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Sabrina Artusa

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The NexTrex project flyer. Photo courtesy Town of Smithtown

By Sabrina Artusa

Earth Day, April 22, is a great day to renew an appreciation for the environment, from the waterfronts of Northport and Port Jefferson to lush parks like Avalon Nature Preserve and Blydenburgh. Let us all reexamine obligations to the natural world.

Taking advantage of the eco-friendly practices and resources offered by our towns is an important way to get involved in sustainability.

Recycling is a well-known strategy to reduce our environmental impact. However, due to lack of resources, inconvenience or distrust in programs, many people pass up the opportunity to decrease the 5 pounds of waste, on average, each of us produces every day.

According to 2019 statistics from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, only 4% of plastics are recycled in the United States while 73% are sent to landfills. 

Mistrust in recycling systems is not wholly unfounded, as plastics are difficult to recycle given the many different types. However, the Town of Smithtown’s recent partnership with Trex Company, a manufacturing corporation that upcycles household plastics for railings and deck construction, offers an outlet for our unwanted plastics.

Trex accepts polyethylene plastic film, such as bubble wrap, produce bags, bread bags, Ziplocs, newspaper sleeves and any other stretchable plastics. The plastic will be classified as either low- or high-density polyethylene, distinctions indicated by the recycling symbols 2 and 4. A 4 indicates low-density PE and a 2 indicates high-density PE.

Trex also accepts plastic bags and shipping wrap — plastics that aren’t accepted in curbside recycling.

Residents can recycle their plastic films at a drop-off container at the Municipal Services Facility in Kings Park.

“With the NexTrex program, you know exactly where your recycled plastics are going and how they will be used,” said Mike Engelmann, Smithtown solid waste coordinator. 

Paying more attention to our consumption habits can also help decrease the amount of waste we produce. For instance, avoiding single-use plastics, paying attention to your municipalities recycling protocol, signing up for a beach cleanup and carpooling.

There are several local organizations that support sustainability. For example, Coastal Steward Long Island, located in Port Jefferson Station, holds programs to educate the community on how to preserve our shoreline and the organisms that live on our coasts. This environmental organization is hosting a beach cleanup April 26 at Smith Point Beach. 

In addition, Avalon Nature Preserve offers a plethora of programs aimed at increasing youth involvement in nature. 

Earth Day reminds us of what actions we can take to preserve the beautiful landscape around us. Smithtown’s NexTrex program can only help the cause.

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Mike Utevsky, left, Lisa Davidson, center and Judy Ogden. Photo courtesy Judy Ogden

By Sabrina Artusa

Michael Utevsky, a real estate attorney, held his first board meeting since being elected as Head of the Harbor mayor in March. 

His first course of action was to appoint new counsel, Perillo Hill, a Sayville firm that also represents two other municipalities and describes themselves as “seeing both sides of the aisle” when it comes to common township cases. While Lisa Davidson, the newly-elected deputy mayor, couldn’t attend due to sickness, the other recent electee and long-time member, trustee Judy Ogden was present. 

Drainage issues

Ogden spoke in detail of the drainage issues that have been wracking the town, especially amid the recent storms across Long Island. 

The drainage “handles the lighter storms with smaller volumes,” she said. “When it gets to 1 or 2 inches … we run into issues.” 

Utevsky and Ogden spoke of eventually getting all of the drains checked and cleaned — a process that would take at least two years. 

“People are trapped and can’t get out,” Ogden said, referring to areas like Harbor Road and Saneck Road, where drainage is labeled as “priority” areas. 

“There is never enough funding to take care of it at once,” she said. However, the board members suggested alternative options to afford drain maintenance — applying for grants, setting up a transaction balance account to organize a fund or reallocating money from unused funds as possible solutions. 

One resident noted where Hitherbrook Road meets Route 25A as a dangerous area prone to flooding that causes traffic problems. 

Another resident spoke up about the deteriorating buffer zones and reallocating money. The leaves, he said, provide natural structure to the buffers. Indeed, the buffers also slow down runoff, thus abating flooding from defective drains. 

Lack of awareness about the purpose of the buffers is causing residents to think the leaves are residue. “If they leave some of the natural covering, it may be able to regenerate,” he said.

“It will take time to get these things done,” Utevsky said. “But they are all good and important.”

Additionally, the meeting made note of recent efforts from the Head of the Harbor Tree Board with contributions from Avalon Nature Preserve to organize an event in celebration of native plants this Arbor Day, April 26. 

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Mike Utevsky, left, Lisa Davidson, center and Judy Ogden. Photo courtesy Judy Ogden

By Sabrina Artusa

Village of Head of the Harbor has inducted Mayor Mike Utevsky, trustee Lisa Davidson and incumbent trustee Judith Ogden to its Board of Trustees. 

Utevsky unseated the previous mayor, Doug Dahlgard, who had occupied the position for 10 years. All three members are on the Heritage Party line, a party whose principal approach to governance is preservation.

A real estate attorney who hasn’t run for office before, Utevsky said he decided to run after noticing the desire of other residents for a change. Indeed, Dahlgard and his board experienced pushback after a vote allowing a monastery to build a church on a historically significant property.

As a resident who regularly attended board meetings, Utevsky said, “When [the citizens] made comments … we were met generally with stony silence.”

Davidson, a retired television producer, echoed this sentiment, and expanded on her desire to represent the people of Head of the Harbor “It was purely my wish that the village government should be more inclusive,” she said. “I ran so that governance is kind.”

The three inductees emphasize transparency and revived vigor for code enforcement as guiding values for their term.

“Preservation, natural resources, code enforcement and understanding policy — those are the key pieces,” Ogden said.

One of the primary concerns of the new administration is reopening one of the three access points to Stony Brook Harbor and making the area more accessible for people to enjoy. Currently, there is one road available to lead to the harbor, which according to Davidson has limited parking and accessibility. The new administration is confident that at least one of these access points will be restored.

“If everything goes according to plan, we will have no additional docks in the harbor, people will not be clearing the trees and the buffers will be remediated and the access points will be reopened,” Davidson said. “The village will look as it does now, but better.”

Utevsky said of the subject, “It won’t be easy – there are many legal and practical issues – but it is very important to many residents of the community.”

The mayor also said that he plans to be vigilant with new construction and development, and wants to improve the village while still being cognizant of how it will affect existing housing and landscapes. 

“I don’t want us to turn into another overbuilt suburb. That doesn’t mean abandoning all construction, it means well-considered design that works well with the existing historical fabric of the village,” he said.

Development has been a frequent subject of contention in Head of the Harbor and neighboring municipalities. As a member of the Saint James-Head of the Harbor Neighborhood Preservation Coalition, Ogden has advocated for the preservation of Flowerfield Fairgrounds and its release from a subdivision proposal that many citizens deem excessive.

In addition to being an incumbent trustee and coalition member, Ogden is also a landscaper and wants to be reinstated as highway commissioner. In the pursuit of transparency, Ogden intends to organize a newsletter, an endeavor she hopes will foster communication not only between administration and constituents but also among bodies of governance.

“I think there will be more communication among the departments rather than it coming from one person and one perspective,” she said. “The village does not operate because of one person, there are many that make it happen.”

Deer population control is another concern of the mayor who, in the name of preservation and safety, wants to implement a solution. 

Utevsky acknowledged that a lot has to be done to create change, but was eager to start. “We would like to revive a spirit of community in the village,” he said.

The next public trustee meeting will be held Wednesday, April 17.

**Amendment made – 04/17/2024 – “Utevsky usurped the previous mayor, Doug Dahlgard, […]” the incorrect use of verbiage was changed from usurped to unseated.

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Smithtown Town Board meets on March 21 to discuss Comprehensive Plan. Photo by Sabrina Artusa

By Sabrina Artusa

Smithtown Town Board held a public meeting March 21 to review the master Comprehensive Plan and receive feedback from residents.

In partnership with H2M architects + engineers of Melville, the town began developing the plan in 2019 with the intention of updating zoning districts to reflect future land-use development and preservation goals. Since then, the town has held several public outreach meetings to garner feedback on the plan. 

Lisa Rickmers, senior environmental planner at H2M, said the new plan will “allow us to set goals and ambitions for the town” and that “there was a very careful hand taken to the zoning maps of the town.”

The last master Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 1957. The new 257-page plan dissects the suggested changes and the purpose for each. No changes were made to residential zones, but several areas were rezoned from light to heavy. The plan also emphasized values such as “transit-oriented development” to encourage diverse modes of transportation, ranging from biking to walking, downtown economic viability and improving and preserving residential options. 

After Rickmers’ presentation, the public was invited to voice opinions and recommendations. The chief concern, as garnered from the speakers, was preservation of green space and preventing overdevelopment caused by rezoning, specifically in areas in Kings Park.

One resident pointed out to the board that language around the zoning of an area east of Kings Park Road was too imprecise. This area has been a subject of concern to residents in the past, who have suggested it remain zoned as is. The town wrote in a 2021 planning advisory report that “given the site’s relative proximity to downtown Kings Park, the town may consider allowing multifamily development at this location if it would provide a public benefit and would not create significant adverse environmental impacts.”

“I feel the Comprehensive Plan leaves it a little too open for developers to come in and either take the vague language … and really take advantage of it,” the speaker said. “I think we should iron out what those viable proposals are and what criteria needs to be for there to be a public benefit before we can make the determination as to whether we should be going forward building there.”

Referring to this same area, another citizen said that the deer population  is flourishing in numbers he hasn’t seen in 25 years, and that he wants to see “farms conserved” and “industrial zones left alone.” The town intends to keep the area zoned as R-21, or single-family residential, but to further develop it. 

Two speakers protested the rezoning of 11.5 acres along Old Northport Road from light industrial (LI) to heavy industrial (HI). 

“By allowing any more industry in that area, that plume is going to get worse and worse,” one resident said.

The original plan proposed changing 105 acres to heavy industrial, but was changed to 11.5 after receiving public feedback. According to the 2021 planning advisory report, “The town has a need for heavy industrial acreage, in order to provide necessary and desired community services … HI is an appropriate zone for this location because it is between existing HI-zoned land and the railroad and is more than 500 feet from Townline Road and all residential uses.”

The current plan states that heavy industrial aligns more with how the area is currently being used, citing a soccer complex and solar farm. Further, the plan mentioned potentially introducing an indoor organic waste processing facility to the area.

The period for public comment is open until April 5, thereupon the Town Board will finalize revisions. The board will discuss adopting the plan at its April 18 meeting.

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Conceptual plans for the 126-acre Lawrence Aviation Superfund site in Port Jefferson Station. Graphic from Suffolk County Landbank

By Sabrina Artusa

The long-abandoned Lawrence Aviation Superfund site in Port Jefferson Station is now completely demolished, and nearly ready for development.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has been pursuing a contract to purchase 40 acres of the property to convert into a rail yard. Another portion is expected to be used for a solar farm. The rest will likely be preserved as open space. 

Herb Mones, Friends of the Greenway editor-in-chief and president of the Three Village Community Trust, wrote in an email that while there hasn’t been an official sale to either the MTA or to a solar farm firm, it is likely that these sales will happen and that a portion of the Greenway trail will have to be rerouted to accommodate a new rail yard. 

“This is great news for the surrounding community as it finally clears a giant eyesore and place for hanging out,” said Charlie McAteer, chair of Friends of the Greenway. “The idea of relocating the train yard to this site, along with the proposed passive solar farm and one-third of the space as open space, is a great benefit to all.”

The buildings are indeed demolished, but the area may need to undergo further examination to ensure that all harmful chemicals are neutralized. In order to continue with development plans, the Environmental Protection Agency is investigating for any residual contamination. The EPA expects to have more knowledge about the land’s status this summer. If further extensive remediation is required, it will be addressed in a public meeting. 

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation website stated, “Remediation activities will continue for several years to come. The site cleanup activities will also result in site safety and security, allowing for a planned solar farm to be installed in the former footprint of the site buildings.

According to Mones, the MTA and the NYS Department of Transportation are in disagreement over a portion of the Greenway. Reportedly, the NYSDOT is unwilling to relinquish the portion of the Greenway that the MTA plans to use for the new rail yard. 

The MTA hasn’t explicitly stated any intention to electrify the Port Jefferson Branch line. TBR News Media reported MTA CEO Janno Lieber as having said at an October meeting that electrification of the line was under consideration. 

In rerouting, Friends of the Greenway wants to ensure the preservation of the trail experience, and has noted “requirements” such as security barriers between the rail yard and the path, a “significant buffer” between the path and homes, and accessibility. 

“The redevelopment of the Lawrence Aviation property will benefit the wider community,” Mones said. “The removal of the buildings finally brings to an end a decaying, dilapidated industrial site that often attracted criminal activity: vandalism, graffiti, trespassing.”

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The Eagle banner at Hauppauge High School. Photo by Rita J. Egan

By Sabrina Artusa

At the Feb. 27 Hauppauge Board of Education meeting, the board previewed a 2024-25 budget overview, which projects a 3.38% increase to the tax levy and a 3.28% increase in expenditures.

Of the total expenditures, which are expected to be $133,216,224, 70% is consigned to staffing. According to the assistant superintendent for business and operations, Brigid Siena, it is the largest to date. 

“The revenues have to meet and match the expenditures,” Siena said. She also noted that federal COVID-19 grants have expired and that $1 million in programs and salaries will be absorbed in the forthcoming general fund budget.

District enrollment has declined since 2022 and is expected to continue declining into 2025. This trend, however, is not unique to the Hauppauge school district, as Superintendent Donald Murphy noted. Data from the Education Trust-New York shows that statewide enrollment has decreased by 8% from the 2017-18 school year to the 2022-23 school year.

Murphy said, “Although enrollment has gone down, we have increased enrollment in different classes of students … so students with disabilities [and] our English language learners have gone up quite a bit.”

Hauppauge school district is not one of the 44 Long Island districts set to lose money according to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) preliminary budget for 2025. The district was originally allocated a gain of $769,125 in state aid, but the amount will not be certain until the plan is approved by the New York State Legislature by April 1.

There will be several budget workshops and hearings leading to the annual budget vote on May 21. The first workshop will be on March 12 and will review the tax cap and revenue. 

The board also met for an executive meeting, where the members consulted with their attorney regarding the ongoing case, Jane Doe v. Hauppauge Union Free School District. This case was one of the many initiated against Long Island school districts via the New York Child Victims Act, which expanded the statute of limitations and permits victims of crimes committed on them as children to file a lawsuit until their 55th birthday. 

Murphy announced several upcoming charity events including a fundraising contest with West Islip school district to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project on April 4 and a Hoop for Heroes event at Hauppauge High School on April 5.

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The Flowerfield Fairgrounds in St. James. File photo by Heidi Sutton

By Sabrina Artusa

The eventual fate of Flowerfield Fairgrounds continues to be uncertain, but New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is moving to acquire the property. In November, the DEC ordered an appraisal of the 63-acre Flowerfield site.

Since Gyrodyne, a property management company, started moving forward with a subdivision proposal to turn the fairgrounds into an updated layout suitable for development, St. James residents protested its advancement, stressing concerns over traffic, overdevelopment and the effects on Stony Brook Harbor. 

The DEC is expected to complete the evaluation of the property this year, according to Judith Ogden, board member of the Saint James-Head of the Harbor Neighborhood Preservation Coalition. She said, “Everything is moving along the way we would hope.”

Gyrodyne applied to create industrial lots and a new sewage treatment lot in 2022. 

Ogden and Joseph Bollhofer, also a board member of the coalition, wrote on the fairgrouds website, “We believe that we are well on our way to preserving the character of our community by preventing these massive development projects that would forever change our way of life. This includes some extremely negative consequences, among them intolerable traffic increases, groundwater and harbor contamination and the destruction of the North Country Road historic and scenic corridor.”

Town of Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R) said that he had no objection to the DEC acquiring the property from Gyrodyne, thus allowing the DEC to move forward. The DEC may use some of the state’s Environmental Protection Fund to pay for the acquisition. 

The coalition created a recommended plan for the property, which includes allotted area for commercial development and around 45 acres for open space.

“The first step is to save the undeveloped land, but we also have dreams and hopes for the developed land,” Ogden said. The coalition represents people who want to defend the fairgrounds from overdevelopment, although part of the property is already developed.

In April 2022, the coalition, the Village of the Head of the Harbor and 23 homeowners filed a lawsuit against Gyrodyne, the Town of Smithtown and the Smithtown Planning Board. The lawsuit has stalled the progression of Gyrodyne’s applications. 

Ogden said that many of the petitioners were removed by the judge, but that the lawsuit is advancing: 

“The ball is in [Gyrodyne’s] lap now … there is going to be some movement going forward.” 

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Smithtown school district’s Joseph M. Barton administrative building on New York Avenue. File photo

By Sabrina Artusa

After two recent lawsuits, Smithtown Central School District Board of Education revised its harassment policy at a Jan. 23 meeting.

In the latest lawsuit, Michael Coppola, 16, claims he was bullied from fourth through ninth grade while a student in Smithtown. His family is now suing the school district under the allegation that the school violated Title 9 by failing to protect him. 

According to CBS News, the lawsuit states that “peers physically assaulted him, misgendered him, threw objects at him, verbally abused him,” from elementary through high school. 

As a result of the alleged abuse, the family registered several New York State Dignity for All Students Act complaints. 

In addition to Smithtown school district, the lawsuit is also filed against seven employees, according to Newsday. 

Diane Coppola, Michael’s mom, told CBS New York’s Ali Bauman, “Our family has gone into survival mode. We’re not thriving. We’re trying to survive the school years, and it shouldn’t be that way.”

According to Newsday, Michael Coppola’s grades declined and he developed an eating disorder due to the harassment. After switching schools within the district and continuing to deal with bullying, Coppola now attends a private school over an hour from his house. 

The Coppola family’s lawsuit is the second against the school district this year. The first was filed by a 16-year-old Smithtown High School West student who claimed the school failed to protect her from the bullying she suffered on a daily basis. This lawsuit was filed in September.

As a matter of policy, the school district does not comment on matters pertaining to litigation.

At the Jan. 23 Board of Education meeting, trustees read through a revised bullying harassment and prevention policy as well as reviewed capital projects.

The board amended the policy to include hazing as behavior to be prevented and stopped, and also elaborated upon the definitions of bullying, harassment and hazing, as well as the practices for prevention and intervention.

“I’m really pleased that we are revising this policy at a time that we need it.” said Kevin Craine, a first-year trustee.

Other matters

The board also discussed bond projects, both current and expected. While HVAC system upgrades are planned or proposed for several of the schools, the upgrades would not significantly improve the air conditioning in the schools, which has been a point of complaint of many parents after a hot September in the classroom. On multiple days there was a heat alert. 

In order to have air conditioning in every room, the electrical system would have to be upgraded — something the board hopes to do in the future. Installing window units as a solution would be temporary, and in the opinion of Daniel Leddy, the district’s director of facilities, would hinder them in their overall goal of central air conditioning. 

“When we have the money and the electric and the capability, we will can that in the future,” he said. “We are trying to look future. Throwing window units in — it’s going to create other issues.”

Among hopeful projects for the future were sports lights at High School East, upgraded lights at High School West, and synthetic turf field installments at both high schools. President of the Friends of Music for Smithtown Schools, Jennifer DeGregory, said that while she is grateful for the athletic improvements, she feels that the arts are being overlooked. 

“These facilities have not been updated to the point where there’s parts that need to be replaced that no longer are being manufactured,” she said. “We are very concerned about possible cuts to the arts.” 

According to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) proposed state aid budget, Smithtown will lose over $1.5 million for the 2024-25 school year. Overall, Hochul’s plan dedicates over $53 million in aid.

The board commended the boys cross country team and the Smithtown-Hauppauge girls swim and dive team on their excellent performances this past season. 

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The Smithtown Library. File photo by Rachel Shapiro

By Sabrina Artusa

President Annette Galarza of the Smithtown Library held the first regular meeting of the new year Jan. 16. Former president Brianna Baker-Stines is now a trustee.

Among items discussed was the development of a new committee, the Strategic Planning Committee, which will consist of Baker-Stines, Galarza and vice president Mildred Bernstein.

The Building and Grounds Committee approved plans to renovate the audio and visual elements of the Community Room on the lower level of the Smithtown building.

The library received 10 donations in memorial of Frances Kelley, who was a resident of St. James. 

Robert Lusak, library director, discussed his intention to strengthen the relationship to the Commack community by partnering the Rotary clubs of Smithtown and Commack. One of the objectives of the partnership is to organize a beach cleanup in the summer. 

“So we are going to be partnering with the Commack-Kings Park Rotary Club in the summertime to do an extensive cleanup not only of the Kings Park bluffs but of the Sunken Meadow bluffs as well. It is our way of reaching out to the Commack community,” Lusak said.

The next regular meeting of the library board will be Feb. 20.

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Smithtown school district’s Joseph M. Barton administrative building on New York Avenue. File photo

By Sabrina Artusa

Smithtown Central School District Board of Education reviewed, approved and adopted several policies Jan. 9, including a new policy regarding violence prevention protocol. 

Since labor laws specify school districts as employers, they have to have a workplace violence prevention policy. The board asserted that the policy echoes what is already being done.

One speaker, while partially pleased with the board’s handling of anti-Semitic incidents, criticized the ambiguity of each board member’s stance. “I know myself as a community member I want to see where each board member stands,” she said. She went on to say that the board should halt speakers when their speech ventures into hate rhetoric. “Allowing this to continue at board meetings is harmful,” she said, and mentioned a speaker who voiced anti-LGBT views while speaking at a meeting.

At the Dec. 12 board meeting, several parents spoke in opposition to the dismissal of the coach of the Great Hollow Middle School cheerleading team The speakers were satisfied with the coach’s performance and accused the board of failing to uphold their duty to protect their children’s emotional well-being, stating the board’s approval of her termination caused their children distress.

“We’ve been told many times by our school administrators, ‘[the coach’s] termination was a personal matter, and we cannot comment any further.’ This leads us to believe that this is a wrongful termination,” said Alexia Siderias, who has a child on the team.

At the meeting, community members said that, after communicating with other parents, they learned that a cheerleader allegedly threatened harm to her peers and was disrespectful to the coach. 

Another parent said, “Is every student’s well-being important to the Smithtown Central School District or only the ones who have parents on the Board of Education?”

The board also adopted a policy allowing a student with a disability to continue their educational program until they are 22, or until they earn their high-school diploma.

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