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Three Village Chamber of Commerce

Photo from Councimember Kornreich's office

Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich, Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn and members of the Three Village Chamber of Commerce attended the grand opening of “Mondays at Racine” at Gypsy Hair Lounge in the Three Village Shopping Center, 1389 Route 25A in Setauket on March 28. 

“Mondays at Racine” is a not-for-profit organization that strives to increase a sense of control with wellness, beauty and therapeutic services for anyone experiencing the side effects of cancer. When patients go through chemotherapy treatment, they look in the mirror and are reminded every day of their medical condition. The physical effects, such as hair loss, nail discoloration and weight loss, take a toll both physically and internally. The program is open to anyone regardless of age or gender. 

“Last week, I had the honor of attending the official opening of ‘Mondays at Racine’ at Gypsy Hair Lounge in Setauket. It was a beautiful event supported by many members of our community. Cancer has touched almost every family in our community in one way or another, and we know all too well the impact it can have on a patient’s physical appearance and emotional well-being. ‘Mondays at Racine’ partners with charter programs like Gypsy Hair Lounge all throughout Long Island to offer free services that help remind those with cancer of how beautiful they are,” said Councilmember Kornreich.

For more information, call 631-374-6397 or visit [email protected].

Island Sports Physical Therapy, located at 6 South Jersey Avenue, Unit 6B in East Setauket, celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Feb. 16. The new office is the second to open in Brookhaven Town. Services include spinal rehabilitation, sports specific therapy, fitness programming and more.

The event was attended by Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich, Jenna Alberti from NYS Assemblyman Steve Englebright’s office, members of the Three Village Chamber of Commerce and Michael Murphy of Douglas Elliman.

“Our community is so lucky to have a facility like this where patients looking for physical therapy can heal in a supportive environment,” said Councilmember Kornreich. “Island Sports Physical Therapy works together with local businesses, hospitals and schools to provide care for anyone and everyone who need rehabilitative services. I encourage those who are recovering from injuries and those who want to prevent future re-injuries to stop by this location to learn more about their services.” 

Pictured seated from left are Executive Director, Keith A. May; Director Brendan McCann; and Office Manager, Kayla O’Brien. Pictured standing from left are Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich; Three Village Chamber member Martha Stansbury; Brendan McCann’s wife Kelli McCann; chamber members Carmine Inserra and Eliel Pimentel; Jenna Alberti from NYS Assemblyman Steve Englebright’s office; and Michael Murphy of Douglas Elliman Commercial Real Estate.

For more information, call 631-675-1706 or visit www.islandsportspt.com.

The Three Village Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Brookhaven co-hosted a ribbon cutting and grand opening celebration for D.J.’s Clam Shack in Stony Brook on Dec. 15. The event was attended by Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich, Brookhaven Town Clerk Donna Lent, Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn, members of the chamber and members of the community.

The new location at 1007 Route 25A is the company’s fourth on Long Island, including East Northport, Wantagh and Huntington in addition to two Florida locations in Key West and Indian Shores. The Key West restaurant was featured on the Food Channel program, “Diners, Drive-Ins’ and Dives.” 

Owner Paul Riggio was presented with Certificates of Congratulations from the chamber, Town and County .

The new, traditional quick-service restaurant has a diverse menu of seafood, chicken and drinks with an option to dine-in or take out. 

“Congratulations to D.J.’s Clam Shack on your grand opening. We are so happy to welcome you to our community. Thank you to Paul and the rest of the staff for ‘overstuffing’ us with your delicious lobster roll,” said Councilmember Kornreich.

“It was great to join in welcoming D.J.’s Clam Shack to the Stony Brook community.  After the last two years, it is wonderful to celebrate the opening of a new business in Brookhaven Town. I believe D.J.’s will quickly become a neighborhood favorite,” added Town Clerk Lent. 

For more information, call 631-675-9669 or visit www.djsclamshack.com.

Matt Cohen

The Three Village Chamber of Commerce will welcome Matt Cohen, President and CEO of Long Island Association (LIA) as the speaker of the upcoming luncheon at the Three Village Inn, 150 Main St., Stony Brook on Nov. 17 at noon. Registration for this event is required — $35 prepaid, $40 at the door.

This is the first time Cohen will be speaking before a Chamber of Commerce and their members in his role as President & CEO. The Three Village Chamber has invited the following surrounding chambers—St. James, Miller Place, Smithtown, Port Jefferson, Terryville—and their members to attend the event as he discusses the current economic view for small businesses.

Cohen will discuss how the LIA supports small businesses as they continue to navigate impacts from the pandemic, including sharing resources like grants and loans, holding workshops, providing information on New York State and Federal policies, and holding joint webinars with experts. Cohen will also talk about the LIA’s vision as we head into 2022 and take questions from small business owners to learn more about their current challenges and successes.

“We are pleased that Matt Cohen has chosen us as the first chamber to discuss their expanding programs,” said Charles Lefkowitz, President of Three Village Chamber. To register for the luncheon, visit the events section of the Three Village Chamber website, www.3vchamber.com.

Maurie McInnis speaks at the Three Village Chamber of Commerce. Photo by Rita J. Egan

Stony Brook University’s new president wants to work with the community.

At its Sept. 15 breakfast, the Three Village Chamber of Commerce welcomed SBU President Maurie McInnis. While the members had participated in a Zoom meeting with her last year, this was the first time they had the opportunity to meet her in person. The university president took over the position July 1, 2020, after the departure of Dr. Samuel L. Stanley Jr.

“We have this sort of mutually reinforcing and synergistic positive relationship.”

— Maurie McInnis

McInnis said it was nice to be able to meet everyone during the breakfast instead of just seeing faces on a screen.

“I’m really happy to get a chance to meet with all of you,” she said. “The relationship between the university and its community is so vital, really, to the success of both in an ideal world. We have this sort of mutually reinforcing and synergistic positive relationship, and I’ve heard how much work you all have done to help us get to that place.”

After reviewing the history of SBU, the university president provided the attendees with some updates.

McInnis said the university and hospital have become the largest single site of employment on Long Island. There are 15,000 employees at Stony Brook which serves 26,000 students.

“That means we’re kind of a little city of 40,000 people right here in your backyard,” she said. “And, that means extraordinary opportunities for our community to be a really strong place working closely together.”

McInnis added the majority of students, 12,000, come from Long Island as well as nearly 7,000 from the five boroughs and 2,500 from other parts of New York state. SBU gives out 40% of degrees to STEM students and another 20% who majored in health studies.

“We were founded in many ways on the rise and excitement of science in the 1960s, and that has long been part of what this campus does,” she said.

McInnis said one of the challenges SBU and other universities face is having enough funds to educate students. Institutions have two primary sources, she said, tuition and — if it’s a public university — state support.

For SBU, she said state support has been flat for the last decade and is significantly lower from what New York provided before the 2008 recession.

“It went down, and then it’s been flat ever since,” she said. “And for the most part, our tuition has been flat in that decade as well. So, we continue to face funding challenges and continue to try to work with our partners in Albany to help them understand, for us to be great, we’re going to need additional support.”

During the presentation, McInnis announced that Dr. Harold Paz of Ohio State University has been named as the new executive vice president for Health Sciences and will start Oct. 4. She described him as “one of America’s leading health care experts.”

“He will be a transformational leader for the next chapter of Stony Brook Medicine,” she said.

During the pandemic, McInnis said, “Stony Brook really became the epicenter for COVID care in Suffolk County.” The university has also worked to help get Long Islanders vaccinated.

“We have been all over Long Island trying to make sure that all communities have access to vaccinations,” she said. “Not only did we run for this state one of the mass vaccination sites, which we did on our R&D campus — and in those early days when we still had a lot of people wanting to get vaccinations, we were vaccinating 3,000 people a day at the R&D Park — we’ve given over 350,000 vaccinations all over Long Island.”

She added Stony Brook Medicine also provided pop-up vaccination sites all over the Island to not only help people get vaccinated but to educate them on the importance of vaccines. She said one comment people would bring up is that the COVID-19 vaccine was created quickly.

“The technology for this vaccine had been in research and development at America’s leading research universities for over a decade,” she said.

McInnis said thousands of COVID-19 patients were treated at the hospital, and doctors continue to see people with the virus.

“Unfortunately, it continues to be a pandemic of the unvaccinated,” she said.

McInnis thanked community members who in the last year donated personal protection equipment, meals, iPads and more.

She said on the SBU campus there were no major outbreaks last academic year, partially because fewer students were on campus and due to precautions taken by the school. She added the fall semester is pretty much back to normal but everyone is wearing masks inside. As of Sept. 10, 99% of campus residents and 88% of in-person commuters have been fully vaccinated. The percentage of university employees vaccinated is 70%, while 77% of medical employees have received the full dose.

A few attendees asked McInnis questions at the end of the presentation.

Lee Krauer, chair of Friends of Stony Brook Road and a member of Stony Brook Concerned Homeowners, thanked McInnis for her presentation.

“I think that the university really is a wonderful place and is a tremendous asset to all of Suffolk County,” Krauer said.

She added that residents in her area off Stony Brook Road have had problems with traffic due to the university. In the past, the community groups have also cited issues with students living in houses and not taking care of them properly.

She said residents between Route 347 and 25A haven’t felt heard by past presidents and asked McInnis if she would be open to meet with members of the committees.

“People who live where I live can’t get out of our blocks,” Krauer said.

McInnis told Krauer who to contact to follow up so they could talk about the possibilities.

Earlier in her presentation, McInnis touched on college housing. There are more than 10,500 beds on campus, which is more than other SBU campuses, according to the SBU president. Recently, after Hurricane Ida, two dormitories had 7 feet of water in the basements and 400 students were relocated to other beds on campuses, many in the dining halls.

“I know that we will continue to work with you all to work with our community to make sure that for our students living on campus, that they are good neighbors,” McInnis said, “And, we will continue our partnership with the town and 6th Precinct and community leaders always to address any behavior or landlord issues that come our way.”

The Three Village Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting and grand reopening celebration for Mario’s Restaurant in East Setauket on Aug. 18. The community welcomed back brothers Jack and Gary Tiply, along with partner Billie Phillips, for a classic reboot of one of the oldest and most notable Italian restaurants on the North Shore.  

The special event was attended by Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn, Brookhaven Town Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich, members of the chamber, family and friends.

The Tipleys owned Mario’s for 28 years before selling the restaurant in 2007. They reclaimed ownership in 2019 after a fire damaged the restaurant’s kitchen. Renovations have been completed and the restaurant has put pizza back on the menu.

“Mario’s Restaurant is a community treasure as are the owners. Everyone in the community can tell a story about being there for a reunion of friends or classmates, a special life event or family gathering. So many people in the area also met their spouse here. Congratulations to Gary, Jack and Billie on the new Mario’s,” said Leg. Hahn.

Pictured in first photo from left, Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich, Three Village Chamber President Jane Taylor;  chamber members Carmine Inserra, Colette Frey-Bitzas, Rob Taylor; Legislator Kara Hahn; owners Gary and Jack Tipley; and chamber members Charles Lefkowitz, and Michael Ardolino.  

Located at 212 Main St., East Setauket, the restaurant is open from 11:30 a.m. to midnight Tuesday to Sunday for indoor dining and takeout. For more information, call 631-751-8840 or visit www.mariossetauket.com.

By Heidi Sutton

The Three Village Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting and grand opening celebration for Pedego Electric Bikes Stony Brook in Setauket on May 24. The event was attended by New York State Assemblyman Steve Englebright, Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn, Town of Brookhaven Councilman Jonathan Kornreich and Pedego Director of Business Development Cynthia Newcombe along with members of the chamber and community. 

Owned by Trisha and Martin Larsen, the shop is located at 690 Route 25A at the corner of Bennetts Road in Setauket and is the first Pedego Electric Bike store on Long Island. 

“Our community loves to get outdoors — we have so many parks and cultural locations and art institutions … and there’s a lot of history here and a lot of beauty and there is no better way to experience all that than on a bicycle. We are so excited for you — we are thrilled as a business community and a community to have you here and we are looking forward to all you are able to do,” said Leg. Hahn.

“With everyone’s help, we are going to make Pedego Stony Brook successful and hopefully bring a lot of tourism and awareness to this area,” said Trisha Larsen. “We have self-guided tours, group rides, rentals and site sales. Please stop in.”

“At Pedego, we’re committed to inspiring connection and adventure within each of our communities,” said Cynthia Newcomb, Director of Business Development at Pedego. “We’re a people-oriented, fun-focused company, which is why [this store] is the perfect addition to our Pedego family. We look forward to not only providing Pedego Stony Brook with the best e-bikes in the world, but also cultivating a community that brings out the best in each other.”

Pedego Stony Brook joins the over 160 locally-owned Pedego stores throughout the United States. Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sundays, closed Mondays. For more information, call 631-201-4283 or visit pedegoelectricbikes.com/east-setauket.

Photos by Heidi Sutton

 

The Three Village Chamber of Commerce welcomed Koeppel Dental Group (A Dental 365 Company), Druthers Coffee and Jersey Mike’s Subs to the community with a celebratory ribbon cutting on April 5. All three businesses are located in Stony Brook Square at 1113 North Country Road in Stony Brook. 

The event was attended by New York State Assemblyman Steve Englebright, Kim Bryant from Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn’s office,  Town of Brookhaven Councilman Jonathan Kornreich and members of the chamber. 

“The Three Village Chamber of Commerce is working to beat back the economic impact of COVID-19 by helping new businesses open and existing businesses safely reopen. As someone who knows just how difficult it is to start a small business, I applaud the entrepreneurs behind Druthers Coffee, Koeppel Dental Group, and Jersey Mike’s Subs for opening their doors here in Three Village,” said Councilman Kornreich in a statement. 

“Main Street America’s Small Business Day took place on April 13, and I’m optimistic that we will see more growth and opportunity across the First Council District,” he added.

State Assemblyman Steve Englebright, Gloria Rocchio, Kara Hahn, Michael Ardolino, Charlie Lefkowitz and Town of Brookhaven Councilwoman Valerie Cartright at the Three Village Chamber of Commerce awards dinner. Photo from Three Village Chamber of Commerce

At its recent awards dinner, the Three Village Chamber of Commerce honored a familiar face in the community and the real estate world.

Charlie Lefkowitz, chamber president, and Ardolino with his Member of the Year award. Photo from Three Village Chamber of Commerce

The chamber’s Member of the Year award was given to Michael Ardolino, founder and owner of Team Ardolino/Realty Connect USA. The award is given to members who “go above and beyond to support the chamber and its mission,” according to a press release from the TVCC.

“The Three Village Chamber of Commerce and the community are truly appreciative for everything that Michael continues to do to make Stony Brook, Setauket and Old Field a great place to live and work,” the chamber said in the release.

Ardolino, who lives in Setauket with his wife, said he was surprised and honored to receive the award.

“Being in the chamber as long as I have, enjoying everything I’ve been doing with the chamber for many years, to get that award was really special,” he said.

Ardolino said he remembers when he decided to join the chamber more than 20 years ago and was interviewed by Harold Pryor. The organization’s first president asked him why he should be accepted.

“I remember sitting down and saying, ‘Well, because I’m going to help you make it better than you have already started it to be,’” he said.

Through the years, Ardolino has served as the chamber’s president, president emeritus and is currently assisting secretary. He is the chair of the chamber Special Events Committee, a member of its Program and Membership Committee and the cofounder and current chair of the 3V Chamber Family BBQ. The event has been held for 20 years but this year was canceled due to the pandemic.

He is also the founder of the Three Village Electric Holiday Parade and sits on the boards of Gallery North and The Jazz Loft. For the last couple of years, he has been the co-chair of Three Village Industry Advisory Board, which works with the school district to provide job opportunities for Ward Melville High School students. Recently, he has been serving on the Town of Brookhaven Small Business Recovery Task Force.

“Being in the chamber as long as I have, enjoying everything I’ve been doing with the chamber for many years, to get that award was really special.”

— Michael Ardolino

During the pandemic, Ardolino organized a sign campaign with other local chamber businesses which raised funds to feed workers on the frontlines. The real estate agent said he appreciates his time with the chamber.

“The chamber is one of the strongest foundations of the Three Village area,” he said. “It’s a very special place we live, and the Three Village chamber here all these years helped it grow and be what it is today.”

On the same night that Ardolino won the Member of the Year award, Gloria Rocchio, president of The Ward Melville Heritage Organization, was presented with The Roy Dragotta Award, named after a past president.

“Rocchio exemplified the characteristics that Roy embodied,” the chamber press release read. “These include an outstanding commitment to and participation in the chamber, working tirelessly to recruit business and doing whatever she could support or advocate for local businesses.”

Rocchio said, like Ardolino, she was surprised to hear she was an award winner. She was proud to work with the chamber board members who she said are passionate when it comes to helping the business community.

Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) won The Harold Pryor Award for her “commitment to the Three Village community through faithful service,” according to the press release.

“I was incredibly humbled and honored to be presented with The Harold Pryor Award by the Three Village Chamber of Commerce,” Hahn said in an email. “Growing up in this community, and now raising my own family here, it is a true privilege to be able to support and serve its residents.”

Hahn also congratulated Ardolino and Rocchio for their awards and thanked the chamber “for all of the work that they have been doing to support our local businesses.”

On June 13, members of the Three Village Chamber of Commerce let the community know that the area is open for business. Photo by Julianne Mosher

By Julianne Mosher

Members from the Three Village Chamber of Commerce want the community to know that they are open and ready to serve.

Last week, with Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) giving the green light for shops on Long Island to open their doors during Phase 2, the chamber wants to assure everyone that these small businesses are taking the extra precautions in the wake of the pandemic.

“They are providing gloves to customers and employees, taking temperatures, wearing masks and making sure masks are enforced,” said Jane Taylor, executive director of the chamber. “They’re being careful about social distancing and encouraging sidewalk sales or outdoor dining where available.”

Overseeing small businesses in Setauket, Stony Brook, East Setauket and Old Field, Taylor said that supporting local establishments during these trying times is beneficial to everyone.

“These businesses are our neighbors and friends,” she said. “They’re the ones who are the backbone of our communities.”

Charlie Lefkowitz, president of the chamber, said that shopping small businesses benefits the economic growth of Long Island.

“It supports our local economy and keeps our great community vibrant,” he said.

Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the New York State Department of Health have a new set of guidelines that do not allow more than a designated number of customers in at a time, as well as no indoor dining as of yet, Lefkowitz is encouraging people to partake in what the Three Village area has to offer.

“If it’s done in a safe, social distanced manner by both the owner and the public, I support it strongly,” he said.

His favorite spot? The Three Village Inn’s outdoor seating section.

“It was outstanding,” he said. “We’re supporting our neighbors and the service was unparalleled.”