A scene from the rally at the Northport VA Center on March 14. Photo courtesy Bob Dennis, AFGE Local 1843 president
A scene from the rally at the Northport VA Center on March 14. Photo courtesy Bob Dennis, AFGE Local 1843 president
A scene from the rally at the Northport VA Center on March 14. Photo courtesy Bob Dennis, AFGE Local 1843 president
A scene from the rally at the Northport VA Center on March 14. Photo courtesy Bob Dennis, AFGE Local 1843 president
A scene from the rally at the Northport VA Center on March 14. Photo courtesy Bob Dennis, AFGE Local 1843 president
A scene from the rally at the Northport VA Center on March 14. Photo courtesy Bob Dennis, AFGE Local 1843 president
A scene from the rally at the Northport VA Center on March 14. Photo courtesy Bob Dennis, AFGE Local 1843 president
A scene from the rally at the Northport VA Center on March 14. Photo courtesy Bob Dennis, AFGE Local 1843 president
A scene from the rally at the Northport VA Center on March 14. Photo courtesy Bob Dennis, AFGE Local 1843 president
By Sabrina Artusa
Veterans and members of the American Federation of Government Employees assembled Friday, March 14, in front of the Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center to protest cuts to the federal workforce, particularly in relation to veteran services.
According to a March 5 video statement from the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins, the department aims to decrease staff by 15%. Currently, the department employs 470,000 people, according to Collins, which he aims to get down to the 2019 level of 399,957. “The federal government does not exist to employ people. It exists to serve people,” Collins said.
“In response to President Trump’s (R) Department of Government Efficiency Workforce Optimization Initiative, VA is conducting a department-wide review of its organization, operations and structure,” he said. This includes eliminating “not mission critical” contracts.
The Department of Veterans Affairs provides benefits and health care through VA medical centers in addition to access to housing loans and grants, educational programs and support the transition back to civilian life.
The VA centers cater to the unique needs of veterans, both mentally and physically. AFGE Local 1843 President Bob Dennis attended the rally, “The doctors are familiar with their cases, They love coming to the place because they know they will get the care they deserve.”
AFGE represents some of the employees of the VA center. He said for years the medical experts have endured long hours and short staffing. In fact, he said in the past, the goal was to grow and advertise the services of the VA.
“Our big goal was to grow,” he said. “We used to send out a medical unit that could be driven … so we would go to other places and the veterans would know we are coming to support them with patient care.”
In his statement, Dennis asserted that cuts would not diminish veteran care but eradicate unnecessities.
Dennis has spoken with some officials, like Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) whom he says recognized the threat embedded in cuts.
“We are trying to get the best thing we can possibly get for our nation’s heroes,” Dennis said. “We protect the people that deserve to be protected. We want to honor our veterans. And that is one thing we won’t change.”
A picture of the property to be annexed, screen shotted from the Town of Brookhaven’s online map application. The upper gray portion indicates the Incorporated Village of Port Jefferson. Photo courtesy the Town of Brookhaven website
By Sabrina Artusa
The Incorporated Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees and the Town of Brookhaven Council met for a joint public hearing for the prospective annexation of the Port Jefferson Station property on March 6.
James Tsunis, owner of the 5.6-acre parcel next to Baylis Avenue in Port Jefferson Station, initiated the historic hearing between the entities when he requested that five plots of land be annexed to Port Jefferson village. The last time the two entities met for a joint hearing was in 1978.
Area in question is highlighted during the meeting on March 6. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
Tsunis and his company, Northwind Group, intend to develop the area into a 48-unit multifamily townhouse complex, which would be impossible under Brookhaven’s current industrial zoning. If the land is annexed, it will be in the purview of the Port Jefferson village planning board, and Tsunis would apply for a rezoning application with the village instead of the town. In this 3.5-hour meeting, Tsunis, as the petitioner, was to prove to both boards that there is a clear public benefit from annexation.
Previously, Brookhaven council members gave feedback indicating that if Tsunis were to submit a rezoning application, it would be rejected.
Tsunis, a 50-year Port Jefferson resident, said “None of the residents of the Village of Port Jefferson want industrial [development] on the property. So what do we do? We annex it into the village because that is who is affected by the use of this property.”
In conjunction with his Brook Meadows plan, Tsunis would contribute $500,000 to the village, assist in rebuilding the William Tooker House, the oldest structure in the village, build a community garden and build a sidewalk from the property to Sheep Pasture Road.
Baylis Avenue and Sheep Pasture Road
Brookhaven Town Board Meeting on March 6. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
Tsunis’ attorney Michael Towey argued that the singular access road to the property from Sheep Pasture Road, which serves as the border between the town and the village, is problematic. “This section is completely geographically isolated from the town. It is only accessible through the village,” Towey said.
Since Sheep Pasture Road is the only entry point, Towey argued that the village residents will be affected by whatever is built on the parcel. “We believe the village and its residents [have] reason to be concerned not in the sense of any imminent threat, but in the sense that they presently lack control over how this territory or how these properties will be utilized in the future,” he said.
Supervisor Dan Panico (R) said that any property adjacent to an incorporated village would be implicated by that argument. Indeed, in order to reach Scenic View Court, a residential area neighboring Baylis Avenue, one must pass through the village from the east, though the road can be accessed without entering the village from the west. The Port Jefferson Marina, owned by the Town of Brookhaven, requires passing through the village.
Services
If the annexation is approved by both boards, the children who reside on the property would attend the Comsewogue School District, despite living in the village. The properties are currently serviced by the Terryville Fire District and will remain so even if the property is annexed. “An annexation of the property would place a division in unity of purpose of the public services providing emergency and educational services,” Town of Brookhaven Planning Director Don Hohn said.
Area in question is highlighted during the meeting on March 6. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
Towey argued that the village already assumes responsibility for the road, and including the road in Brookhaven’s district was not efficient, although this could not be proven. Brookhaven paved the road in 2023.
Town of Brookhaven Superintendent of Highways Dan Losquadro (R) issued a letter of support of the annexation, writing “this will alleviate the duplication of services by more than one municipality on the same roadway.”
Some speakers reiterated the revitalization of Port Jefferson village as a benefit of the Brooks Meadows plan. Of the 24 speakers that addressed the board, 18 were in support of the development.
Jim Steiner hopes Brooks Meadows would breathe new life into the village: “[Revitalization] has been a slow process and to have a townhouse type place within walking distance will help lift up the neighborhood.”
Industrial vs. Multifamily
Hohn noted the increased traffic associated with multifamily zoning, stating that the daily trips would be lower if the area remains zoned industrial. “If the maximum building size allowed on a L1 industrial lot were to be developed, this would generate 214 total daily trips. The maximum building size on a multifamily lot, were it to be developed, would be 372 daily trips.” This assertion was corroborated by the Town of Brookhaven Highway Department, though the letter added that the traffic wouldn’t create “significant traffic impacts.”The maximum building height would be 50 feet in light industrial zoning and 35 feet in multifamily zoning in Brookhaven.
Alexander and Jim Tsunis listening to the public testimonies at the Brookhaven Town Hall in Farmingville. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
Many residents expressed displeasure over the aspect of letting the property remain industrial. Port Jefferson resident Gary Zamek said, “The Village of Port Jefferson does not need more industrial land on Sheep Pasture Road…I know Port Jefferson is trying to revitalize our uptown area. It just seems obvious to me that more residents as opposed to trucks would help create that.”
Businesses such as health clubs, offices, warehouses and veterinary hospitals would all be permitted in an area zoned industrial, as noted in Chapter 85 in Brookhaven’s town zone.
Further, some speakers supported the annexation as it would supply additional housing. Town of Brookhaven Councilman Jonathan Kornreich (D, Stony Brook) said, “On the application, it indicated there would be four affordable units…This will not be affordable housing by any means. Four of them will be.”
“As a trustee, I want to see owned real estate,” Port Jefferson village Trustee Xena Ugrinsky said.
The Brook Meadows site proposal was analyzed by the Suffolk County Department of Economic Planning and Development in 2023 before it was removed for consideration by Tsunis.The plan was analyzed and disapproved by the Suffolk County Department of Economic Planning and Development in 2023, citing incongruence with adjacent industrial zoning, additional traffic and that a change of zone is simply unnecessary and prohibitive to prospective light industrial zoning developments. The walkability score from the property was listed as 56 partly due to its distance to the Port Jefferson Train Station and downtown, an estimated 10-minute walk. Tsunis then withdrew his application.
“If it was to be developed industrially, it would likely, in my opinion, be developed into something more demure when it comes to light industrial like a self-storage, which is typically a generator of almost zero,” Panico said.
The prospect of a rail yard being built by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority at the Lawrence Aviation site is another consideration of the Brookhaven town council. Tsunis included a 100-foot buffer from the tracks in his plan, but Panico argued that this location would not be in the public’s best interest.
The town and the village have to vote on the annexation within 90 days of the hearing. If the town and village don’t vote in agreement, then one entity could appeal the other’s decision, according to Town of Brookhaven Attorney James Burke.
The public comment period closes on March 14 at midnight for online submissions and at 4:30 p.m. for physical submissions by mail.
Rep. Thomas Suozzi took phone calls from his constituents on March 6. Photo courtesy of Suozzi's Facebook page
By Sabrina Artusa
Representative Nick LaLota (R-NY1) on March 5 and Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY3) held a virtual town hall March 6 address their constituent’s concerns, where federal cuts were chief among them.
U.S. Congressman Tom Suozzi
Suozzi’s town hall was attended by over 10,000 people. Suozzi, who was one of 10 Democrats to censure Texas Representative Al Green (D-9th) after Green interrupted President Donald Trump’s(R) Joint Address to Congress, fielded questions on his motivation behind the vote.
“That is not appropriate,” he said, noting. “If it was a Republican doing that to a Democrat it wouldn’t be appropriate and I can’t be a hypocrite.”
Instead of “getting caught up in the protests and the sign-holding and interrupting the president’s speech,” Suozzi emphasized building relationships on “both sides of the aisle” as a method for Democrats to gain a foothold in Congress and “get things done” and “win the argument.”
Residents asked how Suozzi will stand against the federal cuts, including $880 million in proposed cuts to Medicaid. Education, litigation and mobilization were the three primary routes to change, said Suozzi.
Suozzi added that, “58,000 are in the affordable care act that comes from Medicaid; 305,000 people on Long Island are low-income individuals on Medicaid; 133,000 disabled Long Islanders are on Medicaid; and62% of people in my district in nursing homes are on Medicaid … when you want to see someone’s values look at their budget.”
“We need to talk about the importance of Medicaid and how important it is in your life,” Suozzi told a disabled speaker who relies on Medicaid and Social Security and was concerned that he wouldn’t be able to afford to live on Long Island without the aid.
Suozzi admitted that he gets frustrated with the opposite party, but disagrees with dramatic displays of protest such as Green’s, whom he said he has successfully worked with in the past. At the address, Suozzi said he “was angry at the president” but doesn’t want to indulge forces that “want to divide us.”
One speaker called this approach “naïve,” saying Suozzi has “fallen prey to the paradox of tolerance.” Overall, the meeting lasted an hour. Speakers who were unable to ask questions were encouraged to leave a voicemail.
To contact Suozzi go to suozzi.houe.gov. Washington, DC, office at (202- 225-3335.
U.S. Congressman Nick LaLota
LaLota held a town hall on March 5. The tele-town hall comes after a President’s Day rally held at his office by Indivisible, a grassroots national movement. The rally was organized to demand an in-person town hall meeting. Lalota has previously only held tele-town halls.
He fielded accusations that tele-town halls are scripted with questions not being representative of his constituents’ concerns,responding that these claims were untrue.
Integrating polls throughout the call, LaLota garnered feedback on hot topics such as tariffs and Medicaid cuts. In regard to the tariffs, LaLota said he would monitor them and felt confident that the president would use precision and care when using tariffs as leverage.
LaLota said “we need to reduce spending: and he wants “people in government to root out things that don’t make sense.”
To contact LaLota go to house.lalota.gov; district phone number is (631) 289-1097.
A banner in Centereach that reads Ramadan Kareem, an Arabic phrase that directly translates to “Generous Ramadan” in English. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
By Sabrina Artusa
The crescent moon lit up the night sky Feb. 28, signifying the beginning of Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting. This holy month honors the revelation of the Quran to Muhammad, and Muslims celebrate by strengthening their faith through restraint.
For Sabri, a Setauket mechanic, the day begins at 4 a.m. He eats with his wife and children before his fast starts at 5 a.m. In the evening, he will put on a Muslim talk show and listen to the “Azan” (or “Adhan”), a song that precedes prayer, before breaking his fast in a meal called the “Iftar.” In Istanbul, Sabri loved to listen to the “Azan” as the sun rose, right before the first prayer of the day.
For the Iftar, Sabri’s meals don’t deviate much from what he typically eats, but his meal will likely contain meat, which his wife ensures is “halal” by shopping at a Turkish grocer.
“This is for control of your system,” Sabri said. “It is for yourself.” Water, also, is not allowed during the fasting period. Of course, there are exceptions for those whom it would be harmful or dangerous to fast, and children are also not expected to observe.
Muslims not only fast from food but also restrain from doing any other action that is against Islamic principles, such as lying. Stony Brook University professor Ismail Zahed emphasized that Ramadan is meant to remove the reliance on nonnecessities in order to “factor in Islam in the right way.”
“The most basic thing — to feed yourself — is taken for granted,” Zahed said. “[Ramadan] is a reminder of those who do not have. It brings you closer to those who do not have… It is not waiting for the 5:40 time card [sunset] to hit the table. It is making all the effort to think about that and to think of all the ways you can reach out and help.”
Removing superfluous luxuries helps Muslims connect more not only with their religion but also with their friends, family and community.
Charitable acts are another signature part of Ramadan and part of the reason some mosques provide the Iftar for free. This tenet of Islam, giving to charity, is one of the five pillars of Islam, alongside fasting, pilgrimage, profession of faith and prayer.
Ramadan serves to help Muslims get closer to Allah by looking inward at their own relationship with their faith, but it is also observed communally, with Muslims gathering to recite a portion of the Quran at mosques each night and breaking the fast together. Beginning on the first day of Ramadan, an Imam will recite one-thirtieth of the Quran so that, by the end of the month, it will have been read in its entirety.
“It is also a month where families come together in observance of this particular event [the revelation of the Quaran] where we remind each other why this is so important. Getting people to sit together at the same time is difficult,” Zahed said.
“My favorite part is to open the Iftar with my family,” Sabri said. Sabri doesn’t often go to the mosque for Iftar, preferring to break the fast at home with his family. He does visit the mosque for a prayer at least once a week.
For Zahed, Ramadan is a chance to focus more on Islam, although the changes don’t end once the month is over.
At the end of Ramadan, Muslims will celebrate with “Eid al-Fitr,” which will occur March 29, the day of the new crescent moon.
“People have a really good heart,” Sabri said. “And God makes them see it.”
The Main Street Pub in Kings Park had a fire on Feb. 25. Photo from GoFundMe page.
By Sabrina Artusa
At around 10:40 p.m. Feb 25, Scott McKinnon, owner of Main Street Pub in Kings Park, received a call that a fire had emerged. He immediately drove to the bar he took over from his father decades before from his home 20 minutes away. Fire was visible above the building.
“I was driving up and light was coming out of the roof,” McKinnon said.
Scott McKinnon stands with Lori, Ellen, Krista and Evelyn at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Kings Park. Photo by Rita Egan
According to McKinnon, the fire started outside in an alleyway between the pub and the neighboring Euro Barber Shop. The fire department extinguished it swiftly and with no casualties, but the bar has endured tremendous damage; about 30-40% of the pub that has been in operation for about three decades was severely damaged, Mckinnon estimates.
“The firefighters did a great job extinguishing the fire but there is a lot of damage from the smoke,” McKinnon said. There is also water damage.
Evelyn Wood, McKinnon’s partner, said the last week has been “kind of like a rollercoaster.” The fire was devastating; however, at the Kings Park St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the community showed their support.
“We are learning emotions we didn’t know we had and just trying to get through each one together,” Wood said. “It has been very overwhelming to [Scott]. This is everything. It has put a roof over his kids’ heads and helped them grow up and go to school and everything.”
The pub’s employees organized a booth on a side street next to the pub. They gave out food and raised money to supplement the income that the 80 employees have now lost. They chatted with regulars and tried to preserve the pub’s presence in the community.
“It was nice to see the people that we always take care of and we always serve are taking care of us now,” Wood said. The pub’s employees, some who have been working at the pub for decades, are spearheading promotional fundraisers while McKinnon works with insurance companies and the town to navigate rebuilding.
McKinnon described the bar as an “old-time” institution with regulars who spent “most of their time” there, drinking and talking.
“Regardless if you were an employee or customer, everyone knows everyone, cares for everyone. . . watches each other’s backs, it was just a tight knit place to be in,” Wood said.
McKinnon, eager to get the bar back up and running, has had to wait for the insurance company to file the damages. He cannot touch or alter anything while this process continues, something McKinnon said is “impossible”.
During Covid, when the bar had to shut down, McKinnon supplemented the loss with his savings and income, ensuring the bar would get through the financial strain of extended closure.
“All the means I had I had to put into the business,” McKinnon said. Now, he has to navigate town ordinances and insurance dealings before he can get the bar back to the state it was. He approximates the bar will be back in three to four months.
McKinnon said he might consider making some changes when the bar eventually reopens.
Brookhaven Receiver of Taxes Louis Marcoccia speaks to the civic on March 3. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
By Sabrina Artusa
At the March 3 Three Village Civic Association meeting, Town of Brookhaven Receiver of Taxes Louis Marcoccia gave members valuable advice on how to wade through the thick of this year’s tax season.
Facing a group of residents who are in the midst of tackling their taxes, Marcoccia had his work cut out for him. He was quick, however, to appeal to the group, reminding the civic that Mathew the tax collector was one of Jesus’ apostles.
Brookhaven Receiver of Taxes Louis Marcoccia speaks to the civic on March 3. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
“The tax collector, out of all the elected officials, is closest to Jesus,” he said. “The most read gospel is Mathew, which is actually converted to tax code,” he added.
Marcoccia is proud of his department and the changes they have made over the years, including taking advantage of technology, thereby saving money on envelopes and allowing people to pay and view their taxes instantly. He also reduced his staff by 40% by simply not rehiring after employees left.
This year, many Three Village residents were alarmed to see a 5.47% increase in their school taxes. In the year prior, the assessor’s office mistakenly included about 30 properties in the calculations, resulting in a lower tax increase percentage for that year, so constituents paid less in taxes to the school.
“The percent was 1.27% but it should have been 2.8 so people who live there paid less than they should have and the town had to eat that,” Marcoccia said.
The bill was never sent to those 30 properties, mainly Stony Brook properties, since the tax office caught the mistake shortly after filing, but the incorrect assessment caused a shortfall that amounted to “millions,” according to Marcoccia, causing the bill to be $125 less per household.
After being filed with New York State, the tax bills are finalized. As a result, this year, the bill represents the correction from last year in the percentage, even though constituents will not be actually paying that percentage increase, as it would have broken the tax cap of 2.84%.That correction is the cause of 1.47% of the increase represented on the bill and is not the taxpayer’s responsibility.
In a letter sent by the Three Village Central School District explaining their mistake, Superintendent of Schools Kevin Scanlon explains that 0.54% of the percentage is due to a decrease in the assessed values of some properties, causing the other properties to take on more taxes. The remaining 0.32% increase is due to the senior citizen exemption. The actual tax rate increase, disregarding the correction, would be exactly 2.84%.
“Once you file it and send it to the state you are stuck,” Marcoccia clarified. “A mistake happened, but it didn’t cost you any money.”
Other News
According to Legislator Steve Englebright (D, Setauket), the Town of Brookhaven, the Village of Head of the Harbor and the Ward Melville Heritage Organization are continuing to navigate the convoluted and uncertain ownership of Harbor Road.
“A part of the controversy is who owns the road. Now the town highway department says [they] don’t own the road. It joins one village and one town together. Does Smithtown own half of the road?” Englebright asked, emphasizing the complicated discourse surrounding the issue. “Does ownership of the road mean ownership of the liability? Does the owner of the road also mean they are the owners of the land and the dam?”
Under pressure to meet the Federal Emergency Management Agency deadline to file for aid, officials met to discuss a plan forward last month.
“Time is short and now it is kind of a high wire act,” Englebright said.
Participants on a Holi cruise that sailed out of Pier 36 in New York City last year. Photo courtesy Indu Kaur
By Sabrina Artusa
As spring brings blue skies, blooming flowers of violets and yellows and flourishing green vegetation, Indian Americans look forward to Holi — the festival of colors — which falls on the first full moon in the Hindu month of Phalguna.
Indu Kaur on a Holi cruise that sailed out of Pier 36 in New York City last year. Photo courtesy Indu Kaur
The holiday celebrates the coming of spring and the overall triumph of good, love and light over darkness and evil. On the day of the full moon, March 14 of this year, people in India play in the street, coloring each other’s faces with powder and water; children throw water balloons, sometimes at strangers, all in the good fun and light-hearted troublemaking of the holiday.
“Holi Hai” is the predominant saying, meaning It’s Holi. In India, neighborhoods celebrate the holiday, drinking, eating fried pastries and throwing colored powder. Here, on Long Island, celebrations are more intimate.
“Over in India, everybody in every neighborhood is celebrating,“ said Arvind Vora, who moved to Long Island 55 years ago at the age of 24. “There was no need to travel or make all sorts of arrangements/planning.”
When he arrived, he wrote in an email, there were hardly 10 families that celebrated in the area. By the mid-1970s, he said, he started celebrating again to bring the cheer of the holiday to the children of the family.
Indu Kaur, owner of the Curry Club at SaGhar in Port Jefferson and the Meadow Club in Port Jefferson Station, has hosted these gatherings in the past, treating friends and family to “gujiya,” a deep-fried pastry and plenty of color.
“Holi in India is an all-encompassing celebration — it’s loud, vibrant and spills onto the streets with massive crowds throwing colors, dancing to dhol beats and sharing sweets with neighbors, friends, and even strangers,” Kaur said. “While the essence of joy and color remains the same [on Long Island], the scale is usually smaller, and people are mindful of space, weather and local regulations.”
Baldeep Singh, a friend of Kaur’s, was invited to one of Kaur’s “all-out” Holi celebrations. He also lived in India for 10 years. While whole neighborhoods get involved in the celebration like a “huge party,” Singh said that he enjoyed celebrating with friends and family.
“Everyone’s in a great mood, everyone’s happy,” he said. “It is a representation of spring when flowers are in bloom. Everything is starting afresh and everyone is together having a great time. It is a lot of people really just living it up and being grateful.”
Generally, people use organic, biodegradable materials for the colors, but some people use permanent colors that won’t come off easily. Singh remembers going to work after Holi, and some people showed up with purple faces and skin sore from scrubbing, although “no one really judges you.”
Indu Kaur on a Holi cruise that sailed out of Pier 36 in New York City last year. Photo courtesy Indu Kaur
“Holi reminds us to embrace playfulness, throw colors at each other, laugh out loud, indulge in sweets, dance freely and bond with family. It’s a time to heal our souls, connect with loved ones and share pure happiness,” Kaur said.
Holi has two different mythological origins. According to one legend that is central to the celebration of Holi in Barsana and Mathura, the mischievous Krishna fell in love with Radha, a fair-skinned milk maid. Self-conscious about his darker skin, he applied colors to Radha’s face. Today, their love story is re-created in some areas of India and honored through Holi.
For larger celebrations comparable to those in India, some people travel either to New York City or even down south to Georgia.
“It would be fun if the U.S. starts recognizing Holi,” Singh said. “I could really see a lot of people just having fun.”
Non-Hindus in India celebrate the holiday as well, including Vora, who said he celebrates in the same way non-Christians celebrate Christmas.
This Holi, Kaur will dress in a white Indian outfit with a colorful scarf, known as a dupatta, Punjabi jutti shoes and silver earrings. Together with her friends and family, she will usher in the new season “dancing freely, throwing colors and indulging in sweets, bringing a rare sense of carefree happiness.”
From left to right: Jerry Maxim, corresponding secretary; Ira Costell, president; Lee Brett, vice president; Sheila Granito, acting recording secretary; and, standing, Kevin LaValle, Brookhaven town clerk. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
By Sabrina Artusa
At the Feb. 25 Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Civic Association meeting, the many services of the Town of Brookhaven Clerk’s Office were reviewed and various developments were discussed, including the Baylis Avenue site proposal and Jefferson Plaza.
The association established their position on the proposed annexation of the 5.6-acre site on Baylis Avenue by the Village of Port Jefferson. Northwind Group, after their rezoning proposal was shot down by Brookhaven, preventing their plans for an apartment complex on the parcel, moved to transfer ownership of the land to the Village of Port Jefferson.
“I would really like to reiterate that it is my objection…this is a thinly veiled backdoor move to get approval he otherwise wouldn’t have gotten,” Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Civic President Ira Costell said. The rest of the board, as well as civic members, seemed in agreement.
March 6, Northwind Group will appeal the ruling to the Town of Brookhaven council and a public hearing will be held. The annexation would set a “bad precedent,” said civic member Charlie McAteer.
Newly elected Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Civic Vice President Lee Brett lamented how the annexation would complicate the execution of services by putting a burden on the Terryville Fire Department and the Comsewogue School District. “Just because it says Port Jefferson Village and they get to go to the beach for free, I can care less, I want my town safe,” he said.
Brookhaven Town Clerk Kevin LaValle reviewed his department’s services and processes, including administering marriage licenses, disability parking passes, death certificates and record digitalization.
He has also worked to use technology to his advantage, now sending people notices of renewals and allowing them to complete the form from home.
“The most valuable thing in business is time, from the minute your client asks you for a service from the minute you get it done…we want to be a township that makes it easier for people to come in and do business with our township,” he said, adding that developers can now submit land-use applications online. Further, project information is now advertised through signs that have QR codes leading to the town website.
“It makes it a lot easier to get information on a project out there,” LaValle said.
LaValle also discussed the prevalence of text message and phone call scams, sometimes under the guise of a bank or a police department saying a loved one is in jail.
LaValle got a scam himself in the form of a text. Presumably, it was his bank informing him of fraud. “I didn’t click the link they had there, I didn’t use the phone number they had on it. I went online…I called the number online that I know is the actual credit card company…they said absolutely that is not [us], can you send us the information,” LaValle said.
“Don’t rush making decisions,” said LaValle, who attended a presentation on the subject by the Suffolk County district attorney.
Next month, Staller Associates will meet with the civic to discuss architectural design for their development of Jefferson Plaza.
For more information on the services provided by the town clerk visit www.brookhavenny.gov.
New Leaf Energy presents a plan for a 8.75-megawatt project on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
New Leaf Energy presents a plan for a 8.75-megawatt project on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
New Leaf Energy presents a plan for a 8.75-megawatt project on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
By Sabrina Artusa
At the Sterling Woods Condominium annual meeting on Feb. 20, New Leaf Energy Senior Director of Business Development Michael Conway spoke to the residents, whose condominiums neighbor the proposed site at 1575 Route 25A in Port Jefferson Station.
This proposal comes after the Town of Brookhaven rejected a rezoning application by New Leaf Energy in June 2024.
Now, New Leaf Energy, a renewable energy developer, is planning an 8.75-megawatt battery energy storage system in an area with the appropriate light industrial zoning. The system would occupy 22,142 square feet and can power 8,500 single-family homes for 4 hours.
Conway, joined by Energy Safety Response Group co-founder Paul Rogers, reviewed the site plan, which neighbors a gas station. The property will be encompassed by a 10-foot-tall fence and vegetative screening and will include a 50-ft setback.
“Dense places are the most difficult places to get electricity to,” Conway said, addressing the location. “We need to have electricity whether it comes through a fossil plant, or it comes in through a solar plant, or it comes in through transmission lines. Energy storage systems are an efficient way to deliver more electricity to an area without building more poles and wires all over the place and more power plants.”
One resident said, “I don’t think we disagree with technology. I don’t think anyone does. We have to look forward. But where are you putting it? There is no benefit to be putting this here, absolutely none. Basically, you want us to be a test case for your business.”
New Leaf Energy will be working with manufacturers to develop the system and will then sell the BESS. Defined as a business that “establishes important partnerships with landowners, utilities and local communities to brainstorm, secure, design and permit community and utility-scale renewable energy,” New Leaf Energy essentially works to give the project momentum and get it approved before then selling to another company for around $3 million to $4 million.
“Our business model is to transfer ownership to a long-term asset owner just prior to construction,” Conway said. It usually takes 6-8 months to find a buyer. The buyer will then be responsible for the safety and operation of the system, including the battery monitoring system.
The oldest BESS New Leaf Energy has created was built in 2018. The largest is 200 megawatts.
This system will help manage the grid during peak hours and potentially save PSEG from having to purchase additional equipment. The BESS will be privately owned so will not, in theory, be the direct cause of rate increases from PSEG. Instead, the system will store energy in times of low demand and sell it back during high-demand times.
Rogers, who has been a prominent figure in the battery energy storage conversation throughout Brookhaven, says that manufacturers are required to permit large-scale controlled failures on their equipment. This could mean burning cells or, in some cases, modules.
Rogers said that thermal runaway is caused when the cells are interfered with or abused and are unable to regulate normally, thus causing the liquid within the cells to turn to gas. For instance, if a container is not sealed properly when it is raining, the water could cause electrical problems.
Rogers, who has helped implement and navigate the various safety codes, said that the BESS has to be listed under Underwriters Laboratories UL9540, which authorizes that the equipment is up to standard, and must adhere to precautions listed in the National Fire Protection Association codebook as well as New York State codes.
The Moss Landing fire, which burned for days and led to the evacuation of residents, was described by Brookhaven Councilman Jonathan Kornreich (D, Stony Brook) as “sobering.” The old and outdated system consisted of nickel manganese cobalt batteries as opposed to lithium iron phosphate, which is less energy dense, and was situated in a designated-use building.
Rogers said of the 750-megawatt system, “we would never use that technology today.”
“This is fairly new technology,” said Kornreich. “It is almost as if the car had been invented and they said oh this is a great way to make deliveries and drive around town but they haven’t invented the brake pedal yet…we don’t know yet and that is why we have to go slow with these things.”
The lower level of the Smithtown Library's main branch has been restored after Aug. 19 storm. Photo by Robert Lusak
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The lower level of the Smithtown Library's main branch has been restored after Aug. 19 storm. Photo by Robert Lusak
The lower level of the Smithtown Library's main branch has been restored after Aug. 19 storm. Photo by Robert Lusak
The lower level of the Smithtown Library's main branch has been restored after Aug. 19 storm. Photo by Robert Lusak
The lower level of the Smithtown Library's main branch has been restored after Aug. 19 storm. Photo by Robert Lusak
The lower level of the Smithtown Library's main branch has been restored after Aug. 19 storm. Photo by Robert Lusak
The lower level of the Smithtown Library's main branch has been restored after Aug. 19 storm. Photo by Robert Lusak
The lower level of the Smithtown Library's main branch has been restored after Aug. 19 storm. Photo by Robert Lusak
The lower level of the Smithtown Library's main branch has been restored after Aug. 19 storm. Photo by Robert Lusak
The lower level of the Smithtown Library's main branch has been restored after Aug. 19 storm. Photo by Robert Lusak
The lower level of the Smithtown Library's main branch has been restored after Aug. 19 storm. Photo by Robert Lusak
By Sabrina Artusa
After the Aug. 19 storm, the lower level of the Smithtown Library’s main branch at 1 North Country Road had to be cleaned and gutted. The stairwell has been repainted and all electriclal equipment has been removed. Now, the floor is a blank slate. Smithtown Library Director Robert Lusak views this as an opportunity to re-situate the floor to make it a better, nicer area.
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