America is the land of opportunities they say, we just have to work hard and we can succeed. As a high school student, I have watched the current administration strip students such as myself of the opportunities that will allow us to build a successful future. The current funding cuts do not impact just science research but also education. According to a report published by Education Week in May 2025, the National Science Foundation, under the Trump administration, canceled over 400 grants for STEM education.
The administration has even cut funding for PBS Kids, which was created to bring STEM education to children of lower class families. I can’t imagine any benefits to discouraging our future doctors, engineers, scientists and leaders from science. If high school students are not allowed to start pursuing science early, they will be set back in the future. And since one day we will all depend on this next generation of scientists, doctors and engineers, setting back high school students will set back our whole country, not just in science.
Everyone should be worried about cuts to science and education funding. These affect entire families, students and educators. Parents are worried that their children will lack future opportunities to become involved in STEM fields. High school students are primarily affected by the loss of programs and reduced chances to gain experiences to form their career ideas. Educators and teachers are not able to do their jobs and support students as they did in the past. Knowledge generated by scientists trickles down to the high school curriculum but if science is limited, there will be less knowledge passed down, meaning that future high schoolers will be at a lower standing. This domino effect will have a cascading impact on future generations.
A well rounded education is important for everyone, not just students who aspire to attend competitive colleges. As a society, we believe a high school education is crucial for making informed decisions and helping one understand the world better. This is especially relevant because for many people, a high school diploma is the highest level of education they will receive. Federally funded education programs offer different ways of learning both in and outside classrooms. Experiential learning such as hands-on curricula through internships, public education programs, museums and field trips expand upon the standard public school curricula. This is important because students learn in different ways and non-classroom learning experiences are especially beneficial for students with learning disabilities or different capacities to engage. These diverse types of opportunities are necessary to ensure every student is given a chance to succeed.
Over 50% of NSF funding cuts have been to education programs, according to the Hechinger Report. 1,400 grants have been cut, and 750 of those were to STEM education. That equates to about $775 million that could have helped students engage with STEM. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) began the cuts to reduce diversity, equity, and inclusion in scientific research. While it is understandable to want our federal government to run efficiently, cutting scientific research and education will have little effect on the efficiency of our government and the lasting impacts will put our entire nation at a disadvantage. It is imperative that we protect our equal access to education in order to create a better future.
Anisha Makovicky is a student at Earl L. Vandermeulen High School.
Gasoline prices are a little lower after a tumultuous week for oil and gas markets that ultimately ended with sharply lower crude oil prices and less pressure on prices at the pump. This is good news for drivers heading into the Fourth of July holiday travel period, as local pump prices remain considerably lower than this time last year.
With virtually all the crude oil price increases stemming from Middle East tensions evaporating from petroleum markets by the middle of last week, the focus for commodities traders shifted to domestic supply and demand readings that show demand for gasoline continues to increase — but supplies remain strong as well.
The Energy Information Administration last week reported a third straight weekly increase in gasoline demand, which rose nearly 400,000 barrels a day over the prior week to 9.1 million barrels per day, in line with expectations for strong demand typically seen in early summer.
That higher demand was a factor in national inventories of gasoline declining by 2.1 million barrels in total, according to the EIA, which might put additional upward pressure on pump prices. But in the Northeast, regional inventories actually increased by just over 2 million barrels, bucking the national trend. Regional supplies are now up 3.2 million barrels over last year and comfortably positioned ahead of the July 4 holiday and the next few peak weeks of the summer driving season.
“Recent geopolitical events showcased the volatile nature of oil and gas markets, but right now supply and demand are the primary factors impacting how much it costs to fill our tanks,” said Robert Sinclair of AAA Northeast. “While regional pump prices are up slightly from a month ago, they remain more than 40 cents lower per gallon than this time last year — great news for those heading out for Fourth of July road trips.”
AAA Northeast’s June 30 survey of fuel prices found the average for a gallon of regular in New York City $3.21, a penny lower than a week ago.The price is 42 cents less than a year ago. Long Island averages $3.13, Connecticut $3.17 and New Jersey also $3.17.
The current national average is down 4 cents from last week averaging $3.18 per gallon. Today’s price is 31 cents lower than last year ($3.49).
Today, Mississippi and Oklahoma have the lowest prices in the nation at $2.71 and $2.73, respectively.California and Hawaii hold the highest prices in the nation this week at $4.59 and $4.47, respectively.
AAA Northeast is a not-for-profit auto club with offices in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, New Hampshire and New York, providing nearly 6.8 million local AAA members with travel, insurance, financial and auto-related services.
With Pride Month bringing to Suffolk County both joyous parades and calls for greater support of LGBTQ+ community members, TBR News Media reached out to two local nonprofits, Gender Equality New York and Pride for Youth (a division of the Long Island Crisis Center), to ask what issues most impact LGBTQ+ people in Suffolk right now.
Juli Grey-Owens, executive director of GENY, founded the organization in 2016 in the aftermath of the group Empire State Pride Agenda disbanding. She said that after the passage of marriage equality in New York and nationwide, “all the LGBT people who were giving money to keep the organization up and running left.” “And so with them going out of business,” she continued, “there was no statewide advocacy organization to fight for transgender civil rights.”
So, she founded GENY to empower transgender, gender nonbinary and intersex New Yorkers, and GENY now provides educational training for Suffolk and Nassau police academies, local hospitals and houses of worship.
PFY, an LGBTQ+ health and human services organization, was founded in 1993 in response to its parent organization receiving many calls on its crisis support hotlines from people looking for LGBTQ+-based services. “Back in 1993, nothing like us existed in a suburban setting,” explained Tawni Engel, associate executive director of LICS, adding that PFY became the first LGBTQ+ organization in the U.S. to offer the services it did in a suburban area.
PFY now offers 32 programs and services throughout Suffolk, Nassau and Queens, including social spaces for queer youth, family counseling, housing support and HIV testing and education. “I feel like if you name the service, we offer it,” Engel said.
Both directors said one of the most prevalent issues facing LGBTQ+ Long Islanders now is hate and disinformation, especially toward the local trans community, leading to fear, bias and discrimination. “There are people walking around that believe that transgender kids are getting surgery at eight years old; that is a fallacy,” said Grey-Owens. “There are people walking around thinking that school nurses are handing out hormones. I mean, school nurses aren’t even allowed to hand out a cough drop.”
Engel also spoke on the rhetoric around trans community members, saying it is often dehumanizing and federal actions like the erasure of the “T” from the now “LGB+” pages on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website don’t help. “I think the message that that sends to people, especially young people, is just so demoralizing.”
Funding for services is also a major issue. With diversity, equality and inclusion programs dissolving, she explained, corporate sponsorships PFY used to rely on are falling through. “We have received many letters, come to find out they were sent to us illegally by the government, telling us that ‘x’ amount of dollars were gonna be pulled literally within twenty-four hours. It got reinstated, but it’s just been this roller coaster ride.”
The complexity these issues have on Pride Month, said Engel, was a consideration when organizing PFY’s annual pride gala and fundraiser. “It absolutely is a fun celebratory night of queer celebration and celebrating pride. But at the same time, especially this year … how do we strike that balance between educating and facing the realities of what’s going on, but also celebrating and taking care of ourselves?” she said. “We kind of started off with, okay, let’s talk about the realities of what’s going on, and then just dance our butts off the rest of the night and take care of ourselves and each other, you know.”
The gala featured Glen Cove city councilmember Marsha Silverman (D), who is the first-out lesbian councilmember on Long Island on the North Shore. Both Engel and Grey-Owens emphasized the importance of involvement and support from local officials, with Grey-Owens being a member of the Suffolk County Legislature’s LGBTQ advisory board and the LGBTQ task force for Huntington.
“Attend a school board meeting,” said Grey-Owens. “Make sure that the school board is representative or has representation or is aware of our community. Go to town council meetings. Visit your legislators… These are all people that have local offices here on Long Island, so it’s not like you have to travel to DC to see somebody. You can do it right here on Long Island.”
For more information visit the GENY website: www.genderequalityny.org.
Cast and crew of 'Maybe Happy Ending' at the Tony Awards after party, from left, Peter Hylenski, Hue Park, Ben Stanton, Dane Laffrey, Helen J. Shen, Darren Criss, Michael Arden, Pamela Hurst-Della Pietra and Hunter Arnold. Photo by Connor Macchi (KateMadeMedia)
By Daniel Dunaief
The back story for Maybe Happy Ending, the Tony Award winner for best musical, could in and of itself become its own drama.
The show chronicles an unusual love story between two “Helperbots,” which are humanoid robots that had been personal assistants. The musical wasn’t exactly a smash hit out of the gates, despite a compelling script and, as it turns out, well received performances from its leads Darren Criss of Glee fame and Helen J. Shen.
“It was a situation of, can we get people to come to the musical, because it is an exciting new original musical” that is set in the future, said co-lead Producer and long-time Setauket resident Dr. Pamela Hurst-Della Pietra. “While it doesn’t dwell on technology or futurism, it tells a story of two human-like robots that are living in the not too distant future.”
It was a challenge to introduce Broadway audiences to this story and these characters, when it was competing against legacy shows and revivals.
Amid early concerns about whether Maybe Happy Ending was financially viable, Hurst-Della Pietra said the team “used to call ourselves the little engine that could.”
Indeed, amid positive reviews and with enough support, the show survived its early unsteady beginnings.
“You’ve heard of the expression, ‘It takes a village?’” Hurst-Della Pietra asked rhetorically. “I’m really delighted that people believed in the show. I personally adore the show and really had my heart and soul in it. I can’t be more pleased with the outcome.”
Hurst Della-Pietra, who played Anita in West Side Story at French Woods in the summer when she was growing up, became involved with theater professionally when her daughter Ava started performing. She has been a producer on nine other shows.
Amid the tailwinds of numerous awards, including five other Tonys including one for Best Actor for Darren Criss and for set design, the show is planning to travel around the country and through Europe.
The music in the show deals with themes of loneliness and the search for connection.
The song “How to Not Be Alone,” which Hurst-Della Pietra describes as “very warm” and “poignant,” frames love as a choice, even as it doesn’t guarantee anything.
“I feel like there’s a lot of young people in their 20’s and 30’s that are kind of wanting,” said Hurst-Della Pietra. “They’re not as connected as prior generations.”
The two HelperBots are different from each other, but they are “giving it a go and they’re willing to try for love and they’re not perfect,” she said.
The song is “really about choosing not to be alone as long as you can help it,” said Hurst-Della Pietra.
Darren Criss plays Oliver, is obsessed with his jazz albums and taking care of his plant, while Shen plays Claire, who is affected by the rancor of her previous owner’s unhappy relationship.
Oliver plans to travel to Jeju Island to reconnect with his former owner James. Claire decides to join him to see fireflies, although the two HelperBots aren’t allowed to travel on their own.
To appear human, they develop their own story, which becomes a song called “The Rainy Day We Met.”
Hurst-Della Pietra describes that song as “cute and comical and super well done.”
Every time she’s seen the show, which, at this point is over 20 times, “I shed a tear.”
The title refers to the ambiguity about the ending of the show as well as the ambiguity that occurs throughout the show, the co-lead producer said.
She appreciates that the show addresses how we all deal with the fact that we are going to lose the people we love.
The show explores “the reality we all face,” she said. “I really like that human story.”
Hurst-Della Pietra is thrilled with the team that made this show possible, including Criss and Shen as well as director Michael Arden, scenic designer Dane Laffrey, video and production designer George Reeve, as well as the contributions of the two main lead producers Hunter Arnold and Jeffrey Richards.
“I couldn’t have had better people with whom to do it,” said Hurst-Della Pietra. “It was a joyful experience.”
Incumbents Jeremy Flint and Raymond Graham were reelected as trustees for the Village of Poquott, filling the two open seats. Flint had 61 votes and Graham had 60.
Having just completed their first two-year terms in the village, both candidates decided to run again, happy to work for the village they love.
Jeremy Flint
Flint moved to Poquott from his native Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 2021 in an interesting reversal of recent trends. “When I first moved up, people asked me why. I told them ‘to get away from all the New Yorkers because so many move in the other direction,’” he said.
He and his wife toured houses during COVID-19, when suburban homes were getting bought quickly as people emigrated from the city. When he and his wife toured their current home, they “immediately fell in love.” “It felt like home,” Flint said, and they put an offer in that very evening.
Flint owns his own business working in insurance, construction and consulting.
Galvanized to run after noticing how homes in his village were being utilized as rental properties, Flint ran for trustee in 2023, won and was appointed deputy mayor. Now, there are stipulations preventing residents or property owners from renting out their homes for short intervals. The village enforces a 30-day-stay minimum for rentals.
Additionally, Flint is eager to continue working on improving the safety of Poquott roads, expanding community events, advancing village technology to “improve interaction with residents” and refreshing the 10-year master plan.
He said his focus as trustee is respecting the balance of his unique community. “It is a combination of the inevitable moving into the future and working on the village and the upkeep,” he said
Graham is also entering his second term. He works in the Kings Park Central School District as a middle school librarian.
A Kings Park native, he moved to Poquott in 2019 and quickly became involved in the community volunteering, putting on fundraisers and embracing the community he called a “little slice of paradise.”
It felt like a natural transition, then, when he ran for trustee in 2023 after the previous trustee moved. Like Flint, Graham is concerned about safety.
“I want my roads to be safe,” he said. “I want my neighbors to be safe living here so I have been focusing my time on that aspect.”
Indeed, the village has experimented with movable speed bumps as part of a PILOT program, which allowed the village to both gauge resident reaction and test where they would be more efficient.
Graham also said he is eager to continue fostering community unity through events like the annual summer barbeque. He is also floating the idea for a 5k run through the village as, he said, the local running community is growing. The scenic views and hilly roads provide a good combination of pleasurable views and a tough workout.
Poquott beaches and infrastructures suffered damage in last year’s storm; Graham is eager to continue working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency “to try and restore the beautification of our village.”
One beach particularly suffered from the 100-year storm, Walnut Beach. “At high tide you can’t even walk down the beach in that area because of the erosion,” Graham said.
For more information visit the village website: www.villageofpoquott.com.
Graham and Flint’s term will be three years as the village transitions to four year terms for trustees.
Elizabeth Hashagen of News12 Long Island, who delivered the keynote address, at left. Tammy Severino, President and CEO of Girl Scouts of Suffolk County, to her left. Photo courtesy of Girl Scouts of Suffolk County
The Girl Scouts of Suffolk County recently honored 55 Girl Scouts at its annual Gold Award Dinner & Ceremony on at the Stonebridge Country Club in Smithtown, for identifying an issue they care about and leading a team to create lasting impact in their communities—and beyond. The Gold Award is the most prestigious award in Girl Scouting.
Gold Award Girl Scouts address issues they’re passionate about by planning and implementing a project that produces lasting change in their communities and beyond. To earn a Gold Award, each recipient must complete two Senior or Ambassador Journeys or their Girl Scout Silver Award before beginning their Gold Award project. To meet the Girl Scout Gold Award requirements, each candidate must complete at least 80 hours toward their project.
“Our Gold Award Girl Scouts are leaders in their community who are making measurable and sustainable change while still in high school said Tammy Severino, President and CEO of Girl Scouts of Suffolk County. “As they take action to transform their world, they gain tangible, real-world skills and a civic-minded awareness that sets them apart from their peers. 96% of Gold Award Girl Scouts say their experience inspired their ongoing commitment to service or volunteering. Our Gold Award Girl Scouts are discovering they have the power to create the future they want for themselves and others, and we are proud and honored by their achievements.”
Among the awardees:
Sophia Aurrecoechea – Islip Terrace
Giuliana Avella – Port Jefferson Station
Sara Bally – Miller Place
Elliot Baravarian – East Northport
Emma Barbo – Greenlawn
Eva Barbo – Greenlawn
Gianna Beck – North Babylon
Madison Calvanese – Setauket
Isabella Caracci – Stony Brook
Molly Caufield – Sound Beach
Marissa Cilibrasi – Ronkonkoma
Megan Condolff – Centerport
Nina Cottone – Setauket
Ellie Crowley – Huntington
Ava D’Angelo – Commack
Olivia Davis – Patchogue
Alessandra De Stefano – Commack
Emma Dean-Stahl – West Sayville
Mya DeClue – Smithtown
Anna DiBiase – Smithtown
Alexis Ebanks – Centerport
Sophie Epstein – Nesconset
Charlotte Farrugia – Selden
Jasmine Farrugia – Selden
Jailyn Fasano – Commack
Lillian Fleischer – Centerport
Julia Furer – Dix Hills
Grace Goetz – Greenlawn
Kristin Krause – Nesconset
Kayden Laucella – Stony Brook
Lauren Limongelli – West Babylon
Olivia LoBue – Huntington
Ruth Joy Mahnken – Ridge
Callie McLean – Mattituck
Jenna Mehlinger – Smithtown
Gabrielle Mitchell – Nesconset
Isabella Muccio – Port Jefferson Station
Brianna Naumann – St. James
Danika Riccio – Bayshore
Paige Rizzo – West Babylon
Elizabeth Ryan – Medford
Regan Sayers – Smithtown
Lily Scarth – East Setauket
Nicole Schrock – Cold Spring Harbor
Adelina Scott – Westhampton
Caroline Severino – Nesconset
Kinley Simmons – Miller Place
Samantha Simson – Commack
Victoria Starkey – Smithtown
Emma Travaglia – West Sayville
Kristin Tveter – Bayport
Adria Vargas – Sayville
Olivia Vigliotti – Ronkonkoma
Amanda Woods – Bayport
Cassidy Yates – West Babylon
Details about each Girl Scout’s project were shared with the audience in a print and digital yearbook, here. A video about their achievements, also shared at the event, is here.
The event was memorialized online with a photo booth of fun photos, here.
About Girl Scouts of Suffolk County
Since 1968, Girl Scouts of Suffolk County has been committed to building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. With over 15,000 members, they are one of the largest youth-serving agencies in Suffolk County. Girl Scouts helps girls develop their full individual potential; relate to others with increasing understanding, skill, and respect; develop values to guide their actions and provide the foundation for sound decision making; and contribute to the improvement of society through their abilities, leadership skills, and cooperation with others. For more information about the Girl Scouts of Suffolk County, please call (631) 543-6622 or visit www.gssc.us. Follow Girl Scouts of Suffolk County onFacebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.
The Ward Melville Heritage Organization (WMHO) announced on June 23 that it has retained an engineering firm, Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers (MRCE), and work has begun on taking borings of Harbor Road to determine its composition. This process entails drilling down every five feet until reaching 50 feet, inserting a four-inch wide hollow tube, and pulling out samples of soil from three separate locations.
An engineer will analyze data from the borings. Once that information is gathered, hydraulic data (rainfall, road runoff, the existing water in the pond) will then be analyzed. This process will take approximately two to four months.
The board of trustees feels the frustration of the community regarding the issue of Harbor Road, and we have initiated this work to secure on an accelerated basis the critical information needed to repair or replace Harbor Road. After signing the contract with MRCE on February 12, the first step of this multi-tiered process was conducting a survey of the grist mill and providing a subsequent report. Once the data collection and analysis are complete, three design concepts will be provided.
The organization hopes to at that point share all the pertinent details with the county, towns, and village. They realize that the matter requires a comprehensive approach that prevents this disaster from recurring in the future.
Harbor road, Stony Brook, blocked off. A collapsed dam stood just beneath the road, to the immediate left of Stony Brook Harbor. Photo by Denis Lynch
By Emily Mandracchia
Nearly one year after Harbor Road in Stony Brook collapsed, the unrepaired road is raising serious public safety concerns for residents and first responders. The delay has led to increased emergency response times and growing fears that the situation could result in avoidable loss of life or property.
At a June 17 Fire, Rescue and Emergency Medical Services & Preparedness Committee (FRES) meeting in Hauppauge, residents and officials voiced frustration over the inaction and jurisdictional confusion surrounding the collapsed roadway. They warned that the current detours and narrow, curving side roads are not appropriate for emergency access and are already contributing to slower response times for fire and EMS services.
Beth Zweig, a resident of Head of the Harbor, said the risk is not theoretical. “This is not speculation. Five and seven minutes could be the difference between a person found DOA or a house burned down,” she told attendees, describing the main thoroughfare as “nearly impassible.”
In response to public pressure following a community rally earlier this year, the Ward Melville Heritage Organization (WMHO) promised to provide a list of provisions that would render them comfortable signing the FEMA application. Instead, according to a June 10 letter from WMHO’s attorney, the organization presented a list of stipulations that the town and federal government would need to meet in order to access the site for repairs — without accepting ownership or signing off on the application.
The lack of a signed agreement is preventing FEMA funding, which is tied to a 30-month deadline for project completion. Nearly 10 months have already passed. If the parties fail to act soon, the funding could be rescinded. Suffolk County Legislator Robert Trotta estimates repairs could cost $8 to $10 million.
Dominick Thorne, a Suffolk County legislator and member of the Public Safety Committee, warned at the June 17 meeting that continued delays not only jeopardize FEMA funding, but could expose all involved parties to greater legal risk if emergency response is compromised.
“There will be more lawsuits if someone calls the fire department and they don’t make it,” Thorne said.
The Village of Head of the Harbor officials have expressed concern that the current situation has created unsafe conditions for residents and placed emergency responders in a difficult position.
Public safety officials have not confirmed whether any formal emergency response assessments or contingency plans have been issued regarding Harbor Road, and no agency has stepped forward to assume full responsibility for leading the recovery.
Community members have called on Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine to take a leadership role in coordinating a resolution, citing his prior involvement with infrastructure issues and relationships with local stakeholders. As of this writing, no direct action has been announced by the county executive’s office.
For residents and first responders alike, the concern is that the longer the road remains closed, the higher the chance of a preventable tragedy.
TBR News Media sent a Q&A to local salutatorians and valedictorians, asking about the strategies that helped them become their school’s top performers. Here are the scholars leading Ward Melville High School’s Class of 2025 in the Three Village Central School District.
Oliver Wu: Valedictorian • GPA: 105.36 • Activities: Kaleidoscope Newspaper (Editor), Tri-M Music Honor Society (President), Long Island Youth Development Music Club, Bluegrass Club, DECA • Attending Princeton University to study Public & International Affairs
Alexander Song: Salutatorian • GPA: 104.84 • Activities: Ward Melville Iron Patriots, Manhattan School of Music Precollege Program, SchoolNova TA, Tri-M Music Honor Society • Attending UCLA to study Computer Science
What advice would you give an incoming freshman? Wu: The path to “success” is often circuitous. Not everything you do has to (or should) directly or immediately contribute to a goal you have. Be a good person, care for yourself and others, keep space for what you love — these things all have so much value. It shouldn’t be an expectation for you to hollow yourself out in the name of “success.” Song: Get enough sleep!
How did you stay motivated throughout your studies?
Wu: Nothing like Lorde’s “The Louvre” playing in the background on repeat as I stare at a question I don’t understand (yet). A lot of people say they give 110% in everything they do. I’m gonna echo Michelle Zauner’s mother and say: give 90%, always save 10% of yourself. Song: I pursued what I truly cared about, which gave me the motivation to keep going forward.
Please share some study habits you employ that helped you maintain high grades. Wu: Everyone’s saying this, but I need to repeat it: we all underestimate the extent to which our technology has wrecked our brains and destroyed our ability to think with clarity. Keep reading things you enjoy! It makes focusing when you need to study so much more manageable. Song: I study with my friends, I use active recall, and I create practice problems for myself.
What are your goals or career aspirations? Wu: Something in government or government-adjacent as a policymaker. Song: I’m interested in robotics and computer vision.
Citizens Commission on Erosion members and Port Jeff Mayor Lauren Sheprow (front left, leaning) examine a blueprint of the PJ Country Club on Feb. 20. Photo by Lynn Hallarman
By Lynn Hallarman
A newly-released interim report from the Port Jefferson Citizens Commission on Erosion offers a candid appraisal of mounting risks and financial pressures surrounding the East Beach Bluff Stabilization.
The report cites worsening erosion, persistent drainage challenges and the likelihood of rising construction costs as factors that could drive up the long-term expenses of Phase 2. In light of these concerns, the commission urges officials to conduct a thorough cost-benefit analysis of alternative strategies before moving forward.
The planned wall of Phase 2 will be constructed seaward of the club building, which sits near the edge of East Beach Bluff on the municipally-owned Port Jefferson Country Club property. According to officials, Phase 2 construction is tentatively scheduled for the fall of this year.
Any strategy moving forward, the commission argues, should recognize that the club building — perched dangerously close to the bluff’s crest — will ultimately need to be moved in the wake of rising sea levels, increasing storms and accelerated global erosion of Long Island’s shoreline.
“The report outlines multiple pathways forward,” Village Trustee Kyle Hill said on his Facebook page. “But each underscores a shared reality — we must begin planning for a strategic retreat [of the club building].”
Overview of the project
In 2017, the village hired GEI Consultants, an engineering firm based in Huntington Station, to develop a plan designed at curbing the rapid erosion of the East Beach Bluff. In recent years, wind, surf and storms have scoured the bluff of vegetation and steadily eaten away at its edge, ultimately leading to the collapse of the club’s gazebo and a section of the tennis courts that once were set perilously close to the brink.
Phase 1, completed in June of 2023, included the construction of a reinforced steel and cement wall at the base of the East Beach Bluff, along with a series of terraces and native vegetation planted along its slope.
Destruction of costly Phase 1 work of the bluff face vegetation in the wake of a series of severe storms late in 2023 and early 2024 complicated the overall cost and timelines of the project. [For further information about Phase 1 see TBR News Media website, “Report finds no maintenance or repairs carried out on Port Jeff East Beach Project,” Feb. 6.]
Phase 2, includes the installation of a second wall landward of the bluff crest with the intention of preventing the building from collapsing onto the shoreline below.
The design of Phase 2 is currently being revised to address drainage issues complicating the wall build, according to GEI Consultants’ 2024 Annual Bluff Monitoring Report, submitted to the village this May.
As of yet, the village has not received the updated engineering plans, trustee Bob Juliano confirmed during a recent commission meeting.
Port Jefferson Country Club prior to collapse of gazebo and edge of tennis courts, undated photograph. Courtesy of PJ Village website
Financial questions linger
In 2021, village trustees projected the initial cost at around $10 million for the Phase 1 and 2 wall build and bluff restoration. This figure assumes at least three decades of structural stability to justify the investment. However, these cost estimates now appear to be outdated with recent inflation spikes and unaccounted expenditure, including a large drainage project, bluff repair and long-term maintenance costs.
The commission report calls for an updated cost analysis factoring these additional projects as well as costs related to potential supply chain uncertainty and tariffs on critical construction materials such as steel.
Phase 2 is supported in part by FEMA money. The commission expressed concern that this funding may be rescinded in the current political climate, leaving local taxpayers to make up the difference.
“The commission is concerned over the reliability of FEMA funding and whether those funds could be withdrawn,” the report states.
Despite calls for a cost analysis of all options, village officials have not yet initiated a publicly vetted fiscal plan for relocating the facility or other options — something that the commission deems a critical omission in its findings.
GEI report warns of new damage
The recently-released 2024 Bluff Monitoring Report in May, paints a mixed picture. Conducted by GEI, the monitoring period covers from February 2024 to this March.
While the lower bluff wall — reinforced with a steel bulkhead, stone armor and vegetative plantings — has held up, the upper slope is showing new signs of distress, according to the report.
Three storm events in 2024 exacerbated erosion along the western slope. Further displacement of coir logs and terracing, expansion of gully formation, vegetation destruction and signs of internal sediment movement were all documented in the report’s inspections. GEI notes that drainage remains a major vulnerability.
Recommendations include temporary seeding and erosion control matting over denuded areas of the bluff face, sand backfill in certain sections of the lower wall, repairing cracks in the lower wall, inspection and maintenance of the lower wall, replacement of the displaced coir logs and a soil boring analysis at the bluff crest to help define drainage issues.
The report emphasizes the need for permanent drainage landward of the club building and reconfiguration of the current building drainage system southward.
A drainage plan and long-term maintenance plan were not part of the initial design or cost analysis for the entire project — Phase 1 and 2 — according to the commission research on the history of the project.
CCE’s concerns
The commission reviewed the recent GEI report in detail at the June 19 meeting held at the club building. Members appreciated the comprehensive summary and visual timeline of project work but had many concerns about the recommendations.
“What is this [GEI] report trying to accomplish besides complying with the state?” one member asked. “The report should help the village identify problems but also guide the corrective action.”
Members point to vague directives without clear implementation plans, missing details in technical specifications for reconstituting bluff damage, and unexplained rationales for root causes of problems such as why the gullies formed in the first place and are now expanding. One member wants to see a priority ranking of potentially costly recommendations made in the report.
“Does it even make sense to do all these recommendations? Or are we just shoveling against the tide?” another member said.
Bluff base west of the concrete Phase 1 lower wall showing destroyed coir logs, as at March this year. Photograph from the commission’s report
The commission plans to submit questions to GEI and the village board of trustees about the report recommendations, requesting a priority list, cost estimates and a clear funding plan.
Long-term outlook
Trustee Juliano, at a recent Meet the Candidates night, said: “We don’t even know how much the next phase [Phase 2] will cost, and the loss of long-term revenue from the catering facility [that runs private events at the clubhouse] should be taken into account when weighing the monetary pros and cons.”
However, some longtime residents express frustration over the use of millions in taxpayer dollars to subsidize a building that is underutilized by the broader community, with little evidence that it generates sufficient revenue to justify the expense of the stabilization project.
Over the years, many residents say they have seen the club building evolve from a vibrant municipal community center hosting local activities to a catering hall primarily serving private events. There is currently no restaurant at the clubhouse.
“Sadly, this valuable piece of public parkland continues to be underused by our village residents,” resident Myrna Gordon said. She has repeatedly called for a reimagining of the site where the clubhouse sits, including rebuilding inland to protect the bluff and the long-term viability of a club facility as a community asset.
The village board, under newly reelected Mayor Lauren Sheprow, appears to be moving forward with plans for Phase 2 construction to install an upper wall.
“Protecting public assets and ensuring our approach is sustainable — not just structurally, but economically and environmentally,” Sheprow said at a recent public meeting.
Residents are encouraged to review the interim commission report and the GEI Bluff Monitoring Report, which are publicly available on the village website, and to share their input with the board of trustees. To view the CCE report, visit the village website and search for “Citizens Commission on Erosion.” To view the GEI 2024 Annual Monitoring Report search for “East Beach Bluff.”
“This is a moment for long-term thinking,” Hill said. “It’s a chance not just to respond to erosion — but to reimagine how this space can better serve the entire community.”
“It was a situation of, can we get people to come to the musical, because it is an exciting new original musical” that is set in the future, said co-lead Producer and long-time Setauket resident Dr. Pamela Hurst-Della Pietra. “While it doesn’t dwell on technology or futurism, it tells a story of two human-like robots that are living in the not too distant future.”
