Rendering of artist locations around the village for the Music Throughout the Village event. Photo courtesy Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce
Local organizations collaborate to host weekly event
By Aramis Khosronejad
This past weekend, a musical addition to the Port Jefferson community has been added to the charming local streets, Music Throughout the Village.
A collaboration between The Greater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Port Jefferson-Northern Brookhaven Arts Council and Port Jefferson Retailers Association, it is a program that will bring music to this cozy, small town.
This summer event consists of local musicians, who will have the opportunity to play for spectators at set locations. Passersby will be able to “shop and dine in our community,” according to the retailers association, while enjoying the relaxing ambiance.
The ultimate goal for this musical program is to get it “codified” so it can become a permanent fixture of the community, said Barbara Ransome, director of operations for the chamber of commerce.
The program will run every Saturday and Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. from July 13 to Oct. 20. Each musician has been carefully reviewed and vetted by the arts council.
Through the coming weekends, the musicians can be heard in select locations around the village.
“There are four locations though that can, certainly, be expanded,” Ransome said. The current venues are at the intersection of Arden Street and Main Street in downtown Port Jefferson (next to the local Starbucks), as well as by the popular restaurant Salsa Salsa on Main Street, the Kate & Hale store on East Main Street and, finally, near Tiger Lily Café further down East Main.
This past weekend’s musicians, Hank Stone, Denise Romas, Faith Krinsky and Karl Blessing, were from a variety of musical genres.
“What better way than to walk through a beautiful town hearing beautiful music?” said a spokesperson from the retailers association.
To view a map of current and future concert locations and for additional information, go to the chamber of commerce and retailers association’s Instagram pages, also the respective Facebook pages.
The Girl Scout troop prepares soil for native plants. Photo courtesy of Earth Care
By Katherine Kelton
The Conscience Bay Quaker Meeting House in St. James has been convening since 1961. This meeting house in St. James has started its own Earth Care Committee and its first goal is incredibly close to home for the Quakers.
On the meeting house’s grounds, two former horse paddocks were mowed and maintained as a lawn. The Earth Care Committee plans to convert the lawn into a meadow through a process of rewilding. An expert at Cornell Cooperative Extension informed the committee of a problematic barrier of invasive species around the paddocks, further complicating their goal of having a self-propagating native meadow.
Barbara Ransome, the clerk of grounds at the meeting house, works with the Earth Care Committee for which Amy G. is the clerk. They spoke with TBR about the process.
“In this first phase of removing these invasive plants, we needed contractors and equipment. Which was funded by our own meeting house. For the planting materials we got a small grant from the New York Yearly Meeting,” Ransome said.
The Yearly Meeting is a gathering of state Quaker congregations. The Conscience Bay Quakers applied for an Earth-care grant from the Yearly Meeting with an “inclusive application,” as Ransome described it. The group received $500, the largest grant allowed to be given as a result of their application.
The grant money covered some of the cost of the native species, although Amy G. admitted that securing enough plants to cover such a large area is “quite expensive.” Consequently, the newly-cleared area will be replanted in stages with the work ongoing as funds, plants and volunteers are sourced.
The pair enlisted the help of local native plant grower, Mindy Block, who owns Quality Parks in Port Jefferson. Block works to provide native plants to locals and is working to cultivate more species. She provided the group with milkweed and native grasses, along with a variety of other plants that it hopes will begin to self-propagate and spread to create a native habitat.
Amy G. explained that one of the beliefs of Quakerism is respecting the Earth’s ecological integrity and being “good stewards of the environment.” She shared that an attendee of the society inspired these efforts when he mentioned how burning fossil fuels to mow the horse paddocks was not aligned with the values of the Quakers.
Ransome said, “In unity, the Quaker meeting house decided to go forward with an Earth Care Committee not to mow the paddocks.” From there the committee decided to take on a plan for rewilding the grounds, which refers to allowing native plants to take over the area and self-propagate. However, the process has not been an easy transition.
The committee wanted to ensure the meadow could thrive independently as part of its plan to take a combination active-passive approach. In the beginning stages, the committee will take an active approach to planting native species and clearing the border of invasive plants around the paddocks.
The end goal would be to allow habitat to develop where creatures can live and be undisturbed by machines and people. Ransome provided an example of a tree falling, where she believed it is beneficial to allow it to stay because it can become a home to small animals.
“Our first step in outreach was the Girl Scout troop, who we invited to help plant the native grasses and plants,” Amy G. said. The committee hopes to invite them back each year to continue to learn about plants and invest in a long-term community project. The committee also hopes to involve other groups and anyone who wants to get involved.
The St. James attendees and members meet weekly in person or via Zoom for worship. Quakerism is also known as the Religious Society of Friends. Ransome wants people to know that “there is a concern for climate change — this is one way the Quakers are dedicated to being good stewards of the Earth.”
Those interested in joining the Earth Care Committee do not have to be practicing Quakers, nor do they have to fill out any formal application. Ransome urges those interested to contact her via email at: [email protected].
A participant at last year's fashion show models an outfit from Tabu Boutique.
Photo courtesy of PJCC
A model walks the runway at last year's Vogue in the Village fashion show at Theatre Three. Photo courtesy of PJCC
A model with an adoptable dog from Yorkie 911 Rescue at last year's fashion show.
Photo courtesy of PJCC
By Julianne Mosher
The second annual Vogue in the Village Fashion Show is heading to Theatre Three in Port Jefferson this month so locals can strut their stuff in the latest styles from the village’s boutiques all for a good cause.
Scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 29 at 7 p.m., (on Leap Day), this year’s theme is appropriately titled “Leap Into Fashion.”
Hosted by the Greater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce and Theatre Three, the event follows a successful show last year. Barbara Ransome, director of operations at the chamber, said that last year’s ticket sales went back to supporting the chamber and their events. And while this is partly true this year, Ransome added that donations from the 2024 show will also go to the Town of Brookhaven’s Dress for Success program.
According to the Town of Brookhaven website, “Dress for Success Brookhaven is part of an international nonprofit organization that empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the developmental tools to help them thrive in work and life.”
Since 1999, Dress for Success has helped over 6,000 women work towards self-sufficiency in the Town of Brookhaven.
Ransome said this a great way to get the word out about local stores like Fame & Rebel, Kate & Hale, The Smokin’ Gentleman, Ivory & Main, Sue La La Couture, Timber & Ties and Dr. G Sustainability Lifestyle.
In addition, before the show and during intermission, a vendor’s marketplace with tables set up for different organizations, businesses and services will be held throughout the theater’s lower level.
Douglas Quattrock, third vice president of the chamber and artistic associate and director of development at Theatre Three, said this year they have about 50 models coming out to get done up and sashay across the stage. “It has built up a lot since last year,” he said. “What I love is the community coming together.”
Along with local shops donating their services, local beauty salons like Fedora Lounge Boutique Hair Salon, The Hair Bar and Karasmatic Day Spa are planning to help out with hair and makeup before the show.
The models are getting the full glam experience — men, women and even dogs.
Ransome noted that, like last year, dogs for adoption with Yorkie 911 Rescue will prance on stage wearing accessories from Fetch Doggy Boutique and Bakery on East Main Street. The 2023/2024 Ms. New York Senior America, Mae Caime, is also going to be a highlighted model.
“It’s one-stop-shopping the see the best of the village in one night,” Quattrock said.
The 2nd Annual Vogue in the Village Fashion Show will be held at Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson on Thursday, Feb. 29 from 7 to 9 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The vendor marketplace opens at 5 p.m.
The first 100 ticket holders to arrive will receive a fabulous gift: a swag bag, filled with goods from the local merchants. Tickets are $20 cash and check, $25 for credit card and online. Donations for Dress for Success will be accepted at the event or online when purchasing tickets.
Ice sculptures by Rich Daly, above, will be featured throughout the village.
Photo by Julianne Mosher/TBR News Media
Visitors to last year's festival pose with a Little Mermaid ice scuplture created by Rich Daly.
Photo by Raymond Janis/TBR News Media
Ice sculptures by Rich Daly, above, will be featured throughout the village.
Photo by Julianne Mosher/TBR News Media
Ice sculptures by Rich Daly, above, will be featured throughout the village.
Photo by Julianne Mosher/TBR News Media
A scene from a previous Ice Festival in Port Jefferson. Photo by Julianne Mosher/TBR News Media
ICE FESTIVAL FUN
The 6th Port Jefferson Ice Festival returns this weekend after being canceled last week due to the weather. Photo by Julianne Mosher
Update: Because of the rain on Sunday, January 28, the second part of the Port Jefferson Ice Festival will be held on Sunday, February 4 from noon to 5 p.m.
By Julianne Mosher
Back by popular demand, the fifth Annual Ice Festival is heading back to the Village of Port Jefferson on January 27 and 28 from noon to 5 p.m.
Hosted by the Port Jefferson Business Improvement District (BID) in partnership with the Greater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, the festival is a fan favorite that bring hundreds in to admire and pose alongside handcrafted ice sculptures created by Guinness Book World Record holder ice carver Rich Daly.
But that’s not all. According to Barbara Ransome, director of operations at the Port Jefferson Chamber, there will also be a new horse-drawn wagon available for rides (fee) and the now-sold-out Mac and Cheese Crawl.
Visitors can enjoy live music, performances by local Shine Dance Company, ice skating demos at the Rinx as well as character photo opportunities and interactive games (cornhole, bowling and tic tac toe) — made out of ice, of course.
Daly, who has been the star of the festival throughout its entire run, said that this year will be “bigger and better than ever.”
“We have about 200 blocks of ice ready for both days,” he said. “And while the ice is awesome, there are a lot of activities for families to do in Port Jeff, so it’s a great event.”
Daly said that on Saturday alone, there will be about 30 sculptures around town outside different Port Jeff shops. Sunday there will be another set ready to photograph with.
And these are not small statues. The famed interactive graffiti ice wall set up in the Frigate parking lot stands large enough for a whole family to pose with, but what’s most fun to watch are the live ice carvings done by Daly in the flesh.
On both days, there will be three live ice carvings starting at 12 p.m. at Mill Creek Road, 2 p.m. at the Meadow Parking Lot and 4 p.m. at Pocket Park. Each carving lasts at minimum an hour.
As founder of Ice Memories Inc. based out of Mastic, Daly is one of only eight certified master carvers in the U.S. Since starting Ice Memories in 2000, Daly has won over 200 ice carving competition titles and received the Guinness World Record for carving 60 ice sculptures in under three hours.
Compared to previous festivals which included Olaf from Frozen, a turtle and a lighthouse, “There will be new characters this year like Spider-Man and Barbie,” Daly said. However, this won’t be your typical doll-sized blonde fashionista.
“She’s going to be a big girl,” Daly laughed. “She’ll be about 6-feet-tall and start off at 2,400 lbs of ice.”
A rain date is set for Feb. 3 and 4. The event and parking are free for both days. For a full schedule and map of events, visit www.portjeffchamber.com. For further information, please call 631-473-1414.
Take part in the annual Costumed Dog Parade on East Main Street on Oct. 21. File photo by Bob Savage
By Heidi Sutton
Looking for something fun to do with the family this weekend? Then head down to the Village of Port Jefferson as it transforms into the annual Oktober Harvest Fest on Oct. 21 and 22 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This year the event will be sponsored by the Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce and the Port Jefferson Business Improvement District in cooperation with the Incorporated Village of Port Jefferson. The two-day festival will feature a pumpkin decorating contest, a cherry pie eating contest, a pumpkin harvest maze and patch (fee), a self-guided art walk, cornhole games, a scarecrow meet and greet, strolling musicians, a pirate scavenger hunt (fee), horse and wagon rides (fee), ten-foot Tall Walkers, a scarecrow walk, a harvest photo op and much more.
Barbara Ransome, Director of Operations at the Port Jefferson Chamber, is looking forward to seeing the fun unfold.
“There will be events throughout the whole village so its very walkable, very accessible and very family friendly. You can park your car and choose from a large selection of activities,” she said.
Highlights this year include the annual Halloween costumed dog parade sponsored by Fetch Doggy Boutique along East Main Street on Saturday at 12:30 p.m., and a village-wide Chowder Crawl on Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. According to Ransome, in the case of torrential rain, the parade and Chowder Crawl will be pushed to Sunday.
This year many of the businesses in the village will host activities in front of or in their shops. Fall Fun kids crafts will be offered at Kilwins, a B&B Paranormal Investigations Tour sign up sheet will be at the Port Jeff Brewing Company (fee), and Oktober Fest Tastings will be offered at Port Jeff Liquor, Whiskey Barrel, Spycoast and Pindar for adults, just to name a few. For a full schedule of events, visit www.portjeffchamber.com.
Up next in the Village is the Santa Parade on Nov. 26, the Festival of Trees at the Port Jefferson Village Center from Dec. 1 to Jan. 2 and the 27th annual Charles Dickens Festival on Dec. 2 and 3. For more information, call 631-473-1414.
Photo courtesy the Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce
Photo courtesy the Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce
Photo courtesy the Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce
Photo courtesy the Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce
Photo courtesy the Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce
Photo courtesy the Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce
Photo courtesy the Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce
Photo courtesy the Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce
By Aidan Johnson
Despite not having any dragon boat racing, the 9th annual Port Jefferson Dragon Boat Race Festival was filled with excitement and fun from start to finish Saturday, Sept. 16.
It was deemed early in the day unsafe to hold the boat racing due to rough water conditions in the wake of Hurricane Lee. The Greater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, the organization that hosts this annual tradition, opted for a tug-of-war competition between the dragon boat teams.
“We wanted to kind of create a competitive activity that the teams would embrace,” Barbara Ransome, the chamber’s director of operations, explained. After one of her team partners suggested the tug-of-war, Peter Murphy of Sea Tow Port Jefferson provided the festival with a 40-foot cord to use.
“As you can see, it was great fun and lots of competition,” Ransome added.
Denise Yazak, who was part of Brookhaven National Lab’s Crave the Wave team, took part in the competition. While she was disappointed that she could not serve her role as drummer — who helps keep the paddlers in rhythm and synchronicity, matching the drumbeat with the strokes of the front paddlers — she said she still had a great experience.
“It’s such a cool community-building event, and it’s great to connect with new people, see old friends,” Yazak said. “So even with the weather, it was still an amazing time.”
Vendors set up throughout the day in Port Jeff’s Harborfront Park. The festival also included performances such as karate demonstrations and a showcase from Taiko Tides, a traditional Japanese drumming group from Stony Brook University.
“It’s always exciting to come,” said Louis Truong, a member of Taiko Tides. “They’re always welcoming to us.”
Port Jefferson Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kassay said she was inspired by the number of individuals who turned out and the many different walks of life gathered for the same purpose.
“This festival, in particular, is a beautiful opportunity to build community bridges and celebrate the vibrancy of diversity,” Kassay said in a statement.
“The resilience and adaptability of festival-goers was inspiring as well, as they seamlessly shifted their competitive spirits from dragon boat races to tug-of-war competitions,” she added.
A scene from a previous Port Jefferson Dragon Boat Race Festival. Photo by Kyle Barr
A scene from a previous festival. Photo courtesy of PJCC
A scene from last year’s Port Jefferson Dragon Boat Race Festival. Photo courtesy of PJCC
A scene from a previous festival. Photo courtesy of PJCC
A scene from a previous festival. Photo courtesy of PJCC
A scene from last year’s Port Jefferson Dragon Boat Race Festival. Photo courtesy of PJCC
A scene from last year’s Port Jefferson Dragon Boat Race Festival. Photo courtesy of PJCC
A scene from a previous festival. Photo courtesy of PJCC
A scene from a previous festival. Photo courtesy of PJCC
A scene from a previous festival. Photo courtesy of PJCC
By Julianne Mosher
These dragons won’t need any slaying and will not be spitting fire. In fact, this might actually bring some good luck.
The 9th annual Dragon Boat Race Festival is heading back to Port Jefferson on Saturday, Sept. 16 and it will have something for everyone.
Sponsored by The Greater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, this event is a way to foster community togetherness. It also serves to promote Asian and Asian American culture and customs while connecting with students at Stony Brook University.
Kicking off with a race in the Long Island Sound, it coincides with a full festival filled with fun, food and friends.
Barbara Ransome, the chamber’s director of operations, said that every year this particular festival brings in hundreds of people from across Long Island and even New York City.
“There’s nothing else like this around,” she said, “And we’re the only festival doing this in Suffolk County.”
Just a few miles away from Stony Brook University, which has a large Asian and Pan-Asian community, Ransome said the festival not only brings new people to the village every year, but also parts of these cultures that local residents might have not seen before.
“Not only is this festival entertaining,” Ransome said, “But it’s also educational and that’s a wonderful thing.”
This year, 21 teams are signed up — including two from the university and a group from Flushing, Queens. Each boat has about 22 people in it as they race for the win.
But it isn’t just a race for visitors to watch and cheer on. There are dance troupes, Japanese percussionists, singers and martial artists, plus retailers, cultural vendors and food trucks.
And you can’t forget the Bearded Dragon who will dance for the crowd — but don’t worry… it isn’t scary.
For centuries, the bearded dragon has had a significant impact on different cultures around the world. Specifically in Eastern cultures, including Chinese mythology, the dragon symbolizes power, strength and good luck. Similarly, in Japan, bearded dragons are associated with longevity and wisdom, as they are said to possess secret knowledge.
Other fun activities for kids will include face painting, origami, crafts and reptile visitors from the Center for Environmental and Educational Discovery.
“This is a way to embrace diversity within our own backyard,” Ransome said. “It offers different things that you might have never seen before.”
The Port Jefferson Dragon Boat Race Festival will kick off its opening ceremonies on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 8:30 a.m. with a performance by the Asian Veterans Color Guard, singing of the national anthem by Samantha Reichers, a Blessing of the Dragon and the traditional “Eye Dotting” ceremony to awaken the dragon at Port Jefferson Harbor and Harborfront Park, located at 101A East Broadway. The race will begin at 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and will run alongside the entertainment schedule (see left hand page).
The event will be held rain or shine. Bring a blanket or lawn chair and come enjoy the festivities! For more information, call 631-473-1414 or visit www.portjeffdragonracefest.com
Schedule of Events:
7:45 a.m.
Team Captains Meeting at Harborfront Park
8:30 a.m.
Opening Ceremonies with Master of Ceremonies Suzanne Velazquez, Asian Veterans Color Guard, singing of the National Anthem by Samantha Reichers, and Blessing of the Dragon and‘Eye Dotting’ ceremony with Theravada Monks from the Vajiradhammapadip Buddhist Temple in Centereach
8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Food Vendors, Cultural Crafts, Children Activities, Retail/Educational/Nonprofit Vendor Tables
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Continual Dragon Boat Races in Port Jefferson’s Inner Harbor
9:45 a.m.
Rebel Thaiboxing demonstration
10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m
The Sound of Long Island Chorus, Americana program and traditional Chinese songs
10:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
Yixin Dance Center
11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Long Island Chinese Dance Group performance
12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Lunch Break (no racing)
12;30 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Taiko Tides Drumming and Oroshi Drumming contest
1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Parade of the Team T-shirts Contest, Best Drummer Costume Contest
1:30 p.m.
Races resume
1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.
Authentic Shaolin Kung Fu Lion Dance , Kung Fu& Tai Chi demonstrations
2:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.
Port Jefferson High School Music Group, Harbor Country Day School
2:45 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Rebel Thaiboxing Demonstration
3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Stony Brook Youth Chorus
3:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Yana Dance Group – Chinese Traditional Dance
4 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.
Galante Martial Arts demonstrating Tai Chi, Arnis (Filipino Martial Arts) and Jiu Jitsu
From left, trustees Bob Juliano and Drew Biondo, Mayor Lauren Sheprow and Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kassay. Not pictured, trustee Stan Loucks. Photo by Aidan Johnson
By Aidan Johnson
Monday, July 10, marked Lauren Sheprow’s first Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees meeting as village mayor.
Sheprow led the new board through their business and reorganization meeting, in which the reconfigured village board voted to reject proposed code changes slated for the Maryhaven Center of Hope property on Myrtle Avenue.
Mayor Lauren Sheprow presiding over the Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees on Monday, July 10. Photo by Aidan Johnson
Maryhaven Center of Hope
The proposed code amendments were an effort by the previous administration to preserve the historic building on the Maryhaven site. [See story, “For Maryhaven, Port Jeff village board weighs historic preservation, density and conservation,” April 29, TBR News Media website.]
It would have created a special permit application to allow the village board to designate specific parcels that contribute to Port Jefferson’s architectural and aesthetic character.
If approved, an applicant meeting these criteria would have qualified for relaxed standards for land use, allowing for additional height and stories without additional clearing.
During the public comment period Monday night, former village trustee Barbara Ransome addressed the continuing concerns over the property.
“I’m hoping that there are no quick decisions about changing codes for potential developers,” she said. “I think we heard at the [May 1] public hearing a lot of concern about the infrastructure, about losing a wonderful area that people feel is just going to be too crowded with that kind of density.”
Trustee Stan Loucks, not pictured, left the village board meeting after learning he would not be reappointed as liaison to Port Jefferson Country Club. Photo by Aidan Johnson
Reorganization
But not all went smoothly at Village Hall.
Trustee Stan Loucks, who ran in this year’s village election alongside mayoral candidate Kathianne Snaden, left directly after the board’s reorganization meeting, skipping the general meeting altogether after Sheprow revealed he would no longer serve as liaison to the Port Jefferson Country Club.
“I feel very strongly that I’ve had an impact on the resurgence of the country club,” Loucks said. He went on to say that he did not think he could “work any further with this board.”
Village clerk Barbara Sakovich will leave the village government after more than 13 years in that role. Her retirement will take effect July 19. The trustees expressed their gratitude for her years of service. Silvia Pirillo will take over as the new clerk.
Sheprow appointed trustee Rebecca Kassay as deputy mayor and commissioner of environmental stability.
“It is an honor to step into the position of deputy mayor because it helps me better serve the village and work [especially with] flood resilience and climate studies,” Kassay said in an interview after the meeting.
“I’ve been talking to organizations like [the United States Geological Survey], and having the title of deputy mayor shows that the village is taking these climate resilience issues very seriously,” she noted. “I’m very glad to be representing the village in this way.”
Trustee Bob Juliano will serve as commissioner of public works and parks. Loucks was appointed commissioner of recreation, and newly appointed trustee Drew Biondo will be commissioner of buildings and communications.
Harry Faulknor will continue as the Port Jefferson Harbor commissioner.
Sheprow will serve as commissioner of finance and public safety/court/code.
A motion to appoint Donald Pearce as village treasurer failed — he held the post previously before resigning in 2015. Juliano suggested that while Pearce is excellent to work with, he was displeased that Denise Mordente was not reappointed.
Code enforcement chief Andy Owen delivering his department’s monthly public safety report. Photo by Aidan Johnson
Public safety
The general meeting started with a brief presentation from Code Enforcement Bureau chief Andy Owen and chief of patrol James Murdocco.
Owen clarified that the code department does not save and store private information through its automatic license plate readers, which are used to identify if a car has a valid Port Jefferson parking permit or a meter is paid.
He also announced that foot patrols downtown would begin after this weekend’s Port Paws Dog Festival. Owen said he is also planning on starting a bike patrol unit.
In June, 60 incident reports were written, consisting of noise complaints, traffic conditions and public disturbances.
A total of 206 summonses were written in June for incidents such as uninspected vehicles, missing license plates, parking without a permit or overtime meter parking.
Murdocco reported there have been over 200 incidents at the Port Jefferson train station since January, with many happening after 9 p.m.
Murdocco also announced the start of an informational Facebook page for the code bureau.
Public comment
During the public comment portion, held before the trustee reports, multiple residents voiced concerns about the potential overdevelopment of the park at Roosevelt Avenue. Myrna Gordon, along with other residents, suggested these developments would not be conducive to the area’s quiet character.
Sheprow announced a planned Parks and Rec Advisory Council meeting on July 26. All residents of the Roosevelt Avenue area are invited.
Michael Mart also touched upon the issue of transient housing — such as Airbnb facilities — in Port Jefferson, expressing a desire for the board to limit the rental time of a house to 30 days per renter.
After a resident asked how villagers could get involved with the different committees and task forces, Kassay said they are currently working on an online forum where residents could enter their information and the committees on which they would like to participate.
Reports
Juliano announced he would be starting office hours and that his door was always open. He also said that he gave the interim attorney a proposed code change so that when developers apply through the Industrial Development Agency for pilots or property tax exemptions, they would start at whatever they were paying now instead of at zero.
Biondo shared that he had toured a few of Port Jefferson’s facilities as the liaison to building and planning. He said he would discuss with the mayor and village attorney how they can streamline government processes.
Kassay said the Complete Streets and Walkability Plan is moving forward. She also said the board is still working on mitigating flooding challenges, though the problems cannot be eliminated. However, they are working on a study to see which areas need to be focused on for flood mitigation.
Kassay and Andrew Kelly, from Hauppauge-based VHB civil engineering company, are working on assisting grant writers with the documentation needed to apply to the New York State Environmental Protection Fund to progress to the next step for the planned Six Acre Park, which consists of taking a concept and making “show ready” plans for the park.
Sheprow announced she had appointed an ethics attorney to update the village’s ethics code. She also said that she has met with representatives from Stony Brook University’s Student Affairs office, and they have expressed interest in using Port Jefferson as a “living laboratory.”
The Board of Trustees also passed a resolution to create a budget and finance committee, and has been working to recruit members of a short-term and long-term rental evaluation working group.
Sheprow added that the board is considering establishing a working group to advise on policies related to the Port Jefferson Power Station to explore declining public revenue and possible repowering.
The board will reconvene Monday, July 24, at 3:30 p.m.
Pictured from left, Jackie Frank, RN; Dr. Salim Matar M.D., F.A.C.S., Cari Cioffi, Carly Montalto, PJCC Past President Mary Joy Pipe; PJCC Third Vice President Douglas Quattrock and PJCC Past President Dr. Suzanne Velazquez.
Photo from PJCC
The Greater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce (PJCC) held a ribbon cutting welcoming new chamber member Long Island Sinus Institute on March 30.
Located at 640 Belle Terre Rd. Bldg. C, Port Jefferson, the staff of ENT specialists offers complete, personal care plans to treat symptoms due to a variety of ear, nose and throat-related conditions including balloon sinuplasty (balloon sinus dilation) for recurrent sinus infections along with nasal allergies, nasal obstruction, nasal polyps, nosebleeds, recurrent sore throats, diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea, upper airway obstruction and snoring.
“TheGreater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce welcomes Dr. Nahum Archin and Dr. Salim Matar and staff to the chamber! Their specialized medical expertise with the latest techniques in balloon sinuplasty surgery will provide needed services to our community. The Chamber wishes them well and much success,” said Barbara Ransome, Director of Operations at the PJCC. For more information, call 631-928-7750 or visit www.longislandsinusinstitute.com.
Internet fraud, a worsening cybercrime phenomenon, has reached downtown Port Jefferson.
Through various tactics, online scam artists have successfully targeted storefronts and events throughout Port Jefferson, scoring hundreds of dollars in profits.
During the 4th annual ice festival in late January, scammers sold eight fake tickets for a mac ‘n’ cheese crawl organized by the Greater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce. On the day of the event, victims presented their fraudulent tickets.
The tickets “looked very official,” said Barbara Ransome, the chamber’s director of operations. However, when chamber staff asked those presenting these scam tickets when they had purchased them, their response revealed that something was out of place.
“They said, ‘We got them two days ago,’ and that’s when I realized this was a scam because we had been sold out … for at least a week and a half,” Ransome said, adding that the popularity of the event created an opening for scam artists. “My speculation is that this person saw that these tickets were sold out, saw that people were looking for them and created this whole fraud situation.”
At Theatre Three on Main, a similar practice has gained traction. Although the theater sells tickets at $35 per seat, online ticket scammers have capitalized by selling back-row seats at enormous markups.
Douglas Quattrock, the theater’s director of development and artistic associate, reported one such incident where a couple spent nearly 10 times the going rate. “We had a couple that paid $672 for a pair of tickets,” he said.
Although only “a handful” of theatergoers have fallen prey to these ticket scams at Theatre Three, Quattrock considered the practice disruptive to operations.
“Being a smaller not-for-profit, we try to keep our prices very family oriented,” he said. However, he added that “scammers see this market as very attractive.”
But online scams are not limited to ticket sales. Jena Turner owns the Port Jeff-based gift shop Breathe, which offers nontraditional healing remedies and psychic readings.
In an interview, Turner reported that multiple phony social media accounts have emerged, using her photos and business name to solicit payments from unsuspecting patrons.
“Right now, I know that there are five accounts that stole my photos and are pretending to be me,” she said.
Social engineering
“There are standard social engineering tactics, such as giving the victim a sense of urgency or taking advantage of their appeal to authority.”
— Nick Nikiforakis
Nick Nikiforakis, associate professor in the Department of Computer Science at Stony Brook University, said internet fraud is becoming a growing concern for small business sectors, which are increasingly vulnerable to malicious cyber activities.
He contends that online criminals have shifted their sights on smaller boutique organizations because large corporations are investing more resources into cybersecurity systems.
“Effectively, you have cybercriminals who are customizing their attacks toward small businesses,” he said.
Turner’s case, according to Nikiforakis, represents a common social engineering scenario.
A social engineer “makes an online account for a company with a brick-and-mortar presence and then tries to take the recognizable name and the good faith that the business has built,” the associate professor said.
He added, “They are targeting online users, pretending to be the person running this business,” tricking their victims “to send them money, divulge information or in some way get people to participate in a scam.”
A downtown dilemma
Turner said she has reported her digital imposters but has received no relief in removing these scam accounts from the Instagram platform.
“I had reported it to Instagram several times — and by several, I can say probably more than 20,” she said. “Instagram hasn’t done anything about it.”
Nikiforakis noted that there are considerable technical limitations for social media companies in policing social engineering activities. While they could theoretically verify with storefront owners whenever a platform is created in their name, online scammers often find creative ways to circumvent such safeguards.
“Things can be done, but this is inherently a cat-and-mouse game,” he said. Social engineers “are not attacking a security vulnerability. … They are abusing people’s faith and trust in institutions and recognizable brands.”
Lacking assistance from Big Tech, Turner said she took matters into her own hands, creating a video in which she wrote out her authentic social media handle by hand.
“I made that video, and I just keep reposting it on my story and on my Facebook so that people aren’t falling for it,” she said. “That’s been really helpful.”
But, she added, “We have over 8,000 followers, so not everyone has seen the video. Unfortunately, the scam is still ongoing.”
To respond to the number of ticket scam incidents, Theatre Three similarly released a statement on its website condemning third-party ticket vendors. “The only place to buy tickets from us should be www.theatrethree.com,” Quattrock said.
Still, he encouraged patrons to remain on guard for potentially inflated ticket prices and to approach online transactions cautiously.
For those who may suspect a ticketing scam, he implored them to call the theater directly before completing the transaction.
“If it looks suspicious to you, just call the theater and verify that they’re on the right website,” he said.
As online fraud persists throughout the local area, businesses and customers are not without recourse. Nikiforakis indicates that awareness of the typical social engineering strategies can help users protect themselves from participating in online scams.
“There are standard social engineering tactics, such as giving the victim a sense of urgency or taking advantage of their appeal to authority,” he said. “For both patrons and companies, by actively resisting this, you can slow down and potentially defend yourself against an attack.”
7:45 a.m. 
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