by Newsweek. “I thought to myself, ‘there’s no way I’m getting out of here.’”

But then the whale “started going up. All of a sudden it just got to the surface, and he started shaking his head and getting all erratic … and then boom!” The diver flew out of the whale’s mouth, traveled a distance of some 50 feet and lay floating on the surface, looking up at the sky. “I think I’m going to live,” he remembers. He was inside the whale for about 40 seconds. Packard was picked up by a crew member, who called to shore, and when they arrived at the pier, an ambulance was waiting to take him to the hospital. He wound up with one broken rib and some soft tissue damage. Three weeks later, he was back diving for lobsters but now also making TV appearances with the likes of Jimmy Kimmel.

Actually, the whale didn’t swallow Packard. A whale’s throat is too narrow for a human to pass through. The humpback held Pachard in his mouth, then surfaced and spit him out.

We were lucky on that trip, seeing 18 whales, according to the tour guide’s count. Once the boat stopped, the whales surfaced and dived around us, almost as if they were entertaining us. One whale, estimated by the captain to be about 6 months old, cavorted and flipped  not far off the starboard side of our boat for at least 15 minutes. Some of us believe he was encouraged by our screams of approval and deliberately putting on a show.

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Photo by Des Kerrigan from Pixabay
By Carolyn Sackstein

In keeping with heightened media attention to the threat of shark bites, TBR News Media went to the streets on Saturday, July 8, asking visitors to Port Jefferson if they were concerned about reports of shark sightings and shark attacks on Long Island’s South Shore. 

One person voiced fear of sharks. Another said she doesn’t like fish in general. The rest seemed confident that local authorities and lifeguards could minimize the risks from sharks and keep beachgoers safe.

— Photos by Carolyn Sackstein

 

Douglas Maze, Connecticut, and Dee Schmitt, Connecticut

When asked if they had changed their beach habits due to the recent reports of shark attacks, Douglas said, “Yes, I will not go to the beach or in the water because I have a fear of sharks.” When asked how long he feared sharks, he replied, “My whole life.” 

Dee said, “Yes and no. I am more cautious now. I still go in the water, but only up to my knees. That’s about it.”

 

 

 

Lisa Freeman, Tarpon Springs, Florida, and Al Latchford, Clearwater, Florida

Lisa responded to our inquiries with, “Yes, I go to Clearwater Beach, which is in the Gulf of Mexico.” She also acknowledged that there are sharks in the Gulf and that she plans to go in the water while she is visiting Long Island. “I am going to Robert Moses [State Park] tomorrow. We heard there are shark sightings there.” When asked if sharks deter her from going in the water, she said, “No. We respect that it is their place. If we see them, we get out of their way.”

 Al added, “As long as we are aware and watching out what is going on, I’m OK with going in the water. No fear, just caution.”

 

 

Mike and Lauren Librizzi, Lynbrook 

Mike said, “I go to, more often than not, Atlantic Beach [in Hempstead].” When asked if he was concerned about the recent sightings and attacks, he replied, “Not as much. If the lifeguards are on duty, and you’re being smart by not going in too deep, you should be OK.”

Lauren won’t go in the water at the beach. She explained she does like the beach for the sun and sand: “We go to a beach club in Atlantic Beach. I just don’t like fish. If I can’t see my feet, I don’t go in. I do go into pools.”

 

 

 

Genie Weisman, Mount Sinai

When asked if she goes to any of the South Shore beaches, Genie offered, “Not very often. We’ve taken the kids to Corey Beach [on the Great South Bay].” She explained that not going to the beaches anymore is a matter of opportunity, not sharks. Genie suggested that the increase in shark sightings is likely, “the bunkers and the bait fish. [Sharks] are following their food.” She added that she is willing to go to a beach if the opportunity arises, “probably, as long as there are no red flags.”

 

 

Megan Wesolowski and Jake Hine, Port Jefferson Station

Megan said she goes to Cupsogue Beach. Jake also goes to Cupsogue and out in Montauk.

When asked why they chose those areas, Megan explained, “Nice sand, the water’s nice. They keep it clean.” When asked about the recent shark reports, they weren’t concerned. Megan said, “I hadn’t really thought about it.” 

Jake continued, “We swim at our own risk either way — lifeguards or no lifeguards. We just like the towns over there. No change [in beach habits], still going in.”

 

Gregg Fedus, Mystic, Connecticut

“I don’t really know about the local reports [on shark sightings and attacks] because I just came here yesterday and staying for the weekend. My guess is it’s overblown a little bit. You’ve just gotta be careful when you’re out on the water.” He feels the warmer water is drawing the sharks here. When asked if he would go into the water, he responded, “Sure.”

 

 

 

 

Trey Pratt, Old Saybrook, Connecticut

When asked if he fears sharks, he emphatically responded, “No!” When asked what is responsible for the reports of shark sightings, he felt it is due to “active media!” He fishes but has no problem going to any of the ocean beaches or fear of needing “a bigger boat.”

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Photo by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

The Port Jefferson School District athletic department is offering athletic camps to Port Jefferson elementary, middle and high school students.

Camps include basketball, cheerleading, kickboxing, martial arts, tennis and more.

With athletic coaches, teachers and upperclassmen as instructors, the goal of these camps is to teach the fundamentals of the sport while incorporating essential life lessons, such as teamwork and sportsmanship, all while having fun.

Registration for the camps is available on the athletic department page of the district website at portjeffschools.org.

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