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Event announcement: Meet the Candidates for Smithtown Public Library trustees

by Press Release - October 1, 2023

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Smithtown-Library3-120813-Shapirow-e1507147896703-2 — File photo by Rachel Shapiro

The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan group, will host a Meet the Candidates forum on Tuesday, Oct. 3, at 6:30 p.m. for four seats for Smithtown Public Library trustee.

The community will be able to watch via a link on the Smithtown Library website: www.smithlib.org. It will continue to be available for viewing until Oct. 10, the date of the Library Trustee and Budget Vote elections from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m.

For details on the budget and candidates, as well as how to vote via absentee ballot or where to vote on Election Day, please visit www.smithlib.org/about/budget-vote.

Forum questions to be considered may be submitted online via a secure form — the link will be on the www.smithlib.org website — no later than Saturday, Sept. 30, at 5 p.m.

Long Island fishermen avert weather catastrophes, for now

by Raymond Janis - September 30, 2023

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Fishing_boat_at_sea_(Hastings) — Public domain photo

Long Island’s fishing industry may have dodged a bullet this hurricane season, although the official season for the Atlantic Basin does not end until Nov. 30. Yet stormier seas may be brewing for the years ahead.

Local fishermen sounded an upbeat tune after a sequence of intense tropical cyclones did not make landfall. While precipitation disrupted some local events in recent weeks, fishing operations have gone along without interruption.

Eric Huner owns and operates Captain Fish Port Jefferson, a fishing charter boat based in Port Jefferson that transports tourists and locals for fishing charters.

“For me personally, it didn’t affect me at all,” he told TBR News Media. “I can’t say there’s any real loss, probably for any private fishing boat like myself.”

On the commercial fishing side, the experience was relatively similar, according to Bonnie Brady, executive director of the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association.

“As far as those guys that were fishing, most guys were out fishing the next day” after Hurricane Lee brushed past the Northeast, she said. “There wasn’t really much of an impact, thank goodness.”

Difficult past, uncertain future

Those interviewed suggested the Long Island fishing industry had averted a major threat with these storms avoiding landfall.

Reflecting upon the commercial impacts of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, Brady remembered it as “particularly vicious” for the shoreline, with consequences for the fishing industry as well.

However, Huner said that irregular winds and tidal patterns are increasingly commonplace, complicating matters for his business. With projections for more frequent and intense storms, Huner said his line of work is becoming less predictable, noting the increasing difficulties in deciding which days to fish and selecting departure times.

“This year was the first time I took notice of the weather patterns being very difficult to predict,” he said. There was “a lot of volatility in the wind patterns, difficult to find windows of opportunity to go out,” adding, “It was not a normal, stable summer.”

More broadly, Brady expressed reservations about the regional trend toward offshore wind, saying this infrastructure could disrupt the local fishing industry.

“Offshore wind is going to, from our perspective, industrialize the ocean beyond any kind of repair,” she said. “It’s a very frightening time for our ocean, and that’s why we’re fighting so hard against it.”

Optimistic outlook

Huner said that the fisheries remain well populated despite the climactic challenges, a positive indicator that conservation efforts are working.

He also stated that the nature of the trade requires frequent adaptation to changing conditions. “The local fisherman is a pretty experienced person on the water,” he said. “I’m constantly reviewing what the weather forecasts are, what the wind forecasts are — and that’s a big part of my job.”

He added, “It takes a little more work, and if this is going to be what we call our ‘new normal,’ then we’re just going to have to be really on top of it.”

Adding to these sentiments, Brady said local fishermen are used to adapting “to changes in the water every day.”

“Those who are good at this trade tend to be experiential learners,” she said. “Every day, the ocean can change. The tides change. The moon changes. So they learn to adapt based on living it.”

Your Turn: A generational opportunity to correct Long Island’s broken utility structure

by TBR Staff - September 29, 2023

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By Peter Gollon

I commend this newspaper for its thorough and balanced Sept. 14 and Sept. 21 articles on the proposed conversion of the Long Island Power Authority into a fully municipal utility that would directly operate the electrical transmission and distribution system that it has owned for decades.

LIPA, which is the country’s third largest municipal utility, is legally required now to outsource its operation to another entity. Right now that is PSEG Long Island. Before that, it was National Grid.

LIPA’s staff of 60 experienced utility professionals supervises PSEGLI’s performance according to metrics taking 207 pages to outline. Each year, LIPA pays PSEGLI $80 million for just 18 executives to plan and direct the 2,500-line call center and other workers whose pay is provided by LIPA. That’s more than $4 million for each PSEGLI-supplied executive.

There is considerable overlap between the top PSEGLI staff and the LIPA staff that supervises and grades PSEGLI’s performance. Both the Legislative Commission on the Future of the Long Island Power Authority and LIPA agree that if LIPA hired a dozen more staffers, it could run the system itself, dispensing with PSEGLI’s management and saving about $75 million each year.

This savings would be real, even if PSEGLI were doing a good job. But it hasn’t been. Their performance in storm restoration after Tropical Storm Isaias in 2020 was so bad, and their reports on the causes of the failure of the outage management system were so dishonest, that LIPA considered PSEGLI to be in default of their contract.

Beyond PSEGLI’s shortcomings, the problem is the structure of the unique and convoluted “hybrid” system itself. Besides the extra cost, the inefficiency of this two-headed structure is why LIPA is the only large municipal utility in the country to be operated this way.

As a LIPA trustee for five years, I saw the difficulties, delays and expense that this structure results in. For example, it required three months and a resolution voted by the LIPA Board directing PSEGLI to develop and implement an accurate and modern asset management system for the billions of dollars of LIPA-owned assets before PSEGLI would take such action.

The delays and inefficiency of this management structure do not show up as a specific dollar cost in LIPA’s budget, but they are there and impede LIPA’s adaptation to the new reality of stronger storms and a faster transition to a renewable energy system.

LIPA needs the simple, common municipal utility structure recommended by the state’s Legislative Commission. The Board of Trustees should be reorganized so some trustees are appointed by both Suffolk and Nassau County executives, rather than now where all the trustees are appointed by the state’s political leadership in Albany.

Locally appointed trustees should give LIPA needed credibility with its Long Island customer base and might make it more responsive to local concerns. In recent years, there has been significant hostility resulting from inadequate understanding by both PSEGLI and LIPA of the impact of changes in tariffs, and from the location and details of new facilities or even just taller and thicker poles.

Finally, one trustee should be named by the union — IBEW Local 1049 — representing the utility’s workforce to ensure that their interests are represented at the highest level.

The legal structure in which the workforce is actually housed is critical. Their transfer from PSEGLI to LIPA must be done in a way that continues their employment under federal labor jurisdiction and preserves their well-earned pension rights. Any proposal that might put them under weaker state labor jurisdiction and possibly jeopardize their pensions has no chance of passing the Legislature, nor should it.

Long Islanders should support this once-in-a-generation opportunity to fix a broken utility structure.

The writer served on the Long Island Power Authority Board of Trustees from 2016 to 2021.

Editorial: Interconnected trails Local transit reimagined for Long Island

by TBR Staff - September 29, 2023

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greenway-bike-w — A biker enjoys a section of the Greenway Trail.

Generations ago, the pioneers of suburbia planned our region with one mode of transportation in mind. Cars.

Our forebears, led by urban planner Robert Moses from the 1920s onward, developed our region around the automobile, viewing the car as the mechanical embodiment of core American values: individualism, autonomy, freedom and progress.

To accommodate their automotive aspirations, they built elaborate networks of roads and bridges, connecting every home to every school, supermarket, shopping mall and office park along a continuous stretch of pavement.

Generations later, we now know this thinking was profoundly short sighted. Modern realities of endless traffic congestion painfully extinguish yesterday’s fantasies of limitless open road.

Today, we exist in a decidedly auto-focused, auto-dependent context whereby every essential activity in our lives is mediated by — and requires access to — a motor vehicle.

While cars are indisputably an important component of our transportation ecosystem, they cannot be the only mode of transportation available to us.

Many seniors or people with disabilities cannot operate a car. Young people entering the workforce often cannot afford the high costs of car ownership and maintenance. It should come as no surprise that these demographics are fleeing our region in droves.

A recent AAA report estimates the average annual cost of car ownership is now over $12,000 per year — up more than 13% from last year. For our residents, cars represent a growing liability, disrupting our finances and hindering our quality of life.

Hiking and biking trails are a possible remedy to our transit woes. While creating valuable recreational opportunities, these amenities fulfill an even greater need by opening an alternative to our cars.

For example, the North Shore Rail Trail extends from Mount Sinai to Wading River, running parallel with state Route 25A. For nearby residents, the trail facilitates access to every storefront, parkland and local institution along that highly trafficked corridor — without an automobile.

Unlike the road, that confines us to the interior of our cars, the trail places us outdoors and in relation with nature. Trails restore that vital connection to the land severed long ago through auto-focused regional planning.

The time is now to expand and interconnect our existing trails. Like our roads, we must connect every community on Long Island along one continuous greenway.

The North Shore Rail Trail and the Setauket-Port Jefferson Station Greenway are separated by just over a mile. Planning must commence now to link these trails together.

But we cannot stop there. We must plan and construct new hiking and biking routes, introducing these trails to communities currently without them.

Unlike past decision-making, our plans for new trails must be done purposefully. Greenways should not be limited to parks and open spaces — they must also extend into our neighborhoods, our commercial districts and our schools.

Still, an integrated transportation network must account for all modes of transport — private and public. A more agile and efficient bus system is in order. We call upon Suffolk County Transit officials to explore shorter buses that can better maneuver and adapt to meet the needs of riders.

Our commuters require faster, more frequent rail service. The electrification of the Port Jefferson Branch of the Long Island Rail Road would satisfy this end. We call upon the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, U.S. Congressman Nick LaLota (R-NY1) and our New York State delegation to advance this plan more aggressively.

With creative thinking, community-based planning and bold vision, we can revolutionize our transit network, rectifying decades-old faults and counteracting our regional decline. Together, let us blaze new trails ahead. Suffolk County’s new GEAR Up program is a step in the right direction.

Suffolk County launches GEAR Up, an intermunicipal approach to greenway expansion

by Raymond Janis - September 29, 2023

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Marty_Buchman — Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, left, and Marty Buchman, a member of the board of the New York Bicycling Association. Photo from Bellone’s Flickr page

Suffolk County’s transportation network may soon undergo significant transformation.

In 2020, the Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning published its Hike and Bike Master Plan, which calls for 1,200 miles of new pedestrian and biking infrastructure countywide.

To mark Car Free Day on Friday, Sept. 22, county officials joined transit advocates along a bike path in Kings Park, announcing a new program to achieve the goals of this master plan through intermunicipal coordination.

“Today on Car Free Day, I am proud to announce that we are taking our Hike-Bike Master Plan further, taking additional steps to create a safe and comfortable biking environment in Suffolk County,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D).

The new program, GEAR — Guidance for Enhancing Active Recreation — Up Suffolk, will authorize the county’s Department of Economic Development and Planning to provide free technical and design assistance to municipalities to implement active transportation projects. This undertaking aims to help Suffolk’s towns and villages expand trail access by reconfiguring local roadways.

While various trail networks already exist, Bellone said the GEAR Up initiative could help “fill in the gaps” between existing trail infrastructure.

“Where are the gaps? They’re roads,” he said. “In many cases — most cases even — they’re local roads.”

Bellone said the county government seeks to offer conceptual and preliminary designs, conducted in coordination with local municipalities, tailored to meet a community’s needs.

These proposals may include corridor designs, bike lanes, sidewalks, crosswalks, curb extensions and flashing beacons, among other design elements.

“We want to create an interconnected biking and hiking network that you can use [to] travel across the county,” Bellone said.

Marty Buchman, a member of the board of the New York Bicycling Association, pointed to the deficiencies of past planning and its impacts today on local communities.

“Suffolk County was never designed for the amount of population that it contains right now,” he said. “The roads were designed for a rural county,” adding, “The situation of cars in Suffolk County is going to get worse.”

Buchman advocated for planners and municipalities to view the bicycle as an alternative to the automobile. He suggested trails could help alleviate several of the challenges drivers experience on roadways.

“I’d like to see more paths — not just recreational paths but paths for transportation,” he said, advising “that a bicycle be looked at as more than just a fitness tool or an outdoors tool but a way for people to get from point A to point B.”

He added, “That’s not going to happen without the required or needed infrastructure.”

Bellone outlined multiple benefits of expanding trail access, such as environmental protection, economic development and downtown revitalization.

Amid escalating fears of a youth exodus from Long Island, Bellone said promoting alternative modes of transit can help the county retain and attract young people.

“We are in a competition for innovators, young people, entrepreneurs and skilled workers,” the county executive said. “We want them living in our downtowns. We want them raising their families here because that will bring more jobs, businesses and sustainable economic growth.”

“You get that when you make investments in the things that improve people’s quality of life,” he added.

Buchman referred to hiking and biking infrastructure as an apolitical policy area: “This is not a political issue,” the transit advocate said. “Republicans ride. Democrats ride. People ride.”

In achieving the goals of the master plan, Bellone said intergovernmental collaboration would remain crucial while working toward the objectives of the 2020 master plan.

“Having an interconnected hiking and biking network throughout Suffolk County helps every community and family across the county,” he said.

The county will accept applications for the GEAR Up program on a rolling basis.

‘Four Creative Visions’ art exhibit opens at Mills Pond Gallery

by Press Release - September 28, 2023

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Henry David Thoreau once said, “The world is but a canvas to our imagination.” The latest exhibit at the Mills Pond Gallery, Four Creative Visions, seems to have taken inspiration from that very quote. The beautiful show opens on Sept. 30 and runs through Oct. 20.

The exhibit features four Long Island artists — Dorothy Fortuna (Smithtown), Lynn Kinsella (Brookhaven), Lynn Staiano (Smithtown), and Robert Wallkam (Port Jefferson) — each sharing their creative voice through a different medium (acrylic, oil, pastel, watercolor) and capturng the landscapes of Long Island and distant destinations, showing us the poetry and beauty in seemingly ordinary places.

Pastel artist Dorothy Fortuna enjoys exploring as she travels in search of new subjects for paintings. “The passion I have for the world around me inspires creativity. Pastel painting and the techniques involved in placing color and blending color then allow me to achieve the sense of water movement or a perspective of the land that can create depth and value, transforming a flat surface into a place we can recognize and relate to,” she explained.

Watercolor artist Lynn Kinsella attended Phoenix School of Design in Manhattan and went on to work in book publishing specializing in layout and illustration. After retirement, she decided to expand her creativity by taking watercolor classes. Kinsella’s watercolor paintings have been exhibited in galleries and juried exhibitions across Long Island. “I paint primarily in watercolor with a focus on nature. I enjoy painting scenes reflective of the local environment,” said Kinsella.

Artist Lynn Staiano is a licensed psychotherapist by day, and a landscape artist in the evenings and weekends. She is a self-taught artist who has always been a lover of the arts. Staiano has developed a passion and talent for painting landscapes using both oils and acrylics. “I observe and appreciate little details in nature; reflections in water, how the sunlight diffuses through the trees, how cloud formations change and how their shadows cover the grass,” she said.

Port Jefferson artist Robert Wallkam has been painting since his college days. He has a broad and interesting background, having received a master’s degree in fine art, studied business, and taught high school art. In addition to his passion for painting, Wallkam enjoys a wide variety of artistic pursuits, most notably landscape architecture, a field which he has worked in for many years. His art has been widely exhibited across Long Island. He has worked in many mediums but currently acrylic is his favorite.

The public is invited to an opening reception for Four Creative Visions on Saturday, Sept. 30 from 1 to 4 p.m. to meet the exhibiting artists and view their work.

The Mills Pond Gallery, 660 Route 25A, St. James is open Wednesdays to Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. Admission is always free. For more information, call 631-862-6575 or visit www.millspondgallery.org.

Bulls East football blown away by West Babylon 38-0

by Bill Landon - September 28, 2023

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By Bill Landon

[email protected]

It was a rain-soaked field with howling winds at Smithtown East high school when the Bulls had their hands full against the Eagles of West Babylon Saturday afternoon in a Division II matchup.

West Babylon struck first and often, peppering the scoreboard with 23 points in the 1st quarter, 15 more in the 2nd while holding the Bulls scoreless at the half.

Smithtown East struggled to find traction the rest of the way as West Babylon pulled its starters and flushed their bench to blank the Bulls 38-0.

The win lifts West Babylon to 3-0 on the season while the loss drops the Bulls to 0-3.

Smithtown East retakes the field with a road game against Huntington Friday night at 6 p.m. in search of that elusive first win

— Photos by Bill Landon

Public safety trends addressed as Smithtown Town Board explores funding for downtown Kings Park

by Raymond Janis - September 28, 2023

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Suffolk County Police Department 4th Precinct Inspector David Regina updates the Smithtown Town Board on local crime trends during a public meeting Thursday, Sept. 21, at Town Hall. Photo by Raymond Janis

By Raymond Janis

The Smithtown Town Board convened Thursday afternoon, Sept. 21, for a public meeting covering public safety, walkability and downtown revitalization.

Public safety

Suffolk County Police Department 4th Precinct Inspector David Regina delivered the department’s public safety report, alerting the community to ongoing crime trends.

Following a stabbing at Millers Pond in Smithtown [see story, “Man stabbed at Millers Pond in Smithtown,” Aug. 26, TBR News Media], Regina said the victim was transported to a local hospital and has survived his injuries.

“This is an assault that is out of the ordinary for that area,” he said. “I do feel confident in saying that I don’t feel that this is a threat to the area of that community.”

Regina referred to 2023 as “a rough year in the 4th Precinct for fatal motor vehicle crashes,” which he said have “run the gamut between pedestrian, standard motor vehicle crashes, motorcycle crashes, bicycle crashes” and accidents involving scooters.

Reporting on a recent fatal accident on Harned Road in Commack involving the death of Ilona Kaydanov, a 22-year-old pedestrian [see story, “Jogger killed in Commack crash, two others injured,” Aug. 31, TBR News Media], Regina said the 4th Squad had investigated the accident, noting, “There does not appear to be any criminality involved.”

The inspector stressed the need for pedestrians to cross roadways at crosswalks, adding that “pedestrians under New York State law are required to walk or jog against the flow of traffic.”

Purse theft — a local crime phenomenon often involving the theft of one’s credit cards at retail spaces — remains pervasive within the 4th Precinct, Regina said. [See story, “Shopping spree: Thieves targeting handbags, wallets at Suffolk County retail stores,” Aug. 24, TBR News Media.]

He reported that this theft crime variety has occurred primarily around the Smith Haven Mall, advising shoppers to “secure your things securely.”

He noted that multiple incidents have included a co-conspirator, with one criminal creating a diversion while another robs an unsuspecting victim’s shopping cart.

SCPD “were able to identify one suspect, and I’m happy to say we cleared three of those cases last week, and we were able to charge that gentleman with several counts of criminal possession of stolen property,” Regina reported.

Sideshows and street races remain an ongoing crime phenomenon countywide. Regina reported a recent sideshow gathering of 250 cars at the Walmart parking lot on Garet Place in Commack.

“These get very raucous,” he said. “They were throwing fireworks in the direction of the police officers who were responding. These are officer safety concerns for us.”

While the department has moderately succeeded in dispersing some of these sideshow events, the inspector suggested the matter is unresolved.

The Hauppauge Fire Department will host a community gathering on Thursday, Sept. 28, at 6:30 p.m. at 855 Wheeler Road to discuss the sideshow issue and its community impacts.

Downtown revitalization

Allyson Murray, principal planner in the Smithtown Planning & Community Department, delivered a presentation on a grant application for New York State downtown revitalization funds through the state’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative and the NY Forward grant programs.

Murray considered Kings Park an ideal candidate for these funds due to its substantial retail and civic spaces, compact size, centrally located Long Island Rail Road station and recent public and private investment.

“The vision is to attract public and private investment to enhance the character of downtown Kings Park,” Murray said, hoping to create “a vibrant and walkable Main Street business district with diverse mixed-use development.”

The proposal seeks to leverage existing community assets, such as the LIRR station, new sewer infrastructure and proximity to major employment centers, such as the Hauppauge Industrial Park and Stony Brook University.

Murray shared a draft list of projects to be included in the application. She encouraged community members to send ideas for other proposals by email to [email protected].

Harned Road proposal

In the wake of the recent roadway fatality, Commack resident Kevin Feit asked the board to consider several pedestrian safety enhancements on Harned Road between Vanderbilt Motor Parkway and Veterans Memorial Highway.

“Currently, there are sidewalks in some sections of Harned Road, but they abruptly end,” Feit indicated. “Where there is no sidewalk, the shoulder is extremely narrow in some places and can be completely taken up by a sewer grate.”

Given these existing conditions, Feit suggested the current roadway to be “impassable for a wheelchair or stroller.” He added that while the speed limit on Harned is 30 mph, vehicles regularly exceed 40 mph due to long stretches between traffic signals.

“Sidewalks would provide several benefits to the community,” he said, among these being public safety, environmental friendliness and walkability to nearby shopping centers and parks.

The Town Board will reconvene Tuesday, Oct. 3, at 2 p.m.

Kings Park lights up with Irish song and dance

by TBR Staff - September 28, 2023

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By Michael Scro

The Leo P. Ostebo Kings Park Heritage Museum held its Irish Night 2023 on Friday, Sept. 22, at the RJO Middle School auditorium, featuring a lively performance by musician Ed Ryan and Irish step dancing by the Mulvihill-Lynch Irish Dancers.

Hosted by Kevin Johnston, chair of Kings Park St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee and representative of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, he welcomed the audience of about 40 to 50 people — many donning Irish clothing.

Ryan played a powerful and entertaining set of Irish songs from “Whisky In The Jar,” “The Black Velvet Band,” “When New York Was Irish,” “Big Strong Man To The Town I Love So Well,” “Danny Boy” and “Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ra (That’s An Irish Lullaby).”

Between songs, he told a variety of age-old Irish jokes, bringing about laughter from the audience and also gave historical background and reference to many of the songs he belted out with his acoustic guitar.

The Mulvihill-Lynch dancers provided a precise and professional level of dancing that wowed the audience from start to finish. Clapping along to the Irish music, the crowd cheered loudly after each dance.

Johnston thanked Ryan and the dancers, and noted that the dance studio was started about 40 years ago by Gerry Mulvihill. Among those in attendance were Debbie Lynch-Webber who ran the dance group and was a student of the founder, as well as Maureen Hanley who was also a former student.

Adirondack Glassblowing Studio to host Glass Pumpkin Patch Fundraiser at Hoyt Farm

by Heidi Sutton - September 27, 2023

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Each year the Adirondack Glassblowing Studio (ADK) produces thousands of gorgeous hand-blown glass pumpkins to create beautiful outdoor fall decor. ADK Glass partners with numerous non-profits nationwide on weekends throughout the fall season.

During the weekend of September 29 to October 1, ADK Glass and the Town of Smithtown will host a Glass Pumpkin Patch Fundraiser at Hoyt Farm Nature Preserve at 200 New Hwy, Commack from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in support of Nesconset-based Paws of War.

Attendees at Hoyt Farm will enjoy a walking path lined with straw bales covered with hundreds of colorful glass pumpkins and experience the fall foliage on Hoyt Farm’s Nature Preserve. Twenty percent of proceeds from the weekend event will support Paws of War in furthering their mission of “Helping Both Ends of the Leash.”

Paws of War is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to train and place service animals and companion dogs to support and provide independence to U.S. military veterans that suffer from the emotional and physical effects of war.

The organization also provides animal rescue for U.S. troops who have befriended an animal while serving overseas. The organization also serves as a community center where veterans and first responders come together daily to build bonds and support each other.

For more information about the fundraiser, please visit, http://www.glasspumpkinpatchfundraiser.com/. For more information about Paws of War, visit https://pawsofwar.org/.

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