‘Pumpkin,’ watercolor by William Graf, will be on view at the Setauket Neighborhood House from Oct. 27 to Nov. 19. Image courtesy of the Setauket Artists
The cooler weather signals the return of a perennial favorite, the Setauket Artists Fall Exhibition at the Setauket Neighborhood House, 95 Main St., Setauket from Oct. 27 to Nov. 19. The annual juried exhibit was founded by Flo Kemp, a much admired local artist. Thirty-nine years later the group, now coordinated by the group’s president, Irene Ruddock, consists of about 50 artists from all over Long Island. Together they continue the tradition of exhibiting paintings at the historic Setauket Neighborhood House along with several other venues during the year.
Each year the artists choose an honored artist and this year’s choice is Renee Caine. “Renee has contributed an enormous amount of time to this group, creating and implementing new ideas. Because of her boundless energy Renee is always ready to help out on any occasion,” said Ruddock. Caine will be exhibiting a piece titled “Giverny #4,” part of the “Giverny Series.”
Fred Bryant, art collector and loyal supporter who has shown his dedication to the group for over a dozen years, returns as this year’s sponsor. “Because of Fred, our group had been able to purchase many items that have added to the professionalism of the Setauket Artists and for that we are grateful,” said Vice President Rob Roehrig.
This year’s event will be judged by contemporary realism artist David Peikon who teaches at the Art League in Dix Hills. An open house will be held on Nov. 9 and 10 and again on Nov. 15 to 17 to meet the artists, attend tours of the exhibit and observe an artist demonstration by pastel and oil painter Anthony Davis. Visit www.setauketartists.com or call 631-365-1312 for further information.
I thought I had taken all the right steps to protect myself against tick borne diseases; avoided going onto tall grassy areas without gloves, long white pants and white socks, and I sprayed legs — and shoes — and arms with repellents. All that notwithstanding, I did find more than one tick on me this summer. Again, I followed the prescribed steps and collected the vermin, saved it and saw my doctor, who prescribed a prophylactic dose of doxycycline. After the requisite weeks, I had blood work done which showed no sign of disease.
So, when I was flying home from a visit with our two sons in California and was not able to eat my salad at my layover stop, I was surprised but not concerned. I’d had a very busy week enjoying time with my kids and grandson. I felt very achy but chalked that up to the long drive from Marc’s home in Sebastopol to Dan and Megan’s home in Thousand Oaks. That’s more than 400 miles.
I was very tired the next morning but pushed myself to get up and get ready for the funeral that caused me to shorten my trip. During the Mass, I swung from hot to shivering cold and began to feel lightheaded. I turned to my husband, Stu, and told him that I felt as if my head was exploding in a white flash before my eyes. He helped me to my feet, and we made our way out of the church, quickly hugging my cousins as we passed. We bought a thermometer at a drugstore across the street from the church. It read 103 degrees.
This was Friday, the beginning of a week of fevers rising and falling, no ability to eat, muscle aches, headaches, earache and fatigue. My search for answers included three visits to doctors’ offices and finally, on Thursday, Mather Hospital Emergency Department in Port Jefferson where Dr. Hirsch did not dismiss it as just a virus. I told him I thought I had meningitis. He shook his head and said, “I suspect Lyme.”
My father had meningitis when I was 5 years old. He had continued to work although he was sick with mumps, and the infection spread. I remember the grown ups’ conversations about the tube driven into his head to relieve pressure. That left me with a very vivid but equally inaccurate image of what he endured. I wished something could relieve what I knew was going on in my head.
Stu and I had just watched “Jeopardy!” on Friday evening, and my right eye hurt so much that I decided to go to bed, since I couldn’t read or watch TV. I looked in the mirror as I brought the toothbrush to my mouth and saw that only half my mouth was opening. Off we went to Mather ED.
Within a day it was determined from the spinal fluid that the Lyme disease did cause the meningitis — and the palsy that froze the right side of my face.
I refer to tick borne diseases as the Black Plague of our county. These diseases are not to be taken lightly either by the public who don’t believe it will happen to them or by health providers who don’t consider the possibility of Lyme as often as they should. One can be bitten and walk away free of any infection or one can be bitten, feel safe because blood work shows no infection and find oneself close to death. I was very lucky to have had excellent medical care, both in the hospital and at home. I was discharged with a midline for a 28-day course of intravenous antibiotics and a service that provided a nurse who came to our home once a week and instructed my devoted husband on how to administer the medication when she wasn’t there.
Nobody drilled a hole in my head. Instead, my family, my friends and my community surrounded me with love, care and prayers. I am so grateful.
Vivian Viloria-Fisher and her husband live in East Setauket. She is a former county legislator in the 5th District, and is now chair of the Jefferson’s Ferry board of directors.
Chris Pendergast celebrates his 70th birthday at 89 North Music Venue in Patchogue with family and friends. Photo by Elliot Perry
By Chris Pendergast
On a cold rainy Columbus Day, my life forever changed. Nothing would be the same. The life I knew ended. My wife, children and I embarked on a new road, one less traveled by. That has made all the difference.
During the Columbus Day weekend of 1993, I was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. Most people now know it is an incurable and uniformly fatal disease. Average life expectancy still hovers near the two or three-year mark. Lucky ones can live longer. A rare few survive longer than 10 years.
Remarkably, l am entering my 27th year with my unwanted road companion. I am here today due in large part to my loving wife, Christine, and our wonderful kids, Melissa and Buddy. They keep me well cared for and motivated. They have, literally, gone the extra mile for me. My grandson Patrick is the most effective medicine I take. My son-in-law Rich and step-grandson Ryan round out my terrific family.
I am blessed with caring, competent and compassionate caregivers, Tiana, Amanda, Marquita and Lena. They are in the trenches every day and night battling right beside and fighting the good fight with me. I am fortunate to have an outstanding mental health therapist, Dr. Melnekoff. He has kept me balanced, focused and headed in the right direction. My life is extended through the phenomenal care provided by my incredible respiratory therapist, Monty Rivera from Millennium. I receive expert medical treatment at the ALSA Clinic, which bears my name at Stony Brook University Hospital. Marvelous friends surround me and help with so many things to make our life easier. My ALS Ride for Life charity has countless volunteers led by staffers Maureen and Marilyn. Because of all their collective work, we have raised more than $8.5 million.
Along the road with ALS, I witnessed amazing things and met incredible people. I was able to participate in wonderful experiences which otherwise would not have happened.
Do I wish I never got ALS? Honestly, I am not sure. I am certain that at some point in almost everyone’s life, a fatal disease will arise. The timing and circumstances vary but the ending does not. I have no corner on the market — everyone will get a turn. My turn came earlier than expected and became more public.
It has been a great life so far. I wonder what new adventures and joys lie around the bend. Besides the joys to come, there are also the challenges and corresponding sorrows. However, I have faith and optimism that everyone one in my life will collectively help me triumph.
To paraphrase Gehrig’s farewell speech at Yankee Stadium, as he did, I also say, “Look at these grand people. Which of you wouldn’t consider it the highlight of his life just to associate with them for even one day? Sure, I’m lucky. Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth.”
Chris Pendergast, 70, is a former Northport teacher, who lives in Miller Place. He is the founder of ALS Ride for Life, the Stony Brook University-based nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness about ALS, funding research and providing patient services.
Many teenagers who are struggling with depression need help. According to several estimates, less than half of teens with depression receive treatment that would help them manage through everything from negative feelings toward themselves and their lives to a lack of control over events during the day.
Jessica Schleider, an assistant professor of clinical psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences at Stony Brook University, wants to offer teenagers battling depression a new kind of assistance.
Jessica Schleider on a hike with her dog Penny. Photo by David Payne
Schleider is seeking participants for a new study, called Project Track to Treat, that offers teenagers from 11 to 16 years old symptom-tailored treatment. After participating teens respond to surveys she sends them on smartphones, she will provide single-session, computer-based interventions that address symptoms such as hopelessness or withdrawal from daily activities.
Schleider recently received a five-year, $2 million Early Independence Award from the National Institutes of Health to test the benefits of these half-hour computer sessions.
The funds will go toward study staff, the cost of recruiting youths and families for the study, equipment, statistical packages for the analyses she plans to run and compensation for the families who take part.
“A vast majority of teenagers who experience depression never access treatment,” Schleider said, potentially because teens are not typically in a position where they can seek out treatment on their own. “Between the lack of access to services and the limited potency of services, there needs to be a broader array of options and layers we can provide.”
In the world of clinical psychology, three to four months is generally considered brief treatment. A single computer-based session that a teenager can access at any time offers support during a much shorter time frame.
The idea behind the briefer, more targeted intervention is that it could offer help. The goal of the session is to create positive momentum, to teach teens useful skills for coping with depression-related difficulties, and to offer it in a setting where modern teenagers spend much of their time, online, Schleider suggested.
Jessica Shleider with husband David Payne and their dog Penny. Photo from Jessica Schleider
“For young people who would never go to a therapist, the question may be whether there is something else that could help, and [Schleider’s] work may offer one such ‘something else,’” John Weisz, a professor in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University, wrote in an email. It’s also possible, explained Weisz, who has known Schleider since 2013 when she worked in his lab, that a single session might encourage teenagers to believe that other types of therapy can also help if they try.
Part of the motivation for this study is to determine if the nature of the symptoms — which she will explore through survey questions — can inform how teenagers will respond to a single, therapeutic session.
Schleider created these programs from available research in psychology and education. She adapted some of those programs to these specific circumstances and she taught herself rudimentary coding with html. She currently has three programs available on her website, which interested parents and teenagers can explore at www.schleiderlab.org/participate.
The teenagers participating in the study will receive questions a few times a day for three weeks about how they are feeling, checking to see any signs of depression. From those interactions, Schleider will be able to determine which symptom is the most central and which might lead to other symptoms over time. She hopes to take parameters from that to see if those symptoms predict how much a participant will respond to a session.
Schleider will also measure how teenagers respond to training through the study. If their emotional state deteriorates, the researchers can intervene and can monitor the level of risk and refer any cases appropriately. “Our top priority as researchers is to make sure the kids are taken care of,” she said.
She was skeptical before she started working on brief sessions. “I was on the side of, of course you can’t do anything in one session,” Schleider said. “I thought you need several sessions to make a sustained change.”
In looking at the available research, however, she discovered that through 50 randomized control trials in 2017, the magnitude of the effect of the trials was between small to medium range, which matched the effect of sessions ranging from an hour to 16 sessions for other teenagers. After her study, she realized that “there is something to this. We need to do more work to find out what to do and how to harness it for our youth.”
Through monitoring over two years, Schleider hopes to gain a better awareness of who will benefit from this session and under what time frame they might see an improvement.
She hopes teenagers can share their thoughts and ideas for how to improve these programs. She also offers some of these teenagers to help reconstruct the content and language and references.
Teenagers who don’t participate in the Track to Treat study can participate in an anonymous Project Yes effort, which is a program evaluation initiative. These participants can offer feedback on these sessions.
For a subset of teenagers, one session likely won’t be sufficient.
Weisz suggested that Schleider, who joined Stony Brook last year, is a “terrific addition” to the university and the community. “I believe her work will reflect very well on both.” Weisz added that Schleider’s colleagues in the Department of Psychology at Stony Brook “are among the finest psychological scientists in the nation,” where Schleider can “take her work to a very high level.”
Schleider, who joined Stony Brook last year, lives in Coram with her husband, David Payne, who is a medical resident in radiology at Stony Brook Hospital.
As for her work, Schleider said she recognizes that there is no panacea, but that this approach is “something when the alternative is nothing.”
Dr. Philip Schrank, a Three Village district physician and chief medical officer for concussion management, spoke at the most recent board of education meeting about starting school later in the morning. Photo by Andrea Paldy
By Andrea Paldy
The recent Three Village school board meeting included a presentation of the district’s report card and the continued discussion of school start time, a topic initiated by a parent group.
Utilizing statistics from the 2019 state standardized tests, Regents exams and Ward Melville’s graduating class, Kevin Scanlon, assistant superintendent for educational services, was able to give the board a detailed snapshot of the district.
Enrollment continued to decline in 2018-19, dropping from 6,131 in the previous year to 5,812. However, Scanlon said, with prekindergarten enrollment, numbers stabilized this fall.
Three Village students excelled on the Regents exams with pass rates between 91and 95 percent on English and social studies exams, and with 67 to 84 percent of students receiving mastery level scores in the various humanities. Math results included a 92 percent pass rate for algebra, 95 percent pass rate for geometry and 99 percent pass rate for algebra 2. Between 46 and 50 percent of students received scores of mastery, Scanlon reported.
The district’s students led the state in scores for physics and chemistry with 94 and 96 percent pass rates, respectively, he said. Ninety-three percent of students passed the earth science exam and 94 percent passed the living environment Regents. Mastery scores ranged from 46 to 68 percent.
Of the 544 students in last spring’s graduating class, 311 were Advanced Placement scholars, the largest number in 20 years, the assistant superintendent said. Additionally, the senior class, which had 100 fewer students than the previous year, had a 97 percent graduation rate and 95 percent college acceptance rate for both four-year and two-year colleges.
The New York State assessments for students in grades 3 through 8 showed that the district’s opt-out rate dropped from 65 to 64 percent for the English Language Arts tests and from 67 to 65 percent for math.
Scanlon said that Three Village student rates of passing far exceeded those of Nassau, Suffolk and New York State for each grade in the subjects tested. District students outperformed students in nearby districts — Commack, Half Hollow Hills, Harborfields, Hauppauge, Northport, Port Jefferson and Smithtown— on the ELA and ranked first in all grades except for grades 3 and 4, where they ranked second.
The math scores followed a similar pattern in which district students ranked first in all grades, except for third grade, where they ranked second, and eighth grade, where they ranked fifth. Scanlon said the latter was because a majority of the district’s eighth-graders take the algebra Regents exam instead of the math assessment.
As a final metric, the district’s independent auditor, Thomas Smith of the EFPR Group, said that the school district is “way below the debt limit set by the state” and is “very financially healthy.”
It’s about time
With passage of a California law prohibiting public high schools from starting before 8:30 a.m. and middle schools before 8 a.m., Three Village parents thanked the district’s administrators for taking time to consider their request but continued to lobby for similar change.
Joining the ranks of speakers on behalf of later school start times were Dr. Philip Schrank, a Three Village district physician and chief medical officer for concussion management, and David McKinnon, a professor of neurobiology at Stony Brook University. Both gave biological reasons for the need for change.
“Eight years ago, I stood in front of this tremendous board, and you guys had the courage and the vision to be the first district in Suffolk County to implement a concussion management program,” Schrank said. “You made our kids safer and healthier. I would ask you to have the same courage and vision to be leaders on this issue, which dramatically affects all of the kids in this district.”
Superintendent Cheryl Pedisich, who met with the leaders of Its About Time: Three Village Parents for a Later School Start Time to discuss the issue, said the district is exploring the impacts and costs of a time shift. The findings will be presented to the board in December.
Dignity for All Students Act
Triggered by an incident at Arrowhead Elementary School, three parents attended last week’s meeting to discuss the Dignity for All Students Act, also known as DASA, particularly pertaining to early grades.
Heather Cohen, Shari Glazer and Cindy Morris asked that elementary school principals and teachers have age-appropriate resources for students and their families. They also want a protocol for DASA forms for students or parents to complete to allow “hate crimes” to be tracked and monitored over time. The parents also requested that when an incident occurred at school that all parents be notified.
During an interview, Pedisich said there’s “a definite protocol for DASA” and the handling of complaints. Additionally, she said, each school has DASA coordinators — the principal and a social worker — and district procedures are outlined on its website.
The superintendent said that though the specific case had been closed at the school level, it had now been reopened at the district level because of additional concerns brought to the administration.
The Northport Chamber of Commerce hosts a day of fun at Northport Village Park on Nov. 3 (rescheduled from Oct. 27) featuring hayrides, music, pumpkin patch, petting zoo, costume contest and refreshments. File photo by Victoria Espinoza
Dear Readers,
Happy Halloween! We’ve rounded up some of the best Halloween events on the North Shore for families with young children. From a Halloween Festival at the picturesque Stony Brook Village Center, to a spooktacular costume parade down Lake Avenue in St. James, to trick-or-treating inside the Smith Haven Mall and a variety of trunk-or-treats, there are plenty of choices this season.
Haunted Garden
Sachem Public Library, 150 Holbrook Road, Holbrook presents The Legend of Sleepy Hollow from Oct. 25 to 30 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The legend lives on as the Headless Horseman rises each night in the library’s Haunted Garden! Come for a scare and a snack and hold onto your head! Weather permitting. Free. Call 588-5024.
Family Fun Day
The Long Island Museum, 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook hosts a Family Fun Day on Oct. 27 from noon to 4 p.m. Come in costume and enjoy pumpkin painting, trick or treating, crafts and a special family performance by the magic of Amore. Free. Call 751-0066.
Halloween Festival
Heritage Trust invites the community to its annual Halloween Festival at the Heritage Center, 633 Mount Sinai-Coram Road, Mount Sinai on Oct. 26. The event will run in two sessions, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 3 p.m. Have fun with pumpkin picking and decorating, unlimited game playing, fun raffles, prizes and much more. Registration is $10 and required for all participants (no walk-ins, parents and guardians are not required to register). Each registrant will receive a snack and beverage along with a goodie bag and pumpkin to decorate and take home. Don’t forget to wear your costumes! Call 509-0882 or visit www.msheritagetrust.org.
Haunted Hatchery
Calling all ghosts and goblins! Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery, 1660 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor invites the community to join them for a not so scary Haunted Hatchery on Oct. 26 from 2 to 5 p.m. Receive a treat as you trick or treat. Wear a costume and have fun! Admission is $6 adults, $5 seniors and children ages 3 to 12. Call 516-692-6768.
Boo Bash Family Fun Day
Smith Haven Mall, Moriches Road, Lake Grove will host a Boo Bash Family Fun Day in Center Court on Oct. 26 from noon to 3 p.m. Come in costume and enjoy an afternoon filled with crafts, activities, goodies, giveaways,spooktacular fun and surprises with Vampirina. Call 724-8066.
Halloween Festival at SCCC
Join Suffolk County Community College, 533 College Road, Selden for its 33rs annual Halloween Festival on Oct. 26 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Babylon Student Center. Enjoy entertainment, carnival booths, crafts and lots more. Free. Call 451-4376.
Halloween at Wardenclyffe
New! Join the Tesla Center at Wardenclyffe, Shoreham for a supercharged Halloween celebration on Oct. 26 from 4 to 7 p.m. Featuring the wonders of Nikola Tesla, the master of technology and wizard of electricity. Enjoy a Monster Mash robotics competition, a Halloween Tech Parade, storytelling, activities, entertainment, food, vendors and more. Tickets are $15 adults, $13 seniors/students, $5 ages 5 to 12, free for ages 4 and under.To purchase, visit https://teslasciencecenter.org.
Haunted Wail-ing Booseum
The Whaling Museum, 301 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor hosts its biggest event, Haunted Wail-ing Booseum, on Oct. 27 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with spooky (and not so scary) games, creepy crafts and lots of fun activities. See live critters in Dr. Gellerman’s Spooky Zoo and make your way through the mysterious museum maze! Admission is $15 child, $6 adults. Call 367-3418.
Halloween Hayride
he Northport Chamber of Commerce hosts a day of fun at Northport Village Park, 1 Bayview Ave., Northport on Nov. 3 (rescheduled from Oct. 27)from noon to 4 p.m. featuring hayrides, music, pumpkin patch, petting zoo, costume contest and refreshments. Call 754-3905 or visit www.northportny.com.
Port Jeff Village Harvest Fest
Port Jefferson Village presents its 10th annual Harvest Fest throughout the village on Oct. 27 from noon to 5 p.m. Attractions will include a Chowder Crawl, costumed dog parade, Scarecrow Alley, marshmallow roasting, haunted walking tour, farmers market, festive harvest crafts, live music and woodcarving.Call 473-4724 or visit www.portjeff.com.
Spooktacular Parade
The Community Association of Greater St. James will present a Spooktacular Parade on Oct. 27 from 1 to 4 p.m. Little ghosts and goblins should gather at Lake and Woodlawn avenues in St. James by noon for a contest, prizes and fun!
Trick or Treat at the Heckscher
The Heckscher Museum of Art, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington offers free museum admission for children in costume and their families from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Make an art activity at the Create Your Own Activity Station, pose with spooktacular props at the Selfie Station, make a magical digital action painting and explore the museum’s exhibits. Call 351-3250.
Safe Trick-or-Treating
Join the Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove for a spooktacular, safe trick-or-treating environment for all of your little ghouls and goblins on Halloween Day, Oct. 31 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at participating retailers. **Participating stores will have an orange pumpkin displayed in their window. Call 724-8066.
Halloween Festival
The Ward Melville Heritage Organization hosts its annual Halloween Festival at the Stony Brook Village Center, 111 Main St., Stony Brook on Oct. 31 from 2 to 5 p.m. Trick or treat in the shops and restaurants, take part in a costume parade, and enjoy games galore. Free. Call 751-2244.
Halloween Costume Parade
The Town of Huntington will present its annual children’s Halloween Costume Parade starting at Gerard Street in Huntington Village on Oct. 31 from 4 to 5 p.m. Children of all ages (and their parents or guardians) are welcome to dress in costume and walk in the parade. Parade route will move east down Gerard Street and south down Wall Street, ending where Wall Street meets Main Street. Village merchants will pass out candy to trick or treater’s. For info, call 351-3112.
Trunk-or-Treat events
Kids Clubhouse of Suffolk at Cornerstone Bible Church, 324 Jayne Blvd., Port Jefferson Station invites you to wear your costume and join them as they go from trunk to trunk for a fun, safe, family event on Oct. 31 from 3 to 5 p.m. Enjoy music, games and peanut-free treats. Call 675-1615.
Lake Ronkonkoma United Methodist Church, 792 Hawkins Ave., Lake Grove welcomes all families to celebrate Halloween at its 3rd annual Trunk-or-Treat on Oct. 26 from noon to 2 p.m. Children will trick or treat for candy and other goodies in the church’s parking lot where cars will be decorated with festive themes. Complimentary refreshments will be served. Call 588-5856.
Join the Commack United Methodist Church, 486 Townline Road, Commack for a Trunk-N-Treat event on Oct. 26 from 3 to 5 p.m. Rain date is Oct. 27. Questions? Call 499-7310.
Three Village Church, 322 Route 25A in East Setauket, hosts a Trunk or Treat event on Oct. 31 from 6 to 8 p.m. with trick or treating at decorated car trunks, a bounce house, crafts, games and more! Call 941-3670.
Suffolk County legislators approved a $3.2 billion budget for 2020 Nov. 6. TBR News Media file photo
County residents got a glimpse of the county’s budget process as the operating budget working group held its first public meeting Oct. 17 when the 2019-20 recommended operating budget was discussed.
The county operating budget funds employee payroll costs, county departments and a variety of other expenditures. The status of the budget has been in the spotlight since the New York State comptroller, Tom DiNapoli (D), said Suffolk was under “significant fiscal stress” — with Nassau — for the second year in a row. In 2018, Suffolk had an operating deficit of about $26.5 million and a general fund balance deficit of $285 million.
The topic has been an important issue in the county executive race. The current incumbent, Steve Bellone (D), has stated that during his tenure he has worked to bring the county spending and finances back in check. John Kennedy Jr., the county comptroller and Republican challenger for executive, has stated that the county is in a “fiscal crisis.”
Here is what legislators discussed at the meeting. The proposed operating budget for 2019-20 will be $3.2 billion, an increase from last year’s $3.1 billion budget.
The recommended budget would look to increase property taxes by $14.66 million (2.14 percent), according to the report. The increase is comprised of a rise in police district property taxes of $16.56 million (2.8 percent).
The police district will face an $11.3 million deficit by the end of 2019. It is the fourth year in a row that the district will have a deficit. Overtime for the police department in 2019 is estimated at $30.9 million.
In addition, the county’s general fund, despite seeing an increase of $318 million in revenue from 2015 to 2019, is projected to experience its fifth consecutive deficit in 2019. Combined with the police district, the county may face an operating deficit of some $20 million.
Sales tax revenue is projected to increase an additional $48.5 million from 2019-20 or about 4.5 percent.
Another area of concern is the county payroll. It has increased by $315 million in the last seven years, despite the workforce being reduced by 1,250 positions. From the start of 2019 through Sept. 8, the number of active county employees on the payroll declined by approximately 150, according to the report. The recommended expenditures for employee health care in 2020 is projected to increase by approximately by $22.2 million.
The Budget Review Office also raised concerns in the report that property taxes in the Southwest Sewer District, which covers parts of Babylon and Islip, would decrease by $2.14 million. This could lead to less funds available for sewer projects and potentially increase borrowing.
In terms of other revenue, the county is projected to see an increase in funds from video lottery terminals at Jake’s 58 Casino Hotel in Islandia. The revenue brought in will increase to $25 million in 2020 compared to $2.9 million in 2018 and $3.3 million in 2019.
For homeowners, the proposed county property tax will yield an estimated average tax bill of $1,207, an increase of $25. Average taxes per homeowners will increase by $32 in five western towns, including Brookhaven, Smithtown and Huntington, and decrease by $2 in the county’s five eastern towns.
New York State government should not cut funding for America’s heroes residing at the Long Island State Veterans Home at Stony Brook University. The veterans home has, and does, provide first-class health services for veterans and their spouses who receive rehabilitation and long-term care in their time of need. Providing topnotch nursing home care for our veterans, many of whom put their own lives on the line to keep us safe, is a patriotic action that truly expresses “thank you for your service.”
At the age of 17 my father, Hugh “Joe” Cassidy, enlisted in the United States Coast Guard to serve his country during World War II. Before he reached his 19th birthday he participated in five shore invasions with the Marines and Army as frogman.
He was frequently shot at while he stood on coral reefs in the Philippine Islands acting as a human buoy to help keep the landing boats from crashing into reefs and sinking. He was almost thrown overboard when his ship, the USS Cavalier, was torpedoed in the still of a Pacific Ocean night. But my Dad always said he was not a hero. His heroes were all the soldiers and sailors who put their lives in harm’s way, were wounded or died in battle.
When the LISVH first opened, he again served his fellow veterans for many years as a volunteer. He visited the nursing home almost every day because it was his way of supporting his “band of brothers and sisters.” When my Dad fractured his hip at age 83, many doctors at the hospital thought he would never walk again.
It took a year of rehabilitation with the skilled and compassionate staff at the veterans home, but my Dad walked out of the nursing home and spent the last year of his life with my mother in their own home.
In the 74 years since the end of World War II, military men and women have been on the front line of battles in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and many other locations around the world. Sadly, the physical, emotional and psychological wounds never heal for many of the warriors who fulfill their oath to protect America. I learned that firsthand more than 20 years ago when my father had emergency surgery for a ruptured appendix.
I visited him the morning after his operation. He was laying his bed shivering and shaking uncontrollably. He whispered he had the worst nightmare ever. He was back in a foxhole in the Philippines, guns were blasting and bombs were dropping all around him. Then he looked at his fellow combat veteran in the bed next to him and said, “Sal got me through it. Thank God he was here for me.”
Today we might say that my father had post-traumatic stress disorder or a flashback. But whatever you call it, his fellow veteran pulled him through just like the veterans do for each other every day at the Long Island State Veterans Home.
New York State is facing a budget crunch, that much is true. But exempting the state veterans’ nursing homes from the budget cuts would be a meaningful way for New Yorkers to say “thank you for your service.”
Setauket resident and jazz musician, Ray Anderson, is celebrating a career that has been nothing but noteworthy. And at a performance at The Jazz Loft in Stony Brook Oct. 25, music lovers will get a taste of his talent and be able to witness the launch of his archives there.
Photo by Erika Kapin
The trombonist, 67, first picked up his instrument at the age of 8, after having been inspired partly by his theologian father’s jazz records that predominantly featured the famous trumpet player, Louis Armstrong. The sound of Anderson’s chosen instrument was something that he found appealing, especially since, he said, the musicians playing trombone sounded like they were having fun.
He studied music at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools with future trombone legends such as George Lewis and was taught by Frank Tirro, the future dean of the Yale School of Music.
Anderson attended three different universities, three different times, before eventually receiving a bachelor’s degree from Empire State College in Saratoga Springs in 2010.
“I’m self-educated in a lot of ways,” he said. “Performing became my education.”
He moved to Los Angeles in 1971 to attend the California Institute of the Arts, only to find the campus was not yet open. He wound up living with Stanley Crouch, a black writer and jazz critic, frequently known for his controversial views amongst the African American community on his disillusionment with the Black Power movement.
While attending college in Minnesota and Los Angeles, he played in R&B bands and joined funk and Latin bands while living in San Francisco. While Anderson looks back with great fondness on his days where he became “moderately successful” working odd jobs and playing music in San Francisco, he said he felt the urge to discover the New York music scene, so he moved to Manhattan in 1973.
“I was 20 years old and had no real roots anywhere,” he said. “I figured I would move to New York and see what happened.”
He performed with clarinetist and saxophonist Jimmy Giuffre and drummer Barry Altschul while playing with composer and saxophonist Anthony Braxton’s quartet for three years. He has since performed in a variety of his own bands, such as the Pocket Brass Band and Lapis Lazuli band.
Anderson recently returned from a European tour with BassDrumBone, a band named after its bass, drums, trombone players. He started the group in 1977 with his friends bassist Mark Helias and drummer Gerry Hemingway. It has been running ever since.
“I’ve learned so much from both of them,” he said. “They’re my age so it’s not a traditional teacher-student type of thing, but they’re both really, really wise.”
His first feature album was blues guitarist Luther Allison’s “Night Life,” before recording for Gramavision, as well as European record label Enja and others.
“I didn’t have a career where I worked as a member of a more established senior band, so I learned a lot from my contemporaries,” he said.
Anderson said he recently recorded a solo trombone piece based off of a solo performance he did in France and is currently in the process of sending it to record companies.
“That’s been a longtime dream,” he said.
Anderson describes his style as “witty” and “challenging,” and he acknowledges and respects the players who have come before him
Yet, having composed more than 100 pieces, Anderson has learned to take a lighthearted approach to music with songs titled “If I Ever Had a Home It Was a Slide Trombone,” and “Raven-a-Ning,” the latter piece being composed for his son, Raven, and a play on the classic “Rhythm-a-Ning” by Thelonious Monk.
While his calm and joyous approach to life is evident in conversation, he had to overcome tragedy when his wife, lyricist and poet, Jackie Raven, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999 and passed away in 2002.
“I had two young motherless kids and my life as a touring musician had to stop,” he said.
Photo by Ssirus Pakzad
Anderson was the artist in residence at Stony Brook University for six months in 2001, and in 2003 was appointed director of jazz studies, a title he has held ever since.
“It enabled me to stay home, pay the bills and care for my kids who were 11 and 15 when she died,” he said. “I’m sure you can appreciate why I’m boundlessly grateful to this community for all it has given me over these many years.”
Anderson reports that both his kids are doing well and he got remarried last year, to Suzy Goodspeed.
The musician said his many years as a full-time performer make him the perfect candidate to mentor emerging musicians.
“I’m a performer first and teacher second,” he said. “I know what music feels like when you’re actually doing it.”
Anderson said his life as a performer doesn’t dismay his love for teaching.
“It’s so rewarding to be able to pass something on that’s useful,” he said. “It’s really tied in with the whole idea of trying to pay it forward because so many people gave me so much [mentorship].”
All of the courses he teaches revolve around performing. In the graduate program, he plays with students in a band and requires them to write their own music.
“We go through the process of editing and revising, and trying to find out what works and what doesn’t,” he said.
Tom Manuel, The Jazz Loft’s president and founder, praised Anderson’s impact in the jazz field.
“I think what makes Ray so important to jazz is not just that he’s amazingly talented in the world of jazz, but he has been recognized as one of those incredibly and creative inventive voices that is creating something that is new, which is hard to do,” he said.
Anderson will be performing at The Jazz Loft, where he serves as vice president, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. with his Pocket Brass Band, consisting of just trumpet, trombone, sousaphone and drums.
“I’ve played a lot of big gigs, and it’s really exciting to be in an audience of thousands of people, but playing in a small place like The Jazz Loft is often better because of the intimacy between the audience and the band,” he said.
Friday’s performance will be preceded by the launch of the Ray Anderson Archives exhibit with a reception at the venue at 6 p.m.
The 25th annual Spirits Cemetery Tour: The Unforgotten will be long remembered as a great success for Three Village Historical Society and a night of spooky merriment for both volunteers and visitors. The event, co-chaired by Frank Turano and Janet McCauley, was sold out days in advance and attracted around 340 visitors.
The actors, dressed in period garb provided by Antique Costumes and Prop Rental by Nan Guzzetta, mingled among tombstones and tourgoers at the Setauket Presbyterian Church cemetery and Caroline Church of Brookhaven cemetery. Twelve “spirits” recounted stories of lives that spanned the centuries and crossed the continents, but all connected to Setauket.
Before embarking on the walk, groups gathered in the Presbyterian Church community room. There they enjoyed complimentary donuts and cider, time period appropriate harpsichord music from Kyle Collins of Three Village Chamber Players, an exhibit curated by archivist Karen Martin of photos and other primary source materials about the people who were depicted on the tour and an interactive photo station. The tour ended at the Caroline Church carriage shed, where guests sampled cookies and apple cider. Food and beverages were provided by Ann Marie’s Farm Stand, Stop & Shop East Setauket and Starbucks East Setauket.
Preparations are already underway for Spirits Cemetery Tour October 2020, which will feature the Spirits of Chicken Hill! If you are interested in volunteering as an actor or in some other capacity for the next tour, please call 631-751-3730 or visit www.tvhs.org.
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