A scene from the 2023 Setauket Memorial Day Parade. Photo by Margo Arceri
A scene from the 2023 Veterans Memorial Park wreath laying ceremony. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Shine Dance Studio students at the 2023 Veterans Memorial Park wreath laying ceremony. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Members at the Irving Hart Post at the 2023 Veterans Memorial Park wreath laying ceremony. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from the 2023 Veterans Memorial Park wreath laying ceremony. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from the 2023 Veterans Memorial Park wreath laying ceremony. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from the 2023 Veterans Memorial Park wreath laying ceremony. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from the 2023 Veterans Memorial Park wreath laying ceremony. Photo by Rita J. Egan
State Assemblyman Ed Flood, candidate for Brookhaven's District I Gary Bodenburg and town Councilman Jonathan Kornreich at the 2023 Veterans Memorial Park wreath laying ceremony. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from the 2023 Memorial Day Parade. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from the 2023 Memorial Day Parade. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from the 2023 Memorial Day Parade. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from the 2023 Memorial Day Parade. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from the 2023 Memorial Day Parade. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from the 2023 Memorial Day Parade. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from the 2023 Memorial Day Parade. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from the 2023 Memorial Day Parade. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from the 2023 Memorial Day Parade. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from the 2023 Memorial Day Parade. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from the 2023 Memorial Day Parade. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from the 2023 Memorial Day Parade. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from the 2023 Memorial Day Parade. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from the 2023 Memorial Day Parade. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from the 2023 Memorial Day Parade. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from the 2023 Memorial Day Parade. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from the 2023 Memorial Day Parade. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from the 2023 wreath laying ceremony at the Village Green. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from the 2023 wreath laying ceremony at the Village Green. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from the 2023 Memorial Day Parade. Photo by Margo Arceri
A scene from the 2023 Memorial Day Parade. Photo by Margo Arceri
A scene from the 2023 Memorial Day Parade. Photo by Margo Arceri
A scene from the 2023 Memorial Day Parade. Photo by Margo Arceri
A scene from the 2023 Memorial Day Parade. Photo by Margo Arceri
A scene from the 2023 Memorial Day Parade. Photo by Margo Arceri
A scene from the 2023 Memorial Day Parade. Photo by Margo Arceri
It was a bright and breezy Monday as hundreds lined Route 25A in Setauket to cheer on the annual Memorial Day parade participants.
The event kicked off after a wreath-laying ceremony on the Village Green across from Emma S. Clark Memorial Library.
Veterans, scouts, elected officials, the Ward Melville marching band and more made their way down the parade route, ending with a closing ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park on Shore Road and 25A.
Earlier in the day, another ceremony was held at Stony Brook Harbor Memorial near the fire department.
The Simons Foundation’s contribution is the largest unrestricted endowment gift to a higher education institution in American history
The Simons Foundation, a philanthropy working to advance the frontiers of research in mathematics and the basic sciences, today announced a historic $500 million endowment gift to Stony Brook University during a news conference at the foundation’s Manhattan headquarters. This monumental gift — the combined largesse of the Simons Foundation and Simons Foundation International — is the largest unrestricted donation to an institution of higher education in U.S. history.
The extraordinary gift is also expected to grow by up to $1 billion in contributions for Stony Brook University’s endowment by capitalizing on New York State’s 1:2 endowment matching program and other philanthropy inspired by this gift. This transformative donation will cement Stony Brook’s place as New York’s flagship research institution and provide the means to invest in areas most urgent and necessary to help sustain the university’s commitment to educational excellence, research innovation and community support.
Investments stemming from this gift will have a direct and positive impact on perpetual funding for student scholarships, endowed professorships, innovative research, and excellent clinical care.
“The Simons Foundation mission is to advance the frontiers of research in mathematics and the basic sciences,” Foundation President David Spergel said. “For more than a decade, we have been proud to give to an institution that is at the forefront of educational excellence in the sciences. It is our sincere hope that this large unrestricted gift will build upon our previous support to Stony Brook, giving students and faculty the ability to dream big and engage in transformative research.”
“A world-class, public education has the ability to transform the lives of New Yorkers, which is why in this year’s budget we created the first-ever matching fund for endowment contributions for SUNY’s university centers,” Governor Kathy Hochul said. “Time and again, Stony Brook University forges a bold path forward, from innovation happening at Brookhaven Lab to the economic development throughout Long Island. With this remarkable contribution from the Simons Foundation, Stony Brook will continue to excel as an internationally recognized research institution and give students the tools they need to succeed.”
“We are eternally grateful to Jim and Marilyn Simons and Simons Foundation President David Spergel for their unparalleled support of Stony Brook University. In 1960, we were given a mandate by the State Board of Regents to become a university that would ‘stand with the finest in the country,’” University President Maurie McInnis said. “Thanks in large part to the generosity of the Simons Foundation, we have done just that, and we have no intention of slowing down. We take seriously our commitment to our students, our faculty and our broader community to advance knowledge and contribute to the most significant challenges facing our society. We are so proud of all that we have accomplished as an institution and our best days are ahead of us.”
“I joined Stony Brook University in 1968 as Chair of their Department of Mathematics,” Simons Foundation Co-Founder Jim Simons said. “I knew then it was a top intellectual center with a serious commitment to research and innovation. But Stony Brook also gave me a chance to lead — and so it has been deeply rewarding to watch the university grow and flourish even more. Marilyn and I are proud to support this outstanding public university that has given us so much.”
“As a Stony Brook graduate, I know firsthand the role that a quality education plays in the trajectory of one’s life,” said Marilyn Simons ’74, PhD ’84, Simons Foundation Co-Founder. “I am proud of the education I received there. Jim and I want to ensure that Stony Brook continues to serve its students with the highest level of educational excellence and with world-class resources. The foundation’s gift will also help give those from underserved communities the opportunity to reach their full potential. We look forward to seeing this institution continue to thrive.”
Since Jim and Marilyn made their first gift of $750 in 1983, they and the Simons Foundation have committed more than $1.2 billion to Stony Brook, while also inspiring over 2,100 other donors to give to the university. Their transformational support has led to growth impacting every corner of the Stony Brook campus and beyond, from the Renaissance School of Medicine and the Simons Center for Geometry and Physics to Stony Brook’s Simons STEM Scholars program, nine endowed chairs and professorships in economics, and more.
In addition to this historic gift and previous gifts to Stony Brook University, last month, following Stony Brook’s successful bid to serve as the anchor institution of the The New York Climate Exchange, the Simons Foundation committed $100 million to the project’s expected $700 million budget. These funds will help establish this climate research, education and green-economy training hub, set to transform how the world responds to the climate crisis and pioneer investigation into environmental, community and health outcomes and impacts.
The Simons’ own personal involvement in Stony Brook community life over the past 55 years has been life-changing for generations of students’ and scholars’ past, present and future. They have provided countless hours of counsel and leadership to advance important initiatives. For example, Marilyn Simons’ work with the Stony Brook Women’s Leadership Council mentoring program has been a launchpad for the careers of many undergraduates from all over campus.
“Jim and Marilyn have a long history of generously supporting the sciences, education, and the health and well-being of New Yorkers,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies, and 108th Mayor of New York City. “This new gift is an extraordinary example of that, and it will help Stony Brook University make critical investments that will empower more students to reach their full potential.”
“The generosity of Jim and Marilyn Simons and the Simons Foundation has already changed the lives of millions of New Yorkers, and this historic contribution to Stony Brook University will impact our students and our state for generations to come,” said SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. “Today’s announcement will benefit SUNY students through scholarship, academic programs, and research opportunities, and it will enhance Stony Brook’s prominence as a world-class leader of higher education. The Simons donation illustrates the power of Governor Hochul’s Endowment Fund Match program to multiply the support of generous donors to expand research and scholarship across SUNY.”
“It is my true honor to know Jim and Marilyn and to have had the privilege to work alongside them for more than 30 years,” said Stony Brook Foundation Board of Trustees Chair Richard Gelfond ‘76. “Both as an alumnus of Stony Brook and as Board chair, I am grateful for their generous philanthropic support, their leadership, and their friendship. They have made an indelible impact on the future of the University.”
# # #
About Stony Brook University
Stony Brook is New York’s top ranked public university and a part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system, an internationally recognized research institution and center of academic excellence dedicated to addressing pressing global challenges. SBU serves as the anchor institution for the New York Climate Exchange on Governors Island, the nation’s first climate research, education and green-sector-job-training hub set to transform how our global response to the climate crisis. As one of only eight American universities with a role in running a national laboratory, Stony Brook is also the joint managing partner of the Brookhaven National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy. The university’s distinguished faculty have earned esteemed awards such as the Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, Indianapolis Prize for animal conservation, Abel Prize and the inaugural Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics.
About Simons Foundation
Co-founded in 1994 in New York City by Jim and Marilyn Simons, the Simons Foundation’s mission is to support basic scientific research in pursuit of understanding the phenomena of our world. The Simons Foundation provides grants to individual researchers and to scientific collaborations and institutions, work in mathematics and physical sciences, life sciences, neuroscience, and autism science. The Simons Foundation also conducts computational research in basic sciences in-house at its Flatiron Institute.
From June 5 to 9, Stony Brook University will host a conference titled “Africa: The Human Cradle: An International Conference Paying Tribute to Richard E. Leakey” at the Charles B. Wang Center, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook.
The University, which has 15 speakers among the 40 scientists delivering lectures, will celebrate the achievements of famed and late scientist and conservationist Richard Leakey and will bring together researchers from all over the world to celebrate the research in Africa that has revealed important information about early human history.
Stony Brook will host the conference in connection with the Turkana Basin Institute, which Leakey founded and is located in his native Kenya. The National Geographic Society, which provided financial support for Leakey’s seminal research for decades, is serving as a partner for the gathering.
Scientists from seven countries will discuss the latest developments in fossil research, archaeological and paleoecological records, as well as advances in geology, geochronology and genomic research.
Leakey inspired scores of scientists and made important discoveries that helped highlight Kenya’s central role in the narrative of human evolution. He died in early January 2022 at the age of 77.
Lawrence Martin, Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Stony Brook and Director of the Turkana Basin Institute, organized the meeting, along with Professor Frederick Grine. Stony Brook President Maurie McInnis and Jill Tiefenthaler, CEO of the National Geographic Society will provide opening remarks.
Martin, who called Leakey a “close friend” and a “mentor,” said the idea for the conference started in the days after Leakey’s death. The Stony Brook president “wanted Stony Brook to be the place that celebrates Richard Leakey as a scientist” and to recognize his “impact on the world.”
Organizers for the conference, which involved nine months of planning, wanted to focus on the “human story in Africa as it’s emerged” since Leakey’s ground breaking research, Martin explained. He expects the conference will involve an emotional outpouring, reflecting the personal and scientific impact Leakey had on so many other researchers and anticipates the meeting will be “state of the art” and will “pull things together in a way that’s never been done before.”
Leakey, who made his first major hominin discovery in 1964 at Lake Natron in Tanzania, worked with Stony Brook University for 20 years. SBU will share a National Geographic video tribute to Leakey on June 5 that will include pictures of his parents Louis and Mary Leakey, who made important fossil discoveries and were involved in numerous important scientific projects, through the last few years of Leakey’s life.
Scientific talks
Martin suggested that the multi-disciplinary nature of the power-packed line up reflected Richard Leakey’s scientific views and bigger picture understanding of discoveries across a range of fields.
Leakey didn’t see geology, biology, paleobiology and other fields as separate, Martin explained. He saw all those disciplines as different sources of how humans adapted and evolved, which reflects the “integrated view” the conference is “looking to encourage.”
Richard Leakey examines fossils at the Turkana Basin Institute
Bernard Wood, Professor in the Department of Anthropology at George Washington University, joined Leakey on his first expedition to Lake Turkana. Wood will deliver the first talk, on June 5 at 2:15 p.m. He will focus on how Leakey inspired many scientists from a range of disciplines, with his intellectual curiosity leading to numerous research projects.
Lee Berger, explorer and scientist with the National Geographic Society, will deliver a talk on June 5 at 3:50 pm that will discuss recent discoveries of human origins. Martin said Berger’s talk would be “global news” and will likely be “covered all over the world.”
The first day will conclude with a free public lecture at 5 p.m. in the Staller Center’s Recital Hall by Richard Leakey’s daughter Louise, who will provide an overview of the discoveries and expeditions of the Koobi Fora Research Project in the Turkana Basin.
While Louise Leakey’s talk is free, attendees need to pre-register. The cost to attend the entire conference is $100.
Carrie Mongle, Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Stony Brook University, will be giving a talk on June 7 at 1:15 pm. She plans to attend all of the talks, as she sees this as an “incredible opportunity to see some of the world’s top paleoanthropologists come together and present the latest research in the field.”
In her lecture, Mongle will present new data related to the reconstruction of the hominin family tree.
“One of Richard’s scientific legacies is the extraordinary number of hominin fossils he was able to add to our collective understanding of human evolution,” she said. “Phylogenetic inference is a critical step in figuring out how all of these fossils come together to form the human family tree.”
On June 6 at 2:15 p.m., SBU Assistant Professor Marine Frouin will give a talk about the contribution of luminescence dating to the chronology of Pleistocene deposits in Turkana. Frouin uses luminescence dating techniques to study human evolution.
Turkana Basin Institute: Richard Leakey All photos downloaded with permission from: www.flickr.com Username: turkanabasin Password: knmwt15000
On June 7 at 9 a.m., Stony Brook Associate Professor Sonia Harmand, who worked closely in her career with Leakey and whose family developed a close relationship with the late researcher and conservationist, will describe research in the early Stone Age. Harmand and Directrice de Recherche Emerite at Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Hélène Roche will discuss evidence in light of biological and environmental changes in East Africa and will present future research directions.
Also on June 7at 2:40 p.m., Jason E. Lewis, lecturer at Stony Brook, will discuss the implications of a new Early Pliocene hominin mandible from Ileret, Kenya on the origins of Australopithecus.
Stony Brook Associate Professor Krishna Veeramah, will conclude the talks on June 7 at 4:10 p.m. with a discussion of how the analysis of modern and ancient DNA has helped understand African prehistory.
Martin, who will wrap up the talks on June 9 at 12:20 p.m., said he thinks Leakey would appreciate what people say and how much impact he had on the field.
“He was quite a self-effacing person,” Martin said. “He wouldn’t have liked too much fuss about him.” He would, however, have appreciated that people recognized that he made “significant contributions in the area of the human evolutionary story,” among so many others fields.
Chelsea Gomez of Level Up Kitchen with Emma S. Clark Memorial Library Director Ted Gutmann. Photo from Emma Clark library
The Emma S. Clark Memorial Library Board of Trustees has announced that they have selected a food and beverage vendor to operate the library’s new café which is slated to open later this summer. The vendor selected is Level Up Kitchen, a local business currently operating out of the Flowerfield complex in St. James.Level Up Kitchen was selected from a pool of candidates that responded to the library’s recent request for proposal for a vendor to operate the café.
Level Up Kitchen is owned and operated by Three Village native and chef Chelsea Gomez.Gomez graduated from Pennsylvania College of Technology with a degree in Culinary Arts in 2006, and prior to founding Level Up Kitchen Gomez was executive chef at Pentimento Restaurant in Stony Brook, which closed in 2021. Gomez is fully invested in the Three Village community, having grown up in Setauket, and she is currently raising her young family here.
Drawing on her formal culinary education, current business operations, and her many years of experience as a chef, Gomez possesses extensive knowledge of food safety and how to prepare fresh, healthy, handcrafted fare that meets a variety of dietary restrictions. She plans to include items at the library café that include nut-free, gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan, avoiding cross contamination with allergens. In addition, all of her employees will be Suffolk County Department of Health-certified food managers.
Moreover, Gomez places importance on sustainability, working with local farms and purveyors where possible to stimulate the local economy and provide the freshest, high-quality ingredients. She runs her businesses in an environmentally friendly manner, using biodegradable, post-consumer, and recyclable packaging and utilizing equipment that has low waste and high value, such as an energy-saving coffee machine and energy-efficient refrigerator.
Library patrons will be able to grab a quick snack on-the-go, or stay for a bite to eat and enjoy a more leisurely experience at the library.Construction began on the new café at the library earlier this year and will include a new, indoor seating area adjacent to the historic 1892 reading room. Café customers will also have access to the outdoor seating terrace, which opened in August 2022 and looks out over the library’s beautifully landscaped grounds and the historic Setauket Village Green. The library and Gomez hope to have the café operational later this summer, once staff are trained and all required permits have been issued.
Ward Melville’s Madden Murphy wins at “X” in the Suffolk Div-1 semi-final round at home against Northport. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville’s Madden Murphy wins at “X” in the Suffolk Div-1 semi-final round at home against Northport. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville’s Madden Murphy wins at “X” in the Suffolk Div-1 semi-final round at home against Northport. Photo by Bill Landon
Northport scores. Photo by Bill Landon
Northport sophomore Logan Cash passes behind the cage in the Suffolk Div-1 semi-final round against Ward Melville. Photo by Bill Landon
Northport freshman midfielder Luke Loiacono fires at the cage in the Suffolk Div-1 semi-final round against Ward Melville. Photo by Bill Landon
Northport freshman midfielder Luke Loiacono from behind the cage in the Suffolk Div-1 semi-final round against Ward Melville. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville senior Nick Gaffney rips a shot on goal in the Suffolk Div-1 semi-final round at home against Northport. Photo by Bill Landon
Loose ball in the Suffolk division I semi-final playoff game May 24. Photo by Bill Landon
Northport midfielder Luca Elmaleh grabs possession in the Suffolk Div-1 semi-final round against Ward Melville. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville senior Nik Barbero uncorks a shot on goal in the Suffolk Div-1 semi-final round at home against Northport. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville senior Nik Barbero scores while falling down in the Suffolk Div-1 semi-final round at home against Northport. Photo by Bill Landon
Northport longstickman Giancarlo Valenti pushes up-field in the Suffolk Div-1 semi-final round against Ward Melville. Photo by Bill Landon
Northport senior defenseman Andrew Miller heads towards the cage in the Suffolk Div-1 semi-final round against Ward Melville. Photo by Bill Landon
Northport sophomore attack Jack Deliberti splits the pipes in the Suffolk Div-1 semi-final round against Ward Melville. Photo by Bill Landon
Northport freshman midfielder Luke Loiacono dives for a loose ball in the Suffolk Div-1 semi-final round against Ward Melville. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville senior defender Michael Stellwagen breaks up-field in the Suffolk Div-1 semi-final round at home against Northport. Photo by Bill Landon
Northport sophomore attack Jack Deliberti scores in the Suffolk Div-1 semi-final round against Ward Melville. Photo by Bill Landon
Full house. Photo by Bill Landon
Northport sophomore Logan Cash rips a shot at the cage in the Suffolk Div-1 semi-final round against Ward Melville. Photo by Bill Landon
Victory in hand. Photo by Bill Landon
Tigers WIN! Photo by Bill Landon
The Ward Melville Patriots hosted the Northport Tigers in the semi-final round and managed to stay within striking distance through the first two quarters of play, looking to avenge their one-point loss to the Tigers earlier in the season, but faltered in the second half.
Northport freshman Luke Loiacono with a dominant performance beyond his years, topped the scoring chart for the Tigers with five goals along with an assist with teammate Luca Elmaleh’s three goals proved too much for the Patriots slamming the door for the 13-4 victory, Wednesday afternoon May 24.
Northport senior goalie Mike Tittman had 12 saves on the day.
Shhh. Listen. If what you hear is nothing, then maybe you’re onto something.
Noise envelops us. Some of it, like the sound of a Broadway musical, the waterfall laughter of a giggling child, or the deep resonant breath of a humpback whale surfacing amid floating cubes of ice in Alaska can give us peace, pleasure and joy.
Many noises, however, are irritants or worse. We step out of a loud airplane onto a jetway, where loudspeakers announce the boarding in group four of a flight awaiting takeoff. We walk through a crowded airport, as fathers shout to their children, a woman calls to ask Breanne if she “wants fries with her burger,” and a man informs his wife that he “has to pee so badly that he’s not sure he’s going to make it.”
We step outside of the airport, where whistles from people directing traffic echo in our ears and where officials in orange vests bark orders at drivers to “vacate this spot immediately!”
We try to ignore many of the harsher and more abrasive sounds, even though our nervous system tracks noises as a way to protect us in case someone yells something we need to hear.
And then there are those wonderful moments when we hear nothing, not even the buzzing of a lightbulb, a dog drinking in the next room, or a cat cleaning himself on a nearby chair.
Silence.
If it lasts long enough, it’s the pause that refreshes, giving our ears a rest and our brains a chance to hear an inner voice that might otherwise get lost.
We can find those moments when we’re on our own. When we’re surrounded by others, the silence is harder to discover, as we either speak or hear the noises they make as they unwrap a newspaper, chew their gum, or shake their leg up and down so rapidly that the material from their pants makes a repetitive rubbing sound.
But then, we can go to a meditation or yoga class or a religious or memorial service and reflect with others who sit still like a slope of shaded stones in an Ansel Adams photo.
During those moments, we can slow our breathing, think beyond the constant fast twitch need to act and react to our phones, and can allow our minds to make unexpected connections.
During one of those recent times, I pondered symmetry in nature, where you can draw a line down the middle of something like our faces, and see that the image on one side, excluding freckles, beauty marks, and that scar from the time we tripped and got stitches, is incredibly similar to the one on the other.
With so much chaos in nature, I wouldn’t expect such symmetry. At a distance, most leaves have remarkable symmetry, as do the shape of most animals. Human designs often have a pleasing symmetry, with windows, flying buttresses and A-frame houses looking remarkably similar on the left and right. Almost every field or arena for a sporting event has some symmetry, except for those with irregular outfield fences.
During a recent service, I enjoyed time when I couldn’t look at my phone and when I could read religious text. I haven’t considered these texts in a while and was drawn in by their drama and story value, as opposed to the spiritual and life guidance I often imagine. Basic struggles for power, sibling rivalries, and the search for food and stability dominate these narratives, which makes it clear why religion (and mythology) continue to offer connections for people whose lives, at least on the surface, are considerably different from the ones people lived lo those many years ago.
Ultimately, silence can be refreshing, giving us auditory time and space to reflect and to clean a cognitive filter cluttered with chaos and cacophony.
Suddenly it’s June. Didn’t we recently put our holiday decorations away? Wasn’t it mid-winter break just a couple of weeks ago? Time warps, especially if we have busy lives. We look up and five months of the year have already passed.
But of course, June is most welcome. It is the month of high school graduations, of weddings, of the official turning to summer with the summertime solstice and the most daylight hours of the year. For those readers interested in random data, June is the second of four months to have a length of 30 days and the third of five months to have fewer than 31 days. Take that to “Jeopardy!”
June is also the month when all the trees are dressed in their finest, lushest leaves, when the weather beckons us outdoors because it is neither too cold or too hot quite yet. June is when the swimming pools in the neighborhood shed their covers and offer to the eye patches of refreshing blue as we drive along the local roads. June is when allergy season begins to recede with the gradual lessening of tree and grass pollens.
Early June is when I like to travel because each day is longer, and I feel I am really getting my money’s worth on a tour. That’s also when most families are still home, their young ones not yet finished with school, and therefore all services, from palaces to restaurants are less crowded. Unless I am in the southern hemisphere, where it is technically the start of winter, the weather in June tends to be perfect, not much rain, the temperature ideal.
June was probably named after the Roman goddess Juno, the goddess of marriage and the wife of the supreme deity, Jupiter, There are also other suggestions for how the month got its name, but we really don’t have to list them all because no one I know is actually preparing to appear on “Jeopardy!”
That said, you still might like to know a few of the month-long observances for June. There is:
African American Music Appreciation Month
ALS Awareness Month in Canada
Caribbean American Heritage Month
LGBTQ+ Awareness and Pride Month
National Oceans Month
PTSD Awareness Month
Great Outdoors Month
And my personal favorite, National Smile Month, which is celebrated in the United Kingdom and should migrate across the globe.
There is also:
International Children’s Day on the first Tuesday
World Bicycle Day on the first Wednesday
National Donut Day on the first Friday
Father’s Day on the third Sunday
Here is one to ponder: Seersucker Day on the second Thursday
And on the third Friday, National Flip Flop Day.
Hmmm. Maybe with all that said, we should give a second thought to “Jeopardy!”
When our children were in elementary school, I always welcomed June with enthusiasm. It meant that July and the end of the academic year were not far away, which in turn meant sleeping in and not having to prepare for the early bus to school, long, lazy days at the beach, family baseball games on the empty school fields on weekends and frequent outdoor barbecues. This year, June means, among more hedonistic pursuits, a month with five Thursdays, and therefore five issues of the papers and website to fill with local news that we will report to you.
Today, we honor the brave men and women who gave everything for our country. As we all remember their service and sacrifice, we at TBR News Media wish you a safe and Happy Memorial Day.
The office will be closed today but will reopen tomorrow at 10 a.m.
A scene from the 2022 Northport Memorial Day parade. Photo by Media Origin
‘Remember those who served before.
Remember those who are no more.
Remembers those who serve today.
Remember them all on Memorial Day.’
— Emily Toma
Centerport
The Centerport Fire Department will host a Memorial Day Parade on May 29 at 10 a.m. from Centershore Road, Harrison Drive, east on Mill Dam Road Centerport, southeast on Prospect Road, south on Little Neck Road.Ends at Park Circle, Centerport followed by a ceremony at the memorial monuments in the park. 631-261-5916
Centereach
The Centerach Fire Department will host a Memorial Day Parade on May 28 at 1 p.m. Parade kicks off at Horseblock Road at the bowling alley and ends at the Centereach Fire Department on South Washington Avenue. 631-588-8652.
Commack
VFW Elwood-Commack Post 9263 hosts a Memorial Day parade on May 29 at 10 a.m. Kick off is at the Home Depot parking lot at the intersection of Larkfield Road and Jericho Turnpike and head east on Jericho Turnpike to junction at Veterans Highway to Cannon Park for a ceremony. 631-368-9463
East Northport
Father Judge Council Knights of Columbus hosts the East Northport Memorial Day Parade with kick off on May 29 at 12:15 p.m. at Clay Pitts and Larkfield roads and proceed to John Walsh Memorial Park adjacent to Northport-East Northport Library. 631-262-1891
Farmingville
The Farmingville Fire Department will host its annual Memorial Day Parade on May 29. Parade starts at 11am from CVS on Horseblock Road to the memorial at Nicolls Road and Portion Road. 631-732-6611.
Greenlawn
Organized by the Greenlawn Fire Department, a Memorial Day parade will kick off on May 29 at 9 a.m. on East Maple Road, south on Broadway to Greenlawn Memorial Park, at the corner of Pulaski Road and Broadway. 631-261-9106
Holbrook
The Holbrook Memorial Day Parade will be held on May 29 at 11 a.m. Route starts at 1069 Main St. South to Furrows Rd West to Grundy Ave.South and culminates at the Holbrook Vietnam Memorial. 631-471-2725
Kings Park
The 97th annual Kings Park Memorial Day Parade, sponsored by American Legion Post 944, will be held on May 29 at 9 a.m. Kick off is at the RJO School at Old Dock Road and Church Street to the Veterans Plaza at Route 25A for flag ceremonies. 631-269-4140
Northport
Organized by the Northport American Legion Post 694, the parade will begin at 10 a.m. on May 29 at Laurel Avenue School and proceed to the Northport Village Park. 631-261-4424
Huntington
The Town of Huntington will host a Memorial Day Wreath Ceremony on May 28 at Veterans Plaza on the front lawn of Huntington Town Hall at 100 Main Street at 10 a.m. Patriotic music will be performed by the Northport High School Choir. 631-351-3012
On May 29, a Memorial Day parade organized by American Legion Post 360 will commence at 10 a.m. at West Neck Road and Gerard Street and head east on Main Street to Stewart Avenue in Huntington. 631-421-0535
Port Jefferson
On May 29, American Legion Wilson Ritch Post 432 will be performing a Memorial Day ceremony honoring and mourning the military personnel who have died in the performance of their military duties while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces at Port Jefferson Memorial Park, West Broadway, Port Jefferson. Call 631-473-9774 for the time.
Port Jefferson Station
On May 29, American Legion Wilson Ritch Post 432 will hold a Memorial Day ceremony at Steven J. Crowley Memorial Park on Old Town Road in Port Jefferson Station at 9 a.m. 631-473-9774
Rocky Point
Rocky Point Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6249 for a Memorial Day service to honor the fallen. The Rocky Point VFW Post 6249, 109 King Road, Rocky Point will host a Memorial Day service on May 29 at 11 a.m. 631-744-9106
St. James
A Memorial Day Parade organized by Sgt. John W. Cooke VFW Post 395 will be held on May 29 at 10 a.m. The parade steps off at the corner of Lake Avenue and Woodlawn Avenue and proceeds to St. James Elementary School for a ceremony. 631-862-7965
Setauket
The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3054 will hold its annual Three Village Memorial Day Parade in Setauket on May 29 at 11 a.m. Parade starts at the corner of Main Street and Route 25A with an opening ceremony at the Village Green across from the library and a closing ceremony at Memorial Park along Route 25A. 631-751-5541
Smithtown
The Smithtown Fire Department will host a Memorial Day Parade on May 29 at noon. Kickoff is at the corner of Main Street and Singer Lane, continuing west on Main Street to Town Hall. 631-360-7620
Stony Brook
The Long Island State Veterans Home, 100 Patriots Road, Stony Brook will host a Memorial Day ceremony in its Multipurpose Room on May 26 at 2 p.m. Congressman Nick LaLota (NY-1) will give the Memorial Day keynote address to veterans and residents of the Long Island State Veterans Home. Congressman LaLota will join other elected officials in honoring the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in our armed forces with the laying of a memorial wreath. The ceremony will include a color guard, firing detail, taps memorial, wreath laying ceremony and “tolling of the bells” memorial service. 631-444-8615
Sound Beach
The Sound Beach Civic Association hosts a Memorial Day service at Veterans Memorial Park, New York Ave., Sound Beach on May 29 at noon. 631-744-6952
Boating can be one of the most joyous parts of summer, especially on Long Island.
There is truly nothing like the breeze running through our hair as we relax with family and friends, soaking up the natural beauty and the overwhelming landscape.
But it’s important to remember that boating is a privilege, not a right. Despite the fact that a night on the water could create lifelong memories, you don’t need a boat to get to work, the doctor or the grocery store.
This makes it even more imperative to be safe and considerate while on the water. It also makes it even more senseless when tragedies occur. Even the most experienced of boaters, like James Jaronczyk, of Massapequa, who died in the Great South Bay earlier this month, clearly can succumb to the dangers of the water. Sadly, these stories are not unique.
According to the United States Coast Guard, there were 636 boating fatalities nationwide in 2022, a 3.3% decrease from the 658 deaths in 2021. The most devastating aspect of the statistics is that several of the deaths were preventable.
Of the total fatalities 88 deaths, or 16%, involved alcohol. “Operator inattention, operator inexperience, improper lookout, excessive speed and machinery failure,” were other contributing factors, according to the Coast Guard report. Of the victims 75% drowned, and of those drowning victims, 85% were not wearing a life jacket.
As the Coast Guard advises, boaters must stay sober, check the weather, carry an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon — which signals if you get into trouble — and have VHF-FM radio on hand in case cell service drops.
Also always let someone who is staying onshore know your float plan, which breaks down where you are going, how long you will be gone, a description of your boat and the safety equipment you have on board. Boating is not a time to take risks or explore coves and inlets you have not been to before, if you do not know what you are doing.
Most importantly, boaters should register for a boating safety course as they can never be too experienced to refresh their knowledge or learn something new. They have an obligation to themselves and those on board to practice responsible boating habits and return home safely.
We at TBR News Media wish you a happy, fun and safe summer on the water with your families and friends.
The University, which has 15 speakers among the 40 scientists delivering lectures, will celebrate the achievements of famed and late scientist and conservationist Richard Leakey and will bring together researchers from all over the world to celebrate the research in Africa that has revealed important information about early human history.
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