The Miller Business Center at the Middle Country Public Library invited businesses back for in-person networking at the Strictly Business trade show on June 8.
A heat wave did not stop the 10-plus attendees who connected with 30 local businesses and business organizations.The partnership between the library’s Miller Business Center, the Greater Middle Country Chamber of Commerce and the Brookhaven Chambers of Commerce Coalition was created more than a decade ago to promote local businesses and boost economic development in the region. Proceeds help to support these organizations. Sponsors include Flushing Bank, Synergy Wealth Strategies and Pure Mammography.
Bridget Fleming led the dedication for the public transit workers. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Five American white dogwood tress surround the memorial stone at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Family and friends were on hand for the ceremony June 12 where rows were reserved for loved ones. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A memorial stone, above, dedicated to public transit workers, who succumbed to COVID-19 over the last 15 months is located at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Five American white dogwood trees were donated by the Bridgehampton High School’s Future Farmers of America. Photo from Bridget Fleming's office
On Saturday, June 12, elected officials from Suffolk and Nassau counties, along with union leaders, paid respect to local transportation workers who lost their lives to COVID-19.
Family members and friends of the 21 public transportation workers who succumbed to the virus were on hand for a dedication of a memorial garden to their loved ones on the east side of the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge.
The garden features a stone with all of the workers’ names and five American white dogwood trees donated by the Bridgehampton High School’s Future Farmers of America under the direction of Judiann Carmack-Fayyaz.
Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming (D-Noyac), who chairs the Legislature’s transportation working group, led the event.
The committee initiated the idea to salute the workers with the memorial. Fleming said with families not being able to properly mourn during the pandemic due to COVID-19 restrictions, it was important to take time out to remember the workers.
She said the concept of essential workers evolved over the past 15 months, from frontline workers such as police officers, firefighters and health professionals to educators, grocery store workers and more.
“Our public transportation workers ensured that each of these essential employees got to his or her workplace,” Fleming said. “Our bus drivers, and our train operators and our transportation workers literally kept our society moving and our economy afloat. We owe them a debt of gratitude that we cannot fully express.”
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) thanked labor leaders for working with the county during a difficult time.
“You have done so much to lead, to represent these essential workers and to work with us,” he said. It was “in an environment in which none of us had a playbook on how to deal with this, how to handle this.”
Nassau County Executive Laura Curran (D) said the families do not grieve alone.
“When people come and see these beautiful trees they’re going to ask questions, are going to want to know what happened here — why is this here?” she said. “People will know about your loved one’s sacrifice, and we’ll know about their lives. The fact that they were out there when so many other people were afraid, getting the doctors and nurses, getting the grocery store workers, getting home care workers to where they had to go. It was selfless work.”
Among the speakers were the Rev. Shaju Devassy, associate pastor of Church of St. Barnabas the Apostle in Bellmore; the Rev. Charles Coverdale, pastor of First Baptist Church of Riverhead; Debra Hagan, Transport Workers Union Local 252 president; Daniel Kane Jr., Teamsters Local 202 president; Anthony Simon, SMART Transportation Division general chairman; and Bill DeCarlo, national vice president/legislative director of Transportation Communications Union/IAM.
The Hauppauge High School Chamber Choir sang “A Parting Blessing” and “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and Lt. Sean Murtha of the Suffolk County Police Department Emerald Society Pipes and Drums played “Amazing Grace.”
Hagan said the workers left their homes every day knowing the risks they were taking, trying their best to protect themselves with masks, hand sanitizer and keeping their distance from others.
“They made that sacrifice, because the communities needed them to get on those buses and do their job,” she said. “It’s so important that we never forget that every morning they got up, and they left their home, kissed their loved ones goodbye. And unfortunately for many, sacrificed the ultimate sacrifice of contracting COVID and leaving us on this Earth. We’re not going to forget. Each and every one of your family members holds a very special part in our hearts. Their co-workers are never going to forget the camaraderie.”
Parents gathered at an ‘Unmask Our Kids’ rally last week in Hauppauge. Photo by Kim Brown
The last week has been really confusing surrounding children wearing masks in schools and during recess.
With under three weeks left of classes, parents across Long Island have been rallying outside the county offices, demanding that Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) ends the mask mandates for little ones.
But it became political, fast.
We agree: Masks are annoying, and we can only imagine how it’s impacting children in schools emotionally and physically. The weather has been hot — field days and outdoor sports have been starting back up in high and humid temperatures. But public health is still a top priority. It should not be political.
And while U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY1) and Andrew Giuliani (R) held the same exact rally, in the same exact spot just a week apart, something must have worked because Cuomo announced a change in the state mandate two days after Zeldin’s gathering.
But then that changed because the state Department of Health said it isn’t time for kids to be maskless inside yet — outside they can.
Parents were confused, upset — and rightfully so. Districts had to send out letters every other day updating what was allowed and what was not allowed.
We’re all very tired. We want this to end. What we don’t want, though, is for things to happen prematurely. Is it better for the kids to spend the next few days with a mask on and then its summer break? Remember only people over 12 can be vaccinated, leaving many students in schools unvaccinated either because of age or their family’s choice.
In this case we think patience is a virtue. It’s not completely over yet. Be safe and be smart.
Amongst the Middle Country Public Library’s many historical artifacts are a few that explain just how far the area has come from its pastoral roots. The picture and story below comes courtesy of a collaborative effort among the librarian staff.
This beautifully embroidered map was gifted to Middle Country Public Library, and is part of the Heritage Collection, the library’s local history archives.
It shows a detailed and unique view of Centereach as it stood in 1937. Oriented in a west to east view from top to bottom, we can see the landmarks and homesteads that residents would visit and pass by daily.
Near the top right of the image, we can see the New Village First Congregational Church prominently featured in white, just south of the Fairgrounds. It was such a major landmark that it needed no caption. The steeple, front door and footpath are skillfully embroidered in. Homes of many residents (Overton, Emery, Olsen, Ulrich, Duffield, Campbell, Moen, Scudder and Alvin Smith, Bertram, to name a few) are painstakingly labeled along with many prominent businesses.
William Tobin’s “Ontheway” Rest, located on the northwest corner of Middle Country Road and Stony Brook Road served as a gasoline station and featured a lunch stand that Mrs. Tobin ran on the adjoining property.
Other establishments depicted include the barbershop, the grocery store, Homeside Nursery, the lumber yard and Carl’s Tavern, along with the Wilkinson, Williams, Moller and Murray farms.
If you look closely, a hen and her chicks are carefully stitched in, foraging about the Wilkinson’s farmyard. The fire house, fair grounds, and schools (both the existing and proposed new school sites), the Parsonage and Parish Hall are all here.
Streets are not labeled, but we know that Middle Country Road runs from top to bottom down the center of the panel and we can see where paving is incomplete on the right margin (the north side of the map). The New Village Congregational Church which stands today on Middle Country Road just west of Elliot Avenue and residences such as the Henry house help us determine the location of other streets.
We know that the Henry homestead was located at the corner of Middle Country Road and North Washington Avenue. We can also see William Wortley’s gas station which was situated on the south side of Middle Country Road opposite Wood Road, where the barbershop stands embroidered with the traditional red and white pole.
For an entertaining treasure hunt, take a look to discover what other family names and landmarks you can find. More names and places can be found on this map than we could list here. Have fun!
Comsewogue’s Brendan Topper makes the play at first in a road game against Newfield June 5. Bill Landon photo
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Comsewogue’s Brendan Topper makes the play at first in a road game against Newfield June 5. Bill Landon photo
Comsewogue’s Brendan Topper rounds 3rd in a road game against Newfield June 5. Bill Landon photo
Newfield senior Chris Bartho makes the catch in deep left for the Wolverines in a come from behind victory against Comsewogue June 5. Photo by Bill Landon
Comsewogue’s Dominic Schuch turns the double play against Newfield in a league III matchup June 5. Bill Landon photo
Comsewogue’s Dominic Schuch with a base clearing grand slam home run against Newfield in a league III matchup June 5. Bill Landon photo
Comsewogue starting pitcher Jacob Pedersen throws heat from mound in a road game against Newfield June 5. Bill Landon photo
Comsewogue 3rd baseman James Genovese hits one deep against Newfield June 5. Photo by Bill Landon
Comsewogue catcher Kevin Schnupp takes a cut in a road game against Newfield June 5. Bill Landon photo
Comsewogue catcher Kevin Schnupp from behind the plate in a road game against Newfield June 5. Bill Landon photo
A Newfield batter takes a cut in a come from behind victory against Comsewogue June 5. Photo by Bill Landon
Trailing Newfield 2-1 to open the 4th inning, Comsewogue loaded the bases when Christopher Valazquez laid off a pitch for the walk to plate Aaron Freidman to tie the score, but it was Dominic Schuch’s bat that spoke next for a base clearing inside the park grand slam homerun to jump out front for a 6-2 lead.
But Newfield chipped away at the deficit loading the bases in the bottom of the 4th inning plating a runner when the batter was hit by a pitch then Mike Madina drove in Stephen Lumme and Dylan Johnson. Newfield’s Joe Hackel scored on a passed ball in the bottom 6th inning to make it a one run game when Medina struck again with a 2 run rbi double to take a 10-9 lead to open the 7th inning.
Newfield’s defense prevailed to close out the one run victory.
With the win Newfield improves to 13-2 for the top spot in league III with 3 games left on their schedule while the loss drops Comsewogue to 7-8.
You don’t have to look hard to see them alongside the road. They aren’t even always on the sharpest curves or the steepest hills.
There, along the median or over there, by the right side of the road, are the homemade crucifixes, the flowers, the stuffed animals and the personal effects of people who never made it wherever they were going, their lives ending on or near asphalt as other vehicles collided with theirs.
My family recently took a road trip, where we easily could have become another statistic, and our family or friends could have just as easily been visiting the spot where it ended for one, two, three or all four of us.
I was driving during a recent weekend, excited by the open road and eager to remove the family from the neighborhood patterns that have defined our lives for well over a year.
My wife navigated, checked her email, exchanged texts with friends, and regularly asked if I wanted her to drive, if I needed a drink, or if I was hungry.
Our son was napping behind me, his head tilted back and to the left. Our daughter was immersed in virtual interactions with her friends, head down, a Mona Lisa smile plastered on her face.
With my peripheral vision, I traced the flow of the taller and shorter trees that passed by, the familiarity of the Texas, Indiana, Ohio and California license plates on nearby cars and trucks, and the click, click, click of the road that churned beneath our wheels.
Up ahead, the driver of one of the thousands of SUVs that dot the American landscape hit his brakes. My wife instantly saw it and closed her eyes. Unlike me, she typically hits her brakes as soon as she sees the red lights at the back of the car in front of her.
I immediately take my foot off the accelerator, where it hovers over the brake. As we rapidly approached the car in front of us, I applied the brake with some force, coming to an almost complete stop just feet before reaching the bumper.
I exhaled in relief, while immediately hitting the hazards. I wanted the cars behind me to know I wasn’t merely touching my brakes, but that I, and all the other cars around me, were stopping.
For a moment, I chatted with my wife. I have no idea what she or I was saying, when I noticed a truck coming towards at an incredible rate of speed.
“Hold on! This isn’t good!” I shouted, waking my son and drawing my daughter away from her phone.
I reflexively tapped my accelerator and drove my car directly towards the nearly stopped SUV on my right side. The truck, meanwhile, dove into the thin shoulder.
As it flew by, the truck somehow missed us completely. The car next to me honked in frustration, as the driver, who must have moved to her right, glared. I wanted to tell her that a truck might have crushed our family if the driver and I hadn’t each made last second adjustments.
Her lane kept moving, and she likely didn’t give my sudden maneuver another thought. With my hands in a vice grip on the wheel and my breathing rapid, I stared at the truck in front of me. I wasn’t sure whether I would have liked to punch or hug the driver, who didn’t notice me slowing down, see my hazard lights or leave himself enough room to stop. At the same time, though, he — and it could have been a woman, because I never saw the driver — turned onto the small shoulder, finding just enough space to squeeze past me without destroying my car, my family or my life.
For the next several minutes, I struggled to drive, as the image of the speeding truck with nowhere to go in my rear view mirror replayed itself in my head.
“Are you okay? Do you need me to drive?” my wife asked anxiously.
My family and I were okay. We weren’t a part of a sad story that ended on an American highway. Skid marks left on the road weren’t a marker for the final seconds of our lives.
We are grateful for the combination of factors that turned a close call into a near miss. Perhaps this happened for a reason beyond giving us more opportunities to extend the journeys of our lives. Perhaps one of the purposes is to provide a warning to everyone else to remain vigilant, to brake early and to stay sharp and focused on the roads.
Here we go again. I have had another encounter with a tick, but this time, to make the story more interesting, the villain is a white tick. At least it can appear white when it is engorged with blood. My blood. Just the thought of it is enough to make one’s skin crawl, right?
Well, it’s tick season particularly now, and you don’t have to go into the woods to find them. They can be in the beautiful lawn at your house or in the bushes that you brush against when you take out the garbage. Unless you are wearing long pants that are tucked into your socks and a long sleeve shirt and hat, you could be a victim. More likely, your dog could appear to a tick as a delicious steak on four legs, and if bitten, the dog can inadvertently carry the tick into your home. I think the white tick found me as I was sitting on the cement edge of a pool and wearing just shorts and a short sleeve shirt in the recent 90-degree weather. (Chicken that I am, I found the water still too cold to jump in.)
We all know that ticks can carry Lyme disease. But there are other diseases that could potentially be transmitted through their bite. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is another, and despite its geographical designation, this malady can occur throughout the United States and yes, even on Long Island. A localinternist I know tells me he has seen several cases in the course of his practice.
RSMF, as it is sometimes referred to, is a bacterial disease that typically begins with a fever and fierce headache. A few days later a rash develops, made up of small spots usually starting on the wrists and ankles. Other symptoms may include muscle pains and vomiting.
To my surprise, when I had routine blood work done for an annual check-up a couple of years ago, I discovered that I had indeed had RSMF from that previous tick bite but with no symptoms.
Asymptomatic versions do indeed occur, and I was one such example. Now I have again been bitten, and the question is whether I could get the disease again, if the tick carried RSMF, or if I have antibodies sufficient enough to make me immune. Then again, I cannot be sure that this recent tick did not carry Lyme disease or some other microbial agent of infection.
What to do?
It never helps to have a medical problem on a weekend. I apparently was bitten on Saturday afternoon and found the tick behind my right knee on awakening Sunday morning. My hand was drawn to it because of a severe itch. At first, because it was small and white, we thought it was a skin tab that had spontaneously appeared. But upon pulling, it came off and began crawling away. Since I had experience with a tick bite before, I knew to capture the tick in a plastic sandwich baggie and save for the physician to send for testing.
As the day progressed, I could feel a tiny lump where I had been bitten, and the area around the lump became red and warm, with the same intense itch that had originally drawn my attention. By Tuesday, I had an appointment with my physician, and I had more than only the tick to show him. The red area had increased from the size of a silver dollar to that of my palm. I am now taking doxycycline, the antibiotic of choice, as well as an antihistamine for what is probably an allergic reaction.
I share this with you as a cautionary tale to urge you to check yourselves daily for ticks that might have targeted you as a good meal. And further, don’t just assume a tick on you will be black and therefore readily spotted. Take heed from my experience. They can also be white.
Parents, students and school districts had a confusing week with mask mandates for kids pre-K through 12 needing clarification from the governor.
On Friday, June 4, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said an announcement was coming to drop in-school mask mandates for children. But shortly after, the state Department of Health’s announcement didn’t align with what he said.
Health officials said they had not yet received an OK from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and on Monday, Cuomo announced the CDC would not be changing guidance for wearing masks, therefore they are still required inside schools.
According to Cuomo, school districts can lift the requirement that students must wear masks outdoors. The state’s guidance on mask use indoors remains in place, but school districts may choose to no longer require masks outdoors, for example during recess. This change aligns with guidance relating to summer camps, where even unvaccinated campers are not required to wear masks outdoors.
“Children wear masks in school inside, and when they’re outside of the school building in recess, etc., it’s hot, they’re running around, but they’re outside, there is no mandate for masks outside. We’ll leave that up to the local school districts,” Cuomo said Monday.
This came just days after rallies were hosted across Long Island, demanding that the governor “unmask our kids.”
Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-NY1) and upset parents gathered Wednesday, June 2, outside the H. Lee Dennison building in Hauppauge to demand a mask-free environment for children in schools and camps.
“This is the right decision for children across New York, who have sacrificed so much throughout the pandemic and suffered emotionally, physically and mentally from lockdowns and remote learning,” Zeldin said at the rally.
The week before, May 26, Andrew Giuliani (R) — another contender for Cuomo’s seat in 2022 and son of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) —stopped by the same spot to show his support for the same cause.
These rallies were put together by parents and advocacy groups who hoped to influence Cuomo’s decision to lift the mandate.
“It’s a parent’s right to take care of their children the best way they feel fit,” said Mike Hathaway from Long Island Loud Majority, a conservative organization. “Not the government, not for political pull, and not for control.”
Moms for Liberty, an advocacy group from Suffolk County that focuses on unifying America while educating and empowering parents to defend their parental rights, has been working to get the mask mandate lifted in New York.
A member of the group, Barbara Abboud, said her children, among many others, have been suffering in school, whether that be academic, mental or physical.
“Everyone here today knows what’s at stake,” she said. “It’s more than just unmasking our children, it’s about getting our basic freedoms back.”
Zeldin also discussed his animosity with the prior COVID-19 restrictions, where businesses were forced to close at earlier hours to prevent the spread of the virus.
“There was a time when they said you couldn’t go to the gym after 10 [p.m.] because, apparently, that spreads COVID,” Zeldin said. “However, if you go at 8:30 with a whole group of people, that would mitigate the spread.”
Cuomo said virtually all restrictions can be lifted once 70% of New Yorkers aged 18 and older have received the first dose of the vaccine.
Business people know the power of networking; the power of connecting face-to-face with potential clients, partners, and mentors. While the Miller Center at the Middle Country Public Library has been offering virtual networking for the business community since the pandemic began, nothing beats connecting face to face. Which is why they are excited to be hosting Strictly Business: Back to Business outdoors and in person on Tuesday, June 8.
Strictly Business. Photo by Miranda Gatewood
Sal DiVincenzo of the Miller Business Center acknowledges the struggles of the local small business community. “Networking is the lifeblood of small businesses. The opportunity to personally interact with potential customers is something every salesperson knows is fundamental to building business and relationships. The pandemic literally put barriers between customers and businesses.”
The Director of the library, Sophia Serlis-McPhillips continued this sentiment. “The mission of the library’s Miller Business Center has always been to promote economic development on Long Island. This mission has been continuing virtually for more than a year. We are happy to bring business owners and professionals together again at the in-person Strictly Business.”
An initiative of the Middle Country Library Foundation and held in partnership with the Greater Middle Country Chamber of Commerce and the Brookhaven Chambers of Commerce Coalition (BCCC), Strictly Business is a vehicle to promote economic development and encourage chamber of commerce participation in Brookhaven and the surrounding areas.
“More than ten years ago the BCCC wanted to give back more to the small businesses they represented in the Town of Brookhaven.With this initiative, they collaborated with the Miller Business Center to create Strictly Business. Over time this annual event has grown with more vendors and networking opportunities for our business partners,” says Barbara Ransome, BCCC President.
Participants missed having this opportunity last year and response to the announcement of an in-person event has been overwhelmingly positive.Many of the businesses that signed up to exhibit in 2020 were eager to be a part of the event and there is even a waitlist to exhibit.
Lenore Paprocky, president of the Greater Middle Country Chamber of Commerce noted, “I know a lot of business owners are excited about meeting in person.” She continued that they are looking most forward to “re-connecting and networking with other local businesses and the community.”
Attendees to this free event will have the opportunity to meet and network with 50 exhibitors made up of a wide-array of local businesses and entrepreneurs. While primarily a business-to-business networking opportunity, the community is encouraged to attend and shop local as a way to support the small business community. There will be photo ops throughout the day and a chance to win a raffle prize.
“The BCCC is grateful to support the Miller Center, that acts as an essential resource for our most important commodity … small businesses,” said Ransome.
Discover local businesses at the Strictly Business: Back to Business event at the Middle Country Public Library, 101 Eastwood Blvd, Centereach on June 8 (rain date June 15) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For further information, call 631-585-9393
Participating exhibitors:
Strictly Business. Photo by Miranda Gatewood
Venture Sponsor
Flushing Bank
Entrepreneur Sponsor
Synergy Wealth Strategies
Mentor Sponsor
Pure Mammography
Partner Sponsors
Campolo, Middleton & McCormick, LLP
Holiday Inn Express – Stony Brook
SafeGuard Print & Promo
Media Sponsor
Times Beacon Record News Media
Anchor Business Group, LLC
Bay Harbour Insurance Agency
BESTech Education
Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Co.
Brookhaven Chamber of Commerce Coalition
Burner Law Group, P.C.
CardHop Inc.
Caring People Home Health Care
CBMS Consulting Services
Central Staff Services
Conference Associates Inc.
Emics Elder Care
Greater Middle Country Chamber of Commerce
Independent Business Women’s Circle
Insight Healing and Wellness
Integrity Expediting
iRUN…
Island Federal
LeTip Port Jefferson
LI Tech Advisors
Lisa Albinowski, Realtor, Coldwell Banker
Manantial Cleaning Services, Inc.
Miller Business Center
Moxxie
My Mom Knows Best, Inc.
North Isle Wellness Center of Hope
OB Davis Funeral Home
Peconic Landing
People’s Alliance Federal Credit Union
Pete Marcano – New York Life
ProSysCon Computers
Rocket Juiced Studio
Ronkonkoma Chamber of Commerce
Soundview Pregnancy Services
Stay Clean Long Island
Suffolk County Women’s Business Enterprise Coalition
Cast members from the Newfield High School production of ‘The Addams Family.’
Photo from MCCSD
By Kimberly Brown
To celebrate the kickoff of Newfield High School’s live stream production of “The Addams Family,” parents and teachers surprised the cast and crew with a car parade.
The show will premiere on Saturday, June 5.
Rain didn’t stop people from surprising Newfield High School students last Saturday with a car parade. Photo from MCCSD
Parents instructed the students who performed in the play to dress up in their costumes so they could take press release pictures. Little to their knowledge, what seemed to be an endless line of cars decorated with balloons, posters and pinatas waited outside.
“They thought it was strictly for publicity and had no idea there was going to be a parade like that,” said parent Sean Austin.
The production team brought a speaker, where music from the show played. Cast and crew members showcased one of their dances while the car parade circled the bus loop.
“Everyone’s really happy the play is finished,” Austin said. “I know it was a little bit of a weird process with the filming, since they had to perform scenes out of order, but in a way, it was good because if they messed up on a part so they could easily go back and redo it.”
Students and parents paid homage to chorus and theater arts director Joan Meichner, who was faced with the challenging task of putting together the production while still adhering to the changing COVID-19 guidelines and regulations.
Cast members from the Newfield High School production of ‘The Addams Family.’ Photo from MCCSD
“From the time the show was cast, to the time we were in production and filming, the COVID guidelines and regulations had changed several times,” Meichner said. “The students in the show handled all of these changes with unparalleled grace, excellence and enthusiasm.”
Despite the obstacles, giving the students a production they are proud to be a part of is the only goal Meichner hoped to achieve.
“I am certain that we accomplished that, and the growing excitement as we eagerly await our premiere is inspiring,” Meichner said.
Near the top right of the image, we can see the New Village First Congregational Church prominently featured in white, just south of the Fairgrounds. It was such a major landmark that it needed no caption. The steeple, front door and footpath are skillfully embroidered in. Homes of many residents (Overton, Emery, Olsen, Ulrich, Duffield, Campbell, Moen, Scudder and Alvin Smith, Bertram, to name a few) are painstakingly labeled along with many prominent businesses.
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