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Port Jefferson

Local gas pump showing the surging price of gasoline.

The skyrocketing price of gas has hit record highs here on Long Island and across the entire United States. TBR News Media took to the streets of Port Jefferson and Setauket to find out how local residents were feeling about it all.

Photo by Jim Hastings

Crista Davis, Mount Sinai

“We’re pretty local, thankfully. I don’t have a far commute, but if I did, that’s something that would surely affect other aspects of my life. I’m fortunate that I live close to everything, but I feel bad for people who have no choice.”

 

 

 

Photo by Jim Hastings

Kenny Dorsa, Selden

“We’re pretty local, thankfully. I don’t have a far commute, but if I did, that’s something that would surely affect other aspects of my life. I’m fortunate that I live close to everything, but I feel bad for people who have no choice.”

 

 

 

Photo by Jim Hastings

Mitch Steinberg, Huntington

“It’s definitely going to make us consider our finances. Conserve a little bit. But we still have to drive to work and do the things we have to do.”

 

 

 

 

Photo by Jim Hastings

Abby Buller, Port Jefferson Station

Owner of Village Boutique, Port Jefferson

“From my business point of view, all of my wholesalers are complaining about their cost rising and having to pay more to employees. So, the higher cost of employees, gas, oil, freight. If I hear anything more about the cost of freight. When my wholesaler increases my cost of $7 an item, I have no choice. I have to pass that $7 on. I used to live in Queens and drive to Port Jefferson every day. I thank God I don’t have to do that, because that would have been, at these prices, a decision to close this store. 

 

Photo by Jim Hastings

Walter Martinez, Shirley

“I pay now double what I was paying last year, but I don’t blame it on the president and I don’t blame it on the government. Everything is just going up. And now with this war thing it’s just getting worse. It is what it is. You just gotta stand by and hope for the best. You know, we gotta pay the price. I do regret that I didn’t go for an electric car before.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

File photo

During the most recent Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees meeting, a representative from Suffolk County Police gave an update to residents about what has been happening locally and across the county with crime.

On Monday, March 7, chief of constables Fred Leute joined the officer clarifying statistics from Feb. 7 through March 7 comparing 2021 to this year. The officer noted that across Long Island, catalytic converter thefts have skyrocketed, as well as car thefts.

“Please lock your cars,” Leute said. “A continual problem across Suffolk County and across New York State are people targeting residential areas, checking doorknobs on cars and taking what is inside.”

Both Leute and the officer agreed that keeping a close watch on one’s personal vehicle is important, especially if the car has a garage opener. “If you have a garage opener and they break into your car, then they have access to your home and you,” Leute said. 

The police representative added that across the county, they are seeing an uptick in people leaving their keys in a running car, allowing people easy access to the vehicle.

“Don’t leave the keys in your car,” she said. “We’re seeing an uptick in people leaving their cars running at locations such as gas stations and 7/11’s with people hopping in and going for a joy ride.”

More locally, Leute mentioned calls about vehicles illegally parking in handicap spots down Main Street, particularly in the spot on the corner next to Starbucks. 

The officer added that in the past year, there has been an uptick in general calls for service, but a decline in assaults (zero in this time period). She reported there is an active investigation on one burglary, one criminal mischief charge and one larceny that was cleared by an arrest. 

She added that ambulance calls have gone up slightly, with one overdose ambulance call during this time period. She was happy to report that motor vehicle accidents have decreased significantly from 15 to just one. 

Recent shooting

Residents at the meeting were concerned over events that occurred early Monday morning Down Port.

“We did have a shooting occur just two buildings over [from Village Hall] over by the town parking lot across from SaGhar restaurant,” the officer reported.

While details were unavailable due to the active investigation, she said that the village cameras have been instrumental in helping and that she was, “pleased to tell you we have a suspect identified and we are currently seeking that suspect.”

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File photo by Kevin Wood

In 2022, Port Jefferson will become the first Long Island town to host the New York State Parking and Transportation Association’s professional development seminar on March 15. 

Port Jefferson benefits from the 50-plus attendees who will stay here, eat here and shop here for the day and overnight. 

The annual conference brings together parking and transportation professionals statewide to discuss new trends and technologies. Their events are typically held upstate New York.

Kevin Wood, director of parking and mobility and IT for the Village of Port Jefferson, was named the executive vice president of NYSPTA. 

Wood is serving triple duty that day as executive vice president, host and speaker in their professional development series presenting alongside other industry experts. 

“The goal is to help support the local economy while bringing a brand-new event to town, thus helping raise awareness of the village as a great place to visit and do business while bringing cutting-edge knowledge to our parking and mobility department,” Wood said.

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Edna Louise Spear Elementary School students in Carleen Parmegiani’s class. Photo from PJSD

Students in Carleen Parmegiani’s and Darlene Wells’ second grade classes at Edna Louise Spear Elementary School are a diverse group with varied interests. 

The students wrote and illustrated their own fact-based books, choosing a topic based on their knowledge of friends, fishing, outer space, pets, sports and winter fun, among others. 

Edna Louise Spear Elementary School students in Darlene Wells’ class. Photo from PJSD

They shared their advancing English language arts skills with a writing celebration to highlight their nonfiction writing curriculum.

The classes rotated sitting at tables set up so administrators and students could stop to hear the stories and see the illustrations that were created. 

Visitors were encouraged to ask questions of the writers and leave a note in the paper hearts to share special comments.

“The students were so excited to share their writing,” Wells said, noting that the event also helped to build their social and public-speaking skills.

Stock photo

By Tara HiggIns

Port Jefferson Village Justice

Patricia Maureen Higgins (maiden name Phillips), was born on May 6, 1931, in Jersey City, New Jersey, the first-born child to Brigid Dunne and John Francis Phillips. She was followed by her two brothers, Jack and Bob. Pat was the salutatorian of her eighth-grade class, second only to her life-long closest friend, Aunt Gebs. 

Photo from Kate Higgins

When she was 15, Pat met Joe Higgins on a bus on the way to a dance at the Polish Hall. Five years later they were married at St. Anne’s Church. Deeply devoted to their faith, they welcomed eight children into the world. They were an inseparable union for 70 years, navigating the highs and lows and challenges that life brings. 

Joe worked long hours while mom worked equally hard at home, raising eight kids, the oldest in college, the baby in diapers, and every age and stage in between. 

The family moved to Long Island 55 years ago. Pat insisted that they move back to New Jersey the next year, but that never happened. She would joke that she lived on Long Island for 20 years before she realized that she was on the wrong side of Route 25A. She wasn’t concerned with those sorts of pretentious things; she was a much earthier woman. She took her role as homemaker seriously — the glue that held the family together. She was organized, efficient and diligent in her duties. She had a loving and unique relationship with each of her children and grandchildren. 

Pat was an insightful woman who could assess a person’s character within minutes of meeting them. She had a kind, caring demeanor that made people divulge their problems and secrets. She was an avid reader — she read the newspaper cover to cover — and enjoyed suspense novels. 

And this lady, who never left the house without her hair perfectly coiffed and her lipstick on, enjoyed her children’s sports, and was never absent from a football game, track meet, swim meet or baseball game. 

This feminine lady understood stats and splits, knew a bad baton handoff from a good one, and comprehended the seemingly endless set of rules and exceptions to rules in the game of football. 

She enjoyed the Jets since the days of Joe Namath and the Yankees, and of course, her beloved Derek Jeter. Pat also had a penchant for war movies, cowboy movies and disco music. It wasn’t unusual to get in the car after Pat had been driving it and hear ABBA or Donna Summer blaring on the radio. 

Photo from Kate Higgins

Her house was always filled with the aroma of her delicious food. There was no takeout; Pat cooked every night and could give Julia Child a few suggestions on how to make gravy. Birthday cakes were homemade from scratch with Presto flour, never a box mix, that’s just not how it was done. If you missed dinner, your dinner was left on the counter in a pie plate with a piece of tinfoil on it and your name written in perfect Catholic school penmanship. 

The only time the house didn’t smell of Pat’s delicious cooking was when she was doing a load of white wash, in which case the smell of Clorox would simultaneously burn your eyes and nose. 

Pat and Joe were devout in their faith and active members of this parish since its inception. Now, she will be reunited with those that have left this earth before her including her parents, friends, her first son Paul, who only lived 36 hours, and of course, her dear son Bob, who was taken from this world far too early. 

Pat was the beloved mother of Nancy Sardinia and her husband Ted, Patricia Paddock and her husband Ken, Tara Higgins and her husband Peter Petracca, Kathleen Higgins and her husband Joseph Farley, Joseph and his wife Marybeth, John, Paul and his wife Kate, and the late Robert and his wife Ellen; cherished grandmother of Joseph and his wife Tara, Katherine, Matthew, Marty, Marybeth, P.J., Sean, Bobby, Brigid and her husband John, Siobhan, Fiona, Julia, Colette, Aeva; and great grandmother of Liam, Emerson, and Riley; and devoted sister of Jack Phillips and his wife Sheila and Bob Phillips and the late Barbara.   

Funeral mass and burial were on Wednesday, Feb. 16 at St. James R.C. Church in Setauket where she is now North of  Route 25A.

Donations can be made to Hope House Ministries and Three Village Meals on Wheels.

Editors note: The March 3 issue of the Port Times Record published the wrong name in this obituary. This is the correct version.

Photo from Pixabay

By Jim Hastings

The recent invasion of Ukraine by Russia sent shockwaves around the world. The images of troops, tanks and bombed-out buildings have left many feeling enraged, frustrated and helpless. TBR News Media took to the streets of Port Jefferson and Stony Brook Village to get local residents’ perspectives on the situation. 

 

Photo by Jim Hastings

Debra Saparito, Mount Sinai

“It’s going to affect us as a country, because we can’t have someone just bow to another. We allow that to happen in one portion of the world, then everybody’s going to think, ‘Well, we can do that too.’ We have to step up as a world, whether they’re part of NATO or not. We have to do what’s right for the people. After what we’ve been through in the world in the last two or three years, we have to humble ourselves and look at each other as people.”

 

 

Brian Israel, Setauket

Photo by Jim Hastings

“It’s unbelievable that a sovereign country can be attacked, really, with no real consequences. Understanding that, you know, any military action could cause a larger conflict, but it’s just unbelievable that it was allowed to get this far.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo by Jim Hastings

Kathryn Schoemmel, Setauket

“It’s scary. I have a family member over there. She’s still in Ukraine. She’s hoping she has a home to go back to.”

Pictured with husband Leon.

 

 

 

 

 

Photo by Jim Hastings

Ernesto Cruz, Coram

“It’s pretty senseless. It just seems like there’s no real reason to be doing this. We’re getting to a stage where, through social networking and all that, the world’s becoming that much more interconnected and it’s like, we can feel each other’s pain. It’s no longer what the government tells us or what the news tells us. We can see what each person is feeling, truly, through their words and their actions.”

 

 

 

Photo by Jim Hastings

Clara Rosenzweig, Poquott

“I definitely feel horrible for the people going through it. I think it’s completely unnecessary what’s happening over there and I hope that everything gets resolved.”

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An inside look at what Roots has to offer. Photo by Carolyn Sackstein

By Carolyn Sackstein

The owner of Roots Kava Bar, Robert Dunn, celebrated the grand opening of Port Jefferson’s newest drinking establishment with family and friends when he opened the doors at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19. 

The enthusiastic crowd mingled about and enjoyed the cozy and comfortable seating in the kava pub’s back lounge and front self-serve area. 

Robert Dunn inside the new Roots Kava Bar in Port Jeff. Photo by Carolyn Sackstein

Most guests knew about kava, a beverage used as a replacement for alcohol. The owner wanted to create an environment where people, who do not use alcohol, could socialize over drinks and not experience the detrimental effects of alcohol. The decor is a pleasing mix of black walls, metal and wood. The serving bar is a natural plank with a live edge which echoes the natural theme of the beverages.

For the uninitiated, kava is a drink made from the root of the kava kava plant (Piper methysticum) which originates in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific islands. 

Kava is touted to alleviate stress, help with chronic pain, boost mood, increase energy and focus. The root is ground into a powder, steeped in water, then filtered. Kava has sedative and anesthetic properties that can produce a numbing sensation within the lips and mouth.

A sense of calm or euphoria is experienced by those who imbibe. Kava has been used in Fiji, Hawaii and elsewhere for perhaps as long as 3,000 years in religious and welcoming ceremonies for honored guests. 

The flavor of the raw drink has an earthy, rather grassy taste. Many find the taste quite pleasant. For those who do not like the raw taste, Dunn or Alyssa Chaikin, the bar manager, will be happy to customize the serve by adding flavorings like lemon or raspberry syrups. One popular choice is the cinnamon toast option. The kava bar also serves commercially produced kava and kratom beverages in cans and bottles. 

On Sunday afternoon, a family came in with their two children. Because of the sedative properties of the root, the only beverage that could be served to the children was kombucha. The children enjoyed the commercially produced bottle of this fermented nonalcoholic beverage. Dunn is exploring the addition of a greater selection of products to suit a wider audience, but the focus is on an adult clientele who wish to chill with friends over an adult beverage while avoiding alcohol and its ill effects. 

Guests can purchase a 12 oz. bottle or a growler ($5 bottle deposit) of the in-house prepared beverages so that they can be enjoyed at home. One can also purchase brand-name products such as Leilo, Kin Euphorics, Psychedelic Water and Stay Cool CBD.

The patrons on Sunday afternoon felt quite pleased with their experience. Angela Contratti of Nesconset had a bula bowl. “I feel a little floaty,” she said. “It’s a really nice alternative to alcohol. My expectations were low coming in here, but I am leaving feeling ‘wow.’”

Roots’ new sign hangs where BYOG and East Main & Main used to be. Photo by Carolyn Sackstein

As with all herbal supplements and nutraceuticals, one must bear in mind that there are concerns relative to purity and adverse interactions with medications one might be taking. Dunn uses kava root powders that have been tested by a third-party lab to ensure quality. He and his staff happily provide patrons with product information and describe the effects that one may experience from using the drinks. 

People who have medical conditions, are pregnant or lactating, or taking medications are warned to consult their health care provider to determine contra indications or adverse drug interactions. According to Bill Hatfield, a licensed clinical social worker, who has for years counseled clients who are in recovery for addiction, suggests people should be cautious about trying kratom. While kratom is currently legal in New York state, it is his experience that clients, who were clean for a significant period, relapsed after trying kratom. That said, the kava bar seems to be enjoying a positive buzz within the community.

Roots Kava Bar is located at 250 E. Main St., Port Jefferson. The hours of operation are noon to midnight. Holidays may have altered hours. For additional information call 631-831-4887. 

Kenny Lee, PJ Lobster House’s new sushi chef, inside the restaurant. Photo by Julianne Mosher

It’s now the best of both worlds.

When Benten Fine Sushi and Japanese Cuisine in Miller Place permanently closed in October, members of the community were devastated.

A new opportunity came just this month for Kenny Lee, the former Benten owner, where he has found a new home inside Port Jefferson village’s PJ Lobster House. 

It began when the Lobster House’s owner, James Luciano, started getting tips and requests from mutual customers about Lee. 

“James had another sushi person before who left and the timing just worked out,” Lee said. “I thought it was a good opportunity.”

When the PJ Lobster House moved from Upper Port to Main Street last year, as part of the renovations came a full sushi bar that they didn’t have at their old spot. 

“It’s great to add sushi to the menu, especially with the summertime coming,” Luciano recently said. “There’s no sushi in Port Jeff.”

Luciano admitted that when the previous sushi chef was at the bar, people didn’t come to sit there and indulge. But then Lee came on board and the seats have been filled every night he’s there.

“We’re getting a lot of customers where people are asking for sushi, and then ask if Ken is working,” Luciano added.

Last March, TBR News Media reported that Benten was struggling to keep their doors open due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A GoFundMe was created to help support the sushi restaurant with hundreds of people showing their support.

Unfortunately, Lee said, the closure was inevitable.  

“It was hard finding people to work,” he said. 

Lee and his mother owned the building at 971 Route 25A in Miller Place for nearly two decades, previously owning a place in Mount Sinai for many years before that. 

Lee and his family decided it was best to close instead of dealing with the constant stress.

But the new opportunity at PJ Lobster House is special for Lee — he is a graduate of Port Jefferson high school and is happy to be back in the community.

And while it’s not a carbon copy of his menu at Benten, Lee is bringing a ton of favorites — customers who order the new PJ roll might remember it as Benten #2.

Luciano said that right now they will have sushi available Wednesday through Sunday and will offer lunch, dinner and plan to add seafood towers to the menu.

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Photo by Julianne Mosher

It was a fun-filled day for the Port Jefferson Cub Scouts.

On Sunday, Feb. 13, more than a dozen scouts and their families headed to Port Jefferson’s Village Center to watch and participate in their annual Pinewood Derby.

All the kids in Pack 41 were given a car kit where they were responsible for sanding the mini vehicle down, putting weights on it and painting it to race.

Sponsored by Nessenger 112 Automotive Group, it was a great way for the scouts to show off their creative (and competitive) sides. 

According to scoutmaster Tim McNulty, the boys had about a month to prepare for the big race — which was livestreamed by a camera attached to the track for anyone to watch.

“Last year, because of COVID, we livestreamed the event,” he said. “It was very successful. So, this year, we’re live streaming and again, and are able to have families come in-person.”

Scout Blake Welischar painted his race car with a flash symbol.

“Because I know it’s going to go fast,” he said. 

And while the competition was tough, Blake said it was a great day, nonetheless.

“My favorite thing about being here today is to see everybody else having a lot of fun,” he said. 

McNulty said that boys and girls are both encouraged to join the local Cub Scouts. Parents interested in signing their kids up can email [email protected].

“It’s a great organization,” he said. “The kids have a great time.”

Jake Sullivan won the big race with his vehicle he named, “Car.”

Although Kieran Foster’s car (a USA black and blue inspired print) didn’t win, he still loves being a part of the Cub Scouts.

“We get to learn a lot of fun new things,” he said.

A sampling of Indian food for the restaurant’s lunch special. Photo by Julianne Mosher

The Curry Club officially has a new look, now with a water view.

Previously located in Setauket at 10 Woods Corner Road, the family behind several local eateries and venues has merged two favorites into one large palace of spice. 

Indu Kaur, owner of SāGhar in Port Jefferson, said that when her family purchased the building located at 111 W. Broadway, the original plan was to eventually move The Curry Club in — but then COVID-19 happened and everything changed. 

Kulwant Wadhwa, the family’s patriarch and owner of The Curry Club, kept his location the same, and everything they had planned stalled. The Wadhwa/Kaur family devoted their time to helping first responders from Riverhead to Manhattan by feeding them good, wholesome Indian cuisine as they renovated the former Harbor Grill and Schaffer’s into SāGhar — an Indian-American fusion restaurant, with a gorgeous upstairs bar overlooking the harbor.

SāGhar, translates to “Home of the Sea.”

The family is also behind The Meadow Club in Port Jefferson Station, which reopened last year after a fire devasted the catering hall back in 2018.

“So, we kind of took the challenge,” Kaur said. “And over the last year, we became well known in the community.”

Now, nearly two years after purchasing the new Port Jefferson village spot, the dream of integrating The Curry Club into SāGhar has officially become a reality. 

“It’s all blended very well,” Kaur added. “It’s our story. We started from an authentic Indian restaurant, and now here we’re the next generation, adding a more modern fusion touch to the menu.”

And as of Tuesday, Feb. 8, The Curry Club at SāGhar was born. 

The move

Indu Kaur (far left) with father Kulwant Wadhwa and family in Port Jefferson. Photo from Kiran Wadhwa

Practically overnight, Kaur said they finalized dinner in Setauket, and after sending their customers home they moved out. 

Monday night, the family moved from the former location into the downstairs room. Wadhwa said that SāGhar has given them more space to cater to more people — roughly 75 seats upstairs, 55 in the Harbor Room up front, 35 in the Captain’s Room and 45 in the Schooner Room. The Curry Club at SāGhar is on the same lot where the famous Schooner Restaurant sat years ago. 

The lease will officially be up at the old location on May 31, and until then the family will continue to operate The Velvet Lounge adjoining the restaurant.

But the two are excited for SāGhar’s new look. According to Kaur, a lot of it will look similar but now they will offer a full buffet — just like The Curry Club was famously known for. 

“In Port Jefferson, there is nowhere where you can actually grab and go pick food, especially for nurses meaning to get out in two minutes who are only a mile away to the hospital,” she said.

She added that they will continue doing live music every weekend, and host other fun events for the community like psychic nights.

With the move came a whole renovation to their kitchen and an addition of a whole line of Halal wines — champagnes, reds and whites created with 0% alcohol. 

And Wadhwa said there is something for everyone at the “new” Curry Club.

“We’ve got vegetarian options, vegan, nonvegetarian, gluten free … we thought of everything,” he said. 

They’re also continuing their balanced lunches.

“Those are always very popular,” Kaur said. “This is a must-have.”

For just $20, the lunch portion includes eight samplings of different Indian dishes and a side of rice to try them with. It also comes with a side of naan bread for easy dipping.

Some history

Wadhwa was not always a restaurateur. In fact, the family originated in Afghanistan where he was a pharmacist. 

“A lot of things happened with our country,” Kaur said, adding that the family eventually moved to India to escape.

As his children began getting older and started to marry, Wadhwa decided that moving to America would be the best option for his family. In the early 1990s, he came to Long Island, where his brother-in-law was a chef. Together, they decided to open what was believed to be the first Indian restaurant in Suffolk County — The Curry Club. 

Wadhwa “started working in the kitchen,” Kaur said. “Dad didn’t even know how to pick up a glass of water, but now he’s running three bars.”

And just like that, he changed his career “because of family survivorship,” she said. “America has been a blessing that we were able to survive.”

The original Curry Club was actually located where Bliss is currently occupied. 

Wadhwa said that at the time the only other well-known Indian restaurant was located in Hicksville and they were worried if it would work out.

“From the day we opened the door, we got busy,” he said. “We got so busy that a line was outside — people were waiting.”

Now, nearly 30 years later, the family is excited to continue bringing flavor to the North Shore.

“We want to bring color,” Kaur said. “And spice and happiness. That’s our goal, to just serve our community and see everybody happy with food.”

The daughter-and-father duo said that they can agree seeing people happy when they leave with full bellies keeps them smiling.

“It’s good,” Wadhwa said. “It’s exciting.”