Over the summer, dozens of nonprofits and organizations hosted beach and park cleanups across Long Island.
People came together with their trash bags in hand to pick up debris and trash. Families made days out of it, grabbing dinner afterward with the kids. Couples turned it into a bonding experience.
While it’s inspirational and helpful for members of the community to work together to clean up the communities in which we live, shouldn’t the town government take the lead with these efforts?
To that end, the road along Route 25A in Setauket has eyesores that detract from the beauty and safety of our community, including several dead trees, overgrown gardens, leaves and debris. Street lights that protect pedestrians and help drivers navigate the area are dimming, making them less useful as we approach days with less sunlight.
Long Islanders receive and appreciate the return on investment from their taxes, particularly when roads are cleared after a storm or when children receive excellent educations from public schools. Given the tax bill, however, shouldn’t the town be able to use some of that money for upkeep?
The community doesn’t police itself and shouldn’t need to clean up accumulating messes or detritus from trees or other vegetative growth. Residents can, and should, dispose of their own trash. Landlords should also take responsibility for the space outside their residences.
As for those public places the village, town or county oversees, those responsible for upkeep on those properties should step up their game.
We appreciate the work the municipalities do, particularly under difficult circumstances and, at times, with limited resources. We are also grateful to the go-getters whose efforts enhance the beauty of the communities we share.
At the same time, we need our elected officials and people with authority to take action to remove these dead trees, fix dim lights and remove garbage by the side of the road. The effort they put in now will save money and aggravation later, as well as improve the local environment.
Above, an AI-Grid prototype that is being built by the research team. Image courtesy of Stony Brook Power Lab
By Daniel Dunaief
The Department of Energy is energized by the possibility of developing and enhancing microgrids.
What are microgrids? They are autonomous local power systems that have small, independent and often decentralized energy sources. Often, they use renewable energy, like wind or solar power, although some use natural gas or diesel.
The DOE’s dedication to developing these microgrids may cut costs, create efficiencies and enhance energy reliability.
Peng Zhang. Photo from SBU
Peng Zhang, SUNY Empire Innovation Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Stony Brook University, is leading a diverse team of researchers and industry experts who received $5 million of a $50 million investment the DOE recently made to developing, enhancing and improving microgrid technology.
Bringing together these energy experts, Zhang hopes to use artificial intelligence to create a usable, reliable and efficient source of energy, particularly during periods of power outages or disruption to the main source of energy.
“The traditional microgrid operation is based on models and human operators,” Zhang said. “We developed this data-driven or AI-based approach.”
Artificial intelligence can enhance the safety and reliability of microgrids that can receive and transmit power.
One of the objectives of the systems Zhang and his collaborators are developing will include protecting the power supplies against faults, accidents from natural disasters and cyberattacks.
“This project led by Professor Zhang is a great example demonstrating the impact of this novel research on essential infrastructure that we rely on daily,” Richard Reeder, Vice President for Research at Stony Brook University, said in a statement.
Zhang said he has verified the methods for this AI-driven approach in the lab and in a simulation environment.
“Now, it’s time to demonstrate that in more realistic, microgrid settings,” he said. He is working with microgrid representatives in Connecticut, Illinois and New York City. His team will soon work with a few representative microgrids to establish a more realistic testing environment.
The urgency to demonstrate the feasibility of this approach is high. “We need to kick the project off immediately,” said Zhang, whose team is recruiting students, postdocs, administrative staff and technicians to meet a two-year timeline.
The group hopes AI-grids can be used in different microgrids around the country. If the platform is generic enough, it can have wide applications without requiring significant modifications.
While operators of a microgrid might be able to know the ongoing status, they normally are not able to respond to contingencies manually. “It’s impossible for the operator to know the ongoing status” of power sources and power use that can change readily, Zhang explained. “That’s why we had to rely on a data driven approach.”
Additionally, end users of electricity don’t necessarily want their neighbors to know about their power needs. They may not want others who are using the same microgrid system to know what appliances or hardware are in their homes.
Instead, the system will rely on the data collected within each microgrid, which reflects the behavior at different intervals. Those energy needs can change, as people turn on a TV or unplug a wind turbine.
At the same time, the power system load and generation need to remain in balance. Microgrids that produce more energy than the system or end users need can send them to a utility grid or to neighboring microds or communities. If they don’t send that energy to others who might use it, they can lose some of that energy.
Power needs to be balanced between supply and demand. Storage systems can buffer an energy imbalance, although the cost of such storage is still high. Researchers in other departments at Stony Brook and Brookhaven National Laboratory are pursuing ways to improve efficiencies and reduce energy storage costs.
Balancing energy is challenging in most microgrids, which rely on intermittent and uncertain renewable energy sources such as sunlight. In this project, Zhang plans to connect several microgrids together into a “mega microgrid system,” that can allow any system with a surplus to push extra energy into one with a deficiency.
Microgrids aren’t currently designed to replace utilities. They may reduce electricity bills during normal operations and can become more useful during emergencies when supplies from utilities are lower.
While artificial intelligence actively runs the system, people are still involved in these programmable microgrids and can override any recommendations.
In addition to having an alarm in the event that a system is unsafe or unstable, the systems have controllers in place who can restore the system to safer functioning. The programming is flexible enough to change to meet any utility needs that differ from the original code.
In terms of cybersecurity, the system will have three lines of defense to protect against hacking.
By scanning, the system can localize an attack and mitigate it. Even if a hacker disabled one controller, the control function would pop up in a different place to replace it, which would increase the cost for the attacker.
Stony Brook created a crypto control system. “If an attacker got into our system, all the information would be useless, because he would not understand what this signal is about,” Zhang said.
While he plans to publish research from his efforts, Zhang said he and others would be careful in what they released to avoid providing hackers with information they could use to corrupt the system.
For Zhang, one of the appeals of coming to Stony Brook, where he arrived two years ago and was promoted last month to Professor from Associate Professor, was that the university has one of the best and best-funded microgrid programs in the country.
Zhang feels like he’s settled into the Stony Brook community, benefiting from interacting with his neighbors at home and with a wide range of colleagues at work. He appreciates how top scholars at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard and national labs have proactively approached Stony Brook to establish collaborations.
Zhang is currently discussing a Phase II collaboration on a microgrid project with the Navy, which has funded his research since his arrival. “Given the federal support [from the Navy], I was able to recruit top people in the lab,” he said, including students from Columbia and Tsinghua University.
Stony Brook University President Maurie McInnis has announced that Harold “Hal” Paz, M.D., M.S., currently Executive Vice President and chancellor for health affairs at The Ohio State University and Chief Executive Officer of the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, has been named Executive Vice President for Health Sciences at Stony Brook University, effective Oct. 4.
Paz will report to President McInnis and is a member of her senior leadership team. As EVP for Health Sciences, he will work in partnership with academic, hospital and clinical leadership and with community partners to ensure the continued development of a premier academic medical center and health system.
“Hal has a vision of growth for Stony Brook Medicine that integrates our clinical, educational, research and service missions,” said President Maurie McInnis. “In a time of great transformation in the health care and social environments, his distinct experience will enhance our position as a world-class leader in research and innovation.”
“It is my privilege to join Stony Brook University during a time of strategic growth and tremendous opportunity,” said Paz. “Together with partners across the university and community, I believe we can set new standards for excellence in care, research, education and innovation.”
Paz succeeds Dr. Kenneth Kaushansky, who retired from his position as Senior Vice President of the Health Sciences in June 2021.
Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) is a daily runner who has participated in many local races, but her effort on the Port Jefferson/Setauket Greenway on Saturday, Oct. 16 in the Annual Kenya/USA Bi-Continental race was special.
For the last 17 years, Hope Children’s Fund, a local not-for-profit, has held a 5K fundraiser in support of the Jerusha Mwiraria Hope Children’s Home for AIDS-affected former street children in Meru, Kenya.
Hahn came in first among the female competitors in this year’s event with a time of 28:52. The overall winner was Setauket resident Donald Dodge, with his time of 24:28.
The Kenyan times were inconclusive, but in all of the competitions since 2005, the Kenyans have won 16 times.
Above, Kerriann Flanagan Brosky kicked off her Fall book tour at the Country House Restaurant in Stony Brook hosted by owner Bob Willemstyn on September 30.
Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel
The versatile Kerriann Flanagan Brosky’s works include Historic Crimes of Long Island (reviewed in this paper October 2017), Ghosts of Long Island, The Medal, and Delectable Italian Dishes for Family and Friends, among others. Haunted America (a division of The History Press) presents her latest work, Haunted Long Island Mysteries, a well-crafted overview of various sites of supernatural activity from Sag Harbor to Port Washington. Brosky has once again teamed up with medium and paranormal investigator Joe Giaquinto to explore a range of “spirited” hauntings.
Author Kerriann Flanagan Brosky
This is Brosky’s fourth ghost book: “The journey of investigating over one hundred presumably haunted locales on Long Island has led me to understand many things, including the importance of these spiritual beings and how they relate to our past and history, to the continuity of life after death and to the ability to communicate with our loved ones after they have passed.” Brosky finds the place where history and the spirit world eloquently intersect with the paranormal.
Both Brosky and Giaquinto come from a grounded and focused point of view. They are not looking for converts. Instead, they ask the reader to keep an open mind. “We are simply putting our research and investigations out there for one to ponder while at the same time teaching you about local history and the importance of preserving it.”
Each chapter focuses on a specific location: a house, an inn, a cemetery, a restaurant, etc. From Setauket to Patchogue, Babylon to Stony Brook — many of these places (18 in all) will be familiar to the readers from reading about or even visiting them.
First, Brosky provides a meticulously researched background, with detailed notes on the construction and physical elements. Next, she succinctly proceeds to accounts of the occupants’ lives throughout the years—the families, the marriages, the breaks, the affairs. Finally, having established context, she arrives at the present, interviewing caretakers, directors, docents, and board members. She then connects past to present, highlighting any of the unusual occurrences.
The final section of most chapters is composed of Brosky and Giaquinto’s actual work in the location, including photography, video, and, most interesting, the use of a ghost box. A ghost box (also known as a spirit box) contacts spirits using radio frequency. The result is EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena): human-sounding voices from an unknown source heard on recorded data from an audiotape, radio station noise, or other electronic media. The book contains portions of transcriptions, but readers may listen to the actual recordings by visiting www.ghostsoflongisland.com, then clicking on Haunted Long Island Mysteries.
The book contains accounts of orbs of light, dark silhouettes, footsteps in the middle of the night, and slamming doors. There are rooms where the temperature is exceptionally and inexplicably cold. There are scents with no source. But it is not about things that go bump in the night (though many do, including the voice of a screaming woman). Instead, it is about the energy and the presence (perhaps more blessed than haunted). Most of the encounters are with benign and even welcoming entities. Whether focusing on a member of the Culper Spy Ring, a library custodian, a mother guilty of filicide, or victims of a shipwreck, Brosky shows respect for her mission.
For believers, the book presents an ideal blend of history and mystery. For others, the exceptional scholarship provides an undeniably detailed examination of a range of Long Island settings. The work celebrates the scientific, not the sensational. This world is not populated by fanatics or conspiracy theories but people who have experienced events and connections for which they cannot find an explanation.
Brosky offers many perspectives in the dozens of interviews. “People always ask us if we have ghosts,” states Frank Giebfried, a docent and board member at Meadow Croft in Sayville. “I have not really experienced anything, just a little voice here or there, but nothing that I would attribute to anything supernatural. I’m a skeptic, but I’m not going to not believe the things people tell me they experience.”
Brosky honors groups like the Bayport-Bluepoint Heritage Association, the Ward Melville Heritage Organization and the Oyster Bay Historical Society for their work in preserving these historical sites and making them available to the public.
The last two chapters are devoted to the Sundance Stables in Manorville, with the final chapter focusing on Rebecca Weissbard, who died in 2016 at age twenty-two. A gifted equestrian, “Becca” died in a horseback riding incident. Her detailed story is the ideal coda because of the resonance of its deeply personal nature.
Giaquinto best sums up Haunted Long Island Mysteries: “There is something for everyone in this book. If you love history, it’s in the book. If you like to read ghost stories and urban legends, there are many to peruse here. And if you’ve ever been curious how a paranormal researcher does their work, you’ll find it here as well.”
Haunted Long Island Mysteries is available online at Barnes and Noble and Amazon. Learn more about the author at www.kerriannflanaganbrosky.com.
Once a month at Heritage Park, you will find smiling faces, bodies in motion, and even a doctor or two walking the paths of this Mt. Sinai park, as part of Walk With a Doc, a free walking program run by local physicians to promote healthy living and wellness.
Walking was recognized by the United States Surgeon General as one of the single most important things we can do for our health. With over 500 chapters worldwide, Walk With a Doc provides communities with a space to get in some steps, learn about health, and meet new friends. There are four Walk With a Doc chapters on Long Island, including the Stony Brook University (SBU) chapter lead by Stony Brook physicians and medical students.
“Our walks are a wonderful way to get together with the community, speak one on one with physicians, and get some exercise,” says Dr. Ursula Landman, clinical associate professor of anesthesiology at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, and physician walk leader for SBU’s Walk With a Doc Chapter. “I am always looking forward to our walks and encourage everyone to join us on this lifelong journey of learning and health.”
The Stony Brook University Cancer Center joined Dr. Landman at Heritage Trust Park in October to educate walkers about skin cancer risks and prevention. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the Unites States with one in five Americans being diagnosed in their lifetime. Rates of new melanoma cases, the deadliest form of skin cancer, are on the rise.
The best way to reduce your risk of skin cancer is to avoid ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun and indoor tanning devices. Stony Brook University Cancer Center’s Cancer Prevention in Action (CPiA) team provided skin cancer prevention resources to walkers, including how to reduce their exposure to UV radiation, sun safety tip sheets, and sunscreen to apply during their walk.
CPiA is a New York State Department of Health grant supporting cancer prevention in local communities. Stony Brook’s CPiA team is bringing sun safety education and policy to Suffolk and Nassau counties, with the goal of reducing skin cancer on Long Island.
“Cancer prevention is a vital step to building a healthier Long Island,” says Annalea Trask, CPiA Program Coordinator at Stony Brook University Cancer Center. “We are proud to support Stony Brook University’s Walk With a Doc chapter to promote healthy living in our community.”
The SBU chapter of Walk With a Doc meets at Heritage Park, 633 Mount Sinai-Coram Road, Mt. Sinai every third Sunday at 11 a.m. Walkers may join in person or virtually, walking around their own neighborhood or on a treadmill. You can Walk With a Doc at their next walk on November 21, 2021.
CPiA is supported with funds from Health Research, Inc. and New York State.
About Walk With a Doc:
Walk With a Doc is a national organization hosting doctor-led walking groups in communities around the world. With over 500 chapters, Walk With a Doc provides communities with a space to get in some steps, learn about health, and meet new friends. There are four Walk With a Doc chapters on Long Island, including the Stony Brook University chapter lead by Stony Brook physicians and medical students. Walks are free of charge and open to the public. To learn more, visit walkwithadoc.org or contact Dr. Ursula Landman at Ursula.landman@stonybrookmedicine.edu.
About Stony Brook University Cancer Center:
Stony Brook University Cancer Center is Suffolk County’s cancer care leader and a leader in education and research. With more than 20,000 inpatient and 70,000 outpatient visits annually, the Cancer Center includes 12 multidisciplinary teams: Breast Cancer; Colorectal Cancer; Gastrointestinal Cancer; Genitourinary Cancer; Gynecologic Cancer; Head and Neck Cancer, and Thyroid Cancer; Hematologic Malignancies and Stem Cell Transplant; Lung Cancer; Melanoma and Soft Tissue Sarcomas; Neurologic Oncology; Orthopedic Oncology; and Pediatric Hematology/Oncology. The cancer program is accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. To learn more, visit cancer.stonybrookmedicine.edu.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) tested positive for COVID-19.
The County Executive, who is vaccinated and has been observing mask mandates, is unsure of how he contracted the virus.
Bellone has mild symptoms and is currently not receiving any medical treatment.
“I hope this serves as a reminder to all residents that while we are making incredible progress in the war against COVID-19, we are not done just yet,” Bellone said in a statement. “I encourage anyone who is eligible to receive their booster shot to do so.”
At this point, no other members of his office staff or his family has tested positive.
Bellone said he feels in “good health and spirits,” according to the statement. He will continue to carry out the duties of the County Executive.
Meanwhile, the percentage of positive tests on a seven-day average in Suffolk County fell below 3% on Oct. 20, dropping to 2.9%, according to the Suffolk County Department of Health.
Local health care providers have been encouraged by the overall decline in positive tests, which they attribute in part to ongoing vaccination efforts.
The Food and Drug Administration provided emergency use authorization for the Moderna booster for a specific groups of people who were fully vaccinated at least six months ago. Those groups include: people 65 years and older; people 18 through 64 who are considered at high risk; and people 18 through 64 with occupational exposure.
The FDA also approved the use of a single booster dose for people who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months ago.
The FDA also allowed a mix and match approach to boosters, authorizing those who received one type of vaccination to choose a different booster. Local health care providers said studies have shown that people who received the J&J vaccine had a higher antibody response after receiving a Moderna booster.
“The available data suggest waning immunity in some populations who are fully vaccinated,” Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodccock said in a statement. “The availability of those authorized boosters is important for continued protection against COVID-19 disease.”
Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research said the FDA would gather additional data as quickly as possible to assess the benefits and risks of the us of booster doses in additional populations and plans to update the healthcare community and the public in the coming weeks.
For more information on vaccines in the area, residents can go to the web site: suffolkcountyny.gov/vaccine.
The web site also includes answers to frequently asked questions, such as: what are the side effects after I get the COVID-19 vaccine, is it safe to get a COVID-19 vaccine if I have an underlying medical condition, and what should I do if I am exposed to COVID-19 after being vaccinated.
Early in the pandemic, Bellone remained in quarantine and managed his responsibilities from home after Deputy County Executive Peter Scully tested positive for the virus. Bellone didn’t test positive at that point, although he, like so many others in the early days of the disease, waited days for the results of his COVID test.
TBR News Media is preparing for our special election coverage editions that will be out Oct. 28. Our articles are based on debates with candidates to help voters make informed decisions when they choose their representatives.
With everyone’s busy lives, it’s difficult to find a mutual day and time for competing candidates to sit down and discuss the issues and challenges that affect the office they seek. What’s even more frustrating is when we discover a candidate is just a placeholder, in other words, they’re not actively campaigning. Too many times in the past, we’ve spoken with a candidate for a one-on-one interview instead of in a debate, and it will happen again this year.
Both political parties have been guilty of nominating someone to run for office and putting their name on the ballot, even though the person has no intention of knocking on doors or engaging in the democratic process to discuss their ideas.
This happens often when the office has a strong incumbent where a party has a feeling their candidate has no chance of winning. However, at the same time, they know the person will get a good number of votes because they understand some people just vote down their party line.
During divisive times, the Democrat and Republican committees owe the public much more. Whether an election involves federal, state, county, town or village levels, it is important for the entire process to be credible. Some may say our local elections are even more important as the decisions made by elected officials have more of an impact on our everyday lives, such as how often our garbage is picked up and whether or not our roads will be repaired.
We suggest both parties take every election seriously and produce candidates who will actively campaign instead of providing a random name for those voting for a D or an R. One of the most important things an elected official can do is show up for the election from start to finish.
Anyone whose name goes on a ballot should be a bona fide candidate seeking office, and not merely a token way for a party to remain visible. Before checking off whom you want to represent you for any office, do your research. Find out the races that affect your area. Read up on the candidates, and don’t vote for any candidate who places so little value on your vote and can’t bother to campaign. When you are at the polls, you don’t have to choose someone in every race. If you are not familiar with the candidates, or if you don’t like them for whatever reason, you can skip that row.
Simply voting for someone just because they belong to the same political party as you is a reflection on your belief in a party or even a machine — and not in the individual. That’s like choosing a partner based on his or her last name or heritage without considering whether that person is right for you. We need candidates who are ready to represent us and our districts, and who are willing to listen to our concerns, values and priorities. Choose wisely, and in doing so, you’ll send a message that people count more than parties.
Take part in a pet parade in Port Jefferson during the annual Harvest Fest on Oct. 23. File photo by Bob Savage/TBR News Media
By Heidi Sutton
Halloween is such a fun time of year and celebrations have come early this year, with many events happening this weekend in addition to next weekend. Here are 31 Halloween events on the North Shore to enjoy with your family.
Centerport
Vanderbilt Fall Festival
The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport hosts a Fall Festival with lots of seasonal fun for visitors of every age to enjoy a safe Halloween on Friday evenings and on weekends through Halloween. Choose daytime events from noon to 4 p.m. with mini golf, face painting, pumpkin patch, Halloween games, a scavenger hunt or nightime attractions with a Wicked Walk, a haunted maze, and The Wicked Haunt, the museum’s version of a haunted house, plus a 9-hole Mini Golf from 6 to 10 p.m.For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.
Center Moriches – just added!
Magic of the Cauldron – adults only
The Ketcham Inn, 81 Main St., Center Moriches presents Magic of the Cauldron on Oct. 30 from 6 to 8 p.m. As the veil of darkness appears … pull up a chair around the cauldron on Ketcham Inn’s front lawn and feel the warmth of the fire. Hear the cauldron story while sipping savory soup and enjoy warm freshly baked bread from the Inn’s c. 1693 hearth by historic cook Diane Schwindt. Tickets are $15 per person (adults only please). The tavern will be open to purchase an additional drink. All proceeds go toward the restoration of the Inn. Call 631-878-1855 or visit www.ketchaminnfoundation.org.
Cold Spring Harbor
Harbor Haunts Walking Tour
The Whaling Museum, 301 Main St. Cold Spring Harbor hosts a Harbor Haunts Walking Tour on Oct 23 at 4:30 and 6 p.m. Explore Cold Spring Harbor’s ghostly side with fascinating tales of mishaps and historic hauntings on Main Street. Recommended for adults and children ages 8 and up. All tours are held rain or shine. Fee is $12 adults, $8 children. Register for the tours at www.cshwhalingmuseum.org or call 631-367-3418.
Haunted Hatchery
Calling all ghosts and goblins, spiders and bones … Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery, 1660 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor will host a Halloween event on Oct. 30 from 2 to 5 p.m. Families are welcome to join us for a not-so-scary Haunted Hatchery. Trick-or-Treat your way through their outdoor grounds. Admission fee is $7 adults, $6 seniors, $5 children ages 3 to 12. 516-692-6768, www.cshfishhatchery.org
Commack
Trunk-N-Treat
Commack United Methodist Church, 486 Townline Road, Commack presents a Trunk-N-Treat event on Oct. 30 from 3 to 5 p.m. Children can trick or treat for candy at festively decorated car trunks and truck beds. Stay for some games and activities. Free. 631-499-7310, www.commack-umc.org
Farmingville
Trick or Treat Trail
Join the Farmingville Historical Society on Oct. 30 and 31 for a Trick or Treat Trail at Farmingville Hills County Park, 503 Horseblock Road, Farmingville from noon to 3 p.m. Come in costume and trick or treat along a trail while learning about the history of candy. Fill your bag with real, full-size candy treats. The entry fee is $12 per trick or treater. Parents are welcome to escort their children without paying. Please note this is not a haunted trail. All Trick or Treaters must pre-register at www.farmingvillehistoricalsociety.org.
Dark Night: Halloween Trail
Long Island Community Hospital Amphitheater, 1 Ski Run Lane, Farmingville presents Dark Night: Halloween Trail, an outdoor extravaganza combining moderate scares with comedy that at the same time celebrates the nostalgia of vintage haunted trails through a post-modern twist on inspired characters from pop culture and horror movies of the 1990s, on Oct. 22 to 24 and Oct. 28 to 31. Hours are 7 to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 7 to 10:30 p.m. on Sundays and on Thursday, Oct. 28. Tickets are $35 adults, $15 per child.To purchase tickets, please visit, www.DarkNightLI.com.
Huntington
All Hallows Tour
Huntington Town Hall, 100 Main St., Huntington hosts an All Hallows tour at the Town Clerk’s archives every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through October from 1:30 to 4 p.m. The Halloween event will feature live interpretations of stories taken out of the archives vault. Free. Call 631-351-3216 or 631-351-3035.
Trick or Treat at the Heckscher
Families are invited to celebrate Halloween at the Heckscher Museum of Art, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington on Oct. 28 from noon to 5 p.m. Create a spooktacular art activity, make a haunted Digital Action painting, and take home a festive treat! Free admission for kids in costume and their families! Reserve timed tickets at www.heckscher.org. 631-380-3230.
Kings Park
Seaside Lantern Walk
Join the staff at Sunken Meadow State Park, Route 25A and Sunken Meadow Parkway, Kings Park for a Seaside Lantern Walk on Oct. 24 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. See the beach in a whole new light as you round the point of Sunken Meadow State Park with only lanterns to guide the way. The group will pause along the way for some Long Island historical scary stories! Reservations are required. To register, please visit Eventbrite.com and search for #NatureEdventures. For more info, call 631-581-1072
Lake Ronkonkoma
Halloween Pet Parade
The Lake Ronkonkoma Civic Organization hosts a Halloween Pet Parade in the Lake Shore Plaza parking lot on Portion Road in front of Shoprite on Oct. 23 from 11 to 11:45 a.m. Goodie bags for all participants, top prizes for scariest, original and cute, 50/50 raffle. www.lakeronkonkomacivic.org
Miller Place
Spooky Lantern Tour
The Miller Place Mount Sinai Historical Society presents its annual Spooky Lantern Tour, a not-too-scary walking tour of the haunted history of Miller Place, onOct. 22, 23, 29 & 30 at 5:30 p.m., 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. Walk the Miller Place Historic District with a guide from the MPMS Historical Society who will regale you with all the spooky stories surrounding this pre-Revolutionary War town. Bring a lantern or flashlight and wear comfortable shoes. For ages 10 and up. Masks are mandatory. Tickets are $15 per person. To register, visit www.mpmshistoricalsociety.eventbrite.com.
Mount Sinai
A Heritage Park Halloween
The Heritage Center, 633 Mount Sinai Coram Road, Mt. Sinai presents an outdoor Halloween event on Oct. 31 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. and again from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Enjoy pumpkin picking and decorating, unlimited game playing, and much more. Registration is $10 per participant. Parents and guardians are not required to register. Each registrant will receive a goodie bag and pumpkin to decorate and take home. Don’t forget to wear your costume! Advance registration only at www.msheritagetrust.org.
Nesconset
Halloween Pet Parade
The Nesconset Chamber of Commerce and Jennifer O’Brien of State Farm hosts a Halloween Pet Parade fundraiser for the Smithtown Children’s Foundation at the Nesconset Gazebo, across from Nesconset Plaza, 127 Smithtown Boulevard, Nesconset on Oct. 30 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Come in costume and trick-or-treat, enjoy ice cream, raffles, music, pet costume contest, vendors and more. Rain date is Oct. 31. Free.631-724-2543, www.nesconsetchamber.com.
Northport
Children enjoy a hayride at Northport’s Halloween Hayride at Northport Village Park on Oct. 25. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
Halloween Hayride
The Village of Northport will host its annual Halloween Hayride in Northport Village Park on Oct. 24 from noon to 4 p.m. with hayrides, pumpkin patch, pumpkin painting, live music, petting zoo, costume contest & refreshments. Fun for the whole family! Admission is $5 per person. Call 631-754-3905.
Port Jefferson
Trick or Treat Halloween Party
Give Kids Hope, 1506 Main St., Port Jefferson hosts a Trick or Treat Halloween Party on Oct. 23 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Decorate a pumpkin, play games, take part in a costume contest and more. Free. Call 631-538-5287.
Harvest Fest
The Village of Port Jefferson hosts its annual Harvest Fest throughout the village on Oct. 23 from noon to 5 p.m. with live music, fall inspired beer tastings, children’s activities, costumed dog parade, Pirate Scavenger Hunt, pumpkin carving, cornhole, woodcarving demonstrations, chowder crawl ($10 fee) and much more. Rain date is Oct. 24. Visit portjeff.com for schedule of events.
Halloween at the Explorium
Drop by the Long Island Explorium, 101 E. Broadway, Port Jefferson in costume on Oct. 30 and 31 between 1 and 5 p.m. and pick up a Halloween treat! Call 631-331-3277.
Riverhead
Festive Trunk or Treat
Hallockville Museum Farm, 6038 Sound Ave., Riverhead presents a festive Trunk or Treat event on Oct. 30 from 3 to 6 p.m. Come in costume and enjoy a mummy wrapping contest, Mike the Silly Magician Show, Halloween crafts, pumpkin decorating, games, costume parade,Trunk or Treat (treat bags provided) and much more. Admission is $15 per person, $50 for a family of four, children under 5 free. For a full schedule and tickets, visit www.hallockville.org.
Rocky Point
Trunk Or Treat!
The North Shore Youth Council and the Rocky Point PTA present a Trunk Or Treat! event at the Joseph A. Edgar School, 525 Route 25A, Rocky Point on Oct. 30 from 2 to 5 p.m. with decorated cars and trunks, candy and non-edible treats, face painting, crafts and photo prop. Costumes encouraged. Join them for a scary good time! Register for this free event at trunkortreatnsyc.eventbrite.com.
Ronkonkoma
Ghosts, Goblins and Witches
Ballet Long Island, 1863 Pond Road, Ronkonkoma presents Ghosts, Goblins and Witches, a fun ballet that is full of dance tricks and treats, on Oct. 27 at 11 a.m. and again at 12:15 p.m. (indoors) and on Oct. 30 at 8 p.m. (outdoors).Tickets are $18 adults, $9 children and seniors. To order, call 631-737-1964 or visit www.theballetcenter.org.
St. James
Halloween Parade
The Community Association of Greater St. James will host a Halloween Parade along Lake Avenue on Oct. 24 at 1 p.m. Line-up starts at noon on Seventh Street. Email [email protected].
Deepwells Haunted Mansion
Just in time for Halloween, the Deepwells Farm Historical Society transforms the Deepwells Farm Mansion, 2 Taylor Lane, St. James into Deepwells Sanitarium, Home for the Criminally Insane on Oct. 22, 23, 29 to 30 from 7 to 10 p.m. Featuring 16 rooms of horror, wooded trail of terror, food vendors, photo-ops and more. Advance tickets are available at www.deepwellshauntedmansion.com for $20 per person, $25 at the door. For more information, call 631-862-2808.
Setauket
Graveyard Walking Tours
In lieu of its annual Spirits Tour, the Three Village Historical Society hosts a series of one hour Graveyard Walking Tours through the Caroline Church and Setauket Presbyterian graveyards on Oct. 22, 23, 29 and 30 at 5 p.m. and again at 5:30 p.m. Hear the stories of the dearly departed including the Culper Spies that lay at rest in the Three Village area. Tickets are $25. To register, visit www.tvhs.org.
Shoreham
Halloween at Wardenclyffe
Join the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe, 5 Randall Road, Shoreham in celebrating Halloween on Oct. 30 from 3 to 6 p.m. with electrifyingly eerie exhibits, educational activities and fun for all ages featuring music, food, vendors, pumpkin contest, costume contest, Monster Mash Robot Challenge and more. Tickets are $15 adults, $13 seniors and students, $5 for ages 5 to 17, free for kids under 5. Visit www.teslasciencecenter.org or call 631-886-2632 for more information.
Smithtown
Ghosts and Goblins event
*This event is for Smithtown residents only.
Ghosts and goblins will invade Smithtown all in the name of good fun when the Smithtown Recreation Department hosts its annual Ghosts and Goblins event on Oct. 23 at Browns Road Park, 72 Browns Road, Nesconset from 10 a.m. to noon. Enjoy games and prizes, pony rides, a balloon artist, and more. Free. Call 631-360-7644.
Halloween Spooktacular
Sweetbriar Nature Center, 62 Eckernkamp Ave., Smithtown hosts a Halloween Spooktacular event on Oct. 28 and 29 from 6 to 9 p.m. Calling all ghoulies, ghosties, and other Halloween creepies for an evening of fun and excitement. Enjoy eerie animal presentations, a ghostly graveyard, creepy games, scary music, and spooky night trails. Great for ghouls 7 years and up. Refreshments available for purchase. Tickets are $15 per person. Register at www.sweetbriarnc.org or call 631-979-6344.
Spooky Lantern Walk
Caleb Smith State Park Preserve, 581 W. Jericho Turnpike, Smithtown hosts a Spooky Lantern Walk On Oct. 23 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Enjoy a fun evening of walking through the park with only a lantern to light the way. See Caleb Smith in a whole new way after dark, while your guide tells some spooky stories! Lanterns are provided. Advance registration is required by calling 631-265-1054.
Stony Brook
Halloween Family Fun
The Long Island Museum, 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook presents its annual Halloween Family Fun Day on Oct. 23 from 1 to 4 p.m. Come in costume and enjoy some spooky family fun on the museum grounds with a Halloween-themed magic show by Magic of Amore at 1 p.m., pumpkin painting and outdoor activities. Rain date is Oct. 24. Free admission and free pumpkin/decoration kit for each child while supplies last. 631-751-0066, www.longislandmuseum.org.
Secrets and Spirits Walking Tour
Ward Melville Heritage Organization hosts a Secrets and Spirits of Stony Brook Village walking tours on Oct. 28 at 2:50 p.m. and Oct. 29 at 10:50 a.m. Participants of the tour will hear the stories of the people who lived, loved, died…and still reside in Stony Brook Village! Stories include star-crossed lovers Mark and Sarah, who resided by the harbor in the 1800s; legendary 19th-century artist William Sidney Mount and his involvement in the “Miracle Circle” group of séance enthusiasts; the traveling ghost of Jonas Smith, the so-called “Lady in White,” who is said to suddenly appear at the Stony Brook Grist Mill, and more. $10 per person. To reserve your spot, call 631-751-2244.
Halloween Festival
Join the Ward Melville Heritage Organization for its 31st annual Halloween Festival at the Stony Brook Village Center, 111 Main St., Stony Brook on Oct. 29 from 2 to 5 p.m. Enjoy trick-or-treating in the shops, dancing and games, music from WALK 97.5, scarecrow competition and a Halloween parade! Free. Call 631-751-2244.
Pumpkin Carving Contest
The Reboli Center for Art & History, 64 Main St., Stony Brook hosts a Pumpkin Carving & Mask Making contest on Friday, Oct. 22 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Participants must bring their own, finished, carved pumpkin or mask (or both) in order to enter the contests. First place winners in each age group will win a Reboli Center gift certificate. Costumes welcome. Rain date is Oct. 29. 631-751-7707.
With 10 weeks left until the end of 2021, it seems fitting to consider what we might put into a time capsule that future generations might open to understand the strange world that was so incredibly different from the one just two years ago.
Here are a few items I’d throw into a box I’d bury or shoot into space.
— Masks. Even with so many events where people aren’t wearing masks, including huge gatherings of fans at sporting events, masks are still a part of our lives in 2021.
— A Netflix app. I’m not a streaming TV person. Most of my regular TV watching involves sports or movies (many of which I’ve seen a few times before). Still, I got caught up in the “Stranger Things” phenomenon and am now impressed with the storylines from “Madam Secretary,” which include prescient references to our withdrawal from Afghanistan and to the potential (and now real) pandemic.
— Pet paraphernalia. The number of homes with pets has climbed dramatically, as people who seemed unwilling or uninterested in having dogs are out with their collection of poop bags, leashes and pieces of dog food to entice the wayward wanderer in the right direction.
— A zoom app. Even with people returning to work, many of us are still interacting with large groups of people on a divided screen. Future generations may find all this normal and the start of eSocializing and virtual working. Many of us today are still trying to figure out where to look and avoid the temptation to scrutinize our own image.
— Cargo ships. The year started off in March with the blocking of the Suez Canal. For six days, the Ever Given kept one of the world’s most important canals from functioning, blocking container ships from going from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. As the year has progressed, concerns about shortages and supply chains have triggered fears about empty shelves.
— A small model of the Enterprise. The ship from the show “Star Trek” seems apt in a 2021 time capsule in part because William Shatner, who played the fictional Captain James T. Kirk (or admiral, if you’re also a fan of the movies), traveled briefly into space. In many ways, the science fiction of the past — a telephone that allowed you to look at someone else — is the fact of the present, with FaceTime and the aforementioned zoom.
— Competing signs. Protesting seems to have returned in full force this year. As the year comes to a close, people who do and don’t believe in vaccinations often stand on opposite sides of a road, shouting at cars, each other and the wind to get their messages across.
— A syringe. We started the year with people over 65 and in vulnerable groups getting their first doses of a vaccine that has slowed the progression of COVID-19, and we’re ending it with the distribution of booster shots for this population and, eventually, for others who received a vaccine eight months earlier.
— Take-out menus. I would throw several take-out menus, along with instructions about leaving food at a front door, into the time capsule. While numerous restaurants are operating close to their in-dining capacity, some of us are still eating the same food at home.
— An Amazon box. Barely a day goes by when I don’t see an Amazon delivery truck in the neighborhood, leaving the familiar smiling boxes at my neighbors’ front doors.
— Broken glass. I would include some carefully protected broken glass to reflect some of the divisions in the country and to remember the moment protesters stormed the capital, overwhelming the police and sending politicians scrambling for cover.
— Houses of gold. I would throw in a golden house, to show how the value of homes, particularly those outside of a city, increased amid an urban exodus.
— A Broadway playbill. My wife and I saw a musical for the first time in over two years. We were thrilled to attend “Wicked.” The combination of songs, staging, acting, and lighting transported us back to the land of Oz. Judging from the thunderous applause at the end from a fully masked audience, we were not the only ones grateful to enjoy the incredible talents of performers who must have struggled amid the shutdown.
The book contains accounts of orbs of light, dark silhouettes, footsteps in the middle of the night, and slamming doors. There are rooms where the temperature is exceptionally and inexplicably cold. There are scents with no source. But it is not about things that go bump in the night (though many do, including the voice of a screaming woman). Instead, it is about the energy and the presence (perhaps more blessed than haunted). Most of the encounters are with benign and even welcoming entities. Whether focusing on a member of the Culper Spy Ring, a library custodian, a mother guilty of filicide, or victims of a shipwreck, Brosky shows respect for her mission.
Halloween is such a fun time of year and celebrations have come early this year, with many events happening this weekend in addition to next weekend. Here are 31 Halloween events on the North Shore to enjoy with your family.
Farmingville
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