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Kathianne Snaden

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Former Port Jefferson Village Deputy Mayor Kathianne Snaden. File photo

By  Aidan Johnson

Former Port Jefferson Deputy Mayor Kathianne Snaden has announced her candidacy for the village mayor position in 2025.

In a July 8 press release, Snaden stated that “with a year of extensive reflection and growth behind me, I return to the political arena with renewed vigor, authenticity and a stronger connection to the community I love.”

Snaden first ran for trustee in 2018, losing by just four votes. She then went on to be elected in 2019, reelected in 2021 and was appointed as deputy mayor by Mayor Margot Garant.

After Garant did not seek reelection in 2023, Snaden had an unsuccessful bid for the mayoral position, losing to current Mayor Lauren Sheprow.

Snaden’s announcement comes early, with the mayoral election being nearly a year away.

“The reason I decided to announce now is because I want the time … to be able to build relationships with people that I might not otherwise have that opportunity later on as we get closer to election time,” she said in a phone interview, specifying that she is not yet campaigning but has instead only announced her intention to run.

Snaden also discussed why she’s running, along with the issues facing the village.

“The main reason I’m running again is because I feel like my goal in running initially and being involved in politics in the village has never gone away, which is to be the voice of the community for the people who feel they don’t have a voice,” she said.

She further explained that she is running to represent the people and “not because I have my own agenda,” adding, “It’s always to listen to what the community wants and represent them in Village Hall.”

She sees the East Beach bluff and uptown revitalization as major issues, along with public safety as a more recent concern.

“Residents have been discussing different incidents that have not been brought out in the news or by the government, that are happening but aren’t being discussed publicly … and people are not feeling safe,” she said.

Snaden specified that she will no longer be running on the Unity Party line, which was created by Garant and shared with village trustee Stan Loucks, saying that the line “became something that people gave a tag to, that it represented the old guard, it represented the Garant administration, that it was Mayor Margot’s way of thinking,” but it’s “not how I do things.”

“Was I her deputy mayor for two years? I was. That doesn’t mean that Mayor Garant and I thought the same on many issues. It doesn’t mean that we agreed on many issues,” she said, elaborating that her voting record shows her differing views from Garant. However, she said that they still had a mutual respect for each other and a good relationship.

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File photo by Raymond Janis

Putting the record straight

In response to Drew Biondo’s “A letter correction” in last week’s Letters to the Editor, I wholeheartedly stand by my declaration that “all elected trustees attended and sat at the dais,” regarding the town hall meeting about the East Beach bluff.

For the record, Drew Biondo was not elected. He was appointed. So yes, all elected trustees attended and sat at the dais.

Kathianne Snaden

Former Port Jeff Deputy Mayor

Port Jefferson 

 

Prom season is upon us

Prom season is upon us and there is probably no greater community tradition than the Port Jefferson Senior Prom. Since 1958, the senior prom has been a highly anticipated community event in our village. Valued partnerships with the school district, Village Hall, code enforcement and local businesses allow the Prom Committee to create a one-of-kind event not only for the senior class, but for the entire community.

We’ve been fortunate to have the extraordinary commitment of parents and community volunteers — some of whom have been volunteering with the prom for decades — to support us all along the way. Now, after a busy year of fundraising, creating, painting and constructing, we ae ready to build the prom! 

We begin Prom Build on Thursday, June 27, at 9 a.m. and will continue through Prom Night on Monday, July 1. We encourage community members to come lend a hand and take part in the transformation of the high school gym into an awe-inspiring venue, complete with custom designed vignettes, props and theatrical lighting. On July 1, we proudly show our creation to the public from 4-6 p.m., with the Drive-Up Procession and Red Carpet entrance following afterward. 

If you have never experienced the excitement of the Prom Build, we invite you to join in the amazing transformation of the high school. If you have volunteered at the prom before, we hope to see you and your friends again this year. The senior prom truly embodies the spirit of volunteerism and community, with volunteers of all ages and backgrounds working together to carry on the beloved tradition that is the Port Jefferson Senior Prom. 

Paul Braile 

President, Port Jefferson 

Senior Prom

May day

Russian nuclear missiles from Cuba have targeted the very heart and soul of America and shall be more destructive than Pearl Harbor. 

“Lord, what fools these mortals be” (Shakespeare). God bless America

Leonard Henderson

Port Jefferson

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Port Jefferson resident Arthur Epps weighs in on the proposed ethics code at the Jan. 31, trustees board meeting. Photo courtesy Port Jefferson website

By Lynn Hallarman

Village of Port Jefferson officials and residents engaged in an impassioned debate over the proposed ethics code in a contentious Board of Trustees meeting at Village Hall Jan. 31. 

This meeting marked the end of the public comment period for the proposed ethics code. A vote was then held by the trustees, passing unanimously a replacement of Chapter 41 of the Code of Ethics. 

Ethics code

Since the fall, the village trustees have been working toward a sweeping revision of Chapter 41, which establishes standards of ethical conduct for officers and employees of the village. The current Code of Ethics was adopted in the 1970s with few revisions since. 

The purpose of the initiative is twofold: Firstly, to update the code and align the village with current standard practices employed by municipalities across the state that are in accordance with Article 18 of the New York State General Municipal Law. Secondly, to establish a board of ethics for the first time in the village’s history. 

Issues covered by the proposed Code of Ethics include conflict of interest, gifts and tips, use of village resources, annual financial disclosure of certain village officers and employees, disclosure of confidential information and nepotism. 

The draft of the proposed code presented to the public at the meeting included the establishment of village board of ethics. According to this draft, the ethics board would consist of five voluntary members drawn from the community who offer their names and credentials. The mayor then nominates candidates from the pool of submissions. The Board of Trustees considers the nominations for approval. 

The duties of the ethics board include hearing complaints and concerns and issuing an opinion. The board is responsible for educating and training village officials and employees about the ethics code.

The village hired attorney Steven Leventhal, a recognized New York State legal ethics expert, to guide the village through drafting the village’s proposed ethics code and forming an ethics board.

Mayor Lauren Sheprow reminded the public that they can still submit their names through the “Make a difference” portal on the village website for consideration as board of ethics members. Sheprow said that nine people have submitted their names. 

Public comments

Comments from the public about the proposed code were mainly about the structure of the board of ethics and how board members are nominated and approved. Some residents expressed concern about the concentration of nomination power with the mayor. Others felt community members should be able to review the credentials of the people nominated.

Tensions were evident in the comments to the board by village resident William Snaden. He is the husband of former trustee and deputy mayor Kathianne Snaden, who fell short of her bid for village mayor against Sheprow this past election cycle. Questioning the authenticity of the board’s commitment to ethics, William Snaden alleged that the push for an ethics code was a guise for a hidden agenda against the former village administration. 

“Is this a genuine push for ethics? Or is it a disguise for another agenda? Or is this just a taxpayer-funded personal vendetta?” Snaden said. He added, “I hope that you join together in voting ‘no’ for this code as it’s currently written.” 

Amid a cascade of accusations, Snaden questioned the ethics of hiring Leventhal, referring to a Newsday article highlighting a $1,000 fine sanctioned against Leventhal by state Supreme Court Justice James McCormack in 2017, according to Newsday.

“Mr. Snaden mentioned a couple of different issues, none of which he is acquainted with the facts,” Leventhal countered. 

Leventhal disputed Snaden’s accusation, and conveyed to the board that the grievance committee examining the sanction concluded there was “no violation of the rules of professional conduct.” 

Snaden pointed out that the village hired Leventhal as the ethics attorney after Sheprow employed him as the attorney for her campaign bid. Snaden alleged this action was unethical. 

Former Mayor Margot Garant followed Snaden by asking why Sheprow did not disclose to the Board of Trustees her professional relationship with Leventhal at the time of his hiring by the village.

Leventhal responded, “There is no requirement in the law for the mayor to disclose that she had been represented by an attorney in an entirely unrelated matter that concluded before the village hired that same attorney as a consultant,” adding, “There is no conflict of interest.” 

Sheprow explained, “I built trust that was started during the election process, and as I continued to research Mr. Leventhal’s experience, it became obvious that he is the premier expert in legal ethics in New York state.”

Village resident Arthur Epp countered Snaden’s suggestion to the board to scrap the proposed ethics code.

“I applaud this initiative. I’ve said this at a previous meeting, I’ve said it in writing. I’m saying it now. I’m more concerned about the possibilities down the road that might occur. I’m not casting stones at anyone in this room,” Epp said. 

Village resident Xena Ugrinsky told the board that she had been paying close attention to the discussions about the proposed code over the past months. 

“I believe that putting this in place will foster more trust in government. Mayor, I think this is one of the reasons you were elected — the people spoke, and I thank you,” Ugrinsky said.

The board closed the public comments for the proposed ethics code and then weighed the concerns voiced by the public about the nomination process. The code was revised to read: 

“The Board of Ethics shall consist of five members appointed by the Village Board of Trustees,” eliminating the language in the draft that placed nominating power with the mayor. 

The board then voted unanimously to pass the replacement to Chapter 41, Code of Ethics. 

The Board of Trustees will hold the next work session on Wednesday, Feb. 14.

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File photo by Raymond Janis

Café a special addition to Emma Clark Library

If you haven’t already, set aside some time to visit the new café at our beautiful Emma S. Clark Memorial Library [Level Up Kitchen Library Café]. I took some time out this morning to have a delicious breakfast with a dear friend. There are tables and chairs set up in the sunny hallway leading to the magazine room to enjoy the delicious food. This is a wonderful addition to an already spectacular library, especially now at holiday time. A perfect spot to take a break from our hectic schedules. I can’t wait to be able to sit outside on the terrace when spring rolls around.

Madeline Morris

Setauket

Clarifying lawsuits against PJSD

An article in the Dec. 7 Port Times Record (“Suffolk school districts pay millions to settle child abuse lawsuits”) misstated that the Port Jefferson School District has settled seven lawsuits from former students. These cases, filed in Suffolk County Supreme Court in 2020 and 2021, are presently pending and have not been settled.

While the accusations made by these former students are certainly very disturbing, the behavior of the present Board of Education and the superintendent of schools needs to be closely examined by the taxpayers of this district since both were fully aware, since 2020, of these lawsuits and their possible financial implications.

Nonetheless, residents were asked on two occasions (in 2022 and 2023) to support multimillion dollar bonds as well as other questionable expenses (costly new bleachers and a ”security booth” at the high school, etc.), thereby depleting capital reserves, while a large legal cloud loomed overhead and was unknown to taxpayers.

The board and superintendent, understandably, could not disclose the specific details of the seven lawsuits. However, in the interest of both transparency as well as the responsibility to be diligent guardians of district funds, some indication of the possible financial implication of this situation should have been made known to taxpayers prior to costly undertakings since, ultimately, these taxpayers would have to pick up the tab. Instead, the superintendent and the board majority continued their ”heads in the sand” approach, with excessive spending despite declining student enrollment, dwindling LIPA revenue and seven pending lawsuits.

In their expose of child abuse lawsuits and settlements on Long Island, Newsday interviewed Ron Masera, of the Suffolk County School Superintendents Association, who stated (in a video interview posted on Newsday’s website), “This is the age of transparency. We’re in a place where this is not something you can or should hide from your community.”

By this standard of transparency, the Port Jefferson superintendent and the Board of Education deserve an “F.”

Charles G. Backfish

Port Jefferson

Thank you, voters

To the residents of the 12th Legislative District, both former and new.

Thank you for returning me to my fifth full term as your Suffolk County legislator. I am truly humbled and honored by the overwhelming measure of support you have provided. Having been reelected, the challenge now becomes how to govern wisely, fairly and equitably with our newly elected county executive [Ed Romaine (R)].

I look forward to continuing my efforts to preserve our suburban way of life, to keep an eye on affordability and to deliver services to our veterans and seniors and families as their needs continue to increase.

As many of you became aware, the lines of the 12th Legislative District shifted east from the Commack area, my hometown, all the way to the Centereach/Selden/Holbrook borders. I will miss my past constituents but look forward to the new opportunities and community issues to address in the upcoming legislative term. 

Please feel free to contact me at my office at 631-854-3735, or at [email protected] with any questions or concerns.

I wish a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, a joyous Kwanzaa and Happy Holidays to all. Remember those in need, and check on a neighbor.

With thanks and great regard,

Leslie Kennedy (R-Nesconset)

Suffolk County Legislator

12th District

Community vision for Jefferson Plaza

I was extremely proud of how the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville community turned out to voice their opinions at the Brookhaven Town Board meeting on Thursday, Nov. 30. It was an honor to represent the hamlet in a worthwhile discussion regarding the amount of multifamily rental units, building heights, architectural design and traffic issues along Route 112 and Terryville Road.

We are fortunate to have Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich [D] and Supervisor-elect Dan Panico [R] guiding us through the Staller redevelopment process of the Jefferson Shopping Plaza. Political leaders often do not get credit for the time and devotion they give to the constituents they represent. The Port Jefferson Station/Terryville community should be encouraged by the steady hand displayed on that long Thursday night by our elected officials who will make sure the project will be something exciting and something of which the residents will be proud.

By working with Staller Associates, our local civic association and the chamber of commerce, I have the utmost confidence the supervisor-elect and our councilmember will put in the hard work to bring quality revitalization all along the Route 112 corridor.

Carolyn Sagliocca, Vice President

Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Civic Association

Concerning incident at Village Hall

At a recent Village board meeting, I found myself at the center of a concerning situation that raises questions about the responsible use of village resources, particularly regarding the village attorney, whose fees are paid by taxpayers.

As an engaged resident deeply invested in our community’s well-being, I’ve long upheld the principles of transparency, open communication and fairness. However, a recent incident at Village Hall has given rise to deep concerns about the potential misuse of village assets for personal and retaliatory purposes.

During a routine public board meeting, legal papers were hastily served to me as I exited, raising unsettling questions. I am concerned and disheartened, as it seems there’s an attempt to force me into surrendering control of a Facebook page, a demand that holds no merit, as I am not the page’s owner. The vindictive nature of this attempt to seize control of a Facebook page, raises significant doubts about the real motivations behind such actions and whether they align with the values we, as a community, hold dear.

The involvement of the village attorney in this matter is particularly distressing. The village attorney’s role is to serve the community’s best interests, not to be manipulated for personal vendettas. Using taxpayer-funded legal resources for what appears to be a personal matter is both ethically questionable and an inappropriate use of public funds. When I directly questioned the attorney if he was acting in his capacity as the village attorney, he stated that he was “acting at the direction of the mayor.”

How can we believe the mayor’s recent proposals for a new ethics code and professing transparency while this incident clearly lacks both. It’s disheartening when actions contradict the very principles being advocated.

Moreover, it’s crucial to note that this action was taken at the mayor’s direction without the knowledge of the trustees, further clouding the transparency and accountability of village affairs.

As a concerned resident, I question the motives behind this action and the appropriateness of utilizing village resources for such questionable purposes. I hope this incident sparks a much-needed dialogue within our community about the responsible use of public funds and the imperative of fostering an environment where disputes can be resolved through open communication rather than by weaponizing the village attorney.

Let’s collaborate to ensure our village resources are used judiciously and that our community stands as a shining example of fairness, true transparency and cooperation for all residents.

Kathianne Snaden

Port Jefferson

Editor’s note: The writer served as Port Jeff Village trustee from 2019-23.

The perils of bail reform

I would like to respond to Timothy Glynn’s letter of Nov. 23 regarding bail reform [“Why cashless bail is right”]. I take exception to his statement that “New York’s vision of bail reform was limited to misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies’” and we should “take the dangerous criminal argument off the table.” He probably did not hear about the Quogue woman accused of trying to burn multiple houses in Hampton Bays as reported by News 12 on Nov. 14. 

She was arrested and released without bail and less than two hours later tried to rob a Dollar store armed with a knife. I would hope Mr. Glynn would reconsider his position about what he considers a dangerous criminal. This incident was not a person arrested for shoplifting a loaf of bread. This was a person accused of three felony arson charges. I hope reasonable people can agree that is most certainly a dangerous criminal act. The “bail reform” law has been “tweaked” by lawmakers a couple of times already and still there are serious problems with it. It could be because the law was passed by one party with no stakeholder input from law enforcement or district attorneys. Passing a law with such serious implications to the safety and security of the entire state based on ideology alone is not proving to be a wise or successful endeavor. I have never seen data suggesting that a liberal state like New York had large numbers of petty criminals languishing in our jails. The one anecdote used by the more extreme proponents of bail reform cites a case about a person they say went to jail for merely stealing a backpack. Researching that case reveals misinformation. The person involved was charged with robbery, not larceny, and was held due to being on probation at the time of his arrest.

I think the solution is having a “dangerousness standard” like the other 49 states have, so a judge can ensure that dangerous criminals are held. I think reasonable people can agree to release petty criminals, but can we also agree that a shoplifter with 50 or 80 arrests is showing they don’t care about following the law. If not, we could end up like Washington, D.C., where you have to ring a bell in the store to buy a roll of toilet paper since it’s locked up to prevent theft.

Common sense should prevail.

Charles Tramontana

Setauket

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Photo courtesy Kathianne Snaden
By Kathianne Snaden

Dear Friends and Neighbors of Port Jefferson,

As I’m writing to you today, I can’t help but feel a deep sense of purpose and determination, the kind that comes from years of being not just a public servant, but a fellow resident, a neighbor and a friend. 

Since I chose to move to Port Jeff almost 20 years ago, this beautiful community has been our shared home. I began my journey of getting involved with a simple, heartfelt desire — to make a positive difference right here, in our own backyard.

From being a trustee and then your deputy mayor, I’ve had the privilege of serving us all, sharing in our joys, our challenges and our victories. It’s been a labor of love, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Let’s take a stroll down memory lane and revisit some of the milestones we’ve achieved together.

One of the greatest benefits I have experienced as a public servant is the opportunity to collaborate with numerous individuals and groups within the village. Working together, these efforts resulted in achievements that directly benefit our residents; here’s some of what we’ve accomplished together:

• Built solid connections with our school district because we all believe in providing the best for our children.

• Taken a stand for safety, putting in place new village code to curb dangerous bicycle riding, because every single one of us deserves to feel safe in our neighborhood.

• Successfully lowered the crime rate in our village as reported by SCPD.

• Made strides in convenience, with the new parking lot on Barnum Avenue — the first in 40 years, making our community even more accessible.

• Embraced the future with the launch of Passport — Port Jefferson’s first resident ride share service, because we’ve always been about community and supporting each other.

• Kept our local businesses thriving, collaborating on the Ice Festival during the off-season, because we understand the importance of supporting local merchants.

• Held onto our roots, working with the Architectural Review Committee to ensure new constructions preserve the historic charm of our village, because we all love the unique character of the place we call home.

• Added pocket parks, planting beds, addressed graffiti and littering and added holiday decorations all in an effort to make and keep our village beautiful.

• And most importantly, we’ve stayed responsive, resolving community issues promptly, often within 24 hours, because your concerns are my concerns, too.

Every step of the way, my aim has been to make our beloved Port Jefferson Village even more of a safe, beautiful place that we all are proud to call home.

The recent election didn’t turn out the way I’d hoped, and it’s been a humbling and enlightening experience. It’s made me reflect and realize that I could have done a better job of communicating my intentions and plans. But let’s remember, this isn’t an end — it’s a new chapter. 

For those of you who supported me, I can’t thank you enough and for those that didn’t feel they could support me in this election, I thank you as well for providing me with your perspective. Please know that I remain committed to being an advocate for everyone and standing up for our community.

We will continue to learn from our shared experiences, sticking together and serving our community with renewed commitment. 

It’s often said that when one door closes another door opens. With this hopeful message, I’m looking forward to the future and the many different opportunities it will bring for us all.

Thank you for being such an integral part of this journey. I’m excited to see where it takes us next.

With warmth and appreciation,

Kathianne Snaden

The writer served as Village of Port Jefferson trustee from 2019-23, including one term as deputy mayor, 2021-23.

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Village board advances nonprofit rental rates, energy tracking program

Deputy Mayor Kathianne Snaden presides over the Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees business meeting on Monday, June 26. Photo by Raymond Janis

The Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees held the final business meeting of its term Monday afternoon, June 26, during which departing Mayor Margot Garant was absent due to illness.

In her absence, Deputy Mayor Kathianne Snaden presided over a meeting marked by several notable goodbyes. Garant, Snaden and village attorney Brian Egan will all leave the board next week when trustee Lauren Sheprow takes over as mayor.

Trustee Rebecca Kassay recognized Snaden, who lost to Sheprow in last week’s mayoral election. Snaden’s four-year tenure on the village board now ends. 

“You put your heart and soul into it — and it shows,” Kassay told the departing deputy mayor. Following these remarks, Snaden was greeted with thunderous applause by the dozens in attendance.

Garant’s fiancée, Traci Donnelly, delivered a short address on the mayor’s behalf. Garant thanked colleagues and constituents.

“I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to each one of you for the trust you’ve shown me over the past 14 years,” the statement said. “I hope and pray that the team of individuals who remain will continue working tirelessly to ensure the continued growth and success of our beloved village.”

Egan, who has served as village attorney since 2013, thanked the court clerks, village clerks, treasurers and professional staff with whom he had served over the last decade. In this final report, he paraphrased his favorite line from Lewis Carroll’s 1865 novel “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.” 

“Lewis Carroll said it best when his advice to the white rabbit was — ‘Start at the beginning, then continue to the end; then stop.’”

Other business

The board agreed to extend the reduced rental rate for the Long Island Foundation for Education & Sports, a children and family services group which rents a room in the Village Center, until the end of the 2023-24 school year. The nonprofit will be charged $35 per hour during that period, a reduction from the pre-pandemic rate of $42 per hour.

The board also approved a resolution to track and publish energy usage data for village buildings. The initiative, Kassay explained, “moves us one step closer” toward receiving grant funds through the New York State Research and Development Authority’s Clean Energy Communities Program.

Kassay, liaison to the newly created village Tree Committee, announced the committee’s members had held their first meeting and established a set of objectives.

“Their first task is going to be exploring how to survey the existing canopy of trees” on village properties and public rights-of-way, the trustee said. The committee will also “examine the current tree code to see how it can be more effective and balanced.”

Sheprow and trustees-elect Loucks and Bob Juliano will be formally sworn into office this Tuesday, July 4, following the village’s annual Fourth of July parade. The reconfigured board will hold its reorganization meeting the following Monday, July 10, at 5 p.m.

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File photo by Raymond Janis

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

Democracy at work

The proudest day of my life was when my parents and I took the oath to become citizens of the United States. I was 8 years old. 

As a Russian emigrant, my father applied for and received a Tolstoy grant, which sponsored our family’s journey to America. They arrived on these shores with a baby, a box of books and dreams for a brighter future.

This election season in Port Jefferson brought back the feeling of pride I experienced at becoming a citizen of this great nation.

I went to meet-and-greets for all the candidates and attended the debates. I observed as people of varied and even opposing political leanings coalesced around the candidate they thought best represented their vision for our village. I participated in putting up signs, knocking on doors and engaging in spirited discourse with my neighbors.

This was democracy at work, and it renewed my faith in the American spirit. All of us were motivated by the love we have for this beautiful harborfront village we call home and a desire to help steer it toward a better tomorrow.

I, for one, am honored to help us paddle.

Xena Ugrinsky

Port Jefferson

Personal attacks are not helpful

I’m deeply disappointed with the editor’s decision to print a letter that seeks to contrast me with the wonderful couple who own Kai Li Kitchen in East Setauket [subjects in our “American Dream” series, May 25]. 

This letter continues a false narrative that aims to distinguish between good and bad immigrants, painting me as a complaining socialist who doesn’t work hard. That is an unfair and unsubstantiated personal attack. I am an immigrant to this country, the first of my family to grow up and attend college here. I have been an educator for almost a quarter of a century in public and higher education. I am an advocate for a range of issues as both a volunteer and in my paid professional work. 

As a citizen of this country, I have my First Amendment rights, and I use them eloquently and fully with no apology. I love this country deeply, so deeply that I am willing to do the work of improving it. It is why I have advocated for economic, environmental, social and racial justice at all levels of government. What [letter writer] Mr. Graziano calls “complaining,” I call the work of citizenship. The progress that happens in this nation has occurred because of people who would not accept the status quo as the final product.

As someone who has written in this paper for years, I’m disappointed to see the decline in quality in recent months. It seems that the editors of TBR News Media have turned the letters-to-the-editor page into a venue where personal attacks on residents are fair game. Residents and subscribers deserve better from local journalism than this.

Shoshana Hershkowitz

South Setauket

My heart is breaking for Port Jeff

It’s a sad day in the Village of Port Jefferson today. The election is over and to the surprise of many, Kathianne Snaden did not get enough of her supporters out to vote for her. This paper called the results an “upset.”

The reason I feel compelled to write is many residents don’t realize that as a result of the vote, Kathianne is now off the Board of Trustees completely, as her term expires in a short few days. What a huge loss for this village. Four years of village government knowledge and proven results are literally out the window now. You may not fully know all Kathianne did and was responsible for, which we have now lost. And after you read this you should be “upset” as well.

As our commissioner of public safety and liaison to code, Kathianne worked with the Suffolk County Police Department and brought increased enforcement and specialized SCPD units here to Port Jeff that other villages don’t get and in doing so lowered crime numbers in the village drastically. That relationship is gone now.

As liaison to parking, Kathianne worked to build the first new parking lot in 40 years in Port Jeff to address our chronic parking problems.

Kathianne worked tirelessly to beautify this village, creating parks, cleaning up dilapidated overgrown areas and instead creating small pocket parks and green spaces. The flowers you see in this village are a direct result of Kathianne’s efforts, saving you money instead of paying a gardener to do this. That eye for keeping the village sharp looking is now gone.

As commissioner of building and planning, Kathianne worked to streamline that department and helped create housing solutions that could bring more families into the village — benefiting our schools and businesses alike. Gone.

Speaking of families, we have lost the only Board of Trustees member that has kids in the school district. Kathianne worked with the district to create a positive relationship where both the schools and the village benefited as well as every one of your kids. Parents: Kathianne was your pro-schools voice in village government. That voice is gone now, leaving louder voices intent on trying to close the schools.

The loss to this village is immense. My heart breaks for this village and for my wife. She’s being prevented from doing what she loves to do and what she excels at: Making a difference in the daily lives of all Port Jeff residents.

William Snaden

Port Jefferson

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Lauren Sheprow, mayor-elect of the Village of Port Jefferson. File photo by Raymond Janis

The Village of Port Jefferson is undergoing its first mayoral transition in 14 years. Outgoing Mayor Margot Garant, who has held the village’s highest post since 2009, will officially leave the office early next week, handing the reins of power to trustee Lauren Sheprow.

Sheprow, a write-in candidate who campaigned as an agent of change, defeated Deputy Mayor Kathianne Snaden in last week’s village election [See story, “Write-in candidate Lauren Sheprow elected Port Jeff Village mayor,” The Port Times Record, June 22, also TBR News Media website]. Throughout her campaign, she proposed several initiatives, such as new staffing procedures, committees and communications channels.

In an exclusive interview, the mayor-elect opened up about the transition process, unveiling her expectations for the office and offering some reorganization plans.

“Fourteen years is a long time,” she told TBR News Media. “Mayor Garant did amazing things in Port Jefferson, and I never want to take anything away from her and what she’s done.”

“I’m just excited to start something new and fresh, and see what we can do to help bring Port Jefferson to the next chapter,” she added.

She offered that she is currently “working through sort of an organizational chart,” assessing where current staff members will fit within the organizational hierarchy and whether there are opportunities for change.

Through this chart, she is “trying to understand if everything makes sense the way it’s laid out,” she said. “Possibly it does, but that’s the evaluation process that I’m going through right now.”

With one year remaining in her unexpired term as trustee, one of Sheprow’s highest-profile vacancies is the one she will create by swearing in as mayor. New York Village Law empowers the mayor to “appoint individuals to fill vacancies in both elected and appointed offices when the vacancy occurs before the expiration of the official’s term of office,” with this type of mayoral appointment “not subject to board approval.”

Outside of village attorney Brian Egan, who announced his resignation this week, Sheprow declined to reveal any other major administrative changes or forecast upcoming mayoral appointments.

One of Sheprow’s central positions during her campaign was the formation of new resident task forces and committees to assist the board in local decision-making. Sheprow maintained her intent to move ahead with plans for committees on parking, budgets and the Port Jefferson Power Station, among others.

“I have three or four people that I can tap into immediately on the Audit and Budget Committee,” she said. “I’ve been talking to people about the Parking Committee, the LIPA Committee,” adding that the village government is exploring a portal for residents to enter their interests and alert the committee boards on which they would like to volunteer.

Expanding upon this initiative, Sheprow said she had contacted Kevin Wood, the village’s communications committee head, about overhauling the village’s municipal website, suggesting a website revamp would likely be a multimonth endeavor.

Sheprow also said she has been scrutinizing the village’s existing Code of Ethics, noting this “probably hasn’t been touched in all the years since it’s been established,” adding that a similar approach is underway for procurement and investment policies.

The mayor-elect described the transition process as “exciting,” noting a personal lack of anxiety in preparing for the mayor’s office.

“It’s just energizing, and I’m looking forward to it,” she said. “We have a great operating institution in the Village of Port Jefferson. The people in place are doing their jobs, and I hope to empower them to do their jobs even more.”

Sheprow will be sworn in as mayor outside Village Hall this Tuesday, July 4.

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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

Credit where credit is due

We would like to thank the staff at The Port Times Record for their June 15 editorial [“Election Day is only the beginning”], in which they acknowledged some of the contributions the Port Jefferson Civic Association has made.

There was one item, however, that was incorrectly attributed to us: the formation of a tree committee.

While our membership fully supports the preservation of our village tree canopy, and several PJCA members volunteered to staff the committee, the primary credit for developing it belongs to Village of Port Jefferson trustee Rebecca Kassay.

PJCA member Kelly DeVine initially brought the idea to trustee Kassay, who followed up on it with extensive research on tree-related efforts in various villages within New York state and beyond. She discovered many municipalities have dedicated committees to assist staff and board members in managing a village’s canopy.

Trustee Kassay further consulted with chairs and founders of other tree committees to gather insights and information. These findings were presented to Deputy Mayor Kathianne Snaden, who expressed support for the creation and development of the Port Jefferson Village Tree Committee.

We just wanted to make sure to give credit where credit is due.

Ana Hozyainova, President

Kathleen McLane, Outreach Officer

Port Jefferson Civic Association

American dreams for some, not all

What a beautiful story in The Village Times Herald May 25 [“American Dream” series] on page A7 about the Huangs legal journey from China to the United States and how they worked hard and sent money home to bring other family members here.

Their hard work, sacrifice and ultimate success at their Kai Li Kitchen in East Setauket is a true American Dream story. I have many Chinese friends who did the same, as well as my four Italian grandparents. 

It’s too bad that the May 25 letter by Shoshana Hershkowitz [“Words matter in immigration dialogue”] could not have been on page A8. What a dichotomy. Almost every week she is complaining about something in this country. She belongs to Citizen Action of New York (website: citizenactionny.org), that is, progressives like AOC, Warren and Sanders. They bash Republicans, Conservatives and corporations. The problem with socialism is that it needs capitalism to survive. Thus, the ironic hypocrisy.

There is a legal way to become a citizen and an illegal way to play the system. The new “messaging” from the “left” is that “everyone” entering the country illegally is an asylum seeker (see Newsday, June 19). According to Ms. Hershkowitz’s statement, “Asylum seekers are fleeing their countries because of climate change, poverty and political violence.” If that’s true, the whole world can move here. We have the same issues: climate change, antifa (who the left were silent about as the group destroyed federal buildings and businesses in Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington), Proud Boys and millions of our own citizens who live in poverty.

So when these “illegal asylum seekers” arrive we are supposed to just let them in, while the people who are legally emigrating from their countries wait to gain citizenship and get penalized by following the law? And I suppose it’s OK for the citizens in Texas, Arizona and California to bear the brunt of the huge, intentional failure at the border by Biden, Harris and Mayorkas. 

According to the House Committee on Homeland Security, as of Jan. 23 there have been over 4.5 million encounters at the Southwest border in addition to over 1.2 million “gotaways.” When the illegal immigrants were sent to Martha’s Vineyard, I don’t recall the vice president commenting on their next-day overnight extradition to mainland Massachusetts by the NIMBYs. 

The hypocrisy of these elites and socialists is obvious. It’s all about future voters and power at the expense of the citizens of this country. 

To the Huangs and Kai Li Kitchen (Chinese translation, “triumphant victory forever”), well done.

Rocky Graziano

Setauket

Two points of view

As an avid reader of the letters section of your paper, I felt compelled to write about the recent exchange of views on the issue of language and the words we use to describe the immigrants who are coming to the United States.

I know both writers personally and know them to be good people who are community-minded and who have worked to make our Three Villages a better place. I think both made good arguments about the current debate, and considering other points is what the American experiment in democracy requires its citizens to do in the pursuit of consensus.

We all know that our recent political discourse has changed, and not for the better. It seems now that we only want to hear one point of view, and criticize or discredit others whose points of view differ from our own.

Local newspapers play an important role in letting the community know about important issues and the various opinions of the people who live here, and I appreciate that.

We can learn a lot by being open to our differing views and maybe even find better solutions for the problems and challenges that we face as a community.

Thank you TBR News Media and to both writers for sharing your thoughts on a very heated and controversial subject.

George Hoffman

Setauket

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Curinne Polizzi, owner of Ivory & Main: The Curvy Corner Boutique. Photo by Julianne Mosher

After a successful five years selling plus-size wedding gowns and occasion wear on the South Shore, a Comsewogue High School graduate is making her way back north for her second shop — Ivory & Main: The Curvy Corner Boutique.

After graduating, Curinne Polizzi went straight into the workforce, getting a job in retail and falling more in love with fashion.

“I always knew I wanted to own a shop, and then bridal just fell into my lap,” she said.

It began when she was looking for her own wedding gown. Polizzi said that when she was growing up in Port Jefferson Station, it was often hard to find clothing as she began to gain weight, and then finding a gown for her wedding opened her eyes.

There were no strictly plus-size gown stores on Long Island. In fact, the closest similar wedding shop was in Maryland.

She remembered sitting at her kitchen table talking to her grandmother who said she should open her own wedding gown store on Long Island. On March 15, 2018, Ivory & Main: The Curvy Bridal Boutique opened in Sayville and it was a hit.

Since then, she has sold thousands of wedding gowns to women of all sizes, dresses to mothers of the bride and prom gowns. She had to expand in Sayville twice because it was getting so popular, soon realizing she needed to open up a second location.

“My five-year plan was to open up a second store,” she said.

And five years exactly to the day of getting the keys to her Sayville bridal boutique, Polizzi got a second set to her newest location, The Curvy Corner in downtown Port Jefferson.

The 46-year-old mom of three, who now lives in Oakdale, said when she heard Christina’s Fashion Handbags, formerly located at 98 Main Street, had closed, she had to take a look. As soon as Polizzi walked in, she said, she knew this was the spot and signed the lease.

“I grew up down here, and I’ve always loved Port Jeff,” she said. “When I moved to the South Shore, I hadn’t been here in a long time, but when I found this space, I asked if I could sign the papers that day.” She added, “I felt like I was coming home.”

Since officially opening its doors in May, Polizzi is already gaining a lot of visibility. She said she has a large client base who comes in from out of state. Compared to its sister store south, Ivory & Main: The Curvy Corner Boutique will house more date-night or wedding-guest looks like sundresses, jumpsuits and other occasion wear looks.

The back of the shop has racks of elegant evening gowns for prom and mothers of the bride that go up to size 30, as well as a wide variety of fun accessories like jewelry, handbags and hats for which anyone can shop.

The styles she brings can appeal to the younger clientele, which has always been a struggle for more inclusive clothing brands. Polizzi said that sometimes other plus-size stores or brands have baggier, more matriarchal styles that may not suit everyone. What she has to offer is trendy — and will have something for everyone.

“This type of store is what I wanted when I was in high school,” she said.

Ivory & Main: The Curvy Corner Boutique sells clothing ranging from size large to 5X and will have its grand opening June 17 from noon to 9 p.m. featuring sales and other surprises for people visiting the boutique.

Deputy Mayor Kathianne Snaden welcomed the new shop with open arms, saying she is happy to see another new business owner investing in Port Jefferson, especially one who came back to town, as Polizzi has.

“It has always been my priority to make Port Jefferson a place folks want to live, work and play,” Snaden said. “Seeing new businesses moving in lets me know that what we’re doing is working.”

The store, located at 98 Main Street, is open Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, visit www.IvoryMain.com.

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