Home Village Beacon Record

It takes a town…

by Julianne Mosher - May 20, 2021

0 379

train care 1, julianne mosher — Leg. Kara Hahn helps out in Port Jeff Station. Photo by Julianne Mosher

1 of 7

The Town of Brookhaven came together last weekend to clean up its community.

For its 13th annual Great Brookhaven Cleanup on Saturday, May 15, people from the North Shore, South Shore and Middle Island gloved up and grabbed their garbage bags to help keep their town clean.

In Port Jefferson Station, specifically, the train car located on the corner of Routes 112 and 347 had a large group of volunteers to help cleanup.

The Chamber of Commerce was joined by members of the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Civic Association, elected officials, community members and local Girl Scouts joined in picking up trash and brush to prepare the spot for its upcoming summer concert series.

“I’m really excited to be here today,” said Councilman Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook). “This is a really important project for Port Jeff Station, and I’m really excited to see it start to take shape.”

Kornreich said there are “big plans for the area.”

“It’s exciting for the next few years to see it come to fruition,” he added.

Last year, the Great Brookhaven Cleanup was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, approximately 1,600 Brookhaven residents helped tidy up their communities. This localized event is part of a greater cause, the Great American Cleanup — the nation’s largest organized cleanup, beautification and community improvement program.

“The Brookhaven cleanup gives us townwide exposure, which helps our local community,” said Craig den Hartog, PJST chamber member and owner of Emerald Magic Lawn Care. “The more help the better, and it just starts with one person.”

On the Long Island Sound, town Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) and Councilwoman Jane Bonner (R-Rocky Point) joined volunteers from Suffolk County Girl Scout troops 1522 and 2755 to clean Cedar Beach in Mount Sinai.

“Thank you to all of the volunteers who participated in this year’s Great Brookhaven Cleanup,” Romaine said. “The pandemic canceled last year’s event, but people came back enthusiastically and in large numbers. It was a success because of the community members who have dedicated themselves to keeping Brookhaven clean every day of the year.”

Officials create legislation designating Down Syndrome Awareness Day in Suffolk County

by Julianne Mosher - May 20, 2021

0 342

down syndrome day 1, julianne mosher — Leg. Sarah Anker with Schiavone. Photo by Julianne Mosher

Suffolk County Legislator Sam Gonzalez (D-Brentwood) was joined with local and national officials this week, urging Suffolk County to adopt a bill he spearheaded that would make March 21 Down Syndrome Awareness Day.

Leg. Gonzalez talking with Derek and Hazel. Photo by Julianne Mosher

“The idea behind this was something that has been in the works for some time now,” he said.

There are three phases to it — county, state and eventually federal.

“This day is acknowledged around the world and by the United Nations,” Gonzalez said. “I just couldn’t understand why it wasn’t something that was recognized here.”

During the press conference on May 18 outside the county offices in Hauppauge, elected officials from both parties supported their colleague who passionately has moved the bill forward. They proudly stood next to advocates with Down syndrome, like Brittany Schiavone, founder of Brittany’s Baskets of Hope, Daniel Fletcher of the Special Olympics World Games and John Cronin founder of John’s Crazy Socks.

Daniel Fletcher, Brittany Schiavone, Suffolk County Leg. Sam Gonzalez, Janissa Lloyd, John Cronin and Nassau County Leg. Joshua Lafazan

“This resolution declaring March 21, as Down Syndrome Awareness Day is long overdue,” said Legislator William “Doc” Spencer (D-Centerport). “It’s been recognized all over the world to bring attention and to create a voice advocating for the rights, inclusion and the well-being of people with Down syndrome.”

Spencer added that Down syndrome occurs in one in 700 births. There are currently 400,000 people living in the United States with Down syndrome — half of those people with heart defects.

“Down Syndrome Awareness Day is to encourage more people to learn about this condition, to celebrate those living with it, and to recognize the ways in which medical advancements can boost their quality of life,” he said.

Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) felt a personal connection to the bill. She said her cousin grew up with Down syndrome.

“We have to get the word out,” she said. “We have folks who have Down syndrome that are superstars, that can do amazing, things that can inspire us.”

And by establishing a date that reminds people about this community only betters them in the future.

“What’s also important about having a day like the Down Syndrome Awareness Day is talking about the needs of our community members going forward,” said Legislator Rob Calarco (D-Patchogue). “Some of these young men and women, as they grow older, they’re going to be looking for housing services, they’re going to be looking for ways to get out on their own and establish their own lives. And we need to make sure that we have those underlying resources available to them. We won’t do that unless we are talking about what those needs are.”

Centereach mom Karyn Degnan. Photo by Julianne Mosher

Centereach resident and mom of two children with Down syndrome Karyn Degnan said this is long-overdue. A board member with Patchogue-based GiGi’s Playhouse, she said she’s been surrounded by a supportive group and a day like this will help even more.

“I am excited for my kids to be recognized and for awareness to be brought to their disability,” she said. “I just couldn’t be happier.”

Legislator Nick Caracappa (R-Selden) knew this was special, too.

“I don’t see inability,” he said. “When you have the ability to love, when you have the ability to appreciate, make something and give back to your communities. That’s not inability — that’s inspiring.”

Results for 2021-22 school budget and BOE candidates

by Rita J. Egan - May 19, 2021

0 486

Commack Union Free School District

Commack school district residents passed the $205,126,576 budget, 1,981-620.

Challenger Gustave Hueber beat incumbent Jarrett Behar. Hueber received 1,465 votes, while Behar garnered 1,085.

Comsewogue School District

Comsewogue residents passed the $98,479,289 budget, 643-203.

Margaret Mitchell (699), Richard Rennard (695) and Corey Prinz (670) ran unopposed.

Elwood Union Free School District

Elwood school district residents passed the 2021-22 budget of $66,913,579.

Yes – 1,294

No – 481

Incumbents James Tomeo and Heather Mammolito won back their seats on the board with 1,056 votes and 940, respectively. Bryan Johnson received 709 and Amy Kern 758.

Harborfields Central School District

The 2021-22 Harborfields school district budget of $90,316,264 passed.

Yes – 1,422

No – 346

Susan Broderick with 1,012 votes, incumbent Suzie Lustig with 1,019 and Eve Meltzer Krief with 963, won seats on the board of ed. Incumbent Joseph Savaglio received 601 votes, Freda Manuel had 342 and incumbent Steven Engelmann 812.

Hauppauge Union Free School District

The $119,963,719 Hauppauge school district 2021-22 budget was approved.

Yes – 1,154

No – 415

A resolution to repair the Forest Brook Elementary School roof at a cost of $675,000 was adopted, 1,291-270.

Gemma Salvia and Colleen Capece won the two seats on the board, with 767 and 883 votes, respectively. Incumbent Michael Buscarino received 735 and Megan Asseng 585.

Huntington Union Free School District

The $139,315,854 2021-22 school budget in the Huntington school district passed, 993-250.

Residents reelected Christine Biernacki to the board of ed with 914 votes and newcomers Theresa Sullivan and Thomas Galvin received 856 and 786 votes, respectively, to win seats on the board. Incumbent Lynda Tiné-D’Anna lost her seat with 721 votes.

Kings Park Central School District

The Kings Park school district budget of $98,054,941 passed.

Yes – 1,458

No – 642

Incumbents Kevin Johnston and Diane Nally retained their seats with 1,169 and 1,102 votes, respectively. Challengers Cynthia Grimley and Clayton Cobb received 962 and 826, respectively.

Johnston in an email said he was pleased that he and Nally were reelected, “especially after a contentious campaign.”

“Most important was the passing of the budget,” he said. “Diane and I are proud of the accomplishments Kings Park Central School District has made, over the past six years, including lowering class sizes to more manageable levels; adding school psychologists and social workers; having a graduation rate of 99%, with 94% of students opting for post-graduation education; and the return of students, during the COVID pandemic, in a safe and responsible manner. Together, Diane Nally and I look forward to overcoming the financial and educational challenges in the next three years. Finally, we are cognizant of the community’s ability to finance the students’ education, as we kept the [tax cap levy] below 2%.”

Middle Country Central School District

Middle Country residents passed the $269,080,958 budget 1,758-643.

“On behalf of the Middle Country Central School District Board of Education, administration, teachers and staff, I would like to thank our community for their passage of our 2021-2022 school district budget,” said Roberta Gerold, superintendent of schools. “The community’s continued support reinforces our students’ efforts and is a direct reflection of the community’s confidence in the quality of education in our district and the programs and services we provide that ensure the needs of all our students and families are met and exceeded.”

Karen J. Lessler (1,914) and Arlene Barresi (1,893) ran unopposed. John DeBenedetto (1,197) defeated Robert Hallock (779) and Mario Nicoletto (290); Deborah Mann-Rodriguez (929) defeated William Ferraro (879) and Sandro Fernandes (498) for the two-year term remaining on the seat of Dina Phillips, who resigned in the fall and was replaced by Ferraro.

Miller Place Union Free School District

Miller Place residents passed the $76,520,451 budget, 903-257.

Bryan Makarius (609) defeated Desiree O’Neil (490).

Mount Sinai School District

Mount Sinai residents passed the $62,581,830 budget, 656-191.

Karen Pitka (678) and Paul Staudt (665) ran unopposed.

Northport-East Northport Union Free School District

The Northport-East Northport school district 2021-22 budget of $174,704,748 did not pass.

Yes – 1,902

No – 2,069

Incumbent Victoria Buscareno, 2,126 votes, retained her seat on the board and Carol Taylor won the second open seat with 2,079 votes. Warner Frey received 1,356 votes and Tammie Topel garnered 1,534.

Port Jefferson School District

Port Jefferson residents passed the $45,009,729 budget, 579-120.

“The district is extremely grateful to our Port Jefferson community for their continued support of our schools,” said Jessica Schmettan, superintendent of schools. “With the approval of last night’s budget vote, we are poised to further our tradition of academic excellence and ensure our students are prepared for future success.”

Tracy Zamek (473), Ryan Walker (456) and Rene Tidwell (408) defeated Shannon Handley (384).

Rocky Point Union Free School District

Rocky Point residents passed the $85,692,726 budget, 477-124.

Ed Casswell (472) and Michael Lisa (463) ran unopposed.

Shoreham-Wading River Central School District

Shoreham-Wading River residents passed the $80,687,584 budget, 669-215.

“We are again pleased that we are part of a community that wholeheartedly supports our students and school district,” said Gerard Poole, superintendent of schools. “Our longstanding tradition of students’ academic, artistic and athletic success is reflected in our community’s expectations and moving forward with this approved budget enables us to continue with Shoreham-Wading River’s mission and goals while maintaining our commitment to fiscal responsibility.”

Incumbents Robert Rose (689) and James Smith (670) ran unopposed.

Smithtown Central School District

Smithtown school district residents approved the budget of $262,319,665.

Yes – 5,180

No – 3,245

The incumbents Jeremy Thode, Charles Rollins and Mandy Kowalik were voted off the board as residents chose challengers John Savoretti, Karen Wontrobski-Rollins and Stacy Murphy for the three seats up for grab.

Seat of Charles Rollins:

Charles Rollins – 3,868 votes

John Savoretti – 4,645 votes

Seat of Jeremy Thode:

Jeremy Thode – 4,000 votes

Karen Wontrobski-Ricciardi – 4,504 votes

Seat of Mandi Kowalik:

Mandi Kowalik – 3,854 votes

Stacy Murphy – 4,651 votes

The 2020-21 school year began with a tumultuous start for the Smithtown school district when local parents rallied in front of the administration building before various board of education meetings demanding schools to be opened five days a week for in-person learning during the pandemic. The charge was led by the Facebook group Smithtown Parents Watchdog Group, which was founded by Murphy, a guidance counselor in the Amityville school district.

In an email Thode said the “community support of the budget” was the number one priority.

“This was a highly contested election that sparked a great deal of dialogue,” Thode said. “Conversation is good. Community engagement is good. I hope they both continue.”

Thode said he believes he made positive contributions during his two terms on the board.

“I have learned that we have great students, staff and families,” he added. “The district is in great hands. We have excellent schools and a passionate community. I congratulate the new BOE members and wish them well. Ultimately, the community wants what is best for children. I am sure this new BOE will unite in that goal. I look forward to watching our children thrive.”

Savoretti, Wontrobski-Ricciardi and Murphy emailed a joint statement the day after their victory.

“We stepped up to the challenge to run for Smithtown Board of Education to make a positive change for our kids and their parents, many who have felt voiceless, unhappy with the current situation in our schools and frustrated with the lack of response to our concerns,” the winners said. “In addition, we firmly believe that our children and youth should be provided a quality education where they are only taught how to think, as opposed to what to think.”

The three acknowledged stumbling blocks along the way despite the support they received from parents in the district. Their campaign page on Facebook had nearly 900 followers.

“Although this campaign was a very positive movement, we were faced with divisive and hurtful tactics by many who disagreed with or assumed we stood for something very different,” they said. “Many false stories spread about us related to ideologies we did not embrace.”

Savoretti, Wontrobski-Ricciardi and Murphy added, “Moving forward, we choose to be leaders in healing this community. We look forward to working with the existing board members and extending our hands to find common ground, prioritizing the needs of every student. At the end of the day, that’s why we got involved … for the children of this community and future generations to come.”

Three Village Central School District

In Three Village school district, the $222.6 million budget did not pass as 60% approval was needed to approve the budget that pierced the 1.37% cap with a proposed tax levy increase of 1.85%.

Yes – 2,286 (57.68%)

No – 1,677

Deanna Bavlnka retained her seat on the board with 2,076 votes, while Sue Rosenzweig and Shaorui Li won the other two open seats with 2,202 and 2,326 votes respectively.

David McKinnon received 1,917 votes and Karen Roughly 1,754.

Bavlnka, Li and Rosenzweig campaigned together. Bavlnka is a corporate director of human resources. Shaorui Li is a principal engineer and research group manager at a national laboratory as well as an adjunct faculty member at Stony Brook University, while Rosenzweig is a former anchor at News 12.

Li ran last year unsuccessfully.

“I’m very proud of our Three Village community with so many people dedicated to supporting high-quality public education,” Li said. “Together we will assist our young generation toward a brighter future.”

Additional reporting by Julianne Mosher

Long Island Explorium’s new exhibit shows resilience

by Julianne Mosher - May 18, 2021

0 301

explorium 1, julianne mosher — ‘Worm Game, 17 Cells’ by Zachary White hangs in the window of the Explorium. Photo by Julianne Mosher

Over the last several weeks, the Long Island Explorium, located at Port Jeff Harbor, 101 E. Broadway, Port Jefferson, has been serving up something different.

Known for their hands-on maker space that allows kids of all ages to learn concepts in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics), the nonprofit mixes fun with technology and science. However, until mid-June, the Explorium has been turned into an art gallery.

Angeline Judex, executive director, said the idea to create a collaborative experience at the space came not even two months ago. The idea behind the eight-week-long exhibit titled The Resilience Project revolves around the perseverance and resilience of the human spirit during these challenging times.

“It’s really symbolic,” she said. “Because at the end of the day, we’ve got to learn something from this whole craziness.”

In collaboration with lead artist, Tali Hinkis — also known as LoVid, with Kyle Lapidus — the Explorium has become home to works of art inspired by nature and science by eight different artists, local and international.

“Their artistic creations capture visitors visually as well as engage the mind in exploring issues of social change, environmental justice and the intersection of art and technology,” Hinkis said.

All artworks on display will be sold to support the Explorium’s STEAM programming targeted at students in need and, each week, one artist will be featured alongside an interactive STEM activity for all visitors.

‘Profile Site Flag #3 (Prospect Park, Brooklyn)’ by Brooke Singer

“This unique collaboration seeks to capture the essence of nature as it grows and survives the elements,” Judex said. “We know that science helps push the boundaries of what is possible. Hence, we too will grow, survive and push through challenges.”

This weekend, for example, under the theme of Dye-ing up a Storm!, the interactive activity uses natural dyes, and helps celebrate artist Brooke Singer’s piece, “Site Profile Flag,” which uses the physical, biological and chemical properties of soil to create brightly colored flags.

Visitors on Saturday, May 22, and on Sunday can use pigments found in nature with a little bit of heat and have the opportunity to use the textile dyes for themselves.

The Resilience Project kicked off April 23 and will continue through June 13.

Phantoms tamed Wildcats

by Bill Landon - May 17, 2021

0 1251

Shoreham-Wading River junior Carlie Cutinella looks for a cutter for the Wildcats in a home game against Bayport May 15. Photo by Bill Landon

1 of 10

Shoreham Wading River looked to break a 3-game losing streak but had their hands full when the Bayport-Blue Point came knocking where the Phantom’s tamed the Wildcats 15-4 in a Div-II match-up May 15. Carlie Cutinella scored on a cut to even the score at one all at the 17-minute mark, but the Phantoms edged away scoring two unanswered goals and then four more before Graceann Leonard scored on a penalty shot ten minutes into the 2nd half.

Shoreham-Wading River junior Catherine Erb’s shot found the net 2-minutes later for the Wildcats but Bayport would score five more in the final 11-minutes of play.

The loss drops the Wildcats to 2-4 while Bayport remains atop the Div II leaderboard at 6-0.

Photos by Bill Landon

Little Flower Children and Family Services raise over $70k at FOSTERING HOPE virtual event

by Press Release - May 17, 2021

0 382

Fostering Hope-Little Flower Children and Family Services of NY — Photo from Little Flower

Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York (Little Flower) hosted their first-ever FOSTERING HOPE virtual fundraiser on Thursday, April 29 via Zoom.

Together with their guests, Little Flower raised over $70,000 to support their programs and services for children in foster care and people with developmental disabilities.

Little Flower recognized inaugural Youth Ambassadors of Hope, Kailey Perkins and Laura Lee, of the Young Entrepreneurs Scholars. Kailey and Laura were recognized for their work with the youth in the residential treatment center on Little Flower’s Wading River campus. Kailey and Laura conducted virtual entrepreneur workshops with the children, teaching them the basics of launching and running a business using a bakeshop theme.

The event, sponsored in part by DIME Bank and Fluent, Inc., and in collaboration with Together We Rise, included a design activity in which guests used design kits that were delivered to them before the event, to create images of hope and inspiration on panels that will be attached to duffle bags. The bags, filled with comfort items and necessities, will be distributed to Little Flower’s foster children and residents.

Guests also heard from Little Flower alumni, staff, and youth currently in care. A Little Flower youth in foster care shared that focusing on her future gives her hope, “hope for channeling my inner strength and achieving success.”

“It is because of this caring and inspiring community that we can continue to offer innovative programs and services to our children, families, and residents and instill hope for a brighter tomorrow. I am touched by the support they’ve shown us tonight. I look forward to seeing the joy on the faces of our kids and residents when they receive the inspirational bags,” said Corinne Hammons, Little Flower’s President & CEO.

Meet the candidates: Miller Place School District BOE

by Julianne Mosher - May 15, 2021

0 2585

Schools_MillerPlaceHighSchoolw — Miller Place High School. File photo by Kevin Redding

Residents are able to vote between two local residents for the upcoming board of education and budget vote on May 18.

One seat is up for election this year, and up to the plate are candidates Desiree O’Neil and Bryan Makarius.

When elected, the position will count as a three-year term, beginning July 1 of this year through June 30, 2024.

Both are first-time runners.

Bryan Makarius

Bryan Makarius brings his experience in education to the table when it comes to running for the Miller Place Board of Ed, but being a father of two in the district, he said he also wanted to give back.

“I wanted to make a difference and I know I have that skill set in order to help make those decisions,” he said. “I really understand what’s going on in the community.”

Makarius has volunteered with the Port Jefferson Fire Department since he was a teenager — serving more than 24 years. He said the experience he gained there, and while holding elected positions in the department, provided him with “invaluable growth as a community leader.”

He and his wife, Leah, decided to pack up and move to Miller Place in 2012 to raise his family.

By day working in the Longwood School District, Makarius said he chose to run not out of anger towards the district — he wants to give back.

“I think the district has done a good job. I think the people there have done a good job,” he said. “But I just want to be able to get back to my community more.”

He said he wants to keep continuing the quality education that Miller Place is known for. One task he wants to tackle is making class sizes smaller.

But he said he’ll be there to listen to any and all concerns.

“If there is something that the community really wants, in which they have said over and over again, we have to find out a way to make that work within the budget,” he said.

Desiree O’Neil

Born and raised in Miller Place, and a graduate of Miller Place High School class of ’96, Desiree O’Neil decided to run for board of ed because she believes the district needs more transparency.

“The biggest concern right now in the Miller play school district is the lack of communication from administration and the board of education,” she said. “This past year was obviously very difficult for many school districts, and our district was not very willing to work with the community to offer choices for their children.”

O’Neil said the district did a poor job navigating the pandemic — elementary schools were back in school all year, while secondary students weren’t back full-time until March 1.

“We weren’t given an option for families for a virtual platform until quite a few months into the school year,” she said.

If elected, O’Neil said she wants to address the different limitations the district has, including a better curriculum for gifted and talented students in the elementary level.

O’Neil graduated from Stony Brook University with a Bachelor’s in English and works as a senior benefits consultant profession with more than 20 years of industry experience.

The mom of two is active in the Miller Place School District athletic programs, helping put together the Section XII rally with other local school districts last year.

Rage room hopes to come soon to Selden

by TBR Staff - May 15, 2021

0 823

By Chris Cumella

The area could soon have its own rage room — a creation designed for destruction. The local concept was conceived in 2019 by Michael Hellmann, who hopes to start up Rage Room Long Island.

A vacant storefront on Middle Country Road could be on its way to becoming the latest attraction that Selden has to offer its residents and visitors alike. The last hurdle for Hellmann and his crew is obtaining a permit from the Town of Brookhaven. Doing so will solidify their place in the Selden Plaza and create a therapeutic stress release for all who enter.

“We started this project two years ago,” said Hellmann, a Holbrook resident. “It is definitely an intense workout if you want it to be — you can break a picture of your ex, you can make it whatever you want.”

Derived from Japan, the first rage room opened in 2008, known as The Venting Place. It was created in the wake of the nation’s Great Recession, putting stressed-out workers, students and people from all walks of life in an environment where destruction was therapeutic. Since then, over 60 venues are operating in the U.S. and rising, according to Hellmann.

He said that his premises would include two sizable rooms accompanied by a third, larger room designed for parties and other big groups. Once a waiver is signed, a mechanical arm will hand you a weapon of your choice to arm yourself with —including crowbars, sledgehammers, golf clubs and even pipe wrenches.

“Michael is very creative and is looking at the latest and most innovative methods,” said Michaela Pawluk, social media manager of Rage Room LI. “When you go to other rage rooms, you are just destroying things, but the way that he created it and designed it — it is an entire experience.”

Participants are equipped with thick coveralls and a face shield for bodily protection from the bits of cutlery, furniture and technology scattered throughout a room during their allotted time ranging from 15-30 minutes. For the larger room intended for parties, audiences will have access to larger objects to unload. These include an industrial humidifier and a 4-foot Xerox machine right out of an attorney’s office.

Recycling is the name of Rage Room LI’s game, and Hellmann and his team play strategically when scouting the town’s curbs for discarded objects large enough for further destruction. Once a customer is finished with their session, the leftover scraps are recycled once again in an environmentally conscious effort to avoid sending them to a landfill.

“We are literally getting things off the street,” Hellmann said. “We have a Rage Room LI van, and we drive around the neighborhoods to collect junk off the curb. We love finding things that are technologically based.”

A rage room is designed to be used in any way that customers see fit — from an outlet to unleash anger to a venue for birthday parties. Rage Room LI is attempting to break the stigma around the danger of rage rooms. One of their most significant priorities has been to facilitate a safe environment where people can let endorphins flourish and have fun.

To get up and running at the request of over 900 eager participants via email, Hellmann is seeking a permit from the town to register his business. All town board members have expressed interest in introducing Long Island’s first rage room, except for one hesitant councilmember concerned of misuse or bringing in troubling individuals.

Rage Room LI has seen support from a petition on Change.org to open shop that has garnered 586 signatures as at May 12 out of a goal of 1,000. Aside from the signatures, the purpose of creating the petition was to show local and neighboring residents that it is a worthwhile cause. It is a continuous effort which Pawluk encourages anyone who is interested to add their name to the petition to emphasize community solidarity.

Envisioning opening day leaves Hellmann and his crew optimistic that their business will make a tremendous splash in Selden. Rage Room LI is shaping up to succeed from the positive community feedback, project plans and potentially a permit at its side.

“At some point, people break things whether they want to or not,” Hellmann said. “We are just expressing positivity, that is mainly the goal.”

County parks stewardship program officially launched

by TBR Staff - May 15, 2021

0 474

smithtown park 2, kimberly brown — Leg. Kara Hahn during a press conference at the Arthur Kunz County Park in Smithtown on May 11. Photo by Kimberly Brown

By Kimberly Brown

Suffolk County deputy presiding officer, Kara Hahn (D-Setauket), officially launched Tuesday the Park Stewardship Program, where community volunteers are selected to oversee local parks that do not have staff.

County nature trails are in need of assistance as illegal dumping and vandalism are often discovered on the paths where local residents take their daily walks.

“The responsibilities of the stewards would be to pick up trash and to notify the parks department if there is vandalism or dumping,” Hahn said. “We’ve had very high profile dumping issues, so it’s good to have eyes and ears on the ground.”

The stewards are also encouraged to help with signage to assist local residents with navigating through the trails.

Hahn said it is important to create more signage to help residents such as mothers with children to ensure they know how far the trail is to reach a particular scenic spot.

County Legislator Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) expressed his gratitude for Hahn’s program, as his involvement in preserving Long Island parks dates back to 2006 when he won support for the transfer of the 365-acre former Kings Park State Hospital property to New York State parks department.

“This is very near and dear to my heart, I walk through here regularly,” he said. “This is the kind of thing that starts off small but may develop into a group where we can raise money so we can make improvements to the park.”

The falling of trees throughout Long Island trails since Hurricane Sandy in 2012 has been continuing many years later. The president of Long Island Greenbelt Trail Conference, David Reisfield, has taken it upon the Greenbelt organization to remove hazardous trees on trails that caused concern for residents. “This, to me, is the best thing,” he said. “We go out every Tuesday and cover three to four miles of trail, but the more volunteers the better. I could not be happier.”

According to Hahn, stewards are not expected to cut down trees but are welcomed to use clippers for branches that may cause blockages on the trails.

“It’s important that people get to go out and experience this, and sometimes a candy wrapper or a water bottle can mar that experience,” she said. “So, having stewards that are there to help pick those up is a good thing.”

If community members are interested in becoming a part of the Park Stewardship Program they can visit the county’s parks website at suffolkcountyny.gov/departments/parks and sign up online.

Brookhaven National Lab honors top students in Bridge and Maglev contests

by Press Release - May 14, 2021

0 308

katherineliang_bridge-hr — Katherine Liang of Paul J. Gelinas Junior High School with the bridge that earned her first place in BNL’s annual Bridge Building Contest

Sometimes the term building bridges takes on a more literal meaning.

David Liang of Ward Melville High School placed second in the bridge building contest.

The Office of Educational Programs (OEP) at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory announced local students who earned the top spots in both the 2021 Bridge Building Contest and 2021 Maglev Competition during an online awards ceremony on April 16.

Each competition, held virtually this year, offers students a hands-on opportunity to apply math, science, and technology principles as they design and build bridges and magnetic levitation cars.

“Conceiving, designing, and building the one-of-a-kind facilities at Brookhaven National Laboratory takes extraordinary vision on the part of our scientists and our engineers to advance our science mission,” said OEP Manager Kenneth White.

“These two competitions test the design and analytical skill of contestants to create bridges and vehicles to exacting specifications and performance expectations much like our facilities demand of our staff. We hope some of these contestants will be our staff one day to take on another engineering challenge supporting extraordinary discoveries.”

Bridge Building Competition

Victor Prchlik of Ward Melville High School took third place in the bridge building contest.

In the annual Bridge Building Contest, high school students became engineers competing to construct the most efficient model bridge out of lightweight wood. Efficiency is calculated from the bridge’s weight and the weight the bridge can hold before breaking or bending more than one inch. The higher the efficiency, the better the design and construction.

Dedicated Brookhaven Lab staff engineers and technicians tested 40 qualifying structures during a live online event on April 8.

Katherine Liang, a 9th grade student of Paul J. Gelinas Junior High School earned first place with a bridge that weighed 18.7 grams, supported 38.6 pounds. The bridge earned an efficiency of 936.29.

For some students, a trial-and-error process was key to solidifying a design. Liang said she built and tested five bridges by weighing them down with a bucket of sand before submitting her final winning structure.

Second place went to David Liang of Ward Melville High School, whose bridge weighed 19 grams, held 36.4 pounds had an efficiency of 868.98.

Victor Prchlik, also from Ward Melville High School, placed third with a bridge that weighed 23.7 and supported 44.5 pounds with an efficiency of 851.87

Jonathan Chung of Smithtown East High School won this year’s Aesthetic Award.

“The whole process was fun from start to finish,” Chung said. “One of the most challenging parts was getting the glue to stick the wood together. I ended up solving that problem by using a hairdryer to dry it.”

This year’s Bridge Building Contest Aesthetic Award went to Jonathan Chung of Smithtown East High School, pictured with physics teacher Dr. Gillian Winters.

Brookhaven Lab staff tested magnetic levitation cars built by students from Island Trees Middle School and Bay Shore Middle School to see who came up with the fastest design.

MAGLEV Contest

This year’s Maglev Contest for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students included two main categories for speed and appearance. Brookhaven Lab staff tested 21 maglev cars for speed on a fixed gravity track–13 of which reached the finish line.

Brady Leichtman of Bay Shore Middle School won first place in the speed category.

Second place went to Isabella Rouleau of Bay Shore Middle School. Jesse Bonura of Island Trees Middle School placed third and also won the top spot in the competition’s appearance category with a futuristic blue car. Bay Shore Middle School students Amber Marquez and Andrea Romero, placed second and third in the appearance category, respectively.

Brookhaven Lab staff tested magnetic levitation cars to see who came up with the fastest design. Bonura found that part of the fun was testing and reengineering the maglev’s design. “We’d make it quicker and test it over and over again to make it perfect,” Bonura said.

The maglev contest is based on research by two Brookhaven engineers, the late Gordon Danby and James Powell, who invented and patented maglev technology—the suspension, guidance, and propulsion of vehicles by magnetic forces.

Magnetic properties give the maglev trains their extraordinary capabilities for speed and stability. These same principles—using magnetic forces to move matter — are used in world-class research facilities at Brookhaven Lab, including the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) and the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) — which are both DOE Office of Science user facilities. Magnetic properties allow the machines to move particles at nearly the speed of light for research purposes.

Brookhaven National Laboratory is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science. For more information, visit https://energy.gov/science.

Photos courtesy of BNL

Prev 1...234235236...513 Next

Page 235 of 513