As soon as Comsewoge High School Students and Staff found out that Michael Abatiello, class of 2021, graduated from his Marine boot camp last week, they excitedly reached out to him.
When he came back to the high school students and staff cheered and presented him with gifts that students fundraised for our Comsewogue Active Warrior Network.
“It is a priority for us to stay connected to our military graduates serving all over the world,” said Jennifer Quinn, superintendent of schools.
Teacher Katy Dornicik agreed, and was happy that Michael was able to visit and be recognized by his peers.
“Michael always had one vision and would do anything in his power to make his dream become a reality,” she said. “Since 7th grade, he had his mind set on becoming a Marine. His work ethic and desire to succeed made it all happen. I am so proud of him.”
Students and administration will continue to honor any Comsewogue graduate (or their family if they are not able to be there) who are active in themilitary at the club and craft fair at the high school on Saturday, Dec. 11 at noon.
Andrew Harris is a special needs teacher at the Comsewogue school district.
Four Port Jefferson Middle School students shared a unique spotlight when they read their poetry to the many spectators during the 25th annual Charles Dickens Festival in Port Jefferson on Dec. 3. Accompanied by teacher Monica Consalvo, sixth grader Elayna Jacobs, seventh graders Deia Colosi and Julie Friedman and eighth grader Gianna Viviano shared their winter-inspired poems during the special evening lantern dedication that served as a backdrop to the Village’s transformation to the Dickensian era, with streets filled with roaming characters including Dickens Mayor, Father Christmas, Scrooge, the Town Crier and the beloved chimney sweeps
Winter
By Elayna Jacobs, Grade 6
Winter is every child’s dream.
As snowflakes glisten in the distance,
children play in the snow.
Snowmen are built.
Childhood wonder sparkles.
Year after year the remembrance of this winter day.
Family
By Julie Friedman, Grade 7
Families coming together joyfully
Everyone walking peacefully
Smiles and laughs are contagious
Being sad seeming outrageous
The act of giving and love being expressed
Everyone feeling fortunate and blessed
Although a piece of the puzzle may be missing for some
Don’t let that stop you from living and having fun
Your loved one’s memory is still in your heart
And always know they will never be to far apart
So let’s be happy of the memories you guys have shared
Feeling joy and peace and never feeling scared
During the holiday season, think of our loved ones that are no longer here.
Winter Sights
Deia Colosi, Grade 7
Spring’s blooming buds-
Summer’s fiery sun-
Fall’s vivid, pictorial colors-
But none can compare
To winter’s shining frost,
Sparkling in the morning sun.
‘Tis an amazing sight to see
Icicles glinting in every tree
And frosted fields of white
Whose shine does not compare
The rolling plains of endless white
With the occasional spark of light,
As far as the eye can see.
Ah! ‘Tis beauty in its purest form.
A season of wondering and wandering,
Moonlit and cold,
Remote, yet beautiful still.
A season of starlight.
Draped in a mantle of cold and frosted stars
This season
Of winter.
Nona’s Kitchen
By Gianna Viviano, Grade 8
Walking into Nona’s kitchen on Christmas Eve is like entering a new world
New sights by the second are being unfurled
The pots and pans are everywhere, some boiling to the top,
Uncle Joe is picking at the olives and Nona scolds him to stop.
The smell of sauce, lemon, and garlic fill the air.
Our tummies grumble and from the tray more rice balls disappear
Flavor explodes on our tongues and we crave more
We get caught red-handed and shooed out the door.
Little cousins run around, as the parents jump out of their way
Aunts and uncles reliving their childhood Christmas days
Nona pulls the octopus out of the pot and scares me half to death.
We start laughing and I can’t catch my breath
The final timer goes off, and the symphony of chaos comes to a rest
Now it’s time for dinner, the very very best
From babies to 80s we sit together at the long table
We think about how Christmas all started in a stable
Pop says the blessing, and we thank God for this day,
Over its 20 years in existence, Jefferson’s Ferry has been home to a significant number of accomplished and creative older adults who have been groundbreakers, innovators, educators and artists. All were original thinkers with a desire to do something that hadn’t been done before, and many of these residents wrote books about their work, which can be found in the Jefferson’s Ferry library collection.
Lee Koppelman: visionary of open space preservation
Lee Koppelman
The Suffolk County landscape would look markedly different if not for Lee Koppelman. He was the first regional planning board director for Suffolk County. An early advocate for the preservation of open space, Koppelman drew up Suffolk’s first comprehensive master plan in 1970 and dominated planning on Long Island from the 1960s until he stepped aside in 2006. A leading professor emeritus at Stony Brook University who still teaches, Koppelman was appointed the director of the Center for Regional Policy Studies there. He is also chairman emeritus of the Town of Brookhaven Open Space and Farmland Acquisition Advisory Committee. The Lee Koppelman Preserve, a parcel of land on the Stony Brook campus, commemorates his stewardship of open space in the county.
The Town of East Hampton has also commemorated his contributions to Long Island’s open space, designating about 800 acres contiguous to and adjacent to Hither Hills State Park as the Lee Koppelman Nature Preserve. Koppelman is the author of 22 books, which include “The Fire Island National Seashore” and “The Urban Sea: Long Island Sound.” He and his wife, Constance, reside in an independent living apartment at Jefferson’s Ferry.
Carol Fenter holding her husband’s book ‘Sex, Drugs and Rock ’n Roll: The Legacy of the Counter-Cultural Revolution.’ Photo from Jefferson’s Ferry
Fred and Carol Fenter; author and wife
As a high school social studies teacher, Fred Fenter had a front-row-center season ticket on the cultural revolution that marked the 1960s and ’70s. From that perspective, in 2008, he penned “Sex, Drugs and Rock ’n Roll: The Legacy of the Counter-Cultural Revolution.” What made his experience particularly radical was the transformation of the ultraconservative Bay Shore High School, a place of separate faculty rooms for men and women, strict dress codes, zero tolerance for even a muttered “hell” or “damn.”
Quite suddenly, to Fenter’s eye, the school swerved to embrace the anti-establishment fervor of the ’60s. Faculty rooms were converted to student space, the dress code disintegrated to rags and teachers had to find new ways to engage the more willful students.
All of this was anathema to Fenter, who had to drop out of high school and join the U.S. Navy at age 17 to support his family. Upon his return, he finished high school at night while holding a variety of day jobs that included bank teller, shelf stocker at the supermarket and elevator operator. He earned his master’s degree while teaching at Delehanty High School in Queens and Division Avenue High School in Levittown, where he met his future wife Carol. Fred Fenter ultimately taught advanced history honors for 20 years at Bay Shore High School.
“Fred always wanted to write,” Carol Fenter said. “But with a family of four children to support, he had to put that dream on hold. He worked two jobs, which left little time for writing.”
After his retirement from teaching, Fred and Carol became among the first residents at Jefferson’s Ferry. They moved in during fall 2001 seeking a lifestyle that suited Carol’s active social life and Fred’s desire to write. “Sex, Drugs and Rock ’n Roll” was written in its entirety at Jefferson’s Ferry.
“He came from nothing,” his wife said. “His father died when he was 14 and life became all work and no play. That made the cultural revolution of the ’60s and ’70s into a particular challenge. During World War II, the U.S. Navy took over control of cargo ships from various importers and shippers to augment its supply fleet. Assigned as a signalman on one of the so-called ‘banana boats,’ Fred never could understand how he survived the war. He didn’t have the youth that his future students would have.”
“He didn’t put himself into the book at all,” she added. “It’s all philosophical. He hits the movements of the times — anti-war, free love, civil rights, feminism — from all different aspects. He had it in his head and wanted to get it out.”
Fred Fenter passed in 2008, but Carol finds plenty to do at Jefferson’s Ferry. She is chair of the residents council, former chair of the Jefferson’s Ferry Foundation, has taught countless residents in her popular computer classes and has installed more than 100 modems in residents’ apartments. While she’s not a writer like her late husband, she is a voracious reader, consuming multiple books each week.
Joan Watson: ‘My Turning Points’
Joan Watson holding her book ‘My Turning Points.’
Dec. 1, 1952, was the last day 12-year-old Joan Watson was tucked into bed feeling safe and secure. Today, as clearly as the day in which it happened, Watson remembers waking up the morning of Dec. 2 to her mother’s suicide. This tragedy was the first “turning point” in Watson’s young life, the day her life changed forever. Gone was the affection of her mother, the family memories and the sense of stability. Unlike her mother, her father wasn’t affectionate. He was very strict and determined that his three children would learn responsibility. Frightened about what her life would be without that special love of her mother, she prayed for God to send someone to love her.
Her challenges didn’t end when years later, she left the family home to marry her high school sweetheart. After three years of marriage, her husband left and moved out of state, leaving her and their two daughters. Watson’s next turning point occurred when she lost her youngest daughter to illness at barely 2 years of age. Watson and her surviving daughter lived with the help of public assistance and Joan’s jobs as a school bus driver and waitress.
But her story doesn’t end there — it begins anew. Through therapy and her faith in God, she tapped the inner strength and talents that allowed her to begin to take control of her life and start initiating her own turning points. She furthered her education with secretarial school and got a job typing medical records at St. John’s Episcopal Hospital in Smithtown. Watson began to achieve a modicum of stability and happiness.
A second marriage was full of love and support, giving her the freedom to be her best self. She achieved positions of increased responsibility and reward at work.
Then came another turning point, totally unexpected and serendipitous. While attending a party, Watson learned of a 60-minute program — a company, Mary Kay, was giving away diamonds and minks to reward its salespeople. While still working at the hospital, she started selling Mary Kay products and quickly reached the director level, making real money. Watson excelled at bringing successful consultants into the company by adhering to Mary Kay’s wisdom, “Help enough people get what they want, and you’ll get what you want,” Watson said. What determined her success was the ability to lift her consultants and teach them to do what she did. Mary Kay also taught her about investing. The recognition she received surpassed money as Watson’s motivator. In her eyes, God had sent her the love of many.
Watson wrote “My Turning Points” to make a difference in other peoples’ lives, to help them find their own turning point and make a difference in their lives. “My Turning Points” is among the most popular books in the Jefferson’s Ferry library. Reading the book has also spurred people to open up to her about challenges in their own lives.
A Jefferson’s Ferry resident for six years, Watson values the community and the ease of her days. When she was widowed after 40 years of marriage 14 years ago, she knew that she’d have to find a continued sense of place and security. She reviewed her expenses and investments, sold her house and found a new home and friends while remaining close to her family. She is retired from Mary Kay, but still mentors and coaches women who have followed in her footsteps at the company. Watson’s pink Cadillac, parked outside her apartment, continues to be a conversation piece.
Linda Kolakowski is vice president of Residential Life at Jefferson’s Ferry Life Plan Community in South Setauket.
Coach Ashley Langford during the game against Rutgers on Dec. 16. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics
Coach Ashley Langford with Leighah-Amori Wool during the game against Rutgers on Dec. 16. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics
Coach Ashley Langford with team members during the game against Rutgers on Dec. 16. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics
By Daniel Dunaief
Daniel Dunaief
Before each game, the Stony Brook University women’s basketball team meditates.
The pre-game ritual, among other changes and additions first-year Coach Ashley Langford instituted, has worked, as the team has a 7-1 record and sits first in the America East division.
Meditating “calms us and helps us visualize what we want to see in a game,” said India Pagan, a starter for Stony Brook and a graduate student with an extra year of eligibility because of the COVID pandemic.
A standout guard for Tulane University who finished her college career first in assists, Langford appreciates how hard the team has worked and how well they’ve come together.
“Our chemistry has been really good early on, to the point where, sometimes, [I wonder] is it November or is it March?” she said.
With five players averaging double digits in scoring, Stony Brook becomes harder to guard.
“On any given night, we’re moving and sharing the ball,” Langford said. “They are selfless. They don’t care who has the most points.”
While earning a spot in March Madness this year for just the second time in the program’s history would be rewarding, Langford focuses on each game.
“I’m a person that stays in the moment,” Langford said. “As long as we’re getting better, that puts us in a position to win the next game.
To that end, Langford would like the team to continue to improve in its transition defense.
She would like to see the team, which includes starters Earlette Scott, Gigi Gonzalez, Leighah-Amori Wool, Anastasia Warren and Pagan, continue to collect more offensive rebounds.
Langford’s assistant coaches, which includes recruiting coordinator Shireyll Moore, have been searching for players who might join the program as student-athletes.
“We’re in the position we are today because we have pretty good players,” Langford said. “My staff does a lot of this. They are more actively involved in the recruiting” each day.
Stony Brook has signed three current high school seniors and is focusing on juniors.
Before each game, Langford’s assistant coaches watch film of their opponents. They give her a cheat sheet before she watches film as well.
While Langford plans to stick to the team’s strengths, she will add a few wrinkles depending on the insights she gains about her opponents.
In the team’s first loss, Pagan and Warren were unavailable to play for medical reasons.
The team could have gone to Fordham feeling defeated, but the players fought to the end in a game they lost, 71-59.
“They don’t like losing, we don’t like losing,” Langford said. “They have responded well this week.”
The start of a season as head coach has taught Langford several lessons, including pacing herself and, in particular, protecting her voice. She drinks tea all day long and tells her staff to remind her not to yell in practice, because she shouts over the band at games.
In practice, Langford grabs a ball periodically to demonstrate what she’d like to see from her players.
As for her activity during the game, Langford sits only for about the first 30 seconds and then works the sidelines.
Pagan appreciates the work Langford puts in and the way her new coach has improved her game. While she used to get three or four rebounds a game, she’s often snagging 10 or more.
Pagan also sees herself hustling more, particularly after Langford created a drill where the players dive for loose balls.
“Before, I wouldn’t think of diving for a ball. Now, it’s ingrained into my head,” Pagan said. “The hustle doesn’t stop until the whistle blows. You play until you can’t play any more.”
Among the many preparations we made for our family Thanksgiving gathering this year, was carefully considering how to prevent any intrusion by COVID-19, a most unwelcome guest. The children and grandchildren were coming from six different states, so the potential exposure was widespread.
We agreed that everyone would have the appropriate vaccinations, two and a booster if possible. Each member also bought an Abbott BinaxNOW antigen self test result that they took before starting out on their trips. Everyone tested negative, so we were full steam ahead.
Thanksgiving Day was filled with hugs, laughter and love. We had not been all together in almost two years, and much conversation resulted, including how the youngest one had grown. After the traditional sumptuous dinner, we went around the table and spoke about what we were most grateful for in the past year. This is of special value to me, in addition to the lovely feelings of gratitude evoked, because it gives me a chance to catch up on their various activities.
The next day, Friday, we talked, walked, played games and ate some more. I almost didn’t register when one of my grandsons came to the dinner table a little late because he was feeling “achy.” But when he asked for an Advil the next morning, I got out the At-Home rapid test, and in 15 minutes we knew he was positive. Thinking it might be a false positive, we drove him to Stony Brook University Hospital, where he was given a PCR test, the gold standard, and in four hours we had the result.
Somehow, in spite of our careful efforts, the pathogen had found us. We then went to the next step and self-quarantined, but we are still trying to figure out where the hole in our defenses lies. As nearly as we can conclude, a negative test does not check for viruses in low numbers that are just beginning their infection in the nose, for example, and are still too few to register. With no symptoms, there is no way to detect their presence. It typically takes at least three days before the alarm goes off. So even weekly testing, which is so often done by institutions and employers, is not foolproof, especially if the patient is asymptomatic.
Fortunately, because my grandson was doubly vaccinated, the illness was of short duration, although he did lose his sense of taste and smell for a bit. The rest of the family members are fine. But what does that mean for all of us? The potential for infection is there, still with us despite how much we would like to leave it behind and despite all precautions. Gatherings of almost any size carry some risk, especially when we remove our masks to eat together, and we cannot be mindless of the threat.
There may be some good news, however. Omicron, the latest variant to be identified, seems to cause a milder version of the disease, at least so the early evidence indicates. And there are now two different pills that appear to hold back the most harmful effects of the virus if taken within five days of onset. One is from Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, called molnupiravir, that reduces the risk of hospitalization and death by 30%. It should be receiving FDA approval soon, even though it can cause serious side effects. The other is Paxlovid from Pfizer and so far appears to be 85% effective, perhaps to be authorized by year’s end. Made of a different formulation, it probably would not cause the same side effects as Merck’s but could cause others. Both pills could turn out to be a stop gap if the vaccines prove ineffective against new variants. And both may be more powerful if given together, as research against the virus that caused AIDS proved at that time. According to Dr. Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, who oversaw combination therapy for HIV years ago, such a clinical trial could be quickly done.
Welcome to Dickens in December! The 25th annual Charles Dickens Festival has been gently extended with activities on Saturday, Dec. 11 and 18. The Village will present two concerts per day, one in the Masonic Lodge and one in the Village Center’s Skip Jack room. The not-to-be-missed Festival of Trees will delight all those who visit the Village Center’s second floor and the streets will once again play host to a host of Dickens street characters.
Saturday the 11th features Dave K at the Masonic Lodge at 1 p.m. and Sweet Melody Music Studio with the Blue Music Company and Sterling Sax at the Village Center at 3 p.m. Saturday the 18th features the Dorian Consort string trio at the Masonic Lodge at 1 p.m. with Songs of the Season returning at 3 p.m. in the Village Center. The concerts are free and masking up is highly recommended.
Come on down to say ‘happy holidays’ to our beloved Chimney Sweeps and hear caroling groups perform throughout the Village. The restaurants have all prepared a holiday repast, while the stores are ready to fulfill those special holiday gift requests. So, come one, come all — a splendid time is in store for everyone.
Allan Varela serves as chair for the Greater Port Jefferson-Northern Brookhaven Arts Council which hosts the Port Jefferson Charles Dickens Festival.
The 25th annual Charles Dickens Festival drew in hundreds with Port Jefferson village transforming into the Dickensian era last weekend.
After a halt in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the community was able to travel back in time (again) decked out in their most festive attire.
“It’s just such a wonderful destination for the holidays,” said County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket). “It’s unique, it’s special and it’s great thing for businesses.”
Characters like the dusty chimney sweeps, Father Christmas, Dickens Mayor, the Town Crier and of course, Scrooge, performed on the village streets and posed for photo ops with visitors and residents, alike.
The festivities began on Dec. 4 at 11 a.m. with a parade down East Main Street, headed by village officials and former mayor Jeanne Garant and concluded Sunday night.
“We are so proud and grateful that we can bring back this great tradition to the village,” said Mayor Margot Garant. “Not only does it bring an economic boost to our merchants and kick off the holiday season, but it brings good will and merriment to all. I am proud to carry on this tradition and keep it alive in hearts for all near and far.”
On Friday, Dec. 3, village officials gathered at two lanterns on Main Street to remember Nan Guzzetta and Bradley Charles Collins.
Across the street from her home and costume shop, a lantern was named for Guzzetta who passed away earlier this year.
Guzzetta was a well-known and beloved costumer who dressed local actors and was instrumental with her involvement in the Dickens Festival.
“I will always look up at that porch and wave to Nan every time I pass that building,” said Mayor Margot Garant.
The group then headed outside the Chase Bank on Main Street to honor Collins, who also recently passed away.
After the dedications, residents stopped into the Village Center for hot chocolate, cookies and ice skating. Santa also made an appearance on his sleigh for photos.
Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) will be back in her role next year as Suffolk County legislator for the 6th District.
This comes nearly a month after election night Nov. 2 where Republican candidate Brendan Sweeney was in the lead by nearly 1,200 votes, but absentee ballots were not accounted for at the time.
After a lengthy recount of ballots and a court review of the count, Sweeney called Anker to concede and congratulate her on reelection by 63 votes.
“If anyone ever says that their vote doesn’t count, I urge you refer to this race to show that even one simple vote can make a difference,” Sweeney said, thanking his supporters specifically in Mount Sinai, Miller Place, Rocky Point, Ridge, Terryville and Shoreham-Wading River.
“I’m thankful to my friends, family and supporters in those communities,” he said.
Sweeney added he knew from the beginning that the race would be tough going against a 10-year incumbent.
“We put up a good fight,” he said.
Sweeney, who is currently an employee with the Town of Brookhaven, will be leaving his position this month to work in the office of the expected incoming county presiding officer, Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst).
“I’ll be in this business no matter what,” he said.
Anker said she is “very happy” with the results and relieved that the counts have been finalized.
“Now I can continue to work on the projects I’ve been facilitating,” she said.
Anker said that the anticipation of the results was stressful, but what kept her going was knowing her sister survived breast cancer.
“Right after the election after I lost, I learned she was doing much better,” she said. “It wasn’t until last week that I learned she’s now cancer free.”
She said that knowing her sister survived her battle was more important than thinking she might not win her campaign.
“It was a good diversion in understanding the priorities in life,” she said. “I’m very grateful.”
Mayor Margot Garant and trustee Kathianne Snaden pictured with the new EV charger in Bakers Alley.
Photo from Kevin Wood
A third parking spot for electric vehicle charging has been added to Port Jefferson village, this time in Bakers Alley.
Over the course of the last year, the village has added two other charging stations, one in the new Barnum lot and another in Rocketship Park.
Photo from Kevin Wood
“Port Jefferson is on the cutting edge of this new technology,” said Kevin Wood, the village’s parking and mobility administrator. “I think we’re ahead of any other village of this size with the amount of EV charging … It’s exciting.”
Visitors with electric cars can enjoy free charging at this particular new station in the Bakers Alley parking lot until Dec. 31.
“What’s great is that when people are charging their vehicles for two-to-four hours, they’re shopping and dining in our village while they wait,” Wood said.
He added that New York State grants were applied for and used to implement all three of the chargers.
For those without an electric vehicle, they, too, can enjoy the village with free parking for the rest of the season. Starting Dec. 6, parking will be free until the springtime in all Port Jefferson lots.
Welcome to Dickens in December! The 25th annual Charles Dickens Festival has been gently extended with activities on Saturday, Dec. 11 and 18. The Village will present two concerts per day, one in the Masonic Lodge and one in the Village Center’s Skip Jack room. The not-to-be-missed Festival of Trees will delight all those who visit the Village Center’s second floor and the streets will once again play host to a host of Dickens street characters.
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