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Pixabay photos

By Daniel Dunaief

Daniel Dunaief

Even as we study evolution, we ourselves evolve over time. No, we don’t learn to fly or to breathe underwater. We change over the decades, in part because of social pressure and in part because, well, our cells, organs and experiences align to make us different decadal versions of ourselves. With that in mind, I’d like to share some snapshots from my life.

First decade:

Likes: I adored my parents (most of the time). I also appreciated the opportunity to make new friends and to play any game that involved chasing a ball.

Dislikes: long distances running, homework, dark nights, losing electricity, sitting in the middle of a station wagon with my legs cramped under me. 

Favorite food: pizza and grilled cheese with ketchup. It’s not for everyone, but I loved it.

Favorite sport to play: basketball.

Favorite sport to watch: baseball.

Biggest worry: finding parents.

Second decade:

Likes: time with friends, the freedom to drive somewhere on my own (later in the decade, of course).

Dislikes: tough teachers eager to teach me too many lessons, rejections from friends, and too many questions from parents. Waiting for parents to pick me up (until I could drive). Developing an intolerance to dairy, which removed pizza, ice cream and mac and cheese from food options.

Favorite food: Good Steer burger supremes with a root beer and ballpark hot dogs.

Favorite sport to play: baseball

Favorite sport to watch: baseball.

Biggest worry: Losing parents. Getting into college.

Third decade

Likes: getting a job where someone not only paid me to do something I wasn’t sure I was qualified to do, but also sent me on planes to do it. Spending time with friends. Going on vacations with friends and family.

Dislikes: working on weekends and holidays. Going on horrible dates with people who were a little too eager to see fights where teeth got knocked out during hockey games. Then again, some of those unsuccessful dates still bring a smile to my face.

Favorite food: Thai food at a restaurant on the Upper East Side.

Favorite sport to play: volleyball.

Favorite sport to watch: baseball.

Biggest worry: Finding enough time to exercise.

Fourth decade:

Likes: enjoying the miraculous connection that comes from meeting girlfriend/wife. Listening to my wife laugh and seeing her smile. Holding my son and daughter and feeling them relax enough to go to sleep.

Dislikes: trying to figure out how to handle when children got sick, needing something we didn’t have, and packing enough stuff in the diaper bag and the car for needy children.

Favorite food: Who tastes food at this point? We inhaled it in between picking up the food the kids spilled on the floor or in the car.

Favorite sport to play: softball in Central Park.

Favorite sport to watch: my daughter’s active and exciting volleyball matches and my son’s soccer games. I knew nothing about soccer, so I could just be a supportive father and fan without offering unwelcome and unhelpful advice.

Biggest worry: How to keep kids healthy.

Fifth decade:

Likes: holidays, vacations and not needing to stand over the kids when they got too close to the water. Hooray for independent swimming.

Dislikes: driving everywhere with kids and their friends who made the car stink so badly at times that I opened windows in freezing temperatures. Watching kids disappear into their cell phones.

Favorite food: fresh fish on vacations.

Favorite sport to play: I barely played anything. I coached kids and bobbed and weaved between the entitled requests from parents.

Favorite sport to watch: daughter’s volleyball and son’s baseball.

Biggest worry: helping steer kids in the right direction.

Sixth decade:

Likes: time with family and friends, days when pain in my hip stays the same or, rarely, is less than the day before.

Dislikes: not knowing how to handle important technology, an awareness that I’m older than my friend’s parents were when I was growing up, and I thought they were old.

Favorite food: anything that doesn’t keep me up at night.

Favorite sport to play: baseball or anything that doesn’t cause pain the next day.

Favorite sport to watch: baseball.

Biggest worry: the speed at which each day, month and year passes. The prevalence of anger for its own sake and the health of the planet our children are inheriting.

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Congressman George Santos, Photo from Wikimedia Commons

By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief

“Then give three cheers, and one cheer more, For the hardy Captain of” … no not the Pinafore but publisher of the North Shore Leader. With an appreciative nod to Gilbert & Sullivan, that line well applies to Grant Lally, who warned us of George Santos and his preposterous resume that rivals any tall tale. But unlike HMS Pinafore of 19th century fame for innocent entertainment, Santos may be a peril for our nation.

According to the Leader, a weekly community newspaper, and also The New York Times, PBS News Hour and other first line news outlets, newly elected U.S. Congressman George Santos (NY-3) is a deeply concerning fake who has totally falsified his background, assets and contacts, and who is a wanted petty criminal in Brazil. According to that country’s prosecutors, he stole checkbooks from the elderly patients of his late mother, who was a home health care nurse, and forged checks to steal merchandise. And although he claimed to have graduated from prestigious schools, he is a high school dropout who earned a high school equivalency diploma. He portrayed himself as having worked for top line financial institutions. As to being Jewish with grandparents who escaped from the Holocaust, his mother was in fact devoutly Catholic and his grandparents were born in Brazil shortly after WWII began.

Most serious are his financial claims. He said he loaned $700,000 to his campaign from personal wealth that it turns out he doesn’t have. Lying on a resume is not a crime, but lying on federal financial disclosures is, with each violation bringing a possible five years in federal prison. So where, exactly, did that large money helping him get elected come from?

A recent report in The Daily Beast, according to the Leader, showed that Santos took $56,000 from a Russian money man, a cousin of a Vladimir Putin crony, who is under international sanctions. According to the Leader, “the fact that [Santos’s] two campaigns have received large sums of money from Russian oligarchs close to Putin is cause for real alarm in the U.S. intelligence community.” They are afraid of a potential espionage threat, that he might be a foreign agent. Jim Geraghty, writing in the National Review and quoted by the Leader, offered, “For all we know, some foreign power may have bought itself a congressman. This isn’t outlandish speculation.” 

At this point, you, the reader, are probably asking yourself how it could happen that Santos wasn’t discovered far sooner by both Republicans and Democrats. According to an extensive lead article in this past Sunday’s The New York Times, he was. Republicans at several levels knew about the problem but did nothing to unmask the candidate for various reasons: inattention, underappreciated risks, otherwise distracted by the issues rather than the biographies, the promise of another GOP vote in the House, and other speculations. And some Dems knew, too, but were distracted or underestimated the threat Santos’s campaign posed.

Rather than go deeper into this issue, I would like the thrust of this column to be a celebration of the prowess of what The NYT called, “a small weekly paper on Long Island.” Run by Grant Lally, a Republican lawyer and former House candidate, it did its job of functioning as a people’s watchdog, especially on affairs of government, and reporting courageously on its findings.

“The paper published a pair of articles casting doubt on Mr. Santos’s claims that he owned extravagant cars and homes, and labeling him a ‘fabulist—a fake’, though it did not have other specifics that would later come out about his falsified resume or his past,” wrote The NYT on Sunday. “None of the bigger outlets, including The Times, followed up with extensive stories examining his real address or his campaign’s questionable spending, focusing their coverage instead on Mr. Santos’s extreme policy views and the historic nature of a race between two openly gay candidates,” The NYT continued.

Never underestimate a weekly hometown newspaper. Indeed, four cheers.

{Santos represents the 3rd Congressional District, which includes the Towns of Oyster Bay and North Hempstead and a small portion of northeast Queens.}

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Kevin LaValle, above. File photo by Raymond Janis

In a special election held Tuesday, Jan. 17, Town of Brookhaven Councilman Kevin LaValle (R-Selden) was elected as Brookhaven town clerk.

Former Town Clerk Donna Lent (I) retired in November, prompting a special election to complete her unexpired term ending in 2025. An unofficial tally from the Suffolk County Board of Elections indicates LaValle secured victory handily, defeating the Democratic candidate, Lisa Di Santo of East Patchogue. So far, he has received 6,396 votes to Di Santo’s 4,940.

In an exclusive phone interview, LaValle reacted to the election outcome. 

“I’m really excited that the residents of the Town of Brookhaven put their faith in me to run a very critical department,” he said. “I’m excited about the opportunity ahead of me. Once I get sworn in, I look forward to taking on that challenge.” To his opponent, he added, “It was a great race. I wish her the best.”

Upon assuming this townwide position, LaValle will oversee a more than 25-person staff. In the meantime, he said he intends to speak with staff members, get an idea of the day-to-day operations and “start to see the office as a whole and see what we can improve.”

“I think that that’s going to be a little bit of a process to get that all together, but I’m excited to sit down with everybody,” the town clerk-elect said, adding, “It’s going to be a bit of a challenge, but I’m excited for it.”

New state election laws require at least a week for the election results to be certified. LaValle will vacate his seat on the Town Board when he is sworn in as clerk, triggering another special election — this time for his Brookhaven 3rd Council District.

The outgoing councilman pledged to remain active in the eventual transition process. “I think there are some people out there,” he said, referring to prospective candidates. “The leadership of the Republican Party and the Democratic Party, they’re going to have to make the decisions on that.”

He added, “The 3rd District has been my home my whole life. It’s been a great honor to be able to represent it over the last nine years, so I’m certainly going to take a keen interest in who’s going to take over after me and certainly be a helping hand in that transition.”

LaValle could be sworn into office as Brookhaven town clerk as early as Wednesday, Jan. 25. Under town code, the board must set a special election between 60 and 90 days from the opening of the vacancy.

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Jump ball. Photo by Bill Landon
Comsewogue’s Hannah Ellis drives the lane. Photo by Bill Landon
Comsewogue’s Maria Stamatopoulos shoots. Photo by Bill Landon
Shoreham-Wading River senior Annie Sheehan drives to the basket. Photo by Bill Landon
Comsewogue’s Hannah Ellis lets a three-pointer fly. Photo by Bill Landon
Shoreham-Wading River senior GraceAnn Leonard lays up for two. Photo by Bill Landon
Comsewogue’s Mia Fernandes and Haylie Abrams look for the rebound. Photo by Bill Landon
Shoreham-Wading River senior Annie Sheehan drives the lane for the Wildcats. Photo by Bill Landon
Comsewogue’s Lindsay Radman and Kelsey Hughes look for the rebound. Photo by Bill Landon
Comsewogue’s Mia Fernandes fights her way to the rim. Photo by Bill Landon
Comsewogue’s Kyra Allgaier fights her way to the rim. Photo by Bill Landon
Comsewogue’s Hannah Ellis takes flight. Photo by Bill Landon
Comsewogue’s Hannah Ellis fights her way to the rim. Photo by Bill Landon
Comsewogue’s Kyra Allgaier boxes out GraceAnn Leonard. Photo by Bill Landon
Shoreham-Wading River senior Sophie Costello drives the lane. Photo by Bill Landon
Comsewogue’s Mia Fernandes fights her way to the rim. Photo by Bill Landon
Shoreham-Wading River senior Colleen Ohrtman nails another triple for the Wildcats. Photo by Bill Landon
Comsewogue’s Jalynn Kirschenheuter drains a three-pointer. Photo by Bill Landon
Shoreham-Wading River senior Colleen Ohrtman nails a triple. Photo by Bill Landon
Comsewogue’s Lindsay Radman drives to the basket. Photo by Bill Landon
Shoreham-Wading River junior Juliana Mahan scores for the Wildcats. Photo by Bill Landon
Shoreham-Wading River senior Sophie Costello scores for the Wildcats. Photo by Bill Landon

The Comsewogue Warriors had their hands full when the undefeated Wildcats of Shoreham-Wading River came knocking Friday, Jan. 13, in a Div. IV matchup.

Looking to keep their perfect record intact, the Wildcats did just that. Their success hinged upon the senior quartet of Sophie Costello, GraceAnn Leonard, Colleen Ohrtman and Annie Sheehan, who put on a scoring fest to win the game, 86-21. 

Comsewogue’s Jalynn Kirschenheuter did what she’s done all season. A long-range scoring threat, she drained three triples and two free throws for 11 points, and Hannah Ellis banked eight.

The win lifts SWR to 6-0 in league and 13-0 overall. The Wildcats now look to overtake Westhampton for the top spot in the division.

The Warriors — at 5-2 in league, 6-4 overall — are back in action Wednesday, Jan. 18, with a road game against Mount Sinai. The Wildcats retake the court Monday, Jan. 16, when they host Miller Place. Both games tip off at 4:45 p.m.

— Photos by Bill Landon

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Roy Gross, of the Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, with an injured owl that was recovering at the Sweetbriar Nature Center in Smithtown.
Roy Gross, of the Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, with a dog rescue.
The rooster, named King Charles, has been at the shelter since July. from Photo from the Town of Smithtown Animal Shelter & Adoption Center
Katniss, Mags and Rue, three rabbits named for Hunger Games characters, were abandoned in Blyndenburgh Park in July of 2022. Photo from the Town of Smithtown Animal Shelter & Adoption Center
Three-year-old German shepherd Linx has been at the shelter for over a year and loves being outdoors. Photo from the Town of Smithtown Animal Shelter & Adoption Center
Dori Scofield, president of Save-A-Pet with two cats Oreo and Cookie.
Dori Scofield, president of Save-A-Pet with the dog Rommel.

The life of Linx is becoming an all too familiar tale in recent months.

A 3-year old German shepherd, Linx, who didn’t receive effective training from his owners, was abandoned a year ago, making it difficult for him to function as a normal dog. Although he’s not conventionally affectionate, Linx is eager to play and run, which means he is best suited for an outdoor and active life.

“He has low odds of finding the right situation,” said Leigh Wixson, animal shelter supervisor in the Town of Smithtown Animal Shelter & Adoption Center, where Linx currently resides.

Some residents throughout Suffolk County bit off more than they could chew during the worst months of the pandemic, adding animals ranging from dogs and cats to guinea pigs, rats, rabbits and roosters to their brood.

Unfortunately for many of those animals, their new owners didn’t always do sufficient research to understand what their new pets needed and didn’t take the time to train them.

At the same time, as people have returned to work outside the house or have become concerned about their budgets amid high inflation and the potential for a recession this year, some people have brought their pets to shelters, or worse.

In the last few weeks, people have left kittens in Tanner Park in Copiague and have abandoned a dog in a motel room for days.

“How do you do something like that to an animal that loved you?” asked Roy Gross, chief of the Suffolk County Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. “Never mind it being illegal, it’s immoral.”

Gross said his department has been pursuing cases where people have attempted to discard their pets in ways that jeopardize animal safety.

He urged people who may not be as comfortable or capable of continuing to provide care for their animals to bring them to one of the county’s 10 municipal shelters.

People who mistreat their pets, by neglecting or putting them in dangerous situations, face fines and jail sentences, Gross said.

Dori Scofield, president of Port Jefferson Station-based Save-A-Pet Animal Shelter, said someone recently tied a dog to a fence near the shelter.

“The dog could have hung himself on our fence, could have gotten away and gotten killed, lost or injured,” she said. Fortunately, she said, the dog made it through the night.

Not a good gift

People who work at shelters urged those who adopt animals, particularly pets like larger breeds of dogs, to take the time to work with them.

“Between 10 months and two years, people have to focus on training,” Scofield said. Without the proper support and direction, some dogs develop behavioral issues.

The first two years of owning a dog are the hardest. “It’s like having a teenager,”  Wixson said. “You go through phases and then something clicks around two or three years old.”

Wixson added that every breed of dog has its quirks, which means that the adorable dalmatians from movies and other photogenic dogs don’t necessarily interact with their owners the way people might have expected.

“I have been attacked by more dachshunds and chihuahuas than any other breed,” Wixson said.

While people have surrendered or “donated” dogs, shelters have also had numerous calls about rabbits, roosters and other pets.

Scofield described rabbits as “awesome” pets, but cautioned that they are “high-maintenance” animals that require cleaning, feeding and attention.

The prospects for a domestic rabbit released into the wild are poor. A domesticated rabbit could get run over, starve or be attacked by predators, Gross said.

Wixson said she used to get one or two calls a week before the pandemic from people who couldn’t manage their pets. On Monday, she received five calls.

Some people have given pets to friends and family during birthdays and holidays, which works out as well, and sometimes worse, than when people receive gifts that are easier to return, like sweaters, ties, or toys.

“Giving an animal as a gift is not a good thing,” Gross said, “unless people are expecting it and this is what they want.”

As for the German shepherd Linx, Wixson said that, despite the odds, an adoption “can happen and we are always hopeful.” Wixson believes Linx would do “wonderfully well on a farm where people are outside and busy and there are many things going on around him.”

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Photo courtesy of Humane Long Island

Humane Long Island is donating vegan gift bags to every person who adopts a dog, cat, or other fuzzy, finned, or feathered friend from participating animal shelters across Long Island for the next 30 days to both promote adoption and kindness to all animals in the New Year.

“Veganuary” gift bags will include vegan food items such as Beyond Jerky, Hippeas, and Vego candy bars from Cindysnacks vegan market in Huntington – which has just been named Humane Long Island’s 2022 Business of the Year – as well as coupons, literature, stickers, and activity books that make it easy to pursue a healthy, vegan lifestyle.

Participating shelters include Babylon Animal Shelter, Brookhaven Animal Shelter, Cove Animal Rescue in Glen Cove, Kent Animal Shelter in Riverhead, Save-A-Pet Animal Shelter in Port Jefferson Station, Smithtown Animal Shelter, Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation, Town of Huntington Cat Shelter Operated by Little Shelter, and Humane Long Island’s Riverhead Aviary.

John Di Leonardo, anthrozoologist and president of Humane Long Island, says “Whether you’re looking to adopt a fuzzy, finned, or feathered friend this year, Humane Long Island would like to say thank you by offering healthy, cruelty-free gift bags to everyone who rescues a homeless animal during the month of January! We hope these delicious vegan samples will encourage adopters to save 200 more animals each year by simply leaving animals off their plate and out of their wardrobe.”

Patricia Deshong, Executive Director of the Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation, says “Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation is proud to save the lives of animals with the goal of finding them their forever homes. Animals are friends, not food! We thank our friend and fellow rescue partner Humane Long Island for taking the lead on promoting a vegan/plant-based lifestyle and fully support this initiative.”

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Laughter and music filled the halls of the Chùa Từ Tâm Buddhist temple along Terryville Road, Port Jefferson Station on Sunday, Jan. 8, during the Lunar New Year celebration.

In a two-week festival, dozens of the Vietnamese and Buddhist communities rang in the new year together. Marking this festive occasion, members of the temple dressed in their finest ceremonial garbs. Many performed traditional songs. Others prepared and served authentic Vietnamese cuisine to those in attendance.

Steven Tang is an executive member at Chùa Từ Tâm, the first Vietnamese Buddhist center on Long Island. He described the Vietnamese New Year as “very similar” to Chinese New Year and other Asian new year traditions, with some select caveats.

“We celebrate a little bit differently, with more focus on the family gathering,” he said. Tang chronicled the two-year history of the temple. After its acquisition in 2020, he said the temple’s leadership has gradually expanded its activities. 

Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) participated in the celebration. In an interview, he said he has closely followed the development of the temple.

“It’s just a sign of the growing size, strength and health of the Asian community here,” he said.

Reflecting upon American history, Kornreich commented on the need to espouse Vietnamese Americans, many of whom supported the American war effort during the Vietnam War.

“I think that people should know that when you’re a friend of America, that means something to us,” the councilmember said. “When the time came during the Vietnam War, they fought alongside us, and for that I think we owe them a debt of gratitude.”

The new year event was not only a way to honor Vietnamese heritage and customs. Several prominent Buddhist clergy members celebrated and supported their Vietnamese peers. This forum served to promote Buddhist teachings.

Kottawe Nanda, head monk at the Long Island Buddhist Meditation Center in Riverhead, was in attendance for the festivities. He described Buddhism as a global phenomenon that has spread throughout Asia and the rest of the human world. During that time, the teachings of the Buddha were incorporated into various cultural traditions.

“Buddhism mixed with cultures when it spread to the different countries,” Nanda said. Despite regional variations, “everybody accepts and practices the main core of Buddhist teaching,” the head monk said. 

Nanda contended that the spread of Buddhist doctrine had accelerated thanks to digital technology. Through social media and other forms of high-speed communication, Buddhist literature has become highly accessible. 

“This technology is so helpful for us,” he said, adding, “We use it for our ‘dharma’ purpose: to teach others and learn from others, to discuss, and for many other things.”

The example of the Buddha is still relevant today, according to Nanda, presenting a way to liberate oneself from suffering and “defilements.” This path, he added, is open to all.

“Anybody who can be dedicated can go through that path — that’s the beauty,” he said. “Even you or I can become Buddhas, can attain enlightenment.”

For Kornreich, the future looks promising for the Vietnamese and Buddhist communities within Brookhaven and Long Island. Viewing the multiplicity of people assembled at the temple, he said this celebration reflects the best aspects of America.

“I think the fact that we’re welcoming of other cultures, that we embrace them as friends and that we recognize the value they bring … I think speaks well of us as Americans and as a community,” he said.

Tang said events such as this aid the temple as it works to grow membership and expand outreach. “We are a very open group of people,” he said. “We always invite new members of different organizations to come to our events to celebrate with us,” adding, “And we will continue to do that.”

Nanda argued that societies must infuse citizens with a shared understanding and common identity to thrive. Regardless of the many ills which plague humanity, he remained optimistic that individuals and societies can satisfy these ends, as reflected by the love and joy spread throughout this event.

“We are all human beings,” the head monk said. “When people have less stress, less anxiety, less sadness, then they are healthy. Healthy people, healthy communities, are good for the government.” He added, “As long as you have a healthy mind, your body has good health.”     

— Photos by Raymond Janis

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Pixabay photo
By Carolyn Sackstein

When visitors to the Village of Port Jefferson were approached Saturday, Jan. 7, they thoughtfully and very personally responded to the question: “What was your favorite,  most significant or memorable event of 2022?” The themes of health, pets and travel ruled the day.

— Photos by Carolyn Sackstein

Paul and Gerri Havran, St. James

“We were on the ferry returning from Connecticut after picking up a truck,” Paul said. “Shortly after leaving Bridgeport, I had a heart attack and died for several minutes. Fortunately, there was a [physician’s assistant] sitting by us. There was an EMT and they went to work on me. They weren’t bringing me back, but the captain saw from the bridge what was going on and sent the crew down with an [automated external defibrillator]. A fireman and the PA administered the AED and brought me back.”

 

 


Corinne Minor (left) and Sara Jackson, Selden

Corinne: “We got two cats from my grandmother this past year, when she passed away. Bringing them here and getting them acclimated to our little home has been significant.”

Sara: “I would have to say my health. I went through a whirlwind of surgeries. I am happy and healthy right now. I cannot wait for 2023.”

 

 

 

Ashley Smith, St. James

“Definitely adopting my second dog from Last Chance Animal Rescue. She’s a Redbone Coonhound named Caroline.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keith, Lauren and Christine Kmiotek, Brooklyn

Keith spoke for the family. “Our island vacation in St. John, the U. S. Virgin Islands, was very nice. We are beach bums, so what’s nice about St. John is you can go to all the public beaches. It’s open to everybody. You don’t have to pay to get on the beaches. You get tired of one, you get in your car and drive to another. You go around the corner and it’s like a whole new world. The island is that beautiful to explore.”

 

 

 

Chuck Sullivan, Manorville

“Getting on the ferry and going to Vermont. It was the greatest bike trip I ever took. It was with a bunch of good guys.”

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Screenshot from portjeff.com/opentodayvideo/

Over a decade since disbanding, the Port Jefferson Civic Association was back in action Monday, Jan. 9.

Eighteen village residents filled the Meeting Room of the Port Jefferson Free Library, discussing several pressing local issues and establishing their priorities as a body.

Michael Mart was a member of PJCA under its previous configuration. He shared a history of the organization and why village residents have banded together in the past.

“The history and importance of the Port Jefferson Civic Association, as I recall it, was to serve as a vehicle by which individuals come together,” Mart said. “Its concerns are essentially local in nature: streets, safety, recreation, parks and open government.”

He added the civic association “acts to represent opinions, concerns and agendas of its members to the local governing body.”

Mart said PJCA has functioned in various capacities in the past. At one time, it had produced a regular newsletter, held meet-the-candidates events, offered scholarships to local students and even took the village government to court.

PJCA was “a very active group,” Mart said. “It starts small here, like in this room, and makes itself known to other residents, offering to give voice to their concerns.”

The members of the newly formed civic gave introductions, outlined their reasons for joining and discussed their priorities. 

Ana Hozyainova, a 2022 candidate for village trustee, organized the event. She stated her goals for the civic body.

“I hope that we can have a group that can be a force for discussion and greater transparency in the village,” she said. 

Myrna Gordon discussed communications between the village and residents and other environmental themes. “I would love to see better transparency or communication and more of our village residents getting involved in the important issues that we face,” she said.

Other residents echoed the call for greater transparency within the village government. 

Among them, a 2022 trustee candidate for the Port Jefferson school board, Paul Ryan, identified a supposed divide between the public will and the decisions made by elected officials.

“Since I ran for the BOE last year, I’ve noticed a lot of disconnect between what people want and think is important and what is happening, the decisions that are being made,” he said. “I hope as a civic association, we can channel that voice more strongly and more effectively to make positive change.”

Suzanne Velazquez, candidate for village trustee in 2021, spoke of the “sense of apathy that has crept in” among residents. She also considered the civic association as fulfilling a necessary community end. 

“I have had a lot of good conversations about the need to revitalize the civic association,” the former trustee candidate said.

Holly Fils-Aime, president of the local environmental group EcoLeague, described continual development within the village as among her priorities. 

“We really have to consider how overdeveloped Long Island is,” she said, adding that residents must be vigilant about looking out for their forests, wildlife and the natural environment.

Steve Velazquez echoed this sentiment. He criticized the alleged overdevelopment of Upper Port, arguing that plans for the property that formerly accommodated PJ Lobster House are “not in character with this village.” Velazquez expressed a desire to see a “true historic district” within Port Jeff village.

In common, those in attendance voiced similar concerns over the perceived lack of transparency, environmental issues and the implementation of projects without resident input. Bluff stabilization at East Beach, according to Mart, encompasses each of these themes.

Referencing the $3.75 million the village recently received to construct an upper wall between the East Beach bluff and the Port Jefferson Country Club clubhouse, Mart said the money “is not the issue — the issue is that we didn’t get to vote on it.”

Also in attendance was guest speaker John Turner, conservation chair of the Four Harbors Audubon Society. He advocated for a villagewide open-space program along with a sustainability plan.

Turner pinpointed specific examples on Long Island of progress concerning the environment. He cited the novel irrigation system at Indian Island Golf Course in Riverhead, which uses wastewater from a sewage treatment plant to irrigate the golf course. 

“That wastewater is no longer dumped in the river and the bay,” Turner said. “The nitrogen is all taken up by the grass,” averting contamination of local surface waters. He suggested the village could explore comparable wastewater reuse opportunities.

He added, “The other beauty about this water reuse, from a water quantity perspective, is that we have water quantity challenges on the Island. … Using that water for the golf course means that 66 million gallons of water stay in the ground.”

Expressing her vision for the civic, Gordon said the organization could prevail so long as its members stay persistent. “You have to stay the course,” she said. “We can’t get tired. We have to support each other, we have to ask questions, and we have to go in front of our village trustees and ask, ‘What is going on?’”

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Photo courtesy Rob DeStefano
By Rob DeStefano

On Nov. 17, and subsequent to a judicial ruling against a New York public school district, the New York State Education Department sent a memo communicating a “need to ensure that district mascots, team names and logos are nondiscriminatory.” This memo closed with an unfortunate edict: “Should a district fail to affirmatively commit to replacing its Native American team name, logo and/or imagery by the end of the 2022-23 school year, it may be in willful violation of the Dignity Act. The penalties for such a violation include the removal of school officers and the withholding of state aid.” 

In response, I contacted NYS Commissioner of Education Betty Rosa and introduced several preliminary questions and recommendations, including the imperative that time be afforded to make this a teachable moment — both a cultural and business education opportunity. The commissioner agreed with the academic opportunity. She recognized more information for affected school districts was needed, and these details are expected soon.

Throughout our conversation, Commissioner Rosa’s responses to my questions continued to incorporate the term “reasonable.” The dialogue yielded some insights and elevated some concerns that have been topics among our community members during these intervening weeks:

By the end of this school year (June 2023), affected districts shall provide an attestation that they intend to comply with changes to ensure nondiscriminatory logos/mascots/names, etc.

Logo development and implementation will be done in a reasonable time frame. Subsequent to our conversation, NYSED has indicated implementation by the end of the 2024-25 school year.

Logos on gymnasium floors and turf fields were greeted with a “reasonable” replacement. I interpret this to mean the turf field logo would be replaced when the turf is next due for wear replacement, as anything that accelerated financial burden on the district or our residents, I view as “unreasonable.” However, my interpretation awaits confirmation in the forthcoming details from NYSED.

Existing logos/names in question could be maintained if there is an existing agreement with local tribes to preserve these artifacts. As recently as 2020, local Native American leaders have not favored our logo. Further discussion should always be an option.

It was not explicitly affirmed whether our district naming was at risk. However, “Comsewogue” is a vocabulary word — not a direct name of a Native American person or peoples — and “Warriors” is a generic term originating from Anglo-French and used ubiquitously across cultures. These origins suggest reasonable, nondiscriminatory terms.

Going at least as far back as my elementary experience, Comsewogue School District has taught the history of our community, including the Setalcott Native Americans and the translation of the local Native American term “Comsewogue” — or its historic spelling “Cumsewogue” — as “an intersection of many paths,” or “where many paths meet.” Perhaps the exploration of this history could be expanded through our problem-based learning curriculum. It might include an opportunity to meet present-day local Native American leaders willing to share their insights on topics of interest, but I will yield to our educators on best practice implementation.

From a business education perspective, I advised the state commissioner that business logos take more than six months to change — let alone a logo with strong emotional ties. It would require time to engage and collaborate with community stakeholders, then a period of research to determine the design of a new logo. Again, our problem-based curriculum offers an opportunity here: To learn the process of brand building and brand value, and the opportunity to perform the research to understand the emotions beneath the surface of Warrior Pride. Here again, I will yield to our educators for the creation of compelling learning experiences.

As clarification is received from the state, the school district will keep all stakeholders informed. However, it is always helpful to be prepared. Today’s Comsewogue students are the stewards of the Comsewogue Warrior, its appearance and the values associated with growing up in our community. I could not imagine a change of the current logo that isn’t led by them, built on perspectives from and backed by all our supporting stakeholders. 

Our students are the standard-bearers of today’s Warrior in human and artistic representation. And as envisaged by our students, Comsewogue’s logo will be an intersection of ideals and imagery.

Rob DeStefano serves as trustee for the Comsewogue School District Board of Education. The writer’s opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the Comsewogue School District or its Board of Education.

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