By Bill Landon
With a break in the incessant wind, Saturday afternoon, Jan. 11, featured a Town of Brookhaven sponsored Winter Wonderland Walk at the Cedar Beach Nature Center in Mount Sinai. The attendees were treated to a guided tour where they observed the cold and stark beauty of the beach and the salt marsh and learned how wildlife adapted to survive the winter conditions and the important role that native plant life plays in the fragile ecosystem.
The Town of Smithtown’s transformative Paul T. Given Park project has been awarded $1.5 million in funding through the most recent round of the Regional Economic Development Council Initiative. This announcement, made last month, allocates $16.7 million across nearly 30 projects on Long Island, with Paul T. Given Park as one of the standout recipients.
The funding will go toward revitalizing the park, located west of downtown and near Smithtown’s iconic bull statue.
Nissequogue River.
species, while eradicating invasive plants like Japanese knotweed.
The enhancements reflect the Town of Smithtown’s dedication to sustainable development and environmental stewardship. Working closely with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the town aims to transform Paul T. Given Park into a natural sanctuary that benefits the community and the local ecosystem.
“This funding marks a major milestone in our journey to reshape Paul T. Given Park into a community haven for residents and visitors alike. Thanks to the State of New York’s support, we are closer than ever to realizing our vision of a park that embodies Smithtown’s commitment to environmental preservation, accessibility, and sustainable development.” – Supervisor Ed Wehrheim
The $1.5 million funding includes $1.2 million from the Department of State and $300,000 from New York State Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation. The work is expected to commence next summer and fall.
Welcome Center Construction Underway
The Town has already begun construction on the new Welcome Center at Paul T. Given Park, a project that repurposes the former Oasis Gentlemen’s Club. This initiative, funded through a separate grant from the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, will create a multifunctional facility.
and natural attractions.
workshops, and town business.
Looking Ahead
Upon completion, the new Welcome Center and enhanced Paul T. Given Park will stand as a testament to Smithtown’s progress and its dedication to community enrichment and environmental conservation. These improvements aim to create a space where residents and visitors can connect with nature, learn about local heritage, and enjoy the beauty of the Nissequogue River.
By Mallie Jane Kim
In the thick mud of low tide at Setauket’s Shore Road Marina, volunteers and scientists in knee-high rubber boots dumped out a jumble of shells along the shoreline — each with larval oysters attached, ready to grow and help eventually filter the water.
This Nov. 25 “oyster planting” was part of a partnership between volunteer organization Setauket Harbor Task Force, which monitors area water quality, and the Cornell Cooperative Extension’s marine program. The planting of about 16,000 larval oysters was funded as part of an $80,000 water quality grant secured in 2022 through the effort of Suffolk County Legislator Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) during his time in the state assembly.
“We’re making the harbor clean today,” Englebright quipped during the event. “We’re taking the credit, but the oysters are doing all the work.”
Oysters filter feed, removing nitrogen and other harmful elements from the water, either consuming them or binding them into the mud. An adult oyster can filter as much as 50 gallons of water a day, according to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
The larval oysters planted in Setauket Harbor are about six months old and were procured by researchers from the Cornell Cooperative. The hope is that the shellfish will grow and spawn, eventually creating an oyster reef with critical mass that can help improve water quality. Marina owners Seth Walker and Mallory Guerin, who opened their shoreline to welcome this project, are also allowing the group to set up an oyster garden on a floating dock in 2025.
“This is a really important educational thing for the community,” said Matt Sclafani, the Cornell Cooperative senior extension resource educator. “When you get a community invested in it, then that increases ownership, and you get more people lobbying for things. Then you can have a bigger plan to improve the water quality.”
But oysters are only one step in the process of cleaning water.
Sclafani explained that a comprehensive water quality improvement plan must include reducing stormwater runoff as well as improving sanitation systems over the currently prevalent cesspools.
“The oysters can’t do it on their own,” Sclafani said. “It’s a big picture, it’s a complex picture, but it starts here.”
New York voters in November approved a proposition to add a .125% sales tax increase toward funding new sewers and replacing aging cesspools. According to the proposition, there are currently 209,000 cesspools in “environmentally sensitive areas” of Suffolk County. Additionally, the Town of Brookhaven in 2023 installed a drainage system along Route 25A in Setauket to help decrease the stormwater that was previously running straight into the harbor.
The town was also instrumental in the oyster-planting process. Town Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) led the council in designating the area as a management district, allowing the initiative to move forward with minimal bureaucracy since the work is intended to improve environmental conditions.
Setauket Harbor has long been restricted from shellfish harvesting because of unhealthy water quality and bacteria.
“This is one piece of a bigger puzzle for us, basically just trying to be stewards of these waters,” Kornreich said at the event. “It’s a full spectrum approach to trying to improve water quality, and shellfish mariculture is a really important piece of it.”
By Lynn Hallarman
The Federal Emergency Management Agency denied requests from Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) on Nov. 14 to provide funding assistance for Suffolk County homeowners impacted by the severe flooding this past August.
Hochul requested disaster assistance from FEMA’s Public and Individual Assistance programs for Suffolk County in September in the wake of a relentless six-hour downpour in the early hours of Aug. 19.
Floodwaters from almost 11 inches of rain destroyed roads and damaged numerous residences and businesses across the North Shore of Suffolk County. Multiple swift water rescues occurred in the Town of Brookhaven, and flooding caused a breach of the Mill Pond Dam in Stony Brook Village causing six families to be displaced.
“Over 2,000 residents and business owners experienced flood damage in some capacity, and Stony Brook University had to relocate and/or shelter hundreds of students,” according to the statement released by the governor’s office shortly after the storm.
President Joe Biden (D), in October, approved a major disaster declaration for New York State for recovery efforts. The federal funding supports emergency work and repair by local governments and eligible private nonprofit organizations.
However, this aid funding does not include flood damage repair for individual households.
The November FEMA declaration denied Hochul’s request for aid to homeowners.
“It was determined that the damage was not of severity and magnitude to warrant a Federal Declaration for Individual Assistance,” said a statement from FEMA.
Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY1) sent a letter to the governor on Nov. 20 urging her to appeal the decision to deny Individual Assistance to Suffolk County residents.
“Suffolk County families devastated by the August 18 flooding, cannot be left to shoulder the burden alone,” he said in the letter.
“While the federal denial [for individual homeowners] was disappointing, we plan to appeal and will continue fighting to ensure storm-impacted residents have access to recovery resources,” said Gordon Tepper, Long Island press secretary for Hochul, in an email statement to TBR.
A local flood ordeal
Kellie Coppi, an East Setauket homeowner, describes a harrowing ordeal when her basement was rapidly flooded with six feet of stormwater the night of the storm. As she tried to soak up the water
with towels, a sudden surge trapped her, her father and her dog in the basement. If not for her husband breaking down the basement door, they might have drowned.
Coppi’s father, who lives with her and her family, is recovering from recent cancer chemotherapy. In the flood, he lost his life-long belongings stored in the basement.
“Everything in the entire finished basement had to go, and everything from my deceased mother, who passed away right before the flood,” she said.
Coppi thought she would receive funding aid after FEMA officials made a visit to her house, but she has yet to hear back from them.
“I thought that was a really good sign, because it was a whole team with jackets and everything, wow!” she said. She added, “They took pictures and checked the property. It seemed totally legit and that something was going to happen,” she said to TBR News Media.
As a backup, Coppi applied for a $ 50,000 grant to the New York State Homes and Community Renewal Agency’s Resilient & Ready Home Repair Program available to affected homeowners.
“But that’s been even more challenging than FEMA,” she said. “They asked for every document under the sun.”
Coppi made it to the second round but still has not heard any news from HCR. She does not know anyone in her community who received this funding, only those who were denied.
The application deadline was Nov. 8.
According to Shachar Roloson, assistant director of communication for HCR, “a large number of applicants are still gathering documents or working with contractors to get repair estimates” in an email to TBR.
“Over 600 applications were received on Long Island. Of those, 80 applications have been fully or conditionally approved to date,” said Roloson.
TBR spoke with Brookhaven Town District 1 Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) about his efforts to advocate for local homeowners affected by flooding damage.
After speaking with residents, Kornreich estimates that at least 30 households in the Stony Brook area alone have tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage to their homes.
“There are people in our community who are suffering, and that is what I am focused on,” he said.
Hochul has 30 days to appeal FEMA’s decision.
By Toni-Elena Gallo
On Wednesday, Nov. 20, construction began on Mill Creek Rd. in Stony Brook Village, following August’s catastrophic flooding. The storm not only collapsed the road, but emptied Stony Brook’s Mill Pond, caused destruction to surrounding homes and displaced the area’s wildlife.
According to Gloria Rocchio, president of the Ward Melville Heritage Organization, it is a bit of poetic justice that construction began on Wednesday, as it was “exactly 90 days” since the flood hit. However, the rebuilding of Stony Brook is far from complete.
“The Town of Brookhaven will be doing the road and they’re in the design stage at this point. As for tomorrow, they’ll probably start taking down trees,” said Rocchio. “They’re going to start clearing what’s in the creek, because right now, there’s pieces of cesspool down by the grist mill. There’s also a white film on some of the muck, which I heard is detergent, meaning every time the tide goes in and out, the water is taking it to different places,” she continued. The Grist Mill, a Stony Brook staple since 1751, may have up to eight feet of “sand and muck” impacting its turning capabilities, Rocchio said.
Rocchio described the aftermath of August’s storm as “all-consuming” but said she is focused on rectifying the situation and restoring the Stony Brook Mill Pond to its former state.
The WMHO president also stressed the importance of avoiding the collapsed area on Harbor and Main streets as well as the drained Mill Pond itself. She explained that curious passersby have been found standing in the creek, Mill Pond and mud near Harbor Rd. “When we did a cleanup with volunteers, someone got very badly stuck in there. It is like quicksand,” Rocchio said.
In light of the federal government’s response to Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday that Suffolk County’s flood damage is “not of the severity and magnitude to warrant the designation of Individual Assistance,” Rocchio said many homeowners, including Ron Borgese—a man who lost a portion of his home on the corner of Main St. and Harbor Rd.—have been left reeling.
“Apparently, the area is not devastated enough, but I don’t know how much more devastated you need to be,” Borgese said in a phone interview.
“The house is condemned and the property is shot. So far, I got nothing from anybody.”
Borgese is currently staying with family while awaiting word on assistance. He does not have flood insurance.
Rocchio said the community’s support during this time has deeply touched her, noting that people have donated amounts ranging from $50 to “thousands.”
In the coming weeks, WMHO will host a Christmas auction to raise money for storm damage relief.
For more information on FEMA’s decision, visit www.tbrnewsmedia.com.
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine and the Suffolk County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services (FRES) announced on Nov. 12 that Suffolk County has deployed members from 10 fire departments to Orange County to assist with the ongoing Jennings Creek Wildfire.
The following departments responded: Central Islip, Eastport, Amagansett, Dix Hills, Huntington, West Islip, Southampton, East Hampton, East Marion, and Orient.
“Our first responders are always prepared to answer the call to help wherever they are needed. I am proud of their commitment, and we thank them for their sacrifice,” said Romaine. “Our region has experienced one of the driest months on record, leading to extremely dry conditions and a real possibility of rapid fire spread if ignition occurs so we recognize the urgency of this matter.”
Suffolk County is currently under a Red Flag Warning. According to the National Weather Service, a Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are expected or are occurring. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and dry fuels would create a significant elevated fire growth potential.
“Our residents can be assured that Suffolk County is home to 109 fire departments and still has sufficient resources to respond to emergencies locally,” said Suffolk County FRES Commissioner Rudy Sunderman.
Suffolk County FRES urges residents to be cautious and provides the following safety tips to prevent further incidents: Avoid recreational fires, always have a fire extinguisher nearby, fully extinguish any flames, and report uncontrolled fires immediately.
The Suffolk County Parks Department has issued a ban on all campfires and open flames in all County parks. Please be cautious when extinguishing cigarettes and remain aware of any signs of fire.
Opportunity for Customers to Speak Directly with Their Water Provider and Learn More About Their Water and Service
The Suffolk County Water Authority will host the next installment of its WaterTalk series of educational forums on Wednesday, November 13th at 6:00 pm at the Huntington Public Library in Huntington. This event provides an opportunity for customers to learn more and ask questions about their drinking water. Those who are interested but cannot attend in person can view the event virtually, with the link available on SCWA’s website.
“It’s important that we continue to have a dialogue with our customers,” said SCWA Chief Executive Officer Jeff Szabo. “Our WaterTalk series provides our customers with the opportunity to ask us questions and it gives us a chance to hear about their concerns.”
The WaterTalk series features a panel of experts that will discuss important topics, such as the quality of drinking water, the ways in which SCWA is implementing new infrastructure to improve water service and quality, the importance of conservation and more. During the discussion, attendees are invited to ask questions. Water is Suffolk County’s most precious natural resource and SCWA officials hope attendees walk away from this event with increased knowledge about their water and increased trust in the product being delivered to their homes.
Residents who are interested in attending SCWA’s WaterTalk can register by emailing [email protected]. Residents who would prefer to attend virtually can do so at www.scwa.com.
About SCWA:
The Suffolk County Water Authority is an independent public-benefit corporation operating under the authority of the Public Authorities Law of the State of New York. Serving approximately 1.2 million Suffolk County residents, the Authority operates without taxing power on a not-for-profit basis.
Suffolk County Presiding Officer Kevin J. McCaffrey has released an open letter to residents about the Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act and the chance for voters to approve a plan to upgrade the county’s wastewater infrastructure. This year, Proposition 2 allows Suffolk residents to endorse the plan. The full letter is below:
Dear Suffolk County Resident,
On June 25, 2024, I led the Suffolk County Legislature in a historic vote to extend and revise the Suffolk County Drinking Water Protection Program and establish a Water Quality Restoration Fund. Collectively named the “Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act,” these actions create a long-term plan to expand and upgrade Suffolk County’s aging wastewater infrastructure and give the county the authority to establish a new stable and long-term funding source for wastewater improvement projects. Proposition 2 also extends the current 1/4 sales tax which funds water quality initiatives and open space acquisitions.
Currently, Suffolk County is home to more than 1.5 million people and relies on just 380,000 cesspools and wastewater systems. With over 209,000 designated environmentally sensitive areas, much of our land is ill-equipped for wastewater treatment. This lack of proper infrastructure has significantly contributed to nitrogen pollution in our bays, harbors and groundwater, fueling harmful algae blooms and creating barriers to sustainable economic growth.
On Election Day, Nov. 5., Suffolk County residents have the opportunity to address these environmental challenges by approving Ballot Proposition 2. A vote for Proposition 2 means new sewers and innovative septic systems across the county ensuring clean water for generations to come.
Throughout this process, I have often quoted an adage declaring “these waterways, bays and streams are not ours—they are borrowed from our children and grandchildren.” We must protect both our water bodies and our drinking water by making this investment.
Drafting and adopting the Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act was a significant effort, years in the making, that persisted through multiple administrations and levels of government. When New York State approved funding allocations for wastewater infrastructure in 2023, the Suffolk County Legislature’s Republican Majority sought modifications to enhance the environmental impact and ensure fair distribution across the county. I am proud of my colleagues who remained committed to reaching a balanced funding formula to protect Suffolk’s water quality for decades to come.
Several colleagues and stakeholders deserve recognition for making this possible. My colleagues in the Legislature, County Executive Romaine, New York State Assemblyman Fred Thiele and Senator Monica Martinez who sponsored the legislation, were instrumental, as were Governor Kathy Hochul who signed the bill, and our partners in the private sector including The Nature Conservancy, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, the Building & Construction Trades Council of Nassau & Suffolk Counties, the Long Island Contractors Association, the Long Island Federation of Labor and others.
A “yes” vote on Proposition 2 means less pollution, improved water quality, continued open space acquisitions and increased local job opportunities. A “yes” vote is good science, good economics and good sense.
Kevin J. McCaffrey
Presiding Officer of the Suffolk County Legislature
Hundreds of brave Special Olympics New York supporters are expected to participate in the Polar Plunge Saturday, November 23, running into the freezing waters of the Long Island Sound to raise funds and awareness for local Special Olympics athletes and programming.
The Polar Plunge is one of the most popular, profitable, and exciting fundraisers for Special Olympics New York. Participants raise money by asking friends, family, colleagues, and acquaintances for donations. Event details are as follows.
When: Saturday, November 23, 2024
9:30 a.m. – Registration
11:30 a.m. – Polar Plunge
Where: Cedar Beach, Mount Sinai
244 Harbor Beach Rd, Mt Sinai, NY 11766
Link: Donate or Support the Plunge Here.
For additional information, please contact Alexis Dawson at [email protected] or 631-386-8038.
About Special Olympics New York
Special Olympics New York is one of the largest state chapters in the country, serving more than 45,000 athletes across New York with year-round sports training, athletic competition, and health screenings. The organization also partners with more than 300 schools statewide to offer Unified Sports, where students with and without disabilities compete as teammates. All Special Olympics New York programs are offered at no cost to athletes, their families or caregivers. The organization has earned the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.com and a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, making it one of the most trusted charities in the business nationally. For additional information about Special Olympics New York, to learn more about getting involved, or to make a donation, visit www.specialolympicsNY.org.
On Election Day, voters will cast their votes for president, U.S. Senate, Congress and state legislators. In Suffolk County, voters also have a once-in-a-generation chance to safeguard the future of Suffolk County’s surface and groundwater in Proposition 2.
The proposition allows Suffolk County to begin the process of updating our wastewater infrastructure for the 21st century. Whether it is sewering our downtowns or supporting neighbors installing I/A systems to combat nitrogen pollution, the successful passage of Proposition 2 gives us the tools we need.
Passage of Prop 2 establishes Suffolk’s eligibility for state and federal funding. Recouping as many tax dollars from New York state is important to operate Suffolk County.
Proposition 2 also continues the highly successful Suffolk County Drinking Water Protection Program (SCDWPP), which has preserved thousands of acres of environmentally sensitive land, stabilized sewer rates and supported clean water efforts.
We don’t have to look far to see the need for improved wastewater infrastructure. Harmful algal blooms, brown tides, rust tides, mahogany tides and hypoxia fill our summer headlines and cause many beach closures each season.
We know, though, that with sewers, smart zoning and open space preservation, the damage is reversible. The obstacles we face are steep but not insurmountable.
Building sewage infrastructure creates jobs and helps small businesses and downtowns flourish. Advancing our downtowns creates permanent jobs in our communities and expands housing options for young people starting out and older folks looking to downsize. Our legacy fishing industry and emerging aquaculture industry will be able to expand employment and production as the environment improves.
It’s no exaggeration to say that passage of Proposition 2 is the most important measure voters have had on the ballot in generations. Its passage will strengthen our environment and protect the way of life that is a cornerstone of Suffolk County. This is not a political issue; it affects every present—and future—resident of Suffolk County and beyond.
Remember to vote on Nov. 5 or take advantage of early voting. For more information on voting, please visit: https://suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/BOE.
Ed Romaine
Suffolk County Executive
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