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Sabrina Artusa

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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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Port Jefferson High School. File photo by Elana Glowatz

By Sabrina Artusa

Two incumbents and one newcomer are vying for two seats on the Port Jefferson Board of Education. Ellen Boehm, current president, Randi DeWitt, current board member and challenger Jennie Berges attended a PTA-sponsored event to project their positions on district issues. 

Berges, a mom of three and the only candidate with children currently in the district, is a mental health counselor who is running to “be a voice” for parents and teachers who want to feel connected to the administration. 

Dewitt is a first-grade teacher of 26 years in another district and a lifelong Port Jefferson resident and attended the Port Jefferson School District herself before raising two children who graduated the district. “My platform is to continue to advocate for our students and to continue our district’s reputation for academic excellence,” she said. Her current term as a board member expires this year. 

Boehm, current president of the BOE, also graduated from the district and had children who did as well. She has been on the board since 2012 and took on the role of president five years ago. 

All three candidates acknowledge diminishing enrollment as an issue, although it is a trend that most schools have experienced post-COVID, according to data from the New York State  Education Department. Already a small district, the candidates spoke of how it factors in to board decisions. 

Berges said it is a draw that the board could potentially build off of the “smaller community feel” and intimate class sizes could be attractive to many families, as they were for hers. “Declining enrollment is a challenge,” she said. “Having a small school shouldn’t be. I think there are ways to work with what we have to work within the integrity of that.” 

The district is responding to the trend. Superintendent Jessica Schmettan said that there are fewer classes for certain grades. Programs are continuing strong, and even expanding in some areas such as full-day prekindergarten and a breakfast program. 

Addressing taxes, Boehm said she applauds administrators for keeping taxes lower than neighboring districts, but that residents on fixed income, including herself, are “feeling the strain.”

“I think it is really important that as a board and a district…that they stand behind the students and evaluate what is best for the students of Port Jeff. My hope is that it keeps programs intact. Does it mean that every teacher will be here forever? I don’t know.” 

2025-2026 budget 

The board held their last public hearing on the $49,406,575 budget on May 13 – a 2.89% increase from last years’ budget with a $741,969 increase in the tax levy from last years’ $39,396,316. The district lost around $111,000 in state aid.

The district continues to tackle costs amid the $16.5 million Child Victims Act settlement, which Schmettan said will have no effect on programing or quality of education to the students. WIth $5.1 million already paid, the district is under a one-year borrowing contract with Oppenheimer & Co for the remaining cost while they pursue potential solutions with the state. Around $400,000 from the undesignated reserve will be expended in the 2025-2026 school year to cover the interest. 

Now confronted with expenses that were previously shouldered by LIPA’s tax payments, Dewitt and Boehm said they explored the possibility of redefining the district lines, thus including more homes in their area and bringing in more revenue and students, but were unable to appeal to neighboring districts. 

On May 20 voters will also weigh in on a proposition pertaining to the renovation of the HVAC system, described as old and “inefficient” by Deputy Superintendent Sean Leister. “The pipes throughout the building are literally crumbling in our hands, he said. “I spent between $165,000 and $200,000 in repairs this year alone.” 

The board would like to use up to $3.2 million in capital reserves designated for upgrades and renovations to aid in financing the new system. Leister said that if the system isn’t repaired, the heat could reach unsafe levels by state standards and require the students to be sent home. Currently, they have to choose which rooms to air condition, he added.

Voting will take place from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on May 20 in the Earl L. Vandermeulen High School Cafeteria. 

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The Forestwood Civic Association meeting on April 30. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
The Forestwood Civic Association meeting on April 30. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
The Forestwood Civic Association meeting on April 30. Photo by Sabrina Artusa

By Sabrina Artusa 

Residents of Forestwood continue to monitor changes to Blydenburgh County Park, which sits in the heart of their community. At a Forestwood Civic Association meeting, Suffolk County Chief Engineer Alexander Prego fielded questions regarding the design and timeline for a new dam, an essential step in the process of refilling Stump Pond.

The timeline for the lake, a signature characteristic of this national historic site and a major draw for hikers, fishers and kayakers, has been uncertain as county officials navigate permitting and funding. 

“Our goal is to build it back better,” Prego said. “That failure that occurred last fall — we need to make sure that we build it for more than that.” The failed dam was classified as Class A, or a low-hazard dam, where failure could result in damage to roads and undeveloped land with an unlikely risk of “substantial economic loss or substantial environmental damage.” The new dam will likely be Class B, or intermediate hazard, reflecting the reality of August’s storm and its potential for “downstream damage,” according to Suffolk County Department of Public Works Commissioner Charlie Bartha. The more “substantial” dam will require more periodic inspections from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. 

Blydenburgh is on a watershed, meaning the water from over 12,000 acres of land accumulated at the park. “We need to estimate how much water of that 12,000 will be coming in during a 25- or 100-year storm,“ Prego said. The new dam and spillway will be able to handle 225% of a 100-year storm. They installed five stream gauges to record rainfall and tide data. “We need to measure everything coming in here,” he said. 

In April, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R) released a document detailing the steps to be completed, which include permitting and inspections from several different departments such as the DEC and the New York State Historic Preservation Office. Prego said the county aims to have permitting and plans completed by the end of this year.

Of the $6.6 million of county money dedicated to rebuilding, the mapping, engineering planning and other analyses used $500,000. 

In addition, they plan to add a fish ladder to promote the migration of the American eel, brook trout and river otters. 

Forestwood residents expressed concern for trail accessibility for horses as well as the safety hazard posed by the soft, muddy surface of the empty lake. “What are you going to do to protect the pond area and at the same time protect the kids in our neighborhood?” one resident asked. 

The swamp-like crater was described as looking like “a breeding ground for mosquitoes” by one resident, who then asked how it is being treated. The county can use larvicide to eliminate mosquitoes before they hatch, said Suffolk County Council on Environmental Quality Vice Chair Michael Kaufman. 

Members of the Suffolk County Department of Parks were invited but were not present for the meeting. Forestwood civic President Robert Sikora called their absence “very disappointing.” 

“They should’ve been here,” he said. “This is a park discussion.” Indeed, several residents had questions about trail maintenance that did not fall into the purview of the public works department.

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

By Sabrina Artusa

Emma S. Clark Memorial Library in Setauket is temporarily closed after staff noticed a strange odor on May 1. The smell was from a mold growth in a “contained area” of the library, necessitating repairs to the HVAC system. 

The mold, Cladosporium, is described by the National Institutes of Health as one of the “most common fungal inhabitants worldwide.” It appears as black or brown spots in a wide variety of conditions and surfaces such as carpets, HVAC grills, wallpaper or wood surfaces and is particularly drawn to damp, not-well-ventilated places like bathrooms or basements. 

According to library Director Ted Gutmann, the cause has not yet been determined and the remediation process is still underway.

The mold air-sampling concentration varied from light to heavy. Spore concentration levels of 1,500 and below are considered acceptable. Physical symptoms begin to materialize in people with normal immune functions when spore levels reach 10,000 or higher, although those with sensitive health may experience sneezing, an itchy throat or eyes, coughing, a runny nose or dry skin at a level of 3,000 spores. 

Gutmann said reopening “could be a few weeks away.” 

“We are working to make sure the process is completed as quickly and safely as possible,” he said. “As soon as we have more information, reopening updates will be posted on the library’s website and social media channels.”

The library will continue online zoom classes on the usual schedule but will extend holds and due dates of books, museum passes and items. The prolonged possession of library property will not accrue late fees and holds will be extended for one week past the date of reopening. The library will reopen once air quality tests confirm the mold’s eradication. The library card can be used at any Suffolk County library. 

Gutmann and library staff still plan to have the Seed Library outdoors. “Emma Clark is still here for the community during building closure,” Gutmann said, adding that several upcoming events will be held. 

The Catholic Health’s mobile outreach bus will park at the library on May 15 for free health screenings and E-Waste & Metal Recycling Day will be held in the parking lot on May 17. The Ellen Bodolub Chamber Music Concert on May 18 has been moved to the Setauket Neighborhood House. 

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The Smithtown Library's Main Branch reopens. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
The Smithtown Library's Main Branch reopens. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
A patron sitting at a table in the Cornelia Butler Reading Room. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
A patron visits the newly reopened Smithtown Library. Photo by Sabrina Artusa

By Sabrina Artusa 

For the first time in 8 months, the Smithtown Library building’s doors are open. Patrons can once again browse shelves of books on the first floor of the library, previously closed due to the immense damage inflicted by the August, 2024, 100-year storm. 

Smithtown Library card-holders were able to visit the Nesconset, Commack and Kings Park buildings during the hiatus, and staff worked out of other branches. Services are still limited, as the community room and much of the media offerings were in the basement.

Smithtown Library Director Rob Lusak said the reopening was “a heartfelt moment.” Patrons and public officials turned up on the morning of May 5 as the library doors opened at 9:30 a.m., as they have done many times before. This time, though, the reopening was especially memorable. It reflected the months of hard work from public officials and library staff, as well as the immeasurable support from the community.

After the storm, the displaced employees had to build skills not many librarians would expect to use. For months, Lusak and his staff coordinated with contractors, learned the nuances of HVAC systems and the technicalities of rebuilding. They hauled soaked debris from the basement and salvaged what they could. They learned how to communicate with the Federal Emergency Management Association.  They flew to Michigan, where the majority of the rare-book collection is getting restored. Lusak said 42 of the 46 pallets of books will be restored by Prism Specialties. The remaining four pallets not restored by the company  will be restored by library workers.. 

The circulation staff, Lina O’Brien, Kim Seliger and Mary Bonamo worked at other branches since the storm. Seliger had been at the Smithtown building for 22 years. “I am happy to be back, even in a limited capacity,” she said. O’Brien had started at the Smithtown Library as a page, working her way up. 

Some staff members lost their belongings and offices in the storm. O’Brien said she saw a note she had written floating away in the video tape that recorded the storm, along with her desk. Assistant Library Director and Building Manager Eileen Caulfield lost her entire office. For now, she set up her computer right by the entrance. 

Patrons, too, are happy to be back among the familiar shelves and tables. In the children’s section, Jack Cotrone played with toy dinosaurs on the freshly steamed carpet floor. “He has been talking about coming back all year,” his mother Laura Cotrone said as Jack sat immersed with the toys. “They did a great job – it’s beautiful. I felt so bad with all the damage.” 

The damage required new HVAC and electrical systems, fire alarms and the complete emptying of the basement.

Peggy Micciche, a life-long Smithtown resident, said she used to visit the library every Tuesday night with her father, continuing her frequent visits into adulthood in order to study genealogy. “It is wonderful to have it back,” she said, adding that while she visited other branches, the nostalgic charm of the Smithtown building cannot be replaced. 

The library will be closed Friday evening and on Sunday as it continues to undergo repairs. The elevator is expected to be operational in the summer, allowing access to the mezzanine. 

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Harold Sheprow with grandson Connor. Photo from Lauren Sheprow
Harold Sheprow and Chuck Sewel. Photo courtesy Lauren Sheprow
Trustee Sheprow with Gordon Thompson. Photo from Lauren Sheprow
Peggy and Harold Sheprow in 2006. Photo courtesy Lauren Sheprow
The Sheprow Family in 2015. Photo courtesy Lauren Sheprow

This article was updated on May 7, 2025.

By Sabrina Artusa

Harold J. Sheprow, six-term mayor of the Village of Port Jefferson, passed away on May 1 at age 95, surrounded by family. 

Sheprow was born Dec, 25, 1929, in Queens to Harold Sheprow Sr. and Gladys Petrie. As a teenager, he joined the Merchant Marines and became chief engineer at 18. Upon his return, he was drafted in 1954 to serve in the Korean War. On Feb. 9, 1957, he married Margaret Mary Katherine Kerr (Peggy) with whom he spent 68 years. 

He then began working at Grumman Corporation, requiring he and Peggy to move to Port Jefferson Village from New Jersey in 1961. As an engineer, he worked on aircrafts like the F14 Tomcat, eventually retiring in 1990. 

Upon moving to the village and paying to take his family to the beach, he was galvanized to get involved in village politics, first as a member of the Planning Board, then as a trustee and finally as mayor. 

Sheprow was mayor for a total of 12 years — his lengthy tenure showcasing his dedication to serving his community, transcending his role as mayor and extending throughout his life. 

Under Sheprow’s leadership, the village acquired the 170-acre Port Jefferson Country Club. He worked tirelessly for almost a decade to achieve his vision of a Port Jefferson where residents could have a private property they could call their own. 

Famously, he attended a party where he made a connection to the country club’s owners. The acquaintance introduced him to the estate owners of the property. In a meeting, they agreed to lease the property to the village. They signed a $1 bill, sealing the agreement until a proper contract could be made. 

The country club, an acquisition that required years of effort and planning and some spontaneous creativity, now bears his name.

Former Director of Recreation and Parks Ron Carlson said he was working in town hall while Sheprow was on a phone call with attorneys from Winston estates. “He came into my office, sat down, and said ‘Ron, guess what’,” Carlson said. “I said, ‘What?’ He said you may not believe this, but we are going to buy that golf club.”

“He said he wasn’t positive, but I think he was,” Carlson added. “He knew deep down that the village would vote ‘yes’ to the acquisition.”

Father Francis Pizzarelli, who formed Hope House Ministries while Sheprow was mayor in 1980, said Sheprow’s “creative genius” and “tender heart” helped make the village what it is today.

“He was a law-and-order tough guy but I was always amazed with him,” Pizzarelli said. “He was always thinking and he would think outside the box.”

Sheprow also worked to open the waterfront for public use through the development of Danfords Hotel & Marina in 1986, making the village less “heavily industrious” and developing a sense of place, former Mayor Margot Garant said. 

As a father of six and an active golfer, Sheprow understood the need and value of recreational services in the village. 

“What was very fun about him was he was very pro-recreation and parks,” Carlson said.

Indeed, he organized a bus service to ferry residents to the beach during the summer; he held Halloween parties at the Village Center; he promoted sports programs to make the athletic fields more accessible, with fields booked almost every day of the week; and even formed a team with other village employees, participating in softball and bowling games against the Village of Patchogue employees.

He strived to make the village a pleasant place to live, full of beauty, recreation and accessible parkland. His leadership style inspired his successors, including Garant.

“He was a man for everybody. He wasn’t pretentious. You always felt comfortable around Hal,” she said. “He never made any situation feel like it was something that couldn’t be handled. He wasn’t mayor for title or prestige, he was mayor for helping the people.” 

Pizzarelli said that, although Sheprow was hesitant to support Hope House Ministries at first, he gave Pizzarelli the opportunity to argue his case and actively listened to other positions. 

“He was always open-minded, and that is what always impressed me,” Pizzarelli said. “Whatever you brought to him, even though he may push back, he allowed you to push back to him so he could have a better understanding of whatever the issue was you were bringing to him.” 

The Village of Port Jefferson made a social media post after Sheprow’s death, stating that the Sheprow family is “lightened by the fact that he was resting comfortably in his final moments, surrounded by loved ones.”

In an interview by Chris Ryon and Mark Sternberg in 2023 on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the incorporation of the village, Sheprow said, “Being a mayor for Port Jefferson has got to be the most exciting experience anybody, laymen, could have. There is no better. I don’t care what you do in Port Jefferson, whether you go water-skiing, whatever you do, golf…nothing. Nothing is better than this — working in the Port Jeff government.”

Sheprow served as mayor from 1977 to 1985 and 1987 to 1991. His daughter, Lauren Sheprow, continues his legacy as mayor. He is survived by his wife Peggy; daughters Madelyn and Lauren; sons Dennis, Warren, Glenn and Brendan; 14 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. He is predeceased by his parents, brothers Ralph and Warren and son Neil Harold. 

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Hope House Ministries of Port Jefferson. Visitation was on May 6 at Moloney’s Funeral Home in Port Jefferson Station. The funeral Mass was held on May 7 at St. Charles Chapel, 200 Belle Terre Road, Port Jefferson. Graveside service was be held at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Port Jefferson following the Mass. 

 

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A scene from the Smithtown Historical Society's 2025 Easter Festival. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
A scene from the Smithtown Historical Society's 2025 Easter Festival. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
A scene from the Smithtown Historical Society's 2025 Easter Festival. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
A scene from the Smithtown Historical Society's 2025 Easter Festival. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
A scene from the Smithtown Historical Society's 2025 Easter Festival. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
A scene from the Smithtown Historical Society's 2025 Easter Festival. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
A scene from the Smithtown Historical Society's 2025 Easter Festival. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
A scene from the Smithtown Historical Society's 2025 Easter Festival. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
A scene from the Smithtown Historical Society's 2025 Easter Festival. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
A scene from the Smithtown Historical Society's 2025 Easter Festival. Photo by Sabrina Artusa

By Sabrina Artusa

On a warm and sunny April 19, families gathered at the Smithtown Historical Society for an Easter egg hunt, live music, crafts and a petting zoo. 

Food trucks parked on the grounds and, during breaks from the scavenger hunt or racing in the mini trucks, children sat in the shade and enjoyed an ice cream. Sheep, ponies, goats and llamas received much attention from the curious children. Adults perused craft booths that vendors set up next to a small stage, where the band Perfect Strangers covered the classics. 

Children in their Easter best sat next to the Easter bunny and posed for pictures. Bunny ears bobbed across the expansive grounds as children ran from one activity to the next, enjoying the fresh air and Easter festivities. 

— Photos by Sabrina Artusa

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Jude Rosenveld at the April 8 public hearing.

By Sabrina Artusa

During an April 8 Huntington Town board meeting, Cold Spring Harbor residents spoke on the proposed rezoning of the 23.75-acre RozeWood Farm and Estate property at 473 Woodbury Road. The period for public comment remains open. 

Currently, the owners of the property, Jude and Jan Rosenveld, want to create a 23-room retreat and spa on the property. To do so, the property will have to be zoned as a historic overlap district from an R-80 residential district. 

The property consists of a farm, a manor house, a farm house, guest cottages and a carriage house. There is also a tennis court and inground pool on the property, which will be used for the spa. 

“There are very few improvements being made to the property,” said Chris Robinson of Robinson and Mullers, an engineer on the project. Improvements would include a parking area and a second tennis court. The State Environmental Quality Review Act determination was negative. 

An online petition against the rezoning on Change.org has garnered over 640 signatures. Chief among the concerns of opponents was additional traffic congestion as well as the risks rezoning would create should future property owners decide to make further changes. Further, the use of the service road was cause of criticism, especially for those residing on neighboring properties who predict increased use would affect the peace of their community. 

Wayne Muller of Robinson and Muller Engineering said that traffic would not exceed any other possible projects permissible in the current R-80 Residential zoning, such as mosques or a private elementary school.

“Neither me, myself or my neighbors or the town of Huntington should be put in the position where trust is part of the equation. My neighbors and I respectfully ask that restrictive covenants be put in place if you consider putting in place this zone change,” said one resident.

The mansion was built in the 1930s, while the farmhouse was used in 1830 and is on the National Historic registry.

As the Huntington Town Board considers denoting millions to the water and sewer districts in Greenlawn, Dix Hills and South Huntington, residents question if new facilities are imminently necessary. 

“If there is anything you can do to put this off until the economy straightens off, that would be greatly appreciated especially by those who really can’t afford it,” said one Greenlawn resident, where there is a $6 million proposed expenditure. Nathaniel Corwin of Meyer Suozzi law firm, who is representing the Greenlawn water district, said “the estimated cost for [an advanced oxidation process] system including necessary GAC [granular activated carbon] systems, building as well as a very expensive generator is $9,994,000.” Since $3 million will be provided through on-hand funds, a bond would be required for the remainder. 

For more information of RozeWood Farm and Estate go to www.rozewoodfarm.com.

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