The Village of Port Jefferson has entered into a new partnership with Lessing’s Hospitality Group to provide exclusive food, beverage, and catering operations at the Port Jefferson Country Club, according to a press release. The Village Board of Trustees voted unanimously on March 17th to approve the license agreement (an assignment of the existing lease), marking a significant step forward in enhancing hospitality services for residents, members, and visitors alike.
Known for delivering personalized service and high-caliber events, Lessing’s will provide custom menus, full-service event support, and tailored food and beverage experiences at the Port Jefferson Country Club. They will begin operating “The Turn,” with food and beverage service officially launching on opening day of golf at PJCC, Saturday, March 29, 2025. Effective immediately, Lessing’s will assume responsibility for all catering operations at the Country Club, including member events, weddings, social, and corporate functions.
“We are so proud to welcome Lessing’s Hospitality Group to Port Jefferson Country Club,” said Mayor Lauren Sheprow. “With their longstanding reputation for excellence in golf course food and beverage management, catering, and member events, we are confident this partnership will bring a new standard of service to Port Jefferson Country Club and elevate the overall guest experience for our community.”
Established in 1908, the Port Jefferson Country Club is a distinguished fixture on Long Island’s North Shore. The golf course was designed by renowned architect Alfred H. Tull and spans 145 acres as a 6,800-yard, par-72 championship course. The 170+ acre Country Club was acquired from the estate of the late Norman K. Winston by the Inc. Village of Port Jefferson for $2.9 million in 1978 via a resident referendum. Today, the Port Jefferson Country Club remains one of the premier golf and event destinations in the region, offering an 18-hole membership-accessible championship course with sweeping views of the Long Island Sound.
Michael Lessing, CEO of Lessing’s Hospitality Group, added, “It is an honor to partner with the Village of Port Jefferson and oversee hospitality at such a distinguished venue. We look forward to serving the community with exceptional dining experiences and memorable events, both at The Turn and throughout the Country Club.”
Lessing’s Hospitality Group brings over 135 years of hospitality management experience and operates at over 100 locations, including 10 golf and country clubs. Their portfolio features renowned venues such as The Heritage Club at Bethpage State Park and Stonebridge Golf Links & Country Club.
A proposed 48-unit apartment complex in Port Jefferson Station, Brook Meadows, has sparked a potential boundary restructuring between Brookhaven Town and Port Jefferson Village. Developer Northwind Group wants to annex the project site on Baylis Avenue to Port Jefferson Village.
This unusual move comes after Northwind’s initial attempt to secure a zoning change from Brookhaven Town for the 5.6-acre parcel at 16 Baylis Ave. failed amid community and official opposition.
Baylis Avenue, a dead-end street with only 6 properties, presents a unique situation. While physically located within the Town of Brookhaven, its sole access point is via Sheep Pasture Road, which lies within Port Jefferson Village.
If both the town and village consent to the annexation, Brook Meadows would be assessed by Port Jefferson’s land-use boards instead of those of Brookhaven’s.
However, Ira Costell, president of the Port Jefferson Station-Terryville Civic Association, said in a recent Newsday article that he thinks the annexation “has the feel of a backdoor move to circumvent both the town and the residents of Port Jefferson Station” to bypass town zoning laws.
“If this was a constant process and policy now, we are eating away at the margins of what’s been long-term, long-established as the governmental jurisdiction. It still remains part of our school district. Everybody around that parcel will be Port Jeff Station residents. I mean, what’s the logic behind this,” Costell said.
There is a public hearing, scheduled for March 6 at Brookhaven Town Hall in Farmingville, is poised to be pivotal in determining the fate of the Brook Meadows development and its implications for municipal boundary adjustments.
Ultimately, the fate of the annexation and the Brook Meadows project will hinge on a joint decision by Brookhaven Town and Port Jefferson Village.
Port Jefferson Village Hall. Photo by Heidi Sutton 2023
By Peter SLoniewsky
Guidelines surrounding membership rates and a junior golfers program at the Port Jefferson Country Club is a recent topic of contention.
Because the country club is owned by the Village of Port Jefferson, the rates it charges to members require approval by the Port Jefferson Board of Trustees after they have been discussed by the club’s Board of Governors and approved by the club’s general manager and Country Club Management Advisory Council.
December 4 meeting
This year, the club introduced a membership rate proposal to the entire Board of Trustees at their Dec. 4 work session. This proposal contained two major differences: it gradually eliminated the junior members program for children 12-18 and proposed a new initiation fee. The website also states that members must be 19-29 on Apr. 1 to play golf. Junior members are not permitted as guests.
At the meeting, the club’s general manager, Tom Natola, advocated for removing the junior membership option on the basis that many members with junior memberships had parents who were members. Natola said that it made more sense to sell family memberships and eliminating the junior program would incentivize this.
He also said that there was a liability concern for juniors on the courses. At this meeting, both Mayor Lauren Sheprow and trustee Xena Ugrinsky discussed eliminating the junior program straightaway due to liability although they did not directly advocate for it.
Both at the meeting and afterward, parents provided significant blowback. Port Jefferson parent Nicole Connolly, whose son and daughter are both junior golfers, said there has been a pattern of policymaking that has eroded the program over the past several years. According to Connolly, negotiations two years ago included significant parent resistance against a CCMAC proposal to disproportionately increase junior membership rates.
CCMAC Chair Lisa Perry told TBR News Media that “the country club has always supported junior golfers and their families.”
She added that the Port Jefferson High School golf teams play for free at the club.
As a result of these controversies, the Board of Trustees requested that Natola prepare another proposal for their Dec. 18 public meeting.
Questions of CCMAC involvement
Complicating this, the process that led to the Dec. 4 proposal is unclear.Sheprow said, “[the Board of Governors] made recommendations to the country club manager, who reviewed the recommendations with the Country Club Management Advisory Council, also volunteers, after which the country club manager developed the recommendations he deemed appropriate.”
Perry said “The CCMAC reviewed the rates that were proposed by their general manager and agreed to recommend the rates to the board of trustees for their Dec. 18 meeting.’
CCMAC’s involvement in the process is enforced by Chapter 25 of the Village of Port Jefferson code. If it was not included in the process prior to the Dec. 4 rejection, the sourcing of that proposal is unclear.
CCMAC voted on a proposal on Dec. 17 that was then presented to the trustees at their Dec. 18 meeting. At this meeting, Sheprow expressed some regret for a lack of consideration of families and junior members throughout the processes that led to the Dec. 4 proposal, although she encouraged stakeholders to get involved earlier in the process. She also attributed a lack of communication to an effort to balance the budget, despite the requirement in the village code of CCMAC input.
The Dec. 18 proposal was largely similar to the Dec. 4 proposal but would further restrict juniors to times after 2 p.m. and increase the juniors’ fees by $1,000 — an increase that trustee Kyle Hill described as “insanity.”
The trustees voted to table the matter of junior membership and new limitations that it would place on junior members’ play times.
Resolution
This debate was cut short on Dec. 24 with a surprise announcement from Natola that “junior rates and playing and access policies will stay the same in 2025 as they were in 2024” and“there will be no further discussion at the Board of Trustees level related to the Junior Membership package.”
While this announcement was a win for the juniors, it brings back some questions about power in this process.
Natola requires approval from the CCMAC and the Board of Trustees to approve rates. His declaration in this memo that there would be no further discussion is not supported by the club’s governing rules.
Trustee Stan Loucks, who served as a liaison between the trustees and the club for eight years, told TBR News Media that he had no insights as to why the message was sent. He added that “[Natola’s decision] should most likely go back to the trustees for approval.
Whether a vote will be called is unclear, although Hill told TBR News Media that “it’s inappropriate for any village employee to say that a discussion among trustees is over” and “any Board of Trustee member can bring it up for discussion at a meeting.” He also noted that the Christmas Eve send date had stood in the way of discussion throughout the holiday season.
Future plans
For the future, Loucks emphasized a more stringent relationship between the club and the trustees and said he would support the appointment of a liaison to the club to guide the process in the future.
Additionally, in an email to TBR News Media, Sheprow wrote that “it is imperative that rate structure considerations support a long-term strategic plan” and work on such a plan would begin “immediately” while reinforcing the roles of the Board of Governors, CCMAC and the trustees alongside concerns about the club’s budgeting.
The resolution of this situation is still unclear. The specifics of the junior membership plan are still unspecified and the trustees have not yet considered it. The Board of Trustees will meet next for a public meeting on Jan. 29.
For more information go to the Port Jefferson Country Club website: www.portjeffcc.com.
Scene from the 2024 Santa Parade. Photo by Julianne Mosher
Scene from the 2024 Santa Parade. Photo by Julianne Mosher
Scene from the 2024 Santa Parade. Photo by Julianne Mosher
Scene from the 2024 Santa Parade. Photo by Julianne Mosher
Scene from the 2024 Santa Parade. Photo by Julianne Mosher
Scene from the 2024 Santa Parade. Photo by Julianne Mosher
Scene from the 2024 Santa Parade. Photo by Julianne Mosher
Scene from the 2024 Santa Parade. Photo by Julianne Mosher
Scene from the 2024 Santa Parade. Photo by Julianne Mosher
Scene from the 2024 Santa Parade. Photo by Julianne Mosher
Scene from the 2024 Santa Parade. Photo by Julianne Mosher
Scene from the 2024 Santa Parade. Photo by Julianne Mosher
Scene from the 2024 Santa Parade. Photo by Julianne Mosher
Scene from the 2024 Santa Parade. Photo by Julianne Mosher
Scene from the 2024 Santa Parade. Photo by Julianne Mosher
Scene from the 2024 Santa Parade. Photo by Julianne Mosher
By Julianne Mosher
To prepare for the Christmas season, Santa Claus made his way down Main St. in Port Jefferson to ring in some holiday cheer.
On Sunday, Dec. 1, dancers from nearby schools dressed in their favorite holiday gear while they twirled, spun and danced to some favorite Christmas songs like “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” and marched from the Port Jefferson Rail Road up to the Village Center, for the annual Port Jefferson Santa Parade.
Brought in by a horse-drawn carriage at the end of the show, Santa was accompanied by local businesses, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts and Mayor Lauren Sheprow, who also marched down Main St. Special guests included Disney princesses, Donald Duck and Goofy, who pranced through the streets, waving to all the good little boys and girls, who eagerly anticipated the man in red.
The parade also included characters from the upcoming Dickens Festival, which is scheduled for next weekend, Dec. 7-8.
Village of Port Jefferson officials addressed resident concerns over a new policy suspending village employees from carrying firearms in a statement posted on the village website on Nov. 9.
Officials also emailed this statement to residents on the village’s contact list.
The statement, issued by Mayor Lauren Sheprow and the board of trustees, follows an incident Sept. 27 when a firearm was found in a public restroom in the village hall. The firearm belonged to a Code Enforcement employee under their privately obtained concealed carry license.
In response to this incident, during an emergency meeting called Oct. 25, the board of trustees approved a measure 5-0 suspending firearms carry for all village employees, including Code Enforcement staff with personal concealed carry permits.
Several Code Enforcement officers resigned recently, presumably related to the firearms ban. The message clarified that the village does not issue firearms to employees, noting that Code Enforcement staff are not considered police.
“Code Enforcement personnel do not constitute or comprise a police force, nor do they possess police power or authorization to enforce the penal code,” according to the statement.
Village officials aimed to reassure residents that the suspension would not compromise public safety. The statement continues that, “the Suffolk County Police Department has agreed to increase patrols and tours in Port Jefferson to ensure residents feel safe and secure in light of any misrepresentation of intentions otherwise.”
TBR News Media was unable to confirm with the Suffolk County Police Department this increase in police coverage.
Code Enforcement
Code enforcement vehicles parked in Port Jefferson Village. Photo by Lynn Hallarman
Code officers’ scope is limited to actions related to the village code. Their duties include issuing tickets for parking violations, managing traffic during events, investigating code-related complaints and alerting Suffolk County police to possible crimes, according to Sheprow.
Code officers cannot detain or arrest citizens. They cannot issue summonses for moving violations such as speeding and are not authorized to respond to police alerts transmitted over police radios.
However, the 2023 Manual of Code Enforcement Bureau Rules and Procedures for the Village of Port Jefferson outlines a pathway for obtaining authorization to carry a concealed firearm.
“No employee shall be given such approval [to carry a firearm] unless documentation is provided indicating completion of a proper firearms training course accompanied by a valid NYS Pistol License,” according to the manual. The manual also requires a “village-approved annual firearms training and qualification course.”
According to Sheprow, inconsistencies between language in the procedures manual and the village code remain unresolved and tied to the union contract governing the hiring of code officers.
Code officer resignations
TBR News Media spoke with Andrew Owen, who recently resigned as chief code enforcement officer in protest of the firearms ban.
According to Owen, before the resignations, the code enforcement team included 38 officers, 20 of whom had concealed carry licenses; all who carry firearms are retired or current police. The village clerk could not confirm these numbers as accurate to TBR’s New Media by press time.
Owen, a retired New York City police officer, was hired by Code Enforcement about two years ago with 20 years of police experience and 14 years as a sergeant.
“I told the mayor at the meeting that I cannot, in good faith, enforce policies that I don’t agree with,” he said.
Five days after his resignation, Owen was placed on paid administrative leave until his final day of duty on Nov. 18. According to Owen, the mayor gave no reason for the administrative leave.
Owen believes carrying is essential as a safety measure for code officers who work in the community daily. He considers concealed carry a necessary aspect of employing retired or active police officers who bring valuable experience interacting with the public to the job.
“Everybody that carried [a firearm] had their qualifications. We went to the range once a year. We had the classroom once a year. It wasn’t that we were arbitrarily carrying firearms. We’re all licensed,” he said.
He believes Code Enforcement officers support the police department by acting as crime deterrents by patrolling village streets and adding to residents’ sense of safety.
“We would communicate with the 6th Precinct about what to look out for because there are gang elements in this area. Whether people believe it or not, that’s one thing we are on top of,” he said.
Perception vs. reality
According to former village mayor Mike Lee, the Village of Port Jefferson gave up its right to have its own police force when it was incorporated in 1977. The village receives its police protection from the Suffolk County Police Department, District 6. Two cruisers are assigned to patrol the village daily.
Decisions about the scope of duties for code enforcement occur at the hyperlocal level in Suffolk County. Some municipalities have recently moved to ban firearms, as Patchogue did, according to Sheprow.Other Suffolk County municipalities outside of the Town of Brookhaven have their own police force.
The Nov. 9 statement explains the recent firearm carry suspension was prompted primarily by liability concerns. The statement also clarifies misperceptions of the role of Code Enforcement officers, aiming to reinforce their duties as civil servants working to uphold village code.
Public reactions
This reporter spoke to several residents about the recent suspension. Concerns ranged from feeling “less safe” because of the suspension to several villagers expressing surprise that Code Enforcement officers carried concealed weapons and were in favor of the suspension.
Other residents felt the village benefitted overall from having retired police patrolling the streets, regardless of their limited scope of duties as code enforcement.
“I am 100% OK with having trained former police carry in our village,” said Fred Hoffman, a long-time village resident.
Lauren Sheprow, mayor-elect of the Village of Port Jefferson. File photo by Raymond Janis
At an emergency meeting of the Port Jefferson Village Board of Trustees on Oct. 30 the board voted unanimously to suspend the carrying of firearms by any and all Village employees, in furtherance of their duties and responsibilities as employees of the Village of Port Jefferson, including, but not limited to Code Enforcement Bureau personnel.
“This is something we as a board have been discussing since my first meeting as mayor, as one of many departmental deep dives,” said village Mayor Lauren Sheprow. “We have been working with a consultant on this particular issue among others and the board agreed that this was in the best interests for the health, safety and welfare of Village employees, residents and the public.”
The mayor explained at the meeting that the incident that perpetuated this emergency meeting was that a firearm was left in a public restroom in Village Hall, fortunately without incident. This resulted, she said, in this immediate action.
TBR is following this story closely. More information about this development will be covered in our Nov. 7 editions.
View the meeting on the village’s YouTube channel. The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is a work session on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 5 p.m.
Capital projects fund review of East Beach bluff stabilization shows an estimated $800,000 budget overspend. Photo by Lynn Hallarman
By Lynn Hallarman
The final report reviewing the capital projects fund was presented to the public by CPA firm, PKF O’Connor Davies of Hauppauge, at the Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees Sept. 25 meeting, ending a year of uncertainty over the financial condition of the fund.
The most significant conclusion was an estimated $1.27 million in overspending on capital projects done without an identified funding source. The largest overage was the East Beach bluff stabilization project of about $800,000.
Why the review was done
One year ago, concerns were raised by then newly-appointed village treasurer, Stephen Gaffga, about the bookkeeping practices that track the village’s capital projects fund. This prompted village officials to hire PKF O’Connor Davies to give a full historical accounting of the fund’s financial recordkeeping. The review spanned from May 2016 to May 2023.
“I noticed shortly after starting my position as treasurer in September of 2023 that our capital projects fund looked like every expense account had a negative balance, which immediately raised red flags for me,” Gaffga said in an interview with TBR News Media.
Gaffga noted that best practices recommended by the Office of the New York State Comptroller were not being followed, making it difficult to track how money was being spent on individual projects.
Ideally a capital project fund ledger should give a granular view of how money flows though different projects and meticulously accounts for funding and payments related to each project, according to the OSC.
The village additionally enlisted Charlene Kagel, CPA — former commissioner of finance for the Town of Brookhaven and ex-Southampton village administrator — as an expert municipal finance consultant to assist the village as it corrects bookkeeping practices to comply with state guidelines.
Reports findings
According to PKF O’Connor Davies, the purpose of the capital projects fund review was to identify which projects have been funded, which have been overspent and what grant funds for specific projects have not yet been reimbursed to the village.
The report provided a clearer picture of the capital fund financial state, especially addressing the overall negative balance observed a year ago. PKF detailed 26 projects as having a deficit fund balance.
Reviewers also noted that “recordkeeping varied by project” — or in other words, the bookkeeping lacked a consistent approach across the ledgers.
Overall, the review revealed an $8.1 million total deficit as of May 31, 2023. “Most of this deficit, an estimated $5 million, is due to grants expected but not yet received by the village,” Gaffga said.
The estimated $1.27 million shortfall comes from spending on a few large projects, most of which, $800,000, is attributed to the bluff stabilization project.
Gaffga explained that the additional spending on the bluff project occurred incrementally over several years starting in 2017, with board members approving these expenses without first identifying a funding source.
Recommendations
Recommendations to the village boil down to one improvement: Follow bookkeeping guidance outlined by the OSC.
The report also identifies the absence of a long-term capital projects fund plan for the village.
Kagel told TBR that an excellent capital plan should include a list of proposed projects by department heads and for municipalities to assign each project a “priority ranking” year by year.
“The board ranks what projects are most important and then figures out how they are going to pay for it,” she said.
Gaffga added, “There will need to be an identified funding source to correct that $1.27 million deficit in the capital fund.”
Gaffga pointed out, however, that this amount is an unaudited estimation. The village has hired a new accounting firm, R.S. Abrams & Co. of Islandia, to finalize the numbers cited in the report before village officials will move forward with a financial plan to reimburse the capital projects fund, as required by municipal law.
“Bottom line, it’s just bad bookkeeping. The village didn’t follow the recommended practice and accounting procedures that are set forth by the state and this is what happens when you don’t,” Kagel said.
Moving forward
The treasurer for a municipality is the custodian of all capital funds, responsible for tracking the finances of each project and developing financial reports for the board and the public.
“At the same time, the board is ultimately responsible for the oversight of the village financials,” Kagel said. “It’s pretty clear that municipalities aren’t supposed to overspend their budget, according to general municipal law in New York State.”
“Stephen [Gaffga] has implemented an OSC best practice, tracking each project financial detail to be sent to the board monthly, so the board can say, ‘Hey, how come we’re in the red on this project?’” she said.
“I’m glad we are now through the most difficult part of the capital projects fund review process and we now know exactly where the village stands,” Mayor Lauren Sheprow said in an email statement to TBR News Media.
“Now the village can proceed to develop a truly transparent capital project plan with guidance from our new Budget and Finance Committee and our incredible treasurer, Stephen Gaffga,” she added.
The full report can be viewed on the Village of Port Jefferson website at www.portjeff.com, and the next Board of Trustees meeting will be held on Oct. 9, as a work session.
Scene from the Port Jefferson Yacht Club’s Village Cup Regatta. Photos coutesy Port Jefferson Yacht Club
Scene from the Port Jefferson Yacht Club’s Village Cup Regatta. Photos coutesy Port Jefferson Yacht Club
Scene from the Port Jefferson Yacht Club’s Village Cup Regatta. Photos coutesy Port Jefferson Yacht Club
Scene from the Port Jefferson Yacht Club’s Village Cup Regatta. Photos coutesy Port Jefferson Yacht Club
By Ava Himmelsbach
This past Saturday, Sept. 7, the Port Jefferson Yacht Club and Village of Port Jefferson held their annual Village Cup Regatta to raise money and awareness for Mather’s Palliative Medicine Program and the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research. Anyone interested was allowed to be a crew member on the sailboats, with no experience required.
The event included multiple activities throughout the day, with two main parts: a parade followed by a race. The parade ran from the outer harbor on the west across to the waterfront on the east. In the race, participants from the Village of Port Jefferson and Mather Hospital competed as part of the Village Cup Charity Fundraiser.
The parade allowed teams to circle the port on their boats, all of which were decorated with flags and banners, and wave to the large crowd of guests as a prelude to the race. Families gathered on the docks to view the parade, which was managed by Port Jefferson Yacht Club staff and accompanied by bagpiper Marty Sexton. The parade lasted about 45 minutes and helped the sailors adjust to sporadic wind patterns throughout the day.
Despite overcast weather and sudden rain, sailors and guests had a great time, creating memories of a lasting tradition likely to continue in years to come. Rain began shortly after the parade and continued lightly for a couple of hours. Fortunately, the showers did not interfere with the race, and sailors proceeded as planned.
Port Jefferson Yacht Club Village Cup Regatta Committee member Dianna Stackow managed the setup process for the post-race gathering. “We are here to set up for the party that happens after the race,” she said. “They have speeches, raffles, food, wine, beer; Ralph Macchio will be here, and some government representation.” The party began around 3:30 p.m., welcoming guests and participants as they finished the race and celebrated another year of the tradition. “This is our 15th year, and we are going to break $1 million [in donations]. We’re very proud because we’re such a small club, so it’s such a large thing for us to do. It’s just such a good feeling, all around, everyone, our little club, you know, close together, and it’s nice to see what we accomplish.”
After an exhilarating race, participants, families, and guests gathered at a party in the Port Jefferson Village Center to celebrate their efforts and the successful fundraising brought by this year’s regatta. Celebrity ambassador Ralph Macchio has supported the regatta — along with the two programs funded by it — for the last 10 years. He was present at the event this weekend, along with many returnees who have helped uphold this tradition for the past decade and a half.
The friendly competition ended with the Village of Port Jefferson team winning.
The Memorial Parade of Boats can be viewed from Harborfront Park in Port Jefferson. File photo by Bob Savage
View Memorial Parade of Boats at Harborfront Park prior to race
It’s time once again to sail for a cure as the 15th annual Village Cup Regatta, a friendly competition between Mather Hospital and the Village of Port Jefferson, returns on Saturday, Sept. 7.
Presented by the Port Jefferson Yacht Club in partnership with the Village of Port Jefferson, the Regatta raises funds for Mather Hospital’s Palliative Medicine Program and the Lustgarten Foundation, the largest private funder of pancreatic cancer research in the world. Last year’s Regatta raised more than $100,000, which was divided between Mather Hospital and the Lustgarten Foundation. The event has raised almost $960,000 over 14 years and is poised to reach $1 million in donations this year.
The Regatta consists of Yacht Club-skippered sailboats divided into two teams representing Mather Hospital and the Village of Port Jefferson. Employees from the Hospital and Village, along withvillage residents, help crew the boats, which race in one of three classes based on boat size. The festivities begin in Harborfront Park in Port Jefferson Village at 10 a.m., where you can purchase shirts,commemorative hats, nautical bags and mugs. The Memorial Parade of Boats begins at 11 a.m. at the Port Jefferson Village dock. All sailboats participating in the Regatta will pass by the park dressed in banners and nautical flags on their way out to the racecourse on Long Island Sound.
Actor, director and local resident Ralph Macchio will once again serve as Village Cup Regatta Celebrity Ambassador for the event. Macchio has helped to publicize the important work of the two programs funded by the Regatta for the past 11 years. Macchio’s wife, Phyllis, is a nurse practitioner in Mather Hospital’s Palliative Medicine Program.
Following the Regatta, a celebratory Skipper’s Reception and presentation of the Village Cup will take place in a restored 1917 shipyard building that today serves as the Port Jefferson Village Center.
To sign up as a crew member for the Mather Hospital team, contact Cindy Court at 631-476-2723 or [email protected]
To sign up as a crew member for the Port Jefferson Village team, contact Sylvia at 631-473-4724, ext. 219 or email [email protected].
Businesses, organizations and individuals can support the Regatta and the programs it funds by sponsoring, donating, or purchasing tickets to attend the Skipper’s Reception or view the Regatta on a spectator boat. For more information and to purchase tickets please visit http://portjeffersonyachtclub.com/community/village-cup/ or www.facebook.com/villagecupregatta.
Former Port Jefferson Village Deputy Mayor Kathianne Snaden. File photo
ByAidan Johnson
Former Port Jefferson Deputy Mayor Kathianne Snaden has announced her candidacy for the village mayor position in 2025.
In a July 8 press release, Snaden stated that “with a year of extensive reflection and growth behind me, I return to the political arena with renewed vigor, authenticity and a stronger connection to the community I love.”
Snaden first ran for trustee in 2018, losing by just four votes. She then went on to be elected in 2019, reelected in 2021 and was appointed as deputy mayor by Mayor Margot Garant.
After Garant did not seek reelection in 2023, Snaden had an unsuccessful bid for the mayoral position, losing to current Mayor Lauren Sheprow.
Snaden’s announcement comes early, with the mayoral election being nearly a year away.
“The reason I decided to announce now is because I want the time … to be able to build relationships with people that I might not otherwise have that opportunity later on as we get closer to election time,” she said in a phone interview, specifying that she is not yet campaigning but has instead only announced her intention to run.
Snaden also discussed why she’s running, along with the issues facing the village.
“The main reason I’m running again is because I feel like my goal in running initially and being involved in politics in the village has never gone away, which is to be the voice of the community for the people who feel they don’t have a voice,” she said.
She further explained that she is running to represent the people and “not because I have my own agenda,” adding, “It’s always to listen to what the community wants and represent them in Village Hall.”
She sees the East Beach bluff and uptown revitalization as major issues, along with public safety as a more recent concern.
“Residents have been discussing different incidents that have not been brought out in the news or by the government, that are happening but aren’t being discussed publicly … and people are not feeling safe,” she said.
Snaden specified that she will no longer be running on the Unity Party line, which was created by Garant and shared with village trustee Stan Loucks, saying that the line “became something that people gave a tag to, that it represented the old guard, it represented the Garant administration, that it was Mayor Margot’s way of thinking,” but it’s “not how I do things.”
“Was I her deputy mayor for two years? I was. That doesn’t mean that Mayor Garant and I thought the same on many issues. It doesn’t mean that we agreed on many issues,” she said, elaborating that her voting record shows her differing views from Garant. However, she said that they still had a mutual respect for each other and a good relationship.
