First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown. Photo by Tom Caruso
Churches, mosques and synagogues can reopen as Suffolk County enters Phase Two of its reopening this Wednesday, albeit with only 25 percent capacity.
Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) announced that these houses of worship could admit community members and that religious leaders were responsible for ensuring compliance with the public health guidelines designed to limit the spread of COVID-19.
“It’s an important time for our faith-based communities to be opened back up,” County Executive Steve Bellone (D) said on his daily conference call with reporters. “Our faith-based communities are ready to this. They understand what needs to be done.”
Separately, as protests continue on Long Island and throughout the world after the killing of Minneapolis resident George Floyd at the hands of a former police officer, who has been charged with his murder, public officials are engaging in ongoing conversations with community leaders bout ways to create greater equity and opportunity for everyone.
“There are areas for us to make progress,” Bellone said. “There is more work to be done.”
Bellone suggested the police department can look to make itself more diverse so that it “reflects in terms of its diversity the communities it serves across the county. That’s a priority for us.”
Bellone said conversations about equal opportunities occurred before the killing of Floyd and are moving into a “new phase” amid the protests and demonstrations.
Viral Numbers
The number of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 rose by 39 to 40,239 over the last day.
The number of residents in the hospital due to the pandemic declined by 13 to 200, while the number of people in Intensive Care Unit beds declined by one to 53 through June 4th.
An additional 24 people left the hospital over the last day.
The number of people who died due to complications related to COVID-19 in the last day was five, bringing the total to 1,923.
Suffolk County legislature's online meeting May 19.
“Hello?” “Can you hear me?” “Would that person please mute their mic?” “We can hear your dog barking/child yelling/lawn mower going …” and on and on.
These are comments well known to anybody who’s been paying attention to government meetings, of municipalities large and small, in this time of pandemic. When Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signed an executive order which temporarily nixed the requirements for local governments to hold in-person meetings, many organizations quickly had to come up with some sort of workaround to still hold their legally required meetings, though staying as socially distanced as possible while still remaining open for public view.
The Town of Brookhaven during its most recent online meeting.
Zoom meetings, YouTube Live video, these are the new tools for conducting government business, but not all are equal in just how “open” these meetings are.
New York Coalition for Open Government, a small nonprofit organization, known until recently as Buffalo Niagara Coalition for Open Government, came out with a report May 12 grading different levels of government on their transparency, with all meetings being held online. The New York State Committee on Open Government, which is run from Albany under the Department of State, has opined that governments would still have to host visible livestreamed meetings to conform to both the governor’s executive order and the current Open Meetings Law. Some governing bodies have interpreted the governor’s order to mean a body could meet without allowing public access. The coalition organization instead points to opinions by the committee and people from the governor’s office that says agencies and all local governments should allow access to livestreamed meetings.
Kristin O’Neill, assistant director for the state Committee on Open Government, said in a phone interview that local governing bodies “must afford remote access to the meeting while the meeting is going on.” This does not have to be a video livestream, but it must allow the public the ability to listen to that meeting. She said it is not enough to post a transcript or video after for the public to listen to or read.
The nonprofit’s report found only four of 21 governments surveyed from all of New York state had met all their criteria, including having all meetings livestreamed, having videos/audio posted online after the meeting and having all meeting documents posted online prior to the meeting.
The coalition included another metric though it’s not required by the Open Meetings Law, specifically asking whether a government was soliciting public comments that are heard and/or seen during the meeting.
The open government coalition president, Paul Wolf, an attorney in upstate New York, said he feels it’s important for local governments to be judged on their willingness to listen to the public, despite it not being required by law.
“All right, there’s a pandemic going on, but you” can still hear from the public and hear their concerns,” he said. “[We had] some pushback and controversy on grades, but you have to somehow rank people and and have some calculation who’s doing good.”
Suffolk County and the Town of Brookhaven were given “B” rankings by the committee, noting both were not addressing public comments in their meetings. As of their last meetings in May and early June, both town and the county board meetings still were not enabling public comment.
“It’s good to push for this stuff, and that seems to be one of few ways to get elected officials’ attention that seems to prompt some change,” Wolf said.
That’s not to say it hasn’t been difficult for local government to make the adjustment to online meetings. Suffolk County Legislature Presiding Officer Rob Calarco (D-Patchogue) said the governing body had to figure things out on the fly. The last time all legislators were together for in-person meetings was March 17. He added it took time to get proper guidance from the state regarding hosting meetings. So far during the pandemic, the legislature has only allowed comment during public hearings.
Town of Smithtown’s online meeting May 21.
Calarco said some legislators have made comments that current meetings have not been sufficiently open.
“I get that, and it is important for us to be transparent, but we have been trying to do it as effectively as we can,” he said. “For local government [having public comment] is an integral part of how our meetings operate — for residents to have ability to speak to us in public fashion.”
The next general meeting, June 9, will be the first time in two months the legislature will have a timeslot for public comment. People can visit the legislature’s website at scnylegislature.us and scroll down to the link for submitting public comment.
Brookhaven, on the other hand, is looking more toward a time when they can host in person meetings again, according to town spokesperson Kevin Molloy. He said Brookhaven has had to work through technical difficulties, but is complying with the law and the parameters of the governor’s executive order, adding there were no current plans to createa a public portion during online meetings.
The town allows for comment on public hearings, which can be submitted either in writing or with the person joining the town’s online meeting in video form. Molloy said the town has tried to push back non-time sensitive public hearings until later dates.
“We’re certainly trying to improve it, that means improvements in technology and the board is always trying to improve access to public,” Molloy said.
Despite this, different levels of government, including school districts, have found varying levels of success keeping their meetings open and responsive to the public.
TBR News Media has run through all school districts, villages and towns in our coverage area to check if its meeting four simple criteria. The point is not to degrade some and promote others, but to offer a means of comparison and give examples for how they can improve their openness to the public. Because of this, we have eschewed a letter grading system for our local governing bodies.
Port Jefferson Village is allowing for public comment via chat on YouTube but, as it has done in the past, has only hosted public portions every other week. Though this may have worked until now, the circumstances of the pandemic mean it may be time to change that policy.
School districts were perhaps the most consistent among municipalities for providing documentation and at least some communication of meetings and inquiries from residents. The Comsewogue school district has hosted a bevy of online options for students and district residents, including a website dedicated to offering stress relief for students, multiple Zoom meetings directly with students and a video of the budget hearing. However, the district has not posted any of its online board meetings after the fact to its website.
Grading Criteria (according to New York Coalition for Open Government)
Are meetings being live streamed?
Are meeting videos/audio posted online after the meeting?
Are all meeting documents being posted online prior to the meeting?
While not required by the Open Meetings Law, are local governments soliciting public comments that are heard/seen during the meeting?
Suffolk County 3/4 (As of June 9, this changed to allow a public comment period)
Meetings are being livestreamed through county website
Meetings video/audio/documents available after meeting
Meeting documents available before meeting
Public are allowed public comment only during public hearings
Town of Brookhaven 3/4
Meetings are being livestreamed and can be accessed by cable Channel 18
Meetings video/audio/documents available after meeting
Meeting documents available before meeting
Public are allowed public comment only during public hearings
Town of Smithtown 3/4
Meetings are being livestreamed
Meeting video/audio/documents available after meeting
Meeting agenda available before meeting
People are allowed public comment only during public hearings
Town of Huntington 3/4
Meetings are being livestreamed
Video and documents are available after meeting
Meeting agenda available before meeting
Public are allowed public comment only during public hearings
Village of Shoreham 2/4
Meetings are held by Zoom with notifications sent to residents
Video/audio of meetings not available after meeting
Some documents are available before meetings, but agendas are not
Public can make comments during meetings
Village of Belle Terre 3/4
Meetings are held via Zoom with notifications sent to residents
Meetings video/audio is not readily available post meeting
Meeting documents are posted before meetings are held
Public is available to make comments during regular meetings
Village of Port Jefferson 4/4
Meetings are being livestreamed
Meetings videos/audio/agendas posted online
Meeting documents posted before meeting
Comments being posted through YouTube then addressed by board, but only every other meeting
Village of Old Field 3/4
Meetings are being livestreamed with links sent to residents via Zoom
Meetings audio/video not posted online though minutes are
Meeting documents not posted before meetings
Trustee meetings regularly allow two public comment periods
Village of Poquott 3/4
Meetings can be accessed via dial-in code
Meeting video/audio of latest meetings not available
Documents are posted prior to meetings
Public is able to make comments during meetings
Village of Head of the Harbor 3/4
Residents can access meetings via links through notices
Meeting video/audio not available online
Documents are posted prior to meetings
Public is allowed comment during meeting
Village of Lake Grove 2/4
Meetings are being livestreamed via Zoom
Meetings audio/video not posted online
Documents are posted prior to meetings
Could not determine if public can comment during meetings
Village of Nissequogue 3/4
Meetings are being livestreamed
Meeting video is available after meeting
Documents are not posted before meeting
People are allowed public comment during meeting
Village of the Branch 3/4
Meetings are being livestreamed via Zoom
Meetings video/audio is not posted to the website after the meeting
Documents are posted to the website prior to meetings
People are allowed to comment during public portions of the meeting
Village of Asharoken 4/4
Meetings are being livestreamed via Zoom
Meeting minutes/agendas available after meeting
Meeting agendas are available after meeting but not video
Agenda available before meeting
Residents can ask questions prior to or during meeting
Village of Lloyd Harbor 4/4
Residents can listen in to meetings
Notices are present prior to meeting
Meeting agendas are available after meeting
Residents have been told they can comment during meeting
Village of Northport 4/4
Meetings are being held over teleconference call
Meeting audio not posted online after meeting
Agendas posted to website prior to meeting
Website says residents can ask questions of board via the web page
Shoreham-Wading River School District 4/4
Meetings are held publicly online via Zoom
Video of meeting posted after date held
Agendas are posted before meeting
Residents can comment during meetings
Rocky Point School District 2/4
Up until budget hearing, has not been having public board meetings online
Audio of meetings available on website
Board agendas posted prior to meeting
Public not able to comment on meetings up until budget hearing
Miller Place School District 3/4
Meetings held via Zoom
Video/audio of meetings not posted after meeting
Agendas posted prior to meetings
People may comment during meetings via chat
Mount Sinai School District 4/4
Meetings livestreamed via Zoom and on Facebook
Video of meeting posted afterward
Agendas posted prior to meetings
Questions from audience addressed during meeting
Port Jefferson School District 3/4
Meetings are being livestreamed
Meetings audio/visual/documentation available post meeting
Meeting agenda available before meeting
Public is not able to make comments during meetings
Comsewogue School District 2/4
Public has access to meetings via livestream
Meeting audio/video not available post meeting
Documents are available prior to meeting via BoardDocs
Questions are not being addressed at meetings
Middle Country School District 3/4
Meetings livestreamed from Google Meet
Meeting video is available post meeting
Documents are available prior to meeting via BoardDocs
The district has dispensed with public input
Three Village School District 3/4
Meetings are not being livestreamed
Meeting video available after meeting
Documents are available prior to meeting
Questions are not being addressed at meeting
Smithtown School District 4/4
All meetings are streamed live via Facebook
Videos available after meeting
Documents available before meeting via BoardDocs
Public can submit comments prior to meetings
Hauppauge School District 4/4
Videos streamed via Facebook Live
Videos available after meetings
Documents available on website
Residents can ask questions via Google Docs attached linked to the agenda
Commack School District 4/4
Meetings are publicly streamed through the district website
Meeting videos are available after meeting
Meetings documents are available prior to meeting via BoardDocs
Members of the district can ask questions via email,
Kings Park School District 4/4
Meetings are publicly available via Zoom
Meeting videos are available after meeting
Documents are available via BoardDocs
District allows for comments on call during prearranged comment period
Elwood School District 4/4
Meeting videos streamed live to YouTube
Meeting agendas available via BoardDocs
Videos are available after meetings
Questions are answered during latter section of meeting
Huntington School District 4/4
Meeting videos streamed live via Zoom call
Meeting video is available on the district website
Meeting agendas are available via BoardDocs
Residents can ask questions during Zoom meetings
Harborfields School District 4/4
The district livestreamed meetings via Vimeo
Agenda is available prior to meeting on district website
Video is available after the meeting dates
Residents can ask questions via email, and questions are answered at a determined time in the meeting
Northport-East Northport School District 4/4
Meetings are being livestreamed via IPCamLive
Videos are available after meetings
Agendas are available beforehand via BoardDocs
Questions can be sent via email and addressed during meeting
Cold Spring Harbor School District 4/4
Meetings are being livestreamed via Zoom
Videos of the boards hearings are available at the district’s YouTube page
Board agendas and documents are available at its meeting portal page
The board advises sending questions via email, which are addressed during the meeting
This article has been amended June 16 to update information about the Suffolk County legislature.
People in Port Jefferson line up to eat at Prohibition Kitchen, doing their best to stay six feet apart. Photo by Kyle Barr
After two months of shutdown, area businesses were given the go-ahead to restart operations when Suffolk County reached Phase One of the state’s reopening process. It is the first of four phases as state officials slowly lift restrictions meant to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
For many storefronts, it is the first step on the path to recovery. Here’s how things are going for a few retailers in Port Jefferson.
Renee Goldfarb, owner of Origin of Era boutique in Port Jefferson, said it’s been a delicate balance of making sure they are operating safely and trying to make some revenue again. For select retailers like hers, they are limited as of now to only curbside pickup.
“We’ve encouraged our customers to check out our online store and if they like a certain item they can email, and we’ll have it ready for them at the door,” she said. “It’s been difficult because we are very hands on, we want the customer to be able to try on a piece but we’re limited on what we can do.”
Goldfarb hopes owners can eventually make up for some of their losses. But she also took issue with how the state handled big retailers remaining open.
“Do I think it was implemented the right way? I don’t think so,” she said. “I understand Walmart and Target sell essential products, but people were also able to buy nonessential items. That completely puts mom-and-pop shops at a disadvantage. They should have closed that area off [to customers during the shutdown].”
Abby Buller, who runs the Village Boutique in Port Jefferson, said sales have been slow the first few days open. On Memorial Day weekend, a time when the businesses thrive with the influx of people, Buller said she only saw about six people walking the streets.
“There was no one on the streets, why should they come to a town where they can’t go shopping. This is a shopping and eating town,” she said. “The bars are closed; the restaurants are only allowing pickup. Right now, there is no reason for the Connecticut people to come and take the ferry — there’s nothing to do once you get here.”
With eight weeks of no income coming in, the boutique owner is glad she can start bringing in some sales. She was also frustrated with how the state handled the initial shutdown restrictions and agreed with Goldfarb..
“What they’ve done to small businesses is ridiculous,” she said. “From the beginning they allowed Target, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s to sell nonessential products,” Buller said. “The fact that they were allowed to stay open during this time and make more money is disgusting, small businesses have been suffering.”
Brookhaven officials have spoken out on the issue.
“I am very concerned about the prospects for the future of our small businesses,” said Supervisor Ed Romaine (R), at a recent press conference. “We need to be safe and we need to be smart, but we don’t need rules that work against mom-and-pop businesses when there’s no reason to do that. I ask the governor and county executive to take action now and help our small businesses and downtowns fully reopen again.”
The comments came after recommendations from the town’s post-COVID-19 task force looking at economic recovery. Members of the committee said the state’s plan has favored big box stores.
Brookhaven Councilwoman Valerie Cartright (D-Port Jefferson Station) had similar sentiments.
“We are asking the state to take a different approach when reopening businesses and use a more objective standard, such as the square footage recommendation made by the town a few weeks ago,” she said. “This will place our small businesses on more equal footing with the other larger and big box businesses.”
With Phase Two close by, owners will have to continue to obey social distancing guidelines. Retailers will be required to limit capacity. Patrons and workers are also required to wear masks.
Mary Joy Pipe, the president of the Greater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce and owner of East End Shirt Company is trying to make the best of their current situation as they look towards phase two.
“Sales have been near zero, though we’ve had some customers,” she said. “But it’s important right now to be open, present and let people know we’re here.”
Going into phase two, Pipe will be changing the interior of the store to meet social distancing guidelines. Masks and the use of hand sanitizers will be required.
“I think many of us look forward to starting a on a new page, looking back is painful,” she said. “We’re grateful to the community, they’ve had us in their minds and we feel that.”
In addition, once Phase Two begins, Goldfarb may implement an appointment-only model where up to six people can be in the store at a given time. She is also considering private shopping experiences.
“My store is 700 square feet, we’re in a confined space. I’ll be requiring customers to wear masks until I feel it is comfortable to stop,” Goldfarb said. “I may lose customers but it’s our responsibility to be safe.”
Since Sunday, protesters in Huntington rallied against racism and police violence after the killing of Minneapolis man George Floyd. Another protest took place June 4 with more the following day. Photo by David Luces
Despite officials saying practically all protests in Suffolk County have been peaceful to this point, unfounded rumors of potential violence are still being spread through social media, causing concern while protesters continue to call for an end to racial injustice and police violence.
Throughout the week, a flyer promoting a protest in Smithtown made its way through social media. The flyer depicts marchers holding up their fists in the classic black power symbol, though it also depicts fires from Minneapolis. It includes the words “Bring your spirit in all its inferno.” The location of the protests lists the Stop & Shop at 291 West Main St. just east of the bull statue and was set for June 7.
Residents online, in both Smithtown and neighboring townships, have taken that image and dialogue surrounding the protest to mean it would somehow involve violence. The main person promoting the protest, who on Twitter and Instagram goes by the name @plasticbagnomad, commented that it is planned to be “a peaceful demonstration. We are not advocating for violence at all.”
Her real name is Caitlin Matos-Rodriguez, of Central Islip, and she said there has been much misinformation on social media about her and the planned protest. Because of the misinformation and rumors, she has received multiple violent threats to her and other protesters from residents.
“I have never condoned violence on this protest,” she said. “My goal of this protest is to bring our voices into segregated towns of Long Island. Our roots on Long Island rival next to Jim Crow [laws] of the south — you can see that by the geography of Long Island alone.”
Referencing the general segregated nature of Long Island’s townships (Smithtown is over 90 percent white, according to census data), she added the point of the protest is to help open up more job opportunities, real estate opportunities and credit building opportunities for marginalized people of color.
The Town of Smithtown released a statement Wednesday about some of the undue anxiety from the community at large, not just about the mentioned protest, but about “a number of rumors, hoaxes, photos of fake advertisements for paid anarchists, and false posts of looting, night time demonstrations and other fictitious posts [that] have flooded social media, inflaming unbecoming verbal response and panic amidst a pandemic.”
The town said it is working with police and local fire districts to “ensure that any and all demonstrations in our community are done in a peaceful, lawful manner, ensuring the safety of all involved.”
Smithtown spokesperson Nicole Garguilo said residents were subjected to “a storm of false information,” including that bricks were being placed around the county to be used by protesters or even rumors that the Macy’s clothing store was being looted.
The Sunday protest and its organizer was a victim of that misinformation, which resulted in violent threats to her and any other protesters. Though now with the town and police having communicated with Matos-Rodriguez and other protest leaders, Garguilo said all will work to make sure the protest will be peaceful.
“This is a young woman who is motivated to express her first amendment right to assemble,” Garguilo said. “We’re are going to all be there in what we hope to disarm any community angst that’s out there with Caitlin. We want to make sure her message gets out clear.”
More people in surrounding communities have worked to clarify that it would remain peaceful. Julio Taku Jr., a Huntington resident and journalism student at Stony Brook University, said he and other community activists saw the reaction to the Smithtown protest and have sought to clarify what’s happening.
In a written statement he shared with TBR News Media, it said Matos-Rodriguez is in contact with town officials and Suffolk County Police to ensure a safe and peaceful demonstration.
“Local law enforcement from the 4th precinct will also be on hand to ensure the safety of all the demonstrators seeking to respectfully express their First Amendment right under the United States Constitution,” her statement read. “We stand in solidarity with the black community and wish to honor and support them in the best way possible. Black Lives Matter.”
The destination and route for the march is still to be determined before Sunday. A new poster for the protest sets the time at 2 p.m., but Garguilo said the time was being moved to 4 p.m.
In community Facebook pages, mentions of protests have been responded to with posts that suggest residents will resort to violence to stave off violent protests in their communities. So far all protests on the North Shore of Long Island have been reported as peaceful. While there have been nearly daily rallies in the Huntington area for the past several days, for eastern Suffolk in the TBR News Media coverage area, the closest rallies have taken place in Setauket, Port Jefferson Station and Riverhead, some involving hundreds of people peacefully protesting alongside a police presence.
On Wednesday, June 3, police posted to its Facebook page that there were rumors circulating around social media about piles of bricks being left at specific locations, as if to incite violence, and of bricks being thrown at cars below overpasses, but the department has not received any credible information towards those reports.
In Suffolk so far the only arrests of protesters were two people in Shirley June 1. Police said they responded to about 70 protesters who were marching down toward the 7th precinct along William Floyd Parkway, shutting the road from north of Sunrise Highway to the Seventh Precinct. Road closures stretched from Sunrise Highway to the Long Island Expressway. Police said the two people didn’t listen to police about staying in a designated area.
Suffolk County Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart said in a video posted to the police Facebook she thanked the protesters while citing department initiatives with diversity training and other practices to reduce police violence.
“I want to recognize the protesters who have got their message out in a peaceful manner — we are listening,” she said.
This post will be updated with additional information regarding the protest or from Town of Smithtown.
This post was updated June 6 to relay updated times of the Smithtown protest.
Eisenhower, Omar Bradley and George Patton. Public domain photo
By Rich Acritelli
“The question is just how long can you keep this operation on the end of a limb and let it hang there.”
These were the words of General Dwight D. Eisenhower in the hours before the June 6 D-Day amphibious and air drop landings. While Eisenhower was surrounded in this meeting by noted leaders like General Omar N. Bradley and Field Marshall Bernard L. Montgomery, the immense strain of making this momentous decision was on the shoulders of this native of Abilene, Kansas. Through the poor weather conditions that almost derailed the landings, Eisenhower was concerned that if this massive forces waited any longer, it was possible that the Germans would have learned of the true landings were to be at Normandy and not Calais, France. Judging the factors that were against his naval, air and land forces, Eisenhower simply stated, “Ok, we’ll go.”
U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Public domain photo
As Eisenhower feared the heavy losses that were expected to penetrate the “Atlantic Wall,” he was confident of the Allied plans to achieve victory against the Germans. While German leader Adolf Hitler made numerous military miscalculations, one of his worst was the full belief that Americans that lived under capitalism and democracy which could not defeat the German soldiers that were indoctrinated within Nazism. Eisenhower was representative of the average soldier from the heartland, small towns and cities of this nation that wanted to fulfill their duty, save the world from tyranny, and return home to their families.
As a young man, Eisenhower grew up in a poor, rural, and religious family. While he was a talented baseball and football player, the young man did not stand out amongst his peers as being the best.There was the belief that he had lied about his age to show that he was younger to be originally accepted into the Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, but he was turned down by this school. But Eisenhower gained a congressional appointment for an army education and he was ordered by the War Department to head to West Point in June 1911. Due to the two years of work at a creamery, Eisenhower was a bit older and experienced and the hazing that he took as a freshman was not challenging for the 21-year-old during his first semester. This Class of 1915 was one of the most highly promoted groups to graduate from West Point with over sixty officers attaining the rank of general during World War II.
Eisenhower had two main interests that stayed with him for most of his life. He was an avid card player that supplemented his low army pay with winning numerous hands against his fellow officers and like that of Ulysses S. Grant, he was highly addicted to nicotine. There are many parallels between the lives of Eisenhower and Grant, as both officers were from the mid-west, they were not from wealthy families, and as Eisenhower was a strong football player, Grant was one of the finest horseback riders in the army. Both men graduated in the middle of their classes at West Point, though much of this was due to a lack of interest that they demonstrated with some of their studies. The other key attribute was that they were extremely likable men that were easy to approach, they used common sense to make difficult decisions and they were not swayed under highly stressed war time situations.
Athletic promise and some mischievous was seen when Eisenhower played minor league baseball under an assumed name during the summer months when he returned home to Kansas. Eisenhower did not admit to playing professional baseball until he was President some decades later. During his years at the academy, Eisenhower was a talented football player that suffered a career ending knee injury. He was fortunate that the doctor wrote a medical report that stated he was physically able to complete the rigors of his army responsibilities. In September 1944, during the Operation Market Garden air drops into the Netherlands, Eisenhower was unable to leave his plane during a meeting with Montgomery because he still had severe pain from this chronic knee ailment.
For the two years leading to Woodrow Wilson’s declaration of war in 1917 against Germany, Eisenhower served in the infantry and was a football coach at a prep school near his San Antonio army base. During this early period that Eisenhower showcased his coaching knowledge, many of the American soldiers kept a watchful eye on the border after it was attacked by Mexican bandit Pancho Villa. There were also pressing issues that the United States would be pushed into the Great War that raged in Europe. Unlike other older World War II officers, Eisenhower had no combat experience during World War I. He distinguished himself running a tank training center in Camp Colt Pennsylvania that was outside of Gettysburg. For his efforts, Eisenhower was promoted to the rank of colonel, but the fighting ended as he was preparing to ship out. Eisenhower was an extremely capable officer, but he believed for the next twenty years that he would never have the chance to prove his abilities under enemy fire.
After WWI ended, the National Defense Act of 1920 drastically cut back the army promotions that were seen during the war and Eisenhower was demoted to a permanent rank of major. At this time, Eisenhower convoyed across the nation from Maryland to California and he observed the poorly connected roads that led from cities to the rural areas. Later as President this knowledge pushed him to build more infrastructure projects during the 1950’s. Living at Fort Meade, he also met George S. Patton, where both men and their families became good friends. Eisenhower enjoyed listening to war time exploits of Patton and both men had endless discussions on military tactics.
It has been stated that these officers were not friendly during and after World War II, but this was far from true. These two men were completely different from each other, Patton was extremely wealthy, and he lived a vastly different life than Eisenhower. Patton furnished his house with furniture from France, had sports cars, servants and the best polo horses. Eisenhower had to rely on the poor military pay and he took furniture from the nearest dump that he refurnished.
There were many other connections that surely aided the professional development of Eisenhower.During World War I, General Fox Connor was a key planner that pushed American troops into the first battles against the Germans on the Western Front. He was a trusted leader that listened to the early military doctrine that these younger officers sought within the next major war. Eisenhower credited Patton with meeting Connor whom he considered to be a teacher and father figure that cultivated his earliest approach to leadership. Connor was a well-rounded officer that understood the need to work well with allies and to establish the most efficient military organization. These traits were all exhibited by Eisenhower’s command style during World War II and Connor advised his protégé to gain a position that enabled him to work with the brilliance of George C. Marshall. Although both men knew of each other and had brief encounters, they would not have any major connection for some twenty years until the start of World War II in 1939.
Whereas Eisenhower did not serve in France during World War I, he had the unique opportunity to visit the battle sites with General John J. Pershing. The Battle Monuments Commission was established in 1923 to identify the different places that Americans fought from 1917-1918. While this was at first seen by Eisenhower as a limited position, he was in the presence of Pershing and he was able to show his considerable talents with his writing. Like that of the other senior officers, Pershing was extremely pleased with the ability of Eisenhower to accurately present the American contributions to this war.Several years later when Pershing wrote his own memoirs, he asked Eisenhower to review the portions of this book that pertained to the battle sites that he commanded. In an interesting twist of fate, Eisenhower would again see these locations as the senior Allied commander during World War II.
In 1926, Eisenhower entered the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Missouri.Armed with the knowledge of the terrain around Gettysburg, he was able to decisively speak about the tactics of this Civil War battle that made him shine amongst his fellow students. Graduating first in his class, he was given some help by his friend Patton who provided his notes to Eisenhower from his own time at this school. By the end of the 1920’s, Eisenhower completed the prestigious education through the War College. This school was established to train our future army leaders and Eisenhower was evaluated as being one of the most superior officers within his class. When he graduated his paper on mobilization was sent to the War Department, and some ten years later, his ideas were used during the tumultuous mobilization, training, and planning years of 1939-1941.
In 1930, General Douglas MacArthur became the youngest Army Chief of Staff to hold this position.While promotions were slow for Eisenhower, he was widely liked, and he continued to work with the best minds in the army.As he respected the experience of MacArthur, Eisenhower did not like the the man’s ego and often clashed with some of his rash ideas. In 1932, World War I veterans widely suffered from the Great Depression and they descended on the capital to wage a massive protest. They sought an early payment of bonds that were promised to them for their service during the war. Army veterans organized themselves into groups, lobbied politicians, and slept on the lawn of the Capital Building.
After there were hostile actions between the police and veterans, Hoover ordered MacArthur to use limited force to push these people out of Washington D.C.Although MacArthur led many of these men, he was convinced that there were communist radicals intermixed within the protesters ranks and that they had to be driven out of the capital by excessive force. Eisenhower was appalled MacArthur’s action who he believed severely misinterpreted his orders from Hoover. As he later traveled with MacArthur to live in the Philippines to run their military, by 1939, he requested a transfer back to the states. He was burnt out for handling the numerous responsibilities of working for MacArthur and he wanted a fresh start away from this demanding officer. At this time, his son John asked him about entering West Point, Eisenhower stated that the army was good to him, but he would shortly be retiring as a colonel.
With World War II starting in Europe, General George C. Marshall was appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt the position of Army Chief of Staff. It was known that Marshall kept an eye on promising officers that he was bound to place in key leadership positions. While he barely knew Eisenhower, Marshall was giving a glowing recommendation by General Mark Clark on his effectiveness. At one point, Eisenhower believed that Patton was destined for the highest rank and responsibility. While Marshall respected Patton, Eisenhower was one of the few officers that understood the big military picture, he respected his planning during the 1941 military maneuvers, and his ability to solve complex problems with little help from others.
From 1941-1944, Eisenhower in quick time went from an untried senior officer in battle, to organizing the greatest coalition ever assembled to defeat Hitler’s forces in Europe. As Eisenhower pondered attacking Normandy in the hours before the June 6, 1944 D-Day landings, his many decades of service, experiences, and relationships helped him make this momentous decision. Always armed with the will to succeed for this nation and the world against this totalitarian power, Eisenhower’s presence some seventy six years ago made the tremendous decision to bring the beginning of the end to Hitler’s terrible rule on the European mainland.
Rich Acritelli is a social studies teacher at Rocky Point High School and an adjunct professor of American history at Suffolk County Community College.
Supervisor Ed Romaine during his State of the Town address. Photo by Kyle Barr
Brookhaven town has announced they are now accepting applications for COVID-19 Social Distancing Accommodations, which would allow businesses to expand outdoor seating and sales. This includes some retail establishments as well as houses of worship.
The permits are being fast tracked by the town and all fees are waived. This would immediately allow businesses to open up as Long Island enters Phase Two of reopening. All permits expire on Nov. 1.
The permits were partially formed thanks to the work of the Brookhaven Recovery Task Force, which Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) said “we have implemented this strategy to allow businesses to expand their operations beyond the confines of their four walls so that they can maintain distancing and keep their customers and employees safe without drastically reducing their operation.”
Types of eligible businesses include:
• Restaurants
• Retail sales establishments
• Personal service shops
• Places of worship
• Health clubs
• Delicatessens
• Assembly and social recreation halls
• Offices
• Movie theatres
• Non-degree-granting instruction/program except those associated with manufacturing or driver training
• Tasting rooms as an accessory to a permitted principal farm brewery, cidery, distillery, or winery use
• Large commercial retailer, except those deemed essential business
The application is available on the Town of Brookhaven website at www.BrookhavenNY.gov/RestartBrookhaven. For more information, call 631-451-6400.
Right, Laura Burns of Nesconset just recently graduated from St. Joseph’s College, though she finds her job prospects diminished due to the pandemic; left, Matthew Hoth of Miller Place said he was unable to do his internship at a mental health care facility due to COVID-19. right photo by Claudia Reed; left photo from Hoth
Recent college graduates on Long Island are faced with uncertainty as they begin to pursue their respective careers. Their 2020 graduating class will encounter a number of challenges as they enter one of the most daunting job markets, not seen since the Great Recession of 2008.
Not only did the COVID-19 crisis truncate their last semesters of college, it stripped them of graduation ceremonies. It put jobs, internships and other opportunities on standby. Some local graduates are being forced to adapt and stay sharp while they wait for the job market to rebound.
Nesconset resident Laura Burns, who recently graduated from St. Joseph’s College in Patchogue with a political science degree, said when the pandemic hit it felt like “everything was spiraling out of control.”
“A lot of my classmates, myself included, lost a lot of local opportunities because of COVID-19.”
— Matthew Hoth
“I remember taking my last midterm and then they canceled all classes before spring break. We didn’t even get a last goodbye,” she said. “It felt like we were forgotten.”
Burns was disappointed that she could have a proper graduation ceremony, saying it would have been a special moment for her and her family, as her mother also graduated from the college.
The St. Joseph’s grad had to rethink her initial future plans.
“Before COVID hit I was thinking about maybe pursuing a graduate school or law school — that’s what I felt was the practical thing to do,” she said. “Even if I wanted to try to get a job in political science it would be pretty difficult right now.”
Burns said some of her friends have gotten part-time jobs working at grocery stores for the time being.
Potential short-term options such as working at a restaurant or other retailers are unavailable, as Suffolk County is only in Phase One of the reopening process. Most retailers will be able to reopen more during Phase Two. Restaurants will have to wait even longer.
Burns said she will most likely plan on taking classes at Suffolk Community College and could continue to pursue acting, something she has done since she was younger.
This past February, the job market looked promising with employers adding 273,000 new positions, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor.
Just last week, more than 2 million U.S. workers filed for unemployment benefits, according to a U.S. Department of Labor weekly report. It brought the total number of jobs lost to over 40 million.
Matthew Hoth of Miller Place, who graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh with a master’s degree in data analytics, is trying to stay optimistic and positive about his future job prospects.
“A lot of my classmates, myself included, lost a lot of local opportunities because of COVID-19,” he said.
Hoth had an internship lined up with a local health and mental health care facility, but that all changed when the coronavirus hit.
“I had talks with them for a while, I was really looking forward to interning there,” the recent graduate said.
In addition, his last semester was going to be used to network and make connections in his field. He and his peers missed out on attending workshops that could have brought him face to face with potential employers.
“I had some leads on some jobs locally, but then everything kind of stopped dead in its tracks,” Hoth said. “Right now, I’m trying to get more program certifications to add to my resume and updating my LinkedIn [account].”
To fill the void of the internship and in an effort to add some work experience to his resume, Hoth is considering freelancing, special projects and working remotely.
“With companies cutting and laying off people it is discouraging to see,” he said. “But I’m optimistic that the economy and job market will eventually bounce back,” he said.
Victoria Arcuri
Victoria Arcuri of Holbrook, a recent graduate of Fashion Institute of Technology, was looking forward to starting a full-time position at a creative agency in New York City she had interned at during her last semester of school. Due to the effects of the pandemic, the agency had to put her postgraduation hiring on hold but extended her internship.
“My boss was like, ‘right now we are not in the position to hire you, but there is still a possibility for a full-time position,’” she said. “Without COVID, I’d have a full-time job right now.”
“I remember taking my last midterm and then they canceled all classes before spring break. We didn’t even get a last goodbye.”
— Laura Burns
Due to social distancing restrictions, Arcuri, who studied graphic design, and her fellow classmates also missed out on other potential professional opportunities. Their senior exhibition, an event where students get the chance to present their portfolio in front of professors and professionals in the industry, was instead held online this year.
“At first I was disappointed, but I realized there were worse things going on than not having the show,” Arcuri said.
After commuting to school for the majority of her college career, the FIT grad had hopes of moving to Brooklyn once she started her full-time job. Those plans have now been stalled as well.
The Holbrook resident said if she can’t secure a full-time position with the agency, she’ll look for other options in the short term.Freelancing and contract work could be a possibility, given a potential business climate where there is more work done remotely.
At her internship, presentations and meetings with clients are done through Zoom and they can send most of the things they’re working on via email.
“In graphic design we do most of our work on a computer or on our laptops, so it wouldn’t be too bad if I worked from home,” Arcuri said. “Though if I had a choice I’d prefer to be in a studio.”
She reiterated that many college grads are a bit scared about their own futures.
“Some companies and businesses might not come back the same, a lot of them have taken a big hit and that will affect us,” Arcuri said.
The H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge. Photo by Rita J. Egan
As the economic toll from the lockdown during the virus becomes clearer, County Executive Steve Bellone (D) has asked department heads to come up with 5 percent cuts in their discretionary spending, which would trim $60 million from the budget.
Those departments include the Health Department, the Department of Public Works, Real Estate, Parks, the Budget Office and the Office of Aging.
“Earlier today, I directed the departments under the control of the county executive’s office to identify potential cuts in preparation for the budget that we will be working on for 2021,” Bellone said on his daily conference call with reporters.
As for the spread of the virus, Bellone said he is concerned about any increase in viral transmission during the numerous protests in response to the killing of Minneapolis resident George Floyd, who died when a former police officer, who was now charged with his murder, kneeled on his neck while he was handcuffed for close to nine minutes.
“Gatherings of this size and proximity is a concern,” Bellone said. The county executive said the transmission of the coronavirus could become evident over the next week.
As of now, the county has excess capacity at its testing sites, including in hotspot areas.
Separately, Bellone and Legislator Bridget Fleming (D-Sag Harbor) will host a town hall tonight at 6:30 p.m. to discuss testing and contact tracing. Interested residents can tune in through facebook.com/SteveBellone.
Viral Numbers
Over the last 24 hours, Suffolk County has had the smallest increase in deaths due to complications related to COVID-19, with one additional person dying. The current total is 1,916.
“Every day, I’m hoping to see that number get down to zero,” Bellone said. “We haven’t been down to [as low as one death] since the third week in March.”
The number of people infected with the virus each day continues to hover below 100. Over the last day, 91 people tested positive, raising the total in Suffolk County to 40,153. The number of residents who tested positive for the antibody was 14,778.
Hospitalizations, meanwhile, decreased by 11 to 225, with those in Intensive Care Unit beds declining by five to 56.
An additional 20 people were discharged from hospitals in Suffolk County.
The silver maple tree outside Chris Ryon’s home in Setauket rises about 60 feet. Photo by Kyle Barr
Along a small East Setauket street off Shore Road and near Se-Port Deli, a giant stands dying.
It’s hard to relate just how large it is in words, let alone photos. Nothing does it justice. At approximately 60 feet high and 222 inches in circumference, measured at 4.5 feet off the ground, the enormous silver maple in Setauket is one of the few of its kind that remembers a time potentially up to the Revolutionary period or even further back.
Three-year-old Dina Amelchenko standing in front of the enormous tree in Setauket. Photo by Chris Ryan
Along Carlton Avenue, in front of Chris Ryon’s house, the best way to gauge the size of it is by comparison. Three-year-old neighbor Dina Amelchenko is dwarfed by it. Ryon, at 5 feet, 7 inches tall, can only reach the crook of the lowest branches with the tips of his fingers.
Ryon, a lifelong area resident and village historian for Port Jefferson and Poquott, has taken care of it for more than two decades. Now its bright bark is flaking off its core, and limbs are starting to tear from the trunk.
“Although the tree has been admired by many, for hundreds of years, it has reached the end of its lifetime,” he said.
Silver maples once lined the streets in the Setauket community, but the tree is not known for its steadfastness over such a long lifespan. Ryon said almost all have fallen or been removed, though none were anywhere near the size of the one in front of his house.
Ryon and his wife Karen purchased the house in 1996 from Fred and Betty Griffith, he said, which meant they also started taking over care of the tree. Prior to their moving in, the Griffiths had installed three cables connecting six of the giant tree branches together. Since then, the Ryons have paid for trimming the maple and removing any of the dead wood, with the help of neighbors Rich and Jeff Usher.
Despite these efforts, the tree still seems to be on its last legs. Some of the tree’s limbs have snapped off and crushed a part of the Ryons’ fence. Others could also come loose and damage neighboring homes or cars.
“We want to document it before it goes, if it does go, since it is unsafe at this point,” Chris Ryon said. “There’s a lot of question marks — we don’t know what the town is going to do with it.”
The race is now on to preserve the great silver maple and find some way to preserve the specimen for future generations.
There are ways to date it, either by bisecting it to count the rings or by coring it using a specially made device, or by carbon dating it. Without state foresters able to take any kinds of measurements, the exact age is still unknown.
John Wernet, the regional state forester of Long Island, said he has had conversations with Ryon but has not been able to go out to see the tree, as the pandemic and state cuts have left him unable to leave his office. Though he said the tree is not the biggest tree of its type in New York state, based solely on its circumference, it could easily be one of the largest on Long Island, if nothing else.
The state keeps a registry of all large trees, but the list does not offer any kind of protections.
“It’s more for bragging rights,” he said, adding that there is little he can do on the state side in tree preservation efforts, though he hopes the silver maple can somehow be protected.
Setauket groups are especially keen on preserving local history. with entities like the Three Village Historical Society and its annual Culper Spy Day event. Ryon said the tree could be used by local historical societies, where even a bisection of the tree could show what years showed more or less rain, and even relate which years local or national historical events took place.
The question lingers on what can be done to or for the tree. Three Village Civic Association 1st Vice President George Hoffman said the organization was just recently contacted about it, but said that they want to work with both residents and the town to help preserve the giant maple in some way, shape or form.
“I know highways [department] have responsibility, but that should be the last resort to take down a tree,” Hoffman said. “We’re here to support the community, but it’s still really early.”
Those in the community who were there in the 1970s are still burned by the loss of another tree, known as the Lubber Street Oak at the corner of Lubber and Black Duck Drive in Stony Brook. According to a bronze plaque residents set up at the site, the tree stood at 84 feet tall with a circumference of 280 inches. It was believed to be over 300 years old when it was taken down by the Town of Brookhaven Highway Department in 1979.
Bill Schaub, the Ryons’ neighbor and member and past president of the civic, said they would like the tree preserved in some way, especially considering residents’ past consternation with local government unilaterally removing those trees without first speaking to residents.
“If it has to be cut down because of disease then that’s understandable, there has to be a balance between beauty and safety,” he said. “But I think we can achieve that.”
A Highway Department spokesperson said the tree was only recently brought to the department’s attention, and no final decision has been made.
“Army” of People Work to Save Life of Sound Beach Man
Sound Beach resident Jim Kennedy, right, and his wife Trish. Jim’s life was saved thanks to scores of people, from the samaritan who performed CPR to the doctors at Stony Brook University Hospital. Photo from Trish Kennedy
What was just a day of golfing with his two sons turned into a life or death situation for one Miller Place School District athletic director and another area resident. It became a day where scores of people, both medical and nonmedical alike, worked to save a man’s life and return him to his family, alive and with his full faculties.
The Kennedy family said they would have lost their father and husband if it weren’t for Pietrie and the other medical staff that saved his life. Photo from Trish Kennedy
It was a bright sunny day the Friday before Memorial Day weekend, May 22. Ron Petrie, of Sound Beach, was out with his two sons Michael and Matthew for a day of golf at the Rolling Oaks Golf Course in Rocky Point. Being it was a popular day for some socially distanced sports at the course, the trio was paired up with fellow Sound Beach resident Jim Kennedy. They were strangers, but they got to talking as they moved languidly across the greens. Petrie’s sons were still relatively new to golf and were taking it slow to learn more of the ropes.
Petrie said he could tell that the new acquaintance loved his wife and two daughters just by the way he talked of them and how one of his daughters just recently graduated from college.
Then at the 8th hole, Petrie turned around, and said he saw Kennedy a few yards behind them. The man had fallen face down in the fairway. He didn’t seem responsive.
“The initial thing is just to figure out what was going on,” Petrie said, remembering the events of a few weeks ago. “It was kind of a sense of we’ve got to figure out what’s going on … It was definitely unnerving.”
Petrie got to the ground and rolled Kennedy over onto his back. He shook him, shouted his name, but there was no response. He checked everywhere, from his carotid to his brachial arteries for a pulse, but could not find it. The man was in agonal breathing, as if he was gasping for air, whenever the athletic director moved or shifted him. Though Petrie didn’t know it, the man was having a heart attack, and a severe one at that.
He told one of his sons to call 911, then that they should clear the area of any kinds of obstructions like golf clubs and bags and stand at the top of a nearby hill to flag down the emergency service vehicles that came by. Despite the threat of the COVID-19 virus, the athletic director began compressions and continued it for about five minutes until emergency responders arrived.
It’s something that as the head of athletics, as well as health and physical education, is kept up to date with the latest training every year. He fell into the steps of compressions. He saw the man had lost all control of bodily function and fluid. He had already vomited and he decided to focus on what he could control, that being pumping Kennedy’s heart for him.
“I coached for 25 years, I’ve gone through every gamut of CPR that it seems every two years they’re changing,” Petrie said. “The latest protocols are when in doubt, hands only, breaths are secondary.”
Medical professionals would learn Petrie’s actions most certainly saved the man’s life, and likely helped preserve the man in what is the most consequential time in a heart attack, where oxygen no longer is being pumped up to the brain.
Speaking many days after his time in the hospital, as he continues his recovery day by day, Kennedy said he remembers very little of what he was doing before he collapsed, and practically nothing until he found he was lying in a bed at Stony Brook University Hospital. He learned later his heart attack, caused by the complete blockage of the left anterior descending artery, is sometimes called the widow maker, as that specific artery provides blood into the heart, allowing it to function properly.
EMTs on the scene put him on a machine to do compressions and managed to get a weak pulse back in Kennedy, about 15 minutes after he went down. The ambulance team decided to take Kennedy to Stony Brook University Hospital’s cardiac department, where nurses and doctors would spend nearly the next nine hours in battle over the man’s life.
Kennedy’s sister, Kathleen Taibi, just happens to work as a nurse practitioner at the Stony Brook cardiac department. Her husband, Dr. William Taibi was Kennedy’s physician before he retired from his own practice in 2016. The duo received the call of Kennedy’s circumstances from their house upstate. They rushed down to Stony Brook, who let the Taibis and Kennedy’s wife, Trish, into the normally restricted lab, as many there thought it could have potentially been the husband’s final moments.
Doctors in the catheterization lab put two stents in his artery to open the worst of the blockages. After that though, Kennedy suffered two more cardiac arrests after he was put into the coronary care unit. An army of staff “worked on him and worked on him and worked on him,” William Taibi said. Medical professionals managed to stabilize him during the second round of catheterization.
The doctors put the man in an induced coma for several days, using an intentional cooling of the body to minimize the amount of oxygen the brain and body need. When he was warmed and awoke that following Monday, doctors and family were relieved to find he did not seem to have any damage in brain function. In just a little over a week he was released from the hospital.
“He came out of it miraculously,” Taibi said. “There were all sorts of miraculous events … if you’re looking for a hero story, it’s [Petrie and his sons], they performed CPR on him in the time of COVID. They were able to give him those first five minutes, that’s probably why he has his brain function today.”
Despite having never really met each other until that day on the golf course, it just so happens that both men were connected through the school district. Justine Scutaro, who teaches in the district and is also the girls volleyball coach, is the goddaughter to Kennedy.
“I’m just happy the family still has him in their lives,” Petrie said.
Kennedy, who works as a corrections officer for Suffolk County, remembers very little of events, only really up until the Wednesday after Memorial Day.
“I’m feeling a little better every day — when I came home everybody was really happy to see me upright and able to walk.” he said “I’ll forever be indebted to Ron.”
Trish Kennedy said Petrie “is our hero — performing CPR on a total stranger — especially during this pandemic.” She added that the work of everyone, from the athletic director to the people in the ambulance to the men and women in the hospital, helped save her husband’s life.
“Ron not only saved my husband, he saved [my daughters’] Kimberly and Kaitlyn’s dad,” she said.
Petrie said CPR is taught during the first quarter of health classes every year. Students wonder aloud why they have to learn the skill or when they will have to use it.
“We got him to where he needed to be,” he said. “To think his family will have the opportunity to be together, to know they will still have that opportunity, is a huge relief.”
The story printed in the June 4 issue of the Village Beacon Record incorrectly spelled Petrie’s name. This version corrects that error.
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