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Fire departments from Wading River to Mount Sinai came to the 9/11 Community Memorial in Shoreham Sept. 11, 2019 to commemorate that fateful day. Photo by Kyle Barr

By Daniel Dunaief

Daniel Dunaief

September 11th is not just another day.

The country, and the world, stood still for hours, horrified and stunned by the mass murder committed by terrorists in Manhattan, Washington DC and in a field in Western Pennsylvania.

We can focus on the bravery of the first responders that day, on the remarkable effort by the passengers aboard Flight 93 to retake the plane, the loss of 2,977 people, and the passage of time since that horrible day.

We can also consider the incredible generosity and sensitivity of the country in the days, weeks and months afterwards. I know that didn’t apply to everyone and I remember how taxi drivers from mostly Muslim countries put bumper stickers on their cars indicating they were proud Americans. I also recall the unfair and horrific questioning of people who looked different or who might have originally come from Saudi Arabia or any neighboring countries.

Still, in the wake of a day that also lives in infamy, people gave of themselves and their time.

My family, which included our then three-month old daughter and my wife, walked to an upper east side fire station that lost several members when the World Trade Center collapsed.

There, we saw other people in our community who were bringing toys, pies, gifts and money to the department. The members of the fire station, whom we thanked, forced appreciative smiles on their faces and, more often than not, comforted many community members who choked out heartfelt words of thanks to the station’s survivors.

Outside the station, a car from one of those killed that day was barely visible under an enormous collection of flowers.

Prior to 9/11, I had spent considerable time writing about banks and financial services companies. I had a particular and lasting connection with several members of the boutique firm Keefe, Bruyette & Woods.

KBW provided research and investment banking services for a range of banks. In the months after the attack and the loss of lives, banks made sure to include KBW on investment banking deals, trying to help the survivors and the firm stay in business.

On Long Island, a range of companies donated construction materials to create lasting memorials to the people lost on that day, while offering families a place to go to reflect on the people they were fortunate enough to know.

The frenetic city that never sleeps entered a grieving cycle in which people implicitly knew the rules. A collection of cars passing by with their lights on behind a hearse required people always in a hurry to make way.

Despite the need to do things yesterday, to get somewhere faster than everyone else and to beat people’s own records in traveling from one place to another, people stood by, slowed down and made supportive eye contact with those who were putting up pictures of lost loved ones.

As we drove along the roads around New York City, we saw the efficient removal of debris from the World Trade Center site, with twisted metal and concrete sitting on passing flat bed trucks. Cars made room on highways for these huge trucks and turned on their lights in support and sympathy.

In a more insular way, many of us checked on our friends and family, setting aside ongoing familial disagreements.

I remember watching the video of President George W. Bush (41), who had lost the popular vote in 2000 to Al Gore but had won the election on the strength of the final recount in Florida. He was sitting in a classroom when the secret service whispered in his ear about the attacks. He seemed to take a long time to process what he heard.

Yes, people wondered where he went and what was happening with the center of government power and yes, some criticized him even as they flocked to the Churchillian resolve of Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who somehow symbolized the combination of pain and determination in the days after the attack.

People wanted to help each other, donating, volunteering and coalescing around the notion of a country in need of healing and recovery.

Many of the most helpful and supportive moments reflected the strength of a unified nation with a readiness to set aside political squabbles to defend the country. In our darkest moment, we gave flowers, food, support and respect.

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Pixabay photo

By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief,
Publisher

My last birthday, which we celebrated a couple of weeks ago, has been rough. But I am expecting a turn of fortune for the better, because bad things come in threes, and now I’ve experienced all three. Sharing the miseries generally makes one feel better, so here goes.

The first started off happily enough. 

I had been invited to a wedding reception in Maine. Now any excuse to go to Maine is a wonderful happening, in my mind, and it’s not just for the blueberry jam and the lobster rolls. The state is physically beautiful, with a shoreline that has attracted artists over the centuries. To go there in August is to get away from the heavy heat of summer. It is also no cultural sacrifice since summer stock and art galleries are to be found in many of the small towns and cities. Good museums too.

So we packed up the car and left a day early to have some exploratory time before the party. In our roaming, we met people from all over the country who had come with the same idea about vacationing in the northernmost New England State. When we arrived at our destination, we remembered and ate in a couple of our favorite restaurants and also enjoyed socializing with the 140 wedding guests as well as with others at the hotel over the Bacchanal weekend.

So far, so good, right?

When we returned home, as a result of all that socializing, we found we had brought an unwelcome guest back with us: a tenacious microbe that had taken up residence in our upper respiratory anatomy. Whether bacteria or virus, it has so far withstood two different antibiotic assaults and still troubles us with deep seated coughs. This was alarming because the family was arriving immediately upon our return to celebrate my birthday, and we didn’t want to share the bug. But that was just the first of the three miseries.

The morning of my birthday dawned sunny and warm, so we sat on the wooden back deck and ate breakfast. At one point, I had to blow my nose and stepped away from the table, walking the length of the deck to do so. Turning back, I stepped on one of the narrow boards in exactly the right way to cause it to fall through the deck, along with my left leg. It happened, as they say, like a bolt from the blue, and I fell backwards and screamed. It took two family members to extricate me, and I bear the discoloration and contusions on both sides of my lower leg as it heals. If you should see me around town, that explains my limp and wince as I walk.

Somehow, I was most outraged by the fact that it happened on my birthday. “My” day shouldn’t have started off that way.

The irony of the story is that the carpenter was scheduled to come to repair the deck the Monday after my children were to leave. He had offered to do the job the week before, but I didn’t want repairs to mar the family visit, and besides, I was away in Maine so I had put him off. Whoops, bad timing. A further irony is that I had placed a flowerpot on the bad board to prevent anyone stepping there, but it had been moved just before our return from Maine. Was this an accident fated to happen?

As to the third, I was driving to a dinner date last night when I realized a migraine was about to hit me. It always starts with a visual aura, in which zigzagging lines cross my vision much as, in the early days, a television screen used to break up when there was a disturbance overhead. I don’t get them often, but they are most unpleasant when they are triggered, this time perhaps by the medicines I am taking. 

Three and done, now, I hope. Thanks for letting me vent. 

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Metro Creative Connection

You are probably tired of hearing about last week’s storm.

It was catastrophic, terrible, disturbing and all-around, a complete and utter drag.

But, it is so incredibly important to remember that this Earth is precious, and should not be taken lightly. Storms like this serve as stark reminders of the fragility of our planet, and how it can be struck with disaster, at the blink of an eye.

We know you have all heard this before, but it is vital to care about our home. And, not just in Stony Brook or Port Jefferson or Rocky Point or Smithtown or Centereach. We need to nurture our Long Island home. Our waterways. Our wildlife. Even our infrastructure.

If we are to experience natural disasters, the last thing our planet needs is plastic bottles thrown onto the curb, incessant pipe exhaust and muck-ridden water. Everything in life is a chain reaction. If we show indifference to our atmosphere, the climate will change. If our animals swim in filth, they will die. If they die, their terrain is permanently altered. It goes on and on.

We are not scientists, and we are not seeking to preach. However, as concerned citizens of this community, all we want is for it to thrive. To be clean and livable for all living creatures.

As that sign down in the Stony Brook Village Center says: “I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives.” But, perhaps more importantly, the full quotation continues on, “I like to see a man live, so that his place will be proud of him.”

Our planet is unpredictable enough, so let’s not add unnecessary variables to its already, sometimes devastating, whims.

So, let’s make our Earth proud.

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Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Medicine

Stony Brook Medicine (SBM) has once again been recognized by the American Heart Association for its commitment to delivering high-quality patient care across cardiovascular and stroke focus areas. This year marks the 14th consecutive year for Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH) (2010 – 2024) and the 11th consecutive year forStony Brook Southampton Hospital (SBSH) (2014 – 2024) to receive the Association’s Get With The Guidelines® – StrokeGold Plus achievement award. For the sixth consecutive year, SBUH received the Get With The Guidelines® – Heart FailureGold Plus quality achievement award. Both awards recognize SBM’s dedication to improving outcomes for patients, meaning reduced readmissions and more healthy days at home.

“This recognition by the American Heart Association underscores the unwavering dedication of our healthcare teams to provide exceptional care for our patients,” said Dr. William Wertheim, Executive Vice President of Stony Brook Medicine. “Our continuous recognition over the years highlights our dedication to providing top-tier cardiovascular and stroke care, and we are proud to see the positive impact our efforts have on improving patient outcomes.”

Stroke

Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and accelerating recovery times. Get With The Guidelines puts the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest research- and evidence-based guidelines.

In addition to this year’s Gold Plus achievement, Stony Brook University Hospital once again earned the distinctions of Target: Stroke℠ Elite Honor Roll, Target: Stroke Advanced Therapy Honor Roll and Target: Type 2 Diabetes℠ Honor Roll for Stony Brook University Hospital.

Heart Failure

Approximately 6 million U.S. adults live with heart failure, a condition that impairs the heart’s ability to pump blood effectively throughout the body. This can significantly impact a person’s quality of life, causing symptoms such as shortness of breath and fatigue which is often severe. However, with advanced care, patients can often achieve a better quality of life through lifestyle changes, symptom monitoring, accurate diagnosis, and cutting-edge therapies including state-of-the-art medications and interventions.

The Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathy Center at Stony Brook continues to be recognized for its excellence in patient care, having earned the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® – Heart Failure Gold Plus quality achievement award for the sixth consecutive year. This prestigious honor commends hospitals that consistently demonstrate an unwavering commitment to treating patients according to the latest evidence-based guidelines from the American Heart Association. The award further highlights Stony Brook’s Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathy Center’s recognition as Long Island’s only heart failure program to have earned the distinguished Joint Commission Certification for Advanced Heart Failure, a mark of excellence the Center has proudly achieved since 2011. At Stony Brook, the comprehensive heart failure program leverages the most advanced pharmacological therapies, surgical interventions, and breakthrough devices to ensure the highest quality of life for its patients.

Resuscitation

Each year, more than 300,000 adults and children experience an in-hospital cardiac arrest.  Survival from cardiac arrest largely depends on timely medical emergency team response and effective CPR.

Get With The Guidelines – Resuscitation was developed to help save lives of patients who experience in-hospital cardiac arrests by consistently following the most up-to-date research-based guidelines for treatment as outlined by the American Heart Association. Guidelines include following protocols for patient safety, medical emergency team response, effective and timely resuscitation (CPR) and post-resuscitation care.

Stony Brook University Hospital is also nationally recognized for its commitment to improving cardiac arrest survival rates and received these top-level awards:

  • Get With The Guidelines® – Resuscitation Gold – Adult
  • Get With The Guidelines® – Resuscitation Gold – Pediatric
  • Get With The Guidelines® – Resuscitation Gold – Neonate/Infant

 

About Stony Brook University Hospital:

Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH) is Long Island’s premier academic health center. With 624 beds, SBUH serves as the region’s only tertiary care center and Regional Trauma Center, and is home to the Stony Brook University Heart Institute, Stony Brook University Cancer Center, Stony Brook Children’s Hospital and Stony Brook University Neurosciences Institute. SBUH also encompasses Suffolk County’s only Level 4 Regional Perinatal Center, state-designated AIDS Center, state-designated Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program, state-designated Burn Center, the Christopher Pendergast ALS Center of Excellence, and Kidney Transplant Center. It is home of the nation’s first Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Center. To learn more, visit www.stonybrookmedicine.edu/sbuh.

About Stony Brook Southampton Hospital:

With 124 beds, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital (SBSH) is staffed by more than 280 physicians, dentists, and allied health professionals representing 48 medical specialties. A campus of Stony Brook University Hospital, SBSH offers a diverse array of clinical services, ranging from primary medical care to specialized surgical procedures, including cardiac catheterization, orthopedics and bariatrics. The sole provider of emergency care on Long Island’s South Fork, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital is a provisional Level III adult Trauma Center. The hospital includes The Phillips Family Cancer Center, a Heart and Stroke Center, Breast Health Center, The Center for Advanced Wound Healing, Wellness Institute, and 32 satellite care centers throughout the South Fork of Long Island. The hospital is the largest employer on the South Fork with more than 1,200 employees. To learn more, visit www.southampton.stonybrookmedicine.edu.

About Get With The Guidelines:

Get With The Guidelines® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal of saving lives and hastening recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 14 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.

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Firefighters train for a water rescue. Photo courtesy Setauket Fire Department
Firefighters train for a water rescue. Photo courtesy Setauket Fire Department
Firefighters train for a water rescue. Photo courtesy Setauket Fire Department
Firefighters trudge through a flooded street. Photo courtesy Setauket Fire Department
Firefighters training with a hovercraft, which they received three years ago. Since June, over 258 firefighters have taken a water rescue training course. Photo courtesy Halesite Fire Department

By Daniel Dunaief

Fire departments around Suffolk County are preparing, training and gathering equipment for the kinds of water emergencies that can require rescues from homes, cars or buildings.

Amid the sudden and intense rains that damaged parts of Stony Brook and surrounding areas, fire departments received far higher than average numbers of calls for help from residents.

“People used to tell stories [about heavy storms and flooding] every few decades,” said David Sterne, District Manager in the Setauket Fire District. “Now, we’re seeing it every few years.”

Fire departments including in Stony Brook, Setauket, Commack and Port Jefferson responded to dozens of calls for help through the evening as towns like Stony Brook received more than three times the normal amount of rain for the month of August in the hours after midnight.

“We handled over 54 alarms” on the overnight of the storm, said Sterne. The department, which encompasses a 28 square mile district, responds to an average of three calls per night. “It was pretty obvious that it was more than a regular rainstorm.”

The dispatchers, who handle calls for Setauket, Stony Brook and Port Jefferson, received over 70 alarms among the three departments.

Amid the potential for water rescues and emergencies that could occur far more frequently than in the past, fire departments and county officials have increased training and added various types of equipment that can offer assistance during water emergencies.

“We’ve got to be prepared for everything,” said Chief Dominic Spade of the Halesite Fire Department in the Town of Huntington. Halesite added a hovercraft about three years ago that doesn’t use a submerged engine and can travel through shallow waters to homes or stranded motorists.

Additional training

In anticipation of additional water-related emergencies, Suffolk County firefighters and rescue teams have been training for sudden heavy rains and storms.

The county started offering two new courses in water rescue this year: Water Rescue Awareness and Surface Water Rescue. Since June, the Suffolk County Fire Academy has trained 258 firefighters, according to Rudy Sunderman, Suffolk County Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services Acting Commissioner.

“Responders from Stony Brook, Rocky Point, and Port Jefferson, areas that were hardest hit by last week’s storms, were among many members who took the training,” Sunderman explained in an email.

The Suffolk County Urban Search and Rescue Team, which is made up of volunteer first responders capable of deploying up to 40 members, was established in 2012 and was created “to locate, extricate and provide immediate medical treatment to victims trapped in collapsed structures, and to conduct other life-saving operations,” Sunderman added.

Over the last three months, the USAR Team has focused specifically on water rescue incidents.

In addition, numerous local fire departments have improved their water rescue capabilities.

The Setauket Fire Department has sent members of its staff to Oriskany in New York, where people from all over the Empire State receive training for specific types of rescues.

Oriskany has “all types of specialized training,” said Sterne. The facility has a simulated town that they can flood, where rescue teams practice open and swift water responses.

“In the last four to five years, we’ve been sending people on a more regular basis” to Oriskany, said Sterne. “It’s definitely becoming more normal to have massive flooding in certain areas.”

The rescue teams that can’t attend the simulations in Oriskany still benefit from the classes their colleagues take.

“People come back and impart what they learned,” said Sterne. “When making split second decisions, it’s effective” to have considered various emergency measures during flood or surging waters.

Water rescues involve conditions that don’t often have the same challenges as rescues during snowstorms or other weather-related emergencies.

Heavy snow can cover signs or other sharp objects, while people maneuvering through flood waters can tear their protective gear or hurt themselves when they bump into or step on something they can’t see through dark waters.

“Broken street signs and sharp objects might become a real hazard to responders,” said Sterne. “Floor waters can, in many ways, become more dangerous.”

Emergency officials warned about the dangerous combination of water and electricity.

“One of our biggest concerns is when electricity mixes with water,” Sterne explained. “In those situations, our primary focus is to remove people from unsafe conditions when there is flooding mixed with live electricity.”

When a primary or secondary wire falls into water, “it’s a dangerous proposition” and “everything is charged,” said Spada.

Even metallic yellow lines on the street can become charged if power is still flowing into a submerged wire.

Advice for residents

Fire officials offered several pieces of advice for residents.

For starters, don’t enter a basement or other flooded areas without ensuring that electricity has stopped in the area.

Additionally, residents should not venture out onto the road unless it’s for some essential reason.

“Stay put,” Sterne urged. “Don’t become a liability yourself.”

That’s also true during snowstorms, as people leave their homes and block snow plows from efforts to clear the road.

Families should consider emergency locations to congregate, with back up plans if and when they need to leave the house.

Residents also might want to have an accessible bag with flashlights stocked with new batteries, clean clothing and jackets in case an emergency requires an evacuation, Spada suggested.

People trapped in cars should stay there until it’s not safe, Spada suggested. If necessary, they can climb onto the roof of the car and wait for a rescue.

Effective emergency response

Spada was impressed with the quick thinking and acting on the part of several fire departments in response to the stalled, heavy rainstorm.

“Stony Brook did a great job,” Spada said. “Sometimes, you need to improvise in these rescue situations.

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By John Avlon

This past week’s extreme weather is yet another wake-up call that we can’t afford to ignore. 

Touring the damage in Port Jefferson village, the devastation was striking, but let’s be honest — none of this should surprise us anymore. We’ve seen it before, and it’s clear we need to do more. The federal government has got to step up, which is why I’ll work to make sure that we deliver more relief and resilience for our communities in the face of natural disasters. 

The first step is a significant boost in funding for FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant program. BRIC isn’t just another government acronym — it’s a crucial resource for states, local communities, tribes and territories to tackle hazard mitigation head-on, reducing disaster risks before they strike. The goal is simple: Stop reacting after disasters and start building resilience now. 

BRIC is currently funded by a 6% set-aside from major disaster declarations, meaning the funding is inconsistent and not guaranteed. While the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act committed $1 billion to BRIC over five years, that’s just a drop in the bucket. That’s why I’m advocating for an annual $1 billion investment in BRIC. To be serious about this issue, we need to make serious investments.

This investment isn’t just smart policy — it pays off big time. The National Institute of Building Sciences reports that every federal dollar spent on hazard prevention saves society $6. That’s a return on investment that would make Wall Street jealous.

But we can’t stop there. There’s a glaring gap in FEMA eligibility that needs to be addressed. Condos, co-ops and homeowners associations are excluded from aid because FEMA classifies them as businesses. That’s absurd. These are middle-class housing options that deserve relief like everyone else. 

I saw it firsthand at a homeowners association I visited in Port Jefferson, where a landslide wreaked havoc after the rain. This gap has been well known since Hurricane Sandy, and it’s time to fix it.

Send me to Congress, and I’ll fight to bring real resources home and tackle climate change with the urgency it demands. The time for action is now.

John Avlon is Democratic candidate for New York Congressional District 1 on Nov. 5.

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By Steve Englebright

In the dark early morning hours of Aug. 19, almost 11 inches of rain descended like a cataract upon the central North Shore of Long Island. The storm then crossed into Connecticut where it killed two people and destroyed numerous bridges and roads.

The paved roads and impermeable surfaces within the catchment of Stony Brook Mill Pond caused it to immediately flood. This deluge then spilled over the top of that part of Harbor Road which capped the artificial earthen dam adjacent to the National Register of Historic Places-listed circa 1751 mill. Floodwater poured uncontrollably over the road, creating a thunderous curtain that plunged into the marine side of the dam, quickly and severely eroding its base. The dam failed, and the pond emptied catastrophically into Stony Brook Harbor.

The boundaries of two towns, one incorporated village and one hamlet all meet at this location. In the aftermath of this catastrophe, it is important for each of these governing units as well as all other elements of the community to quickly come together in support of a single plan of restorative action. Fortunately, President Joe Biden has heeded the call of local governments, including Suffolk County, to declare this site a federal disaster area. Much-needed federal dollars may now follow. This precious funding can be wisely utilized, presuming that everyone is cooperating. One of the challenges now before all of us is to find commonality and consensus. In particular, we must reconcile the interests of historic preservation and environmental protection so that they are aligned and mutually supportive within a thoughtfully engineered plan.

Some have wondered if it may be appropriate to leave the breached dam unreconstructed purposefully. Several threshold questions arise from this thought: 

• Should we allow the recently unconstrained Stony Brook Creek to continue to flow freely and allow recovery of natural processes such as the breeding activities of the herring-like fish known as the alewife? 

• What course of action would provide the greatest overall environmental benefit? 

• Would the nationally significant cultural treasure that is the Stony Brook Grist Mill have diminished relevance without its historic impoundment?

 Reasons for restoration

This author would argue strongly for restoration of Stony Brook Mill Pond for reasons that embrace both environmental and historic preservation purposes. These include:

• More than 90% of the Stony Brook Harbor is tidally-influenced salt water. Freshwater habitats within the harbor are rare and enhance its biodiversity. Prior to the dam’s breach, the largest surface freshwater feature of the entire harbor was Stony Brook Mill Pond. Allowing this scarce resource to remain permanently reduced would significantly subtract from this ecosystem’s vibrancy and health.

• The Stony Brook Mill Pond Basin uniquely joins Main Street with the Avalon Preserve — arguably the finest nature center in New York state. This geographic juxtaposition created a remarkable outdoor education classroom that enabled thousands of children and families to directly experience nature. It would be most unfortunate to compromise or lose the open water and aesthetic appeal of this site which could, if restored, continue effectively to foster for each next generation an ethic of learning and respect for the environment. 

• The Mill Pond helped keep the Stony Brook Harbor clean. This relatively-unspoiled harbor’s water chemistry was maintained, in part, by the fact that the Mill Pond acted as a sediment trap and contaminant settlement basin that intercepted substances in road runoff that would otherwise have flowed directly into the harbor. 

• The continued existence of two significant rookeries on the edge of Stony Brook Mill Pond featuring, respectively, cormorants and herons would be uncertain if the pond is not restored.

• While some fish species, such as alewife, might theoretically benefit from a free flowing Stony Brook, it is unknown if this site would support a significant run for such fish. 

• Suffolk County’s largest industry is tourism, and Stony Brook Mill Pond and Grist Mill combine to create a major magnet attracting and welcoming visitors to Old Stony Brook and its vicinity. Any decision to delay reconstruction of the Mill Pond dam could compromise the sense of place of Old Stony Brook. Loss of these landmarks in pursuit of limited or speculative environmental improvements could create significant community resentment, which would only detract from other preservation efforts

Reconstruction of Harbor Road and Mill Pond dam

It is useful to note that the dam at the north end of Setauket’s Frank Melville Memorial Park was subjected to the same storm event and did not rupture. The apparent reason for this is because that dam is armored with cement on its seaward side. Reconstruction of Harbor Road at Stony Brook Mill Pond should proceed expeditiously and be built in like kind to what was there previously except that the reconstructed dam should be armored on its seaward-side in a manner similar to the construction of its sister site in the Frank Melville Memorial Park.

We are fortunate that this event did not cause loss of human life, and that our volunteer first responders were unharmed. Another takeaway from this catastrophe is that its effects would have been worse if the proposed extensive construction of impermeable surfaces already existed on three large properties in the immediate watershed area, i.e., Flowerfield, Bull Run Farm and a former private school.

This ruinous flood should be a wake-up call for planners as they consider these and other intensive development proposals within the immediate watershed of Stony Brook Harbor and its Mill Pond. Going forward, this recent flood event should be top of mind — land use decisions here should reflect awareness, restraint and caution. Although we can hope that the unusual storm that eroded the Mill Pond dam at its base is not a new normal, exceptionally destructive weather events are occurring much more frequently than in the past. A similar torrential flood could occur at any time.

We should restore Stony Brook’s historic Mill Pond and, by extension, also preserve that extraordinary harbor and its namesake community.

Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) is the Suffolk County legislator for the 5th Legislative District and a former New York State Assemblyman.

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Reenactors on the grounds of the Three Village Historical Society during Culper Spy Day on Sept. 10. Photo by Joseph Cali

By Heidi Sutton

Mark your calendars! On Saturday, Sept. 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Three Village Historical Society and Tri-Spy Tours will host a Revolutionary event — Culper Spy Day. Made possible by title sponsor Heritage Spy Ring Golf Club, it’s the event that every history buff looks forward to.

Now in its 10th year, the annual event is the brainchild of Margo Arceri, who first heard about Washington’s Setauket spies (including her favorite spy Anna Smith Strong) from her Strong’s Neck neighbor and local historian, Kate W. Strong, in the early 1970s. 

Meet Big Bill the Tory at the Sherwood-Jayne Farm on Sept. 7 from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Photo courtesy of Preservation Long Island

“My love of history grew from there,” said Arceri who today runs Tri-Spy Tours offering walking, bike and kayak tours of the Setauket area. “Everywhere you turn in the Three Villages you are looking at an artifact, and as the historical society believes, the community is our museum and I would really love to put that on the forefront of people’s minds. History is constantly evolving and new information is being discovered everyday. We don’t know what is waiting to be unearthed next and that fills me with excitement.”

The day of spy-related tours and activities was named for the Culper Spy Ring founded by Benjamin Tallmadge of Setauket, which provided General George Washington the information he needed to turn the tide of the American Revolution.

On Culper Spy Day, you will have the chance to visit the places where history was made and visit with area groups to learn about the patriots who risked their lives. 

Visitors can enjoy docent-led tours of historic homes, churches and cemeteries; Colonial cooking demonstrations; Anna Smith Strong’s famed clothesline; and a Revolutionary War encampment and musket firing drills by several militia groups.

There are plenty of children’s activities too including a children’s story hour, a potato sack race, an epic scavenger hunt, invisible ink demonstrations decoding spy names, sending wax sealed letters, making colonial crafts, and building a scale model timber frame house alongside Abraham Woodhull. 

In addition, Revolutionary War artifacts, including George Washington’s original letters to members of his spy ring will be on display in the Stony Brook University Library Special Collections. View a rare surviving letter dated November 8, 1779, between Benjamin Tallmadge and Robert Townsend at the Long Island Museum and explore their  world-famous carriage collection, with ties to Long Island’s Revolutionary War history 

Visitors will have a chance to meet Abraham Woodhull, Big Bill the Tory and Anna Smith Strong as well. 

See history come to life with this self-guided interactive tour spanning the Three Villages and beyond! Start your adventure at the Three Village Historical Society, 93 North Country Road, Setauket and then visit participating locations including the Sherwood-Jayne Farm, Drowned Meadow Cottage Museum, The Long Island Museum, Emma S. Clark Memorial Library, Caroline Episcopal Church, Setauket Presbyterian Church, Setauket Neighborhood House, Patriots Rock, and Stony Brook University. The Setauket Elementary School’s auditorium will also be open for a special viewing of the Vance Locke murals depicting the founding of the Town of Brookhaven. 

All events are free with the exception of the Sherwood-Jayne Farm house tour ($5 adults, free for ages 17 and under) and the award-winning Spies! exhibit at the Three Village Historical Society. Build your own Revolutionary War story and see history come to life at this fun-filled event. For more information, call 631-751-3730 or visit www.tvhs.org for a full schedule of events.

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*New this year will be a Culper  5K Race/Walk on Sunday, Sept. 8 at 9 a.m. Presented by Strong Island Running Club and sponsored by the Three Village Dads Foundation, the event will support the Dominick-Crawford Barn History & Education Center. Racers can trace the footsteps of the spies starting at the TVHS Headquarters, through the Old Setauket Historic District, up through battle fields and farmlands, around the churches, past pre-Revolutionary homes, and back to the Museum. Tickets are $30 adults, $10 kids fun run. Sign up at tvhs.org/5k.

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Runners head down Main Street during the annual SOLES for All Souls 5K Race/2K Walk. Photo courtesy of Dan Kerr

By Dan Kerr

Many believe Stanford White was the greatest American architect and the end of the 1800s. His gift to Stony Brook Village, All Souls Church, has stood on the hill overlooking Main Street since 1896. All Souls was there long before Ward Melville forever changed the village in 1941, and the simple beauty of the building and the interior have remained true to Stanford White’s original vision. 

Life expectancy in the United States back then was less than 50 years, and accessibility for the elderly and/or handicapped was not part of the design. 

The historical church is open for prayer and reflection every day. In addition to its Episcopal services on Sunday, All Souls offers ecumenical services every Tuesday and Wednesday, and hosts monthly concerts, poetry readings and Native American Drumming for the community at large. On Sunday, October 6th, the 16th annual SOLES for All Souls 5K Race/2K Walk will celebrate the role of the National Landmark chapel in the community and raise funds to make it accessible to all.

All Souls warden Herb Mones has been leading the accessibility project and has been guided by local historical architect John Cunniffe. Jazz Loft Director Tom Manuel has observed “Being a steward of a historic property is a real privilege, but it can also be a challenge to balance historical integrity and aesthetics with modern day expectations. I am more than confident that the team involved with making All Souls Church accessible will find that balance and accomplish something that is long overdue. We are blessed to have such a collaborative community of people entrusted with our historic places.” 

SOLES For All Souls is the most inclusive Race/Walk on Long Island. Serious runners compete for gold, bronze, and silver medals in age groups from under 13 to over 80 and receive their hard-won medals in an Olympic-style awards ceremony. Dogs are welcome to accompany their masters and students from Stony Brook University and others often come in costume. Senior citizens with walking sticks line up at the starting line along with parents pushing their kids in strollers. 

Long time Stony Brook resident and previous gold medal winner for the 70+ age group Dick Halluska shared, “I like running in the SOULS for All Souls race because it offers a challenge and a reward. The biggest challenge is running up Hollow Road. The reward, if you are patient, is twofold. The first is being able to enjoy the beauty of Stony Brook Village as you jog along the quiet streets and past the harbor, and the second is knowing your efforts and contributions are supporting a worthy cause.”

Overall 2022 and 2023 female winner Christa Denmom said, “I’ve truly enjoyed this race over the last few years as it runs through many of my favorite locations in Stony Brook Village. On top of being a great race, it always brings out great people with an inspiring and friendly 5K atmosphere. 

Port Jefferson Station resident Margaret Kennedy stated “I look forward to this race every year, eager to see familiar faces and the creative costumes. It is the camaraderie and fellowship that keeps us coming back to collect a new color in our t-shirt rainbow. Everyone is welcome, whether running up the challenging hill or walking with a team. This race is truly a labor of love.” 

The event is also a food drive for St. Gerard Majella’s food pantry. Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine is a staunch supporter. “SOLES for All Souls 5K is a tremendous community event that brings our residents together while helping our neighbors who are in need. I encourage runners and walkers of all ages to support this wonderful cause and participate in the Lend a Hand, Bring a Can food drive.” 

Suffolk County Poet Laureate Deborah Hauser looks forward to this year’s race. “This event combines two of my passions: running and activism. I admire All Souls Church’s commitment to the community and support its mission to make the church accessible to all. If my knee recovers in time, I hope to be the first poet to run the race. Whether I run or walk, I am looking forward to participating and contributing to the food drive.”

Registration for SOLES for All Souls 5K Race/2K Walk is through the ACTIVE.COM website (Search: SOLES for All Souls) or register on the Race Day — October 6. The Registration desk at the Reboli Center for Art & History at 64 Main Street will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m; the starting bell is at 9 a.m. Complimentary pre and post event stretching will be provided by Progressive Personal Training. Local band The North Shore Rockers will perform throughout the morning. 

Please call 631-655-7798 for more information about the event or if you would like to be a sponsor. Donations dedicated to the Handicap Accessibility Project should be mailed to All Souls Race, P.O. Box 548, Stony Brook, NY 11790.

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