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Carolyn Emerson

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 EPA and media need accountability

Based on a March, New York Times article, Daniel Dunaief expressed concerns the EPA “is exploring the possibility” of laying off over 1,000 scientists.  He urged EPA director, Lee Zeldin (R) to be selective before making any cuts. 

Even before Zeldin was sworn in, Biden EPA adviser, Brent Efron, was caught proudly announcing the agency was spending billions of taxpayer dollars before the Trump administration could stop them.  

“Get the money out as fast as possible before they come in….it’s like we’re on the Titanic and….throwing gold bars off the edge.”

Where’d the dough go?

“Nonprofits, states, tribes. We gave them the money because it was harder, if it was a government-run program, they could take the money away, if Trump won.”

Apparently, nongovernmental organizations  are a great place to stash gold bars because they avoid typical Fed spending “accountability.” So, they can act as weblike pass-throughs to other, politically favored outfits, while making it difficult to track how much money is actually going to “scientists.” 

EPA administrator Zeldin found $20 billion from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, nestled in CitiBank, awaiting distribution. 

It was “awarded to just eight entities, that were then responsible for doling out your money to NGOs and others at their discretion, with far less transparency,” Zeldin explained.

He continued, “Of the eight pass-through entities…. various recipients have shown very little qualification to handle a single dollar, let alone several billions of dollars.”

Here’s just one example of the above-mentioned “web.”  Power Forward Communities Inc. got $2 billion, despite being set up in 2023 and showing only $100 in revenue for that entire year.  That outfit partnered with Rewiring America, where two-time Georgia gubernatorial loser Stacey Abrams (D) works as “corporate counsel.”  

As for the New York Times reporting on Zeldin’s EPA, let’s consider the source.  The “Gray Lady” cited House Democrats. Recall, the New York Times joined other major media outlets in losing tons of credibility by selectively censoring some stories (including those on COVID), while parroting Dem pols’ deceitful talking points on major, critical issues.  The most dangerous of which was assuring us that President Joe Biden (D) was cognitively capable of acting as commander in chief and leader of the free world.

We are a people burdened with $36 trillion dollars in debt, and a lack of faith in what is being reported as “news.” So the public needs to demand accountability from both the EPA and media.  Then use common sense and a critical eye to make honest judgments.  

Jim Soviero

East Setauket

Conscience Bay Society of Friends hope county officials protect everyone in spirit of the Constitution

Conscience Bay Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) was established in St. James in 1961. Most of us live in western Suffolk County and have deep ties to the area. On March 9, we met in a meeting for worship with attention to business and considered the circumstances currently faced by immigrants and refugees in our country. After prayerful consideration, we approved the following minute:

Conscience Bay Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends is united in the centuries-old Quaker convictions that every person has that of God/Spirit within them, that all are equal in dignity and worth, that all are deserving of compassion and fair treatment. With this understanding of how we can live together in peace, we have a deep concern for the well-being and rights of all. Therefore, we issue this public call for support and protection, without regard to their immigration status, of all immigrants and refugees in our extended community of Suffolk County, New York. We call upon our county officials to advocate and create policies that protect all individuals from unwarranted arrest, detention or deportation.

We ask that our county police remain in compliance with their central mandate to “Serve and Protect.” In fulfilling that vital and honorable role, there is no justification for our county or local police departments to act as surrogates for federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or associated agencies. We commend the ongoing efforts by individuals, organizations and local governments to provide essential services, advocacy and safety for immigrants and refugees.

It is our hope that you will do all that you can to protect the rights of everyone within your jurisdiction and that you will fulfill the duty of every elected official to live up to the letter and spirit of the Constitution of the United States.

Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,

Carolyn Emerson

Clerk, Conscience Bay Meeting

Disappointing Town Hall

I am in agreement with the March 20 letters of Donna Newman and Robert Marcus regarding the disappointing so-called “Town Hall” meeting by Congressman Nick LaLota [(R—NY1)]. I specifically want to add that LaLota’s claims of asking constituents their opinions was self-serving. To ask whether or not we supported government waste was silly. Everyone objects to waste; but the real question is how much waste is there and is destruction of government agencies an acceptable way to deal with it. LaLota’s questions were only designed to reinforce his own views or rather the views of [President Donald] Trump [(R)], whom he supports in every way.

Respectfully,

Adam Fisher

Port Jefferson Station

Thank you to Three Village Community Trust

I want to thank the Three Village Community Trust and Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) for their recent recognition of the Setauket Neighborhood House as an important community asset and its continuing commitment to provide a warm and friendly meeting and gathering place for the community.

In 1918, local philanthropists Eversley and Minnie Childs gave the Setauket Neighborhood House to the residents of the Stony Brook and Setauket communities as a needed meeting place. For more than 100 years, the Setauket Neighborhood House and its board of dedicated trustees have provided a unique and treasured asset that has been a place for hosting community and family events in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere.

Thanks to all for recognizing my service as its manager and the importance of the Setauket Neighborhood House as a recognized Three Village community asset.

Maria Nardiello

Manager

Setauket Neighborhood House

Open letter to Congressman Nick LaLota

Prologue: I originally wrote the following letter a week ago. So much has negatively changed in what is happening with Social Security that I found it necessary to add this prologue. Offices have been closed. There is no one to answer the phones or you may have to wait 30 minutes to talk to someone. The Social Security website crashed two or three times last week. If there is an open office near you, the wait time standing in a line can be 4 or 5 hours.

Congressman LaLota (R-NY1), is this what you were elected to support? Do you support all these changes? Do you have anyone in your life that may have to deal with Social Security? I hope you help them.

But now how does someone in your district who may need help get in touch with you?

In the last few weeks it has been reported that the Department of Government Efficiency is now closing some Social Security offices and that phone access will no longer be available. One can only get in touch with the Social Security office online or in person. So, if you are new to Social Security or need to make any changes, you will either have to do it online or go in to an office, if there is one near you.

Congressman LaLota, since you have not objected to any of these cuts, I have to think that you support them. Therefore, anyone who needs help making any change to their Social Security should get in touch with you for help. Perhaps you have not realized that many of the people in your district are senior citizens, many of whom need their Social Security checks to make it through the month. Many of them do not have computers, and, if they do, they do not know how to do many things on the computer. Many of them no longer drive nor do they have someone who can take them to a Social Security office.

I have to ask if you have tried to find out how people in your district feel about all these changes. People who voted for you expected that you were going to make their lives easier, not harder, and by supporting these changes, everyone’s life is a lot harder.

So, Congressman LaLota, how are you going to help these people in your district?

Ernestine Franco

Sound Beach

BESS  estimates

In his letter of March 27 George Altemose makes a valid point that solar power on Long Island is too variable to be able to provide 100% of our needs so backup power of some kind is needed. However, his analysis of the number of homes that could be serviced by a 8.75 MW solar facility coupled to a battery facility (battery  energy storage system) contrasts with my personal experience. 

Using the time period that includes his use of August  2024 (I am billed on a two-month cycle) my two-month total usage was 1,123 kwh or an average of 780 watts contrasted to his home average use of 2,747 watts (both include use of air conditioning).  He makes a questionable assumption that the power requirement would double from the average when air conditioning is turned on for 4 hours and used that condition, not the average use, as a basis for need.  If our home use was typical, the number of homes that could be covered by BESS is larger than their calculation, not smaller.

Of course, there are many factors that will impact use of power, but one very noticeable change we noticed was the drop in energy usage with our conversion to heat pump air conditioning, which is much more efficient and quieter than other forms and can also provide heat when needed. 

Peter Bond

Stony Brook

Fact checking: ‘Reconfiguration is the right decision for 3V schools,’ appeared on March 20th

To my knowledge, not a single member of the Three Village community petitioned for grade restructuring. Restructuring is an administration-driven initiative that was pushed forward through the ‘Strategic Plan Committee’ meetings. Because many parents became concerned that this plan would make start times even worse than the current dismal state, it was primarily these parents who turned up and closely followed the restructuring meetings. Their main concern was that the restructuring, as initially planned, would have moved the 9th grade students to a 7:05am start time from the current 7:40 start time. This is obviously the exact opposite of what most parents wanted.

 As of my writing, the proposed budget simply maintains the status quo for the 9th grade student start times. This is appropriate, given that these students are the ones most affected by the restructuring at the secondary level. It is also in alignment with 15 years of recommendations from the community and relevant committees.

The request for later start times is not a new-found concern but a long-standing one rooted in over 30 years of research and backed by leading U.S. medical organizations. Locally, a 2019 petition urging the Three Village school Board and administration to adopt healthier start times obtained 1,700 signatures within days, a remarkable response. Dismissing this long-held goal as a “sudden desire” or “utterly useless” disregards medical evidence and years of parent advocacy.

The claim that teenagers will “fall asleep from boredom” if devices are removed is counterfactual for the many parents who have witnessed their children struggle to meet developmental sleep requirements, despite implementing good sleep hygiene habits. 

Barbara Rosati,

Dept. of Physiology

Stony Brook University

To the Board of Education and Administration of the Three Village Central School District

As we near school budget season, and the conversations increase in intensity and severity regarding where our money is allotted for the 2025-2026 school year, here are the top nominees for talking points in Three Village.

1. The upcoming reconfiguration

This is a change, decades in the making, that is being made through due diligence and circumspection for what is best for all Three Village students.  Those who continue to dissent and rail against this 21st century change choose to remain ignorant to the negative effects our current model spews on our student population and the positive monetary savings the district will reap.  The opportunities that will be offered to our sixth and ninth graders outweigh any and all possible repercussions that may befall them.  Imagine a world full of clubs and classes that they would not receive in their current placement and try to ignore the rantings of those who chose to deny the simple fact that our beloved Three Village needs a facelift. Moving on.

2. Start times

Stop the madness!  No matter what the supposed science says, a 30-minute change to our start times is an utter waste of over $1million and will not make one bit of difference.  If parents are so concerned with their children’s sleep habits, perhaps they should take the devices out of their little darling’s hands and tell them to go to bed.  I, and MANY others, are not willing to see class sizes rise and programs disappear so that kids can have an extra 30 minutes on their phones instead of in the classroom.  Think about the detriments there before we spend a million dollars of the budget to cover transportation costs rather than having educators in classes.  Are we willing to see the possible failure of the budget for this nonsense?

3. Security

Earlier this school year three Village had a fright.  A gun got into our high school and the situation was handled smoothly and transparently. However the resounding outcry that followed was even more disturbing.  Now we have a call to arm our security guards, despite the fact that extensive research has shown that armed guards have actually induced more violence in schools.  I am staunchly against allowing anyone to carry a firearm either in or around our schools as I do not believe, under any circumstances, that this will assist in dissuading someone who wants to commit a violent act on school property.  I appreciate the comprehensive work that has been done by Mr. Blaum and his team and I trust that the system they are currently implementing will keep our children safe while in school. Regardless of any former law enforcement experience, school security guards do not need to be armed, particularly if response times to tense situations are not improved.

4. Incidents of hate

Thank you, Dr. Scanlon for acknowledging that Three Village has a problem, although it is extremely disconcerting to know that it has gotten this far.  In our district we have had several antisemitic occurrences. We are very lucky that none of them have involved violence.  I sincerely hope that the administration and the board are working together to create a plan that will address all of the issues that are on the increase, particularly in the current environment that exists throughout our country.  When teaching kindness and compassion, as well as common courtesy and respect, there is no amount too high if it erases the feelings of hatred toward any fellow students.

Let’s get it together three Village and regain our standing in our awesome 2025-2026 middle school model.  We have so much to look forward to!

Stefanie Werner

East Setauket

I am ready to work for you as your trustee

I’m excited to share that I’m running for reelection for Port Jefferson village trustee. Over 24 years ago, Kelly and I made the decision to raise our family here in Port Jefferson, and it has truly been the perfect place to call home. Our children, Victoria and Stephen, have grown up here, and we’ve watched this village become an even more wonderful community with every passing year.

It has been a true honor to serve as your trustee for the past two years, and as deputy mayor for the past year. During this time, I’ve had the privilege of working with so many dedicated and talented people – from the team at Village Hall to volunteers who serve on committees like the Conservancy, Parks & Recreation, Tree Committee, Conservation Advisory Council and the Committee for Coastal Erosion. What I’ve come to appreciate is how much stronger we are when we work together to improve our village. I’ve always strived to listen, learn, and ensure that everyone’s voice is heard.

With over 30 years in municipal government, including 18 years as the village clerk/administrator here in Port Jefferson, I’ve gained experience working alongside a wonderful staff, 10 mayors and many trustees. Through countless meetings, challenges and successes, I’ve learned what it takes to help a village prosper, and I’m committed to using that knowledge to make Port Jefferson even better.

There are still important opportunities ahead that we must address, like the stabilization of the bluff at the Port Jefferson Country Club, the future of the Power Plant and managing the growth of apartments. These issues require thoughtful leadership, and I believe my experience, ability to collaborate and passion for our community make me well-suited to help guide Port Jefferson forward.

Two years ago, I promised that I would always be available to listen to your concerns and ideas. I’ve kept that promise with my “Saturday Sit-Down” sessions, where I meet informally with residents to chat about village matters. My personal cell phone number is on my business cards and in my emails, and I encourage you to reach out to me. I’m here to listen, help, and be part of the solutions that make our village the best it can be.

I hope I can count on your support on June 17. Together, we’ll continue to make Port Jefferson the wonderful community that we all cherish.

Bob Juliano

Port Jefferson

WRITE TO US … AND KEEP IT LOCAL We welcome your letters, especially those responding to our local coverage, replying to other letter writers’ comments and speaking mainly to local themes. Letters should be no longer than 400 words and may be edited for length, libel, style, good taste and uncivil language. They will also be published on our website. We do not publish anonymous letters. Please include an address and phone number for confirmation. Email letters to: [email protected] or mail them to TBR News Media, P.O. Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733

 

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Photo by Raymond Janis

Governor’s educational proposal dead on arrival

Here on Long Island, we love our schools, teachers and students. Our education system is the reason many come to the Island to raise their families because it contributes to strong, healthy communities and a balanced quality of life.

We should all be concerned that Gov. Kathy Hochul’s [D] proposed executive budget threatens our schools by ending the so-called “hold harmless” provision, which is a backdoor approach to cut millions of dollars in school aid. If the governor’s proposal is adopted, 56 school districts on Long Island will experience an instant decline in state funding. In Suffolk County, school districts will be out nearly $33 million in aid under the governor’s proposal.

These cuts would have a dramatic impact on our schools, students and communities. Additionally, cuts of this magnitude could result in larger class sizes, reduced staff, the elimination of athletic programs, extracurricular activities and clubs for students. These draconian cuts would also place additional burdens on Long Island homeowners, who already pay some of the highest property taxes in the nation. The governor’s educational proposal is a lose-lose for Long Island and countless communities throughout the state.

Making this situation even worse, much of this critical education aid is being siphoned off to pay for the state’s astronomical and growing commitment to the migrant crisis, to which over the past two years the governor has allocated $4.3 billion. Clearly, the governor and the leadership in the Legislature are incapable of managing this crisis in an attempt to balance the budget on the backs of hardworking families and students. This cannot be tolerated. Funding must be dedicated to school services for the benefit of families who play by the rules, pay the property taxes and have the right to a quality education.

As lawmakers, parents and concerned citizens, we must make our voices heard in opposition to the governor’s elimination of the “hold harmless” provision, fight to restore education funding to our schools and put our children’s needs and education first.

Anthony Palumbo [R]

New York State Senator, 1st District

Skin cancer prevention for winter season

The winter season brings cold winds and snowy weather, but it also can bring damage to your skin. Ultraviolet radiation from the sun damages your skin year-round, not just during the summer months.

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U.S., yet most cases can be prevented. UV radiation from the sun and indoor tanning lamps are the primary cause of skin cancer, and reducing your exposure can significantly reduce your cancer risk. Even on cold, winter days, UV radiation from the sun can cause damage to your skin, especially at high altitudes and on reflective surfaces such as snow or ice. Snow reflects up to 80 percent of the sun’s UV radiation, increasing the damage caused to your skin.

Sun protection is necessary every day, regardless of the weather or time of year. Sun safe practices such as applying sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, UV protective sunglasses and long-sleeved clothing, and seeking shade whenever possible, can help prevent skin cancer.

The Cancer Prevention in Action at Stony Brook Cancer Center works to build awareness about the dangers of UV radiation and promote the benefits of sun safety through education, awareness and policy support to reduce skin cancer rates on Long Island.

To learn more about Cancer Prevention in Action, visit takeactionagainstcancer.com or contact us at 631-444-4263 and [email protected].

CPiA is supported with funds from Health Research Inc. and New York State..

Cancer Prevention in Action

Stony Brook Cancer Center

Pro-life, pro-choice issue from a gender fairness perspective

Not surprisingly, in contemplating the pro-life/pro-choice debate, women as a group are pro-choice and men pro-life. This is demonstrated in multiple polls and although not absolute gender adherence, there is a statistical difference. No doubt this is because women bear the physical reality of pregnancy and childbirth and almost always of raising and paying for the child that two people created. A man’s role of planting the seed does not match their female partner — whether consensual or not. No wonder there is a clear distinction between how women feel on the issue versus men.

What if there was a way to make men share in this responsibility. Not to duplicate pregnancy, that’s biologically impossible. But to share in raising that child and paying for it. Would that change how men feel and vote? Fact of the matter there is a way: DNA identification. What if everyone had to submit a swab for DNA identification. Then every father who shared in creating a child could be held responsible to raise and pay for him/her. My point is not whether this is right. It is simply: Would this change the way men vote on the issue?

David Roy Hensen

Miller Place

Peace is possible

As Quakers, we believe that peace in the world is possible, as Mary Lord, Quaker, of the American Friends Service Committee, reminds us: “We are called to live into the peaceable kingdom, and in that living discover the joy of a better way of life — in harmony with the Earth and one another. Peacemaking is not only possible but practical every day” (Friends Journal, June 1, 2007). Peacemaking requires that we acknowledge the background of all participants, actively listen to what has been learned, then consider the elements of agreement.

Our peaceful sentiments have been called naive and even unpatriotic. However, which is the greater naivety: To believe that the difficult but productive path of using diplomacy and strengthening international law is the path of safety, or to believe that wars and their weapons of mass destruction resolve conflicts and make us safe and secure?

The path of “winning the war,” as though it were a game, is, as history shows, the more naive perspective. War brings a horrific cost in human life, in property, in cultural treasures, in the fouling of the Earth and killing of its creatures. The aftermath invalidates the notion that wars bring about resolution, as evidenced by continuing warfare in the Middle East, Ukraine, Myanmar, Somalia and elsewhere.

Because Quakers believe there is good in everyone — people always have the capacity to be their best selves — we believe it is worth the effort of taking the steps of peacemaking to avoid the horrific costs of war and to provide the hope of establishing a just reality that sows the seeds of peace for future generations.

Carolyn Emerson

Clerk of Conscience Bay Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, St. James

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Still no green light for Port Jeff Branch electrification

You can learn a great deal about the priorities of Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) in her State of the State speech, when it comes to any consideration for advancement of the $3.5 billion LIRR Port Jefferson Branch electrification project. 

Only months ago, she participated in the announcement of a $7.7 billion Federal Transit Administration Full Funding Grant Agreement ($3.4 billion federal/$4.3 billion local share) for Phase 2 of the Second Avenue Subway. Before the shovel is even in the ground, she now wants to extend Second Avenue subway further west along 125th Street in Harlem for another $7 billion.

Hochul also wants funding to be provided for the start of design and engineering in support her pet $5.5 billon Brooklyn to Queens Light Rail Connector project. Hochul continues to be a vocal advocate in support of the $16 billion Gateway Tunnel — two new tunnels connecting New Jersey and Penn Station benefiting Amtrak and NJ Transit — and her own plans for an $8 billion Penn Station upgrade.

This same week, MTA Chairman Janno Lieber published his agency’s proposed 2024 Program of Projects to apply for FTA funding. Included is a request for $2.2 billion toward paying for the $3.1 billion Metro-North Bronx East Penn Station Access project. Hochul, along with Democratic Sens. Schumer and Gillibrand, have been consistent supporters for all of these projects.

There was nothing in Hochul’s State of the State speech or Lieber’s FTA 2024 Program of Projects to include any funding to advance the $3.5 billion LIRR Port Jefferson electrification project. 

In the eyes and lack of action on the part of Hochul, Schumer, Gillibrand and Lieber, they have no interest in providing any significant financial assistance to support advancement of any major transportation improvements that would benefit LIRR Port Jefferson Branch residents, taxpayers and commuters.

Supporters of this project need to continue lobbying Hochul, Schumer, Gillibrand, Lieber and LIRR President Robert Free if you ever want to ride an electric train on the LIRR Port Jefferson Branch in your lifetime.

Larry Penner

Great Neck

Come join us at a Quaker meeting

We are writing to extend New Year’s well wishes and reintroduce ourselves to you. We are the Conscience Bay Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) — a small, but growing community practicing our faith.

The Quaker religious movement began in England in the mid-17th century and emphasizes the belief that “there is that of God in everyone” and that therefore all people can access “the Light within.” Our testimonies about simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality and stewardship all flow from this core belief. Historically, Quakers have lived these testimonies by participating in movements to end wars, abolish slavery, and bring about racial and gender equality.

While Quakers have lived and worshiped in Suffolk County since around 1650, our own Quaker meeting was established in 1961 and found its home in St. James when William R. Huntington — a local architect and American Friends Service Committee representative to the United Nations — helped to facilitate the purchase of the property and the conversion of a carriage house to our meetinghouse.

Since its formation, our meeting has been moved to participate in a variety of activities driven by our testimonies: counseling conscientious objectors in the 1960s and ’70s; organizing against both the Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant in the 1980s and the stockpiling of nuclear materials; and marching against endless wars and social injustices in more recent decades.

In the current moment of international and national violence, our members and visitors have found sustenance in our Sunday practice. Waiting in silence upon the Light is a deep and powerful experience leading to spiritual guidance.

We invite you to join us. We worship every Sunday at 11 a.m. at our meetinghouse, off Moriches Road in St. James. All are welcome. More information at: consciencebayquakers.org. In friendship,

Carolyn Emerson

Clerk of Conscience Bay Meeting

Hardly an example of a great American

The recent letter [“Legal talented scientists are welcomed,” Jan. 18] making the distinction between legal and illegal immigrants listed Wernher von Braun as a great American together with Einstein, Tesla and others. He was an aerospace engineer secretly brought to the United States after World War II with other German scientists to contribute to the American space program.

He was one of the leaders of the Nazi V-2 missile program employing slave laborers at the Dora-Nordhausen concentration camp who were often worked to death or executed for work deficiencies. 

He was an early Nazi Party member appointed as an officer in Heinrich Himmler’s SS that played a key role in the Holocaust and other war crimes. Whether von Braun’s admission that he knew of the horrendous condition of his workers should have led to his prosecution as a war criminal is a matter of legal interpretation, but he is hardly an example of a great American despite his recognition by the U.S. government and engineering societies for his work on the U.S. space program.

Lester G. Paldy

Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus

Stony Brook University

The illegal immigration issue

A few comments about your article addressing Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory President Bruce Stillman’s concerns [“CSHL’s Stillman concerned about the effect of anti-immigrant talk, policies on US science,” Jan. 11].

To begin, please stop hurting your credibility by referencing “anti-immigrant talk” or “toxic talk toward immigrants.” The issue is illegal immigration. I know, and you know, that you know this. Your disingenuous use of “immigration” casts a shadow on everything you say.

Exactly which “immigration policies that exclude a broad swath of people who might otherwise ensure American technological competitiveness” are there? I doubt they truly exist but if they do and you can cite them I will gladly work to change them. Bruce grew up in Australia so, unless he was born here and moved, is an immigrant hopefully ensuring American technological competitiveness and stands as a refutation to the claim about broad swaths.

As for the racist and sexist policy of diversity, equity and inclusion, Stillman appears to be the prototypical elitist, complaining that “now people are emboldened to attack those in leadership positions” and that “many people have an opinion on the way things ought to be.” Imagine that! Bruce seems upset that the peasants are revolting.

Paul Mannix

Wading River

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Grand Folk Railroad performs at Emma Clark library Friday, Aug. 4. Photo by G.T. Scarlatos
Grand Folk Railroad performs at Emma Clark library Friday, Aug. 4. Photo by G.T. Scarlatos

By Samantha Rutt

Blankets, lawn chairs and picnics dressed the front lawn of Emma S. Clark Memorial Library in Setauket on Friday evening, Aug. 4, as the Three Village community staple held a free concert, featuring Grand Folk Railroad, a 1960s-’70s inspired band. 

Despite gloomy skies, the event brought families, couples, pets and passersby together. Children danced as fans clapped and sang along. 

GFR’s lead guitarist, Frank Doris, enjoyed performing for the audience saying, “When you see someone singing along, it’s a great feeling for all of us.”

The library has been hosting summer concert events for over three decades, showcasing a variety of genres such as folk, blues, rock and jazz.

“Having community events like these are important for library patrons to see that we can create a fun and relaxing environment where the community can join together on a beautiful lawn in the summer,” said Carolyn Emerson, event organizer and reference librarian at Emma Clark Library.

Having been together for nearly 14 years, GFR has played at venues across Long Island’s North Shore, including the Port Jefferson Village Center and Stony Brook’s Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame. In 2010 the band released its first CD, “True North,” a collection of forgotten favorites.

“The event was great — great turnouts, and such an incredible building,” lead singer Susan Schwartz-Christian said. She was joined by her husband, Mike Christian, who performs as the band’s drummer. The fourth band member, Gary Shoenberger, played the keyboards.

On the cool summer evening, GFR played songs such as “Summer Breeze” by Seals & Crofts. The group also played songs by another local band, Alive ‘N Kickin’. 

People gathered from all over the Long Island for the free event. “I love the bands the library hosts, they always deliver,” said Gale Putt, an East Setauket resident. 

Throughout the show, Schwartz-Christian exchanged her guitar for a banjo and demonstrated her musicianship with a perfectly pitched flute solo.

Between songs and switching instruments, bandmates cracked jokes and offered cheerful conversation to the audience. As the concert came to a close, all band members showcased their vocals together, and drummer Christian traded his sticks for an electric guitar.

Emma Clark, standing as Suffolk County’s oldest public library, has been serving the Three Village community since 1892. Comprising over 200,000 books, periodicals, audio, video and software materials, the library’s collection continues to expand, finding new ways to serve the community. 

The library has recently undergone its latest construction project, including an outdoor terrace and a cafe, adding nearly 800 square feet to the historic building. 

“The summer evening concerts have brought together more than 200 community members [per concert] each year,” Emerson said, adding that she hopes to continue holding summer concerts in the future. 

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All Souls Episcopal Church in Stony Brook will host a poetry reading April 14. Photo from All Souls Episcopal Church

Two familiar faces in the Three Village area are ready to share their creative sides with their fellow residents.

Former Suffolk County Legislator Vivian Viloria-Fisher and Emma S. Clark Memorial Library’s librarian Carolyn Emerson will be the featured poets at All Souls Episcopal Church’s Second Saturdays Poetry Reading April 14 in Stony Brook.

Former Suffolk County Legislator Vivian Viloria-Fisher is one of the featured poet readers at the Second Saturdays Poetry Reading at All Souls Episcopal Church in Stony Brook April 14. Photo from All Souls Episcopal Church

While politics and poetry may seem part of two different worlds, Viloria-Fisher said she believes reading fiction of any kind helps a person develop empathy, something she feels is essential for an elected official to have.

“Literature is an avenue to receive and to give, and that’s what art does,” she said. “It expresses what you’re feeling, and I think that you’re able to express that when you have empathy for the feelings of others.”

Viloria-Fisher served six full terms as Suffolk County legislator and was deputy presiding officer for six years. She currently is campaigning to be on the ticket for the Democratic primary for the 1st Congressional District. Before embarking on a political career, she taught English and Spanish in local schools, including Advanced Placement Spanish in the Three Village Central School District. She later went on to become chair of the district’s foreign language department.

Despite two busy careers, she said poetry has been part of her life for as long as she can remember, writing for herself and special events.

“I love to capture moments and feeling in poetry,” Viloria-Fisher said, adding that she prefers her poems to rhyme, and she feels imagery, metaphors, cadence and similes are important in the genre.

The former legislator said she hopes attendees at the April 14 reading will appreciate seeing a different side of her.

“I think people see me a little bit more in terms of social justice and science, and I want them to see the artist in me as well,” she said.

For Emerson, her job allows her to show a bit more creativity on a regular basis, she said. She is involved with poetry readings, literary programs and writing workshops at the library. The librarian said she’s a lifelong lover of literature and has been writing poetry since fifth grade.

“I love the compact form of poetry,” Emerson said. “My parents were members of a poetry group in Miami, which I occasionally attended, and my father sometimes recited lines of poetry at the dinner table, so I grew up having a lot of exposure to poetry.”

Emerson, who has been a featured reader at Suffolk County Community College, said her poetry tends to be nature oriented.

Librarian Carolyn Emerson is one of the featured poet readers at the Second Saturdays Poetry Reading at All Souls Episcopal Church in Stony Brook April 14. Photo from All Souls Episcopal Church

“I like to observe nature, and I feel that I can use it as a metaphor,” she said.

The librarian’s poems have appeared in several publications, including Long Island Quarterly and Long Island Botanical Society Newsletter. Emerson is the founder of the Euterpe Poetry Group, and in 2007, she was a semifinalist for The Paumanok Poetry Award. She is currently working on a manuscript about her experiences searching for her birth mother.

The librarian said she has attended the Second Saturdays Poetry Readings at the church in the past and has read a few of her pieces during the open reading portion.

“It’s a wonderful space for poetry,” Emerson said. “It’s intimate and just a lovely, serene space to listen to poetry.”

All Souls Episcopal Church is located at 61 Main St., Stony Brook. The Second Saturdays Poetry Reading will be held Saturday, April 14, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is hosted by Suffolk County Poet Laureate Gladys Henderson. An open reading will follow the intermission, and all are welcome to read their own work or that of another. For more details, call 631-655-7798.

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