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Huntington Town board dismisses legislators’ staffers and votes for a unified call center

by Peter Sloniewsky - February 21, 2025

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Screenshot 2025-02-19 104110 — Town of Huntington council members voted 4-1 to eliminate discretionary legislative staff appointments. Photo courtesy of Town of Huntington website.

By Peter Sloniewsky

The Town of Huntington Town Board met Feb. 11 to discuss a variety of resolutions and matters, highlighted by an allegedly last-minute resolution to dismiss each individual legislator’s staffers.

In a 4-1 decision, the members of the board adopted a resolution which eliminated each of its members’ two discretionary legislative staff appointments in favor of a unified call center. This resolution was passed with the understanding that the affected staffers would be able to reapply for positions in the call center or for other civil service positions.

Councilwoman Brooke Lupinacci (R) was the lone no vote. In the meeting, Lupinacci argued that she had been left in the dark on the details of the resolution prior to the meeting and “elected officials having legislative staff that are appointed of their choosing is commonplace.” She claimed that she was the only council member with “no knowledge” that the staffers were fired and she was not consulted prior to the resolution.

Lupinacci continued to describe the vote as “a grotesque display of an attempt to crush my ability to do my job,” before motioning that it be tabled and concluding that she could not “support a resolution that would be firing my staff.” No other council members spoke on the resolution before it was passed.

Additionally, the Town Board dedicated time to appoint and reappoint a number of civil servants. These included a member of the Board of Assessment Review, which responds to claims of misvalued property for taxation, members of the town’s Conservation Board, a director of the Public Safety Department and a member of the Citizens Advisory Committee for Persons with Disabilities.

The board also passed resolutions to develop public spaces. They passed a resolution requesting the New York State Legislature to discontinue the use of parklands to build a Huntington African American Museum. They also moved to dedicate some town property to build a Cold Spring Hills park.

Lastly, the board settled some ongoing litigation and authorized applications for program and grant funding from a variety of governmental and nongovernmental sources.

The Town Board will meet next March 20.

For more information visit www.huntingtonny.gov.

Modified RNA enables epigenetic changes in plants and animals

by Daniel Dunaief - February 21, 2025

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Power of 3 — Rob Martienssen with Nobel Prize winning scientist Barbara McClintock in 1990. Photo by Tim Mulligan, CSHL

By Daniel Dunaief

Cells, like the organisms they are a part of, are trying to balance between staying the same and making the kind of changes that might save a life or increase fitness.

At the cellular level, pieces of important genetic information, called small RNA, have the ability to introduce important so-called epigenetic changes. These alterations allow an individual to survive a potential threat, such as a disease or a toxin in the environment, without altering their DNA.

In a recent publication in the journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and the University of Cambridge demonstrated that a slightly altered form of uridine, which is a combination of the base uracil and ribosome, can act as something of a master key throughout nature.

“When you see something like that conserved in plants and animals, it has to be basic in terms of inheritance or mechanisms,” said Rob Martienssen, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator who has been at CSHL since 1989.

Indeed, pseudouridine guides epigenetic inheritance, which, unlike a mutation, can represent a temporary change in gene function.

Pseudouridine helps transport small RNAs into reproductive cells in both plants and mammals.

Without pseudouridine, these small RNAs that lead to epigenetic changes can become the target of the body’s immune system, which reacts to anything that introduces changes into the genetic machinery as a potential threat, such as a virus.

The body’s Rig-1 pathway, which monitors the extracellular space for foreign genetic material, triggers a cascade of reactions that lead to the release of interferon by white blood cells.

“We think a conserved protein called RTL1 might provide this function in plants (and animals),” explained Martienssen.

Pseudouridine can signal to the body that these genetic codes that are heading towards the nucleus are “self,” keeping the immune system’s reaction at bay.

“It is known that pseudouridine (and other RNA modification) prevent recognition of long RNA as a virus by human cells and we think the same is true in plants,” Martienssen said.

Some viruses have effectively slipped behind the immune defenses by incorporating pseudouridine into their codes. The most famous example of this, Martienssen suggested, is the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or HIV.

Parasitic nematodes and plants also transfer small RNA into the plants they are parasitizing.

Martienssen speculates that those RNA depend on pseudouridine. In his current experiments, he is testing that hypothesis.

Vaccinations

The immune system initially treated the developing mRNA vaccines that were so instrumental in providing an immune defense against COVID-19 as a viral threat, rather than a potential life-saving shot.

A strong immune response prevented the vaccine from providing any benefit.

By adding pseudouridine, among other chemical modifications, to the mix, the pharmaceutical companies created vaccines that functioned effectively without triggering an immune reaction that would otherwise block their effectiveness.

By contributing to a filter that evades immune detection, pseudouridine can also enable the kinds of epigenetic changes — apart and aside from human intervention — that contribute to survival during challenging conditions.

Small RNA that contains pseudouridine can induce epigenetic changes that might be caused by the environment or some disease, enabling an important alteration in the genetic code that could protect an individual against harm.

Martienssen and his team believe pseudourilyation is required to get into the germ line, the cells that are a part of contributing to the next generation. He believes pseudourilyation might also make the germ line more stable.

Martienssen’s collaborator from Cambridge, Tony Kouzarides, independently found pseudouridine in mouse small RNA.

Shorter term changes

As for the long term impact of these changes, epigenetic inheritance typically only lasts a half a dozen generations in animals like worms.

Well known enzymes, such as demethylases, can remove epigenetic marks over time, as several mechanisms are trying to “clean up” the genome before these changes become permanent.

Lower organisms, such as fungi, can become epigenetically resistant to drugs. Epigenetics gives them a lot more variation than they would otherwise have had under natural selection.

An example includes cryptococcus, an infection that can be deadly for immunocompromised people, Martienssen explained.

About five percent of the bases in ribosomal RNA are pseudouridine and 100 percent of ribosomal RNA molecules have these bases rather than uridine at these locations.

Martienssen interfered with the process in his experiments by knocking out an exportin, which is a protein required to export small RNAs. He was able to knock it out without killing the plant.

English origins

Martienssen grew up in Essex, England by the Blackwater estuary near Maldon, which is famous for its sea salt.

Martienssen lived his childhood close to London. Long Island and New York City remind him of home.

When he was eight years old, his father Anthony Kenneth Martienssen gave him the book “The Double Helix’ by former CSHL chair and Nobel Prize winner James Watson.

Martienssen’s father was an author and an aviation consultant who pioneered computer guided air traffic control, his son said. The family recently reprinted some of his father’s books from 50 to 75 years ago.

When he arrived at CSHL, Martienssen worked with Nobel Prize winner Barbara McClintock, who studied transposable genetic elements.

“She showed me how to isolate male germline cells (pollen precursors) from maize plants,” Martienssen recalled. “She told me not to make models, but to stick to the observations.”

McClintock’s earlier models had been more accurate than she realized at the time, he said.

As for his study of epigenetics, Martienssen explained that such alterations are “amazingly useful” in theory, as they can “be induced in many individuals at the same time (random mutations would only occur in one individual at a time), inherited, but then reversed when conditions change.”

Local schools shine at Section XI Wrestling Championships w/photo gallery

by TBR Staff - February 21, 2025

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By Daniel Palumbo

The energy in the arena was electric on Feb. 16 at Stony Brook University for the Section XI Wrestling Championships. The athletes were supported by friends and family, who cheered words of encouragement during the matches. Each bout was fought with grit and determination. After each victory, most of the wrestlers leaped into their coaches’ arms in celebration. Signs of mutual respect were displayed throughout the competition.

In the 101-pound weight class, Trevor Patrovich of Hauppauge High School won first place, defeating Chase Phillips of Ward Melville High School in the finals.

In the 108-pound weight class, Connor Sheridan of Hauppauge reached the finals but lost to Austin Bro Campsey of East Hampton.

Smithtown East’s Dylan Reinard wrestled well in the 166-pound weight class, reaching the finals but falling to Longwood’s Anthony Lagala Ryan.

Gino Manta, a Hauppauge wrestler, won the 124-pound weight class, defeating Longwood’s Devin Connelly.

Smithtown East’s Mathew McDermott triumphed in the 131-pound weight class, defeating Anthony Severino of Lindenhurst.

Niko Marnika of Commack High School wrestled hard in the 138-pound weight class, earning a spot in the finals but ultimately losing to Camryn Howard of Bellport.

In the 145-pound weight class, Michael McGuiness of Walt Whitman High School made it to the finals but lost to Leo Mongiello of Sayville.

Kingston Strouse of Northport High School wrestled his way into the finals in the 152-pound weight class. In a difficult match, he lost to John De La Rosa of Brentwood.

Rocky Point’s Aidan Barry emerged victorious in the 170-pound weight class, earning first place after defeating James Dauch of West Babylon.

In the 190-pound weight class, Brady Curry of Commack won after battling Bay Shore’s John Betancourt.

— Photos by Daniel Palumbo

Huntington REALTOR® Linda Lugo named NYSAR Community Service Award winner

by Press Release - February 21, 2025

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The New York State Association of REALTORS® (NYSAR) honored Linda Lugo of Huntington with the 2024 Community Service Award for her dedication and commitment to animal rescue in Long Island during the association’s “Opportunity Awaits” Mid-Winter Business Meetings at the Crowne Plaza Albany–Desmond Hotel in Albany from Feb. 3 to 6.

The NYSAR Community Service Award recognizes REALTORS’® community involvement supporting initiatives aimed at a community’s youth, improving the quality of education, quality of life for older Americans, homelessness prevention, as well as efforts following natural disasters and other community needs.

For over a decade, Lugo, a member of the Long Island Board of REALTORS®, has been instrumental in helping displaced animals across Long Island and beyond, find homes. Her journey began just after Superstorm Sandy when Long Island was devastated and many people, and their pets, were without homes. Lugo helped care for pets that were left behind or unable to be reunited with their owners. In less than a year, Lugo helped care for over 400 dogs.

Since then, Lugo started “Animal Response and Rescue Coalition,” a non-profit organization which helps teach first responders how to work with animals during a disaster. She has also fostered over 40 dogs in her own home, working with Proud Rescuers of Puerto Rico, who help abandoned dogs and cats find their forever homes in the United States.

“I am honored to receive this award because it helps to bring greater awareness to what is happening to dogs, cats, and other animals in places like Puerto Rico,” said Lugo. “I thank the Awards Committee from the bottom of my heart for this award. It means the world to me!”

Along with an inscribed award, a grant of $1,500 will also be made in Lugo’s name to a charity of her choice.

Northport-East Northport school district outlines technology and facilities investments in proposed budget

by Dylan Friedman - February 20, 2025

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BOE Meeting 1 — Board of Education meetings are typically held at William J. Brosnan School. Photo credit GoogleMaps

By Dylan Friedman

The Northport-East Northport Union Free School District Board of Education met Feb. 13 to discuss the district’s proposed budget for the upcoming school year. The meeting covered various topics, including the district’s five-year technology plan, facilities upgrades and security initiatives.

Technology investments

A significant focus of the meeting was the district’s five-year technology plan, presented by Director of Technology David Leis.

“Every technology investment we make is aligned with instructional purpose and keeping student-centric decision-making in mind,” Leis explained.

The plan outlines a strategic approach to upgrading the district’s technology infrastructure, including modernizing the fiber backbone, enhancing cybersecurity measures and expanding wireless capabilities to support digital learning and assessments.

“As we move more into a digital world, making sure our wireless network is robust and can keep up with the demands of all the mobile devices and online experiences is necessary to support our students,” Leis said.

The technology budget also includes funding for the district’s one-to-one device program, which provides students with laptops or tablets.

“We’ve developed a strategic plan to cycle in new devices for grades one, five and nine each year, aligning with key transition points in a student’s educational journey,” Leis noted.

Facilities upgrades

The district’s facilities and operations team outlined several capital projects and upgrades planned for the upcoming year. These include installing split-unit air-conditioning systems and heat pumps in large shared spaces such as cafeterias and auditoriums.

“We’re focused on creating equitable access to air-conditioned spaces across the district, so students have a comfortable environment for learning, especially during high-stakes testing,” John Lackner, buildings and grounds director, said.

Other facility improvements include restroom renovations, swipe card access for classrooms and upgrades to the district’s intercom and fire alarm systems.

Superintendent David Moyer explained, “We’re really trying to create learning environments that are conducive to our instructional priorities. “

Security initiatives

The district’s security team, led by John McEnroe, presented several security-focused initiatives in the proposed budget. This includes extending the district’s blue strobe lockdown system to interior spaces such as gymnasiums and auditoriums and adding a new server to expand video storage capacity for the security camera network.

“The most important layer of security is training and developing our staff,” McEnroe stated. “We provide ongoing training in areas like de-escalation, threat assessment and emergency response planning.”

Transportation enhancements

The transportation department, supervised by Patricia McGrane, is also slated for improvements. The budget includes funding for two additional full-time bus drivers, allowing the district to use more of its own fleet of buses rather than relying on contracted services.

“When we can use our own large buses, we save tens of thousands of dollars compared to contracting out,” McGrane explained.

The department is also implementing a new “way-finder” system to provide bus drivers with voice-activated turn-by-turn directions.

Recap

The proposed budget reflects the district’s commitment to investing in technology, facilities, security and transportation to support student learning and well-being.

As Moyer emphasized, “These investments are not just about numbers, but about how we can best support the educational experience for our students.”

The board will continue to review and refine the budget proposal in the coming months before presenting it to the community for a vote.

For more information visit www.northport.k12.ny.us.

Letters to the Editor: February 20, 2025

by TBR Staff - February 20, 2025

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letters_page-scaled-1-700x467-1-1-1 — File photo by Raymond Janis

This is NOT “Resistance Corner”

As stated in our NYS charter, the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Chamber of Commerce is a 501(c)(6) organization composed of local businesses. It is not by design nor practice, one that supports politicians or engages in political demonstrations. The antique train car, near the corner of NYS Routes 112 and 347, is the private property of PJS/T CoC as is the surrounding land, flag pole and Legacy patio. The 100-year-old car serves as the CoC office. It and the property, intended solely for use for CoC sponsored events, is diligently maintained by the all-volunteer board, despite the Town Park sign having utilized our old corner marquee to rename the park behind the train car. The public park is marked by the paddock fencing.

The Feb 6. Port Times Record cover and page A3 showed trespassers with a megaphone and signs standing on the train car decking and patio. This letter is intended to clarify: the train car and its surrounding property is private space and the PJS/T CoC has given no public individual or group permission to use it. The chamber liability insurance does not cover trespassers either. I ask you and your readership to help spread the word.

Jennifer Dzvonar, President

Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Chamber of Commerce

Murphy teacher went too far

After reading one letter and two articles written to the Times Beacon Record on Feb. 6 defending the R. C. Murphy Jr. High School teacher placed on leave, I must respectfully disagree with their positions. I consider myself a strong defender of free speech rights. They are truly the cornerstone of a free country. However, the facts in this case warrant an objective analysis.

The teacher in question did not simply criticize the Trump administration, call for impeachment or use derogatory words for the president or his staff. She went a step further, and used very specific and rather dark imagery to describe her hope for “all Trump supporters.” She hoped that they “don’t swallow right” (choke?), have no help, struggling to gasp (suffocating?), withering away (dying?) and suffering long. I think most reasonable people can agree that we don’t expect the educators of our middle school aged children to publicly call for the bodily harm of people with whom they disagree with politically or ideologically. Exercising self-control, good judgment and accountability are all qualities we expect from our educators, especially those involved with younger, more impressionable students.

This educator could have used her distress with recent political events as a “teachable moment” on how we can disagree politically yet maintain civility in our society. She could have protested on a street corner and campaigned for change. Unfortunately, she did not. She chose to speak in a disturbing manner that rightly causes concern given the sensitive nature of her job. Imagine for a moment if one of her students became aware of her public comments. Would that foster a trusting, safe, nurturing educational environment for that student if they thought their own teacher wanted their Trump supporting parents to suffer the terrible things she outlined in her post?

The reality is that we hold people in positions of power (police, teachers, health care workers, elected officials) to a higher standard when it comes to speech. I support the district’s decision to do their due diligence to determine if this is a one-time lapse in judgment or indicative of an underlying issue that needs to be addressed. We are extremely fortunate to have a school district that employs dedicated, caring professionals. Making sure that standard is maintained by all employees is in the best interests of the district as a whole and the students that it serves.

Charles Tramontana

Setauket

The train car is chamber property

It is important to respect organizations and their missions. I am referring to the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Chamber of Commerce and their office train car located at the south east corner of Routes. 347 and 112. Over the years certain organizations, groups have chosen this location for their rallies without notifying the chamber and inappropriately trespassing on their private property. The nickname, “Resistance Corner,”’ not a title the chamber has sanctioned or approved of, has become the setting for such gatherings. The chamber is responsible for maintaining the train car and the grounds it sits on. They pay for the insurance, utilities and general upkeep at great cost and effort by their members and their officers.

Understandingly, this location is very visible and great exposure for groups to mobilize, but it could be reflected that said groups have the endorsement of the PJS/TV Chamber. This would not fit the mission of any chamber. We recognize that public display is lawful, but this corner isn’t fitting for ANY type of demonstration. There are other approximate locations for these types of assemblies. Just east of the train car in the public Town of Brookhaven Park and across the street from the car on the north side of 347.

It is distressing that people/groups assume they may use this property for their own use. That would be an incorrect supposition. To all, in the future, please be mindful of your actions and respectful. Thank you.

Barbara Ransome, President

Brookhaven Chambers of Commerce Coalition

P.S. I love you day

On Feb. 14, the Three Village community not only celebrated Valentine’s Day, but also P.S. I Love You Day. On this day students in this district and those across the state wore purple and shared messages to acknowledge love, caring and kindness toward one another. It began as a response to a tragic loss by suicide suffered by a West Islip student and grew into a movement to recognize mental health needs and interventions.

I want to commend the Three Village schools for the celebrations that occurred throughout our PK-12 buildings and thank them for their valiant attempts to combat and aide in our battle for positive mental health. The music, the purple bracelets, the visits from the therapy dogs and the celebrations of life all contributed to a wonderful atmosphere of love and acceptance. In light of our recent tragedy and the loss of a valued member of the Class of 2027, it is most important to remember this; everybody counts or nobody counts. Continue to care for and respect each other no matter what our differences are and keep this in mind, P.S. I Love You lives on EVERY day.

Stefanie Werner

East Setauket

D. None of the Above: Living with general cold symptoms, but no specific diagnosis

by Daniel Dunaief - February 20, 2025

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By Daniel Dunaief

Uh oh. I started to feel sick more than a week ago.

What could it be?

Let’s see: I had a headache, my nose was running, I had a low grade-ish fever, although my thermometer was much more like a magic eight ball than an effective way to determine my temperature, and I was much more exhausted than usual.

Of course, I had…. well, what?

I mean, these days, one person’s virus is another’s bacteria is another’s combination of things.

I went to the pharmacy and picked up a collection of over the counter flu treatments to reduce the symptoms for everything.

You see, the problem is that I know that I had only three or four days to get to a doctor to get a definitive diagnosis.

I felt too sick to go to the doctor and hoped my vague, general symptoms would leave me alone.

Nope, they barnacled their way into my system, leaving me, day after day, wondering what I had, how contagious I was and whether I should see a doctor.

After muddling through four days, I went to a local drug store, where I picked up a test for Covid and the flu.

After receiving negative tests for both, I scheduled a doctor’s visit. I wasn’t sure what she’d be able to tell me, but I was hopeful that she could give me a magic pill or a definitive diagnosis.

After explaining all my symptoms to the nurse, I went through the same routine with the doctor.

“Well, you should be getting better in a few days,” she shrugged. “There’s really no point in testing you at this point.”

“What can I take?” I asked.

“Advil? Tylenol?” she recommended.

Hmm. I felt as if I were hearing the old “take two aspirin and call me in the morning” advice.

I racked my brains trying to think about what might have made me sick. Was it the money I touched? I rarely handle cash, but I didn’t want to pay the extra 3 percent credit card fee for a food purchase in the days before I got sick.

Was it traveling on an airplane? Probably not, because I still wear a mask to keep my hands away from my face.

Was it the guy at the gym who was exhaling hard in my direction while he race walked on the nearby treadmill? Sometimes, when I can smell someone’s breath at the gym, as I did earlier last week, I figure that’s a sign to move to another apparatus, but those dang endorphins were kicking in, making it hard for me to give up my treadmill before working through my routine.

Much as we might wish that we could return to normal now that Covid is gone, normal, as we might recall, still includes the passing along of all kinds of disagreeable illnesses with their persistent symptoms.

Perhaps it’s the extended winter. After all, usually by now, we’ve had some respite from the lower temperatures and strong winds. We might be spending more indoor time with other people.

Yeah, people can be great, because they can make us laugh, commiserate with us when things don’t go well with our kids or at work, and can share entertaining and enjoyable outings to concerts and sporting events.

And yet, those same people are like walking petri dishes, with their own sets of flora and fauna that can threaten to keep us from feeling completely healthy.

Despite being a bit obsessive compulsive about germs, I am not antisocial and I don’t generally try to avoid people.

I do, at times when I’m feeling sick, wish that I had an app on my phone that’s akin to finding all my friends. Instead of searching for people in my network, this app might warn me about entering a room with a preponderance of viral or bacterial particles.

Maybe this app could be like a GPS with a safety feature.

“No, that bathroom in Grand Central Station is a bad idea. The knob is covered in virus A and the paper towel dispenser has virus B.”

Being sick saps some of the fun from each day. If misery loves company, I suppose I have plenty of friends with stuffy noses, dull headaches, and mild to moderate congestion.

Between You and Me: Small miseries add up to big aggravation

by Leah Dunaief - February 20, 2025

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By Leah S. Dunaief

Houses are like children. They need constant care and rescuing, especially in this current bout of tempestuous weather we’ve been having. Sometimes they have several needs that just pile up on each other.

The trouble started Saturday, when we plugged the vacuum cleaner into an electric strip and the lights went out. So did the computers. After much hunting and flipping of fuses in the fuse boxes, we finally found the culprit and restored the electricity—but not the computers. That took another long and arduous retracing of procedures, with the help of a kindly electrician, who came over despite his hernia operation four days earlier, until they worked.

Vowing never again to plug the vacuum into the power strip, we thankfully continued on with our lives. We might have even felt a little smug about figuring out how to solve the various problems.

That is, until Monday. Now, no one I know loves Mondays. Unless they work on the weekends and have the day off. So it was not a pleasant beginning to the anyway unwelcome start of Monday, when we found that the fearsome winds of Sunday night had knocked down a heavy tree. It had fallen across the driveway, innocently forming a perfect right angle with the blacktop, making the driveway passable only for deer.

Eventually we got out, only to be informed that the toilet bowl in the office was having a bad day. According to prior plans, the plumber had come to restore the grout at the base of the pedestal, from which tiny amounts of water had been seeping onto the floor. In the process, he heard something snap, he said, and suddenly the minute (my-NOOT) leak turned into a gusher.

We rushed around the building, fumbling for the intake valve. Before we could turn off the water, the plumber somehow stopped the flow, but the problem was not solved. He told us that he needed to replace a particular part. Of course, Monday was Presidents Day, a holiday for plumbing supply stores the world over. After a fashion, our plumber was able to put the crisis on hold until the following day, but not until considerable hysteria was expended, along with the water.

We went home Monday evening, consoling ourselves that these were only inanimate material losses. At least we had personally survived unscathed.

At 7:12 the next morning, a text message arrived, informing us that the managing editor, our only managing editor, had a temperature of 102.3 degrees. She gamely told us that she could do some of her work remotely, but it was going to be a difficult day since the papers are due at the printer Wednesday afternoon. We took some prophylactic action, helped by the good nature and generosity of others, and hoped for the best.

The miseries weren’t over. When we got home, the mixer we were using, that had been valiantly making pulp of the raw fruits and vegetables for a smoothie, suddenly stopped. Just like that, in the middle of making dinner. Unplugging, replugging, restarting, shaking, switching receptacles, giving it a rest, were all to no avail. It was as if a ghost had snuck into the house and jinxed the heretofore powerful mixer, which wasn’t nearly old enough to have died on the job. We looked up the brand on the internet to see if instructions might help us solve the trouble. We found lots of instructions, all of which we had already tried, and the dumb machine just remained on the kitchen counter, silently defying us.

Exasperated, we moved into the living room, picked up the daily newspaper and were ready to turn our attention to exogenous problems about which happily we had no responsibility to solve.

And there it was. One more impotent machine before us. One more challenge to try and fix. The humidifier that we rely on to keep the heat from drying out our biological pipes, as well as our house, was not sending up its normal stream of vapor. I capitulated and went to bed.

Those few days, there must have been something in the water.

Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society cancels music festival for 2025

by Press Release - February 19, 2025

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HuntingtonLighthouse_UnderConstruction_PhotoByPamelaSetchellw — Huntington ligthhouse. Photo from Pam Setchell

It is still early in 2025, but the Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society (HLPS) is already working on its list of projects and events for the coming season, including a refocus on renovation projects, additional lighthouse tours, and the end of its annual Musicfest, according to a press release on Feb. 19.

“After 15 successful years, we will not be hosting the Lighthouse Musicfest in 2025,” said Pam Setchell, HLPS President. “This decision was not made lightly, and we want to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who has supported and participated over the years. We deeply appreciate the enthusiasm shown for this event, and also want to thank the Town of Huntington for its support of this event.”

“Musicfest is a massive and monthslong undertaking for a very small group of volunteers who set aside business and personal activities for extended periods of time to make it happen,” continued Setchell. “With limited resources at our disposal, we have decided to refocus this year on important construction and renovation projects to ensure the continuation of the Huntington Light for another 113 plus years. In addition, we are working to meet the increasing demand for visitor tours and grow and train our volunteer staff to align with the needs of the lighthouse.”

Renovation focus

The ongoing restoration of a historical structure is never easy, and the unique location of the Huntington Light–it’s literally surrounded by water and has no means of access by land–amplifies the challenges. Since the inception of the Save Huntington’s Lighthouse group in 1985, and then the Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society, the preservation and restoration of the lighthouse has remained a top priority.

Through a combination of public and private grants, private donations, seasonal tours, special events, and merchandise sales, HLPS has raised approximately $3.5 million in its 40-year history for improvements and restoration projects.

In 2025, new, custom-fabricated windows will replace the original windows, made possible by a generous grant from the Gardiner Foundation and a matching private donation. Additional projects include roof repairs and protective matting, wrought iron railings, repairing cracks in the building’s exterior masonry, and painting and repairing the cupola. A new custom watch deck door is also going to be installed. Each project requires careful planning to ensure that the building’s history and design are maintained. Everything that’s needed, including supplies, tools, and crew must be transported by water and can only be accomplished during a limited season.

Additionally, HLPS is reevaluating its fundraising raising efforts, strengthening its volunteer program, and overhauling the current HLPS website to provide additional functionality.

Lighthouse Tours

Offering access and sharing the story of the lighthouse are core to the HLPS’s mission. Last summer saw an increase in public tour participation, and HLPS anticipates another year that may be even busier. The team is working to add more tour dates, including dinner tours, to the schedule; 2025 dates will be announced soon!

HLPS also makes the lighthouse available for group tours by school groups and others wanting to learn more about maritime history, and visit a working lighthouse.

“We are incredibly proud of the community we’ve built together and the positive impact our collective efforts have had for the lighthouse,” said Setchell. “We are looking forward to seeing the luster restored to this treasured structure and believe you will, too. We stay committed to preserving the lighthouse for future generations as a welcoming beacon to the entrance of Huntington and Lloyd Harbors.”

Follow the Huntington Lighthouse on Facebook, and Instagram.

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About the Huntington Lighthouse:

The Huntington Harbor Lighthouse was built in 1912 and proudly stands guard at the entrance to Huntington and Lloyd Harbors. It rises 42 feet above the water, marking dangerous rocks and helping to navigate boat traffic. It is unique in both design and construction and the first concrete lighthouse structure on the east coast. The Venetian Renaissance (Beaux Art) style of the lighthouse gives it the appearance of a small castle. The lighthouse was added to the National Register for Historic Buildings in 1989 and was placed on Notice of Availability by the National Parks Service on July 2, 2010. The HLPS was granted ownership of the Lighthouse in 2012.

About HLPS:

The Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society, Inc. is a volunteer non-profit, tax-exempt, 501(c) (3) organization. Its mission is to restore, preserve and provide public access to the Huntington Harbor Lighthouse (formerly Lloyd Harbor Lighthouse); to achieve the safe keeping of the building, artifacts, and records; to enhance public awareness and education on lighthouse history; to make the HHL a premier tourist attraction on Long Island; and to serve as a prototype of a restored offshore lighthouse.

For additional information, visit: https://www.huntingtonlighthouse.org/

Cold Spring Harbor High School brings ‘Mamma Mia!’ to the stage

by Press Release - February 18, 2025

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0-4 — Zoe Abelson's serenading scene singing 'Take A Chance on Me'. Photo courtesy of CSHSD

Straight from the island of Kalokairi, this year’s Cold Spring Harbor High School musical delivered four unforgettable evenings of fast-paced performances and brilliant storytelling. From Feb. 7 to Feb. 9, audiences of all ages were treated to a fun-filled production of Mamma Mia! While bright costumes, talented vocals, and exciting dance scenes set the stage, it was the cast’s incredible chemistry that made this a spectacular performance. Based on songs recorded by Swedish group ABBA, the musical was clearly a cast favorite, featuring stand-out performances by seniors Zoe Abelson, Samantha Fiore, and Amelia Saladino.

From left, Zoe Abelson, Amelia Saladino and Samantha Fiore singing the encore of ‘Dancing Queen’. Photo courtesy of CSHSD

“I’ve been obsessed with Mamma Mia! and ABBA songs for years, so I was thrilled to find out it was my final musical at Cold Spring Harbor. The cast, stage and music came together better than I could have imagined,” said Zoe Abelson. “This year we had such a talented cast, including junior Sarah Thatcher who starred as Ellie, sophomore Charlotte Wells who played Tanya, and freshmen Max Yulico, Nick Apergis, and Andrew Bobelian who delivered amazing performances playing Sophie’s dads. I didn’t expect the last show to be so bittersweet. There was a lot of laughter but also a lot of tears. To my friends Samantha and Amelia, my cast and directors, I have loved every moment I spent with you. They were defining and something I will always treasure.”

Memorable performances include senior Zoe Abelson’s uplifting Chiquitita and hilarious rendition of Take a Chance on Me, senior Samantha Fiore’s charismatic Lay All Your Love on Me and energetic dance numbers like Gimme-Gimme-Gimme, and senior Amelia Saladino’s melancholy Slipping Through My Fingers and The Winner Takes It All.

Poster Perfect: Sophomore Charlotte Wells and seniors Zoe Abelson and Amelia Saladino. Photo courtesy of CSHSD

“I am exceptionally proud of our Cold Spring Harbor students in their performance of Mamma Mia! As the vocal director, I worked with the cast to learn an exceptionally high number of songs for one musical. Most songs had ensemble chorus as well, and the students took it in stride,” said Mr. Daniel Santangelo, chorus and theatre director. “They were able to achieve a great musical performance in addition to their acting and dancing. During the show, I wore a different hat as bassist in the pit and I was so glad to be able to contribute to the show and see it from that perspective. Bravi to the entire cast and crew!”

The encore of Dancing Queen inspired audiences to dance and sing along, and the performance of Super Trouper stole the show.

“I had a great experience conducting the pit this year. We brought back many previous musicians who have played for us, making it something of an all-star band,” said Mr. Andrew Hochler, band and wind ensemble teacher at Cold Spring Harbor High School. “It doesn’t hurt that I personally love the music of ABBA. The musical is one of my favorite things to do all year, and Mamma Mia! was no different!”

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