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Meet Valentina! Sweet and gentle, Valentina is a 5-year-old Shih Tzu mix who likes to wear pearls! Up for adoption at the Smithtown Animal Shelter
Meet Parker! This handsome boy is a 8 to 9-year-old Chihuahua and COVID orphan. Up for adoption at the Smithtown Animal Shelter
Meet Betty Boop! Betty Boop is a ten-year-old Pit Bull Terrier Mix with lots of love to give! Up for adoption at the Smithtown Animal Shelter
Meet Angel! A 6-year-old Blue Nosed Pit Bull, Angel has been at the shelter for over 2 years. Up for adoption at the Smithtown Animal Shelter
Meet Spritz! Spritz is a 4-year-old Dachshund mix. Very scared but so sweet, he needs a patient, loving home. Up for adoption at Save A Pet
Meet Izzy! This sweet 2-year-old Pit/Lab mix came to the shelter with her litter of puppies who were all adopted - now it's her turn. Up for adoption at Save A Pet
Meet Enzo! Enzo is a 4-year-old Labrador/Weimaraner mix who needs a nice big fenced in yard to run around in. Up for adoption at Save A Pet
Meet Bob! This young Jack Russell Terrier mix was rescued from a hoarding situation in Georgia. Bob is timid but will warm up to the right person with lots of love and patience. Up for adoption at Save A Pet
Meet Princess! Little Shelter is looking for the perfect fit (glass slipper optional!) for Princess, an eight-year-old Terrier mix. Up for adoption at Little Shelter
Meet Lucille! With a name meaning 'of the light,' meet Lucille, a ten- year-old Shepherd mix. Up for adoption at Little Shelter
Meet Curry! A thirteen-year-old Cocker Spaniel, this sweet senior enjoys a good outing, taking in all the sounds and smells, visualizing everything through your eyes. Up for adoption at Little Shelter
Meet Copper! As bright and shiny as a good luck penny, meet Copper, an eight-year-old Beagle. Up for adoption at Little Shelter
Meet Richie! This handsome boy is a 2-year-old Terrier mix rescued from a high kill shelter in Georgia. Up for adoption at Kent Animal Shelter
Meet Blue! Blue is a 3-year-old Husky from Texas who loves to go on long walks. Up for adoption at Kent Animal Shelter

October may be known as the month of pumpkin-flavored everything, apple-picking, fall foliage, and haunted houses but it’s also Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, a rescue initiative started by the American Humane Society in 1981 to help the estimated 3 to 4 million animals waiting in shelters every year get the loving, forever homes that they deserve.

Be a hero this month and adopt a dog from your local shelter or rescue group. You’ll be saving his or her life and greatly improving your own as dogs are amazing, supportive and heroic companions. Kent Animal Shelter, Little Shelter, Save-A-Pet Animal Rescue & Adoption Center and the Smithtown Animal Shelter have many adoptable dogs waiting for a loving home.

Click on the photos above for adoptable dogs at:

Kent Animal Shelter, 2259 River Road, Calverton

Call 631-727-5731 or visit www.kentanimalshtler.com

Little Shelter Animal Rescue & Adoption Center, 33 Warner Road, Huntington

Call 631-368-8770 or visit www.littleshelter.org

Save-A-Pet Rescue & Adoption Center, 608 Route 112, Port Jefferson Station

Call 631-473-6333 or visit www.saveapetusa.org

Smithtown Animal Shelter & Adoption Center, 410 East Main Street, Smithtown

Call 631-360-7575 or visit www.townofsmithtownanimalshelter.com

 

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Photo from Deposit Photos

Amid a steady drumbeat of worry and anxiety, the last week produced several potential encouraging signs in the battle against COVID-19.

Pfizer recently applied for emergency use authorization for a vaccine for children who are five to 11 years old, a group that has returned to school but that hasn’t yet had access to any vaccines.

Pfizer will get early approval as “long as the [Food and Drug Administration] has enough data,” said Dr. Sunil Dhuper, chief medical officer at Port Jefferson’s St. Charles Hospital. “They’re going to get early approval.”

A vaccine would be a welcome defense for children who now constitute anywhere between 25% and 35% of infections, Dhuper said.

Vaccinations for those over the age of 12 have helped drive down an infection rate that had climbed toward the end of the summer.

In recent weeks, the percentage of positive cases in Suffolk County has continued to decline, with the seven-day average falling to 3.2% as of Oct. 10, according to data from the Suffolk County Department of Health.

While health officials and pharmacies continue to administer booster doses of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine, Johnson & Johnson has applied for Emergency Use Authorization for a booster dose that enhances the immune response to the virus.

As of now, people who received J&J’s original vaccine are not eligible for the Pfizer BioNTech booster, according to Dr. Sritha Rajupet, director of Population Based Health Initiatives and director of the Post-COVID Health Clinic at Stony Brook Medicine,

Meanwhile, Merck recently produced a drug in pill form called Molnupiravir that reduced hospitalizations and death by 50% when taken within the first five to eight days of developing COVID symptoms.

The drug didn’t completely prevent hospitalizations or death but greatly reduced it, generating excitement in the health care community. Merck applied earlier this week for emergency use authorization for Molnupiravir.

“It’s a great study,” Dhuper said. “We are very delighted that there is going to be another alternative” treatment for patients.

Up to this point, hospitals, urgent care centers and doctors have not had access to an outpatient drug.

When given at the onset of symptoms, Molnupiravir acts like the flu drug Tamiflu, helping to reduce the symptoms and health challenges associated with COVID-19.

This medicine could help reduce hospitalizations, providing relief to patients and enabling hospitals to manage their resources better, Dhuper said.

Doctors remained cautiously optimistic about the ongoing battle against COVID-19. Dhuper added that the real challenge for the community would come within the next three to four weeks, during which time hospitals and count officials will watch carefully for any increase in infections in between when children return to schools and the FDA approves any vaccine for this age group.

Long haul issues

While health officials were pleased with the potential availability of additional medical tools to prevent or treat COVID-19, they said numerous residents continue to battle long haul COVID.

Described as persistent symptoms that can develop four to eight weeks after the initial symptoms, long haul COVID can include fatigue, brain fog, shortness of breath, palpitations and a wide range of other neurological discomforts.

Doctors said 10 to 35% of people who contract COVID can develop these longer-term symptoms.

Long haul COVID-19 remains a “big concern,” Dr. Gregson Pigott, commissioner of the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, wrote in an email. “We remind people who remain unvaccinated that people of all ages have suffered from long-range symptoms” from the virus. “We don’t know yet if these symptoms will be limited or if they may develop into chronic life-long conditions. We will be looking at the literature to learn more.”

Dhuper said some of those with long-haul symptoms feel as if they are “continuously living with an illness, almost like a flu.”

Such extended discomfort has an extended impact on the quality of life.

Treatment of these long-haul symptoms “is tailored to the patient’s specific symptoms,” Stony Brook’s Rajupet described in an email. “Identifying the organ systems involved and the symptoms or autoimmune conditions that have manifested are essential to developing a treatment plan.”

Rajupet suggested that leading a healthy lifestyle, with balanced sleep, nutrition and exercise can help in recovery. Stony Brook encourages this approach not only in the management of long-haul symptoms, but also for a patient’s overall health.

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The cast of 'A Kooky Spooky Halloween' at Theatre Three. Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
The cast of 'A Kooky Spooky Halloween' at Theatre Three. Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
The cast of 'A Kooky Spooky Halloween' at Theatre Three. Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
A scene from 'A Kooky Spooky Halloween'. Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
A scene from 'A Kooky Spooky Halloween'. Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
A scene from 'A Kooky Spooky Halloween'. Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
The cast of 'A Kooky Spooky Halloween' at Theatre Three. Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
A scene from 'A Kooky Spooky Halloween'. Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
A scene from 'A Kooky Spooky Halloween'. Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
The cast of 'A Kooky Spooky Halloween' at Theatre Three. Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.

By Heidi Sutton

October is such a great time of year with  the lovely weather, the changing leaves, mums, pumpkin and apple picking and trick or treating. It also means the return of the holiday treat A Kooky Spooky Halloween at Theatre Three. With emphasis on the power of friendship and the importance of helping others, the original musical, written by Jeffrey Sanzel and Steve McCoy, runs through Oct. 30.

The star of the show is a nice ghost named Abner Perkins (Steven Uihlein) who has just graduated from Haunting High School. Awarded a medallion of invisibility, he is given the coveted assignment of haunting Ma Aberdeen’s Boarding House, famously known for being the most haunted house in Harrison County U.S.A … and for serving the best toast! Abner must abide by two rules — he can only haunt at night and he can’t lose the medallion or he’ll become visible and lose his powers.

There’s only one problem — Abner is afraid of the dark, which is “like a vampire who’s afraid of necks!” according to his best friend Lavinda the Witch (Alanna Rose Henriquez). She gives him a night light as a graduation present and promises to help him adjust to his ghostly duties.

When Abner and Lavinda arrive at the boarding house, they find the Petersons — Paul (Liam Marsigliano), his wife Penelope (Stephanie Moreau) and son Pip (Darren Clayton) — and Kit Garret (Heather Rose Kuhn), who has just come “from a small town to the big city with a suitcase in my hand and hope in my heart,” in the kitchen helping Ma Aberdeen (Ginger Dalton), the finest toast maker in the land, prepare treat bags for Halloween.

In one of the funniest moments in the show, Abner casts a speed spell on the group, making them dance, sing, spin like a top, quack like a duck and do jumping jacks in fast motion. His final spell of the night is to have them “join together like birds of a feather.”

Things are going hauntingly well until fellow graduate Dora Pike (Beth Ladd) appears out of thin air. Filled with jealousy, (she was hoping to be assigned to Ma Aberdeen’s boarding house) Dora steals Abner’s night light and medallion and threatens to drop them into Black Ridge Gulch, the deepest, darkest gorge in the entire world (where it’s really, really dark).

Still stuck to each other, the group can now see Abner who must convince them to help him retrieve his medallion and undo the spell. What follows is a “Golden Goose” moment throughout the theater that will leave you in stitches!

Peppered with Halloween riddles and jokes, the show is wonderful on so many levels. Directed by Jeffrey Sanzel, the 8-member adult cast know their target audience well and deliver standout performances with special mention to Ginger Dalton as Ma Aberdeen, a character she has played since the musical originated in 2017. I can’t imagine anyone else playing that role. 

Accompanied on piano by Douglas Quattrock and choreographed by Sari Feldman, the song and dance numbers are the heart of the show, especially “Into the World I Go” by Abner, “A Witch Is a Person” by Lavinda, and the fun group numbers, “A Need for Speed” and “It’s Ma Who Makes the Toast.”

Jason Allyn’s gorgeous costumes are on fleek, from the ghosts dressed from head to toe in flowing white and the witch’s purple dress and pointy hat, to the Peterson’s coordinating orange and black outfits and the spooky lighting design by Steven Uihlein sets the mood and ties everything together perfectly.

Halloween is always such a fun holiday for children. This year, make it extra special and take them to see A Kooky Spooky Halloween. They’ll love you for it.

Snacks and beverages are available for purchase during intermission and costumes are encouraged. Souvenir cat, pumpkin, Frankenstein, Dracula and ghost dolls will be available for purchase before the show and during intermission for $5. Meet the entire cast in the lobby for a group photo.

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson presents A Kooky Spooky Halloween on Saturdays, Oct. 9, 16, 23 and 30 at 11 a.m. and Sunday, Oct. 17 at 3 p.m. Children’s theatre continues with Barnaby Saves Christmas from Nov. 20 to Dec. 26, Puss-In-Boots from Jan. 15 to Feb 5, and a brand new production, Dorothy’s Adventures in Oz, from Feb. 23 to March 26. All seats are $10 and COVID protocols are in place. For more information or to order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

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Water quality impairments across Long Island during the summer of 2021. Photo from Stony Brook University

Water, water everywhere and far too many drops were not clean.

Christopher J. Gobler, endowed chair of Coastal Ecology and Conservation Stony Brook University; Peter Scully, Deputy Suffolk County Executive; Adrienne Esposito, Citizens Campaign for the Environment; Kevin McDonald, The Nature Conservancy at a recent press conference regarding water quality. Photo from Stony Brook University

That’s the conclusion of a recent summer water quality survey of Long Island conducted by Stony Brook University Professor Christopher Gobler, who is the endowed chair of Coastal Ecology and Conservation at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences.

Every estuary and bay across Long Island had either toxic algal blooms and oxygen-starved dead zones this summer.

This trend threatened marine life including fish and shellfish.

Excess nitrogen from household sewage that seeps into groundwater and into bays, harbors and estuaries or, in some cases, is discharged directly into surface waters, causes toxic algal blooms.

Double the average annual rainfall, caused by storms like Hurricanes Henri and Ida, exacerbated the dumping of nitrogen from onsite wastewater into local waterways as well, Gobler explained.

Calling this the “new normal,” Gobler said the duration of the rust tide that continues across eastern Long Island is the longest since he started monitoring water quality in 2014. Additionally, the number of dead zones is near a maximum.

For the past six years before 2021, the incidence of blue-green algal blooms was higher than any of the other 64 counties in New York State, which is likely to continue in 2021.

Blue green algae produce toxins that can be harmful to people and animals and has caused dog illnesses and deaths across the United States.

“We’re the most downstate county and warmer temperatures are a driver,” Gobler explained in an email. “Excess groundwater discharge in Suffolk means more lakes and ponds here than in Nassau.”

Heavy rains, which are expected to become the new normal amid climate change that brings wetter and slower-moving storms, flush nitrogen contaminated groundwater out into the bays.

Brown and rust tides have had a severely negative impact on habitats in the area, including seagrass, and major fisheries such as scallops and clams and the coastal wetlands that protect waterfront communities from storms.

Homeowners can reduce nitrogen runoff by fertilizing their lawns less, Gobler suggested.

Onsite systems in Suffolk County are legal, but are also “quite polluting,” Gobler explained in an email.

Gobler said Suffolk County has been more aggressive than any other county in the nation in requiring advanced septic systems.

Additionally, Gobler suggests that the best way to combat these problems is to upgrade onsite septic systems.

Nassau and Suffolk completed subwatershed studies last year that identified wastewater as the largest source of nitrogen to surface waters. Excess nitrogen stimulates toxic algal blooms which can remove oxygen from bottom waters as they decay.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation recommends that marine waters should not have less than three milligrams of dissolved oxygen per liter to sustain fish life. Through the summer, however, more than 20 sites across the Island fell below that threshold, which, in several cases, caused fish kills.

“The research findings are conclusive,” Carl LoBue, senior scientist for The Nature Conservancy, said in a statement. “The longer we wait to fix our water quality problems, the longer it will take and the more expensive it will be.”

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Comsewogue senior Matt Walsh turns up-field after a catch in a home game against Amityville Oct 8. Bill Landon photo ity gathered to retire Patrick Hueber’s jersey #99 Oct 8. Photo by Bill Landon

Warrior Nation converged on the football field Friday night, Oct. 8, to honor one of their own. 

Patrick Hueber — an elementary student in the Comsewogue School District — passed away suddenly last year and was a member of the Comsewogue Youth Football program. Patrick, who loved football, had his jersey — number 99 — retired honoring the Hueber family. 

Youth Football’s Jaclyn Shannon and Chris Witt joined varsity head coach Sean Tremblay, along with the Comsewogue community, in presenting the Hueber family with Patrick’s framed jersey #99, never to be worn again. 

Matt DeVincenzo Comsewogue’s Athletic Director said he was honored to be a part of the presentation to the Hueber family. The visiting Amityville players presented Mrs. Hueber with the game ball prior to kickoff.

It was Comsewogue quarterback Brady Shannon’s arm that did the talking where the senior threw three touchdown passes completing 12 of 17 attempts for 185 yards for a 21-13 Warrior win over visiting Amityville. Shannon connected with wide receiver James Kreig twice in the first half for a pair of touchdown throws and went to senior wide receiver Matt Walsh on a 19 yarder in the 3rd

The win lifts the Warriors to 2-3 in their division just past the midway point in the season. Comsewogue retakes the field Oct. 15 with a road game against Westhampton. Game time is 6 p.m.

— All photos by Bill Landon

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The Comsewogue boys soccer program hosted its inaugural “Kicks for Cancer” fundraiser at home against Deer Park Oct 12. Bill Landon photo

The Comsewogue boys’ soccer program, both varsity and JV, put on the inaugural “Kicks for Cancer” game — a fundraising event to honor of two former players whose mothers are battling breast cancer. 

The Oct. 12 event was the brainchild of seniors Dan Dein, Matthew Sparhuber, Josh Carroll and Ryan Carnaxide, according to Comsewogue boy’s booster club member Kathy Dein.

“These boys have known both moms all through growing up and decided to hold a Kicks for Cancer fundraiser to benefit the ‘Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation’ in their honor,” said Dein, who added that both the JV & Varsity have raised over $1,100 for the cause and still going. 

The team all wore pink jerseys adorned the field with posters to promote the event. 

“I’m tremendously proud that our boys realize that it’s more than just a game it’s bringing the community together and this is their way to give back,” Dein said.

With the game under way the Warriors evened the score late in the game when Ryan Harding to tie the game at 1-1. Despite two overtime periods both teams drew the tie keeping the Warriors atop the league IV leaderboard at 10-1-1.

— All photos by Bill Landon

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From left seniors Daniel Dein, Ryan Carnaxide, Matthew Sparhuber, Joshua Carroll & Caiden Hardy in the inaugural Kicks for Cancer fundraiser Oct 12. Bill Landon photo
The Comsewogue boys soccer program hosted its inaugural “Kicks for Cancer” fundraiser at home against Deer Park Oct 12. Bill Landon photo
The Comsewogue boys soccer program hosted its inaugural “Kicks for Cancer” fundraiser at home against Deer Park Oct 12. Bill Landon photo
The Comsewogue boys soccer program hosted its inaugural “Kicks for Cancer” fundraiser at home against Deer Park Oct 12. Bill Landon photo
The Comsewogue boys soccer program hosted its inaugural “Kicks for Cancer” fundraiser at home against Deer Park Oct 12. Bill Landon photo
The Comsewogue boys soccer program hosted its inaugural “Kicks for Cancer” fundraiser at home against Deer Park Oct 12. Bill Landon photo
The Comsewogue boys soccer program hosted its inaugural “Kicks for Cancer” fundraiser at home against Deer Park Oct 12. Bill Landon photo
The Comsewogue boys soccer program hosted its inaugural “Kicks for Cancer” fundraiser at home against Deer Park Oct 12. Bill Landon photo
The Comsewogue boys soccer program hosted its inaugural “Kicks for Cancer” fundraiser at home against Deer Park Oct 12. Bill Landon photo
The Comsewogue boys soccer program hosted its inaugural “Kicks for Cancer” fundraiser at home against Deer Park Oct 12. Bill Landon photo
The Comsewogue boys soccer program hosted its inaugural “Kicks for Cancer” fundraiser at home against Deer Park Oct 12. Bill Landon photo
Comsewogue soccer mom Melanie Barreiro attends the Inaugural “Kicks for Cancer” fundraiser Oct 12. Bill Landon photo
The Comsewogue boys soccer program hosted its inaugural “Kicks for Cancer” fundraiser at home against Deer Park Oct 12. Bill Landon photo
The Comsewogue boys soccer program hosted its inaugural “Kicks for Cancer” fundraiser at home against Deer Park Oct 12. Bill Landon photo
The Comsewogue boys soccer program hosted its inaugural “Kicks for Cancer” fundraiser at home against Deer Park Oct 12. Bill Landon photo
The Comsewogue boys soccer program hosted its inaugural “Kicks for Cancer” fundraiser at home against Deer Park Oct 12. Bill Landon photo
The Comsewogue boys soccer program hosted its inaugural “Kicks for Cancer” fundraiser at home against Deer Park Oct 12. Bill Landon photo
The Comsewogue boys soccer program hosted its inaugural “Kicks for Cancer” fundraiser at home against Deer Park Oct 12. Bill Landon photo
The Comsewogue boys soccer program hosted its inaugural “Kicks for Cancer” fundraiser at home against Deer Park Oct 12. Bill Landon photo
The Comsewogue boys soccer program hosted its inaugural “Kicks for Cancer” fundraiser at home against Deer Park Oct 12. Bill Landon photo
The Comsewogue boys soccer program hosted its inaugural “Kicks for Cancer” fundraiser at home against Deer Park Oct 12. Bill Landon photo
The Comsewogue boys soccer program hosted its inaugural “Kicks for Cancer” fundraiser at home against Deer Park Oct 12. Bill Landon photo
The Comsewogue boys soccer program hosted its inaugural “Kicks for Cancer” fundraiser at home against Deer Park Oct 12. Bill Landon photo
The Comsewogue boys soccer program hosted its inaugural “Kicks for Cancer” fundraiser at home against Deer Park Oct 12. Bill Landon photo
The Comsewogue boys soccer program hosted its inaugural “Kicks for Cancer” fundraiser at home against Deer Park Oct 12. Bill Landon photo
The Comsewogue boys soccer program hosted its inaugural “Kicks for Cancer” fundraiser at home against Deer Park Oct 12. Bill Landon photo
The Comsewogue boys soccer program hosted its inaugural “Kicks for Cancer” fundraiser at home against Deer Park Oct 12. Bill Landon photo

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Pixabay photo

Port Jefferson-based Hope Children’s Fund is holding it’s 17th Annual 5K Kenya/ USA Bi-Continental Walk/Run on Oct. 16, starting at 10 a.m.

This fundraising event is being held on the Port Jefferson end of the Port Jefferson Station/Setauket Greenway Trail. 

People in Kenya will be starting at the same time — only seven time zones away. 

Founded by Port Jefferson resident Larry Hohler and his Kenyan former student Joe Kirima, HCF was incorporated in 2005, in response to the AIDS-pandemic then raging in Kenya. 

Eighteen AIDS-affected preteens were taken off the streets in Meru when the orphanage first opened  in February  2005.  

Most of the original residents are now free- standing young adults, and 87 youngsters are coming up behind them. The money generated by this fundraiser helps to pay for their food, clothing, shelter and school fees.

Until now, the Kenyans won 16 of the 17 times that the competition has been held.

The entree fee is $30, but  larger donations are welcome. Participants can also compete virtually,  at a time and place of one’s choosing, between Oct. 16 and Oct. 23. 

For more information, call Larry Hohler at 631-473-1662, or check out their website hopechildrensfund.org.

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Pictured in 1911 during Old Home Week, Griswold’s Garage was built of Unit Brick and located on the west side of Port Jefferson’s Main Street. Photo from the Kenneth C. Brady Digital Archive

Incorporated in 1910, the Unit Brick and Tile Company was located on Hallock Avenue, just south of the LIRR tracks, in today’s Port Jefferson Station.

Employing 20 workers on an 11-acre site, the plant manufactured standard brick, roofing and flooring tile, and hollow block, but was best known for producing Unit brick.

Made from sand, gravel and cement, Unit brick had a distinctive U-shape and could be finished in a variety of shades thus eliminating the need for interior painting.

According to its boosters, Unit brick was 33-66% cheaper than common brick, impervious to dampness and as strong as conventional building materials. 

Fanning’s Garage, West Broadway, Port Jefferson, and Chris Henningsen’s residence, Hallock Avenue, Port Jefferson Station, were among the first buildings in the area to be constructed of Unit brick. It was later used in building projects in Belle Terre, St. James, Patchogue, Old Field, Smithtown and Wading River.

Unit brick was also shipped by schooner, such as the Emma Southard, to destinations in New York as varied as Hastings-on-Hudson, Staten Island and Lloyd Neck.

To popularize Unit brick, the company exhibited its signature product in a store on Port Jefferson’s East Main Street. The showroom opened in August 1911 during Old Home Week, an event that brought thousands of visitors to the village.

The Unit Brick and Tile Company was situated on Hallock Avenue, just south of the LIRR tracks, in today’s Port Jefferson Station. Photo by Arthur S. Greene; Photo from the Kenneth C. Brady Digital Archive

In addition, the corporation was promoted by members of the Port Jefferson Business Men’s Association, especially Jacob S. Dreyer, publisher of the Port Jefferson Times, and advertised in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle and Port Jefferson Echo. In August 1912, newspapermen from the Long Island Press Association toured Unit Brick’s factory.

The company received glowing testimonials from customers such as Belle Terre’s William Wadsworth who wrote in 1913 that Unit brick was “the best all-around building material on the market.”

Prominent Port Jefferson lawyer Thomas J. Ritch, Jr. and physician Luther H. Chambers, both of whom served on Unit Brick’s Board of Directors, lent their respected names to the venture.

Unit Brick enjoyed a meteoric rise marked by encouraging sales and good publicity, but much like a shooting star soon burned out, several factors contributing to the corporation’s early demise.

Unit Brick faced competition from another local startup, the Dyett Sand-Lime Brick Company on the west side of Port Jefferson Harbor, as well as from the established Port Jefferson Cement Block Company on High Street. 

Court proceedings followed allegations that Unit brick was an inferior product and being delivered “damp.” 

The company expanded too rapidly, opening subsidiaries in Connecticut and Rhode Island, where demand for its goods was not as strong as anticipated. 

Perhaps most important, the building trades had a long tradition of using red clay brick and simply balked at trying a new product.

After Unit Brick dissolved in 1917, a receiver was appointed. The corporation’s machinery and equipment were sold at public auction in 1918 and bought by the Port Jefferson Junk Company for $2,150. In 1920, Unit Brick’s former property in Port Jefferson Station was purchased by the LIRR which built a yard for its locomotives and cars on the acreage.

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.

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Ed Romaine. Photo by Kyle Barr

Residents within the Town of Brookhaven could see a 1.89% tax hike for 2022 if the newly released potential budget gets adopted in November, staying within the state’s 2% property tax cap.

According to the tentative operating budget, all major tax districts are structurally balanced, and no fund balance is utilized to balance the budget for the six major tax districts for the fourth year in a row. The total tax levy increase for all tax districts is 1.89%, and the six major tax districts levy increase is 1.85%

Proposed by town Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) earlier this week, the $316.8 million budget would restore a total of 36 jobs (4.4%) that were cut last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“The town’s 2021 adopted operating budget planned for a continuing pandemic environment and I am happy to report that we have performed as expected financially, with revenues on target in most departments and expenditures expected to meet budget despite the sharp rise in prices for many commodities,” Romaine wrote. “I expect no erosion of fund balance in all major tax districts at the end of 2021, other than the use of surplus in one fund to address hazardous trees throughout the town.” 

Romaine noted that while certain facilities and programs are still not fully open due to the pandemic, he expects everything to be as it was before coronavirus early next year.

“My 2022 tentative budget assumes a return to normal operations beginning in January 2022 with all government services available both in person and virtually,” he said. 

The tentative budget also highlights a growth in the landfill post-closure reserve by $1.2 million to an anticipated $21.2 million, and stabilization of snow removal costs. 

The board will hold a budget public hearing on Nov. 4 at 5 p.m. at Town Hall. 

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Spotted Lanternfly
The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (AGM) is asking for the public’s help in combatting the Spotted Lanternfly (SLF), an invasive pest from Asia.  First found in New York State on Staten Island in August 2020, the population has now been observed in all NYC boroughs.  SLF is a destructive pest that feeds on more than 70 plant species, including tree-of-heaven, and plants and crops that are critical to New York’s agricultural economy, such as grapevine, apple trees, and hops.
Spotted Lanternfly

“The Department has been working diligently to mitigate the impacts of this destructive pest, which can weaken plants and have a devastating impact on agriculture.  Despite intensive survey and the implementation of targeted management plans, AGM has continued to find SLF around the New York City area.  We are once again asking for residents’ help, this time with spotted lanternfly control measures, particularly in this area.  Outside of NYC, we’re asking for the public to continue to be vigilant and report any sightings to help slow the spread of this invasive,” said State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball in a recent press release.

New York City Region

NYS AGM has been receiving increased reports of SLF in the five boroughs of New York City since early this month.  While inspectors continue to survey and respond to these reports, AGM is asking residents to destroy SLF adults. Later in the fall the public can help further by scraping off and destroying SLF egg masses. The public can also reach out to Cornell University’s Integrated Pest Management Program (IPM) to learn about control measures or a certified pesticide applicator for treatment options to help combat SLF.

Because NYSAGM is aware of the population spread, it is asking NYC residents to forgo reporting sightings of SLF at this time.  In addition to reaching out to Cornell, AGM encourages the public to thoroughly inspect vehicles, luggage and gear, and all outdoor items for egg masses and adult SLF before leaving the New York City region.

While these insects can jump and fly short distances, they spread primarily through human activity. SLF can lay their eggs on any number of surfaces, such as vehicles, stone, rusty metal, outdoor furniture, and firewood. Adult SLF can hitch rides in vehicles, on any outdoor item, or cling to clothing or hats, and be easily transported into and throughout New York.

Residents can also help by allowing surveyors access to properties where SLF may be present.  Surveyors will be uniformed and will always provide identification.

Upstate New York

SLF has also been detected in several isolated areas upstate, including Ithaca, New York; however, that population is relatively small and scheduled for treatment.

For residents living outside of New York City, AGM urges New Yorkers to report sightings of the SLF, using the web reporting tool found here: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/a08d60f6522043f5bd04229e00acdd63

Reporting in Upstate New York is critical, helping inspectors identify any newly impacted areas.

Brian Eshenaur, Sr. Extension Associate at Cornell University’s NYS Integrated Pest Management Program, said, “In New York, we’re particularly concerned about the impact Spotted Lanternfly could have on our grape and wine industries. Our NYS Integrated Pest Management Program has been working with our colleagues in Pennsylvania over the past few years to learn from their experience and prepare our growers for this insect advance.  We are currently scouting vineyards and have NYS appropriate management options available for producers and tips for residents as well.”

In February of this year, the State also launched an innovative effort to combat the spread of SLF in New York State. A new online interface allows volunteer members of the public to assist in surveying for SLF in a specific area, or grid of land, and tracking associated data. The program encourages broader surveying for SLF and increased public awareness of this invasive pest.

The State is holding a series of training webinars to educate volunteers on how to identify SLF and tree-of-heaven, a plant that SLF commonly feeds on. Each training webinar will focus on a different life stage of SLF based on the time of year that stage would be most likely found during survey.  Currently, the training focuses on identifying adult SLF. The training will also cover how to use iMapInvasives, how to sign up for a grid and track data, and details about land access. The next webinar will be held on October 27, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. More information about the program, including upcoming webinars, can be found at https://www.nyimapinvasives.org/slf.

Spotted Lanternfly Devastating to New York Agriculture

SLF feeding can stress plants, making them vulnerable to disease and attacks from other insects. SLF also excretes large amounts of sticky “honeydew,” which attracts sooty molds that interfere with plant photosynthesis, negatively affecting the growth and fruit yield of plants, devastating agriculture and impacting forest health.

The estimated total economic impact of invasive insects in the US exceeds $70 billion per year, and if not contained, the SLF could have an impact to NYS of at least $300 million annually, mainly to the grape and wine industry.

SLF also has the potential to significantly hinder quality of life and recreational activities due to the honeydew and the swarms of insects it attracts.

First discovered in Pennsylvania in 2014, SLF has since been found in New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia and Virginia. Given the proximity to the Pennsylvania and New Jersey infestations, New York State is at high risk for infestation.

Since 2017, AGM, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, New York State Department of Transportation, and New York State Thruway Authority have taken an aggressive approach to keeping SLF from establishing in New York State, conducting surveys of high-risk areas across the State; inspecting nursery stock, stone shipments, and commercial transports from quarantine areas; and launching a comprehensive education and outreach campaign to enlist the public’s help in reporting SLF.

Identifying SLF

Adult SLF are active from July to December. They are approximately one inch long and half an inch wide at rest, with eye-catching wings. Adults begin laying eggs in September. Signs of an SLF infestation may include:

  • Sap oozing or weeping from open wounds on tree trunks, which appear wet and give off fermented odors.
  • One-inch-long egg masses that are brownish-gray, waxy and mud-like when new. Old egg masses are brown and scaly.
  • Massive honeydew build-up under plants, sometimes with black sooty mold developing.

For more information on Spotted Lanternfly, visit https://agriculture.ny.gov/spottedlanternfly.

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