SCCC hosts Section XI Small School championship
Home Suffolk County
Legislator Bontempi honors longtime community volunteer
At the February 1st general meeting of the Suffolk County Legislature, Legislator Stephanie Bontempi (Centerport) presented longtime community volunteer, Bea Hartigan, with an official proclamation to honor her service. The presentation of the proclamation was accompanied by a speech made by Bontempi highlighting Bea’s various contributions and special qualities as a human being.
“Bea Hartigan is the epitome of community service. Due to her positive impact on those with whom she interacts and being truly omnipresent, she has become a relied upon leader. Her work with charities and passion for inspiring others to better themselves makes me proud to have her here in Huntington,” said Bontempi.
Perhaps, Bea is best known for her more 50 years of service with the Townwide Fund of Huntington, an organization that assists with numerous local charitable causes. Just as impressive is her consistent participation in the Thanks4giving Charity Run for 40 years now. There is a lot more to her record of generosity, including but not limited to volunteering with the Red Cross, coaching youth swimming competitions and teaching CPR and water-related safety courses.
“After learning just a little bit about Bea’s background, one cannot help but be impressed and inspired. I look forward to hearing more about her success stories in the years to come,” added Bontempi.
Cougars compete in cheer competition
The Cougars of Centereach competed in the coed cheer competition in a multi-school meet Feb. 5 on their home court placing 3rd with a score of 74.95.
It’s the last cheer competition of the season before the Suffolk Championships Feb. 19 at Hauppauge High School.
Photos by Bill Landon
Police, public safety urge residents to keep their car doors locked
Over the course of the last year, North Shore residents have gotten relaxed or forgetful when it comes to locking their car doors.
For example, Fred Leute, chief of Port Jefferson’s code enforcement, said that over the past month, village code has been receiving calls about people rummaging through open vehicles.
He said that right now, thanks to Ring camera footage, they have seen three separate people on camera trying to open car doors.
“They’re looking for loose change or cash,” he said. “They’re checking for open doors — not even looking inside.”
Leute said this can be prevented.
“Lock your doors,” he said. “Double check.”
And while the village experienced these incidents over the last few weeks, he said that this problem isn’t confined to just one area.
“We’re aware of what’s going on,” Leute said. “It’s happening all over.”
A spokesperson from the Suffolk County Police Department said several North Shore hamlets have reported thefts from motor vehicles. These numbers cannot verify if a car was unlocked or not.
From January 2021 until this Jan. 22, there have been 111 reported thefts from a motor vehicle in Old Field, Poquott, Port Jefferson, Rocky Point, Selden, Setauket and Stony Brook.
Old Field and Poquott had the least amount, with just two each in the fall, while Selden experienced 46 thefts — the most happening in July, August and December of last year.
Port Jefferson reported 10, 13 for Rocky Point, 17 for Setauket and 21 for Stony Brook.
These numbers also do not include thefts of parts from the vehicle like tires or catalytic converters.
But along with small thefts from inside easy-to-reach cars, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) said during a recent press conference that eight cars were stolen across Suffolk County in one week — Dec. 19 through Dec. 23.
“Many victims of vehicle theft not only leave their cars unlocked, but they leave key fobs in plain sight, either on the passenger seat, the driver’s seat or in the cup holder,” Bellone said during the Dec. 23 Hauppauge press event. “This allows car thieves to easily enter the vehicle and take off.”
North Shore parents angered over confusion with school mask mandates
After a confusing week, parents across the North Shore have been upset by the state’s constant changing rules on mask wearing in schools.
On Tuesday, Jan. 25, some parents in local school districts opted out of sending their children to class with a mask after a New York State Supreme Court judge struck down Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) mandate.
The mask mandate was first enacted in December by the governor, requiring face coverings in schools and other public places after the omicron wave hit the state with rapid numbers.
On Monday, Jan. 24, Supreme Court Justice Thomas Rademaker of Nassau County wrote that Hochul does not have the authority to impose the mandate since emergency powers are no longer in place. He then decided that the statewide mask mandate was deemed unconstitutional.
Parents across the state heard this and decided to either unmask or mask up their kids, despite letters being sent out from superintendents in local areas stating that masks were still mandatory as they awaited an appeal.
Rocky Point school district
Rocky Point parent Michelle Salz said that her district sent out a notice late Monday night saying that mask mandates were still in effect. However, when her children came to school Tuesday, administrators and staff were not enforcing the face coverings.
“My kids and myself try to do what’s best for society,” she said. “I rely on science to make my decisions and I taught my kids to care about others.”
Salz added that she was disappointed to hear from her children that students in the school were not wearing masks properly, or at all.
“It seems our district who we entrust our children with, they’re supposed to be educated and use critical-thinking skills to make their decisions,” she said. “They’re supposed to be keeping our kids safe.”
The next day, she sent a letter to Superintendent Scott O’Brien and the board of education.
“To the utter disbelief of most parents in our school district, Rocky Point Union Free Schools has decided to ignore the directive of the NYSED to continue mask wearing in schools until an appellate court has issued a final decision regarding the Nassau County Supreme Court matter January 24,” the letter read. “We believe this to be reckless endangerment to our children and to the families in the community. Please advise what remedies are available to us through your office, as we are considering legal action on this matter and would like to avoid it if possible.”
Salz added that she is so disappointed in the way the school has handled the COVID-19 pandemic that she is planning on leaving the district.
“I don’t want to live here anymore,” she said. “I want my kids to have a good education.”
Scott O’Brien, superintendent of Rocky Point school district, said in a statement that the district is adhering to all state mandates in place with regard to the mask requirement for school districts.
“At this time, the Appellate Division has granted New York State’s motion for a stay of enforcement of Judge Rademaker’s January 24 decision pending hearing and determination of the appeal, on the condition that the appeal is perfected on or before March 2, 2022. As such, while the stay is in effect, the New York State mask regulation remains unchanged for our district.”
O’Brien added, “We understand how this changing information can be frustrating to families and confusing to students. We appreciate our community’s patience as we await further Appellate Division decisions that impact the mask mandate.”
Three Village school district
Monica Balsan, who has three children in the Three Village school district, was one of many parents who told their children to say “no thank you” when asked to cover their noses that Tuesday.
Balsan said she was unhappy with Three Village still implementing the mask mandate after the court ruling.
“After the court ruling that said the mask mandate was unconstitutional, they still requested the kids wear masks,” she said in a phone interview Friday morning. “I told my kids to be respectful and not argue with their teachers, but if they were uncomfortable to call me.”
Balsan said that her second-grade son, Jameson, has been “emotionally drained” by the pandemic, and has been begging his mom to be homeschooled as he is tired of wearing a mask at his desk.
“He can’t take it anymore,” she said. “It hurts his ears, he can’t breathe.”
But for the days following the update on the mask mandate, Balsan said her third-grade son, Jackson, was holding his ground in and out of school by joining his family and friends at a rally outside the Three Village North Country Administration Building Friday, Jan. 28. There, he said wearing a mask has been “terrible,” and he was hoping he wouldn’t have to wear a mask this week.
The rally, which had dozens of community members voice their concerns against the mandate, occurred just hours before the appeals hearing went live.
During the rally, children held signs that read, “I Wish I Could See My Friends’ Smiles,” “I’ll Never Get These Years Back” and “No More Masks,” while parents held signs that read “3V Parents for Choice.”
Many in attendance also wore sweatshirts bearing slogans such as “Make America Free Again,” “Fighting for My Freedom” and “Freedom Fighters.”
Jessica Rudin, whose son is in kindergarten and has two younger children, said while she doesn’t believe in the mask mandate, her son has worn the mask every day to school. However, she added, it’s time for the masks to come off.
“We have been standing up for parents’ choice against the mandates for quite some time,” she said. “We’re looking to make a statement in our community.”
Later that evening, the governor was allowed to extend the indoor mask mandate until Feb. 10. On Monday, the court officially extended the stay, allowing Hochul to keep the mask mandate in place until March 2.
“My primary responsibility as governor is to keep New Yorkers safe,” Hochul said in a statement. “Mask regulations keep our schools and businesses safe and open, protect vulnerable New Yorkers and are critical tools as we work to get through this winter surge. Thanks to our efforts, including mask regulations, cases are declining and we are seeing major progress in the fight against COVID-19.”
But anti-maskers are still going to fight for their right to choose.
“We don’t want them masked anymore,” Balsan said. “We’ve had enough. We can’t deal with [our kids] frustration. Everyone is trying to do their part.”
Balsan said that if other families want to wear a mask, that should be their choice.
In a statement Tuesday, Three Village Central School District said it is “working to follow all current directives related to COVID-19 practices in our schools, including the mask wearing mandate. At this time, the district does not have any intention of creating or joining a lawsuit challenging these state directives. We appreciate our students, staff and families understanding and cooperation as we work together to keep our schools safe, supportive places for learning.”
But across the state, educators were happy with the court’s decision.
“We are pleased the Appellate Division granted the application by the Department of Health and the governor’s office, confirming the lower court’s decision is stayed pending further proceedings,” said Betty Rosa, commissioner of education with the New York State Board of Regents in a statement. “As such, the mask mandate remains in effect for schools across the state. We support Governor Hochul and the state Department of Health as they continue with the appeal. We thank the members of our school communities for their patience during this process.”
Other school districts
Superintendents in other districts released statements that they will continue to monitor the ever-changing protocols.
“The Port Jefferson School District has always made it our priority to follow the law and respect the process of our state,” said Superintendent of Schools Jessica Schmettan. “As we are committed to fostering a school environment that is not only lawful but considerate, the district is continuing to comply with the NYS school mask mandate, as we await any further updated directives.”
Shoreham-Wading River school district also commented: “The district continues to follow all NYS requirements regarding mask wearing in schools and will monitor the situation for any updates to the matter.”
TD Bank supports the Miller Business Center
TD Bank recently provided a generous grant of $2,500 to the Middle Country Library Foundation in support of the annual Women’s EXPO, the library’s educational and supportive venue where local women entrepreneurs and artists gain valuable tradeshow experience.
Royals too much for Porters
It was a battle for the top spot for Royals of Port Jefferson (5-0) and the Greenport Porters (7-0) in league VII play Monday, Jan. 31 night where the Royals took the early lead and never looked back in the 55-38 win.
It was Abigail Rolfe the senior who battled in the paint all game long drawing foul after foul, making the Porters pay at the free throw line hitting 12 out of 12.
Lola Idir did what she’s done all season hitting four triples, three field goals and three from the line for a team high 21 points. Rolfe banked 18 points and Annie Maier netted 10. The Royals retake the court Feb. 4 with a road game against Mattituck. Game time is 5:45 p.m.
Photos by Bill Landon
Wildcats fall in league VI matchup
Bayport-Blue Point at 6-2 was too much for Shoreham-Wading River where the Wildcats fell 62-32 in a league VI matchup Jan. 28. Senior Liam Leonard’s pair of three pointers and Joey Marchese’s three field goals led the Wildcats with six points apiece, Aidan Clifford followed with five and Joey Marchese netted four. The Wildcats retake the court with a road game at Mt. Sinai Feb 3 with tip-off scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
Photos by Bill Landon
Suffolk County public libraries set record-breaking downloads for 2021
The Public Libraries of Suffolk County recently announced that it reached 2.9 million digital book checkouts on the download platform, Livebrary.com, in 2021.
The site, consisting of 56 libraries in Suffolk County, is one of 121 public library systems worldwide that surpassed 1 million checkouts.
According to a press release sent out by PLSC, this record-breaking milestone illustrates the continued growth and importance of library digital lending of e-books and audiobooks, especially after a prolonged period of building closures due to the global pandemic.
“The Public Libraries of Suffolk County continue to meet the needs of their communities by providing patrons with much-needed access to entertainment and learning opportunities through e-books and audiobooks,” Kevin Verbesey, director of the Suffolk Cooperative Library System, said in a statement.
PLSC has been providing readers 24/7 access to e-books and audiobooks for several years through the Libby app, the library reading app created by OverDrive allowing for readership to grow each year.
Readers in Suffolk County just need a valid library card from a member library to access digital books from Livebrary’s OverDrive-powered digital collection, and can use any device including Apple, Android, Chromebook or Kindle to read or listen.
Comsewogue Public Library in Port Jefferson Station had 125,284 digital book downloads, combined. Of that total, 94,478 were e-books and 30,806 were e-audiobooks. The Port Jefferson Free Library had 51,117 downloads overall, and Emma S. Clark Memorial Library patrons in Setauket downloaded 156,576 e-books, e-audiobooks and e-magazines.
“Our library’s patrons are among the heaviest users of e-books in the county, and we know that they value the ease, convenience and accessibility that e-books provide,” said Ted Gutmann, director at Emma S. Clark. “Although we love seeing our patrons in the library, not everyone is comfortable or indeed able to get to the library. E-books are a perfect alternative for those who can’t make it out to the library. Also, the convenience of instant access can’t be overlooked. I’ll often find myself at home reading a review or hearing a reference to a particular book that sounds interesting. It’s so nice to be able to just log on and download the book and start reading right away.”
Middle Country Public Library had 98,285 downloads in 2021.
“Over the past seven years, we have seen a steady increase in our downloadable materials,” said Sophia Serlis-McPhillips, director of MCPL. “We weren’t surprised that the numbers spiked during the pandemic, we were however, pleased that our patrons were able to access library materials such as e-books and e-audios either for recreational or educational purposes during that time. We also saw an influx of new library card applications, presumably new users seeking to access Livebrary.com.”
The highest-circulating title Livebrary readers borrowed in 2021 for both e-books and e-audiobooks was “The Four Winds” by Kristin Hannah. The top-circulating genre — romance — represents the most popular in a vast catalog that also includes mystery, biography and autobiography, children/young adult and more.
In Smithtown, 9% of the total downloads for the entire county came from The Smithtown Library with 266,304 digital downloads in 2021.
“The Smithtown Library is happy to know that our patrons continue to see the value of their library in the Smithtown community,” said Robert Lusak, director. “Our aim is to not just be about providing materials from the physical collections inside our buildings, but to also provide access to digital materials. We believe that e-books and audiobooks are equally as vital to our service program.”
Long Island Health Collaborative library study
These numbers also come just as the Long Island Health Collaborative released the results of a two-year study which examined health and social support issues encountered by public library staff and the patrons they serve. The survey proved that public libraries are essential to Long Islander’s health and wellness.
The LIHC, a coalition of 300-plus organizations all involved in improving the health of Long Islanders, helped coordinate and partially fund the research.
Public health researchers from Stony Brook University and Adelphi University interviewed library staff at randomly selected libraries throughout Long Island during December 2017 and February 2020.
They found that there was a difference between the needs and program offerings based on the socioeconomic status of the neighborhood in which a library is located. Libraries in lower-resourced communities generally ran more basic social assistance programs and those in higher-resourced communities offered more enrichment/leisure-type programming.
Researchers said they were not surprised at the results, as social determinants of health — those factors outside of medicine that influence an individual’s health — account for nearly 80% of health outcomes. These factors include education, poverty, access to transportation, safe and affordable housing, health insurance coverage, and access to nutritious and affordable foods, among others.
Starting with a list of 113 public libraries, 18 libraries in Suffolk County (from 26 randomly selected) and 14 libraries in Nassau County (from 27 randomly selected) consented to participate in the Long Island Libraries Qualitative Research Project.
A total of 96 interviews were completed, recorded and transcribed. Approximately three staff members at each library were interviewed, and the transcribed interviews were coded based on themes that emerged from the interviews across sites.
This resulted in a coding schema with 11 categories and many subthemes within each category.
“Public libraries are hidden gems in our communities,” said Janine Logan, director of the LIHC. “They are a trusted resource. Increasingly, public libraries play a key role in delivering some of the health and social support services an individual requires to live his/her best life.”
Rocky Point alumnus Rob Sproston overcomes challenges continuing to smile
“If you’re willing to put yourself and your dreams on the line, at the very least you’ll discover an inner strength you may have not known existed.” — Kurt Warner, Super Bowl quarterback and Hall of Famer
These words from this noted athlete who lived through a life of adversity, also identify the strength, character, humanity and resiliency of Baiting Hollow resident Robert “Rob” Sproston.
On March 31, 2020, Riverhead police officer Sproston was responding to a domestic incident of a young woman who was assaulted by her boyfriend with a knife. Her car was then stolen by the man.
On his way to the Baiting Hollow Country Club, Sproston was picking up lunch for the officers working on Main Street within the heart of Riverhead. As he was heading north on Osborn Avenue, not too far from Youngs Avenue, he heard the call of this developing incident, where the stolen car was heading westward toward his direction.
As the officer was trying to figure out the situation from the information that was being reported on his radio and preparing to be in pursuit of the subject, his life would forever be changed. Driving at a high speed with his sirens blasting and lights flashing, Sproston was trying to do his job in handling this delicate situation.
As he headed up Osborn Avenue, another driver made a left onto Youngs Avenue, and he tried to move his police vehicle around the car.
Making the left, the driver drove directly into Sproston’s car, and the officer crashed into a chain-link fence. A pole shot through his windshield, hitting him through his face. Horribly injured in his car, the officer was near death before the first responders made it to the scene.
The life that Sproston led before the crash helped him prepare for this life-altering moment. As a young man, this “all-American kid” was always armed with a big smile and a can-do attitude. He was an active member of the Rocky Point Fire Department, played several years of varsity lacrosse on the Rocky Point High School team, and is a proud alumnus of the Class of 2010.
During his youthful years, Sproston enjoyed riding his quad with his friends within the powerlines behind the McDonald’s in Rocky Point. And he understood the practice of hard work through the intricacies of installing residential roofs with his father Billy.
In 2014, Rob Sproston began his career path by entering the Suffolk County Police Academy at the Grant Campus of Suffolk Community College in Brentwood. After graduation, he was hired as a part-time police officer for the Town of Riverhead.
Right away, he learned about the makeup of the community and believed that it was a good experience toward his professional growth within the field of law enforcement. While Sproston was not yet a full-time officer, he was thankful to gain this experience to work with the police, and to learn about the various challenges of this difficult job.
In 2016, with the prospect of being a full-time officer, he always wanted to serve this country and entered the United States Marine Corps.
As a 22-year-old, he was an older recruit who understood the importance of getting through the difficulties of military training for each day. Always a positive figure, he worked well with the other recruits to make it through their daily routines at Parris Island, South Carolina.
Sproston always believed that if you did not “embrace the suck,” that it would be difficult to make it through the hardships of training and the discipline of the Marines.
After he completed this training, Sproston was sent to Camp Geiger, North Carolina, where he learned how to become proficient within infantry training, weapons and tactics. Currently, he is with the Marine Corps Forces Reserve in Garden City, where he serves in an infantry sniper platoon, spends time in the field and enjoys the camaraderie of being in the military.
While he is proud of his time in the Marines, Sproston is glad to be serving closer to home, to be near his job, friends and family.
Before joining the service, he took the police exam to gain a permanent full-time position within a Suffolk County law enforcement department. He was eventually placed on a lottery and picked by the Riverhead Police Department in 2017.
Always willing to serve his nation and community, he was extremely pleased to be in uniform through the police and military. As a regular officer, Sproston patrolled the busy traffic and commercial areas of Route 58. This assignment offered him the chance to gain important knowledge of the local citizens, and the types of crimes that are common within this part of Riverhead.
And so on the day of the crash in March 2020, this police officer was near death, and right away the local fire department was dispatched to respond and provide aid. Service runs deep through the Sproston family, as his father Billy was one of the local fire and emergency support that arrived on this call.
At this point, his father did not know that his son was the officer in the wrecked vehicle as he approached this scene. Senior fire officials tried to keep his father away as they prepared to move him to Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead.
Rob Sproston’s face was practically ripped apart from the crash and he lost two pints of blood. He was stabilized at Peconic Bay and was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital, where he received major surgery and treatment toward the reconstruction of his face. For two weeks, he was in an induced coma. His father was at his side during this entire ordeal.
Speaking about these harrowing events, the son was completely reserved as he identified this near-death incident and his amazing recovery.
This young man still has minor nose-and-mouth surgery ahead, but his iron spirit completely demonstrates his unyielding resolve to continue a normal life.
Always an active citizen to help his community through the police and to defend our nation within the Marine Corps, Sproston has overcome several obstacles to return to duty. His professional and personal goal was achieved on July 1, 2021, when he was cleared by the police department to return to limited duty. He is looking forward to getting back into a sector car to be in the field.
Outside of the police, Sproston has resumed his life by working out in the gym and being cleared by a Navy doctor to return back to his infantry platoon. He is looking forward to the challenge of attending sniper school and being around his fellow Marines — always flashing a big smile.
Longtime Rocky Point High School social studies teacher and coach, Christopher Nentwich, said it best about Sproston’s positive qualities: “He was an ‘old-school’ student who was loyal, dedicated, hardworking and with a great sense of humor. I recommended Rob to several members of the police department and believed that he would be an outstanding addition to serve and protect the community of Riverhead.”
Rich Acritelli is a history teacher at Rocky Point High School and adjunct professor at Suffolk County Community College.
Prev
