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Sound Beach Civic Association

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Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker and Bea Ruberto. Photo courtesy Anker's office

Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) presented Sound Beach resident Bea Ruberto with a proclamation.

The proclamation recognizes Ruberto as a Woman of Distinction in 2022 and for her ongoing dedication to her community. In addition to serving as president of the Sound Beach Civic Association, Ruberto is the co-owner of Pern Editorial Services, a member of the Brookhaven Anti-Litter Task Force, and a leader in local diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. She also served as president of the auxiliary of the Sound Beach Fire Department. 

“It is not primarily the geography of a town that makes it remarkable,” Anker said. “It is the passion and dedication of its residents that make a community distinguished. Bea makes Sound Beach shine, and it fills me with joy to present her with this recognition.”

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Leon Adler, left, and Bea Ruberto, right, together have brought the local history of Sound Beach to life. Photo by Aidan Johnson
By Aidan Johnson

Dozens of Sound Beach residents learned much more about their community on Monday, Aug. 8, during a second screening of the new local film, “The History Upon Our Shores: Sound Beach, NY,” at the Heritage Center in Mount Sinai. The well-received premiere was shown on June 10 at the same venue.

The film, produced and directed by resident Leon Adler, is based on the book, “Sound Beach: Our Town, Our Story,” authored by Bea Ruberto, president of the Sound Beach Civic Association.

“It’s exciting to be a part of sharing the town’s history with everybody, but I think it’s hard to say I’m among the first,” Adler said. “I imagine over many years, people were always telling stories through family members about the history, but I’m probably among the first to wrap it all up in a bow.”

The film tells the story of the quaint hamlet, from its beginnings as a summertime escape from 1929 onward to its present form as a community of over 7,000 residents.

Adler, who also narrates the film, infused humor throughout, keeping the audience laughing and learning as they digested plenty of information about Sound Beach.

Despite a runtime of under an hour, Adler devoted immense effort to getting the film over the finish line. According to him, two minutes of on-screen time could take up to four days of work to edit.

Furthermore, Adler put in months of his time to ensure that the narration, music and photos all synchronized perfectly. However, he said the finished product was well worth it to him.

“I think that when people know the history of where they live, it gives them a greater appreciation for it and just the whole background of it,” Adler said.

Ruberto was pleased by the interest that the movie garnered among the public. Despite living in Sound Beach for 45 years, she still considers herself a newbie to the area.

“I really began to appreciate Sound Beach when I got on the civic board,” she said. “Before that, I didn’t appreciate what a wonderful place it is to live.”

By joining the civic association, Ruberto realized the importance of local issues to both her and her peers. For her, in order to help keep the community beautiful, residents must remain active and engaged in it. 

The inspiration to write the book came to Ruberto about a decade ago when she was looking to get better bus stops for Sound Beach. “We were reviewing the stops, and a lot of them were wrong,” she said. “One of the bus stops was called Scotty’s Corner, and I had no idea where that was. I can’t tell you how long I spent trying to find it, and that’s when I realized that a lot of people didn’t know either.”

The seemingly nonexistent bus stop drove Ruberto to the realization that much of the history of Sound Beach was passed down by word of mouth. However, as the older generations passed on, the precious history they carried went with them. Ruberto has made it her mission to keep that history alive: to research it, write it down and to preserve it. With the help of Adler, she has done just that.

As the film concluded, the audience gave Adler a long round of applause. For some, the film brought back memories of the town that they knew while growing up. For others, it sheds new light on a place where they are only beginning to establish their roots.

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County legislator discusses major initiatives coming out of her office

Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) is working on several projects, from bike trails to erosion education programs and more. Photo courtesy Anker’s office

Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) is at the forefront of several initiatives at the county level. In an exclusive interview with Anker, she opened up about her positions on public campaign finance, the North Shore Rail Trail, coastal erosion and more.

For those who do not know you, can you describe your background?

My background is that I’m a mother of three children and have been a Mount Sinai resident for 25 years. I’ve lived in Middle Island and in Coram, and I’m very familiar with this area and my legislative district. I worked at different ad agencies, did some independent contracting work and at some of the local shops in Patchogue. Then I took off for a handful of years to raise my kids. 

When my youngest was born, the New York State Health Department put out a cancer map showing that our area had a high frequency of cancer, particularly breast cancer, and my grandmother had just passed away from breast cancer. I decided to start a non-for-profit, the Community Health and Environment Coalition, around 2003. And this was basically to advocate to the state to come and do an investigation, tell us what we need to know, why we had these numbers and where these numbers were coming from. 

Eventually, they came back to the community and did testing, but unfortunately, they left more questions than answers. We continue to investigate and try to understand the causes of cancer.

I got a job working as the chief of staff for [Councilwoman] Connie Kepert [D-Middle Island] at the Town of Brookhaven. She pulled me in and then they got a $4.5 million grant for solar programs. Working with Connie, we started the programs and then I was promoted to be in charge of creating an energy department at the Town of Brookhaven. I left that position to run for this position.

I ran for office and have been elected seven times. I’m term limited, so I can’t run anymore. I’m a Democrat but fairly conservative — moderate and in the middle. I find the common denominator and I focus on that. I don’t go too far left or too far right, and I’m here to represent my constituents and to kind of settle the storm when there are issues out there. My top priority is public safety and the safety of my residents. I did that for my kids and my family. I do that now for my constituents.

How did your most recent project, the North Shore Rail Trail, come to fruition?

That one was very challenging. I had to overcome some major obstacles and challenges along the way. 

The three main challenges were getting the county exec on board. The former one was not supportive; the current one, Steve Bellone [D], supported it. I also had to get the energy folks from LIPA on board. I had worked a lot with them while running the energy program at the Town of Brookhaven and we had a good professional relationship. 

That worked because they were open to the idea of LIPA having this as a wonderful public relations project. The third one was getting the community on board. The ability to see this through stemmed from the fact that there had been fatalities related to people attempting to ride their bikes, jog or run along our local highways. Because all of those concerns and challenges were in place, it was time to move forward.

Hopefully, and I stress this, people need to use common sense and they need to take responsibility for their safety when they cross the intersections. But this provides a safe place for people to be able to recreate. 

Can you discuss the work you are doing related to coastal erosion?

Erosion is a huge issue. I was meeting constituents and I was on Culross Drive in Rocky Point and as I walked up to a house, I noticed that their neighbor’s house had fallen off the cliff — literally, it was down the cliff. This was 10 or 11 years ago.

I found that a lot of constituents in my area are part of beach associations. Miller Place, Sound Beach, Rocky Point — these are private beach communities, so they don’t qualify for federal funding. I’m using the resources we do have to educate them on certain seagrasses, different brick structures, just give them ideas to try to address it. 

Unfortunately, if one addresses it and this person doesn’t and this person doesn’t, then it creates issues for the people that do. So I’m trying to see if we can get everyone on board to address the erosion issue. We’ll do what we can.

Public campaign finance has been an ongoing dispute between the county executive and the Legislature. Can you elaborate on your stance regarding the public campaign finance program that was repealed last week?

I support funding campaign finance reform. I support it. It’s a program that was started last year. We put money into it and it’s a shame that we couldn’t try it out. We do pilot programs all the time and I would have hoped that they could have at least done that. 

It was a project that the former presiding officer, Rob Calarco [D-Patchogue], had advocated for. He worked for a long time on it. I respect him and the amount of effort that he put into that. I would have preferred to at least give it a shot and see where it was going.

If it wasn’t doing well or there were some issues or problems with it, we could have always changed it. I voted to have another way to finance campaigns. Any large organization that has a lot of money can create very, very challenging campaigns for any individual — and I’ve been there personally. 

What is it about the communities that you represent that makes them so distinctive and unique?

I think that we have a lot of folks who understand how important it is to take an active role in their community. We have a lot of folks that participate in projects and events and activities that continue to inspire the people around them. Like the butterfly effect or a ripple in a stream, it just keeps going and I see that in my community.

Right now, in this complicated political climate, we need to understand that we all have something in common and we can all be part of addressing issues and accomplishing our goals by working together collaboratively. I’ve seen that and I do that, and I think that — whether it’s unique to us or not — it’s something that’s important that is happening in our district. 

We get what we put into our community. And right now, the people that have contributed to and who have improved our community, I’m really honored and privileged to work with those folks. 

Whether it’s Bobby Woods with the North Shore Youth Council or Bea Ruberto from the Sound Beach Civic Association, you really see who the true heroes are within your community when you work with them. And I feel very honored to have the ability to be part of what they are trying to create, which is a place that we can call home.

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Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai), at podium, with Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket), left, and Bellone, right. Photo by Raymond Janis

In what is typically a quiet spot in the woods of Shoreham, elected county officials and community leaders gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 10.

The North Shore rails-to-trails project was first introduced some five decades ago when a young woman at the time wrote a letter to the editor advocating for the conversion of an old rail line into a bike path. After decades of planning, the path, which links Mount Sinai to Wading River and everything in between, is finally complete.

Bikers celebrate the opening of the North Shore Rail Trail.
Photo by Raymond Janis

County Executive Steve Bellone (D) headlined the event. He spoke of the immense willpower on the part of the parties involved in making this dream a reality.

“You know any time a project is on the drawing boards for 50 years and you’re actually at the ribbon cutting, that’s a great day,” he said. 

In March 2020, the county completed its updated master plan for hiking and biking, which called for 1,200 miles of new bike infrastructure, according to Bellone. At full build-out, the plan would put 84% of county residents within a half-mile radius of a biking facility. The opening of the North Shore Rail Trail, he suggested, is an important first step to executing the master plan.

“This opening today really goes a long way toward kicking off that next effort — and we don’t want all of that to take another 50 years,” the county executive said. “That’s the kind of transformative investment we need to be making to keep our region prosperous and growing and attracting and retaining young people.” 

Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) spearheaded much of this project through the various levels of government and into completion. During that process, Anker said her office overcame a number of obstacles before getting to the finish line. 

“We understood as a community we needed this,” she said. “My number one priority in making sure this happened was, and still continues to be, public safety — making sure our residents, especially our kids, have a safe place to ride their bikes.” 

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D), prepares to cut the ribbon, surrounded by county Legislators, state and local officials, and leaders from throughout the community. Photo by Raymond Janis

For Anker, the trail offers a number of benefits to local residents, providing bikers with an open space to pursue their hobby while mitigating safety concerns about bikers sharing public roads with drivers. Additionally, the trail will encourage more residents to use their bikes to get around, limiting traffic congestion and air pollution from cars.

“I know someone that lives in Rocky Point,” Anker said. “He takes his bike on the trail now to get to his job in Mount Sinai … that’s what this trail is all about.”

Joining Anker was her colleague in the county Legislature, Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket). Hahn said trails like these can help to band neighboring communities together, establishing a sense of cohesion throughout the area.

“Between this one and the Port Jeff Station-East Setauket Greenway Trail, we can get from 25A in Setauket all the way to Shoreham-Wading River safely,” she said. “Suffolk County’s roads have consistently fallen on a national list of the most dangerous for bicyclists and pedestrians. This is the kind of vision we need to turn that around.”

New York State Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio (R-Riverhead) delivering her remarks during the events. Photo by Raymond Janis

State Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio (R-Riverhead) suggested that at a time when tax dollars are leaving Long Island communities, the opening of this bike path is also a symbolic victory for the community members and their representatives.

“I couldn’t think of a better way to spend taxpayer money than to invest it in something that is a free, recreational and healthy activity for not only the residents of Suffolk County, but for all of New York,” she said.

Town of Brookhaven Highway Superintendent Daniel Losquadro (R) detailed the many logistical hurdles that the Highway Department had to overcome to make this project possible. 

“There are over 30 road crossings and all of them are town roads,” he said. “We had to work very closely on making sure that the design of that provided for safe passage for our bikers and walkers.” He added, “I live about a third of a mile away and rode my bike here [today]. I ride here with my kids all the time and it is a fantastic addition to our community.”

Anker ended with one final reflection before the official ribbon cutting, placing the trail in historical context. “The original idea came about 50 years ago at a Sound Beach Civic [Association] meeting and also a young girl in 1974, who wrote a letter to the editor,” the county legislator said. “It did take a while, but we did it.”

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The Sound Beach Civic Association hosted its annual Memorial Day service at Veterans Memorial Park May 31.

Attendees of the event included New York State Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio (R-Riverhead), Brookhaven Councilwoman Jane Bonner (R-Rocky Point), musicians from Rocky Point High School and veterans representing each branch of the armed services. 

Deacon Bob Mullane, of St. Louis de Montfort R.C. Church, delivered the invocation for the event. “We have gathered here today to remember those who have died in service to this country,” he said. “We commend them for their courage in the face of great odds. As citizens of this great nation, we remember the sacrifices, and those of their families and friends, with deep gratitude.”

Jimmy Henke, a longtime resident of Sound Beach and war hero, raised the American flag during the ceremony. While serving in Vietnam on a reconnaissance mission, his company came under intense enemy fire. After exposing himself to the gunfire, Henke carried a wounded comrade to a medical site. For his valiance in the face of tremendous danger, Henke was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. 

Following him, veterans from each of the armed services raised the flags representing their respective branch of services. Girl Scouts Julianna Gabrielsen and Anna Polyanksi laid the memorial wreaths.

Performances were delivered by students from the music department of Rocky Point school district under the direction of Amy Schecher. Tessa Cunningham, Alexandra Kelly and Brenna Kiernan sang both the national anthem and “God Bless America.” Daniel Curley and Shaun Sander performed “Taps.” 

The event was concluded by a wind rendition of “America the Beautiful,” performed by Shane McDonald, Ryan McDonald, Jasmine Pickenburg, Matthew Liselli, Hannah Gundel, Brayden D’Ambrosio, Piper Rinn, Aneesh Deshpande, Vivian Dorr and Justin Pititto with Curley and Sander.

To learn more about the Sound Beach Civic Association, visit www.soundbeachcivic.org.

— Photos by Raymond Janis

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A wreath is laid at the memorial wall in Sound Beach during the Veterans Day ceremony in 2017. Photo by Desirée Keegan

This year’s Veterans Day is Thursday, November 11, and the North Shore community is honoring military veterans with several events in the area.

Veterans Day Parade

VFW Post 395 in St. James invite the community to their annual Veteran’s Day Parade at 10 a.m. The parade will step off from the intersection of Lake and Woodlawn Avenues in St. James and march to the St. James Elementary School for a ceremony. Questions? Call 631-250-9463.

Veterans Day Ceremony

The Sound Beach Civic Association will hold a Veterans Day ceremony at the Sound Beach Vets Memorial Park on New York Ave., Sound Beach at 11 a.m. All are welcome. For further information, call 631-744-6952.

Veterans Day Observance

In commemoration of Veterans Day 2021, American Legion Greenlawn Post 1244 will conduct its annual Veterans Day Observance onNov. 11 at 11 a.m. at Greenlawn Memorial Park, at the corner of Pulaski Rd. and Broadway in Greenlawn. For more information, call 516-458-7881 or e-mail [email protected].

Veterans Day Ceremony

VFW Post 3054 of Setauket hosts its annual Veterans Day Ceremony at the Setauket Veterans Memorial Park on Shore Road and Route 25A on Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. All are welcome. For more information, call 631-751-5541.

Free admission to Vets at LIM

The Long Island Museum, 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook remembers, honors and thanks all the men and women who have served and who are currently serving. As a tribute, the museum is offering free admission to all Veterans and their families on Nov. 11 from noon to 5 p.m. Call 631-751-0066 for further information.

Free admission to Vets at Vanderbilt Museum

The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport will thank veterans and active military personnel and their families for their extraordinary service, on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, and on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, November 12, 13 and 14 from noon to 4 p.m. The Museum will offer them free general admission plus guided Mansion tours and Planetarium shows. (Veterans’ proof of military service, or active-duty military ID required for complimentary guest admission. For more information, call 631-854-5579 or visit www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

Free admission to Vets at Three Village Historical Society

The Three Village Historical Society,  93 North Country Road, Setauket remembers and honors all the individuals who have served and who are currently serving. As a thank you to our Veterans, the History Center at the Society is offering free admission to all Veterans and their families on Nov. 11. They will be open for tours of their exhibits from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call 631-751-3730.

 

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Photo from Town of Brookhaven

On Wednesday, June 16, Councilwoman Jane Bonner (R-Rocky Point) was joined by Sound Beach Civic Association president Bea Ruberto to honor longtime SBCA board member Kevin McKeown as he steps down from the board. Bonner presented McKeown with a proclamation to thank him for his many years of service to the civic. 

McKeown has also been active with the Rocky Point VFW, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Tin Can Sailors Organization. He is also very committed to helping the less fortunate in the community as a volunteer at the St. Louis De Montfort Outreach and Hope House. 

He has been a member of the Civic for 11 years and board member for six.

“Kevin has participated in just about every project that the Sound Beach Civic Association has worked on and is always available when called upon,” Bonner said. “I thank him and his wife, Mary, for all they have done in service to the community and I’m sure that he will continue to serve in some capacity.”

Photo and caption from Town of Brookhaven.

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A concept design for the essential worker tribute by Brianna Florio, a young local resident who will also be designing the cover of the cookbook pro bono.

By Bea Ruberto

How do we say thank you to the nurse who during the pandemic worked tirelessly to try and save a life and then sat quietly holding his hand when that life would have ended alone, without loved ones by his side? How do we say thank you to the doctor who day after day showed unfathomable courage by putting himself and his family at risk to care for us? How do we say thank you to all those who were willing to sacrifice their own safety and well-being so that we would have essential services in our life — the grocery store clerk who kept us all fed; the postal worker who made sure some of us received our needed medicine; the nursing home worker who cared for our most vulnerable; and so many more. To all those willing to sacrifice their own safety and well-being in this crisis, we are eternally grateful and we at the Sound Beach Civic Association want to establish a standing tribute to their commitment and sacrifice.

Sound Beach Civic Associaiton President Bea Ruberto speaks during the Veterans Day ceremony at Sound Beach Veterans Memorial Park. File photo by Desirée Keegan

These individuals are truly heroes — By showing up for work in dangerous conditions, they helped to ensure the health and safety of everyone in our area and elsewhere. With this in mind, the civic is launching a campaign to express our gratitude and respect. In the near future, we will be installing a tribute to the frontline and essential workers at the adopt-a-spot on New York Avenue.

We are also in the process of compiling a cookbook, “Signature Dishes of Sound Beach,” that will also be dedicated to the frontline and essential workers, with all profits going to help install the tribute. In a section of the cookbook entitled Heroes Are All Around Us, we will list the names of individuals and organizations that worked to keep us safe. So, we are asking the community at large to let us know who they are so we can say, “Thank You.” When we look back at these months, we want to remember all these amazing people.

Also included in the cookbook will be a section entitled Chef’s Specialties for those who aren’t cooks. Here, restaurants can tell us about their signature dishes or possibly even share a recipe. Although civic members will be given preference, all Sound Beach residents are invited to submit their “special” recipes. We ask that all recipes be original. If taken from another publication, it must be sufficiently adapted to make it their own. To help cover expenses we are asking $1 for each recipe submitted.

So, if you want to be a part of this worthwhile project, please submit your favorite recipe as well as names of the heroes all around us to be included in the book. Additionally, we are asking for donations as well as for sponsors to advertise in the cookbook. 

For more information please contact Bea Ruberto at [email protected].       

Bea Ruberto is the president of the Sound Beach Civic Association.

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Sound Beach Civic Associaiton President Bea Ruberto speaks during the Veterans Day ceremony at Sound Beach Veterans Memorial Park. File photo by Desirée Keegan

How high is the hill we have yet to climb? For the last several months we followed the guidelines: We stayed home, we wore masks when we needed to go out and we maintained social distancing, and it worked — we flattened the curve. The economy is reopening, and we’re all looking forward to resuming our lives, but from a health perspective and economically, it may be a long road back.

Suffolk is a populous county and has been severely affected by this virus, and the region’s ability to recover from the costs incurred by the pandemic depends on what happens next. As I understand it, Suffolk County is requesting $1 billion in federal aid, a fraction of what we send to Washington in taxes. In addition, Long Island sends more dollars to Washington than it receives in return. According to the Suffolk County COVID-19 Fiscal Impact Force Final Report, for most years sales tax collections account for approximately half of county revenues while an additional quarter comes from property taxes. The task force is currently projecting a $329 million shortfall in sales tax collections and a 4.9 percent shortfall in property tax collections. And, although the county is budgeted to receive $314 million in state aid, the State of New York has announced that, without federal reimbursements for the COVID-19 expenses it has incurred, there will be potential cuts of 20 to 30 percent. According to this report, the full impact of the lockdown is expected to bring steeper decline in the economy, the GDP and sales tax revenues. Again, as I understand it, without federal aid, the recovery could be extended out for a decade if not longer.

We did what we were told — we shut down the economy — and we hope that now what we hear from the federal government isn’t, “Thank you for following the guidelines; now you pay the cost of the response.” The pandemic is no different than any other natural disaster, and the federal government must provide the relief it would provide during any natural disaster. The state and county budgets are hurting, yet the message we’re getting from Washington is that there’s nothing to worry about and local governments should solve “their own problems.” 

This is a pivotal moment for the region. We need to recover as soon as possible. The financial impact should not be borne primarily by taxpayers nor should we accept cuts to services provided by our first responders, police and other essential workers, but this is exactly what will happen: An already fragile economy will tank without help from the federal government.

To this end, the Sound Beach Civic Association is spearheading a letter-writing campaign reaching out to our federal representatives without whose support the taxpayers of Suffolk County will suffer — both financially and in reduction of services. We encourage everyone to join us and contact Representatives Lee Zeldin (R-NY-1), Thomas Suozzi (D-NY-3) and Peter King (R-NY-2) and U.S. Senators Charles Schumer (D) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D). If you don’t want to write your own letter, you can download one at www.soundbeachcivic.org.

Bea Ruberto is the president of the Sound Beach Civic Association.

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Members and family of the Sound Beach spanish colony visit the Sound Beach civic to talk history. Photo by Bea Ruberto

Twenty members and descendants of the Spanish Colony came to the Sound Beach Civic Association’s monthly meeting Nov. 11 to help share memories of Sound Beach. 

People who emigrated from Spain came  to participate in speaking of the hamlet’s history. Bea Ruberto, the president of the civic, said the gathering was sparked by an article in the Village Beacon Record about civic members looking to consolidate Sound Beach history. 

The colony members all came from the cities of Alhama de Almeria and Tabernas in southeast Spain, which had been a favorite of films and television, having been featured in season six of “Game of Thrones,” “Cleopatra” and “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.”

Luisa Lopez, the daughter of Vicky Lopez, a Spanish teacher in Miller Place who often shared the rich culture and love of the Spanish culture with the upper level Spanish classes was there. Lopez brought two books, one written in Spanish, the other an English translation, about the colony.

The Manas family recently came from Spain, and for years, Ruberto said, Carlos Manas has maintained the civic website and aided the group in a variety of ways.

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