Rite Aid announced on April 30 it is now administering the COVID-19 vaccine at all locations, spanning more than 2,500 stores in 17 states. Following the latest guidance from the Biden Administration, all those aged 16 years or older are now eligible for vaccination, and Rite Aid encourages everyone to schedule an appointment as soon as possible.
While scheduling appointments in advance is recommended to reduce wait time and guarantee availability of the vaccine, Rite Aid is now also accommodating walk-in vaccines on a limited basis in every store. Enabling walk-in appointments supports customers that may not have access to internet while also meeting the need for flexibility for customers. People interested in a walk-in appointment are encouraged to visit their local Rite Aid to confirm availability.
“The availability of vaccines in every Rite Aid location is a major milestone in our ongoing effort to fight COVID-19. We’ve been on the front lines since the beginning of the pandemic, working across our store footprint to bring testing and vaccines directly to local communities,” said Jim Peters, chief operating officer, Rite Aid. “Vaccine availability is improving every day, and our pharmacists are ready to administer vaccines safely and efficiently, providing the benefits of pharmacist-administered vaccines in a safe and sterile environment right in your neighborhood. Also, in addition to the grassroots efforts we’ve undertaken with our community partners, the availability of these walk-in appointments provides another way for those with limited or no technology access to more easily obtain COVID vaccines. We encourage everyone to make an appointment, or walk-in, today.”
Through its participation in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program and as an Official COVID-19 Vaccination Program Provider, Rite Aid has accelerated its COVID-19 immunization efforts as allocation has expanded. Rite Aid’s certified immunizing pharmacists are administering the Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech and Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccines.
Individuals ages 18 and over can schedule appointments using the Rite Aid scheduling tool found at www.RiteAid.com/covid-19. Those ages 16 and 17 can schedule an appointment with guardian consent at any store administering the Pfizer vaccine by contacting the store’s pharmacy directly. Those stores can be found here.
For more information about Rite Aid’s COVID-19 vaccine efforts, please visit www.RiteAid.com/covid-19.
County Executive Steve Bellone with Dr. Gregson Pigott in front of the vaccine pods in Hauppauge. Photo by Julianne Mosher
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) is encouraging residents to get their COVID-19 vaccines.
On Thursday, April 29, he joined Dr. Gregson Pigott, commissioner of the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, Dr. Shaheda Iftikhar, deputy commissioner for the Department of Health Services and Holly Rhodes-Teague, director with the Suffolk County Office of the Aging outside the H. Lee Dennison Building to announce the second phase of the county’s “Take Your Shot” campaign.
With vaccine hesitancy on the rise, the multi-media campaign will utilize TV, radio and targeted digital advertisements to address misinformation and build trust for those still on the fence.
Bellone said at the press conference that as of April 29, there were 271 new cases of COVID-19 within the last 24 hours out of 15,628 tests.
“That’s a positivity rate of 1.7%,” he said. “That is huge.”
He added the last time the county saw a number nearing the 2% mark was at the start of the virus’ second wave back in the fall around Halloween — before the Pfizer vaccine became available.
“We are below 2% positivity, but we’re back in that 1% range where we were throughout the summer last year, when we were still dealing with the pandemic with no vaccines,” he said. “So, this is significant.”
Bellone noted maintaining the lower number is proof that the vaccines are working.
Aline of people ready to get their vaccines. Photo by Julianne Mosher
“We want to get to the point when we say this virus is behind us once and for all, and the vaccines are the key to reaching our goal,” he said. “You need to be doing everything that we can to get people vaccinated to #TakeYourShot.”
The first phase of the Take Your Shot initiative was originally launched late last year in an effort to foster public awareness and designed to encourage county residents on the importance of receiving the COVID-19 vaccines.
The second phase launched last week will continue to help remove potential barriers for people getting the vaccine.
“As of yesterday [April 28], more than 660,000 residents have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Suffolk County,” he said. “That’s nearly 45% of our residents. While we’ve made tremendous progress over the last few months, at this point, there are no excuses, vaccines are available to everyone 16 and older.”
Right now, the Pfizer vaccine is the only shot eligible to teenagers, and Bellone said he’s encouraging high school juniors and seniors to do their part.
“We have a lot of school-related activities that are opening up and coming back — prom, graduation — and we’re very excited that those are going to happen,” he said. “Getting vaccinated is a way to reduce the spread of the virus and make those big gatherings safe.”
Bellone had another message to young people.
“You have a stake in this county,” he said. “You can be part of the effort to completely defeat this virus in and help save lives.”
The county also announced walk-in vaccination appointments available at select county vaccine pod locations.
“Our residents are busy, they want flexibility,” he said.
Started on April 29, residents can visit the Selden campus at Suffolk County Community College and get their vaccines anytime between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m.
“We’ve seen promising progress,” he said. “As more of our economy continues to open up, we want to return to normalcy.”
The Willows was run by Mrs. Hebee Fowler and located in Port Jefferson at Norton’s Corner, the intersection of East Main and Thompson streets. Photo by Robert S. Feather. Image from Kenneth C. Brady Digital Archive
Boarding houses were ubiquitous in Port Jefferson from the late 19th through the early 20th centuries.
In a typical Port Jefferson boarding house, guests rented one or more rooms, stayed for either a short-term or an extended period, and were provided with family-style meals and other amenities such as laundry services.
Some of the village’s boarding houses were small, private homes where the owners took in one or more lodgers as a way to supplement their income. Others were larger establishments, could accommodate a greater number of guests and operated strictly as a business.
In many cases, it was less expensive to live in a communal boarding house with its limited space and privacy than to stay in one of Port Jefferson’s hotels or to rent an apartment or a single-family home.
Mrs. S. J. Powell sits in front of her boarding house on East Broadway, Port Jefferson. Image from Kenneth C. Brady Digital Archive
It is difficult to determine the exact number of boarding houses in bygone Port Jefferson since many of their keepers craved anonymity and were known only by word of mouth, but evidence from multiple sources confirms that boarding houses were once everywhere in the village and had a diverse clientele.
Newspapers provide a rich variety of information about Port Jefferson’s boarding houses and their lodgers. In an 1879 “Board Wanted” advertisement in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, a family noted it was seeking “comfortable and airy” rooms in the village “for the summer” and expected a “first class” table.
The comings and goings of vacationers who boarded locally was regular fodder in the “Jottings” column of the Port Jefferson Echo which reported that 22 members of the Elks were staying at Mrs. Benjamin Odell’s on Beach Street.
Besides tourists, Port Jefferson’s boarding houses attracted unmarried workers. The diarist Azariah H. Davis recounted how telegraph operators on tight budgets boarded in rooms above Lee’s Drugstore on the village’s Main Street following the telegraph’s arrival in Port Jefferson in 1880. Census records from that year reveal that the village’s boarders also included newlyweds, transients, retirees and professionals.
Four of the village’s boarding house keepers advertised in Long Island, an 1882 travel guide published by the Long Island Rail Road. The proprietors listed, all women, were Mrs. C. L. Bayles, Mrs. E. B. Gildersleeve, Mrs. E. P. Tooker and Mrs. Hamilton Tooker.
Lain and Healy’s 1892 Brooklyn and Long Island Business Directory identified Port Jefferson’s 11 boarding house keepers, all women. The village’s female proprietors included Phoebe Beale, Ann Conk, Mary Tuthill and Mary Van Zandt.
Summer Homes on Long Island, the LIRR’s 1893 vacation guide, also listed Port Jefferson’s boarding house keepers, the majority women. They included Mrs. S. C. Abrew who charged from $5 to $8 per week for a room and Mrs. George E. Brown who could accommodate 21 guests at her Bay Side Cottage situated at Port Jefferson’s 303 West Broadway.
The Darlington House on Beach Street was listed in a 1908 LIRR travel guide, backed on the west shore of Port Jefferson Harbor, could accommodate 25 guests, and operated seasonally from June through September.
Renamed Shadow Lawn and kept by Mrs. Daniel Sprague, the boarding house was set ablaze on April 5, 1964 in a controlled burn by the Port Jefferson Fire Department.
The Linden House was located on Linden Place, offered residents “electric lights” and “reasonable rates,” and opened in 1915. In a glowing endorsement of the boarding house, one satisfied lodger said, “The meals are simply swell, and one gets more than it is possible to eat.”
The village’s other notable boarding houses were managed by keepers and located throughout Port Jefferson: Mrs. S. J. Powell (East Broadway); Mrs. Ellis Jones (Vineyard Place); Emma A. Rackett (Thompson Street); Mrs. Hebee Fowler (East Main Street); Louise Patterson (Belle Terre Road); Betty Greene (Bayview Terrace); and Mrs. John G. Clark (East Broadway).
While some boarding houses still survived on Thompson and other local streets as late as the 1960s, their numbers in the village had steadily declined because of several factors:
Automobiles and mass transportation made it possible to work in Port Jefferson and reside elsewhere. Boarding houses, which afforded food and shelter, were replaced by rooming and tourist houses, which furnished shelter alone, but gave their lodgers greater freedom and privacy.
From left to right: Volunteer firemen George Bone and John Hancock display a sign from Shadow Lawn, a boarding house that once stood on Beach Street. The derelict building was set ablaze on April 5, 1964 in a controlled burn by the Port Jefferson Fire Department allowing volunteers to practice fire-fighting techniques. Photo by Al Semm. Image from PJFD Collection
With rising incomes, middle-class workers left boarding houses for their own homes or apartments, often leaving behind the poor, elderly and unemployed. Boarding houses were seen as less respectable, some arguing that their presence among single-family homes destroyed a neighborhood’s integrity and depressed property values.
Despite these legitimate concerns, boarding houses contributed to Port Jefferson’s economic growth by providing lodging for the employees in the village’s many industries, boosting ancillary businesses particularly real estate and establishing Port Jefferson as a vacationland.
Boarding houses also improved the social status of the village’s women, enabling them either to generate additional household income or make an independent living.
Perhaps most important, Port Jefferson’s welcoming boarding houses introduced thousands to the village in the comfortable surroundings of a home away from home.
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.
This week, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) officially signed a new law stating that drivers must give bicyclists a 3-foot distance on the road.
Photo by Julianne Mosher
We think it’s great, and know how important it is to share the road. No one wants to hurt someone who’s riding for leisure or exercise.
But what concerns us the most are the riders who might feel entitled, who don’t follow their own rules of the road.
Yes, vehicle drivers — especially on Long Island — can be awfully aggressive and distracted at times. But to play devil’s advocate, it isn’t just the car drivers. We have seen some aggressive bike riders, too.
There are times that sharing the road on a busy street like Route 25A or Nesconset Highway is near to impossible. The driver of the vehicle slows down traffic to abstain from the biker, who is weaving in and out of their bike lane.
Not all bike riders are bad, and again we think it’s great they are staying fit and not thrusting carbon dioxide fumes into the air. But, just as there are bad apples to everything, we are begging those riders to not take this new law in vain.
While car drivers are now more responsible for keeping a safe distance from a bicyclist, we are asking the rider to do the same.
Please don’t ride your bike in traffic, and please pay attention, yourself. Please don’t be a nuisance to the people trying to get to work during rush hour, and please, please, please stop at stop signs, too.
If we all abide by the rules of the road, all of us will be safe and laws like this won’t even have to be considered down the road.
Loretta Criscuoli keeps herself busy as the new owner of Port Jefferson’s The Spice & Tea Exchange. But there is more to this local entrepreneur than just owning a business.
When the store located at 106 W. Broadway closes at night, Criscuoli heads home to Kings Park where she starts her second shift as a volunteer EMT ambulance driver and 1st lieutenant for the Kings Park Fire Department.
She said she has been with the fire department for 12 years.
“So, I’m here all day, and there all night,” she said.
Loretta Criscuoli in full gear volunteering with the Kings Park Fire Department at the height of the pandemic last year. Photo from Loretta Criscuoli
Criscuoli was furloughed from her full-time real job during the COVID-19 pandemic and that’s when she realized she wanted to start something new. A fan of the brand, she found out through the franchise there was an opportunity in New York where the doors to the village’s spice and tea shop had been closed for about a year. She decided to take over as its newest owner.
This West Broadway location is the first and only store in the state.
“I jumped right on it and it happened very fast,” she said.
After signing the paper work in October, she officially opened up her doors on Nov. 13. The Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce — of which she is a member — hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony April 15.
The Spice & Tea Exchange franchise was founded in 2008 and offers 140 spices, 85 exclusive hand-mixed blends, over 40 exotic teas, naturally flavored sugars, salts from around the world, gourmet gifts and accessories. It also houses a tea bar serving dozens of hot and iced teas with classics like chai, and unique flavors with names like the Berry Bouquet, Chocolate Caramel Candy Bar and Hazelnut Cookie. There are more than 70 franchises across the United States.
“Our blends are made in-house and we have over 75 of them,” she said. “We do everything including peeling the lemons, oranges, limes, we dehydrate them, and we grind them and add them to all the different recipes.”
Criscuoli said she always loved to cook and was always a tea lover. This opportunity was a perfect fit.
“I love it all,” she said. “Our guests are wonderful — it’s everyone who is into cooking and it’s working out really well … I am enjoying it.”
Part of the shopping experience there is to enjoy the aromas of the different smells.
“All the jars are here to be open and to smell,” she said. “That’s an important part of it. It really goes to all your senses. So, you have to come and experience it. It’s like a field trip coming through here where you get to smell all the fragrances and see the ingredients.”
The store will be open now Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursday from 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m.-7 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Sixth grader Katelyn Murray with Ramsey.
Photo by Julianne Mosher
By Melissa Levine
Suffolk County lawmakers last week unanimously approved a proposal by Presiding Officer Rob Calarco (D-Patchogue) to designate April 30 as “Pet Therapy Day” in Suffolk County.
Nationally recognized as a day to celebrate therapy animals through the efforts of Pet Partners — the nation’s leading organization registering therapy animals for animal-assisted interventions — Calarco felt it was important to mark the day on the county level to recognize the local groups working to improve the health and well-being of Suffolk residents through animal-assisted therapy and activities.
Legislators approved his resolution to designate Pet Therapy Day in Suffolk County at their April 20 general meeting.
Photo by Julianne Mosher
“Therapy animals and their human companions bring joy and healing to people of all ages in many different settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, schools and funeral parlors,” he said. “Designating April 30 as Pet Therapy Day is our way of saying thank you and recognizing all the good these animals and their handlers do to bring moments of joy to people in need in our community, especially given the difficulties of the last year.”
A furry friend joins a middle school class
Since the onset of the pandemic, Comsewogue School District’s staff and students have endured the same challenge that thousands of schools across the globe are facing recreating normalcy in a time of chaos.
Comsewogue special education teacher and student character liaison Andrew Harris is no stranger to the many benefits that come with therapy dogs.
“Normally we visit Stony Brook Hospital’s adolescent psychiatric unit on a weekly basis,” he said. “The kids get a great deal from our visits.”
Harris has been training dogs for over 20 years, so he has grown incredibly familiar with the contagious charm and health benefits that dogs like his dog, Ramsey — a licensed therapy pooch — can bring to people of all ages.
“It’s funny because the nurses and doctors are always the ones who rush in and cuddle the dog before the kids. After all, they too might be having an especially stressful day,” said Harris.
Once invited into a particular institution, the dog is able to comfort people in hospitals, nursing homes and schools.
After a few months of careful planning, Harris devised a therapy-dog-based proposition for the visits at the district’s schools. It didn’t take long to convince the administration to let Ramsey in.
Photo by Julianne Mosher
Ramsey proudly wears his Comsewogue picture ID and therapy dog bandana upon entering John F. Kennedy Middle School.
Harris said he has taken much time to develop this program for school visits.
“We have several progressive and successive lessons each time we come into a class,” Harris sad. “On the first visit, it is more of a meet and greet and demonstration of what the dog is capable of.”
When Harris was tasked with getting his therapy dog certification, he had no idea how elaborate it would be. He went on to describe how certain tasks tested the dog’s ability to remain calm in stressful situations — something Ramsey is great at when demonstrating for students of different abilities.
Harris takes ample time to show the students the difference between a therapy dog (they are for you) and a service dog (they are for the owner). He also demonstrates some typical things a service dog might do by performing tasks like dropping crutches and asking the dog to pick them up and bring them to him.
The dogs are capable of accomplishing many other feats too, like assisting people up staircases when requested, or alerting someone to wake up who has sleep apnea.
“When we visit a class for the second time, I have the students do more of the work, instead of the dog and I doing it all,” Harris said. “The students can start by introducing themselves or reading aloud to the dog. Then on our final visit, we sit the dog in the back of the room and have the students do full speeches or presentations.”
Photo by Julianne Mosher
The most important thing for Harris is that the students enjoy and learn during the time they spend with Ramsey.
Melissa Levine is a senior at Comsewogue High School
The Port Jefferson Farmers Market heads outdoors to Harborfront Park, 101 E. Broadway, Port Jefferson this Sunday, May 2 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Purchase local produce, honey, bread and baked goods, seafood, international specialties, plants and flower bouquets. Live music. Social distancing and masks required. The outdoor market will run through Nov. 14. Call 473-4724 for more information.
Port Jefferson EMS announced they will be scheduling in-home vaccine appointments Wednesday, after receiving 100 doses of the Moderna vaccine from New York State.
This comes after a delay due to the department not receiving what they said were promised doses from the county. Appointments will be available May 4, and can be scheduled online. Patients will then receive their second dose June 1.
“Our ability to administer vaccines in the home allows us to help the most vulnerable members of our community,” said Deputy Chief Micheal Presta. “Our paramedics are ready, willing and able to take on this new role and enhance the services we provide to the community.”
Photo from Port Jefferson EMS
To qualify, patients must be “homebound and have limited mobility,” which is defined by FEMA as “any individual that cannot get to and from vaccination sites without transportation assistance (due to physical disabilities, economic hardships, or other factors that may hinder an individual’s ability to get to and from a vaccination site without assistance).”
To receive a vaccine from the program, residents must reside in Port Jefferson, Miller Place, or Mount Sinai (11777, 11764, and 11766 zip codes).
Moderna does present logistical challenges in distribution. In following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a vial of vaccines, which generally contain 10 to 11 doses, cannot be left unrefrigerated for more than 12 hours.
The marquee at Theatre Three in April 2021. Photo by Brian Hoerger
After going dark over a year ago, Theatre Three in Port Jefferson will reopen on July 9. The announcement was made in a press release on April 22.
The summer line-up will kick-off with two performances of The L.I. Comedy Festival: Friday and Saturday, July 9 and 10, at 8 p.m. Featuring stand-up comedians from the New York City and Long Island comedy scene, The L.I. Comedy Festival is the hottest place for comedy. All tickets are $35.
The Mainstage will open with the world’s longest-running musical: The Fantasticks. A boy, a girl, two fathers, and a wall … Here is a timeless tale of love and loss, of growth and acceptance. Featuring a score blending musical theatre and jazz, the show is a heartfelt celebration of moonlight and magic. The Fantasticks will run July 16 through August 15. Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets are $35 adults, $20 children ages 5 to 12, $28 seniors and students.
Children’s Theatre will return on July 10 with a perennial favorite, The Adventures of Peter Rabbit — an original musical based on the characters created by Beatrix Potter. Peter, Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-Tail, Benjamin Bunny, the McGregors and their friends come to life in this Theatre Three tradition. The show runs on Saturdays at 11 a.m. through Aug. 14. All seats are $10.
*Tickets for all above shows go on sale Tuesday, May 4th.
Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson will follow all CDC and New York State safety protocols. Seating for summer events will be assigned based on updated CDC and New York State guidelines. Patrons must wear face covers while inside the theater.
To purchase tickets, please call the Box Office, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at (631) 928-9100.
or visit www.theatrethree.com.
A local mom, nonprofit founder and small business owner is looking to run for Village of Port Jefferson’s mayor seat.
Melissa Paulson, a Port Jefferson village resident since 2014, and owner of the online-only antique store, Melissa’s Cottage and Consignments, said she decided to go against incumbent Mayor Margot Garant because she believes the village needs a change.
A graduate of Hauppauge High School, she moved on to study special education and early education at Dowling College. While there, she worked for the America Reads program providing tutoring services to local children.
Paulson said after getting married and starting her family, she chose to move to the village because she had fond memories of it growing up.
“Coming here as a child and seeing how beautiful it is, but then now, I see the decline,” she said. “It’s very disheartening to see what has transpired. I specifically came here to raise my family, because the ambiance and historical history, and now we’re faced with vacancy, homelessness, acts of violence and safety concerns. So, it’s really time for leadership to really implement changes positively and effectively.”
Prior to her settling down in the village, Paulson’s daughter was diagnosed with cancer at just 18 months. It was then that the mayoral candidate decided to start up a nonprofit, Give Kids Hope Inc., in 2011 where she claims she has helped over 14,000 underprivileged families throughout the last year.
Give Kids Hope is now located in Port Jefferson Station, after finding a permanent home at 4390 Nesconset Highway last year.
Paulson said her charity work led her to consider a run for mayor over the last couple of years, when she believed the current administration wasn’t fixing the problems she saw.
“The proposed changes that were set to happen years ago unfortunately haven’t and after being here for so long, I realized it’s time for change,” she said. “I’m not a politician. I’m not a lawyer. I’m Melissa Paulson — I run a charity, but I want to be the voice for people and that’s what people need.”
She said she believes the village needs someone who’s “going to fight for them.”
“I will fight for what’s right,” she added. “I will listen to the voices of our residents, businesses and owners, even schools.We all need to work together to really make positive changes.”
Some of those changes she is looking to work toward are making the village a safer place, and stopping its commercialization.
“It was a historical village, and now it’s being commercialized by big apartment buildings, and people want that to stop,” she said.
Paulson said she wants to hold business owners in Upper Port more accountable for graffiti by issuing fines, and to bring businesses back to Down Port. She plans to address homelessness and raise police presence throughout the village.
Although the village has created a task force to keep an eye on troublesome bicyclists, while also increasing its constable presence on the streets, Paulson said she would like to see more.
“We need police watching our residents. We need more jurisdiction of constables,” she said. “We need to begin finding ways to allow them to have more duties to protect our village more.”
Despite a random and unfortunate incident where a man was killed on Main Street in March, a recent report at the village board of trustees meeting stated that Port Jefferson’s crime rate has been on the decline.
Paulson acknowledged that, but she still sees concerns over the teenage bicyclists who have harassed visitors and residents in the past.
“I’ll feel safer if I see police officers walking around the village,” she said.
One concern that village residents noted when Paulson announced her candidacy was the fact that her two children are part of the Three Village school district.
“I don’t have a choice to attend Port Jefferson schools,” she said.
The village vote is scheduled for June 15.
“Every day I’m working hard to become your mayor,” she said. “This is more than an election, it’s my passion and mission to be the voice of the residents.”
Keep checking back with TBR News Media for more updates on the upcoming village election.
Prev
