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Mallie Jane Kim

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Ward Melville High School. File photo

By Mallie Jane Kim

Three Village Central School District may need to borrow money for building improvements, according to Deputy Superintendent Jeffrey Carlson, who discussed the rationale for a potential bond referendum with the school board at an Oct. 11 business meeting.

The district has about 1.5 million square feet across its nine buildings, according to Carlson, and the newest building was completed more than 50 years ago. “There’s always a lot of work that needs to be done, just like our homes,” he said. “Sometimes it’s annual upkeep,” like minor repairs or even major repairs. “And sometimes it’s — OK, we need to do a lot of work,” he said.

Capital projects are typically covered each year in the budget process, but sometimes urgent needs — such this year’s surprise roof replacement over Setauket Elementary’s auditorium — eat up funds intended for planned improvements. Also, with aging buildings, projects begin to stack up. Approving a bond would allow the district to borrow money to pay for a lot of projects all at once.

New York State currently reimburses 66% of approved renovations in Three Village district, according to Carlson, paid out through state aid over a period of 15 years. Local taxpayers are responsible for the remaining 34%, regardless of whether taxpayers fund projects upfront through the budget or over time through a bond.

Carlson called the bond method more “fair” than funding big projects through the annual budget because taxpayers in the district paying for a project in one year’s budget may not be around to benefit from those state aid repayments paid over 15 years. 

He added that the district could keep tax assessments somewhat stable for residents by timing the bond to ramp up as other debts are paid off, avoiding sudden tax increases. He compared it to finishing a lease on a car and replacing it with another car. “The lease is up, you stop paying that and you get another car. It’s not that you’re not paying for the new car, but it’s not an increase. It’s the same payments you were making.”

Freshman board member David McKinnon questioned whether building up a buffer of capital funds over time through the annual budget and paying for projects as they come up, might be better. “I think what a lot of people would like to see is more stability,” said McKinnon, who has previously voiced support for building strong rainy-day fund reserves in the district.

Carlson clarified that since funds earmarked for capital projects are outside the tax cap — arranged that way so districts never have to decide between academic programs and infrastructure, he said — they can be used for capital projects only, rather than for any urgent “rainy day” need, like keeping schools open during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The board expects to vote at their next meeting on whether to move forward and form a bond committee, made up of various stakeholders, which would assess each building for appropriate projects.

The last bond in Three Village for $56.1 million over 15 years in 2014 went toward projects like installing more efficient windows, replacing asbestos floor tiles and updating unit ventilators. Based on district estimates at the time, that bond increased taxpayer contributions on average $119 per year.

Carlson said that if a new bond gains board approval, it could go to a public vote around October 2024.

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Ward Melville High School. File photo by Greg Catalano

By Mallie Jane Kim

Internet controversy over a novel taught to Ward Melville High School juniors spilled over into the public comment section of a board of education meeting Wednesday, Sept. 27, when two concerned parents stood up to support the book and caution against efforts to ban it.

The book in question, “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie and a multi-award winner, is a semi-autobiographical novel about a young Native American growing up on an Indian reservation who leaves his underfunded reservation school in favor of a majority-white public school in a neighboring town. The problem expressed by some parents is that in this coming-of-age story about a teenage boy struggling to discover his identity, there are a few passages where the speaker discusses his sexual self-discovery.

The administration has received calls in favor of and against the novel, but there have been no official requests from parents of students actually studying the book, according to Assistant Superintendent for Educational Services Brian Biscari. “It’s a bigger online issue than an actual issue,” Biscari said.

The controversy started when a parent shared a passage mentioning self-pleasure in a screenshot on a local Facebook group, Three Village Moms, where it was both attacked and supported in a series of nearly 500 comments. Some commenters expressed concern over sexualizing children too early, or that the passages may be too explicit for required reading in a Regents course.

Others asked their peers to consider the passage in context of the entire book, or worried the rhetoric might foment into a movement to ban the book, in light of efforts to censor literature at school districts nationwide.

The American Library Association has noted a “record surge” in requests to remove books from libraries and public schools during the first eight months of 2023, and primarily books “by or about a person of color of a member of the LGBTQIA+ community,” according to a Sept. 19 statement.

At the board meeting, district parent Ian Farber said exposure to an unfamiliar point of view is one of this book’s strengths. “This book provides a valuable perspective of a Native American who grew up on a reservation, a perspective that would be foreign to many of us without books like this one,” said Farber, who has also been a part of the district’s budget advisory committee.

Farber shrugged off the concerns over the passages about an aspect of human sexuality that, he said, most students know about by 11th grade. Instead, he praised the “robust and diverse” curriculum in Three Village school district and emphasized that the passages causing outrage are not even a main point of the book.

“He had a teacher that inspired him to do more with his life than previous generations — we should all want our children to achieve more than we have. This is a key part of the American Dream, and as such this book is patriotic in the best sense of the word.”

Anne Chimelis, a retired teacher and parent in the district, agreed in her public comment. “If we start banning books due to a single word that makes some people uncomfortable, we’re going down a very slippery slope,” she said.

Biscari noted that the district is happy to provide a list of novels taught in Three Village schools to parents who ask, and there is a clear process for parents to request for a materials review for novels in their child’s grade level if they have a concern. If that process does not go the way parents hope, he added, each parent is also welcome to opt a child out of a particular book.

On Alexie’s book, though, Biscari said most of the calls he’s gotten are from parents “who love the fact that there’s a book their kids can read and relate to.”

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Ward Melville High School. File photo by Greg Catalano
Moving 9th grade to high school logistically complex

By Mallie Jane Kim

Three Village Central School District needs more time before restructuring the grade makeup of its buildings, according to Superintendent of Schools Kevin Scanlon, who officially recommended a delay on proposed changes until the 2025-26 school year.

“It’s best we do this right and not fast,” Scanlon told the board at a Sept. 13 Board of Education meeting. He also followed up with an email to district parents explaining the delay.

The board previously charged the administration with researching the feasibility of a proposal to move up sixth grade to junior high and ninth grade to the high school, based on the preferences of a majority of stakeholders in the community surveyed last year. 

At the meeting, Scanlon said administration staff spent the summer “working very heavily” to explore logistics of the proposed changes, such as secondary class schedules, staffing needs and classroom requirements.

The superintendent previously warned that restructuring likely wouldn’t be possible by the original target of fall 2024, and the summer research found enough snags to give Scanlon and his team pause.

The junior high schools would simply exchange one grade for another — ninth grade would move out to the high school and sixth grade would move in from elementary — a nimbler change than adding a fourth grade level to the high school, which currently houses grades 10-12. It’s not a matter of the number of students, Scanlon pointed out. Due to declining enrollment over time, the population at the high school with an added grade would be roughly on par with its population about a decade ago — just shy of 1,800 students, according to district data. But each grade has specific classroom requirements.

“Ninth grade does require some different courses — certified teachers in areas of science and languages — that need to be maneuvered around,” Scanlon explained, saying major considerations include the number of appropriate classroom spaces for art, music and science labs. “We just need a little bit more time to figure out those particulars.”

The board opted last April to table any decision on officially adopting the proposed restructuring until the administration could present research on logistics and cost, and also find a way to address concerns over early start times at district secondary schools.

Scanlon indicated the logistical research should wrap up next month, and a committee looking into start times is in full swing, with plans to send out a survey early this fall to assess related community needs. A possible second survey with more specific proposals may go out by the end of the calendar year, he added.

When asked, Scanlon didn’t rule out the possibility of changing start times sooner than 2025, but indicated that particular conversation would take place in the context of the upcoming survey results.

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Ward Melville High School. File photo by Greg Catalano

By Mallie Jane Kim 

The Three Village Central School District Board of Education will have only six members this year, as one member resigned due to a career change making participation impossible.

At an Aug. 23 meeting last Wednesday, BOE president Susan Rosenzweig announced the change, explaining that the former board member in question, Jennifer Solomon, would not be replaced during this term. A special election would cost an estimated $25,000 to $30,000, diverting funds allocated to serve the school children, she explained. 

“Each of those dollars that we would have to use for something like that is taken out of the pocket of a child, so that didn’t interest any of us in any way,” she said, adding that appointing someone didn’t seem fair.

The chosen option is to do nothing, keeping the board at six trustees as they aren’t concerned about gridlock. “We all work very collegially and collaboratively together,” Rosenzweig added. “We’re not too worried about the even number.”

Last year was Solomon’s first year of a three-year term, but at a board meeting on April 26, she shared that this outcome was a possibility. During that meeting, a board member read an emailed public comment that mentioned rumors a board member planned to resign after the election, and suggested that person should step down before the election instead to allow the community to choose someone in their place. 

At the time, Solomon spoke up. “I suspect the author of that letter is referencing me,” she said, and explained the school district she was working for had cut her position, so she was forced to look for employment elsewhere. “Being on the Three Village Board of Education is a role that I care about deeply, and it’s my intention to continue on the board, provided my circumstances allow me to,” Solomon said.

As Rosenzweig shared at last week’s meeting, Solomon “has taken a position that precludes her from continuing her service to the board.”

Five excessed teachers recalled

The administration recalled five of the teachers whose positions were previously eliminated due to budgetary issues, according to Superintendent of Schools Kevin Scanlon, in some cases to keep class sizes low in each of the primary schools. 

Teacher contracts require the district to keep the average class size in each grade below a certain number, but individual class sizes can vary within that average. 

“We don’t want there to be an imbalance between one school and another school,” Scanlon said. 

But the administration had to get creative to find that balance. “In order to get to those numbers, it’s not as if there was a magic pot of money,” he said. “We actually had to make cuts in some areas.”

For example, the administration cut three permanent substitute teacher positions — a year-to-year appointment — to make room in the budget to reinstate one section of second grade at Setauket Elementary as well as to help cover costs for special areas, such as physical education, art, health and music.

Scanlon also mentioned the district’s declining enrollment, a concern that spurred ongoing considerations to reorganize the schools, is still happening — but at a slower pace. He said there are 77 fewer students enrolled this year compared to last year; last year’s decline was 140 students and the year prior was over 200.

A major factor in enrollment fluctuation is families moving in and out of the district. According to district data, there are more families in the district this year compared to last, but fewer kids. 

“That’s a very unusual thing to contemplate, but it’s just that the families are having less children,” the district superintendent noted. “A family used to have three or four children. They’re now having maybe one or two children.”

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Robinson’s Tea Room is tucked into the back corner of Stony Brook Village Center. Photo by Mallie Jane Kim

By Mallie Jane Kim

Robinson’s Tea Room provides the quintessential English experience of high tea, but for manager Dan Bussey of Sound Beach, it’s about far more than that. 

Tucked into a back corner of Stony Brook Village Center at 97 Main St., the cozy, floral tea shop provides a backdrop Bussey hopes will transport visitors out of their daily Long Island lives to better focus on the people around the table.

“Our hope is that it’s more than just about food and tea — it’s about connections you make with the people who you come with,” Bussey said. “We hope we can facilitate that by providing really good tea and really good food.”

Manager Dan Bussey greets customers at Robinson’s Tea Room in Stony Brook Village Center. Photo by Mallie Jane Kim

The tea room serves soups, salads and sandwiches, but of course the star is the classic three-tiered tea service, complete with fresh-made scones, finger sandwiches and sweet treats. The menu boasts more than 50 choices of tea to sip.

Michael and Donna Aliperti of Shoreham, Bussey’s parents-in-law, bought the tea room after it was shuttered in fall 2022, to the surprise and disappointment of its patrons at the time. 

The Alipertis, a mechanical engineer and registered nurse, respectively, were convinced to invest after their daughter Michaella suggested they save Robinson’s, a tea room the Alipertis enjoyed, and that Michaella and Bussey visited on trips to Long Island while they were dating.

Bussey, who was born in England but raised in Nairobi, Kenya, because his parents are missionary teachers, grew up drinking both the sweet, milky chai typical in Kenya as well as the customary British Earl Grey at home.

When he moved to the United States to study music at Houghton University in Upstate New York, Bussey brought the tradition with him. He remembered late college nights preparing tea with his brother and a few friends from different African countries. The group soon grew to about 10 friends from eight different cultures, he said, including Michaella, now his wife.

“The experience of having tea together has been a big thing in my life,” he said. “It’s a time to connect and do life together and enjoy something tasty.”

When the opportunity to run Robinson’s came up, Bussey had just settled on Long Island after finishing his master’s in vocal performance at Penn State — he had been commuting back and forth to see Michaella, who is an elementary music and chorus teacher in Central Islip. 

The gambit is paying off. The tea shop is often booked up on weekends and “healthily busy” most days, according to Bussey. And feedback has been positive. 

Customer Mia Gilardi, 6, sips tea at Robinson’s Tea Room. Photo by Jess Gilardi

Recent guest Jess Gilardi, of East Setauket, brought her daughters Anna, 10, and Mia, 6, for a “girls’ day out” and birthday celebration at the tea room. The girls were thrilled, and they said they loved the food. “It was very awesome and very cool,” Mia said. “I wish I could do it one hundred million times.”

Bussey acknowledged that, like any food service establishment, there have been kinks to work out, but he’s been eager to learn and grow. He spent several months training under the previous owner, Glenn Treacher, who reopened to show him the ropes before the official change of ownership in March 2023. 

Treacher, who Bussey considers a mentor, also helped him build the employees into a team which, Bussey said, is one of his favorite parts about his job. If the power of tea is bringing people together, the employees are another model of that. “We’ve tried to set up a culture where each person has the other’s back,” he said, like busing a table or bringing out food if another worker is swamped. “It’s really about helping each other out.”

He hopes to provide a nonjudgmental environment that makes something traditionally British accessible, whether people come dressed up for a high tea or pop in on a whim after a hike at Avalon Park. He doesn’t want guests to worry whether they are pouring the tea correctly or adding too much sugar. “I’m English — I love all the pomp and circumstance that we attribute to things, but I don’t want that to hold people back from getting the experience. Tea is something everyone can enjoy.”

Robinson’s Tea Room is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. 

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Capitol Building. Photo from Wikimedia Commons

By Mallie Jane Kim

Peter Moloney, 58, of Bayport, was arrested June 7 for his alleged involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, storming of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Moloney is co-owner of Moloney Funeral Homes, which has seven locations throughout Long Island. He is now on administrative leave with no involvement in day-to-day operations, according to the business.

“We will not allow his actions on January 6 to distract us from our everyday focus on providing care and comfort for families during their most difficult times,” read a June 8 spokesman’s statement.

Moloney, who was identified as the protester dubbed “Black Bono Helmet” by internet sleuths two years ago, now faces eight charges related to his alleged actions during the Capitol riot. Court documents say Moloney, donning a bike helmet and protective eyewear, sprayed law enforcement officers with Black Flag Wasp, Hornet, & Yellow Jacket Killer. This kind of preparation, documents say, “indicates that he went to the Capitol on January 6, 2021, prepared for violence.”

He is also accused of attacking members of the news media, who were there to photograph the breach of the Capitol.

On the day of the arrest, his brother and co-owner Dan Moloney said in a statement, “For over 90 years the Moloney family has served our neighbors during their most trying times and has a long and proud history of supporting the law enforcement and first responder communities. The alleged actions taken by an individual on his own time are in no way reflective of the core values of Moloney Funeral Home, which is dedicated to earning and maintaining the trust of all members of the community of every race, religion and nationality.”

Peter Moloney appeared at the federal courthouse in Central Islip June 7 following his arrest, and was released on $100,000 bond. Outside the courthouse, his lawyer stressed that Moloney has not entered a plea, and the arraignment is scheduled for June 20 before a District of Columbia judge. “He is presumed innocent pursuant to the laws of the United States of America, and we’ll proceed accordingly,” the lawyer said.

Moloney is one of more than 1,000 individuals from around the country who have been arrested in connection with the riots since the incident in 2021, according to the Department of Justice, and more than 270 of those have been charged with “assaulting or impeding law enforcement.” The DOJ investigations continue.

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A visitor stands atop Patriot’s Rock in Setauket. Photo by Mallie Jane Kim.

By Mallie Jane Kim

Local parks and trails took center stage at the Three Village Civic Association monthly meeting Monday night, June 5. The civic’s land use chair Herb Mones took attendees on an impressive slideshow tour of the area’s offerings for walkers, cyclists, view seekers and the like. 

The sun sets over Setauket Harbor Marina. Photo from Mallie Kim

These natural spaces “are unique and different, and enable us to be proud that we’re Three Villagers,” Mones said. “I always say there are two types of people: Those that live in Three Villages, and those that want to live in Three Villages.”

Among the more-than-20 properties Mones highlighted were well-known spots such as Frank Melville Memorial Park, Avalon Nature Preserve, Gamecock Cottage and the Setauket-Port Jefferson Station Greenway Trail. 

Also featured were lesser-known gems such as McAllister County Park located in Belle Terre near the eastern entrance to Port Jefferson Harbor; Old Field Farm County Park adjacent to West Meadow Beach; and the Besunder property on North Road at the entrance to Strong’s Neck.

Nearly all of the sites on Mones’ slideshow boast trails or harbor views, or both. Among his favorites, he said, is the Flax Pond Tidal Wetland Area.

He also mentioned a particular point of pride in Patriots Rock Historic Site, acquired by the Three Village Community Trust. “For the first time in 300 years, the site is open to the public,” said Mones, who is president of the trust. According to him, the trust plans to add trails surrounding the location to enable the public to enjoy the entire property.

There are also undeveloped, “emerging” places to watch, Mones said, such as the Suffolk County parkland known as the Sand Pits along the Greenway Trail; the Patriots Hollow State Forest across from the shopping center on Route 25A in East Setauket; and the Stephen D. Matthews Nature Preserve in Poquott. Each of those areas, he said, could use trails and added public access.

Mones urged members to keep a careful watch over these local natural assets. “Parks are so special, parks are so desirable, parks are so beautiful that you have to be ever vigilant because somebody is always trying to acquire, buy and obtain it,” he said.

Mones added that he plans to publish his presentation on the civic association Facebook page.

Police scam warnings

Also at the meeting, Suffolk County Police Community Liaison Officer Sergio Moller, from the 6th Precinct, warned about the prevalence of scams popping up in the area, particularly electronic scams. 

According to Moller, residents are receiving texts purportedly from utility or media companies warning service will be halted unless the person clicks a link to pay their bill. “What a scammer wants you to do is hit that link, so they can get access to your computer,” he said at the meeting. “So don’t do that, please.” 

He also urged the audience to be skeptical of calls from an unknown number alleging a loved one has been arrested or needs money — even if the voice on the other line is familiar. “Artificial intelligence can reproduce your voice to a T, so it may sound like you’re talking to your grandson … it may sound like you’re talking to a loved one,” he said.

As with the texting scams, Moller said people should call the person’s known phone number to verify whether they actually need assistance. 

“Please don’t give money to anybody, especially if they ask you for gift cards,” he said. “If they are asking you for gift cards, this should be an automatic red light in the back of your head that this is not legit.”

Birds and Bees Protection Act

George Hoffman made an impassioned plea for civic members to lobby state Sen. Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk) and state Assemblyman Ed Flood (R-Port Jefferson) to support the imminent Birds and Bees Protection Act.

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The Stratford Shoal Light Station is going up for auction June 12, with a starting bid of $10,000. Photo from Josh Moody.

By Mallie Jane Kim

The Stratford Shoal Light Station in the middle of Long Island Sound is going up for auction June 12 through the U.S. General Services Administration’s real estate website, but locals with knowledge of area waterways doubt it will become the next tourist hot spot.

The Stratford Shoal Light Station. Photo from GSA

Other historic lighthouses around U.S. coasts have become vacation rentals, local government offices or museums. Such a fate might be tricky for the lighthouse at Stratford Shoal, also known as the Middle Ground Light, a stone building constructed in the late 1870s and perched on two partially submerged rocky islands halfway between Old Field on Long Island and Stratford, Connecticut. The U.S. Coast Guard will retain ownership of all navigation aid systems active at the lighthouse, regardless of a future owner’s development plan.

“Whoever decides to do something, it’s not going to be easy,” said Pete Murphy, owner of Sea Tow Port Jefferson and Murphy’s Marine Service. Murphy passes the lighthouse fairly often through his service rescuing stranded boaters and said the area seems most often used as a fisherman’s hot spot. 

Murphy would welcome a commercial use of the property, like a bed and breakfast, and he could see expanding his shore-to-boat harbor taxi service to include ferrying visitors to a commercial entity at the lighthouse. According to Murphy, though, any potential renovations on the shoal would face challenges since it’s so far out into the sound. “The safety is getting there,” he said. “You’ve got to pick your weather to get out there.”

That isolation and exposure to waves and storms made the shoal lighthouse a tough posting for its keepers before it was automated in 1970. One assistant keeper, a newcomer from New York City named Julius Koster, reportedly suffered a psychological breakdown at the lighthouse in 1905, attempting to attack a colleague, then the lighthouse itself. Eventually he made an unsuccessful attempt on his own life.

“Every one of us probably wanted to live on a lighthouse by ourselves.”

— George Hoffman

Local water quality advocate George Hoffman agreed the lighthouse probably won’t see any major development since it is so far from shore, but it could entice someone who wants to get away from it all. “I think there’s a million people on Long Island who would like to live there,” he said. “But I think the reality is a bit harder because everything has to be brought in on a boat.”

Hoffman, who co-founded the Setauket Harbor Task Force, a volunteer environmental group that works to improve water quality in Port Jefferson and Setauket Harbors, isn’t concerned about the environmental impact of potential construction on the shoal, as any development would have to comply with government environmental regulations.

Still, Hoffman finds the idea of living on the shoal romantic. “Every one of us probably wanted to live on a lighthouse by ourselves,” he said. “Though movies about lighthouses all tend to end badly.”

The Stratford Shoal structure is on the national register of historic places and is one of four lighthouses the U.S. General Services Administration is auctioning this year, alongside six others to be offered at no cost to eligible historical, educational, nonprofit or local governmental agencies. The lighthouse had been awarded to lighthouse enthusiast Nick Korstad under the latter designation in 2016. But Korstad, who has made a career of buying and renovating lighthouses around the country for use as destinations, gave up his stewardship of the water-bound site after his plan to use the lighthouse as a museum where guests could stay overnight faced too much regulatory red tape.

The National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2020 allows the federal government to convey ownership of lighthouses to promote preservation of these historical sites and also to save taxpayer money on federal real estate costs. The starting point for bids of the Stratford Shoal Lighthouse is $10,000.

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Board also addresses issues of racism in the district

By Mallie Kim

The Board of Education will welcome newcomers Karen Roughley and David McKinnon to the table in Three Village Central School District, alongside returning trustee Jeffrey Kerman. The school board announced and certified the results during a meeting on Tuesday night, May 16.

David McKinnon and Karen Roughley, above, along with incumbent Jeffrey Kerman, won seats on the board of education. Photo by Mallie Kim

Roughley and McKinnon are no strangers to the board room, as they often attend meetings to advocate for district issues they are passionate about. During a fraught two-week campaign, the two, who campaigned together, emphasized their status as independent candidates — that is, not endorsed or financially supported by any bargaining unit, something both candidates have said could be a conflict of interest.

“This was a good win for the community. We were community-backed,” said McKinnon, a professor of neurobiology and behavior at Stony Brook University, adding that his win comes after several years of building confidence within the community. McKinnon ran unsuccessfully for the board twice before, and during the campaign conveyed a strong interest in improving curriculum and instituting forward-looking financial planning. “I hope this paves the way for other independent candidates to run for the board.”

McKinnon received 2,101 votes, coming in second behind Roughley, who brought in 2,222 votes.

This was the second bid for Roughley, who has been a vocal advocate for the special education community over the years, and during the campaign she highlighted the budget and bullying as top issues she would want to address. She received the most votes, at 2,222.

“I’m very proud,” she said after the meeting. “I’m very honored to be representing all the community of Three Village.”

Rounding out the trio, Kerman, a dentist, received 1,777 votes and said he was very proud to have voter support again. “I have a lot of experience, and I can help the new [members],” said Kerman, referring to the fact that he has served 17 years on the board, including two years as board president. During the campaign, he expressed gratitude for all the district did to help his two children succeed. “This is pay back and pay forward,” he said. “I’m here to help the district and keep it good.”

The community also approved the 2023‒24 district budget with 2,332 yes votes over 1,559 no votes. The vast majority of registered voters in the district skipped the election, despite the fact that the district’s budget makes up a large portion of each resident’s tax bill. A total of 3,891 voters participated, out of 36,396 qualified voters in the district.

Assistant Superintendent Jeff Carlson congratulates incumbent Jeffrey Kerman on his win. Photo Mallie Kim

Superintendent addresses racism, district OKs book up for review

Also, during the May 16 meeting, Superintendent Kevin Scanlon presented a strongly worded message against incidents of racism in the district and said the administration has brought in consultants to help address it, including one member of the Little Rock Nine, the group of black students who desegregated their school in Arkansas in 1957.

Scanlon said he would soon share with district families more details about a specific incident under investigation, and he compared racism in schools to drugs and alcohol. “If anyone in a school district tells you that they don’t have an alcohol and drug problem, they’re lying,” he said. “Every district in this country has an alcohol and drug program, and we are no exception to that rule.”

The district has curriculum and counseling staff to specifically address alcohol and drugs, and Scanlon said the same needs to happen to quash racism and bigotry. He pointed to the work of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committees, but said the entire community also needs to act.

“Enough is enough,” he said. “We have to address this not only in our schools, but in our homes and throughout our community every single day. That’s the only way to stop it.”

The board also heard the results of a recent instructional materials review triggered by a parent complaint.

According to Assistant Superintendent Brian Biscari, the book “All the Colors We Are: The Story of How We Get Our Skin Color,” by Katie Kissinger, is used in second grade health classes districtwide. A concerned parent emailed a complaint, Biscari said, calling the material in the book “damaging and racist.”

A committee made up of an administrator, a second-grade teacher, a library media specialist and a parent convened and reviewed the book’s subject, themes and appropriateness for the age level. No committee members had objections to the book. “The content of the book was related to the science of skin color, including melanin, ancestors and family and exposure to the sun,” Biscari read from the committee’s recommendation to keep the book in the curriculum. “The themes represented in this book are appropriate topics for students in the second-grade health classes.”

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Participants start the 5k with Jessica Baisley, winner in female category, right. Photo by Mallie Kim
10-year old Nassakeag students Loam Lapidus and Miko Alfredsson after finishing their first 5k. Photo by Mallie Kim
A family completes the 5k. Photo by Mallie Kim
Participants start the 5k with Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn, waving. Photo by Mallie Kim

By Mallie Kim

Runners and walkers wound through the hilly roads of Stony Brook for a Mother’s Day 5K race last Sunday, May 14, hosted by local advocacy group Sidewalks For Safety. At the event, a mix of athletes and local sidewalk fans numbering about 300 raised awareness in their bright “safety green” T-shirts as they made their way to the finish line at The Long Island Museum.

Sidewalks For Safety founder Annemarie Waugh was thrilled with the turnout, and said she looks forward to taking what she learned from this inaugural run to make it an annual event.

“There was such great energy, great cheer, and so many people in support of more sidewalks, especially around the schools,” she said. “I’m really hoping we can put children and pedestrian safety first.”

Long Island has fewer sidewalks because the suburban population expanded in an era when car was king. “Long Island’s sidewalks are here, there, everywhere and nowhere,” The New York Times noted back in 2004, adding, “The Island’s network of sidewalks is so haphazard.”

Waugh, a mother herself, makes the case to the public and to the Town of Brookhaven that sidewalks are a key part of keeping children safe as they walk to school and bus stops. She gathers volunteers as she goes — including this reporter, who proofreads the Sidewalks For Safety newsletter and helped check in participants at the race.

Waugh’s advocacy centers around connecting existing sidewalks in the Three Village area, particularly around the schools. She pointed out that secondary school track teams run on local roads. At Old Town Road in front of Ward Melville High School, that means students are running in the street alongside big construction trucks and heavy traffic. 

Detractors fear sidewalks would give the Three Village Area a more “urban” feel.

At the finish line, Setauket mother Dr. Samone Zarabi said she would like more sidewalks so she and her young son can be safer while walking their dog around town.

Zarabi brought her family to the 5K also to celebrate Mother’s Day. “I just wanted to do something healthy and good for the entire family — no expectations, just being together,” she said.

First-time 5K participants Loam Lapidus and Miko Alfredsson, both 10-year-old Nassakeag Elementary School students, said they found the race “tiring.” But they care about sidewalks, they said, because they don’t want people or animals “to get run over.” Miko also had a particular reason for joining. “My mom wanted me to do it,” he said.

Local politicians also came to support Sidewalks For Safety, including town Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) and Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket), who said she grew up in the area and supports safe, walkable communities, especially for children. Sidewalks “they connect communities — people to each other, people to places like parks, downtowns,” she said. “All these things are important for a sense of place in a community.”

The top three men and women finishers went home with flowers in lieu of medals, on theme for Mother’s Day. First-place male was Keith Forlenza, of Stony Brook, who ran the 5K in 16 minutes, 55 seconds, and first-place female was Jessica Baisley, of Centereach, who finished at 21:45.

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