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Sabrina Artusa

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Left to right: Kathianne Snaden, Lauren Sheprow, Mathew Franco, Robert Juliano and Julie Vitrano. Photo by Sabrina Artusa

By Sabrina Artusa

In anticipation of the June 17 vote, five candidates assembled at the Port Jefferson Village Center for a meet-the-candidates night, where they spoke on pressing village concerns and their leadership priorities.  The mayoral seat and two trustee seats are open, as Mayor Lauren Sheprow and trustee Robert Juliano’s two-year terms are at an end and each are up for reelection. 

The event, sponsored by the Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce and the Civic Association of Port Jefferson, allowed each candidate to answer previously submitted questions from residents, with topics ranging from the East Beach Bluff Stabilization Project to transparency and communication. 

Incomers Matthew Franco and Julie Vitrano are also vying for a trustee seat left vacant with the exit of Stan Louks. Franco has 10 years of experience in construction, is an occupational therapist and has worked with disabled children. “Most importantly, I want to bring honestly and integrity and decency back into village government,” he said

Vitrano is a real estate agent and mother of three sons. With her 20-years experience in the real estate industry, Vitrano said she is knowledgeable about code compliance and mindful of commercial development. ”Yes, I am a real-estate agent but that doesn’t mean I want to overbuild”, she said.

Juliano is finishing his first term, during which he was deputy mayor, commissioner of the Department of Public Works and liaison for the Parks and Recreation Advisory Counsel, Conservation Advisory Council and the Citizens Committee  of Erosion. He was previously a clerk for the Village of Westbury and an administrator for the Village of Port Jefferson.

Former deputy mayor and two-term trustee, Kathianne Snaden is challenging Sheprow for mayor. In 2023, Sheprow defeated Snaden for the role, but Snaden said she is running to continue the service and to “bring back the heart and soul of the community.” 

“At the end of this meeting,” Snaden said. “I think you will see that I am not only prepared to become mayor, but am already doing the work.” 

As her term came to a close, Sheprow reviewed her policies and actions from the past two years and reiterated her position on issues such as the East Beach Bluff, the country club, flooding and transparency. She is the daughter of former Mayor Harold Sheprow and has raised her three children in the area. “Port Jefferson is on a better path because we have done the hard work together,” she said. “I am running for reelection because there is more to do.” 

Development and schools

Candidates emphasize collaboration with the school district, which is facing declining enrollment and the loss of LIPA’s tax contributions. With many of the candidates having children that attended the district, they acknowledged its tremendous 

To promote economic growth, Snaden spoke of several programs, such as an incentive initiative that would encourage residents to shop in the village through monthly events, a punch card, or a village-specific app that serves as a guide for residents and tourists while also promoting businesses.

Sheprow, who created the Economic Opportunity Task Force, said shop-front vacancies aren’t as big an issue as the larger vacancies like the Gap building and McDonalds might suggest, with the real number being around 9%. The task force works with the Business Improvement District to determine what shops would be appropriate. 

In 2013, the village created a comprehensive plan intended to guide village development for the following two decades. However, Sheprow said it may need an upgrade: an idea reiterated by Juliano, who said uptown development was one of the three major concerns in the village. 

“We can make all the plans we want but we have to make sure to put them into place,” he said, promising to work with Planning Commissioner Andrew Freeling to get uptown “to what we want.” A plan could help guide developers and provide a framework for unity in the village, balancing both respect for the village’s history and intentional progress. 

“We have to make sure they bring in businesses that are going to attract people to the community and revitalize some of Port Jefferson,” Franco said

“I can only name five rental offices or spaces that are vacant,” said Vitrano. She added that more festivals and events throughout the year would help “bring the society back to the village”.

Bluff and country club

Of the candidates, Franco was alone in speaking definitively against proceeding with the bluff project. He argued the town was simply buying time against the inevitable environmental deterioration of the area. “The real problem is that we are never going to beat Mother Nature…I don’t think we should spend millions of dollars of hard-earned taxpayer money to buy time,” he said, noting the continuing maintenance the wall would require. 

Juliano, the liaison for the Citizens Committee on Erosion, said they are meeting with engineers every two weeks and waiting for their proposed plan for the final stage of the bluff project.  “We don’t know what the other part of the project will look like,” he said. After those results come in, they will make an educated decision. Sheprow confirmed: they do not know what the following steps will constitute.

Vitrano, on the other hand, said she does not believe Phase I should have been approved without a “clear plan from the engineers.” Since it began, she said, the project has been entrenched with “questionable spending” and called for a public referendum before Phase II is considered. She stated needing to look at reports before making a decision on future bluff projects. 

Snaden argued the public was not involved enough throughout the process and that the current board is not truly exploring all options. The additional fiscal stress from losing LIPA’s contributions to the tax base concerns Snaden, so she said embarking on the expensive bluff project may not be in the village’s best interest. 

Juliano said they don’t even know how much the next phase will cost, and the loss of long-term revenue from the country club should be taken into account when weighing the monetary pros and cons.

Juliano said she is not committed to the bluff project and does not “have a plan ready yet” as she continues reviewing documents and plans with the engineering firm GEI. “We are challenging the engineering firm on every level,” she said, adding that she welcomes her constituents asking “the tough questions.” 

With Lessing’s Hospitality Group entering a new contract to lease the Port Jefferson Country Club, Franco protested the lack of stipulations requiring a restaurant; he listed the contract as one of the village’s three major issues. “There is no pressure to operate a restaurant…and we will be choked by that contract for a very long time,” he said. 

Snaden said the club “must become a self-sustaining community asset.” Lessing’s contract is doing just that, according to Sheprow, who said the previous contract was an “exhaustive liability” and Lessing’s, who operates restaurants at parks like Sunken Meadow State Park, is “committed to doing something really good.”

Transparency

Sheprow said she initially wanted to run after not being included in a vote on a $10 million bond during a time Snaden was on the board. Snaden responded that several public sessions were held before the vote took place. However, Sheprow criticized the lack of conversation and openness of the town hall at that time. “There was a lack of fiscal management [and] a lack of town hall,” Sheprow said.  

Snaden and Franco said Sheprow has not made vital bluff reports accessible to the Citizen’s Commission on Erosion, delaying the completion of their interim report. Franco said the reason for the delay is because the report advised for moving the building back. Jiuliano acknowledged a delay in providing some reports, but said they were going to hear the report the next day and will post it online thereafter. 

Increasing the accessibility of village hall is a point of pride for Sheprow, Snaden and Juliano, who host sit-downs once a month where residents can speak about their concerns or ask questions.

Snaden addressed an accusation that she unethically accepted money from the village taxpayers for photographs she took of the Dickens Festival; however, she said she recused herself from the vote that resulted in a village payment to her and it was included on the auditor’s report. “Everything was done in public,” she said. 

The upcoming election is preceded by fierce campaigning and fiery online and public discourse that was alluded to several times during the event. Before introducing himself, Franco condemned the “slanderous nonsense” and accused Vitrano of causing his family embarrassment. 

Vitrano, in her closing statement, made similar claims, saying members of the village were attempting to coerce her to not run. She said, “I’ve been told what to say, what not to say, who I should associate with and even who not to be friends with.” 

“This is not how our community works,” she said. “This is not how democracy should operate. This is nonsense and it needs to stop, no matter who wins this election.”

Snaden promised to revamp the public safety department if elected. “Currently we don’t have a public safety department,” Snaden said. “Our former code enforcement that prioritizes public safety and the safety of our community now focuses on parking tickets and building code violations. I want to bring an all new public safety department to our village.”  She said she would also promote collaboration with the Suffolk County Police Department. Vetrano agreed a bigger police presence is necessary. 

Juliano told the audience that, by law, the code enforcement cannot pull vehicles over. Sheprow said that enforcing the ordinances is an essential part of ensuring the code and that the village recently hired 11 new officers. “There are plenty of ordinances to enforce in our village code so they have their hands full,” she said.

The election is on June 17 at the Port Jefferson Village Center from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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Emma S. Clark Memorial Library in Setauket. Photo by Elyse Sutton

By Sabrina Artusa

The Emma Clark library in Setauket closed on May 1 to pursue remedial work after staff discovered a mold outbreak on the HVAC system. 

Identified by its damp, musty smell, the cladosporium led to the library’s closure. The mold could affect the respiratory system, leading to itchy eyes, coughing or sneezing; although, the risks are higher for those with pre-existing conditions like asthma. It is known as a household mold as it is prevalent in bathrooms and basements–anywhere damp with little ventilation.

Now, after transferring services and programs to other locations, the building is again open to the public in its entirety. 

The library hired Lux Restoration Services LLC to address the issue. They replaced materials infected by the mold, including flex ducts, vents, insulation and ceiling tiles. Some furniture needed to be cleaned. 

During the hiatus, the library had to creatively adapt some programs and services. “The staff did an amazing job in pivoting so that we were still able to offer services and programs during this time,” said Library Director Ted Gutmann, “including running circulation services out of our historic room in the Library and children’s programs being held in the library’s main community room.” 

Since the mold primarily impacted the children’s room, the library was able to open with limited services on May 19.

There was no permanent damage to the building. Currently, library staff are “working with the insurance company to determine the potential cause of the issue,” according to Gutmann. They have instituted testing procedures to prevent future growths, including duct cleaning and inspections. 

“We’re thrilled to have everything back to normal in our beloved building,” Gutmann said.

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Heather Banoub and Carl Mills. Photo by Sabrina Artusa

By Sabrina Artusa

Carl Mills, Stony Brook University associate vice president of government relations, and Heather Banoub, assistant vice president of community relations at the university, were joined by Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay (D, Port Jefferson) to speak on budget priorities, which include adding housing options to the campus. 

Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay. Photo by Sabrina Artusa

Besides pushing legislation to grow their advanced specialty care facilities throughout the county, Mills said Kassay is helping the university with legislation to allow the university to contract nearby fire districts for access to equipment. Currently, the university has its own fire services but still works closely with surrounding departments. 

“It will be a cross benefit not only for the university but the taxpayer if we can contract for surplus equipment that fire districts have,” said Mills.

The university is also planning a housing project that can provide up to 1,900 beds so Simon Scholars, medical residents and junior faculty can have on-campus housing options. The project is not meant to allow the university to admit more incoming students, but to “allow young professionals” a space on campus. 

Some residents were concerned that traffic will not be able to sustain growth and neighboring communities will suffer. “I know you guys want to grow, that is your job, but I live there and traffic still sits in front of my house,” one resident said. Mills said a traffic study is being conducted. 

Legislation is needed to execute this project, which Mills said is not unusual for this “long-term project.” The university will form a housing and development corporation, which would lease the property, submit a request for proposal and solicit bids. 

“We don’t have the funding as it stands to do this on our own,” Mills said. “We have financial challenges in that we don’t know what is happening on the federal level.” 

The project would require the relocation of the track behind LaValle Stadium and off Route 25A. 

In August 2024, many students were pushed off campus or into cramped accommodations after two dormitories were flooded. “As the flagship university, we just can’t be in that position,” Mills said.

Funding projects

In her first budget cycle as a state assemblymember, Kassay reported on several budgetary items, such as securing $1 million for SBU’s cancer research center, $1 million for clean water research and $330,000 for a nursing training program at the Long Island State Veterans Home.

She also helped eliminate the Metropolitan Transportation Authority payroll mobility tax from municipalities. The tax impacts employers, so the elimination offers relief to the Town of Brookhaven and other suburban municipalities. Small businesses are still affected by the tax, but to a diminished degree. 

Kassay said she is excited to support a bigger, better bottle bill, which will extend the array of items that can get recycled and increase the deposit return to 10 cents. 

She also said she is working to diminish needless plastic waste by requiring restaurants to give the option of plastic utensils for a takeout order rather than instantly including them. 

The legislation would mean that “restaurants, when doing a takeout order cannot give you those items unless you consent to taking those items. So they can ask you, and you can say yes, or you can ask them… and that is absolutely legal,” Kassay said. “They just can’t force them.” 

“For us facing enormous waste problems here, this isn’t going to solve it entirely but it is sure going to help in as far as reducing waste.” The legislation has failed in Suffolk in the past, but Kassay is optimistic that the move would be a win-win for businesses and consumers alike. 

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A picture of the property Tsunis proposed to be annexed. The upper gray portion indicates the Incorporated Village of Port Jefferson. File photo.

By Sabrina Artusa

The property owned by Northwind Group will remain under Brookhaven jurisdiction. The Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees and the Brookhaven Town Board voted against the annexation proposed by the developer. 

Developer Jim Tsunis and his son Demetrius petitioned for Brookhaven to annex the property to the Village of Port Jefferson, which would enable him to develop a 48-unit apartment complex. After Brookhaven rejected the zoning change that would authorize the project, Tsunis initiated the annexation request. 

In March, Tsunis, his son and his attorney addressed both the Town of Brookhaven and the Village of Port Jefferson in a joint hearing, where he and his attorney Michael Towey argued that the annexation would prevent the village from being impacted by any future development decisions the town would make. His 5.6-acre property off Baylis Avenue and Sheep Pasture Road is only accessible through the village.

The elder Tsunis addressed the board one final time on May 28 at a trustee meeting, prior to their vote. He urged the board to vote in support of the annexation. 

Brookhaven voted against the petition on May 22. The resolution findings state that the property and village lack “requisite unity of purpose and facilities to constitute a community.” This conclusion rests on the feedback from civic groups, concerns from the Terryville Fire Department and the disunity annexation would create for children who would live in the Village of Port Jefferson but attend Comsewogue School District. 

Further, the analysis states that “constructing additional residential dwelling units immediately adjacent to an active rail yard, where trains idle even when they are not moving, is not in the overall public interest.” The Baylis property sits next to the Lawrence Aviation site, where a new rail yard is set to be built, pending the MTA’s completion of purchase. 

“A vote against this annexation will burden the residents of the Sheep Pasture Road with the future of industrial buildings, trucks and traffic,” Tsunis said. “Don’t yield to the political pressure of the town of Brookhaven.” 

Other residents reiterated opposing arguments, warning the board that a yes vote would set a “dangerous precedent” of “municipality-shopping” when a proposal is rejected. Kathleen McLane, a member of the Port Jefferson Civic Association, said Tsunis is “presenting a false choice” in implying the land will be used for industrial purposes if the annexation does not take place. 

Tsunis has said that his motivation for the annexation is unrelated to Brookhaven’s rejection and solely for the best interest of the village where he resides. 

At the public hearing in March, Tsunis received over 50 letters of support. Supporters had mentioned that additional housing will help revitalize the community.

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Local leaders speak at the Lawrence Aviation Site on June 2. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
Local leaders at the Lawrence Aviation Site on June 2. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
Local leaders at the Lawrence Aviation Site on June 2. Photo by Sabrina Artusa

By Sabrina Artusa 

While the Lawrence Aviation Industries site in Port Jefferson Station is clean and cleared from the superfund registry, the atmosphere around the prospective rail yard is murkier than ever. 

The MTA has yet to secure the 40 acres allocated to the rail yard, which would be crucial to electrifying the Port Jefferson line. As the June 30 deadline approaches, local officials and environmental leaders met at the site on June 2 to urge the MTA to sign and for Governor Kathy Hochul to apply further pressure. Brookhaven bought 40 acres to preserve as open space and the county bought the other 40 acres to use as a solar farm. 

“This is a community grafted and supported plan that elected officials from all levels of government have worked very hard on for 15 years now,” said Adrienne Esposito of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “And we are in the last few days to make it successful and get the job done.” 

The Setauket–Port Jefferson Station Greenway will have to be rerouted in order for the MTA to proceed with the rail yard. Since the DOT owns that land, they have to sign an agreement with the MTA and work out an easement between them. 

Romaine said the DOT is hesitating in giving the MTA the go-ahead. “Let’s not pass this up because the DOT is blocking this,” Romaine said. “Let’s everybody row in the same direction…let’s electrify this line.” 

Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay is pushing legislation to advance an easement agreement between the DOT and MTA. 

The bill, currently being reviewed by committee, ensures the DOT will not be prevented from rerouting the Greenway. Further, it states that if the DOT intends to expand Route 25A, as they originally intended,  the easement would not impede that move as a bridge could connect the Greenway instead.

“The DOT is authorized and directed to work with the MTA and other interested particles and/or owners of real property surrounding the Greenway to negotiate and execute the…easement within six months after the effective date of this act,” the bill reads. 

After the event at the Lawrence Aviation Site, Kassay said the DOT reached out to her with suggested amendments. 

“New York State has lofty green energy goals, lofty goals for decarbonization and I can not do enough to press upon them how vital this opportunity is to make more green the MTA,” said Kassay, who has been pushing for assistance at the state level. “This is not an opportunity we can lose.” 

 An updated, electrified line is something residents from Port Jefferson to Smithtown can benefit from: fewer breakdowns, cleaner air and a smoother ride. The train can be used by Stony Brook University students and can provide redevelopment opportunities.

“In order to build housing, and to put that housing where it makes sense for rail service, this could only help. For the economic development that is needed, this could only help,” said Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico.  

The Suffolk County Landbank is selling the land to the MTA for $10. Sarah Lansdale, the Suffolk County commissioner of economic development and planning, said the MTA cut off communication with the landbank last September. 

Further,  she said that the landbank submitted two FOIL requests asking for records specifying any plans of potential development for the area. The DOT declined possessing such records.

“The Department has no plans or designs for the reconstruction of NY25A from its current location to the property that was acquired where a section of the Setauket–Port Jefferson Greenway trail exits near Sheep Pasture Road and where Suffolk County and the LIRR are proposing to create a rail yard,” a March 24 letter from Department of Transportation Deputy Counsel Norman W. Kee to Suffolk County reads. 

After not receiving the requested records, Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning submitted an appeal.

The June 30 deadline is about a year from the first deadline in 2024. Two extensions later, if the MTA and DOT do not reach an agreement and the MTA does not purchase the property, the project cannot move forward. 

“We are going to show her how it’s done,” Esposito said as she held up red tape for Romaine to cut. 

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A scene from the Stony Brook Village rally on May 31. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
A scene from the Stony Brook Village rally on May 31. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
A scene from the Stony Brook Village rally on May 31. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
A scene from the Stony Brook Village rally on May 31. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
A scene from the Stony Brook Village rally on May 31. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
A scene from the Stony Brook Village rally on May 31. Photo by Sabrina Artusa

By Sabrina Artusa

Nine months after 9 inches of rain blew out the Stony Brook Mill Pond dam, rupturing Harbor Road and draining the Mill Pond, residents organized in front of the cracked asphalt and marshy hollow to urge reconstruction. 

Politicians from the Town of Brookhaven and Head of the Harbor as well as members of Ward Melville Heritage Organization were present at the two-hour rally on May 31 and fielded questions of ownership, Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursement and a potential timeline. 

The lack of progress is due to ownership disputes, with both Brookhaven officials and Ward Melville Heritage Organization President Gloria Rocchio stating they don’t own the road. 

Beth Zweig, a Head of the Harbor resident who helped organize the rally, said, “I noticed nothing was happening and… really just wanted to get an update on where things were.” After communicating with other residents and Head of the Harbor Mayor Mike Utevsky, Zweig learned of the “bureaucratic roadblock.”

“The residents are not happy and we won’t accept a stalemate,” Zweig said. “If it is a stalemate we aren’t going to make any progress.” 

Originally, the TOB thought it did own the road and began setting aside funds, said Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D, Stony Brook), before a title report produced by the town’s attorney proved the town does not own the road. An easement agreement signed by Rocchio corraborates the report and was presented at the rally. The 2007 contract allowed the Paul Simons Foundation permission to build a paved walkway on Harbor Road.

Rocchio is working with her own attorneys and says her organization is not responsible for the road. She said the organization doesn’t own roads, except for Mill Creek Road. 

“There is no real danger of an outlay of money and not getting that money back; we have been reassured by the state of New York that reimbursement will be made,” TOB Supervisor Dan Panico (R) said. He continued, noting federal trends with funding. “Right now we are guaranteed 75% reimbursement. In the future, we may be looking at zero.” 

He went on to say that, as the ecosystem begins to rebound, the argument against replacing the dam and letting the area grow may gain momentum. 

Many residents, particularly those from Head of the Harbor who lost their main passageway to their residences, are concerned about access to emergency services. 

“It is an ecological disaster. It is a medical crisis waiting to happen because there are so little ulterior roads to service the villages,” said Mickey Conlon. 

“All it’s going to take is one person to die because an ambulance can’t get in and something is going to happen,” said Tom Postillo, who frequently visited Mill Pond. 

“This is the village center, not only for residents, but for tourists who bring a great deal of business,” said another resident.

Head of the Harbor Mayor Michael Utevsky said that the entities have been in a lock for months and that at “every meeting it seemed there is something about to happen” but a solution never came to fruition.

Some residents felt that a go-around must exist and hoped the entities could work together. Kornreich and Panico said it was impossible for the town to expend taxpayer money on private property. 

“I am paying an enormous amount of taxes to Brookhaven, to Suffolk County, to New York,” said Laura Sclafani, a Stony Brook resident. “Why aren’t they paying?”

Sclafani said she is grateful for how the organization preserved the land. “They keep [the village center] great. I don’t want them bankrupt,” she said. 

“We need the owner to do this. We would love to do this. If there is a title report that says the town owns it, give it to me today and I will sign it tomorrow, so we can make a straight-faced application to FEMA before they go out of business,” Kornreich said. 

“I think today was very productive, we got to know each other more,” Rocchio said. “I think the myths have been eliminated.” 

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Members of the Sophia Valsamos Foundation with staff from the Northport-East Northport school district. Photo courtesy the Northport-East Northport school district

By Sabrina Artusa

Mental illnesses claim thousands of adolescents and young adults each year. Chris Valsamos, founder of The Sophia Valsamos Foundation, is dedicated to enabling this vulnerable demographic with the skills to navigate the tempestuous reality of being a teenager in the era of social media and cyberbullying.

Valsamos lost his 13-year-old daughter Sophia to suicide in 2017. He realized that mental health is still not normalized in schools — that shame, ridicule and judgment are still associated with asking for help. Through his foundation, he aims to create an environment where mental services are incorporated both into classrooms and at home. He and his foundation launched wellness kits filled with items carefully chosen to normalize mental services by making them accessible. 

“There is a lot of red tape involved with programming. With the wellness kits we were able to reach past the red tape,” Valsamos said, adding that the foundation is his way to “honor” Sophia by providing “as many tools as possible.” 

“We wanted to help them manage stress, some of the components help them build resilience, and some components help them manage stress throughout their day,” he said.

This includes mindfulness cards, a stress ball, a “calm the chaos” journal and books like “Anxiety Relief for Teens” and “Stuff That Sucks” that include cognitive behavioral therapy strategies for building resilience. The kits also provide ways teachers can integrate the items into the classroom. Valsamos and president of The Sophia Valsamos Foundation Keith Senzer imagine exercises where students work on a prompt from the journal and discuss as a class. 

The Northport-East Northport Union Free School District received the kits a month ago. Teachers have the option to utilize the contents as a class, perhaps by initiating discussion and integrating mindfulness exercises into the daily routine. 

 “If you have a group you are breaking the stigma,” said school social worker Anthony Ferrandino. “Everyone has these social emotional issues. Everyone has stress…if your peers are currently sharing stuff, you’ll reduce things like bullying and feeling judged or alienated.” Instead, he added, “it is the exact opposite of that. Students are growing together.”

Senzer, Valsamos and Ferrandino emphasize the parental support to reinforce the beneficial resilience skills students will learn in schools. While it is important to initiate conversation about mental health, teenagers may not want to talk with their guardian. If a parent is observing warning signs of declining mental health, like if a child is locking themselves in their room or losing interest in socializing or in their hobbies, it can be helpful to ask another trusted adult in their circle to help. This could be an aunt, a coach or a teacher. 

Parents should be diligent. Adolescent suicide or mental illness “is unthinkable as a parent,” said Senzer. “So why would we think it?” 

The kits are just one of many programs offered by The Sophia Valsamos Foundation.

Additionally, teaching your child how to be there for their peers has proved to be invaluable. Ferrandino said students come to him about a friend who may need help more often than teachers do about a student.

“It is about changing the entire culture — the educators, the administrators, the security guards, the bus drivers. It is a whole culture shift where everyone there is understanding the importance of emotional regulation, how to manage [it], how to support one another, how to be kind and empathetic and caring toward one another,” Senzer said. “Once we raise that generation, we can change the world that way. These kits are amazing on their own but they are just step one to broadening our horizons.”

For more information visit the foundation website: www.tsvf.org.

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Heather Lunch, professor in SBU’s Department of Ecology and Evolution, speaking at the May meeting of the League of Women Voters at Comsewogue Library. Photo by Sabrina Artusa

By Sabrina Artusa

For a research-focused doctoral university like Stony Brook University, federal cuts to grant funding creates uncertainty for research faculty relying on the money either for potential projects or current ones. 

As one of only 187 universities in the nation designated as having a very high research spending and doctorate production, according to Carnegie Classification, the university is highly active in academic research. 

Funding is commonly sponsored by federal departments like the Department of Defense, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and NASA. Federal sponsors account for the majority of funding for research awards – over 50% of research and development in higher education fields was financed by the federal government according to 2021 NSF data. 

Salaries and staff

This money not only supports the faculty at R1 schools whose priority is research and are classified as having Very High Research Activity, but also the various other components of the project such as materials, postdoctorate students, graduate students and overhead. Stony Brook University Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolution Heather Lynch likens research to “running a small business.” Indeed, principal investigators (PI) are usually responsible for the salaries of the research scientists and postdocs working below them. 

In a 2022 letter, Stony Brook University leadership revised the salary ranges for postdoc researchers. They write, “We understand that many postdoc and research scientist positions are supported by externally sponsored awards, which are typically fixed in their total amount, and therefore salary increases are subject to the availability of funds.”

Some faculty are paid by the university in 9- or 6-month appointments. These researchers are then responsible for supplementing their salary for the rest of the year through grant funding. Since research is the primary function of their position at R1 universities – teaching is secondary – Lynch said that she and other faculty are responsible for supplementing their salary through grants. “The PI is not out there necessarily wanting to take on more research, but you have a lot of employees working for you and you want to keep them employed, so you are constantly hustling,” Lynch said.

Researchers that are part of university faculty receive a base salary; however, it is typical that “soft money” staff, usually medical researchers who don’t do much teaching, do not receive any salary from the university they work for and have to pay themselves through grants. 

Due to the loss of funding, many researchers, postdocs and graduate students are considering leaving the U.S. to pursue their studies. According to a Nature  poll, around three-quarters of over the 1,500 postgraduates, grad students and scientists that answered were exploring international opportunities, as of March. 

Some grant programs were specifically intended for young researchers. Now, universities are limiting their acceptance of graduate students as they reorient resources to support current students amid the diminished indirect cost funding.

Impact of research

Grants usually take months to create; in addition to detailing the project plan, research strategy  and the equipment needed, the document can have broader impact sections, which usually includes the opportunities for engagement for underrepresented groups. With the expiring of DEI, “they changed the way broader impacts are defined,” Lynch said. Key DEI words relating to gender or words leading to blocks, even for research already in progress. 

The scrupulous application process includes eliminating any potential conflicts of interest, which includes anyone the principal investigator has worked with the previous 48 months. Then, a panel of experts meet to study and analyze the proposal. For a proposal Lynch created, she assembled a list amounting to over 180 conflicts of interest. The process is designed to prevent bias or corruption.

Lynch believes cuts were enabled by a societal misunderstanding of the value that lies in the research. Obscure to the less scientifically-versed, these projects aren’t often recognized for their discoveries, at least not in wide public spheres. 

Having been  a PI herself, Lynch has done environmental research on Antarctic penguins that won her a Golden Goose Award for federally funded and underrecognized research that had tremendous impact in scientific communities, potentially paving the way for further discoveries and innovations. Other Golden Goose winners include a team whose research led to artificial intelligence advancements. 

“These grants are not a gift, they are payments for services,“ Lynch said.

Indirect costs

Funding dedicated to operating the university and thereby enabling this research are factored into the proposal under facilities and administrative rates, otherwise known as indirect costs. Direct costs include salaries and equipment – costs that are necessary for the specific project. Indirect costs are specific to the university; therefore, each project that is associated with the school and is benefiting from its services must include an additional amount that goes back to the school.  

The rate was capped at 15% by the NIH, DOE and NSF. The NIH and DOE caps are enacted retroactively. The cap is universal across the country. Previously, indirect cost rates varied depending on the university. R1 universities, which typically have larger research facilities, had higher rates. Stony Brook had a rate of 56%, and previously applied for rate renewals with the Department of Health and Human Services. 

IDC limited the amount researchers can use while raising the overall grant request. Previously, researchers complained about this, but now, Lynch said “these IDC rates mean you are not going to have money to maintain equipment, you are going to have to reduce staff to core faculties, you will not be able to build new research faculties, you will have to fire people who do permits and lab safety.”

“These cuts can make it very hard for these PIs like myself to keep postdocs and graduate students paid, and these layoffs in the talent pipeline will create long-term damage to our scientific competitiveness,” Lynch said. She said she does not speak on behalf of the university. 

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A pamphlet containing pictures and the 1970 annual report from the time capsule. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
Time capsule from Suffolk County Federal Savings and Holdings is opened after 50 years. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
Time capsule from Suffolk County Federal Savings and Holdings is opened after 50 years. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
Time capsule from Suffolk County Federal Savings and Holdings is opened after 50 years. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
Time capsule from Suffolk County Federal Savings and Holdings is opened after 50 years. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
Time capsule from Suffolk County Federal Savings and Holdings is opened after 50 years. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
Time capsule from Suffolk County Federal Savings and Holdings is opened after 50 years. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
From left, Robert Walther, Betsy Whitney, Will Stowell and Greg Balling. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
Time capsule from Suffolk County Federal Savings and Holdings is opened after 50 years. Photo by Sabrina Artusa

By Sabrina Artusa

A time capsule from 1971 was unearthed after a Teacher’s Federal Credit Union in Port Jefferson Station off Route 112 was demolished. 

Members of the Suffolk County Federal Savings and Holdings company stood before the Port Jefferson Station Civic as they took a step back in time to 50 years ago. Yellowed newspapers, performance reports and pamphlets were tucked inside the capsule and passed around, reminding the former staff of the homey workplace that sparked lifelong careers in banking. 

Assistant manager Robert Walther said he was present when it was put together. “This was kind of like us giving back to the community. Our manager always thought that banking was for the community,” he said. 

The Suffolk County Federal Savings and Holdings company was the beginning of a long string of banks for most of these employees, many of whom stuck around for the several mergers that took place after it was acquired by Long Island Savings. 

Will Stowell, who worked in maintenance, heard that Staller Associates was going to demolish the building, which was a vacant Teacher’s Federal Credit Union, and remembered the time capsule hidden in the side of the building. He recounted the mason enclosing it. 

For staff members like Walther, Stowell, and Betsy Whitney, Suffolk County Federal Savings and Holdings was where they got their start in the industry. Whitney started working as a teller during summers off from college; when she graduated she enrolled in the management program. Stowell rose through the ranks of building maintenance. 

“Things have changed in the banking business since then,” said Walther. 

The staff would have Christmas parties and decoration contests with the other branches – which they often won. They would sit on floats and take part in parades. Pouring over old photos, Whitney remembered sitting in a float in New York City with her co-workers and seeing Luciano Pavarotti on a horse next to them. 

“They treated us so well,” she said. “We were like movie stars.” 

Stowell remembers the bank being like “a living room”; it was so comfortable. One civic member was a customer. “I can’t tell you how helpful they were when we first moved out here. I can’t talk highly enough about the employees that were there. [I was so upset] when they left us and turned us over to Astoria,” she said.

Unfortunately, the bank could not compete with higher interest rates. Managed by the Federal Savings and Loans Insurance Corporation, they couldn’t raise their mortgage rates due to state law. 

“We couldn’t offer any higher than 8.5% anymore because of state law and that put the bank in a financial position where we couldn’t survive,” said Walther. In the 1980s, before the bank was acquired by Long Island Savings, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate reached 18%. 

“We thought we were going to be there for years,” Walther said. 

The bank closed and many of the staff retired, but some still keep in touch. The community-based approach to banking has stayed with the employees for decadesQ, shaping their careers and lives.

Greg Balling, who was a locksmith for the bank, had fond memories of his time there. “We were like family,” he said. 

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David Ansel, vice president for the Center for Water Protection, presenting the report’s results at a press conference on May 20. Photo by Sabrina Artusa

By Sabrina Artusa

On May 20, Save the Sound, an environmental organization that analyzes the water quality of the Long Island Sound, compiled data revealing updated scores of beaches along Long Island’s coastline. The biennial report focuses on beach water quality, bacteria levels and swimming safety. 

The report was launched at a conference at Centerport Beach, with Huntington Supervisor Ed Smyth (R) and Cornell Cooperative representatives present as Save the Sound Vice President of the Center for Water Protection David Ansel presented the grades, challenges and solutions for the Long Island Sound water quality. 

Using data collected by the departments of health that conduct the beach monitoring,  the beach report department of health, the beach report revealed an increase in wet weather that led to a decline in water quality. Consistently, samples collected within 48 hours of a quarter-inch or more of rainfall revealed diminished water quality. Indeed, there was an overall increase in samples that failed to meet state standards for bacteria concentration (including beaches in Connecticut). 

The grades, ranging from an F to an A+, are determined based on the presence of enterococcus bacteria. Swimmers can become sick if they swim in waters with unsafe concentrations of this fecal indicator bacteria. A failing sample contains 104 colony forming units per 100 ml. 

New York City and other areas surrounding the part of the Long Island Sound known as “the narrows” continue to receive low grades as the water is less often flushed out as opposed to beaches in eastern Suffolk County. 

Samples taken after precipitation contained higher levels of the bacteria suggest that pollutants are getting washed into the water. Ansel said “green infrastructure” can help. Paved areas do not allow for storm water absorption, instead leading runoff, and all the pollutants like oil and debris it picks up on the way, to run straight to the water. 

“We have seen high incidents of wet weather in the last number of years and we believe it is having a negative effect on the scores for the beaches. In our last beach report 78% of the beaches received As and Bs. In this year’s report 72% of the beaches are receiving As and Bs,” Ansel said, adding that we are coming off the wettest two-year stretch with 44 inches of rain. 

Animal waste is a big contributor to the presence of the bacteria in the water. Cleaning garbage, maintaining sewers and planting native plants can help minimize fecal-bacteria contamination. 

Ansel is active in advocating for solutions that would improve the Sound. The same day of the conference, he traveled to Albany to testify that more data is needed regarding algal blooms in saline water. 

“We are hopeful that there will be a conversion of Rikers Island to a water treatment facility that would have a materially positive impact on the Western Narrows of New York City and New York Sound.”

Smyth said the town began harvesting sugar kelp in 2022 and implemented a program for spawning oysters, which help filter the water. Huntington even supplies other municipalities with oysters shell stock to grow. 

“The sugar kelp is native to Long Island and requires little to no effort to grow in Long Island’s bays and harbors. The benefit is it improves water quality by removing harmful nitrogen which causes algae blooms,” Smyth said. 

Deputy Supervisor John McCarron said they harvest the kelp and grind it to a powder, which is then used as fertilizer. 

Although the town has only been harvesting sugar kelp for three years, McCarron said he has noticed  positive growth with marine wildlife diversity, with various species of fish dwelling by the kelp. The presence of wildlife seemed like a good sign. “This means it is doing something to clean up the area,” he said. 

High scoring beaches include Port Jefferson beach and Cedar Beach West, which had an A- and A+ respectively. 

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