Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker and Bea Ruberto. Photo courtesy Anker's office
Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) presented Sound Beach resident Bea Ruberto with a proclamation.
The proclamation recognizes Ruberto as a Woman of Distinction in 2022 and for her ongoing dedication to her community. In addition to serving as president of the Sound Beach Civic Association, Ruberto is the co-owner of Pern Editorial Services, a member of the Brookhaven Anti-Litter Task Force, and a leader in local diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. She also served as president of the auxiliary of the Sound Beach Fire Department.
“It is not primarily the geography of a town that makes it remarkable,” Anker said. “It is the passion and dedication of its residents that make a community distinguished. Bea makes Sound Beach shine, and it fills me with joy to present her with this recognition.”
Above, local veteran Jim Henke during the memorial service on Friday, Nov. 11. Photo by Raymond Janis
At a playground in Sound Beach resides a small memorial dedicated to Bruce Kerndl and Charles Prchal, two American servicemen who died in Vietnam in 1966 and 1969, respectively.
Every year on Veterans Day, Sound Beach resident Jim Henke, a local Vietnam War veteran who fought alongside these fallen heroes, leads an informal dedication ceremony to celebrate their lives. This year would be no different.
On Friday, Nov. 11, Henke led the morning service once again. He has held this service every year since 1997, he said. To the small crowd of spectators gathered at the playground, he outlined why he comes back.
Above, a wreath was placed on the grounds of the memorial, honoring fallen heroes Bruce Kerndl and Charles Prchal. Photo by Raymond Janis
“They died in vain, horrible deaths for Charlie and Bruce, and in combat,” he said. “We’re going to die at home, and we’ve lived our lives. They didn’t have that chance.”
Despite the solemn occasion of this gathering, the mood was joyful and uplifting. Henke and others delivered impromptu speeches throughout the morning, with plenty of jokes and humorous anecdotes.
Henke described the event as spontaneous and unrehearsed without a script, a program or a list of speakers. What is spoken, he noted, comes from the heart. “I do everything from the top of my head,” he said.
Henke then opened the floor for anyone to acknowledge a veteran in his or her own life. For him, Veterans Day is not a day for solitary reflection but for family, friends and community to come together to honor the fallen. For this reason, the yearly memorial is a highly collaborative setting.
In holding this service, Henke keeps the memory and legacy of Kerndl and Prchal alive. Though their deaths were premature, Henke refuses to let them be forgotten.
“Their parents went to their grave knowing that their sons weren’t forgotten,” he said. “I promised them I’ll do it until I die.”
Community members, first responders, civic leaders and elected officials gathered at the Sound Beach Veterans Memorial on Saturday, Oct. 22, in celebration of the life of Ann Moran.
She was born in Rockville Centre Jan. 14, 1943, and died on June 30 at age 79. Throughout her life she remained active in Sound Beach and the Rocky Point school district. Moran seemed to have made a lasting impression on those who knew her, whether as an educator, a teachers union president, a volunteer or a civic leader.
Dozens attended the memorial event, which featured the dedication of a bird bath at the park’s edge, a permanent marker honoring her lasting legacy of service to the community.
Above, Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai). Photo by Raymond Janis
Sound Beach Civic Association, where Moran was longtime treasurer, hosted the event. Bea Ruberto, president of the civic, told a tale of the memories she shared with Moran over the decades they worked together.
The civic president commented on the picturesque weather of the early afternoon: “Who doesn’t believe that Ann had something to do with this beautiful day?”
Ruberto described Moran as “a force” whose abundant energy was devoted tirelessly to the betterment of her community. For this reason, the memorial celebration included several perspectives on her life.
“There is no one voice that can speak to how important Ann was to all of us, so a number of people are going to speak to that,” Ruberto said.
Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) spoke of Moran’s contagious effect on her peers. “When one person touches another and inspires and encourages them to do good things in their community and good things to other people, it’s like a ripple in a pool, and it just keeps going,” the county legislator said. “Ann always seemed to start this ripple, and she will continue because we are here today celebrating her legacy.”
Above, Town of Brookhaven Councilwoman Jane Bonner (R-Rocky Point). Photo by Raymond Janis
Town of Brookhaven Councilwoman Jane Bonner (R-Rocky Point) was also in attendance. She spoke of Moran’s professionalism and ability to keep a civil dialogue in the face of contention.
“Ann was just cool, calm and collected,” Bonner said. “Even though we had opposite political philosophies, [we had] very respectful conversations, interesting conversations about life in general.” The councilwoman added, “She was a dynamo, a tiny, mighty person that never took ‘no’ for an answer.”
Following her remarks, Bonner delivered a special announcement. “Very few individuals get two days in the Town of Brookhaven, but today has been declared Ann Moran Day.” The other day in Moran’s honor is Sept. 12.
Susan Sullivan, a trustee of the Rocky Point school district board of education, described Moran’s impact as the district’s teachers union president. According to her, Moran led the union with a steady hand, representing the teachers firmly and holding her ground when necessary.
‘I was impressed by her strength, confidence and assertiveness — she stood down to no one.’
— Susan Sullivan
“She was a woman ahead of her time,” Sullivan said. “I was impressed by her strength, confidence and assertiveness — she stood down to no one.” Sullivan added, “She was respected by the administration, teachers, and [school-related professionals], which is a tribute to her ability to work respectfully with everyone.”
Moran served four terms as president of the Sound Beach Fire Department Auxiliary. Nancy Ford, trustee of the auxiliary, discussed Moran’s nearly three decades of contribution to this institution.
“She was a loyal member of our organization for 28 years,” Ford said. “As was her mission, she raised her hand to help with all of our events.” The auxiliary trustee added, “She worked on Military Bridge, getting donations for the fire department’s steak dinners, fire department anniversary celebrations, [which] were just some of the many ways that Ann helped out.”
Joseph Russo, at podium, right. Photo by Raymond Janis
Sound Beach civic member Ernestine Franco knew Moran for around 15 years. During that time, the two cultivated a close friendship. Responding to the turnout of the memorial celebration, Franco said Moran would have been delighted.
“I think she would have loved this today,” Franco said. Following Moran’s selflessness and commitment to service, however, Franco added, “There is only one thing she would have loved better: If she could be standing here and we could be honoring somebody else.”
Last to speak was Moran’s son, Joseph Russo. He told an endearing personal anecdote epitomizing the bond the two shared. Russo then thanked those who attended, honoring his mother’s legacy.
“I just want to thank you all for coming today on a nice, sunny day,” he said. He concluded, “Thank you, Mom.”
Photo Caption: Superintendent Losquadro (left) and Councilwoman Bonner on Sound Beach Boulevard in Sound Beach. Photo from TOB
Brookhaven Town Highway Superintendent Daniel P. Losquadro and Councilwoman Jane Bonner have announced the completion of a 32-road, $1.3 million Sound Beach paving project.
Prior to paving, crews completed concrete improvements, inspecting all area drains and repairing and replacing damaged concrete aprons. Roads resurfaced during this paving project include: Amagansett Drive, Arverne Drive, Brookhaven Drive, Cold Spring Drive, Deer Drive, Eastport Drive, Floral Road, Glenn Drive, Greenvale Road, Inwood Road, Jamaica Drive, Kew Drive, Lynbrook Drive, Manor Road, Montauk Road, Oakdale Drive, Oceanside Road, Patchogue Road, Port Jefferson Road, Queen Drive, Quogue Drive, Riverhead Road, Roslyn Road, Shoreham Road, Sound Beach Boulevard, St. James Drive, Thomas Road, Urban Road, Valley Drive, Westbury Drive, Woodmere Road, and Yaphank Road. The total cost for this paving project was approximately $1.3 million.
“We have made a great deal of progress in resurfacing Sound Beach neighborhoods over the last several years,” said Superintendent Losquadro. “This latest project should provide motorists and pedestrians with some much-needed relief.”
“Thanks to the work of Superintendent Losquadro and the men and women of the Highway Department, the newly resurfaced roads are much safer for cars, bikes and pedestrians. School starts in a few weeks, so completing these paving projects couldn’t have come at a better time,” added Councilwoman Bonner.
Leon Adler, left, and Bea Ruberto, right, together have brought the local history of Sound Beach to life. Photo by Aidan Johnson
By Aidan Johnson
Dozens of Sound Beach residents learned much more about their community on Monday, Aug. 8, during a second screening of the new local film, “The History Upon Our Shores: Sound Beach, NY,” at the Heritage Center in Mount Sinai. The well-received premiere was shown on June 10 at the same venue.
The film, produced and directed by resident Leon Adler, is based on the book, “Sound Beach: Our Town, Our Story,” authored by Bea Ruberto, president of the Sound Beach Civic Association.
“It’s exciting to be a part of sharing the town’s history with everybody, but I think it’s hard to say I’m among the first,” Adler said. “I imagine over many years, people were always telling stories through family members about the history, but I’m probably among the first to wrap it all up in a bow.”
The film tells the story of the quaint hamlet, from its beginnings as a summertime escape from 1929 onward to its present form as a community of over 7,000 residents.
Adler, who also narrates the film, infused humor throughout, keeping the audience laughing and learning as they digested plenty of information about Sound Beach.
Despite a runtime of under an hour, Adler devoted immense effort to getting the film over the finish line. According to him, two minutes of on-screen time could take up to four days of work to edit.
Furthermore, Adler put in months of his time to ensure that the narration, music and photos all synchronized perfectly. However, he said the finished product was well worth it to him.
“I think that when people know the history of where they live, it gives them a greater appreciation for it and just the whole background of it,” Adler said.
Ruberto was pleased by the interest that the movie garnered among the public. Despite living in Sound Beach for 45 years, she still considers herself a newbie to the area.
“I really began to appreciate Sound Beach when I got on the civic board,” she said. “Before that, I didn’t appreciate what a wonderful place it is to live.”
By joining the civic association, Ruberto realized the importance of local issues to both her and her peers. For her, in order to help keep the community beautiful, residents must remain active and engaged in it.
The inspiration to write the book came to Ruberto about a decade ago when she was looking to get better bus stops for Sound Beach. “We were reviewing the stops, and a lot of them were wrong,” she said. “One of the bus stops was called Scotty’s Corner, and I had no idea where that was. I can’t tell you how long I spent trying to find it, and that’s when I realized that a lot of people didn’t know either.”
The seemingly nonexistent bus stop drove Ruberto to the realization that much of the history of Sound Beach was passed down by word of mouth. However, as the older generations passed on, the precious history they carried went with them. Ruberto has made it her mission to keep that history alive: to research it, write it down and to preserve it. With the help of Adler, she has done just that.
As the film concluded, the audience gave Adler a long round of applause. For some, the film brought back memories of the town that they knew while growing up. For others, it sheds new light on a place where they are only beginning to establish their roots.
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