Happy Veterans Day from your friends at TBR News Media! Thank you to our veterans, past and present, for everything you have sacrificed for our nation. Words will never be enough to express our appreciation and gratitude.
Home Times of Smithtown
Eye on the Street: Daylight Saving Time
By Katherine Kelton
Daylight saving time ended on Sunday, Nov. 3, giving Americans an extra hour to enjoy — except in Hawaii and most of Arizona.
On Long Island, this meant an earlier sunrise and saying goodbye to sunsets after 6 p.m. The next day in Port Jefferson, people enjoyed quintessential fall weather on the ferry to Connecticut. TBR News Media asked these passengers: How did you enjoy your extra hour?
Mary Rose and Alan Goldberg, East Setauket
Mary Rose and her husband Alan were in Massachusetts when the “fall back” happened. The pair were visiting their daughter. Even though the two had a “very long conversation the night about falling back and getting that extra hour,” they forgot the day off until they were about to leave their hotel. For them, the extra hour meant time to “sit around and chat, visit our daughter, hang out and be together.”
Monica Landivar, Stamford, Conn.
Monica Landivar, on left, from Stamford, Connecticut, on a day trip to Port Jefferson, shared the practical benefits she enjoyed from daylight saving time: “To be totally and completely honest, it was relaxing. And also, the good thing was that I had extra time to do some work around the house.”
Alenna Lin, Stony Brook University
Alenna Lin, a freshman at Stony Brook University, enjoyed the extra hour to reorientate her schedule. “I spend many hours studying for all my classes, so my sleep schedule naturally gets destroyed, especially after two back-to-back midterms last week,” she said. She could “go to bed an hour early, wake up at a reasonable time and be more awake during lectures.”
Amal Sani, South Setauket
A senior at Ward Melville High School, Amal Sani shared details of her three-day weekend, saying, “I had Monday off for senior skip day, so I had an extra hour and an extra day to do work.” She was sitting in Local’s Cafe in Port Jefferson doing college applications and school work, which she said she has been very occupied with. “Daylight savings was much needed,” she added.
Gone with the wind: Commack beats Northport in girls soccer playoff
By Steven Zaitz
A tale of two halves ended with the CoA tale of two halves ended with the Commack girls soccer team having the best of times. For the Northport Lady Tigers, not so much.
With a start time of high noon on a blustery Halloween, the home Cougars scored against a strong westerly wind when striker Elena Dean put one past Northport keeper K.K. Howard with six minutes left in the second half.
The goal gave the third-seeded Cougars a 2-1 victory in the Suffolk AAA quarterfinal. Northport, the sixth seed, finished with an impressive 10-4-3 record, exiting in the quarterfinal round for the second consecutive year.
Each team dominated the half in which they had the wind advantage.
With the game scoreless as the first half wound down, Commack’s Breanna Mender launched a twisting, diagonal shot from 20 yards that eluded the outstretched glove of Northport goalkeeper Cara DeMarco. It found the top corner of the net, giving Commack a 1-0 lead at the half. DeMarco splits time in goal with Howard for Northport.
In the second half, Northport quickly pressured Commack keeper Olivia Bezmalinovic’s goal.
When the Tigers were awarded a corner kick in the 53rd minute, they capitalized. Northport striker Ava DeMarco took the corner from Finnley Wickard and fired a shot off the crossbar. Northport’s Brooke Heffernan and Bezmalinovic both went for the rebound, and as the Cougar keeper tried to secure the ball, Heffernan’s head, neck, and shoulder jostled it loose and powered it into the net.
As Heffernan and her teammates celebrated, Bezmalinovic lay briefly dazed near her net and had to leave the game. She returned minutes later, but Northport had secured its equalizer.
With the aid of Howard’s booming, wind-aided goal kicks, Northport maintained control for much of the second half but couldn’t get the go-ahead goal. With 5:19 left, Dean slipped behind the Tigers’ defense and fired a shot that Howard got a hand on but couldn’t stop. Commack had its game-winner.
After beating North Babylon on Nov. 2, the Lady Cougars played the mighty state champion and number one seed, Ward Melville on Tuesday, Nov. 5 for the Suffolk County AAA title. Ward Melville won by a score of 3-1 to win their second straight county title. Photo by Steven Zaitz.
2024 Veterans Day events on the North Shore
November 11 marks the annual observance of Veterans Day, a day on which we honor the millions of brave men and women who have served in the Armed Forces. The following communities on the North Shore will pay their respects:
Calverton
Calverton National Cemetery, 210 Princeton Road, Calverton will hold a Veterans Day ceremony on Nov. 11 at 1 p.m. for a Veterans Day Ceremony. 631-727-5410
East Setauket
VFW Post 3054 will host a veterans recognition service at the Memorial Park at the corner of Shore Road and Route 25A in East Setauket on Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. Residents are invited to join local veterans for a short ceremony that will feature the laying of wreaths from local community groups. 631-406-1938
Farmingdale
Long Island National Cemetery, 2040 Wellwood Ave., in Farmingdale will hold a veterans’ honor ceremony on Nov. 10 at 2 p.m. 516-749-7085
Greenlawn
Hosted by American Legion Post 1244, a Veterans Day ceremony will be held at Greenlawn Memorial Park, Pulaski Road, Greenlawn on Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. with neighboring American Legion posts plus many community groups and Scouts. 631-487-4776
Huntington
The public is invited to join Town of Huntington officials, the Veterans Advisory Board and local officials for a Veterans Day Ceremony on Sunday, Nov. 10 at 10:30 a.m. on Veterans Plaza in front of Huntington Town Hall, 100 Main St., Huntington. 631-351-3012
Kings Park
VFW Post 5796 presents a Veterans Day Parade will be held in Kings Park on Nov. 11. Step off is at RJO Intermediate School, 99 Old Dock Road, Kings Park at 10 a.m. and ends at Veterans Plaza in front of the Kings Park Library and 1 Church St. The parade will be followed by opening prayers, guest speakers, Moment of Remembrance and wreath laying ceremony followed by closing prayers. 631-269-6421
Port Jefferson
American Legion Wilson Ritch Post 432 invites the community to attend a Veterans Day Ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park on East Broadway in Port Jefferson (across from Village Hall) on Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. 631-626-2911
Rocky Point
Join the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6249, 109 King Road, Rocky Point for a Veterans Day ceremony on Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. 631-744-9106
Smithtown
Smithtown American Legion Post 833, and Smithtown Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10870 will hold a Veterans Day Ceremony honoring our nations veterans at Veterans Plaza, Main St., Smithtown on Nov. 11 at 10:45 p.m. 631-724-1804.
Sound Beach
The Sound Beach Civic Association will hold a Veterans Day service at the Sound Beach Veterans Memorial Park on New York Avenue on Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. Miller Place School District students will provide patriotic music. All are welcome. 631-744-6952
St. James
Sgt. John W. Cooke VFW Post 395 will host a Veterans Day Parade in St. James on Nov. 11. The parade will kick off at 10 a.m. and heads down Lake Avenue to St. James Elementary School. 516-987-6201
Setauket
Caroline Episcopal Church, 1 Dyke Road, Setauket will host “A Day of Honor,” a service of appreciation and remembrance for those who have served (and currently serve) our country and communities, in the armed forces and as first responders, on Nov. 10 at 9:30 a.m. Join them for a unique service with music, special guests, and prayers for peace. 631-941-4245
— Compiled by Heidi Sutton
Letters to the Editor: November 7, 2024
Turning the tide: Celebrating the guardians of our water
I would like to note a recent report from Save the Sound and highlight the work of some local heroes: George Hoffman and the volunteers of the Setauket Harbor Task Force. Their unwavering commitment to the health of our local waters has helped bend the curve and set our surface waters on a path toward improved health and water quality, as reflected in the latest report from Save the Sound.
The water quality grade for Setauket Harbor, rising from a “C” in 2022 to a “B+” this year, speaks volumes about the positive impact of their work. The reduction in nitrogen levels by 50% over the last 30 years, thanks to improved stormwater systems and stricter regulations, shows what can be achieved with persistent advocacy for good policy and community engagement. Their leadership in educating boaters about using pump-out services to prevent waste from being dumped into the harbor has also been an essential factor in maintaining water cleanliness. The Setauket Harbor Task Force truly serves as guardians of the harbor, and we owe them a debt of gratitude.
As your councilmember, I am proud to work alongside groups like the Setauket Harbor Task Force, Coastal Steward Long Island and others, supporting initiatives that benefit our environment. One of the projects my office has been engaged with is expanding shellfish agriculture, especially the creation of oyster beds, which help improve water quality through natural filtration. Additionally, we are working to increase awareness and compliance of the use of pump-out boats, a crucial service that ensures boaters are able to dispose of waste responsibly. Cumulatively, and in partnership with groups like the Setauket Harbor Task Force and Coastal Steward, these efforts help contribute to cleaner, healthier harbors for all of us to benefit from.
The health of Port Jefferson and Setauket harbors is essential to the vibrancy of our community, and I look forward to continuing our partnership with local organizations and residents in this important work.
Jonathan Kornreich,
Brookhaven Town Councilmember
Stony Brook
Unintended consequences: Say a prayer for our community’s small business owners
A number of letters have appeared in your paper in recent weeks about the Town of Brookhaven’s relatively new Commercial Redevelopment District classification for “abandoned, vacant and underutilized shopping centers.”
Essentially, the CRD designation allows for the demolition of existing shopping areas, and a subsequent high density build-out of multilevel apartments with ground level businesses. Some might call this a financial gift or windfall to some developers who claim their center is “underutilized.”
The unintended consequence of the town’s CRD code is that it incentivizes certain commercial property owners to neglect or mismanage their holdings in order to apply for the generous terms afforded by the new zoning. And the best way to create high vacancy rates? Simply jack up the cost of new leases and lease renewals to drive out small shop owners. It couldn’t happen here. Or could it?
Herb Mones
Stony Brook
Another Election Day gone, now for the cleanup
Election Day has come and gone. It reminds me of “The Outer Limits,” a 1960s television show. With the end of round-the-clock commercials by politicians, political parties, political action groups and pay-for-play special interest groups, we now return control of your television back to you until the next election cycle. No more telephone robocalls, text messages, candidates campaign mailings clogging mailboxes and weighing down our hard working postal employees. Finally, some peace and quiet!
Candidates who claimed they cared about the environment can now do their part. Winners and losers should have their paid campaign staff and volunteers pick up all the thousands of campaign signs that litter our roads and highways to help clean up this waste. They could also use leftover campaign funds to hire homeless or unemployed people to collect this litter. Let some people sentenced by judges to perform community service be assigned this task. If candidates refuse to clean up after themselves, your local village, town or Suffolk County Public Works Division of Highway & Ground Maintenance should do the job and send candidates the bill.
Larry Penner
Great Neck
Between You and Me: Thank you to those who helped make democracy smooth
By Leah S. Dunaief
Publisher
The drive between my office and home has been treacherous for my tires over the past couple of years, with the potholes and broken stretches of blacktop causing them to whine in protest. I was taking all sorts of detours through adjoining neighborhoods to avoid them.
So, imagine my relief when a transportation ground crew appeared a couple of weeks ago and proceeded to repair and repave the roads. The route is now smooth enough for roller skating.
This could have been a metaphor for the coming election.
After mounting anxiety among the populace and near hysteria about what voting would be like and what would lie ahead by the media, it is such a relief that nothing violent happened. It was only an exercise in demonstrating the will of the governed.
Yes, half the population is keenly disappointed that its candidate did not win and make history, and the other half is ecstatic that its candidate did win and did make history. But an amazing calm has descended.
Polls almost all across our nation were crowded but enabled orderly voting. There were a few bomb threats phoned in, largely attributed to Russian interference, which delayed our voting process in a minor way, but there were no scenes of perilous conflict.
We Americans did what we are supposed to do during elections. We voted—in greater number than usual—then went about our usual business and awaited the results.
The only uptick in normal activity was in the stock market, which soared wildly at the prospect of calm and stability. There was no factual basis for any claims of chaos. And no one so far seems to be challenging the results.
We can let out our collective breath.
This election should not pass from sight without our plaudits for the poll workers. When I entered my polling place about 10:45 a.m. on Tuesday, I was greeted cordially, directed to the proper table to register, then to another for the ballot and given a short explanation on how to fill it out.
When I emerged, ballot in hand, from the booth, I was further directed to one of the voting machines, then I left with a receipt and a sticker some kind soul had supplied that read, “I voted.” As I left, I was thanked a couple of times for voting by poll workers.
It occurred to me that we, the voters, should be thanking them. Despite the severe concerns expressed in the lead-up to the election about the safety issue for those workers, they showed up, graciously did their jobs, safely put in a long day, then returned to their homes.
They supported the ultimate key for democracy to happen: the vote.
So thank you to the many men and women, all across America, and those in our individual polling places, for your help. And thanks to those who came to protect them.
D. None of the Above: Hoping the country receives a return on investment for political contributions
By Daniel Dunaief
Many people had an enormous stake in the election.
Beyond the policies, the ideas, the rallies and all the other hoopla around the hotly contested Election of 2024, people contributed significant amounts of money to back their favorite candidate or candidates.
OpenSecrets predicted that the 2024 federal election cycle would be the costliest on record, at $15.9 billion.
That’s a lot of advertisements funded by people who felt compelled to offer their financial support to candidates they thought would be the best for them, their counties, their states and the country.
So, what did we get for all that money?
Well, for starters, we had advertisements that decried the unqualified or awful nature of the other candidate. Sure, I suppose there’s some value in that.
But as a die-hard Yankees fan — a fitting phrase this year after the Bronx Bombers committed the kind of errors my son described as U8 mistakes — I’m not sure I’d want my team to spend so much time and effort trash talking, beating up or insulting their opponents.
Yes, I get it. Sports and politics aren’t the same, and yet, we the fans, supporters and general public invest in people in these arenas, hoping for the best from them.
Talking about how bad the competition is doesn’t make you better. It can scare people into voting for you, I suppose, but that doesn’t seem like a particularly honorable way to win. It also doesn’t set the tone for our children, who watch these advertisements or hear the words from would-be political leaders and wonder why they should exercise restraint on the playground after they’ve heard political leaders call each other names or insult each other.
I suppose all those horrible words and a readiness to “fight” is far preferable to the historic human way of changing government regimes. In previous generations and in non-democratic societies, people shed blood to create a new government or bring in new leaders.
In theory, every four years, We the People can go to the ballot box and alter the direction of the country with our vote.
That brings me back to the money. Beyond the contribution to our candidate, what do we get back for the money we spend?
To borrow from Wall Street, what’s the return on our investment? Can we ask to speak with some of these leaders? Can we send ideas to improve the way government works?
No matter who wins any election, that person has a duty and responsibility to represent everyone, including those people who didn’t vote for them and their adversaries in the election cycle. The once and future president, whether he likes it or not, represents his constituents and his adversaries.
Getting elected doesn’t just give them power: it places enormous responsibility on their shoulders.
They came to us, electronic palms outstretched, asking for money and we gave it to them, despite concerns about our economic future, our desire to save for ourselves and our children and our need to invest in ourselves.
How else could we have spent that money? Could we have taken classes that enabled us to find other jobs? Could we have sent that money to charity to provide for the basic needs of people who are struggling to survive?
Now that donations helped fill many of those seats, those politicians, on day one, should make sure they listen to people, should affect positive changes and policies, and should work to ensure that they reward the public with effective leadership.
Let’s hope that money backed the right candidates, which can and should benefit the entire country.
Is it too much to ask that, one day, we all see a reasonable return on these investments?
Smithtown awarded $21.3 million for sewer district expansion
The Town of Smithtown has been awarded $21.3 million in funding from the State of New York, which will be distributed to Suffolk County for the downtown (Smithtown) Sewer District expansion project.
This funding was announced on November 1 as part of Governor Kathy Hochul’s 2024 Local Water Infrastructure Improvements initiative. This latest award announcement, raises Smithtown’s total grant funding to over $40 million in the last six years and over $80 million since the Administration took office in 2017.
“We are deeply grateful to Governor Hochul, our dedicated partners in Suffolk County and the State of New York for making this essential project possible. With their support, Smithtown is at the halfway mark to make necessary improvements that will not only modernize our infrastructure but also enhance the future of our business districts, environment, and community,” said Supervisor Ed Wehrheim in a press release.
The $21.3 million in funding will be directed to Suffolk County for the Smithtown Business District Sewer Extension Project, marking a pivotal step in the town’s mission to support healthier infrastructure, protect environmental resources, and boost local economic growth. This grant reflects ongoing collaboration between Smithtown, Suffolk County, and New York State.
Over $40 million in Smithtown tax dollars directed back home to Smithtown in six years includes:
- $1.38 million for stormwater flood mitigation infrastructure for Smithtown and Kings Park awarded by Congressman Nick LaLota through the Interior and Environment Appropriations bill.
- $10 Million Dollar Downtown Revitalization Initiative, for the business district of Kings Park
- $13 million in American Rescue Plan aid funds from Suffolk County for the Town of Smithtown.
- $10 million towards the Smithtown’s Business District Sewer Construction
- $3 Million towards connecting the St. James Business District to Sewer Treatment District #28 at Fairfield.
- $5.4 million in funding from Suffolk County for the Kings Park streetscape work and competition of the Sewer District 6 expansion
- $2.5 Million in funds from the Suffolk County JumpStart grant for traffic calming and streetscape improvements in Kings Park
- $1,280,951.44 for the Long Beach Road Elevation from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and was awarded through the New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services’ Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.
- $1Million USDA Urban and Community Forestry Grant program for tree planting and maintenance
- $1.1 Million Edgewood Avenue Corridor Grant secured through Congressman Lee Zeldin through the community development fund.
- $900,000 in Suffolk County JumpStart funds for the acquisition and restoration of the century-old Calderone Theatre, which is currently in disrepair.
- $500,000 in Suffolk County Jumpstart Funds to Build Kings Park Municipal Parking Lot on Pulaski Road
- $200,000 for the Emergency Operations Center from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and was awarded through the New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services
Funding brought back to Smithtown since 2017 also includes:
- $40 Million Dollars from the State of New York, under the State’s Transformative Investment Program (TIP), for Suffolk County to connect Kings Park Business District to Suffolk County Sewer District No. 6 and to go towards the sewer expansion project for the Downtown of the Smithtown Hamlet.
- $799,982 for the Local Government Efficiency grant program – Town of Smithtown Highway Services Consolidation
- $97,375 in Regional Economic Development Council grant funding for the Stormwater Management Feasibility Study for Cordwood Path ($72,375) & St James Visioning Study ($25,000)
“Since Supervisor Wehrheim’s appointment in 2017, Smithtown has dedicated significant resources to securing competitive state and federal grants to strengthen its infrastructure and community programs. The awarded funds have been allocated across a variety of transformative initiatives, from downtown revitalization to flood mitigation, municipal infrastructure, and environmental sustainability. The Town of Smithtown is committed to utilizing every resource to ensure the health, safety, and economic prosperity of its residents. With over $80 million in grants secured since 2017, Smithtown continues to make meaningful progress toward a brighter and more resilient future,” read the release.
Election results 2024
Election results will be updated as they come in. Last results recorded on Nov. 6 at 10:30 a.m.
Congress
NY1
Nick LaLota (R): 55.7 percent with 215, 678 votes – Winner
John Avlon (D): 44.28 percent with 171,556 votes
NY2
Andrew Garbarino (R) : 59.6 percent – Winner
Rob Lubin (D): 40.4 percent
NY3
Thomas Suozzi (D): 48.7 percent – Winner
Mike LiPetri (R): 46.3 percent
New York State Senate
SD1
Anthony Palumbo (R): 53.65 percent – Winner
Sarah Anker (D): 46.32 percent
SD2
Mario Mattera (R): 97, 244 votes – Winner
Craig Herskowitz (D): 68,353 votes
New York State Assembly
AD2
Jodi Giglio (R): 64.9 percent with 45,280 votes – Winner
Tricia Chiaramonte (D): 35.1 percent with 24,474 votes
AD4
Ed Flood (R): 49.8 percent with 29,035 votes
Rebecca Kassay (D): 50. 2 percent with 29,246 votes
AD5
Doug Smith (R): 64.9% with 40,503 votes – Winner
Michael Reynolds (D): 35.1% with 21,893 votes
AD8
Mike Fitzpatrick (R): 66.4 percent with 48,797 votes – Winner
Steve Basileo (D): 33.6 percent with 24,716 votes
NYS Proposition 1: – Passed
Yes: 57.01 percent with 4,092,742 votes
No: 34.52 percent with 2,478,621 votes
NYS Proposition 2: – Passed
Yes: 71.91 percent with 478,717 votes
No: 28.42 percent with 190,159 votes
St. Catherine of Siena Hospital appoints new Chief Operating Officer
Chris Boukas, RN, MBA, FACHE, has been named Chief Operating Officer at Catholic Health’s St. Catherine of Siena Hospital. Boukas has over 20 years of experience in healthcare administration and nursing.
In his new role, Boukas will oversee the hospital’s operational and administrative functions; design and implement business strategies; set comprehensive goals for performance and growth across all clinical service lines; and continue to ensure patient safety and patient satisfaction.
“We are delighted to have Chris as part of St. Catherine’s executive leadership team,” said St. Catherine of Siena Hospital President Declan Doyle. “With extensive experience in hospital operations, system integration, regulatory compliance and emergency management, Chris has proven his steadfast leadership and strategic planning skills. As St. Catherine’s COO, Chris will further enhance our hospital’s mission in providing the highest quality of care to our patients.”
Prior to joining Catholic Health, Boukas served as Northwell Health’s Senior Director, Operations, where he oversaw various departments, as well as provided administrative and clinical oversight at Cohen Children’s Medical Center. In this role, he achieved the highest level of performance in operating units, as well as established and managed plans to ensure productivity, operational and financial performance.
During his long-standing career, Boukas also held numerous other roles as Northwell Health’s Senior Administrative Director of the Division of Endocrinology and Rheumatology; Assistant Director of Nursing at Huntington Hospital; Regional Director, Operations at Advantage Care Physicians at its campuses in Brooklyn and Long Island; Northwell’s Senior Administrative Manager, Operations and Ambulatory Services and Assistant Director of Nursing; and Manager at Forest Hills Hospital’s Emergency Department.
Earning his Master of Business Administration from Hofstra University, Boukas also received a business certification at Cornell University’s Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management in Ithaca, NY. In addition, Chris earned two Bachelor of Science degrees –one in Nursing at the University of Maryland and another in Exercise and Sports Science at the University of Delaware. He is a member of numerous professional organizations, including a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, as well as a member of the Emergency Nurses Association.
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