Thousands line up to vote Oct. 24 at Brookhaven Town Hall. Photo by Kyle Barr
The following results are not the final election tallies, as the Suffolk County Board of Elections still has to count all absentee ballots starting later this week. All current results will change in the next few weeks, and those finding themselves in even moderately close races could see a shift.
The Miller Place School District closed its middle and high schools mid-morning on Monday due to two positive COVID-19 tests from students, officials said.
Miller Place dismissed classes for the high school at 10:45 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. for the middle school Monday, Nov. 1. Superintendent Marianne Cartisano said in a letter posted to the district website that a student at the North County Road Middle School and a student at Miller Place High School both tested positive for COVID-19 Sunday. The students were described as family members and were both a part of Cohort 2. The two students were in school Friday, Oct. 30.
In addition, officials said the COVID-positive students were with friends from Cohorts 1 and 2 this past weekend.
Officials said they were in contact with the Suffolk County Department of Health for contact tracing, and the district warned that some students may have to quarantine in the future. The students who tested positive will not be permitted to return to school until they are released by SCDOH.
“The health and safety of our students and staff remains a priority of our district,” Cartisano said in the letter.
The district maintained that the high and middle school are open for polling Tuesday, Nov. 3. No staff is having to quarantine, according to the SCDOH. Secondary level buildings were closed Nov. 3 as it was scheduled as a Superintendents Conference Day and only required staff to report.
Miller Place High School and North Country Road Middle School will have their typical virtual instruction day on Wednesday, Nov. 4, and will be open for Cohort 2 in-person instruction Thursday, Nov. 5.
Counterprotesters joined members of the North Country Peace Group Oct. 31 to stand in opposition to the Trump caravan rolling through Setauket. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Counterprotesters joined members of the North Country Peace Group Oct. 31 to stand in opposition to the Trump caravan rolling through Setauket. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Standing opposite the counterprotesters were the North Country Patriots at their usual spot, though some counterprotesters did walk across the street to confront them. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Standing opposite the counterprotesters were the North Country Patriots at their usual spot, though some counterprotesters did walk across the street to confront them. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Counterprotesters joined members of the North Country Peace Group Oct. 31 to stand in opposition to the Trump caravan rolling through Setauket. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Counterprotesters joined members of the North Country Peace Group Oct. 31 to stand in opposition to the Trump caravan rolling through Setauket. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Standing opposite the counterprotesters were the North Country Patriots at their usual spot, though some counterprotesters did walk across the street to confront them. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Counterprotesters joined members of the North Country Peace Group Oct. 31 to stand in opposition to the Trump caravan rolling through Setauket. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Counterprotesters joined members of the North Country Peace Group Oct. 31 to stand in opposition to the Trump caravan rolling through Setauket. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Members of the Brookhaven Republican Friends online group gathered in Mount Sinai for a caravan heading down to U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin's office. Photo by Kyle Barr
Members of the Brookhaven Republican Friends online group gathered in Mount Sinai for a caravan heading down to U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin's office. Photo by Kyle Barr
Members of the Brookhaven Republican Friends online group gathered in Mount Sinai for a caravan heading down to U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin's office. Photo by Kyle Barr
Members of the Brookhaven Republican Friends online group gathered in Mount Sinai for a caravan heading down to U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin's office. Photo by Kyle Barr
Members of the Brookhaven Republican Friends online group gathered in Mount Sinai for a caravan heading down to U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin's office. Photo by Kyle Barr
Members of the Brookhaven Republican Friends online group gathered in Mount Sinai for a caravan heading down to U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin's office. Photo by Kyle Barr
A caravan of cars organized by the right wing online group Setauket Patriots came through Port Jeff before going up into Setauket, through St. James then looping down into Centereach and Selden. Photo by Julianne Mosher
A caravan of cars organized by the right wing online group Setauket Patriots came through Port Jeff before going up into Setauket, through St. James then looping down into Centereach and Selden. Photo by Julianne Mosher
A caravan of cars organized by the right wing online group Setauket Patriots came through Port Jeff before going up into Setauket, through St. James then looping down into Centereach and Selden. Photo by Julianne Mosher
A caravan of cars organized by the right wing online group Setauket Patriots came through Port Jeff before going up into Setauket, through St. James then looping down into Centereach and Selden. Photo by Julianne Mosher
A caravan of cars organized by the right wing online group Setauket Patriots came through Port Jeff before going up into Setauket, through St. James then looping down into Centereach and Selden. Photo by Julianne Mosher
A caravan of cars organized by the right wing online group Setauket Patriots came through Port Jeff before going up into Setauket, through St. James then looping down into Centereach and Selden. Photo by Julianne Mosher
A caravan of cars organized by the right wing online group Setauket Patriots came through Port Jeff before going up into Setauket, through St. James then looping down into Centereach and Selden. Photo by Julianne Mosher
A caravan of cars organized by the right wing online group Setauket Patriots came through Port Jeff before going up into Setauket, through St. James then looping down into Centereach and Selden. Photo by Julianne Mosher
A caravan of cars organized by the right wing online group Setauket Patriots came through Port Jeff before going up into Setauket, through St. James then looping down into Centereach and Selden. Photo by Julianne Mosher
By Kyle Barr and Rita J. Egan
Flags flying, the Trump crowd rolled through local communities Halloween, Oct. 31, despite some local opposition.
Just a few days before the election date Nov. 3, caravans supporting President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign could be seen on major roadways on County Road 83 in Mount Sinai and Route 25A in Port Jefferson and Setauket.
For around 30 minutes, vehicles bearing flags supporting Trump’s reelection rolled down Main Street in Port Jefferson. A crowd of around 20 people stood by the side cheering on the car parade. Most were not wearing masks.
The parade in Port Jefferson was conducted by the right wing online group Setauket Patriots. Their Trumpalozza 3 car parade was a sequel to a separate Trump caravan held Oct. 17, one that lasted for close to an hour and saw hundreds of vehicles rolling down Main Street.
Officials from the Village of Port Jefferson posted a statement to its website and Facebook about before the parade Oct. 28, saying the village does not “condone lawless or disrespectful behavior within our village, regardless of any content or message that any group may convey.” Despite some residents’ complaints of the prior parade, officials said they legally do not have the authority to stop a moving vehicle or issue citations for traffic law.
Both Suffolk County Police and village Code Enforcement were present, keeping spectators behind the barricades and directing traffic down Main Street and up West Broadway.
A crowd of counter protesters, including the North Country Peace Group which normally protest at the corner of North Country Road and Bennetts Road in Setauket, gathered along the south of the road as the caravan passed.
Joining the North Country Peace Group were people holding a rally against police brutality. A few from the south side crossed Route 25A to talk to members of the North Country Patriots who stand across from the peace group every Saturday. One girl walked across the street to stand in front of a member of the Patriots. The two stared each other down for several minutes.
As the caravan passed Bennetts Road, rally members, who held signs showing support for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and vice president nominee Kamala Harris or that read Black Lives Matter and similar sentiments, knelt or turned their backs on the Trump caravan when it came by. Many raised their fists, a regular symbol for BLM. Police officers on the scene said they would arrest anyone who got out of their cars in the caravan or protesters who went in the street to confront them.
Another car caravan supporting Trump and the reelection of U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY1) got going the same day, starting at the Rose Caracappa Senior Center in Mount Sinai. The caravan, formed by the Brookhaven Town Republican Committee and online group Brookhaven Republican Friends, saw about 20 people and their vehicles stream down Patchogue-Mount Sinai Road going south before eventually turning onto Sunrise Highway and ending at Zeldin’s Shirley offices.
Additional reporting by Julianne Mosher and Steven Zaitz
Shoreham-Wading River High School is located at 250A Route 25A in Shoreham. File photo by Kevin Redding
*Update* The Shoreham-Wading River school district announced it was closing the high school through Nov. 11, and planned to reopen Thursday Nov. 12.
Shoreham-Wading River school district officials have quarantined 110 students plus eight staff members after two students were tested positive for COVID-19. Officials said those positive tests came after a recent get-together among students.
SWR Superintendent Gerard Poole released a letter to parents Thursday, Oct. 29 informing them that the three students “all attended a weekend social gathering of students.” The district was notified about the positive tests Wednesday night.
Officials closed the high school, and later that day announced the building would also be closed Friday, Oct. 30. The school will continue learning using online distance learning, and students are required to log into their teacher’s Google Classroom at the start of each period to join the class and click on the Google Meet code. The schedule can be found in the Distance Learning plan which is posted in the Re-Opening section of the District webpage.
“What students do over the weekend and after school matters,” Poole wrote in his letter to parents. “As we have found out, it impacts our ability to remain open daily for all students.”
The district worked with the Suffolk County Department of Health to conduct contact tracing. Any student that has tested positive is currently under quarantine as well as their family members, which would include school age children as well.
With the additions of the 118 quarantined, the district said there are now a full 125 students and staff members asked to isolate themselves. The New York State School Report Card, which tracks the number of positive cases in districts, reads there have been a total of five positive tests in the district since it opened in September.
Students who tested positive are not allowed to return to school until the DOH gives the go-ahead, Pooles letter stated.
“With the Halloween weekend approaching, children may need an additional reminder about the importance of implementing COVID-19 health precautions at all times and the importance of avoiding large social gatherings,” the superintendent said in his letter. “In order for our schools to remain open and for the health of all students, it is my hope that any large social gatherings that may have been planned for the upcoming weekend are canceled.”
The Wading River Marsh Preserve is just one of several Long Island habitats protected and maintained by the Nature Conservancy. Photo by Kyle Barr
If one is looking hard for the silver linings about the ongoing pandemic, it may be that residents seem to be returning to nature, filling up Long Island’s public parks and preserves in droves.
The Nature Conservancy, a global environmental nonprofit that has offices in Cold Spring Harbor, helps protect hundreds of nature preserves around the world. The organization has many on Long Island, including six on the North Shore such as Uplands Farm Nature Sanctuary in Cold Spring Harbor, the David Weld Sanctuary in Nissequogue and Wading River Marsh Preserve in Wading River. Those acres of protected land, according to conservancy officials, have seen a huge uptick in visitors over the past several months.
Mat Levine, the director of stewardship for the conservancy’s New York state branch, said that in a normal year, they could have somewhere between 150,000 to 200,000 visitors annually statewide. Since the start of spring into summer, they saw a jump of three times as many people visiting their nature preserves. While that has slowed down as of late, partially because of incoming cool weather and a slackening of COVID-19 restrictions, Levine said the number of visitors could say something about people’s desire to relieve stress using their own local natural environment.
“It was, it still is a tough time for a lot of people,” the New York stewardship director said. “People use nature to get a real mental and physical benefit.”
The Wading River Marsh Preserve is just one of several Long Island habitats protected and maintained by the Nature Conservancy. Photo by Kyle Barr
Jeremy Samuelson, director of the Mashomack Preserve on Shelter Island, also run by the conservancy, said the 2,000-acre parcel normally receives around 30,000 visitors a year. With the pandemic, they were seeing two to three times their normal load.
Employees on preserves were deemed essential workers back when everything started to close down in mid-March. The increased visitorship also meant the preserve and its employees had to work more toward managing the flow of people, giving them access and information, and maintaining the trails, all while trying to keep people safe.
“The challenge is in keeping our team members and visitors safe,” Samuelson said. “The way I describe it we are running a public interfacing institution, so we’ve had to like everybody else think about what we need to put more resources in this time, so we can be of service.”
Even with the new flow of visitors, the preserve director said they didn’t try to keep anyone away.
“Our goal is to get people to fall in love with nature, so as long as we can offer these facilities that balances welcoming people with making sure we’re taking care of natural resources, we should be throwing the door open wide,” he said.
In March, once theaters, restaurants, concert halls bars and so many other places for entertainment were closing down, Levine said people started coming by as the preserves were “one of the few places left open.” The hope, he said, is that more people are turning their attention to their local environment, and even larger environmental goals.
Avalon Nature Preserve in Stony Brook and St. James also saw an increase in visitors at the start of the pandemic, according to Park Director Katharine Griffiths. Many of those were people who had never come
through before.
Many people simply had nowhere else to go but visit their local parks, and Griffiths was glad to see new interest in the preserve. However, since things have opened up, she said the number of visitors are declining back down to where they were before the pandemic.
Griffiths said she has always argued for people to go back to nature, to get off their devices and experience the outdoors, but for her it’s hard to tell if the pandemic will be this large change in people’s attitudes.
“I guess we’ll see,” she said. “I do think this situation has given some people the opportunity to do something they normally wouldn’t have done.”
Back in June, The Nature Conservancy, along with Los Angeles-based public opinion research firm FM3, did a survey of 600 New York voters where 70% said the pandemic recovery offers an opportunity to better plan for climate change. Even more said they would want to give more New Yorkers easier access to public parks and preserves.
State Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) said state parks and preserves have also seen a “widespread pattern” of increased usage. Even in the local area, Englebright, who currently chairs the state Standing Committee on Environmental Conservation, has seen more people stopping by on Gnarled Hollow Road to use the Setauket to Port Jefferson Station Greenway Trail.
“Our investment in local parks and the environment seems to be paying off,” he said. “I think [these parks] will continue to be used at a much higher level than before.”
Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) is the chair of the Environment, Parks & Agriculture committee. She said county parks usage is definitely up, though there are many parks and trails that have no way to record the number of visitors. However, at the same time, outdoor activities also seem to be on the rise, as permits for activities like archery are up close to 30%.
For many of these places that were relatively underutilized, the increased attention can be a boon. However, for other outdoor environments that already see heavy use, there have been issues. McAllister County Park in Belle Terre has had residents complaining as the number of cars looking to park in the small lot on Anchorage Road has far exceeded the space available for them. Other more widely used parks have experienced an increase in parking problems and litter.
But for those who champion local parks and the environment, seeing this move toward nature can only be a positive in the future.
“There’s no question, people have been looking for places to escape stress, places that are safe, distanced and outdoors,” Hahn said.
The town’s Chief Fire Marshal Chris Mehrman said small businesses need to think about the fire code with outdoor dining this fall. Photo from Brookhaven Town
As the temperature drops in the fall and into winter, fire departments on Long Island and elsewhere are trying to help restaurants and other businesses remain open outside while ensuring a safe environment for customers.
“The town has gone above and beyond and continues to try to accommodate those businesses to keep them open or get them open, to increase their occupancy load,” said Brookhaven Town Chief Fire Marshal Chris Mehrman. “We have to balance between safety and allowing businesses to operate.”
The fire marshals have been busy, as they try to educate business owners about the safest way to run heaters, as well as to prepare for the coming winter.
Some business owners who don’t typically have outdoor seating or who aren’t aware of the rules regarding heaters and tents have found the rules difficult, particularly amid the strains caused by the pandemic.
As examples, portable heaters are prohibited within five feet of any building and within five feet of any exit or exit discharges. They are also not allowed on any exterior balconies or within any tent, canopy or other membrane structure.
Some business owners “thought they could just do what they needed to do,” Mehrman said. “People don’t realize there are codes and standards that we need to enforce.”
Although there’s no cost, business owners need to understand the process.
“The town has gone to great lengths to make sure they get these COVID-19 accommodations for outdoor dining,” Mehrman said.
The fire department has been working with business owners to help them meet code and permit requirements.
Fire marshals are sometimes taking steps out of order. Merhman said they have arrived at sites and conducted inspections. Even though the business may not have permits, the fire marshals conduct inspections to see if a tent can remain where it is legally.
The marshals have told business owners to submit their application immediately and to obtain an engineer’s certification, so the marshals can legalize the installation.
The town department has streamlined the process. At the same time, fire marshals have focused on the next step in the march towards winter: snow.
While tents offer opportunities to expand restaurants and bars into outdoor space, they need to be able to handle the additional weight.
“We have to ensure that the tents are going to withstand the snow loads,” Mehrman said.
On a small number of occasions, fire marshals have had to order tents down, either because they were improperly installed or because they were not going to be able to meet the state code.
Putting tents up on decks against buildings is a violation of the state code. Businesses have to have a permit for an addition to a building.
Businesses have also improperly used heaters and were ordered to remove them.
“Thankfully, everybody is complying,” Mehrman said. In some cases, the fire marshals need to convince the managers or owners, but marshals are reluctant to issue court appearance tickets.
“We want to achieve compliance, but we want to do it in an appropriate manner,” Mehrman said.
The fire marshals have been checking and rechecking on sites, to ensure safety and compliance.
To accommodate and streamline the process for outdoor dining, the town has created a COVID-19 Dining Accommodation permitting process. The town is offering a one-stop location to submit paperwork for the accommodations, which includes putting up tents.
Residents who have questions about tents, heaters or fire codes can reach out to the marshals at (631) 451-6262 or by email at [email protected].
Mehrman said residents who read the documentation on the web site, fill out the application appropriately and submit it electronically could probably complete the process within a couple of days.
Legislator Rob Trotta, center, was joined by Republican lawmakers and a few environmentalists to decry proposition 2. Photo from Trotta's office
Several Suffolk County Legislators and a New York assemblyman urged residents to reject proposal 2, which County Executive Steve Bellone (D) put on the ballot to help close the financial gap caused by the pandemic.
If approved, the proposal, which was added to the ballot in July after a 14-3 vote in the county Legislature, would reduce the sewer stabilization fund by $180 million and move $15 million to the general fund. Bellone had proposed the moves to shore up the county’s finances after the economy stopped during the COVID-19-related shutdown.
“My hope is that Suffolk voters will ultimately see this proposal for what it is – a ploy to bail out Bellone’s mismanagement,” Legislator Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) said in a statement.
“Proposal two has to be defeated,” Lee Koppelman, former Executive Director of the Long Island Regional Planning Board and the past head of the SUNY Stony Brook Center for Regional Policy Studies, said in a statement. “It is wrong to take money from a dedicated fund to balance the budget.”
While several of the politicians who opposed the proposal were republicans, Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) also decried the measure.
“I already voted and I voted against Proposition Two,” Englebright said in a statement. “I am totally against taking money from this fund to cover county expenses and I encourage the residents of Suffolk County to vote no, too.”
The Long Island Pine Barrens Society also opposed the proposal, suggesting the area needed the funds were needed to replace polluting septic systems with nitrogen-removing technology as well as sewers.
The Suffolk County Drinking Water Protection Program was created in 1987 by a 0.25% sales tax to fund water quality initiatives, the preservation of open space and control taxes in sewer districts.
Bellone has indicated that the measures would prevent layoffs of county workers that might be necessary to balance the budget. He also said on several calls to get the measure on the ballot that the county would not spend any less money on existing environmental programs.
The county executive has also indicated that the sewer funds can either protect taxpayers against higher sewer tax rates or against higher taxes that might be necessary to prevent a reduction in services.
On the ballot this year is also Proposition 1, which will extend the term of legislators from two years to four years.
Parents from all over Long Island have the hard decision of what to do with their kids on Halloween, whether going out trick-or-treating or finding something else to do. Stock photo
By Angela Palumbo
Halloween is looking scarier than ever on Long Island this year. Parents, costume shop owners, and even seasonal event planners have had to come up with new ways of having a successful holiday, all while dealing with the consequences of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Halloween events have had to change their programs to follow Centers for Disease Control guidelines, which has been a challenge. Seasonal businesses, including local ones, that usually thrive around Halloween have seen a decrease in customers. Local Facebook groups such as “Mom’s Group – Long Island” and “Northport Moms” are filled with posts questioning whether or not it’s safe to send their children trick or treating this year.
With the number of people infected on the rise nationally, the CDC has released a list of low risk Halloween activities to do this year to decrease the spread of COVID-19. This list has been a guide for local families who, despite the dangers, wish to celebrate Halloween.
Ronald Diamond, in front of his store, Ronjos Magic Shop, in Port Jefferson Station. Photo from Diamond
Costume stores and festive events are depending on the continuation of this holiday to stay afloat, and parents are determined to bring their children a fun and safe time.
“We have been health conscious for 46 years,” Diamond said. “Right now, the status quo is that there are no try-ons. You cannot try on a costume here anymore. We’re putting a pause on that until we get the clearance and the world is safe, and then we can go back to maybe trying on, or we’ll just continue to keep that, at this point.”
With the changes Diamond has made to his store, which also doubles as a CBD wellness shop, he has not yet seen a change in business this year.
“Right now, it’s too premature to tell, because people wait until the last second to make their purchases,” Diamond said. “The consensus that I got is people are having a party, and they are taking their children trick or treating. Is there a percentage that may not have a party? Yes. How big that percentage is, I won’t know until Nov. 5.”
With the pandemic being a concern for many costume shoppers, Diamond recommends purchasing a cloth face mask that matches the costume people are wearing, to avoid contact with the public.
“This way, you are still wearing a mask and you’re protected, and you can go to the party safely,” he said.
Ronjos is not the only local costume business that has had to change the way they function this season.
Last year, Costume America in Farmingdale rented out around 30 to 40 costumes for Halloween, an important season for their bottom line. So far this year, they have seen 10 rentals.
Costume America in Farmingdale has seen a significant drop in sales due to the pandemic. Photo from Costume America’s Facebook
“It was an extremely busy year last year,” said Shelly Brennan, office manager at Costume America. “The Halloween business did very well”
Not only has Costume America seen a drop in business since last year’s Halloween season, they also had to make changes to the way their store runs in order to try to keep up with CDC guidelines.
“If it’s busy in the store, there’s a sign that says not to come in and please call us,” Brennan said. “When people try on the clothes, we have to air everything out and wash it all.”
Spooky Long Island Events
The Spooky Walk is an annual fundraiser located in Center Moriches and has been around for 31 years. The event runs for two weekends in October; Oct 16 and 17, and Oct 23 and 24. The Halloween event is attended by thousands of locals annually.
The Spooky Walk’s goal is to raise money for Camp Paquatuck, a day camp for children and adults with developmental disabilities. Each year, this event has brought in the most money of all the fundraisers Camp Paquatuck hosts. With the importance of this fundraiser in mind, the executive director of the camp, Alyssa Pecorino, and the camps board of directors, has made it their mission to ensure the Spooky Walks remains, while following CDC guidelines.
“The Spooky Walk was created by the Paquatuck Squaws, which is a group of women who do nothing but raise money for the camp, which is amazing,” Pecorino said. “I think they made $1,000 the first year they did it.”
Now, the Spooky Walk covers a majority of Camp Paquatuck’s operating cost, with last year bringing in $240,000.
This year, with the pandemic changing the way all events run, the Spooky Walk was no exception. Instead of patrons walking through the campgrounds and being approached by volunteers dressed in costumes, the Spooky Walk has transformed into the “Spooky Drive Through.”
“Obviously we can’t have everybody together in a large crowd going through the entire camp,” Pecorino said. “This year we had to come up with something that allowed people to still do it, but in a safe way, and the idea was to have everybody come through in a car. This is the safest possible way to do it.”
Camp Paquatuck in Center Moriches normally hosts a Spooky Walk fundraising drive for Halloween, but has had to change this year due to the pandemic. Photo by Angela Palumbo
Changing the way a 31-year-old event runs did come with its challenges. How successful it will be could be impacted by the necessities of keeping people distanced.
“Normally, we get thousands of people who come through and they pay individually,” Pecorino said. “This year is by carload. Last year it was 20 dollars a person, this year it’s 45 dollars a car, so obviously the amount we expect to generate is going to be less. I’m not sure how much is going to come in, but realistically speaking we’re hoping for half, at least.”
Even though the camp is aware they may not make as much on fundraising at this year’s Spooky Walk compared to years prior, there has been an obvious demand for tickets and participation in the community.
“The first weekend it got very crowded. The last weekend we sold less tickets to make sure people don’t wait in line for three hours to get in,” Pecorino said. “There’s so many people that were excited to get in and participate.”
Long Island Parents
Long Island parents have been trying to decide how they will celebrate Halloween with their children since the beginning of October. Even though there may be disagreements on whether or not it is safe to go trick or treating this year, they all agree that they want their children to have an enjoyable, safe holiday.
Dee Santiago, a single mother to her almost three-year-old son Logan from Patchogue, will not be taking her son trick or treating this year.
“We will be doing an at home scavenger hunt and pumpkin carving,” Santiago said. “I feel like if he was older, maybe I’d try to figure a way out to allow him to go trick or treating, but since he is so much younger, I feel like he doesn’t get too much out of it anyway.”
Santiago stresses the importance of keeping her son safe during the pandemic, but also creating a state of normalcy around her home.
“We respect all around us. We wear masks. And if people choose not to participate, I’m ok with that and my son understands.”
— Dawn Miller-Silke
“During a pandemic I don’t want to put him in a bad situation, but I’m trying to make things as normal as possible,” Santiago said. “It’s hard. Not much is available for Holidays.”
Santiago is not the only mother keeping her child home this year. Nicole Oluwatoyin Lucas, from Baldwin, has a 13-month-old son who she will not take trick or treating on Halloween.
“My whole house had the virus when it first came out and I kept my son and myself healthy this whole time,” Lucas said. “I hope everyone who does it [trick or treat] is careful and safe.”
However, there are Long Island mothers who plan on taking their children out trick or treating this year. Both Dawn Miller-Silke of Kings Park and Jessica Joy Landsman of Lindenhurst want their children to experience as normal a Halloween as possible.
“This isn’t going away anytime soon,” Miller-Silke said. “So, we have a choice. Live, or don’t. We respect all around us. We wear masks. And if people choose not to participate, I’m ok with that and my son understands.”
Landsman will be taking her son Brayden out, but is keeping limitations on the Halloween experience.
“He really wants to go trick or treating, so I’m going to take him just to a few houses,” she said “Then, we will go home and give out candy. I still want him to experience Halloween and have fun dressing up. I’m going to try to make him wear a mask. My husband and I will be wearing a mask. As for giving out candy, I was thinking of giving them in little baggies or making a small little ghost hunt for the kids. But then again, we don’t know if kids will be trick or treating.”
COVID-19 has put an obvious damper on the Halloween spirit, but the community on Long Island isn’t letting that bring them down. Whether its events, costumes, or trick or treating, the celebration will continue, safely.
Angela Palumbo is a Long Island native and recent college graduate from SUNY Cortland with a degree in communications and journalism with a minor in professional writing. Angela is currently studying remotely at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism for her masters in journalism with a concentration in business and economic reporting.
TBR News Media published its endorsements in the Oct. 29 editions of our papers, which run from Wading River in the Town of Brookhaven to Cold Spring Harbor in Huntington along the North Shore. As always, these are only our opinions, and we urge you to learn about the candidates and make your own decisions as to whom you will give your vote. We merely share our impressions with you, feeling it our duty since we have personally interviewed them.
Knowing what’s at stake in this year’s election, TBR News Media endorses Nancy Goroff (D) for the NY1 House seat.
Goroff has a strong understanding of the issues, especially regarding climate change and the ongoing pandemic. In this time, it’s especially important to have experts not just in advisory roles but in the driver’s seat. We only need to look at places like New Zealand or Germany, both with leaders who have science backgrounds, who have handled the pandemic far better than the U.S. has just in terms of the numbers of new or past infected, and how their economies have also already reopened.
We appreciate Goroff’s answers especially regarding health care and think her concept for Medicare could be a good middle ground amongst all the partisanship surrounding the issue. Also knowing just how cutthroat working as an official in a place like Stony Brook University can be, we feel she has cultivated good interpersonal and administrative skills that will be useful in Washington.
The two instruments of U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin’s public life strike a discordant note. At home, he comes off as a soft-spoken team player willing to work together with both Democrats and Republicans in local office. On the national stage, he has supported the president without question, and has only helped broaden the political divide and partisanship overall through his misleading conversations, both on Fox television network and in his Twitter page.
One can support a candidate while not kowtowing to their every whim, but Zeldin has volunteered to defend President Donald Trump (R) during the impeachment. He attended a Trump rally back in June, with a pandemic raging across the country, without wearing a mask. He went in front of the Republican National Convention to proclaim how great the president’s handling of the pandemic has been, despite experts’ assertions that if the president had acted earlier, hundreds of thousands of lives could have been saved. Zeldin claims he disagrees with the president on such things as the tax bill, on several cabinet nominations and offshore drilling, but when do those disagreements turn into action?
These two sides to Zeldin do sometimes combine, such as when he attended a rally in Port Jefferson where he lambasted the mayor for a controversy over a pro-Trump sign. Why he didn’t first try to communicate with a local government in his home district to get the issue resolved attests to the purpose of such an appearance: To drum up even more division in an already divided time.
While we appreciate Zeldin’s work bringing masks and other PPE to us at home during the height of the pandemic, doing the expected is no longer enough. We need someone to actively work to bring back the state and local tax deductions instead of putting forward bills that never get any traction. We need someone in Congress who does not split their attention between acting on behalf of the president and doing good by their constituents.
As we hope to come out of this pandemic, we will need a scientist’s expertise to help us get out of the social and economic hole we lay in. We hope whoever takes up the seat can help move both the country and New York’s 1st Congressional District forward.
State Senate
Laura Ahearn. Photo from campaign
Ahearn to Keep 1st District First
Knowing we are losing such a strong voice for SD1 in Ken LaValle (R-Port Jefferson) we believe we need a strong and independent voice in the Senate. We believe Laura Ahearn (D) is the right person to do that.
We appreciate her work locally and know she has built connections with both local and state officials that will be critical in the coming months. We like her answers to questions about getting more funding to deal with our aging septic systems and agree with her that bail reform needs to be reformed, not repealed.
Palumbo is a strong candidate, having worked in public office for years alongside both parties, though there can be no question that being in the controlling party has real benefit. As evidenced by both LaValle’s and John Flanagan’s departure from the state Senate, lacking that control, even with their seniority, can be a real drag. Palumbo has helped in acquiring land in Shoreham for protection, but he does not have as firm a grasp of happenings in our local area as he does on the North Fork.
We believe Ahearn is the right pick to keep 1st District first.
Mario Mattera, left, and Mike Siderakis, right, are both political newcomers running for State Senate District 2. Photos from campaigns
2nd Senate District Too Close to Call
We feel the race for the state Senate in the 2nd District, between Republican Mario Mattera and Democrat Michael Siderakis, is going to be a close one. Based on our virtual debate, we are not endorsing a candidate in this race.
We feel both candidates have their fingers on the pulse of the area, recognizing the importance of providing local students with the same excellent education they have received in the past and keeping residents on Long Island.
Most importantly, during the pandemic, both understand the importance of strictly following public health guidelines while also assisting businesses to fully operate once again.
Siderakis’ background as a state trooper and representative for the troopers’ PBA would be an asset during the current conflicting views regarding law enforcement, while Mattera’s work with the Town of Smithtown on its advisory board is a plus regarding bringing new businesses to an area while not overwhelming its infrastructure.
Either will be a freshman senator if they win, and we urge them to partner with their colleagues to learn the intricacies of the office. Republican former Sen. John Flanagan held the seat for 18 years, and either candidate will have big shoes to fill.
Gaughran Has District in Mind
In the race for state senator in the 5th District, TBR News Media endorses incumbent Jim Gaughran (D). His record during his first term has been impressive, and we would like to see him continue his work. He will have more seniority which is needed in the district to get more accomplished.
Even as a freshman senator, after the bail reform act was passed, he and other legislators worked to amend it. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has also endorsed Gaughran.
We encourage challenger Ed Smyth to continue pursuing public office beyond the Town of Huntington. He has good ideas, and as a self-proclaimed “debt hawk,” he can lend an important, practical voice to any budget talks.
Knowing the complicated and challenging time ahead for New York State as we move through the ongoing pandemic, TBR News Media endorses Steve Stern (D) for Assembly District 10.
State Assembly
Jodi Giglio. Photo from campaign
Giglio the Best Choice for AD2
We feel that filling Assemblyman Anthony Palumbo’s seat for the 2nd District is going to be tough and both Laura Jens-Smith and Jodi Giglio (R) are great candidates. And while they both made good arguments, we have decided to go with Giglio for Assembly District 2.
Jens-Smith’s experience as Riverhead Town supervisor is impressive and we appreciate the efforts she made during her time there, but we think that Giglio will bring a different perspective and continue the work she has done for the town as a councilwoman. A woman with tough skin and many different skills, we think that she will continue to bring more work and people to the East End, while balancing her other roles as well.
For our areas of Wading River through Mount Sinai, we ask that whoever wins this election gives extra attention to our communities not out on the North Fork. As our communities deal with issues ranging from nitrogen pollution to development concerns, we would like to see somebody listening to the problems of folks a little farther west.
Steve Englebright
Keep Englebright in the Assembly
We feel that, although Michael Ross is knowledgeable in what he stands for and his excitement is honorable, we believe Steve Englebright (D) should continue to lead Assembly District 4 as he has for over two decades. Based on talking to both candidates, we will be endorsing Englebright for
this campaign.
Ross is young and enthusiastic, with life experience that could definitely bring a pair of fresh eyes to the area. However, Englebright has brought many policies that have benefited Long Island’s environment and he continues to strive to do better.
As we head into a future that will likely involve more severe weather events, and as Long Island’s water ecology remains in jeopardy from nitrogen pollution, it’s imperative that we have scientists at the decision-making table. Englebright has a long history of supporting environmental causes, from the Pine Barrens to the Shoreham woods to Stony Brook Harbor. As we lose environmental stalwarts in the state Senate like Ken LaValle (R-Port Jefferson), voices like Englebright’s will be in even greater need.
Mike Fitzpatrick. Photo by Kyle Barr
Fitzpatrick a Strong Choice for AD8
In the race for Assembly District 8, TBR News Media is looking for somebody with a history of bipartisan activity and deep knowledge of Smithtown’s issues, and that somebody is Republican Mike Fitzpatrick.
He has a good depth of knowledge of issues such as Gyrodyne, and seems to be working toward some kind of compromise that could make both environmentalists and proponents of downtown revitalization happy. The Kings Park state park issue is something Fitzpatrick has a deep knowledge on, in particular, and we hope he may be able to move forward with some kind of funding source to finally remediate that property.
Rice has a good head on his shoulders and his enthusiasm and comprehension of the issues makes him a strong future candidate for public office once he gets a few years’ experience under his belt. We hope he continues in public service in some way, shape or form.
Steve Stern. Photo from Stern’s office
Stern a Man of Common Sense
Stern has the right approach when dealing with COVID-19, and his common sense mindset regarding bail reform is something to be appreciated amongst the constant calls for complete repeal.
The assemblyman’s talk about money for sewer infrastructure is also sorely needed, and we hope he can work with other members of the Long Island delegation in order to bring those funds home to Suffolk County. This is not something local municipalities can do on their own.
Silvestri has some straight answers but does not bring much new to the table. We hope with some years under her belt and some experience in local government she can come back later with a fresh new take on such a diverse area as the 10th assembly district.
Michael Marcantonio. Photo by Kyle Barr
Marcantonio Our Choice to Succeed Raia
In the 12th District race for the New York State Assembly, TBR News Media endorses Democrat Michael Marcantonio, but we do so with a bit of caution. We would agree with his Republican opponent Keith Brown that the Democrat can come across as aggressive at times, and we hope he can manage that trait a bit to ensure that he can work with those on both sides of the political aisle.
However, that passion shouldn’t be reeled in too much as it shows determination to get things done and bring new ideas to the floor. He mentioned many times that if elected he will be part of the Assembly’s majority. This would be a boon to a district that needs original ideas to help it over the hump the LIPA decision will have on the community’s tax base.
We hope that Brown will continue pursuing local office in the future as we feel he has a good grip on what local businesses need to survive.
From left, Riverhead Town Councilwoman Jodi Giglio (R), and former Riverhead Town Supervisor Laura Jens-Smith (D).
Photos from campaigns
Former Riverhead Town Supervisor Laura Jens-Smith, a Democrat, will be going against Riverhead Town Councilwoman Jodi Giglio (R) for the 2nd Assembly District. Currently held by incumbent Assemblyman Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk), he is leaving his seat to run for New York State Senate against Laura Ahearn (D).
Both Jens-Smith and Giglio have been active in the East End communities for years, with long-standing political careers.
Elected the first woman supervisor in Riverhead Town’s 225-year history, Jens-Smith, 57, defeated longtime Republican-Conservative incumbent Sean Walter in 2017. During her tenure there, she said she helped revitalize downtown Riverhead and served one two-year term before losing to Yvette Aguiar (R) in November. But before that role, she served as a member and president of the Mattituck-Cutchogue school district board of education and had a long career as a nurse. She is the mom of two children.
Giglio, 52, has served as Riverhead Town councilwoman since 2010. A small business owner, she owns Bennett Enterprises LLC., a construction management and land-use business based out of Riverhead and has been a member of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 138 since 2015. She co-founded Riverhead Business Alliance and is a mother of three.
TBR News Media spoke to both candidates by phone to discuss COVID-19, the environment, agriculture, the brain drain and bail reform.
Environment
Jens-Smith noted that to address water quality and septic systems, a lot of things can be done, but they are attached to a dollar amount.
“Having been a supervisor of a town, a lot of this, addressing this issue, is done at a small municipal level where it becomes cost prohibitive,” she said. “So, we really need to invest the money at the state level, to deal with this on Long Island as a whole.”
She said the county needs to prioritize remodeling septic systems close to the water and that more research should be put into it. In order to upgrade a unit to a new, better system, it needs to become more cost effective for the general public.
“We have to make it affordable, especially in moderate and low-income areas,” she said.
As a Riverhead councilwoman, Giglio has put several initiatives into effect. She has worked with Suffolk County Department of Health Services, the town Conservation Advisory Council and the town board to adopt requiring sanitary systems to be upgraded.
“I think that getting sanitary systems out of groundwater and getting sewer systems or cluster sewer systems is very important,” she said. “I believe in starting small and making sure that it works and then going big. That’s why I started in the watershed areas and spoke at the Suffolk County legislative meeting, saying that they should focus on the watershed areas first and those systems that are actually sitting in groundwater.”
Agriculture
Jens-Smith has been working hard with the Long Island Farm Bureau to continue growing different crops that help the economy of the East End. “I think that we need to work together to find solutions to be able to keep the family farm here,” she said. “It’s a huge industry, and I think sometimes people overlook how big the farming industry is in the state of New York and on Long Island.”
She said that preserving farmland is instrumental, and she wants to come up with more ways to keep preserving it. “Once it’s gone, we know it’s gone,” she added.
Giglio agreed, saying that preserving farmland out east is a priority for her. So far, she said she has preserved over 2,000 acres of farmland and worked closely with farmers who are hurting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brain Drain
Both candidates agree that Long Island is losing too many people because they cannot afford to stay here.
“We cannot continue to tax our middle class off of Long Island,” Jens-Smith said. “We need to take a hard look at every single line item to make sure that we’re not becoming a community where we have the very wealthy; people that are not in the middle class, that they’re living under the poverty level, or they’re very low income — and we’re squeezing out the middle class on Long Island.”She said Long Island is not what it used to be: affordable with a strong middle class and with good paying wages. The former supervisor said that when the middle class has money, they spend it on local businesses and give back to the economy.
“We’ve lost that here on Long Island, and we need to get back to that,” she said. “We need to make sure that when we pass the laws, and we pass legislation, that we’re keeping the middle class and the working class in mind, so that we can continue to sustain ourselves here.”
She added that there should be multiple levels of affordable housing, especially for educated young people that will change as salaries increase.
“I also think we need to be able to work with some of the companies that are here on the Island — some of the major employers — and encourage them to provide housing, also for their workers when they start out,” she said. “We have talent here. Our kids are talented here. They’ve all had a great education provided via public schools. We have good community colleges here. We have good state universities here, and we need to be able to take all of that and harness all of that, and then attract the businesses to come and want to develop here.”
Giglio agreed. “We spend a fortune on Long Island, educating our kids only to see them leave the Island because it’s too expensive to live here,” she said.
Since the councilwoman came into office, she has been pushing to convert the former Grumman facility in Calverton into an industrial park that will bring high-tech jobs and “create the Silicon Valley of the West Coast here on the East Coast.”
“I think now’s the time to do it,” she said. “With technology changing every day, it’s getting great companies to keep our youth here and to create high paying jobs. I see Grumman as the nest for it.” She added that creating affordable housing around the site in the downtown areas with better busing situations would help.
Bail Reform
Jens-Smith believes that bail reform should have some judge discretion in it. “I obviously think that it’s unfair and unconstitutional that somebody with a minor crime sits in jail because they can’t pay bail,” she said. “But I think that if there is evidence that there is a harm to the community by somebody being not detained until their court date, I think there needs to be some judge discretion with that.”
Giglio also agreed, saying it was bad that discretion was taken away from the judges. “Especially in a small court system like Riverhead has, where our judges know who the repeat [offenders] are,” she said. Giglio believes that nonviolent offenders should not have to sit in jail because they cannot afford bail, but she recognizes the stress it puts on local officers who see people walk out “an hour later.”
“They’re there for hours after doing paperwork, missing their kids’ birthday parties and their anniversary dinners,” she said. “And the same crime is getting repeated over and over again.”
Giglio said she has been working to convert the old armory into a YMCA to help keep kids out of trouble.
“I think we need to create more facilities for our youth, and I think YMCAs are great,” she said. “I think we need to create more teen centers, and more availability and access isn’t going to be hard with the 20% cut in funding for the school districts.”
COVID-19
Jens-Smith thinks that as the pandemic continues throughout the remainder of the year and into next, communication with the state Legislature is important, especially communication with local legislatures that understand what Long Island is going through.
“I think we’re all facing different challenges based on our populations and the amount of people living in an area,” she said. “I think that that input needs to be taken into account, and I think they need to speak up and make sure that that they are being heard a little bit louder than what’s going on right now.”
Giglio had several first-hand accounts with the virus and worked throughout the pandemic to donate resources to hospitals when masks were unavailable. She is continuing to fight for businesses that are suffering post-pandemic, like the catering and restaurant industries on the Island. On Oct. 15, she held a rally outside the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge asking Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) to lift restrictions on catering hall capacity.
“I had that press conference because those people’s lives are really on hold,” she said.
Angela Palumbo is a Long Island native and recent college graduate from SUNY Cortland with a degree in communications and journalism with a minor in professional writing. Angela is currently studying remotely at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism for her masters in journalism with a concentration in business and economic reporting. 
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