Decision Women in Commerce and Professions — Long Island presented the Fortunato Breast Health Center with an $1,800 grant to purchase Breast Cancer Treatment Handbooks, which are given to every woman diagnosed with breast cancer at the Center.
“The founding and current members of Decision are pleased that for over 40 years we have been able to donate funds to Mather Hospital and the Fortunato Breast Care Center to provide essential and unique support for their patients, such as a stress testing machine, Fortunato Breast Center mammography screening and a blanket warmer cabinet,” said Grace G. LoGrande, MSW, chair of the group’s Decision Donations Committee.
“Even during these most stressful times of COVID, in addition to funding the grant request, Decision members were pleased to send food and beverages for the hospital staff as they devotedly cared for their patients.”
In addition to dealing with emotions and physical, social and other challenges, it is imperative that a woman newly diagnosed with breast cancer be able to navigate our highly complex health system effectively to attain the best outcomes.
The Fortunato Breast Health Center’s nurse navigators provide women with emotional support, information and assistance in making appointments and otherwise navigating their breast cancer treatment.
The Breast Cancer Treatment Handbook is a valuable tool used by the nurse navigators to assist women diagnosed with breast cancer.
The nurse navigators are part of the care provided by the center, which has earned full accreditation from the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers.
Crowds gather at Port Jefferson’s Bayles Landing awaiting the departure of Franklin D. Roosevelt and the yawl Myth II. Photo from the Kenneth C. Brady Digital Archive
Franklin D. Roosevelt launched his 1932 campaign for president of the United States by sailing from Port Jefferson across Long Island Sound into New England coastal waters.
Roosevelt had accepted the Democratic presidential nomination on July 2, 1932, at the party’s convention in Chicago.
Returning to New York where he was governor, FDR announced he would be going on a week’s cruise with his sons and departing from a secret Long Island location, later revealed as Port Jefferson.
Escorted by state troopers, Roosevelt motored from his home in Manhattan to Port Jefferson, arriving in the village around noon on July 11, 1932.
As seaplanes roared overhead, FDR was greeted by the tooting of boat whistles, screeching of car horns and the cheers of the hundreds who had lined Water Street (East Broadway).
Roosevelt made his way to Bayles Landing and boarded the Myth II, a 37-foot yawl rented for the trip from Prescott B. Huntington of St. James, New York.
Offering sleeping accommodations for six and a galley with a two-burner range, the unpretentious vessel had a black hull, orange deck and white cabin. With no auxiliary engine, the Myth II was solely dependent on her three sails for power.
Before casting off, FDR chatted with two local boys, Randall Woodard and Gilbert Kinner, who would become instant celebrities in Port Jefferson when they appeared in dockside photos and newsreels with the presidential nominee.
Franklin D. Roosevelt, New York State Governor and Democratic presidential nominee, is pictured aboard the yawl Myth II as he prepares to leave Port Jefferson on a vacation cruise with three of his sons. Photo from the Kenneth C. Brady Digital Archive
Getting underway, a launch captained by E. Post Bayles pulled the Myth II into the choppy waters of Long Island Sound where the tow was parted, and the yawl caught the wind.
At the helm, Roosevelt laid a course for Connecticut, backed by a crew of three of his four sons, as well as friend George Briggs, who kept the ship’s log.
The luxury yacht Ambassadress, chartered by FDR’s supporters and advisers, and the motor yacht Marcon, packed with newspapermen covering Roosevelt’s voyage, followed in the Myth II’s wake.
Ostensibly, the vacation cruise was to provide FDR with rest and relaxation before beginning his campaign for president, but the trip was more about politics than recreation.
Roosevelt anchored at several ports during his “holiday” including New Haven, Connecticut; Marblehead, Massachusetts; and Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
At these locations, FDR worked to bring dissident Democrats into the fold, meeting with political leaders from New England who had supported former New York State Governor Alfred E. Smith as the party’s presidential nominee.
During each stop, political heavyweights attended strategy sessions aboard the Ambassadress and Roosevelt held daily press conferences with the reporters tagging along on the Marcon.
A victory for the Democrats, the extensively photographed cruise showed Roosevelt as a vigorous leader who was prepared to command the “Ship of State” as well as he captained the Myth II, countering claims that FDR was a helpless invalid crippled by polio.
Roosevelt would go on to defeat Republican candidate and incumbent President Herbert Hoover in the Nov. 8, 1932 election, marking the end of a campaign that began on a summer day aboard a sailboat in Port Jefferson Harbor.
Kenneth Brady has served as the Port Jefferson Village Historian and president of the Port Jefferson Conservancy, as well as on the boards of the Suffolk County Historical Society, Greater Port Jefferson Arts Council and Port Jefferson Historical Society. He is a longtime resident of Port Jefferson.
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.
Photo from Rich Acritelli
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.
The photo shown here of the 1910 hill climb are from the Lazarnick collection, Detroit Public Library, credited to Spooner & Wells, a New York City photography company
By Robert Laravie
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.
The photoshown here of the 1910 hill climb are from the Lazarnick collection, Detroit Public Library, credited to Spooner & Wells, a New York City photography company
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.
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