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Sound Beach Civic

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Photo by Karina Gerry

By Karina Gerry

Sound Beach community members gathered at the Sound Beach Veterans Memorial Park on New York Avenue Thursday to honor Veterans on the “11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.”

The Sound Beach Civic Association held its annual Veteran’s Day Ceremony, and members of the civic association were joined by the Sound Beach Fire Department, Councilwoman Jane Bonner (R-Rocky Point), Senator Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk), Scout Troop 2019, and Rocky Point High School chorus and band members leading the ceremony. Last year’s ceremony was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as this year’s Memorial Day Ceremony.

“The freedoms we enjoy every day are due to your sacrifice,” said Bea Ruberto, president of the Sound Beach Civic Association, during her opening remarks. “All we can do today is say thank you, but there is so much more that we can do and that we should do every day … At this point we thought, it’s time, we need to do this.”

During the ceremony Rocky Point High School Chorus led the crowd in the National Anthem and America the Beautiful, while the band played God Bless America. The students were applauded for their performance and for coming out on their day off.

Photo by Karina Gerry

Palumbo gave the reins over to his Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs, Chad Lennon, a Veteran and Major in the Marine Corps Reserves, to speak to the crowd about his experience and the importance of honoring them not just on Veterans Day, but every day.

“Today’s the one day that we come out to recognize but there are sacrifices made every day,” Lennon said. “It’s not just the sacrifice of the bodies, it’s the sacrifice of the families, it’s not just a one-day event it’s every day.”

Lennon noted that Suffolk County has the largest population of veterans out of all 62 counties across the state. 

The high numbers from Suffolk and Nassau came as “a shock” to Lennon, but the high volume of vets in the county could be seen even during the intimate Sound Beach event — when during the ceremony Veterans were called up to stand under the flag of the branch they served and a little over 40 vets came forward from the crowd.

“We couldn’t be where we are today without the service of those who came before us and laid the foundation,” Lennon said. “Our responsibility is to continue to push that legacy by giving a good foundation for the next generation that comes through.”

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Members of the Sound Beach Civic Association during this month’s meeting. Photo by Julianne Mosher

During Sound Beach Civic Association’s recent meeting, a local resident was recognized for her community service and drive to help others. 

Ernestine Franco was honored by Leg. Sarah Anker. Photo by Julianne Mosher

On Saturday, Oct. 9, civic association member Ernestine Franco was surprised during the meeting when Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) approached her with a county proclamation.

“I love your dedication to our well-being, while staying so humble,” Anker told Franco. “I’ve had a lot of folks that did not want to get any type of recognition. They see that as selfish, but actually it is a selfless way of being because you’re looking at other people, you’re trying to help other people and you inspire — you’re one of my inspirations.”

While working with the civic, Franco was instrumental in creating and publishing a local cookbook, “Signature Dishes of Sound Beach and Beyond,” for fundraising for a tribute to the frontline and essential workers of the COVID-19 pandemic at an adopted spot the civic takes care of on New York Avenue.  

“Sound Beach would not be the beautiful, great place that it is if it were not for you,” Anker said.

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Photo by Sabrina Artusa

By Sabrina Artusa

Sound Beach Civic Association dedicates itself to the betterment of the locality and the well-being of its citizens. So, as the COVID-19 pandemic escalated, members knew they needed to find a way to thank the frontline and essential workers who were risking their own health to keep others safe.

The civic initiated a fundraiser by collecting recipes and creating a cookbook, “Signature Dishes of Sound Beach and Beyond.” The cookbook was sold in order to fund this tribute.

The unexpected free services, such as the delivery of the tribute stone and the stone itself, resulted in extra money from the fundraiser, money which the civic decided to donate to the Yaphank veterans home.

On Saturday, July 31, in perfect weather, Sound Beach residents and others gathered on the lawn outside Hartlin Inn. The area was packed with firefighters, police officers, grocery store attendants, delivery workers, health care workers, school board members, government workers, Girl Scouts and  citizens who wanted to express their gratitude. Also in attendance were county Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai), Councilwoman Jane Bonner (R-Rocky Point) and Stuart Vincent, Mather Hospital public relations director.

Bea Ruberto, president of the civic association, stood at the stand in the center of the lawn to explain the tribute, but not before residents and friends pointed out it was her birthday. After the group sang “happy birthday” and the laughs had stopped, Ruberto explained the purpose of the tribute, which was inscribed on the stone: “Honoring the heroes all around us.”

After thanking her board, she commended government — “our public servants” — who have “been critical in getting us to where we are today.” New York state has one the lowest coronavirus positivity rates in the country, a feat Ruberto said could not have happened without their persistence and sacrifice.

She continued by honoring law enforcement, health care workers and educators. “Educators had to work harder to provide quality education,” she said. Susan Sullivan, president of the Rocky Point school board, confirmed that “nothing was business as usual.”

Sound Beach Fire Department chief, Darran Handshaw, talked of his experience from the past year and a half. “We were in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, the likes of which we hadn’t seen in a century,” he said.

Just as citizens struggled to adjust to life in a pandemic, firefighters had to adjust their protocols to combat the virus threat. “Our emergency response protocols were never designed to deal with it,” Handshaw said. “It was a very nerve-racking time.”

Chad Lennon, special assistant/veteran affairs with state Sen. Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk), said “there was no time out, no pause in life.” He expressed his gratitude for health care workers and recognized their continuous efforts. “The new [Delta] variant that is spreading in 2021 continues to pose new challenges for them,” he said.

Handshaw said of the tribute, “I think it’s great.  … It’s very nice that the community decided to recognize us.”

The stone, framed by blooming flowers, American flags and a new tree, displayed its message toward the road. “We wanted as many people as possible to see it,” Ruberto said.

Commanding officer of the 7th Precinct, Inspector Matthew McCormick, started in his post just as the pandemic raged in March 2020. “It was a tough time for law enforcement,” he said, and went on to tell of how 17 officers had to quarantine for two weeks. Law enforcement coped well with the pandemic, but McCormick gave credit to Sound Beach residents. “We are only as good as our community,” he said.

This sentiment was echoed in the handout the civic had prepared with the meaningful words, “Working together we accomplish more.”

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Photo by Sabrina Artusa
Photo by Sabrina Artusa
Photo by Sabrina Artusa
Photo by Sabrina Artusa
Photo by Sabrina Artusa

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Above: Leg. Sarah Anker with Bea Ruberto and volunteers at the Adopt-a-Spot in Sound Beach during Saturday’s cleanup. Photo from Sarah Anker

The Sound Beach Civic and North Shore Youth Council joined together to clean up a spot that will soon be home to a frontline hero dedication.

Bea Ruberto, president of the civic, said that the group was joined by local scouts and the NSYC to clean up parts along New York Avenue. With all groups combined, more than two dozen community members helped prepare for the tribute that is set to be installed at their Adopt-a-Spot this summer. 

From 9 a.m. until 12 on Saturday, May 8, Ruberto said it was a successful event.

“Everything was done by noon because pretty much everybody was there by nine, and everybody just jumped in and started working,” she said. “They were really great.”

Volunteers cleaning up from the North Shore Youth Council. Photo from NSYC

Stephanie Ruales, director of communications and public relations, and executive director Robert Woods said a handful of kids from NSYC joined in the cleanup, and stayed to make sure the spot was perfect. 

“We love working on community projects with our local organizations and are always looking for ways to get our young kids involved in community service,” they both wrote in an email. “It’s also a great way to raise awareness about initiatives that our civics are working on and the great things happening in our towns.”

While there, the volunteers from the youth council helped edge out one of the garden beds and weed and prepped the area for some new plantings and transplants. 

Ruberto said cleaning up the spot is paving the way for the tribute they began planning months ago. The idea is to have a large stone, adorned with a plaque honoring frontline workers who worked tirelessly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. A tree will be planted behind it. 

To raise funds for the project, the civic created a cookbook, “Signature Dishes of Sound Beach and Beyond,” earlier this year. Donations were made in exchange for the book, and the civic “sold out” of the first 100 copies almost immediately. 

“It was because people want to support this,” Ruberto said. “People really care about saying thank you to all the people who work to keep us safe.”

Ruales and Woods said not only was the cleanup helpful to the future tribute, but it also instills a sense of community in young people. 

“It helps them feel connected to where they live, especially as we continue to navigate the pandemic,” they wrote. “There’s that feeling of accomplishment that they contributed to something greater than themselves.”

Volunteers cleaning up from the North Shore Youth Council. Photo from NSYC

Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) stopped by to help, too.

“It is thanks to our committed community volunteers that our community’s green spaces stay beautiful and clean,” she said. “The Adopt-a-Spot will be the perfect place to honor and thank our frontline and essential workers who continue to keep us safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.” 

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Bea Ruberto, Brianna Florio and Mary McKeown show off the new ‘Signature Dishes of Sound Beach and Beyond’ cookbook, with proceeds going to a frontline worker tribute. Photo by Julianne Mosher

The Sound Beach Civic Association wanted to do something for local essential workers, and everyone knows that food brings people together.  

Bea Ruberto, president of the civic, said early last year the group wanted to do a tribute to the frontline and essential workers at an adopted spot they take care of on New York Avenue.  

Although still a concept, the plan is to plant a small tree with a memorial stone in front of it to honor all the people who risked their lives. 

But due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the civic was unable to do typical fundraising to make the tribute happen. So, instead, they decided to create a cookbook, “Signature Dishes of Sound Beach and Beyond,” for donations. 

“Because the civic is a not-for-profit, we are asking for a donation of $20 and then they get the book,” Ruberto said.  

The cookbook, which came out officially earlier this month, is dedicated to all the people who kept everybody safe throughout the coronavirus crisis, and features a section devoted solely to the local heroes. 

Ruberto and her group began reaching out to civic members and others in the Sound Beach community asking them to send in their favorite family dishes.  

Photo by Julianne Mosher

“Initially, we wanted it to be just people in Sound Beach, but we weren’t getting enough recipes,” she said. “So, then we reached out beyond that, which included friends of people who live in Sound Beach, families of people who live in Sound Beach, and this is how it came together.” 

She added that by the end of production — which took about four months to put together — 64 people submitted 220 recipes for the 150-page book. 

Sound Beach resident Mary McKeown submitted the most recipes — 15 of them — and would reach out to Ruberto often to ask what kind of recipe she needed. 

“I just love all the people we’ve met here, and just to be a part of everybody doing it all together has just been great fun,” McKeown said.  

Brianna Florio, also of Sound Beach, volunteered to create the cover and drew the concept drawing for what the tribute at the adopted spot will look like when completed. 

“I think she did a beautiful job,” Ruberto said.  

The black-and-white cover features a local beach with a picnic basket and birds flying in the background.  

The 22-year-old said she took a photo of the Long Island Sound and then used her Photoshop skills to add the details.  

As of right now, more than 100 books have been sold to people throughout the whole country. 

“I actually I got an email from somebody who saw this on Facebook from North Carolina,” Ruberto said. “And he wanted to gift it to his mom who used to live in Sound Beach.” 

Ruberto said that the cookbook will appease all different types of palates because there is so much variety, but the classics still remain. 

On page 142, there is a recipe from two local boys for one of their favorites: pea-nut butter and jelly.  

Ruberto said the first batch of books has all been taken, but the civic is currently ordering more. Those who are interested in making a $20 donation to receive the “Signature Dishes of Sound Beach and Beyond” can email [email protected] or call 631-744-6952.

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Gina Mingoia performs during The Sal Mingoia Pet Adopt-A-Thon Sept. 22, an event renamed in her father’s memory, who died in 2017 following a battle with cancer. Photo by Alex Petroski

By David Luces

For 20-year-old Gina Mingoia, Shoreham resident and local musician, her selfless attitude, her willingness to extend a helping hand and her music have endeared her to so many in the community.

Whether it’s donating her time or gracing people with her voice, she has undoubtedly made a lasting positive impact on many people’s lives.

Bea Ruberto, president of the Sound Beach Civic Association, can attest to that. 

“Gina is an all-around great person,” Ruberto said. “She is someone who is very committed to the community.”

Gina Mingoia performed in concert at this year’s Pet Adopt-A-Thon in honor of her father, Sal, who passed away in 2017. Photo from Mingoia family

Ruberto first met Mingoia through the civic association’s pet adopt-a-thon, an event that encourages responsible pet ownership and provides a place to help local animal welfare groups get animals adopted.

“After the first pet adopt-a-thon [in 2012], I began advertising it more,” she said. “I don’t know how they heard about the event, but her father Sal approached us and said, ‘We’re really committed to helping these animal welfare groups, and we would love to play at the event.’”

For the next five years, both Sal and Gina Mingoia donated their time and lent their musical talents to the event.

In 2015, Sal Mingoia was diagnosed with cancer. Despite that, when he heard the event was on the following year, he and his daughter made it a point to attend. 

In 2017, Sal Mingoia passed away, but his contribution to the event over the years left a lasting impact on Ruberto.

“I wasn’t sure if she was going to be involved this year,” Ruberto said. “I didn’t even approach her, but as soon as she heard that we were running the event, she contacted me, and she said, ‘I really want to be there. It was my dad’s and my favorite gig. I want to keep being a part of it.’

For this year’s event, the Sound Beach Civic Association changed the name to The Sal Mingoia Pet Adopt-A-Thon.

“Because they were so committed over the years, we changed the name in his honor, and we will continue to call it that,” Ruberto said. 

Music can create a special bond. That couldn’t be truer for Mingoia and her father. 

“She was meant to be in music and be on stage,” her cousin Jackie Mingoia said. “She’s a natural up there.”

Mingoia first joined her father on stage when she was 12. It was a perfect match, and over the years, she has been developing her craft with some help from her cousin. 

“The quality of music she was making was very good,” Jackie Mingoia said.

Sal Mingoia was a devoted family man to his daughters Samantha and Gina. Photo from Gina Mingoia

In 2017, Gina Mingoia won Long Island’s Best Unsigned Artist and got the opportunity to travel to Nashville.

Recently, Jackie Mingoia has helped her cousin as a fellow songwriter. She would assist with ideas or sometimes finish up a song with her in the garage studio Sal Mingoia made. 

One of those ideas turned into a song titled “New York,” which Gina Mingoia performed earlier this year.

When they’re not working on music together, Jackie Mingoia says her cousin has a funny side and is great to be around.

“Gina has a great heart,” Mingoia said. “She is a very giving person and always looking to help people however she can. She is the most selfless person I know.”

Kelli Cutinella has known Gina Mingoia for a long time and says she is a genuine, loving person who never asks for anything in return.

Cutinella got to know Mingoia through her son, Tom, and the two became close friends the summer before sixth grade.

“Tom always spoke very highly of her,” Cutinella said. 

In 2014, Tom passed away following a head-on collision during a football game. Almost two years later, Mingoia finished a song she dedicated to her late friend titled, “I Wish (Tom’s Song).” 

It was in October 2016 at The Thomas Cutinella Memorial Foundation Golf Tournament, a fundraising event started by his parents to honor his memory, that Mingoia shared her song with them for the first time. 

“It meant so much to us,” Cutinella said. “Words can’t describe it. It was a really special moment for everyone that was there. You could tell the song was special for Gina.”

Town of Brookhaven Councilwoman Jane Bonner (C-Rocky Point) said Mingoia’s willingness to donate her time to help others has made her a role model in the community.

“Gina is wiser beyond her years,” Bonner said. “She is an old soul, a sensitive and caring person.”

Bonner says Mingoia has a great support system in her family, and she has a bright future.

“The sky is the limit [for her],” Bonner said. “Her music has amassed quite the local following. Whatever she wants to do, I hope she continues to touch people’s lives in a positive way.”

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