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The Chicken Hill exhibit at the Three Village Historical Society. Photo courtesy of TVHS
The Harts, Sells and Hines families were prominent residents of Chicken Hill. Pictured from left, circa 1934, Pearl White, Roger Hart, Bertha Hart (wife of William Hart) holding her daughter Petricia, Alice F. Hart holding her son Irvy, two Hines children, Grace Hines holding her daughter Charlotte, Raymond Hart (in cap), Gloria Hart (behind Raymond) and Violet Sells (Thompson). Photo courtesy of TVHS
The Chicken Hill exhibit at the Three Village Historical Society. Photo courtesy of TVHS
A photograph featured in the Chicken Hill exhibit at the Three Village Historical Society. Photo by TVHS
The Chicken Hill exhibit at the Three Village Historical Society. Photo courtesy of TVHS
A photograph of the Setauket rubber factory at the Chicken Hill exhibit. Photo from TVHS

By Scott Ferrara

The Three Village Historical Society and Museum (TVHS) is set to close its award-winning exhibit, “Chicken Hill: A Community Lost to Time,” marking the final opportunity for visitors to experience this cherished piece of local history. The exhibit’s closure is part of a broader collaborative effort leading up to the highly anticipated openings of the Dominick-Crawford Barn Education and History Center and the Three Village Community Trust’s Rubber Factory Worker Houses. The exhibit will remain open through February, with its final day of public viewing on February 23, 2025.

Conceived and curated in 2012 by historian Frank Turano, PhD, with the assistance of Society Archivist Karen Martin, Robert Gladwish, and Joseph Bova, Jr., the Chicken Hill exhibit has been a cornerstone of the Society’s programming. Generously underwritten by Fred Bryant and the Bryant Funeral Home, the exhibit has received national acclaim, including the prestigious “Award of Merit” from the American Association for State and Local History- an honor shared with the 9/11 Museum in New York City the year it was awarded.

This interactive multimedia exhibit delves into the fascinating history of a vibrant, working-class, multi-racial, and multi-ethnic community in the Three Village area between 1857 and 1960. Over the past decade, the exhibit has welcomed countless visitors, including group and school tours, and inspired educational projects while evoking cherished memories for long-time residents.

The history of Chicken Hill

“Chicken Hill” was the historical name for the area surrounding the Setauket Methodist Church at Main Street and Route 25A. Initially a hub for workers at the Nunns and Clark piano factory, the community gained its name from the many chickens that roamed freely among the homes. The factory, which included members of the renowned Steinway family, produced hundreds of pianos annually before its decline during the Civil War.

In 1876, the abandoned factory was transformed into the Setauket Rubber Factory, which became Suffolk County’s largest employer, with over 500 workers—many of whom were Eastern European Jewish immigrants. The factory’s closure in the early 1900s, following a series of mysterious fires, marked the end of one chapter in Chicken Hill’s story.

The exhibit focuses on the community’s final era (1930–1950), showcasing a rich tapestry of cultures, including Russians, Lithuanians, Poles, Italians, Irish, Native Americans, and African Americans. It highlights their contributions as business owners, house servants, gardeners, school bus drivers, and more. The area also reflected a unique religious diversity, with African Methodist Episcopal, Catholic, and Jewish congregations coexisting in this community.

Looking ahead

Visitors in February can enjoy special guided tours led by original exhibit creators and contributors. Following its closure, exhibit materials will be repurposed for an expanded display at the Rubber Factory Worker Houses, operated by the Three Village Community Trust at 184 Main Street, Setauket. This upcoming iteration will include newly unearthed artifacts and offer a deeper exploration of Chicken Hill’s legacy.

Additionally, educational programming inspired by the exhibit will be transformed into a digital format, making the history of Chicken Hill accessible through the TVHS website.

Located at 93 North Country Road in Setauket, the museum and gift shop are open Friday through Monday from noon to 4 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children and students, free for members. For more information, including tour schedules, call 631-751-3730 or visit www.tvhs.org.

Author Scott Ferrara is curator at the TVHS.

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Assemblywoman-elect, Rebecca Kassay. Courtesy www.facebook.com/kassayforassembly.

By Toni-Elena Gallo

After an extended vote-counting process, Rebecca Kassay has defeated incumbent Assemblyman Ed Flood (R-Port Jefferson). Official results and certification are expected from the Board of Elections in the coming weeks. As of now, Kassay is leading Flood by 813 votes.

Kassay released a statement on her Facebook page Tuesday, Nov. 26, declaring victory in the race for New York State Assembly District 4. She wrote, “After a spirited campaign, I am declaring victory in the race for New York State Assembly District 4, having secured an insurmountable lead over my opponent, Ed Flood. Official results and certification are expected from the Board of Elections in the coming weeks.”

Kassay added, “I am heartened by our community’s trust in me to bring public service back to politics. It will be a great honor to represent District 4 in the New York State Assembly and to deliver resources to our communities. As discussed during civic debates and at residents’ doors throughout my campaign, I will serve with a community-up approach — one that prioritizes transparency, communication and meaningful action on pressing issues.”

Assemblywoman-elect Kassay has already begun laying the groundwork to ensure she and her team “hit the ground running and serve the district effectively on day one.”

“Throughout the coming weeks, I will be meeting with civic groups, school district representatives, nonprofits, first responders, local government officials and other community stakeholders to collaborate on the important work of shaping the projects and policies that will guide the district forward,” the statement continued.

Kassay invites residents or groups to connect with the incoming District 4 Assembly team by emailing [email protected].

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Left: Assemblyman Ed Flood (R-PortJefferson). Right: Rebecca Kassay. Courtesy Ed Flood and Rebecca Kassay for NYS Assembly's Facebook page

By Toni-Elena Gallo

In the wake of last Tuesday’s election, the race for NYS Assembly District 4 remains to be called.

With mail-in ballots still being counted, there is no exact timeline for when results will be in.

Rebecca Kassay released a statement last Thursday, saying, “We knew that the race for the NYS
Assembly seat in District 4 would be one of the most competitive races in New York State, and as of Wednesday, November 6, I hold a 211 vote lead. In a race this close, results will not be determined until the affidavit ballots and final mail in ballots are counted. This might take until late November, so in the meantime, our team is reflecting on our gratitude for the incredible individuals and community groups who we’ve connected with and built stronger relationships with during the journey of this campaign.”

“There is so much work to be done here in our district, our town, our county and our state, and I hope to have the opportunity to serve you as your Assemblymember,” Kassay continued.

TBR requested comment from Assemblyman Flood and his response was as follows: “As we await the final numbers, I want to express my heartfelt appreciation to everyone who has supported me throughout this campaign. I remain deeply committed to representing, advocating for and listening to our community. This dedication is not new; it has always been the foundation of my work and will continue to guide me moving forward.”

“Serving our community is an honor, and I am committed to ensuring that every voice is heard and every concern is addressed,” he continued.

 

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A model of the bark Modesta, Capt. Rowland’s last command. Mary sailed on the 'Modesta' to exotic ports in Africa, the Mediterranean and South America. Photo courtesy of Bev Tyler

By Beverly C. Tyler

“I manage to go on shore more or less in every port and learn the different manners and customs of different nations and the works of God and man, both nature and art. I find much to amuse, edify and interest us, and see what so many travelers pay large sums for, while Henry makes a living and the brig is our hotel and even what is much better, our home.” — Mary Rowland, January 1873

In the graveyard of Setauket Presbyterian Church, near the center rear, lie the graves of Captain Henry L. Rowland (1827-1876) and his wife, Mary Satterly Rowland (1832-1908). The couple’s farm was situated south of their final resting place, between Main Street and Setauket Harbor. Today, Setauket School faces what was once the Rowland farm.

Children of Capt. Henry and Mary Satterly Rowland – Woodhull, Mary Emma and Henrietta.

Mary is one of the women featured in the Three Village Historical Society’s Spirits cemetery tour. Her life, like that of many women who lived in the area and traveled the world, remains largely unknown. A portion of Mary’s tumultueous sea adventures is documented in the book “Hen Frigates” by New Zealander Joan Druett.

“At 4 a.m., tacking on shore,” Mary Rowland wrote in 1856, “the vessel was rolling and pitching badly.” Everything below was “upside down, and there is no rest or peace to be had. Worst of all, one could hardly keep in bed, especially on one tack; when I sit down, I must of necessity take the floor for a sofa.”

Despite the hardships, Henry and Mary spent over 20 years living aboard three different sailing ships that traveled the world, carrying cargo from port to port. The couple’s children grew up on these ships, built in East Setauket, and one of them, Woodhull, was born on board.

“The captain’s wife gave birth to a child,” reads the logbook entry of the brig Thomas W. Rowland for October 21, 1857, near the island of Abaco. Mary Rowland’s two daughters, Henrietta and Mary Emma, were sent between decks with their dolls to play while Henry delivered the baby boy, christened Woodhull.

During the American Civil War, Captain Henry Rowland’s bark Glenwood sailed under sealed orders, with its destination (Pensacola, to deliver supplies to the troops) unknown until the orders were opened. The voyage south was traumatic; the vessel was struck twice by lightning, resulting in the death of one crew member. Mary’s youngest child, Willie, fell ill with yellow fever as they neared Pensacola Bay. All night, as they lay hove to near Santa Rosa Island, she fought for her son’s life while cannonballs from Confederate and Union gunships screamed overhead. When the battle was over, the Glenwood had survived unscathed but the little boy was dead.

Cover of “Hen Frigates” by Joan Druett

The diaries, journals, letters and artifacts of Setauket wives Mary Satterly Rowland, Mary Swift Jones and Ellen Elizabeth Jones, along with the logbooks of their captain husbands, are part of the collection at the Three Village Historical Society. These materials, donated by local residents and relatives, provide valuable insight into the lives of women at sea aboard wooden commercial ships. These women, along with their children in many cases, traveled the world with their husbands and fathers. Their experiences are part of the many stories told in the Society’s exhibition, “The Sailing Circle: 19th Century Seafaring Women from New York.”

The two Marys are featured in Hen Frigates along with many other women and children whose adventures make for fascinating reading. They are also included in the exhibit catalog The Sailing Circle, available in the society gift shop.

“Hen Frigates” by Joan Druett, available at the Emma S. Clark Library, is a seafaring book packed with intriguing details about shipboard life during the 19th century, when wooden ships and their crews journeyed along the North American coast and around the world. More than just a book about families at sea, Hen Frigates covers in dramatic detail the growth of American maritime commerce in the 19th century.

One of the most interesting aspects of local history is its connections to larger realms of people and events. Our community is linked in many ways to our region, nation and the world—a reality that has persisted throughout our history. The Three Village community is wonderfully rich in both natural and man-made resources that illustrate and exemplify these connections.

Beverly Tyler is an author and the historian for the Three Village Historical Society, located at 93 North Country Road, Setauket. Visit www.tvhs.org for more information.

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Ward Melville High School. File photo

By Mallie Jane Kim

New York Regents Exam scores can no longer lower student course grades in Three Village Central School District, after the school board unexpectedly resurrected a policy that directs teachers to only include the scores if they help a student’s GPA.

“I believe we have reached a point in time where it makes sense to let these grades help our kids and let that be their incentive to do well,” said board President Susan Rosenzweig, in bringing the issue back to the table at an Oct. 9 board meeting. “But if it doesn’t, their academic work through the course of the year should stand toward their final grade.”

Just before Regents exams began last June, a new wave of parent advocacy led the board to reconsider the so-called “Do No Harm” policy, but at that time trustees reaffirmed their November vote to include the scores at 10% — down from about 12% before the pandemic.

After the last Regents season, though, students did report lower grades due to exam scores. Superintendent of Schools Kevin Scanlon called out the physics Regents as one that particularly impacted student course grades.

“Teachers and administrators always want to see the students do their best on whatever we give them, and want to give them the best opportunity,” Scanlon said, adding that some comparable districts do not include the scores in final grades since the state does not require it. “It’s not a perfect system.”

This decision comes as the state’s Education Department is considering a new vision for graduation requirements, which would provide alternate means of demonstrating proficiency, rather than requiring the exams for everyone.

But district administrators made clear the exams themselves are not a waste of effort.

“The Regents Exams are extremely important to us as far as the data we get,” said Brian Biscari, assistant superintendent for educational services. “They are one of the only tools of standardization that we have that we can look at our instructional program and see how our kids are doing.”

Celebrating cellphone policy success

The district’s effort to reduce the use of cellphones at school is showing positive results, according to Scanlon. He indicated the culture within the junior high schools, in particular, is improving.

“Seeing students without their faces buried in phones and literally having conversations at cafeteria tables is a real heart boost for everyone,” he said. “We’ve sort of turned a corner on this.”

High school students have welcomed the policy, as well, according to senior Hazel Cohas, Ward Melville High School’s student representative to the board.

“In the past, there have been policies that have faced a lot of backlash,” she shared, pointing specifically to a vandalism-prevention policy instituted last year requiring students to carry their IDs and swipe them to use restrooms. But on limiting cellphone use, she hasn’t heard complaints: “I haven’t heard anything, and I think it’s going well.”

Bullying complaints have seen a “very large decline” from this time last year, Scanlon reported, and particularly those associated with social media.

Scanlon urged vigilance, though, because it is still early in the school year and since “students are very smart,” some may look for ways around the policy.

Junior high to middle school preview

Three Village junior high schools will get new names in fall 2025, officially transitioning to Paul J. Gelinas Middle School and Robert Cushman Murphy Middle School, both comprising sixth through eighth grades.

More will shift than just the name and grade makeup, according to Biscari, who called the focus on transition supports a “comprehensive philosophical change in our middle school model.”

The most significant change is the addition of a standalone nine-minute advisory period to allow a specific time for the Pledge of Allegiance and announcements, as well as for activities to build social skills, social emotional learning and relationships. The schedule can also shift to allow for an extended advisory period on days where the student body participates in special activities, like on Unity Day.

According to the presentation by junior high principals, Corinne Keane (PJG) and Michael Jantzen (RCM), advisory groups will be heterogeneous, allowing students who would normally be in different level classes to be together.

“They start to forge connections with people — with kids, with staff members — that are hopefully making them feel a little bit more connected to their school and their environment,” explained Keane, who said area middle schools she’s spoken to have implemented the advisory period concept. “It’s a cornerstone of middle school culture.”

Sixth grade will operate under “teaching teams,” where a cohort of students will all be assigned the same set of teachers in core academic subjects. This way, teachers can better collaborate to help students succeed, and parents can meet with all of their child’s core teachers at once.

Students will also be able to spread requirements for technology, art, and family and consumer science over three years instead of two, allowing space for an additional elective each year.

The schools are already collaborating with elementary schools to aid in the transition of two grade levels up to next year’s middle schools, and they are looking ahead to additional ways to bridge the gap between middle school and high school. One part of that plan is to allow for some dances, celebrations and a theme-park field trip to be joint affairs with both eighth graders from the middle schools and ninth graders from the high school.

“We want to make sure that the transitions are as smooth as they can be,” said Jantzen, adding that junior high administrators will continue talking with staff from the other schools to continue to fine-tune transition supports. “We are taking into account all concerns.”

Changing to middle schools, though, means saying goodbye to a seventh-through-ninth-grade junior high model that has been around Three Village for nearly 60 years. The principals want to use this year’s junior high yearbooks to recognize that.

“We’re both looking to use the yearbook as a tool to commemorate,” Keane said. “In 50 years when someone picks up the yearbook, they get the sense that this was the year — this was the last year as a junior high school.”

 

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Ward Melville High School. File photo by Greg Catalano

By Mallie Jane Kim

Three Village Central School District officials shared the latest details in their plan to move ninth grade out of the junior high schools to create a four-year program at Ward Melville starting in the 2025-26 school year, in line with state and national norms.

The presentation at a Sept. 25 board meeting comes after more than two years of discussions over restructuring the district and after more than a year of planning.

“Everyone’s been putting their heads together to make this the best possible transition that it can be,” said Brian Biscari, assistant superintendent for educational services, who also touted the change as providing ninth graders access to additional courses outside the core academic subjects. “The ninth graders moving up to the high school are going to have more options for electives as well as activities they can participate in.” 

The district also plans to move sixth grade from the elementary schools to the junior high schools, though an update on those plans will be forthcoming at a future board meeting.

In the presentation to the board, Ward Melville Principal John Holownia laid out some specifics: Core curriculum will remain the same for ninth graders, but electives will expand significantly. Currently the junior high schools offer nine half-year electives and eight full-year electives to ninth graders. Those numbers will jump to 29 and 13, respectively, with some of those electives reserved for ninth grade only.

“We’ll make sure that we have places to go to match their interests,” Holownia said, adding that electives will be contingent on budget and student interest, as is currently the process at the high school. “It’s not a guarantee that we run all of these classes year over year.”

Swimming as a part of physical education will continue to start in 10th grade, and there will be no change in course availability for grades 10-12, outside of the usual course review process.

Ward Melville staff plans to double transition supports and events, like hosting two separate orientation nights and new student walkthroughs.

Not everyone is thrilled about the upcoming changes. Some area parents have expressed on social media and in conversations around the district that the process has felt opaque. As recently as the public start-time forums, some expressed they did not even know the change had already been decided.

“It feels rushed,” wrote district parent Joanna Zalewski in an email read aloud during the public comment section of the board meeting. “We still lack information on crucial aspects such as building utilization, how the high school will handle the increased student population, and what specific academic or social benefits this change is supposed to bring.”

Zalewski said alignment with norms is not a compelling reason and called for delaying the move. “There is no state mandate requiring this change,” she wrote. “Nor is there one from the community.”

Superintendent of Schools Kevin Scanlon has long relied on the outcome of a 2023 survey as his guide for spearheading this change. The survey, which had more than 6,000 responses from among parents, staff, students and the broader community, indicated the majority of each stakeholder group preferred to move up sixth and ninth grades.

“This is going to create some tremendous opportunities for our students,” Scanlon said at the meeting. “This is going to put them on more of a par with their peers in other districts that they are competing with for positions, eventually, in colleges or the workforce.”

Flood damage to Nassakeag

More than a month after the “once-in-a-century” Aug. 19 storm, the district is still working on rehabilitating damage to Nassakeag Elementary School and finding ways to prevent future issues.

The school building itself sits lower than its surrounding land, and a loading dock essentially funneled more than 160,000 gallons of water straight into the boiler room, according to Interim Deputy Superintendent Jeffrey Carlson’s presentation at the board meeting. 

Electrical panels and boiler controls were all submerged, and the auditorium as well as some classrooms had flooding.

“It was awful,” said Carlson, who praised the team of people who spent hours working to get the building ready for the start of the school year on Sept. 2. “We had industrial-sized dehumidifiers throughout the building for days and days, and a whole brigade of mop buckets. It was a mess.”

Initial estimates indicated the building would need a month of cleanup before it was fit for students, but district staff — who were honored with certificates at the start of the board meeting — worked overtime.

“If it wasn’t for the efforts of all these folks, we would not have had the building up and running in about a week and a half,” Scanlon said. “So we were able to open on time.”

The district plans to replace boiler controls “in the not-too-distant future” and to install watertight flood doors to prevent future water damage, leveraging state building aid and a FEMA claim to pay for it, according to Carlson. 

One lingering mystery, possibly related to August’s flooding, was the failure of the concrete slab under two Nassakeag classrooms. School staff recently discovered the floor in those rooms had dropped down slightly. 

District staff dug next to the foundations and discovered a void in that area. Carlson, who assured the board the issue was not structural and did not impact the walls or the ceiling, put forward several theories of how such a void could have formed under the 60-year-old school: Perhaps the building was built over felled trees, which rotted, or dirt washed away in an underground flow. Maybe the original builders didn’t compact the dirt enough, or the unusual April 5 earthquake with a light aftershock shifted the ground.

“We’re investigating,” Carlson said. “Hopefully we’ll be able to figure out exactly what caused that so we can prevent it from happening again, and see if there was anywhere else where this is maybe looming.”

In the meantime, students have been moved to alternate classrooms, and architects are working on a way to restore the concrete slab to make those rooms usable again.

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Capital projects fund review of East Beach bluff stabilization shows an estimated $800,000 budget overspend. Photo by Lynn Hallarman

By Lynn Hallarman

The final report reviewing the capital projects fund was presented to the public by CPA firm, PKF O’Connor Davies of Hauppauge, at the Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees Sept. 25 meeting, ending a year of uncertainty over the financial condition of the fund.

The most significant conclusion was an estimated $1.27 million in overspending on capital projects done without an identified funding source. The largest overage was the East Beach bluff stabilization project of about $800,000.

Why the review was done

One year ago, concerns were raised by then newly-appointed village treasurer, Stephen Gaffga, about the bookkeeping practices that track the village’s capital projects fund. This prompted village officials to hire PKF O’Connor Davies to give a full historical accounting of the fund’s financial recordkeeping. The review spanned from May 2016 to May 2023.

“I noticed shortly after starting my position as treasurer in September of 2023 that our capital projects fund looked like every expense account had a negative balance, which immediately raised red flags for me,” Gaffga said in an interview with TBR News Media.

Gaffga noted that best practices recommended by the Office of the New York State Comptroller were not being followed, making it difficult to track how money was being spent on individual projects.

Ideally a capital project fund ledger should give a granular view of how money flows though different projects and meticulously accounts for funding and payments related to each project, according to the OSC.

The village additionally enlisted Charlene Kagel, CPA — former commissioner of finance for the Town of Brookhaven and ex-Southampton village administrator — as an expert municipal finance consultant to assist the village as it corrects bookkeeping practices to comply with state guidelines.

Reports findings

According to PKF O’Connor Davies, the purpose of the capital projects fund review was to identify which projects have been funded, which have been overspent and what grant funds for specific projects have not yet been reimbursed to the village.

The report provided a clearer picture of the capital fund financial state, especially addressing the overall negative balance observed a year ago. PKF detailed 26 projects as having a deficit fund balance.

Reviewers also noted that “recordkeeping varied by project” — or in other words, the bookkeeping lacked a consistent approach across the ledgers.

Overall, the review revealed an $8.1 million total deficit as of May 31, 2023. “Most of this deficit, an estimated $5 million, is due to grants expected but not yet received by the village,” Gaffga said.

The estimated $1.27 million shortfall comes from spending on a few large projects, most of which, $800,000, is attributed to the bluff stabilization project.

Gaffga explained that the additional spending on the bluff project occurred incrementally over several years starting in 2017, with board members approving these expenses without first identifying a funding source.

Recommendations

Recommendations to the village boil down to one improvement: Follow bookkeeping guidance outlined by the OSC.

The report also identifies the absence of a long-term capital projects fund plan for the village.

Kagel told TBR that an excellent capital plan should include a list of proposed projects by department heads and for municipalities to assign each project a “priority ranking” year by year.

“The board ranks what projects are most important and then figures out how they are going to pay for it,” she said.

Gaffga added, “There will need to be an identified funding source to correct that $1.27 million deficit in the capital fund.”

Gaffga pointed out, however, that this amount is an unaudited estimation. The village has hired a new accounting firm, R.S. Abrams & Co. of Islandia, to finalize the numbers cited in the report before village officials will move forward with a financial plan to reimburse the capital projects fund, as required by municipal law.

“Bottom line, it’s just bad bookkeeping. The village didn’t follow the recommended practice and accounting procedures that are set forth by the state and this is what happens when you don’t,” Kagel said.

Moving forward

The treasurer for a municipality is the custodian of all capital funds, responsible for tracking the finances of each project and developing financial reports for the board and the public.

“At the same time, the board is ultimately responsible for the oversight of the village financials,” Kagel said. “It’s pretty clear that municipalities aren’t supposed to overspend their budget, according to general municipal law in New York State.”

“Stephen [Gaffga] has implemented an OSC best practice, tracking each project financial detail to be sent to the board monthly, so the board can say, ‘Hey, how come we’re in the red on this project?’” she said.

“I’m glad we are now through the most difficult part of the capital projects fund review process and we now know exactly where the village stands,” Mayor Lauren Sheprow said in an email statement to TBR News Media.

“Now the village can proceed to develop a truly transparent capital project plan with guidance from our new Budget and Finance Committee and our incredible treasurer, Stephen Gaffga,” she added.

The full report can be viewed on the Village of Port Jefferson website at www.portjeff.com, and the next Board of Trustees meeting will be held on Oct. 9, as a work session.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Ward Melville boys varsity cross-country team. Courtesy David Seyfert

By Ryan DeLuca

The Ward Melville varsity boys’ cross country (XC) team has had an exceptionally productive start to the 2024 season — a testament to the hard work the athletes put in over the summer. In just the first three weeks of competition, the team has demonstrated their potential as one of the top contenders in the state.

On September 14, the team’s top eight runners traveled to upstate Queensbury to compete in the prestigious Pre-State meet, a 5k (3.1 miles) race. This early-season event attracts the best teams in New York — all vying for a spot at the NYS Championship in November. In a field of 24 teams and 195 athletes, Ward Melville’s runners claimed first place overall in their race.

Senior Jon Seyfert led the charge, finishing 1st overall with an impressive time of 15:50. Junior Anthony Anatol — in his first-ever 5K race — followed as the second Ward Melville athlete, placing 8th overall in 16:19. Sophomore Andy Senf and Junior Luke Jantzen, both competing in just their second and first 5k races respectively, crossed the finish line nearly in unison with times of 16:44.3 and 16:44.4 — placing 23rd and 24th. Sophomore Matteo Ritieni rounded out the top five for Ward Melville, finishing 35th with a time of 16:52 securing a team score of 87 points. This performance beat out second-place finisher Corning — a two-time state champion in the last four years — by an impressive 38 points.

Also competing for Ward Melville were Junior Tim Brown and Sophomores Matt Fumai and Leo Puckett. Brown finished 53rd with a time of 17:23, Fumai placed 62nd at 17:31 and Puckett — in his first 5k — clocked in at 18:10 for 89th place.

When all varsity race results were merged to compare every team that competed that day, Ward Melville once again came out on top — finishing 1st out of 117 teams and defeating the reigning state champions Saratoga Springs by 11 points.

The Ward Melville boys’ XC team is young but highly motivated — fully embracing the program laid out by Coaches DeLuca and Liebowitz. Their dedication to teamwork and relentless work ethic has created a positive competitive environment that is paying dividends. According to the coaches, this season is shaping up to be one of the best in the history of Ward Melville cross country.

In recognition of their stellar performance, the Ward Melville boys’ cross country team is now ranked #1 among all Class A (large schools) teams and #2 overall in New York State.

 

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SBU campus. File photo

By Daniel Dunaief

In the last 18 months, Stony Brook University has generated positive headlines for a host of wins, from receiving a record donation from the Simons Foundation to climbing academic rankings to winning the bidding for a climate solutions center on Governors Island.

This year, those gains not only helped attract a larger applicant pool, but also led to a record high enrollment for first-year students in the university’s 67 year history. The total number of undergraduates is also at a record high of 18,263, exceeding the previous high of 18,010 in the fall of 2010.

The downstate flagship university received about 55,000 applications for first year students, with an acceptance rate of about 49%.

“Stony Brook has now become a premier destination for so many students” in the state, country and world, said Richard Beatty, Senior Associate Provost for Enrollment Management. The increasing applicants and the largest ever class size of 4,024 students reflects the “fruit of all the work the campus has been doing.”

Stony Brook ranked 58th in the 2025 US News and World Report rankings this week, up from 93 in 2022. Stony Brook was also ranked the top public university in New York.

Just over half of the first-year students, or 50.5%, are women, while 49.5% are men. These statistics don’t include people who chose not to disclose their gender.

The university didn’t change its admissions standards to accept this larger class.

“We had the same academic quality as in previous years,” said Beatty, as each student has had high quality experience inside and outside the classroom.

Additionally, for the class entering its second year this fall, Stony Brook had a 90% retention rate, which is also an all-time high. The university typically loses 11 or 12% of students from the first to the second year.

“We want the student [who matriculate at Stony Brook] to graduate with us and we want them to graduate in a timely manner,” said Beatty.

New hires

Recognizing the increased interest in attending Stony Brook from in and out of state, the university started hiring additional staff to provide students with the same level of education and university services.

The ratio of faculty to students “didn’t change that much” because of the university’s staffing efforts, Beatty said. “We are keeping the educational quality the same even though we have a larger [freshman] class.”

The enrollment of students who identify as Black and LatinX also increased, even as universities such as Harvard College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have experienced a decline in such enrollments.

The first-year class at Stony Brook includes 433 people who identify as black, which is an increase of 19% over the total from the previous year and represents about 10.7% of the incoming class.

LatinX, meanwhile, rose 28% to 633 this year from 496 in the previous year.

SBU Interim President Richard McCormick. File photo

“Stony Brook today exemplifies dramatically all the most important developments in modern American higher education – a growing and highly diverse student body, an expanding research enterprise, and research achievements that are contributing mightily to the economy and society,” Interim President Richard L. McCormick said in a statement.

While the number of foreign students increased over last year, the total number has still not recovered to its 2019 level, prior to the pandemic.

Stony Brook leads the SUNY system in the highest number of Educational Opportunity Program applications. The state-funded program provides financial support to New York students who have financial and academic barriers, helping them attend and graduate from a SUNY college.

Storm challenges

At the same time that the university welcomed its largest ever first year class, the campus and the area endured a sudden and violent storm that not only damaged the historic Stony Brook Grist Mill, but also made some dormitories uninhabitable.

“It was an unbelievable concerted effort throughout campus” to find places for students amid the clean up, said Beatty. “The housing team came up with solutions” that included housing some students in hotels.

Two of the residence halls, Ammann and Gray, are still undergoing repairs, although the university has found places for its students.

The university has 52 sophomores who are living at an off-campus hotel, where they are expected to remain through the semester. They should be able to return to campus in the spring.

Expanded food services

The Starbucks in SBU’s Melville Library. Courtesy facebook.com/SBUDining

Amid higher enrollment, Stony Brook expanded the hours for dining facilities this year, compared with last year.

Starbucks opened at the Melville Library with expanded hours. The foods trucks have a consistent schedule Monday through Friday and Stony Brook added a Nathan’s Famous truck to the food truck fleet.

The university launched new franchises and dining concepts this fall, such as Popeyes, Carvel and Iron Waffles.

Academically, Stony Brook has had a wide range of potential interests from its incoming students. Beyond the typical strengths in physics and math, the university also experienced a growth in the numbers of students applying for journalism, political science and economics.

“We ended up not being over enrolled in any of our programs,” Beatty said.

McCormick suggested the increased interest in the school reflects recent higher visibility.

“This historic enrollment of first-year students is a testament to Stony Brook University’s steadfast commitment to providing an exceptional educational experience and its rise in reputation as one of the nation’s most prominent public flagship research universities,” McCormick said in a statement.

The State University of New York schools have seen an increase overall in the number of applicants.

Stony Brook’s admissions process, which remains test optional for standardized tests like the SAT and the ACT, has become considerably more holistic.

The admissions committee looks beyond the grade point average or whatever test scores candidates submit, while weighing the student achievement in the context of the options available at their high schools.

The larger class size amid a greater interest in the school also has positive implications for the local economy and for the community.

More students shop at stores and restaurants and also contribute to extracurricular activities such as theatrical performances and to community service projects.

These students, who come from all over the world, add to the diversity of the area, start new clubs and present the findings of their own research while attending college, Beatty added.

As for future applications and class sizes, school officials anticipate greater numbers of interested students in the coming years.

“We expect applications to continue to rise,” said Beatty.

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Former state assemblyman, Steve Englebright (D-Setauket,) displaying a map of the Setauket area, as he addresses the crowd on Monday night. Photo by Toni-Elena Gallo

By Toni-Elena Gallo

On Monday night, Sept. 9, the Three Village Civic Association held a community forum, to discuss future plans for the revitalization of East Setauket Pond Park.

Through the years, the park has become dilapidated, as overgrown vegetation and broken fencing have taken over the aesthetic of a park that is an instantly recognizable staple of the Three Village community.

“When I started working for the town, and found myself in the enviable position of taking the baton and being able to move this project along, the thing that really struck me was because, as [civic president] Charlie [Tramontana] said, this is a generational project that will have an impact on this community for 50, 100 or more years,” said Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook).

“So, I started a process to try to get as many voices as possible involved, so that we could really make this a project that is of the community, for the community. I’m going to be listening carefully, and taking notes [tonight],” he added.

Kornreich’s comments were followed by statements from Suffolk County legislator and former state assemblyman, Steve Englebright (D-Setauket), who discussed the historical and natural significance of Setauket Harbor, emphasizing its historical place in the development of our nation. Englebright continued by explaining how the first colonial settlers of this area founded on the ideals of freedom, tolerance and religious freedom.

The rest of the meeting was run by Farmingdale State College architectural professor, and board member, Joe Betz, who shared some tentative planning ideas for the space.

One key concern Betz expressed was creating a “sense of place,” which the park currently lacks. He feels that it is important to create a park which draws the eye, and does not get lost in the commotion of 25A. The park would encompass an area from the Brewster House to the war memorial, including the proposed relocation of the Roe Tavern. There would be views across Setauket Harbor.

Additionally, East Setauket Automotive’s lease will expire at the end of July 2025, which creates possibilities, Betz said. “That’s a big chunk of land, and it’s in the heart of, essentially, what this park center is. So, when that comes up, what do you do with this vacant building?” He suggested the impressive facade of the building could be retained, with the rest of the premises converted into a pavilion for parkgoers. 

Betz continued his presentation with graphics he and his students had created, which show potential park designs. He discussed, possibly, crafting the pond farther back from 25A.

He envisions a larger field area and a bandstand for summer concerts, as well as the pavilion.

Betz, also, discussed designing infrastructure with a more European, “English landscape” look which is something he asked community members to consider.

While nothing is set in stone, Betz implored the community to keep having conversations with local officials, as this will, ultimately, define the image of the Three Village community, and he hopes it will be enjoyed by the community, and tourists alike, for future generations.

To access Monday night’s presentation, which contains two different design approaches and detailed information on tentative plans for the park,  please visit the link below.

Portfolio | Setauket Pond Park (betzja.wixsite.com)

The next civic meeting will be held on Monday, Oct. 7, at the Setauket Firehouse on Route 25A, and begin at 7:30 p.m.

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