From left, Rocky Point High School’s Samantha Leversen, Tessa Cunningham and Brenna Kiernan.
Photo from the Rocky Point School District
Rocky Point High School was well represented at the annual Teeny Awards and brought home two first-place honors from the July 11 event.
The ceremony was held at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center and sponsored by the East End Arts Council.
Brenna Kiernan won in the category of Outstanding Performer in a Play, Musical/Mini-Musical or Musical Revue in the high school’s Musical Revue: A Broadway Revue. Tessa Cunningham, Brenna Kiernan and Samantha Leversen received first-place honors for Best Duet/Trio Performance in a Musical Revue for “Webber Love Trio” in the same stage performance.
In addition to Tessa, Brenna and Samantha, the Rocky Point School District congratulated nominees Grace Benedetto, Chris Carley, Jillian Carley, Adam Olszewski, Renee Ortiz and Jacey Ruisi.
The students who worked along with Mary Donovan and Jaimie Mancini, were lauded at the ceremony for the obstacles they overcame to still creatively perform during the pandemic.
“The Teeny Awards were such an exciting event,” Mancini said. “It was a wonderful way to honor our students for all of their tremendous talent and efforts throughout this year.”
Road conditions are a regular topic of conversation on Long Island. Many of us have experienced flat tires after hitting a pothole on local roads, but while we demand road repairs and have the right to them as taxpayers, sometimes we’re not as patient as we should be with the department of transportation workers who repair our roadways.
As soon as the warm weather arrives, crews begin to pepper the streets filling potholes and paving roads. While busy schedules have many rushing all over the Island at times, when a driver begins to see orange cones and, more importantly, a person holding a sign that says “slow” or “stop,” it’s imperative to follow directions.
According to the New York State website, in 2018 “there were 701 crashes in work zones on state roads and bridges, resulting in 13 motorist fatalities and 329 injuries to motorists, contractor employees and NYSDOT staff” in the state. The fatalities and injuries could have been avoided with some extra care while driving around road work zones.
A flagger’s directions by law hold the same authority as a sign. Imagine what many of the flaggers have to go through every day. For some standing on the edge of the work zone to slow down or stop traffic, not only puts their lives at risk but it also puts them in a situation where they can be harassed by drivers when all they are doing is their job to keep drivers and workers safe while navigating a disrupted roadway.
It’s pretty simple. When you see a work zone approaching, slow down and merge into the correct lane when it is safe to do so, and do not speed at the end of the closed lane to try to get into the other lane.
Speeding through a work zone also can mean a lighter wallet for a driver. New York State fines are doubled for speeding in these zones. A driver’s license can be suspended if a motorist receives repeat convictions of speeding violations in work zones.
With only a couple of months left until summer’s end, we’ll still see many workers on the road. Take care to slow down and keep more than the usual distance between you and the car in front of you to show respect for those who are putting their lives in our hands to keep our roads smooth.
For road maintenance workers, their livelihood should not mean risking their lives, because someone couldn’t be inconvenienced for a few minutes.
She hasn’t scored a point or dished out an assist in a college basketball game since 2009. That hasn’t stopped Ashley Langford, Stony Brook University’s first-year women’s basketball coach, from mixing it up with the players.
A point guard who graduated from Tulane University and who holds the school record for the most assists, scored over 1,000 points, and, despite being five feet, five inches tall, brought down 403 rebounds for 25th in school history, Langford plans to tap into her playing experience at Stony Brook.
“I’m a hands-on head coach,” said Langford, who most recently was associate head coach at James Madison University in Virginia. “I’m a demonstrator.”
Langford, who took over for Caroline McCombs this year when the former coach joined George Washington University, believes she can help a team that won back-to-back America East Championships by stepping onto the floor during practices and drills.
When she’s guarding them, she wants to “see them do a move,” she said. “At a certain point, they get too good” for her skills, which is when she pats herself on the back, especially after she sees her players exuding increased confidence.
Langford is pleased with the start of her time at Stony Brook, where she has felt welcomed and supported by Athletic Director Shawn Heilbron and President Maurie McInnis.
“This is a big reason why I chose to come here,” Langford said. “The administration is great and the president has been awesome.”
Langford appreciates how Heilbron knows the names of so many student-athletes, which is consistent with her approach to coaching.
Langford believes her players and the coach should have similar expectations.
“I need to be connected to my players, and I want them to be connected to me,” Langford said. “I want players to come into my office and talk. I want that relationship.”
Langford has been working within the limitations of National Collegiate Athletic Association rules during the summer. She hopes to use this time to build a rapport with her team and help them learn her terminology and the drills she runs.
“I want to give them a preview” about her and the program, Langford said.
In making the transition from playing to coaching, Langford said she has tried to improve and grow. She believes she and her team should constantly strive to improve.
Coaching is “less about basketball and more about how you connect with your players,” Langford said.
To be sure, that connection doesn’t mean she coddles the team. She strives to be honest without sugarcoating the message.
“When they’re doing well, I’m going to tell them,” she said. “When we need to be better, I’m going to tell them that, too.”
Langford explained that basketball has changed considerably since her playing days, as players have more resources available to them. She sang the praises of Elizabeth Zanolli, assistant athletic director for Sports Medicine, who supports the basketball and other teams.
Players also have nutritionists, dietitians, and strength and conditioning support, which improve the overall health and endurance of the athletes.
On the court, the men’s and women’s games have increasingly emphasized the value of the three-point shot, which means that most of the points in a game come from in the paint close to the basket or outside the three-point line, where long-range shooters can rack up points quickly.
Langford doesn’t see much of a difference between the men’s and women’s games.
“I want players to pass, dribble and shoot,” she said. “It’s that simple.”
Help. I have a strange problem and to this point can’t find the solution. The man who nicely takes care of our pool said that he removed 600 dead frogs last week. That’s more than the previous week, which yielded more than the week before. The problem is worsening as I write. My neighbor’s pool, according to his estimation, had 2,000 dead frogs, and so on at other houses in the area. I suppose there is some comfort in knowing that others are having the same intrusion, but actually not much. Even as I respect and enjoy nature, I would like to have the pool water for my family and not share it with dead amphibians.
The pool guy suggested I call an exterminator, which I did. I happen to know a competent one, who confessed to me after hearing my story that in his 35 years of being in business, he had never heard of such a predicament. “Call a pool guy,” he suggested. So we are right back to square one. He did kindly offer to call an expert entomologist he knew. I was grateful for the suggestion but I haven’t heard anything back from him as of this writing.
I tried to think of someone else who might have dealt with this situation before and finally came up with the answer man (and woman) for any questions concerning our house: the good folks at the local hardware store. Ben at Ace Hardware tried hard to think of a method for dealing with hundreds of frogs and after much thought, gave me a mesh screen to tie to the side of the pool and hang into the water. The theory goes like this. The frogs are dying because they can’t get out. Maybe they hatched in the pool, maybe they just jumped in because it has been so hot. Either way, the smooth sides don’t permit them to escape. So if we give them a way to exit, they will leave. At least, that’s the hope. We’ll try that. I like it because it’s nontoxic.
My son and daughter-in-law looked for a clue to this unprecedented dilemma on Google. They came up with a couple of answers that we will also try. One is to spray the bricks around the pool with white vinegar. Apparently, frogs don’t like vinegar on their feet. Or maybe they don’t like the smell. In any event, we have a gallon of white vinegar and a spray bottle, and we’re going to give it a go. Google also suggested giving the frogs a way out. It even suggested a froggy ladder, which they happened to sell, and we then dutifully bought. Worth a try.
Other suggestions, with our responses:
Turn off the pool lights. Lights attract insects, which in turn attract frogs, who eat the insects.
We don’t use pool lights. We like the insect-eating part though.
Cover the pool.
We want to use it.
Install fence.
We have a fence with posts widely enough spaced for a squadron of frogs to march through. We could, however, put wooden boards or chicken wire at the base to keep them from hopping in.
Keep lawn mowed and free of weeds and debris.
Already do that. Neighbors will bear witness.
Make own DIY frog repellent.
If vinegar doesn’t work, will try a heavy concentration of saltwater. Or a mixture of bleach and water. Maybe all three.
Sprinkle coffee grounds around the pool. Acid in the coffee can also irritate their feet.
Yuk.
Keep pool water circulating. Frogs don’t like to lay eggs in moving water.
We could do that by keeping the filter going all day and night. It’s an expensive solution, however, because it would require a lot of electricity.
Keep the pool heated.
Ditto.
Keep pool sparkling clean.
We try.
When I was a kid, I dreamt of having a swimming pool. The frogs were not in my dream. It could be worse though. Australia is presently undergoing a plague of mice.
Patrick and Phil O’Brien, owners of local brand Anchor East, hosted their second beach cleanup at West Meadow Beach on Sunday.
Photo by Sabrina Artusa
By Sabrina Artusa
Photo by Sabrina Artusa
Phil and Patrick O’Brien, owners of the Port Jefferson Station-based clothing brand Anchor East Apparel, hosted their second beach cleanup at West Meadow Beach on July 18.
The brothers grew up on the water and are heavily involved in the boating community. As a result, they decided to actualize their appreciation for Long Island and the water through their brand.
When they developed the line during the initial COVID-19 lockdown, they knew they wanted to use their brand to promote beach cleanups. Only a couple months after launching their business, they successfully held their second beach cleanup on Sunday.
Phil O’Brien said the idea struck them after his daughter cut her foot on a piece of glass on the beach. They realized that in order to ensure the safety of civilians, the beaches need to be cleaner. Although the beaches might look acceptable, the sand is actually covered in “little things” like discarded ketchup packets and broken beer bottles. “You’d be amazed at how much you find,” he said.
After only four hours, they accumulated a sizable pile of garbage, but not all of it was destined for the trash. The brothers dispatch recyclable material to be remade into bracelets, which they sell for $2 each. They donate 100% of the money made from bracelet sales to the Ocean Conservancy.
Photo by Sabrina Artusa
The O’Briens hope to make the cleanups a regular event, their goal being to hold three every summer. Ultimately, the brothers “plan to keep growing” and host beach cleanups all over Long Island, starting at the East End and making their way west.
Phil O’Brien said he hopes these cleanups will encourage people to more closely observe how they are impacting the beaches.
“We shouldn’t have to have companies promote this,” he said. “People need to be more aware.”
The O’Briens have yet to establish a date for the next cleanup, but are likely going to have another one toward the end of the summer season.
Sandra Swenk today at her home in Port Jefferson. Photo by Julianne Mosher
This month marks 50 years since Sandra Swenk was sworn in as the Village of Port Jefferson’s first woman mayor.
In July of 1971, the 34-year-old mother of two took office as the village’s third mayor. Now, five decades later, she has paved the way for other lady leaders — not only here where she calls home, but throughout Long Island.
A lifelong resident, she was born at Mather Hospital in 1937 and grew up inside The Mather House Museum during the ’40s, as her family were caretakers.
Photo from the Kenneth C. Brady Digital Archive
“I had some good years there,” she said. “There were some things that are not there anymore, like a summer house, a beautiful old summer house that just kind of deteriorated years ago, but most of the property is fairly original today.”
After living there as a child, her family moved to various different homes surrounding Main Street — eventually settling with her husband John in a stunning historical home on Prospect Street in 1960.
“Port Jefferson is a great place to raise a child,” she said. “Because they can walk to school, and then we had downtown, and it wasn’t as busy as it is now.”
Swenk decided to become involved with Port Jeff’s politics early on, sitting on the board with her late husband to incorporate the village in 1963.
“We wanted to see the village incorporate and control its own destiny, so to speak,” she said.
Always interested in keeping the quaint village beautiful, Swenk wanted to see street trees, plants planted and window boxes in the local storefronts. She and a group of volunteers helped make that possible.
In 1971, Swenk decided to take the leap and run against the men of the village. In what she said was a low-key campaign, she said that she had a lot of support back then. Along with her son and daughter, she hand-delivered pamphlets around the village.
“I was proud of her,” said her daughter Brenda. “She did a lot. There was a lot of family involvement. There were a lot of things that we all did together.”
Swenk ended up winning, serving three terms until she was beaten by Harold Sheprow in 1977.
“I was always interested in revitalization,” she said.
According to Swenk, she wanted to keep the small-town atmosphere and have a recreational harbor. With the village known to be more industrial back then, she hoped to get rid of the gravel trucks and oil tanks that stayed near the water and the ferry.
“I also wanted to have what’s called adaptive use, using the older buildings for present uses,” she said. “I was big on historic preservation, and still am a historical society member.”
Swenk said she used Cold Spring Harbor’s streets as a model.
Above: Sandra Swenk on July 5, 1971 on the steps of Village Hall. Her daughter, Brenda, cheers her mother on in the lower right. Photo from the Kenneth C. Brady Digital Archive
Another accomplishment she had during her tenure was working hand in hand with former state Sen. Leon Giuffreda (R) on a big safety issue that was happening around the village with its gravel trucks.
She said trucks didn’t have covers and often times gravel would spill into the busy streets.
“It was always a battle to get it cleaned up,” she said. “But today, if you see any kind of a truck, could be just a little truck or big truck or a gravel truck, they have to have covers — and now they do.”
Swenk said that from day one since she was elected, village board meetings were always busy.
“There were more people who went to the public meetings, probably because I was a woman and they wanted to see how I was going to run them,” she said. “People just didn’t know whether a woman could handle a job like that.”
But she got the support she needed to win.
“I think people realized I was genuinely concerned about the village. And its growth, and its business and its appearance,” she said. “That was very important to me and it still is.”
At first, she was the only woman in Village Hall, but during her second term, a woman trustee came in and gradually it grew from there. Since her run, Jeanne Garant served as mayor from 1999 to 2005, and her daughter Margot has just been elected to her seventh term.
Now, a half-century later, she still lives right off East Main Street and is still heavily involved with what’s going on around town. A member of the historical society, the First United Methodist Church and volunteer at The Mather House Museum, she keeps busy, but still reminisces about what life was like Down Port so many years ago.
“There’s no question that it’s changed,” she said. “When I was growing up here, we had all the necessary services in the village — we had a laundromat which we don’t have anymore, but for years had a hardware store, a dress shop, a drugstore. So, some of those needs have been lost along the way.”
Swenk wishes there was a grocery store for village residents to shop at. “I would love to have a grocery back here,” she said. “We’re really lacking that.”
She said she has been unhappy to see the development over the last decade, building upward with the continuous lack of parking — something that was an issue even during her tenure.
Coffee and snacks are available, and snacks have been individually wrapped during the pandemic. Photo from Stony Brook Medicine
The Ronald McDonald Family Room — a part of Stony Brook Children’s Hospital — has served as a sanctuary for parents and family members who have a child that is in prolonged care of the facility.
Officially opening in 2013, the purpose of the family room is to provide a respite space for parents to spend their downtime while their child is being treated in the hospital, whether that be long or short term.
However, since the pandemic began, the lounge promptly shut down and is currently awaiting the green light from the hospital to reopen.
“It is sad because it shut down a great resource room,” said Tricia Telemaque, host and board member of the family room. “When we open really depends on the day-to-day and what happens with COVID. However, we are on alert and ready to go back full force.”
Coffee and snacks are available, and snacks have been individually wrapped during the pandemic. Photo from Stony Brook Medicine
The lounge emulates an apartment-style environment with countless amenities for family members such as a fully stocked kitchen, private showers and laundry machines.
Pre-pandemic, volunteers would solicit the community to have restaurants, pizza places and bigger chains such as Chick-fil-A and McDonald’s deliver food that the volunteers would serve to the families of the sick children. The lounge offered breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Providing emotional support for families is another key aspect of the volunteer work. Having a person to talk to could serve as a stress reliever for the unfortunate circumstances going on in a parent’s life.
“I remember one day I was sitting in the room and this one woman was folding her laundry and she asked, ‘Could I just sit and talk to you because talking to someone while folding laundry feels normal’ so it really is more of a solace room,” Telemaque said.
According to her, the children admitted in the hospital also have siblings who come to the lounge and are often forgotten about. The volunteers make sure there are plenty of books and toys to play with, not only for the child admitted but for their siblings too.
“The intent is to not have any white coats [doctors] in the lounge,” Telemaque said. “So, it’s not a place where doctors and nurses can come in.”
One of the biggest goals for Ronald McDonald House Charities is to bring awareness to Long Islanders about what the lounge is and its purpose for the families that use it.
Since the pandemic began, the organization has continued to work hard for families who were suffering through the COVID period. However, donations of food have become more complicated due to the need to have items individually wrapped such as chips and granola bars.
The family room relies fully on donations from the surrounding community and businesses, as it serves approximately 3,600 families a year, so fundraising is essential for their need to remain active.
“When I started working in the room, I was amazed at how few of my friends knew that there was a Ronald McDonald [room] here in Stony Brook,” Telemaque said. “So simple awareness that there is such a need for something like this is very important and I think that is an underserved opportunity.”
The Ronald McDonald Family Room at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital has an area where families can sit and talk. Photo from Stony Brook Medicine
Among many parents who have used the family room, Karen Maher said using the room has been a huge stress reliever on both her and her daughter, who is undergoing cancer treatment.
“I look at the Ronald McDonald House as a blessing,” Maher said. “They really helped my daughter’s treatment go much easier for me and her. They’d bring little gifts for her too, something as simple as a teddy or a blankie.”
With the help of the lounge and their conveniences, Maher was finally able to get the rest and relaxation she needed.
For more information on how to donate to the Ronald McDonald Family Room in Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, visit www.rmhcnym.org or call 516-775-5683.
District Attorney Tim Sini (D). File photo by Victoria Espinoza
Suffolk County District Attorney Tim Sini (D) today announced the indictment of an alleged gang member for Attempted Murder for shooting two victims in Port Jefferson Village.
“This was a senseless act of gun violence committed by a dangerous individual,” Sini said. “Both victims have been left with severe lasting impacts as a result of the shooting. My Office will continue to hold gang members and perpetrators of gun violence accountable.”
Ethan Ladd, 20, is charged with two counts of Attempted Murder, a class B violent felony; two counts of Assault in the First Degree, a class B violent felony; Criminal Use of a Firearm in the First Degree, a class B violent felony; and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a class C violent felony.
Ladd has been identified by law enforcement as a member of the Just Chasing Money (“JCM”) gang.
At approximately 2 a.m. on June 19, Ladd entered a restaurant near 109 Main Street in Port Jefferson where he encountered a 23-year-old man and a 20-year old man and allegedly became engaged in an argument with one of the men. Ladd, the two men and several other individuals moved to a nearby parking lot where a physical altercation ensued with one of the men.
Ladd allegedly retrieved a .380 caliber handgun from his vehicle and shot one of the men in the abdomen. He then allegedly shot the other man twice in the leg and once in the arm at close range before fleeing the scene in his vehicle.
Both victims were transported to a local hospital with serious physical injuries.
Following an investigation by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and the Suffolk County Police Department, Ladd was arrested on June 20.
If convicted of the top counts, Ladd faces a maximum sentence of 50 years in prison.
Ladd was arraigned on the indictment today by Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice Timothy Mazzei.
The People requested that bail be set in the amount of $1 million cash or $5 million bond. The Court transferred bail from Ladd’s arraignment in Suffolk County District Court in the amount of $25,000, which Ladd previously posted.
He is due back in court on Aug. 26 and is being represented by Steven Politi.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Sheetal Shetty, of the Felony Offense Bureau.
On Friday, June 11, the Suffolk County Legislature hosted the second annual Women Veterans Appreciation Day Ceremony over Zoom.
During the ceremony, Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) recognized Janis Henderson as this year’s Suffolk County Women Veterans Appreciation Day 6th District Honoree.
Henderson is a local veteran who proudly served during her early life in the United States Maine Corps. In addition to her military service, Janis was a school nurse at the Mount Sinai School District for 30 years and has been a member of the Mount Sinai Fire Department since 1974, earning Mount Sinai Fire Fighter of the year in 1977.
“I have known Janis Henderson for many years, and it has always been wonderful to work with her,” Anker said. “Janis has been such a shining star in our community. She has not only served our community through active military service, but also as a life-long community volunteer. It gives me great pride and it is an honor to recognize Janis Henderson for this year’s Women Veterans Appreciation Day.”
Her devotion to service to the community extended beyond her careers as a veteran, firefighter and local school nurse. Janis has also dedicated much of her life to various community volunteerism efforts including serving on the Christian Outreach Board, as a member of the Episcopal Order of Saint Francis, volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, being a wildlife animal rehabilitator and cocker spaniel rescuer, providing pet therapy at local nursing homes, and playing piano at the Port Jefferson Senior Center.
Last year, the Suffolk County Legislature designated June 12 as Women Veterans Appreciation Day through Resolution 94-2020 to recognize women who proudly serve in the United States Armed Forces. Each year, a woman veteran is honored in each legislative district.
Suffolk County police officers and Wading River Fire Department members rescued a woman who was in distress while swimming in the Long Island Sound in Shoreham on Sunday, July 18.
A woman called 911 to report that her friend, Johanna Scheiber, was swimming in the Long Island Sound and the caller, who was on Shoreham Beach, lost sight of Scheiber at approximately 6:50 a.m.
Marine Bureau Officer Gregory Stroh, 7th Precinct police officers and members of the Aviation Section responded. Seventh Precinct officers interviewed the caller and directed the police helicopter to the search area.
Aviation Section Sergeant John Vahey, Officer David Rosante and Stony Brook University Hospital Flight Paramedic Chris Barnes, who were in the police helicopter, located Scheiber in the water approximately one-mile offshore and Barnes and Rosante dropped floatation devices from the helicopter to the swimmer.
Members of the Wading River Fire Department responded on a boat and transported the victim to shore. Scheiber, 21, of Sayville, was transported to a local hospital for evaluation.
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