On Tuesday, Aug. 3, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office and the Town of Brookhaven will co-host the annual National Night Out at Fireman’s Memorial Park in Ridge from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
“National Night Out in the Town of Brookhaven is a great tradition and I am happy to join with Supervisor Romaine and Sheriff Toulon to help make this event such a big success,” said Town Councilwoman Jane Bonner (R-Rocky Point). “It’s important that residents and law enforcement become familiar with each other so we can all work together to make Brookhaven a better place to live.”
During the event, there will be games and giveaways, DJ music, bingo, vehicle displays, dancing, Safety Town, ball hockey, child and senior ID cards, ice cream, BBQ, softball games, tug-of-war and a special New York Rangers hockey alumni appearance from Tom Laidlaw.
It is perfect for all ages.
“I thank Sheriff Toulon and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office for working with the Town to organize this year’s National Night Out,” said Town Supervisor Ed Romaine (R). “It is an important community event that gives adults and children the opportunity to get up close and personal with law enforcement in a relaxed and fun atmosphere.”
The Town of Brookhaven’s Fireman’s Memorial Park is located at 724 Middle Country Road in Ridge.
“What I like about National Night Out is that it promotes community and law enforcement relationships,” Bonner added. “It really brings the men and women in uniform to the local level, showing that they are our friends are here to help.”
The free — and fun — actitivies, she said, are “the icing on the cake.”
In addition to lots of activities, staff from the Sheriff’s Office, the Town of Brookhaven, and other County employees will be battling it out in softball tournaments throughout the evening.
“But as the enemy closed in, Michael recognized that the survival of his men depended on calling back to the base for reinforcements. With complete disregard for his own life, he moved into a clearing where his phone would get reception. He made the call, and Michael then fell under heavy fire. Yet his grace and upbringing never deserted him. Though severely wounded, he said thank you before hanging up and returned to the fight before losing his life,” President George W. Bush, Oct. 22, 2007
Bush widely spoke about the heroic abilities and attributes of Navy SEAL Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy during a 2005 battle within the mountains of Afghanistan. Bush addressed the unique comradery of this special forces team that fought against the tenacity of the “Mountain Tigers,” who allied themselves with the Taliban, that were situated near the Pakistani border.
Murphy and his men were greatly surrounded, and they were outnumbered in soldiers and guns that targeted them at every turn, but these four SEALs only had one of its members survive in Marcus Luttrell, fought to the bitter end against enemy forces that targeted American troops that operated in this rugged area of Afghanistan.
Almost 14 years after Bush presented Dan and Maureen Murphy with the Medal of Honor for their son Michael, this story was recalled at the Baiting Hollow Country Club on Tuesday, July 20. On that day, 170 golfers that participated in the fourth annual outing to remember this local military figure.
As the golfers drove up to this course, they saw the American and Navy SEAL flags proudly flown for this event. It was not difficult to see the tremendous pride of the golfers, the police, former rescue workers, and veterans that were on hand to reflect on the tragic memory of “Operation Red Wing,” and the sound leadership of Murphy.
The North Patchogue Fire Department presented the “Murph Truck,” the Suffolk County Police Department flew its helicopter over this course, and Penn State student Daniela Bevas articulated the spirit of her fellow alumnus Michael who graduated from this college through the singing of the National Anthem.
Playing next to Dan was former SEAL Team Six member Robert O’Neill that was present to pay tribute to his friend. O’Neill helped raise needed funds for the Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy Navy SEAL Museum that is being built in Sayville and is expected to open on April 28, 2022.
The presence of O’Neill brought about an immense amount of curiosity in meeting the Navy SEAL that shot Bin Laden on May 2, 2011. Like the cheers that were felt by Americans some 10 years ago when baseball fans learned of the death of Bin Laden during the New York Met’s and Philadelphia Phillies game, the same emotions were felt a decade later when O’Neill spoke at this dinner.
After listening to the trumpet playing of Post 6249 member Greg Efermetz “call’s all to order,” this dinner crowd that grew to 350 people, heard O’Neill’s surprising account of this mission. O’Neill’s speech utilized a serious and humorous tone to explain this dangerous mission to fly into the middle of Pakistan.
Many people were on the edge of their seats to learn about the planning, training and final implementation of this risky plan to kill the architect of the 9/11/ and the several terrorist attacks against Americans that were conducted by Bin Laden during the 1990s.
This native of Montana easily connected with the residents of Long Island, especially those from North Shore that listened to O’Neill’s personal description of this top-secret assault, and the History vs. Hollywood analysis of the 2012 film “Zero Dark Thirty” portrayal of finding and killing of Bin Laden.
There was a local understanding by this westerner that realized there were many people at this fundraiser that had personal, family and friends that were killed from this terrorism. On this day, there were 9/11 responders, rescue and salvage workers that spent countless hours at Ground Zero, and local citizens that protected America in the Armed Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan that were in the presence of O’Neill.
It was an outstanding event that saw O’Neill personally sign copies of his book “The Operator,” that focused on his vast military experiences. Some of these included the rescue Captain Richard Philips from Somalia pirates and a severely wounded Luttrell from “Operation Red Wing’s” that was almost taken by the enemy in Afghanistan.
Next to O’Neill was author Gary Williams who wrote the account of the life of Michael P. Murphy through SEAL of Honor, and CEO of PC Richard and Son, Greg Richard. There was $500,000 that was raised through generous checks that were presented at this dinner from various major businesses, and there were many funds that were donated from the golfers who purchased shirts, hats and raffle tickets.
Suffolk County Police 6th Squad detectives are investigating a crash that killed a man in Miller Place Saturday morning.
Raoul Rasch was driving a 1934 Ford eastbound on Route 25A, near Panther Path, when the vehicle crossed into the westbound lane and struck westbound 2004 Ford pickup at 11:34 a.m., on July 31.
Rasch, 79, of Rocky Point, was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Jose Herrera, 54, of Centereach, was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital with minor injuries.
At the July 15 town board meeting, Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) presented a proclamation to Maryellen Campbell, wife of the late Glenn Campbell, who recently passed away at age 50. Campbell was a lawyer, a disabilities advocate and the first chairman of the Town of Brookhaven’s Disability Task Force.
At the age of 16, he was involved in a bicycle accident that left him a quadriplegic. The injuries didn’t stop him from attending college and law school, becoming an attorney focusing on disability law, discrimination, elder law, wills, trusts and estates.
In addition to his law practice, Campbell was active on several advisory boards including the Suffolk County Disability Advisory Board and the Association of Mental Health and Awareness.
A 1907 two-day endurance tour by the Long Island Auto Club may have planted the seed of a hill climb event in Port Jefferson. The 1907 tour had a stop in Port Jefferson for lunch at Mrs. Smith’s house, then went on to Greenport and back to Brooklyn.
A June 30, 1910, article in The Automobile indicated that a well-known promoter and local “live wire,” W.J. Fallon, organized a hill climb which was held June 25. Sixty-seven cars were entered.
The hill climb was sponsored by the Port Jefferson Auto Club and run on West Broadway, a course of about 2,000-feet in length, with an average grade of 10% and a peak of about 15%, ending at the Belle Terre Gatehouse. The local club contact was listed as G.E. Darling.
The hill climb was divided into 16 events by cost of auto, cubic inches of engine displacement as well as a “free for all” and a few events for cars owned by local club members and residents of Port Jefferson.
The fastest time was 20.48 seconds (about 68 mph) in a Fiat owned by E.W.C. Arnold and driven by Ralph DePalma. The slowest car, 1 minute, 36.58 seconds (about 14 mph), in a Knox driven by E.B. Hawkins.
Two other clubs participated in the events, the Crescent Athletic Club and the Long Island Auto Club. Knox cars won the most events totaling five wins and the results were widely used in advertising for the cars.
Various manufacturers entered their cars in the event includingOakland, Buick, the Only Motor Car Co. (a Port Jefferson-built car), Houpt-Rockwell, Pope-Hartford, Zust and Berkshire Automobiles.
Two cars entered were owned by women, Mrs. J.N. Cuneo entered her Knox and Mrs. J.A. Ferguson entered her Lancia.
Hawkins, the postmaster of Huntington, protested one event, claiming that the car driven by Fallon was not in fact owned for the required 30 days prior to the event.
A second protest was entered by J. Bell claiming the Knox entered by Fred Belcher in the stock events was in fact not in “stock” condition.
The hill climb was rerun on Sept. 9, 1911, and a commemorative event was staged in 1925. That event was won by a locally built car, the F.R.P. — Finley Robertson Porter.
A F.R.P. now resides in the Seal Cove Auto Museum in Mount Desert Island, Maine.
Reenactments of the hill climb took place in 2010 and 2015. There will be another event Saturday, Aug. 14, starting 10 a.m. at the Village Center. A rain date is set for the following day. For more info visit the website: portjeff.com/events/hillclimb.
Robert Laravie grew up in East Greenbush. He is a retired landscape architect, and worked for the New York State Department of Transportation on Long Island, New York City and on the Tappan Zee Bridge project in Tarrytown. He is currently a resident of Port Jefferson and has been a local conservancy member for the past six years.
We thought that the end was near with the coronavirus, but unfortunately the new Delta variant has people across the country concerned.
While many people — 68% of New Yorkers ages 18 and older — have been fully vaccinated, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said this week that 21 Long Island zip codes have low vaccination rates. The state will spend $15 million to target these communities in an effort to get more people vaccinated.
During his press conference on Monday, Cuomo said that new daily cases have been jumping due to the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus.
Cuomo added that about 75% of adults in the state have received at least one dose of the vaccine, but 25% have not — which is a total of 3.5 million people. Only 0.15% of people in the state who are vaccinated have become infected with the virus.
While things have opened up again, and life seems to be back to normal, the Delta variant can change that quickly. In areas that Cuomo named, which included parts of Rocky Point, Miller Place, Selden, Port Jefferson Station and Lake Grove, the $15 million funding from the state budget will be used to strengthen communication, expand public education and enhance ongoing outreach efforts throughout diverse communities.
But that isn’t enough.
The fact that so many people are choosing not to get vaccinated, and who are not being careful in doing so, is concerning. We understand that there are people who have extreme health issues that prevent them from getting the jab, and we respect that. We understand that everyone has the right to choose to be vaccinated, but when there is a public health crisis that has taken the lives of so many innocent people, how could one not choose to get the shot?
There is a lot of false information out there, and it’s sad to see that no one trusts science anymore. What happened to March 2020 when everyone was in this together? Why did something like a shot to prevent getting sick become so polarizing? Why are people fighting in supermarkets if they choose to wear a mask for protection, and someone who is anti-mask disagrees?
Of all the new and recent COVID-19 cases statewide, 72% come from the Delta variant. Don’t we want to get back to normal? Weddings are finally allowed to include more than 50 people. Meetings are in-person again. We have a lot to look forward to, and it would be so disappointing to fall back to where we were last year because of fear or misinformation.
Protect yourself. Protect your friends and family. This can be prevented.
Theatre Three in Port Jefferson will hold a Theatre Three Cares Food and Personal Care Items Drive to benefit the Open Cupboard food pantry at Infant Jesus Church on Sunday, August 1. Please note new location: They will be collecting donations at the Infant Jesus Convent Building at 110 Hawkins Street (off Myrtle Avenue) in Port Jefferson from 9 a.m. to noon. Please help those in need. The following items are in low supply and greatly appreciated:
FOOD ITEMS: Juice, Mustard, Mayonnaise, Ketchup, Sugar, All Purpose Flour, Maseca Corn Flour, Cooking Oil, Mac & Cheese, Canned Pasta, Pasta Sauce, Boxed Milk, Tuna, Peanut Butter, Jelly, Coffee, Oatmeal, Pancake Mix, Pancake Syrup, Black Beans, Rice (1# and 2# bags/boxes), Canned Fruit, Healthy Snacks, Fresh Chicken, Fresh Ground Beef & Hot Dogs.
They are also accepting donations of grocery store gift cards and cash to purchase whatever else is needed. If you prefer, you can remain in your vehicle for a contact-free drop off. For more information, call Brian at 631-938-6464.
One day, you wake up and your kids who called noodles “noonies” are getting ready for college.
No, not exactly. It’s a long journey filled with skinned knees, ripped tee shirts — don’t ask — eye rolling and muttering between clenched teeth. Still, here we are, as our kids prepare to move on from the educational minor leagues. Along the way, we went through numerous milestones. Please find below a few of the phases in our journey.
— Deer in the headlights. I’ve seen deer in my headlights. The only difference between them and us when we first brought our children home is that the deer’s eyes are open much wider. We almost instantly became sleep-deprived. Other than that, we had that frozen not-sure-where-to-move feeling, knowing we had to do something, but not exactly sure what or in what order to take care of those needs.
— Hating everyone. People meant well back in the days when our children were young and cried. Numerous people, who didn’t live with or even know our needy infants, offered unsolicited advice about what this scream or that scream meant. Strangers would tell us how our daughter’s cry meant she had gas, was hungry, needed her diaper changed, or was hot or cold. Yes, thanks, those are the options. Thanks for the help!
— Cooking the plastics. Yup, back in the early days, I was so sleep deprived that I put plastic bottles in a pot of boiling water to sterilize them and fell asleep. It wasn’t until I smelled the burning plastic that I realized how long I’d been out.
— Carrying everything: We couldn’t go four blocks without a diaper bag filled with everything, including the special toy each of them needed, diapers, wipes, ointment, sunscreen, bug spray, rain jackets, boots, and extra clothing.
— Straining our backs: Picking the kids up and playing with them was fun when they were under 20 pounds. When they reached 50 and above, holding them the entire length of a ski slope became impossible.
— Crazy sports parents: This phase lasted much longer than it should have. It was only when the kids reached late middle school that I appreciated the fresh air, the sparkling sunlight and the excitement of the moment. Exercise and making friends are the goal. Everything else, including winning, is gravy.
— Giving them space (aka, it’s not about us). As they reached adolescence, our children needed to make their own decisions. Tempting as it was to jump in and redirect them or even to kiss them before they left the car for middle school, we bit our tongues as often as we could, leaving us feeling lonely and nostalgic in our cars as they joined their friends.
— Beautiful naps: Giving them space allowed us to do what we wanted. After years of living our lives while monitoring and helping theirs, we had a chance to do exactly what we wanted, which started with restorative naps.
— Sending them into space. We aren’t putting them in a Jeff Bezos rocket ship or sending them to the International Space Station, but we are preparing to give them an opportunity to explore the world outside our house.
— Looking at the calendar differently. With both of them on the way to their futures, we can choose places to visit that didn’t interest them. We can visit these places when school is in session, which should mean lower costs for us.
— Telling other people how to take care of their kids: With our free time, we see parents struggling with young children. We, of course, know better. Or maybe not.
At this time of renewed attention to COVID-19, I recommend escapism. I have managed it, and this is how I did it. I immersed myself in two books, one after the other. They weren’t great classics, just hand-me-downs from a person whose reading tastes I respect. He gave me both books, and like a magic carpet ride, they took me to a different time and place with interesting characters for travel companions.
I enjoy historical fiction, and interestingly enough, both books use the siege of Leningrad by the Nazis during World War II as a critical context for their plots. Although we are being laid siege today by a malevolent virus, that act of war almost exactly 80 years ago was far different. Hitler wanted to bomb the city into oblivion, believing that Eastern Europeans were worthless, and survivors were to be starved to death. The German army was under orders not to accept any truce offer that might be extended to them by the city leadership. The siege began on Sept. 8, 1941, and ended, after 872 days of torment, on Jan. 27, 1944. The pre-war population of about two and a half million was reduced at the end to about 800,000 by extreme famine, disease and artillery strikes, one of the most destructive blockades in history. To make matters even worse, that first winter saw temperatures plummet as low as – 40 degrees. The dead piled up in the streets. There were even instances of cannibalism. The survivors were marked forever.
This is a major catalyst of the first book, “Winter Garden,” by best-selling author, Kristin Hannah. It is the story of the relationship between a mother and her two daughters, and between the daughters themselves, that bears the aftereffects of what has been termed by historians as attempted genocide in Leningrad. Anya is a cold and disapproving mother to her children, and they feel cast out to survive emotionally, each in their own way as they grow up. The glue that holds the family together is the father, and when he becomes terminally ill, the dysfunction of the women is clearly revealed. The writing is dramatic and manages to sustain a heart-rending pathos as the plot builds. I tried to keep a dry eye as I read, but in vain. Each continuing episode tugged at my heart and my tears flowed anew with just about every chapter. The surprise ending is a stunner.
Having barely recovered from Hannah’s epic story, I plowed into “City of Thieves,” by David Benioff. Unlike “Winter Garden,” in which the siege of Leningrad is considered for its profound and intergenerational consequences half a century later, Benioff’s main characters deal with the horror as it is unfolding. Seventeen-year-old Lev and 20-year-old Kolya somehow manage to make this into a coming-of-age story, with some laugh-out-loud dialogue even as they are fighting to survive. But don’t be misled. This account of the tragedy of Leningrad is, if anything, more brutal for its contemporaneous setting.
The two young men, through a bit of incredible yet somehow acceptable events, are sent off by a Soviet colonel amidst a starving city in search of a dozen eggs. It might as well be the holy grail for Arthurian medieval knights. In the course of the quest, they see and sometimes experience some of the individual terrors of the siege in what Benioff claims is historically accurate fashion. Benioff has delineated the plot according to specifics in Harrison Salisbury’s book, “The 900 Days,” and Curzio Malaparte’s “Kaputt.”
The latter, a novel published in 1946 by an Italian war correspondent, is about the descent of European civilization on the Eastern Front during World War II, and the former, written in 1969, is by the respected American journalist detailing the definitive story of the prolonged battle. Benioff cites them as sources for his novel.
They were hardly light reading, these two books my friend gave me, but they certainly kept my attention. They also taught me a bit, as good books do.
TPG Hotels, Resorts & Marinas — a Rhode Island-based hospitality group with hotels and resorts across the country — announced last week that it acquired Port Jefferson’s Danfords Hotel, Marina & Spa, located on the harbor in the village.
Originally established in 1986 as Danfords Inn, it boasts 92 guest rooms and suites. Its marina features more than 100 slips and over 1,000 feet of side to tie with the capacity to accommodate vessels up to 250 feet in length. Hotel stayers and locals visit its onsite restaurant and lounge, WAVE.
Some of the buildings on the property date back to the 1800s, when Port Jefferson was a bustling shipbuilding community.
“Danfords Hotel, Marina & Spa in Port Jefferson is a remarkable destination located in one of the highest barriers-to-entry markets in all of North America,” said Robert Leven, chief investment officer of Procaccianti Companies, in a statement. “Danfords is a perfect fit as we accelerate the growth of our recently launched marina platform. We have several more acquisitions in the pipeline and intend to have a significant concentration of East Coast marina properties by the end of 2021.”
The transaction is one of three acquisitions in the last seven months in TPG’s newly launched marina platform. In Rhode Island, TPG acquired both Dutch Harbor Boat Yard in Jamestown this June, and Champlin’s Hotel, Resort and Marina on Block Island in December 2020. The latter property is currently undergoing extensive renovations as part of a comprehensive improvement plan.
“It is not common to find the perfect buyer, but in this case we have achieved success,” Enrico Scarda, managing partner of The Crest Group, said in a statement.
Additionally, as part of the transaction, TPG will also manage catering operations at The Waterview restaurant located at the Port Jefferson Country Club.
TPG will embark on a property improvement plan at Danfords, including resortwide modernization, which includes the lodging and slip reservation systems and a full renovation of the resort’s guest rooms.
Additional renovations and improvements are also planned for the marina facilities.
The Crest Group was unable to further comment by press time.