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Stony Brook Village Center

Three Village businesses warn residents of scams

by Rita J. Egan - March 24, 2022

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Stony-Brook-Village-Center-1 — Representatives from Stony Brook Village Center, above, and The Bates House in Setauket said people have set up fraudulent social media accounts soliciting vendors for non-existing events at their venues. File photo

Stony Brook Village Center’s management team warned the community of a scam brought to their attention by a resident.

The center’s social media coordinator took to Facebook and Instagram Friday to let people know “that a fraudulent social media account has been soliciting potential vendors for Stony Brook Village events to participate and send money through PayPal to reserve a location.”

People were advised not to respond to the message or similar ones as they are not from anyone from the village center as they do not have vendors at their events.

On the village center’s Instagram account, a representative from The Bates House in Setauket said the same scam happened to their business.

Lise Hintze, manager of Bates House and Frank Melville Memorial Park, said a few months ago a vendor called her to confirm the date of a showcase she saw on Facebook. The day happened to coincide with a wedding to be held at Bates House.

The woman told her that she wanted to secure a spot at a vendor showcase at the venue through a Facebook page. She sent Hintze a screenshot of the post she was about to respond to asking vendors to reserve a spot for $40 to participate in a vendor day

“I’m glad she called to confirm, because she said, ‘I’m just confirming because I’m going to give my $40, and I just want to make sure I have the right day because sometimes there’s a mix-up on Facebook,’ and that’s when I said to her, ‘This is not true,’” Hintze said.

The venue manager said it was impossible to determine how many people saw the post and paid, if any, so she assigned a security guard to work the day of the wedding.

“I said every car that comes in, you have to stop them and ask them if they’re coming to the wedding, and if they’re saying, ‘No, we’re here for the vendor day,’ you have to tell them it’s a scam,” Hintze said, adding that they had no problem on the day of the wedding.

The woman who brought the problem to her attention commented on the fraudulent Facebook post that it was a scam and reported the page to the social media platform.

A Suffolk County Police Department representative shared some tips in an email, including individuals reaching out “directly to the organization to verify its association with the advertised event.”

“Anyone who believes they may be a victim of a crime through social media, particularly one during which they have shared personal information or sent money, is urged to file a police report by calling 631-852-SCAM (7226),” the representative said. “If residents encounter what appears to be a scam on social media, report the page to the social media platform itself, in addition to reporting the page to police.”

Longtime restaurateur set to open new business in former Pentimento location

by Rita J. Egan - February 4, 2022

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7 x5 inch Photo — David Tunney is ready to open a new restaurant in Stony Brook Village Center. Photo from Eagle Realty Holdings

After being vacant since September, the spot formerly occupied by Pentimento will be home to a new restaurant.

In a statement Jan. 31, Eagle Realty Holdings Inc. announced David Tunney, who owns and operates several restaurants on Long Island from Port Jefferson to Roslyn, will open a new restaurant at 93 Main St. in Stony Brook Village Center.

“After many interviews with at least a half-dozen local and more distant restaurateurs, Eagle Realty Holdings trustees are pleased with our choice of David,” said chairman Richard Rugen in the press release.

According to Eagle Realty, Tunney is expected to open the new restaurant in the spring. He has not announced the name of the business or what will be offered.

“This will be a new concept, different cuisine and a whole new look,” Tunney said in the press release.

The business owner has been in the restaurant industry for 35 years and is a familiar face in the Three Village area. He grew up in Setauket and graduated from Ward Melville High School. In 2019, he bought the former Raga Indian Restaurant on Old Town Road and turned it into Old Fields Barbecue.

“This is where I grew up, this is where my roots are, and it’s amazing to come back to it,” Tunney said in a 2019 TBR News Media interview.

In addition to the Setauket spot, he owns Old Fields restaurants in Port Jefferson and Greenlawn and Old Fields Barbecue in Huntington. He is also one of the founders of the Besito Restaurant Group along with his brother John and part-owner of Besito Mexican restaurants in Huntington and Roslyn.

In the 2019 interview, Tunney said he had good memories of growing up in the Three Village area. His mother, Marilyn, worked in the TBR News Media offices for 25 years, and one of his first jobs was at the Arby’s that once was located where the Setauket Main Street firehouse is today. Tunney said his first job was with the former Dining Car 1890 that was located on Route 25A and Nicolls Road, where he started as a dishwasher.

In the interview, Tunney said he leaves the cooking to the chefs and enjoys the hospitality side of the business, which he learned from his brother John.

“The part I really love about it is making people have a great experience and that they just love all the food, the service, the ambiance, how they are taken care of,” he said in the interview.

Stony Brook restaurants all aboard again to help health care workers

by Rita J. Egan - January 12, 2022

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PP SBUH Program 22 — Angela Kaziris, owner of Premiere Pastry, fills her car with pies to be delivered. Photo from The Ward Melville Heritage Organization

When Stony Brook Village Center businesses heard health care workers are in need of a little support, they didn’t hesitate to help.

Callie Brennan and Tim Martino, owners of Crazy Beans, dropping off meals to the hospital.

The Ward Melville Heritage Organization announced Monday that once again it has organized the village center’s restaurants and eateries to deliver meals and breakroom snacks to Stony Brook University Hospital.

“It’s disappointing that we have to start up this program again, but the health care workers are there for the Long Island community, and we have to be there for them,” said Gloria Rocchio, WMHO president.

Between April 2020 and May 2021, the Stony Brook Village/Stony Brook University Hospital Meal Train Program provided more than 12,000 meals and snacks to the medical professionals at SBUH, according to WMHO. Grist Mill Eatery, Mirabelle Restaurant at the Three Village Inn, Crazy Beans, Stony Brook Chocolate, Village Coffee Market, Sweet Mama’s restaurant, Brew Cheese and Premiere Pastry are currently participating in the meal program.

According to WMHO, community members can become involved by donating to participating businesses.

Marios Patatinis, owner of Sweet Mama’s, said residents have been the heroes regarding the past and current meal trains due to their generous contributions. He said it enables restaurant owners to not only donate the food but helps to give the employees who prepare the meals more work hours.

“The true heroes are not the restaurants,” Patatinis said. “We have been working the hardest we can to keep afloat for the past few years, but it’s the families that are behind the scenes that are actually sponsoring these meals. They’re the ones that are the heroes in my eyes for the past two years.”

Carol Gomes, Stony Brook Medicine’s chief executive officer and chief operating officer, is grateful for the help.

“The team at Stony Brook University Hospital continues to provide a heroic level of care through this pandemic, and the support provided by the Stony Brook village meal train program is deeply appreciated and a reflection of the ways in which the community values our efforts on their behalf,” she said.

Donations for the program can also be sent directly to WMHO, which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Every dollar sent will be put toward the meal program and donations are tax-deductible. Checks can be made payable to WMHO, and “for the Stony Brook University Hospital Meal Program account” must be specified on the memo line. Checks can be sent to WMHO, P.O. Box 572, Stony Brook, NY 11790.

Stony Brook garage owner exemplifies the holiday spirit

by Rita J. Egan - December 23, 2021

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TEB1 — Brian Barton, owner of TEB North Country Car Care, and his employees and family organized a food drive that resulted in 250 Thanksgiving dinners this year. Photo from The Ward Melville Heritage Organization

A Stony Brook garage owner knows something about the gift of giving.

Brain Barton in front of his garage in Stony Brook village. Photo from The Ward Melville Heritage Organization

Brian Barton, owner of TEB North Country Car Care in Stony Brook Village Center, and more than a dozen employees and family members spearheaded a food drive that made 250 Thanksgiving dinners possible. The garage collected donations from community members that included canned vegetables, turkeys and more. Fifteen people joined in to help assemble 60 boxes, and then on Nov. 25, delivered them to homes of cancer patients and veterans from Plainview to Greenport.

Barton, who lives in Kings Park, said in addition to employees and family members chipping in to help, his customers have been extremely generous during the Thanksgiving drives. This year one regular donated 50 turkeys. Barton’s daughter Elaine, he said, is the one who makes all the phone calls and organizes where the meals need to go.

He has been heading up the food drives for a dozen years.

“It seems as if each year it’s getting bigger and bigger,” Barton said.

The proprietor, who is the former owner of Penney’s Car Care Center in St. James and Penney’s Waterside Car Care Center in Northport, is modest when talking about organizing the food drive as he says “it takes a village” to get it done.

“I would just like to thank everybody,” Barton said. “I can’t do this myself.”

He said this was the first year volunteers delivered meals to veterans after state Sen. Mario Mattera (R-St. James) became involved and connected them with the Northport VA Medical Center.

In a statement, Mattera thanked Barton and all of those who volunteered to help with the drive: “By donating Thanksgiving dinner to our veterans and those who are fighting cancer, his efforts helped show these men and women that their fellow Long Islanders support them.”

Gloria Rocchio, president of The Ward Melville Heritage Organization which oversees Stony Brook Village Center, described Barton as a modest and generous person who quietly helps others and donates to causes.

“He’s just amazing,” Rocchio said. “He’s constantly giving, and he’s always there for residents.”

Three Village Inn to reopen after flooding

by Press Release - December 22, 2021

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Images — Photo from The Ward Melville Heritage Organization

The Grinch decided to make an early stop in Stony Brook village this year: Cracking the water main and flooding the basement of the Three Village Inn and Mirabelle Restaurant and Tavern, causing Santa’s Brunch to be canceled.

Despite the damage done, the Three Village Inn’s employees and contractors are performing a herculean effort, working around the clock to have the inn and restaurant back up and running for dinner on Thursday, Dec. 23.

The Three Village Inn and Mirabelle Restaurant and Tavern is located at 150 Main Street in Stony Brook village. Reservations can be made by calling 631-751-0555.

Stony Brook holiday favorite returns

by Rita J. Egan - December 6, 2021

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Hundreds filled Stony Brook Village Center Sunday, Dec. 5, for the return of some old favorites.

Last year The Ward Melville Heritage Organization’s Annual Holiday Festival had to be scaled back due to COVID-19 restrictions, and there were no visits with santa, parade and various activities. This year the event returned in full force for the 42nd year. From noon to 6 p.m., the shopping center was filled with activities including performances, music from WALK 97.5, a petting zoo and more.

Attendees were able to stop by Wiggs Opticians to see the holiday train display in the storefront window, and children could visit Santa sitting in front of the post office to take photos and tell him what they wanted this holiday season. This year, Santa sat behind a plexiglass shield to protect him from getting sick.

At 2:15 p.m., a parade led by the Ward Melville High School Band featured the annual Legends & Spies Puppet Procession that included the likenesses of former prominent Three Village residents such as Ward and Dorothy Melville, Anna Smith Strong and William Sidney Mount.

Later in the day, Santa got aboard a holiday float to begin the tree-lighting ceremony and cap off the night on a festive note.

Holiday Tree Competition returns to Stony Brook Village Center

by Press Release - December 3, 2021

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On Sunday, Dec. 5, participants of the Ward Melville Heritage Organization’s (WMHO) Holiday Tree Competition will bring festive cheer to the Stony Brook Village Center, 111 Main St., Stony Brook and decorate 50 premium balsam trees that will line the open-air center’s walkways at the 42nd annual Holiday Festival.

One tree will be selected by votes from the public between Sunday, Dec. 5 and Monday, Dec. 20 to win a $150 gift certificate to Stony Brook Village and its establishments.

The decorated trees will remain in the village for viewing until Jan. 3.

Sponsors include Roosevelt Investments, Damianos Realty Group, GSE Dynamics, Central Semiconductor Corp and Armor Pest Control.

To learn more about the Holiday Tree Competition, call the WMHO office at 631-751-2244.

WMHO’s Holiday Festival to return to Stony Brook Dec. 5

by Press Release - November 29, 2021

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WMHO-Puppet-Parade_2017_hsutton6w — A puppet of businessman and philanthropist Ward Melville at the Stony Brook Village Holiday Festival's Legends & Spies Puppets Processional. Photo by Heidi Sutton

The Ward Melville Heritage Organization (WMHO)’s 42^nd Annual Holiday Festival will return on Sunday, December 5^th from noon to 6 p.m. at the Stony Brook Village Center, 111 Main St., Stony Brook with Santa, performances, displays, activities and more. This is an entirely free event.

The festival will feature music from WALK 97.5 throughout the day, Wiggs Optician’s Holiday Train Display, carolers, a performance from Roseland Dance Studio and a petting zoo. The Bethel AME Choir will be returning to help brighten spirits with a performance.

Children can write letters to Santa and mail them at the Stony Brook Post Office in the red “Mail for Santa” mailbox as soon as November 22. Letters can be mailed to Santa through the season.

WMHO’s Youth Corps Santa Fund fundraiser will include a scavenger hunt with the chance to win Stony Brook Village Center gift certificates, Discovery Cruise tickets and other prizes. All proceeds will be donated to Long Island Adolescent to benefit children in need over the holidays.

While the festivities are in full swing, festival goers can participate in the Holiday Tree Festival by voting for their favorite trees as they will be decorated that day. Ballots can be found in all establishments in Stony Brook Village. Voting will take place from December 5 to December 20.

At 5:30pm, Santa will arrive on a holiday float, and with some children from the community, will light the holiday tree on the Village Green.

The sponsors of the 42^nd Annual Holiday Festival and the 42^nd Annual Holiday Tree Competition are Roosevelt Investments, Damianos Realty Group, GSE Dynamics, LIDL, Central Semiconductor Corp., The Suffolk Center for Speech and Myofunctional Therapy and Armor Corporation.

For more information about the Holiday Festival, the WMHO Youth Corps Santa Fund or the WMHO, call (631) 751-2244.

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Founded in 1939, WMHO is a not-for-profit corporation that develops and fosters community enrichment through cultural and educational experiences. WMHO accomplishes this by enhancing and interpreting its historic and environmentally sensitive properties and by utilizing state-of-the-art technology. For more information, please visit www.wmho.org

WMHO’s Halloween Festival draws hundreds to Stony Brook Village Center

by Heidi Sutton - November 4, 2021

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By Heidi Sutton

Parking spaces were a hot commodity at the Ward Melville Heritage Organization’s 31st annual Halloween Festival on Oct. 29. The spooktacular event, which took place at the picturesque Stony Brook Village Center, attracted hundreds of families who spent the afternoon trick-or-treating at the many shops and restaurants, playing games, and dancing to the Monster Mash, courtesy of WALK 97.5.

One of the highlights of the festival was a Halloween parade throughout the center led by the 12-foot-tall Monster Merlin who took photos with visitors throughout the day. The winners of the annual Scarecrow Competition were also announced. (Visit www.tbrnewsmedia.com for winners)

“It’s so wonderful to see everybody together again,” said Gloria Rocchio, WMHO president.

The fun event was sponsored by Suffolk Center for Speech and Myofunctional Therapy, the RJG Consulting Group, Dr. Robert Quilty and Gold Fish Swim School.

Up next for the WMHO is its 42nd annual Holiday Festival on Dec. 5 and the annual Holiday Tree Competition from Dec. 5 to 20. For more information, visit www.wmho.org.

Scarecrow competition returns to Stony Brook Village Center

by Press Release - October 10, 2021

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0-1 — 'Oogie Boogie' scarecrow Photo from WMHO

‘The Groomery’ by The Groomery of Lake Grove. Photo from WMHO

Time to vote! 37 scarecrows of all shapes, sizes and characters have been erected throughout the Stony Brook Village Center for the Ward Melville Heritage Organization’s 31st Annual Scarecrow Competition.

Winning scarecrows will win cash prizes based on the number of votes they receive from the public — voting is free and is now open! Ballots can be found in all the shops. Once completed, ballots should be returned to any shop to be counted in for voting. Voting is open until Monday, Oct. 25.

The winners of the Scarecrow Competition will be announced at the Ward Melville Heritage Organization’s 31st Annual Halloween Festival on Oct. 29 at 3 p.m.

The sponsors of the 31st Annual Scarecrow Competition are as follows: Main Event Sponsor – the Suffolk Center for Speech and Myofunctional Therapy, the Black Cauldron Sponsor – The RJG Consulting Group, the Ghosts & Goblins Sponsor – Dr. Robert Quilty and the Candy Corn Sponsor – Gold Fish Swim School.

To learn more about the Scarecrow Competition or the Ward Melville Heritage Organization, call 631-751-2244.

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