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Village of Port Jefferson

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Village of Port Jefferson Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kassay is a declared candidate for New York State’s 4th Assembly District. Photo by Marvin Tejada, courtesy Rebecca Kassay

The following is a press release from the campaign of Rebecca Kassay.

Rebecca Kassay, a dedicated community organizer, elected official and entrepreneur has declared her candidacy for the New York State Assembly in the November 2024 electoral cycle. With a proven track record of impactful community engagement, Kassay steps up to represent the communities of Assembly District 4 at the state level.

Kassay dove into local community service as an intern-turned-program director at Avalon Park and Preserve in Stony Brook. Beginning in 2011, she created and directed a youth environmental volunteer program, connecting hundreds of Suffolk County teens with dozens of nonprofits, municipal branches and stewardship projects throughout Long Island.

Kassay and the teens tackled volunteer efforts such as native habitat restoration, species surveys, organic gardening, beach cleanups, trail maintenance and educational signage creation.

Over the course of seven years, she built upon her aptitude and passion for empowering young stewards with practicable, tangible ways to make a difference in their communities. The program was awarded the Robert Cushman Murphy Memorial Award by Three Village Historical Society and recognized by the Brookhaven Youth Bureau.

In 2013, Kassay purchased and restored a historic Victorian home on Main Street in Port Jefferson with her husband, Andrew Thomas. A year later, they opened the doors of The Fox and Owl Inn bed-and-breakfast.

As the inn’s proprietor, Kassay has hosted countless tourists drawn in by the area’s rich history and natural beauty, as well as the family, friends and visitors of local residents and institutions for over nine years. On behalf of her small business, she is a proud and active member of the Rotary Club of Port Jefferson and Greater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce.

“I am a devoted member of the vast, dynamic community of folks who want to maintain and improve quality of life throughout and beyond the district,” Kassay said. “I am in constant awe at the individuals and groups who consistently advocate for solutions to their concerns and further their worthy goals. By uniting over shared interests and intentions, we as neighbors overcome our differences and rebuild the community’s strength. It will be my greatest honor to represent and support these voices in state-level conversations as well as local actions.”

In 2019, Kassay took her commitment to community action to new heights by creating and filming a documentary series titled “Be The Change with Rebecca.” This immersive series, currently in post-production, adopts a “Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe”-style approach to showcase the power of volunteerism and inspire others to roll up their sleeves to get involved. This experience further deepened Kassay’s understanding of community issues and the importance of both grassroots efforts and government response.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Kassay mobilized her community network and organizational skills to establish and lead a pop-up initiative, Long Island Open Source Medical Supplies. In under three months, a core team of volunteer administrators and hundreds of Long Islanders created, donated and delivered over 40,000 pieces of lifesaving, spirit-lifting homemade personal protective equipment and comfort care items to local essential workers and patients at hundreds of medical facilities, institutions and businesses.

In collaboration with Suffolk County Police Asian Jade Society, Amo Long Island, local Scout troops and many others, LIOSMS also organized a food drive, collecting 2,500 items to stock local food pantries. LIOSMS was recognized with Suffolk County’s 2020 Operation HOPE COVID-19 Responder Award.

Kassay is a SUNY New Paltz graduate with a major in environmental studies and a minor in communications and media. Her community work was recognized by her alma mater with a 40 Under 40 Award in 2017, and she has since returned as a panelist at conferences such as the SUNY New Paltz Women’s Leadership Summit.

Kassay has served as an elected Port Jefferson Village trustee since 2020, and now serves as the village’s deputy mayor. Her consistent incorporation of climate resilience strategies, transit-oriented development practices and heightened community involvement into village conversations has demonstrated her dedication to creating a sustainable, harmonious future. 

She has led successful initiatives to establish a community garden on Beach Street; plan for the revitalization of village parkland; install beach cleanup stations along village waterfront; establish a resident election task force to research term lengths and limits; and form intermunicipal relationships to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of government.

“I’m running for the New York State Assembly because we need leaders who understand that governance which truly reflects the voices, needs and concerns of their constituents starts with listening,” Kassay said. “In the village government, there are no national political party affiliations. I am practiced in working with anybody who is interested in pursuing commonsense, balanced solutions to ongoing challenges.”

Rebecca Kassay’s candidacy represents a continuation of her lifelong commitment to fostering community connections, proactively confronting concerns and advocating for a sustainable and resilient future. Kassay will officially launch her campaign at an event early in the new year.

“I look forward to continuing conversations with new and familiar community partners and rising to serve at the state level, where I can work further for the well-being of my constituents and all fellow New Yorkers.”

For more information or to contact the campaign, email [email protected].

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Photo courtesy PJV

The following is a press release from the Village of Port Jefferson:

Apologies for any inconvenience.

Port Jefferson’s Harborfront Park will be closed to the public from Oct. 27 to Jan. 1, 2024 for the replacement of the park’s walkways.

For safety reasons, we ask that the public not visit the park during the ongoing construction.

Look for construction and park reopening updates on social media and on the official village website: www.portjeff.com.

Please contact village clerk Sylvia Pirillo at 631-473-4724 ext. 219, or by email at [email protected] with any questions.

Thank you for your patience while we build a beautified, more accessible and safer Harborfront Park for all our residents and visitors.

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File photo

In a unanimous vote by the Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees, Andrew P. Freleng was appointed to direct the village’s Building & Planning Department, effective Nov. 13.

Freleng, of Middle Island, is chief planner at the Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning, overseeing the Regulatory Review Unit that analyzes zoning and subdivision referrals on behalf of the Suffolk County Planning Commission. He also supervises the staff to the Suffolk County Council on Environmental Quality, which is responsible for reviewing the environmental ramifications of all actions of the county.

Currently, Freleng is the chair of the Brookhaven National Laboratory Executive Roundtable and vice chair of the Central Pine Barrens Credit Clearinghouse board of advisers. He is a former member of the board of directors of the New York Planning Federation and a past Long Island section director for the American Planning Association. Before coming to Suffolk County, Freleng was chief planner for the Town of Southampton and prior to that chief environmental planner for the Melville-based H2M architects + engineers, an engineering, architecture and planning firm.

In 1999, Freleng was elected to the Port Jefferson Board of Trustees after serving three years on the village Planning Board. As trustee, Freleng was responsible for the Conservation Advisory Council, Parks Department, the Department of Public Safety and adviser to the Board of Trustees on matters such as SEQRA, waterfront and stormwater issues.

Freleng holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Long Island University-Southampton College and a master’s in environmental management from Long Island University-C.W. Post Campus. In 1990, he was accepted into the American Institute of Certified Planners.

“Having someone of Andy’s caliber in this position is a real coup for the village,” said Mayor Lauren Sheprow. “His vast experience will help guide and elevate the department at this critical phase in our growth. In fact, it was Andy, in his capacity as chief planner for the county who authored the professional review of Port Jefferson’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan, further demonstrating his knowledge of and longstanding history with our village.”

The mayor added, “I look forward to working with him and am confident he will hit the ground running. Welcome back, Andy.”

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Take part in the annual Costumed Dog Parade on East Main Street on Oct. 21. File photo by Bob Savage

By Heidi Sutton

Looking for something fun to do with the family this weekend? Then head down to the Village of Port Jefferson as it transforms into the annual Oktober Harvest Fest on Oct. 21 and 22 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This year the event will be sponsored by the Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce and the Port Jefferson Business Improvement District in cooperation with the Incorporated Village of Port Jefferson. The two-day festival will feature a pumpkin decorating contest, a cherry pie eating contest, a pumpkin harvest maze and patch (fee), a self-guided art walk, cornhole games, a scarecrow meet and greet, strolling musicians, a pirate scavenger hunt (fee), horse and wagon rides (fee), ten-foot Tall Walkers, a scarecrow walk, a harvest photo op and much more.

Barbara Ransome, Director of Operations at the Port Jefferson Chamber, is looking forward to seeing the fun unfold. 

“There will be events throughout the whole village so its very walkable, very accessible and very family friendly. You can park your car and choose from a large selection of activities,” she said.

Highlights this year include the annual Halloween costumed dog parade sponsored by Fetch Doggy Boutique along East Main Street on Saturday at 12:30 p.m., and a village-wide Chowder Crawl on Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. According to Ransome, in the case of torrential rain, the parade and Chowder Crawl will be pushed to Sunday.

This year many of the businesses in the village will host activities in front of or in their shops. Fall Fun kids crafts will be offered at Kilwins, a B&B Paranormal Investigations Tour sign up sheet will be at the Port Jeff Brewing Company (fee), and Oktober Fest Tastings will be offered at Port Jeff Liquor, Whiskey Barrel, Spycoast and Pindar for adults, just to name a few. For a full schedule of events, visit www.portjeffchamber.com.

Up next in the Village is the Santa Parade on Nov. 26, the Festival of Trees at the Port Jefferson Village Center from Dec. 1 to Jan. 2 and the 27th annual Charles Dickens Festival on Dec. 2 and 3. For more information, call 631-473-1414.

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Port Jeff Village Hall. File photo

The Village of Port Jefferson is calling upon its residents to volunteer for various boards, councils and committees that play a crucial role in enhancing local government and the community.

“Volunteering for a board, council or committee provides an exceptional opportunity to actively engage in the decision-making processes that shape our policies and programs,” Mayor Lauren Sheprow said. “It’s a chance to lend your voice, expertise and unique perspective to initiatives that contribute to the vitality of Port Jefferson.”

Members of boards and committees contribute significantly to the progress and development of the village. Volunteer contributions can help formulate policies, oversee projects and ensure the best interests of the community are represented.

Residents are encouraged to explore the wide array of boards, councils and committees by visiting www.portjeff.com/volunteer. There, they can indicate their interests, preferences and availability.

For more information contact: [email protected].

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Steven Albanese shows off his 1966 Cadillac Convertible. Photo by Aidan Johnson
By Aidan Johnson

Despite the uncooperative weather, the Port Jefferson Harbor Education & Arts Conservancy held its annual hill climb on Saturday, Sept. 30.

The event, a reenactment of the first hill climb in 1910, featured classic cars retracing the original course up East Broadway.

Port Jeff village historian Chris Ryon, left, and Port Jefferson Harbor Education & Arts Conservancy president Lisa Perry. Photo by Aidan Johnson

While gloomy weather significantly reduced the number of usual participants, multiple drivers still came out to enjoy the day.

Despite a much smaller showing, the conservancy’s president, Lisa Perry, still saw the event as a success. 

“I think anytime people know the history of our village and what used to go on here, and participants and people coming out, and the mayor being here, I think it was … a successful event,” Perry said.

Steven Albanese, who showcased his 1966 Cadillac Convertible, was happy to participate in the event.

“This is probably the third or fourth … hill climb that I participated in, so I know most of the people here,” he said. “We all know each other, and you’re like, ‘You’re going, you’re going, all right, what the heck!’ A little rain,” he added.

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The Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees was back before the public Monday night, Sept. 18, for a business meeting spanning roughly two hours and covering a range of local matters.

Parking pilot program

With Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kassay as the lone dissenter, the board passed an amended resolution 4-1 enabling the issuance of parking permits for Belle Terre residents to park in metered spaces.

In this pilot program, which will last for the remainder of the 2023 calendar year, parking passes for Belle Terre residents will be offered at a prorated expense of $25. This parking pass does not confer access to the PJV resident lot on Arden Place.

Mayor Lauren Sheprow read an email into the record from Village of Belle Terre Mayor Bob Sandak, who characterized the parking pass initiative as mutually beneficial to both municipalities.

“For many years, the residents of Belle Terre have said that they would spend much more time in the village of Port Jefferson if they could have a simple and inexpensive way to park,” the email read. “Any solution you choose to adopt would be much appreciated by the residents of Belle Terre and would, I am sure, prove to be a financial benefit to the businesses of Port Jefferson.”

Outlining reasons for the program, Sheprow said the Port Jefferson Business Improvement District unanimously supported the proposal.

Trustee Drew Biondo considered the parking pass program “cost-neutral and revenue-producing.”

In supporting the motion, trustee Bob Juliano suggested that the pilot program offers 11 weeks to test and evaluate the program: “It doesn’t mean I’m going to approve it going forward, but let’s try it for the 11 weeks and let’s see what it produces,” he said.

Explaining her “no” vote, Kassay indicated that parking accommodations for village employees remain unresolved.

“For years, I’ve heard consistent requests from Port Jefferson business owners asking the village to consider making parking passes available to their employees who are spending $1.50 per hour to go to work,” the deputy mayor said in a subsequent email. “A solution for this concept, as well as the concept of parking permits for nonresident visitors, deserves a great deal of time and discussion from the village board, staff and community at large.”

She added, “I hope the 2024 paid parking season in PJV will begin with a convenient, comprehensive parking permit program for recreational visitors and local employees alike.”

QR code scam

Parking and mobility administrator Kevin Wood updated the board of a recent scam targeting some of the village’s metered parking signs.

“Some group of people or person — most likely this weekend — placed perfectly square, fraudulent QR codes over the existing QR code on some of the signs,” Wood told the board.

Those who scanned the fraudulent code “were offered a flat fee parking rate of $20,” Wood said, adding, “We don’t know exactly how many people were defrauded, but I will tell you we caught it very early Saturday night.”

Wood estimated approximately 12-15 parking signs had been tampered with, maintaining that all fake QR codes had been removed. He added that a detailed report on the incident was sent to the Suffolk County Police Department.

Proposed schedule change

The board debated a proposal to move its regular meetings from Monday to Thursday.

Village clerk Sylvia Pirillo said the existing meeting schedule often conflicts with holidays, adding that there are other logistical challenges for village staff.

“We’re recommending instead the second and final Thursday of each month” for board of trustees meetings, Pirillo said. “We also feel that for staff and for work product that this would be a more consistent schedule. We now have warrants that are once a month, and this would help with the processing.”

Biondo supported the schedule change, saying, “It’s good to try something new. If it doesn’t work, we can caucus and decide to go back.”

Kassay referred to the logic for changing the schedule as “sound.” However, she asked the board to consider public feedback before adopting the change.

“I, as a trustee, have learned that making large, sweeping decisions like this without giving the public a chance to have their voices heard is often greeted quite negatively,” the deputy mayor said.

The board did not hold a vote on the change of schedule.

New treasurer

The village’s new treasurer, Stephen Gaffga, attended his first board meeting Monday night, delivering a brief report on his plans for the office.

Moving forward, Gaffga said he would present monthly financials, including fund balance information, expenses and revenues, also budget transfers. He proposed some changes to office procedures.

“I want to be able to tighten up the procurement procedures here a little bit to be able to allow for more transparency in how the money is being spent — taxpayer money, country club money, capital funds — and to also allow more clarity when it comes to the warrants,” he said. “I think the more information there is, the better.”

To watch the entire meeting, including trustee reports, please see the video above.

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Mather Hospital Executive Director Kevin McGeachy holds the Village Cup. Photo by Stuart Vincent
A scene from the 14th annual Village Cup Regatta. Photo by Stuart Vincent
From left, Phyliss Macchio, NP and Dr. Melissa Devlin from Mather’s Palliative Health Program; Mather Executive Director Kevin McGeachy; Ralph Macchio; and Mayor Lauren Sheprow. Photo by Stuart Vincent
Port Jefferson Village Team. Photo by Stuart Vincent
A scene from the 14th annual Village Cup Regatta. Photo by Stuart Vincent
Mather Hospital Team. Photo by Stuart Vincent
A scene from the 14th annual Village Cup Regatta. Photo by Stuart Vincent
Mather Hospital Executive Director Kevin McGeachy accepted the $47,000 Mather check (an equal amount went to the Lustgarten Foundation)
A scene from the 14th annual Village Cup Regatta. Photo by Stuart Vincent

By Heidi Sutton

The 14th annual Village Cup Regatta, a friendly competition between Mather Hospital and the Village of Port Jefferson, set sail on Sept. 9 on the Long Island Sound for two good causes.

The Regatta consists of Yacht Club-skippered sailboat where employees from the Hospital and Village help crew the boats, which race in one of three classes based on boat size.

Presented by the Port Jefferson Yacht Club, the Regatta raises funds for Mather’s Palliative Medicine Program and the Lustgarten Foundation, which funds pancreatic cancer research. This year’s Regatta, which was won by the Mather team, raised $94,000 which was divided equally between the two groups. Mather Hospital’s Executive Director Kevin McGeachy accepted the Village Cup and the check for his team at a celebratory Skipper’s Reception at the Port Jefferson Village Center following the races. Mayor Lauren Sheprow represented the Port Jeff Village team.

Actor, director and local resident Ralph Macchio once again served 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 last ten years. His wife, Phyllis, is a nurse practitioner in Mather Hospital’s Palliative Medicine Program.

 

 

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Sandra Swenk, former mayor of Port Jefferson, chronicles the causes and effects of the village’s incorporation movement. Photo by Raymond Janis

This year marks Port Jefferson’s 60th anniversary as an incorporated village.

On a snowy day in December, 1962, Port Jefferson residents voted to form their own local government, a maneuver that still has ramifications generations later.

Sandra Swenk was among those leading the cause for incorporation and later served as the third mayor of the village she fought to create.

In an exclusive interview, Swenk reflected on the village’s genesis story, outlining the contributing factors for incorporation and the lasting effects of this homegrown revolution.

Civic awakening

Before there was a village, Port Jeff was an unincorporated hamlet, subject to the local laws and rules of the Town of Brookhaven. At around the time of incorporation, Brookhaven had been exploring instituting a parking district, a proposal jeopardizing the area’s historic character.

“They wanted parking, but they were going to take down some of these old homes to do it,” Swenk said. “That spurred a lot of interest in having home rule.”

The Port Jefferson Property Owners Association was the central civic group of that period. Swenk considers herself among the few remaining surviving members of that civic effort.

“Our property owners association was very active at the time,” she said.

Road to self-determination

Swenk noted several contributing factors leading to the village’s incorporation. Paramount among them was the growing industrial activity surrounding Port Jefferson Harbor.

“We were very concerned about the industrial aspect of the harbor — the tankers, barges, oil and possible spillage,” she said. “We wanted more recreational use of the harbor.”

‘It’s about making our own decisions.’

— Sandra Swenk

The threat of a deeper harbor, and the precipitating industrial and commercial growth, had also loomed large at the time. Growing tensions had existed for some time between the town and the surrounding residents of the harbor, with a fear of possible dredging.

“We in Port Jefferson did not want to see the harbor dredged because that meant a deeper port for larger boats to come in,” Swenk noted. “That was something that really triggered our interest in incorporation. That was a turning point, I would say.”

When referendum day arrived, the outcome was “overwhelming,” according to Swenk. “We won by a 2-1 margin [689-361],” she said, adding, “It was overwhelmingly in favor of incorporating — having our own government, our own board of trustees and controlling what might happen.”

Home rule

Following the vote, locals then set out to guide their village board in a direction reflective of the popular will.

Swenk said historic preservation, beautification and adaptive reuse had been core tenets of her administration from 1971 through 1977.

“I wanted to see the village revitalized,” she said. “I felt that there was adaptive use of some of the older buildings throughout the business district.”

She referred to Upper Port as a “thriving business district” during those early years, with bookstores, retail spaces and other commercial opportunities uptown.

“We were always a busy community, and that was something I wanted to see continued,” she said.

Another essential feature of home rule, according to her, was the preservation of the area’s historic character. Swenk, a charter member of Port Jefferson Historical Society, said she continues this endeavor to this day.

Incorporation in context

Swenk suggested that on the whole, the incorporation achieved much of its aims, such as protecting the harbor from overcommercialization and preserving the village’s historic charm.

She noted that parking remains an unresolved issue even today and that the village’s municipal boards can sometimes skirt their own rules.

“They’re not adhering to the codes in many cases,” she said. “As an application comes in, what an applicant is required to do to meet the code and all, they should follow it.”

She added that various stakeholders within the community could have greater collaboration in remediating local issues. “There hasn’t been enough togetherness in planning,” she said. 

Yet since incorporation, Swenk maintained that citizens have served as the drivers of their local democracy. With the recent reemergence of the Port Jefferson Civic Association, Swenk said some patterns of local history are playing out again today.

“It takes an issue to get people involved,” the incorporation leader and former village mayor said. PJCA members “seem to have the interest of the village” at heart.

Reflecting upon the legacy of the incorporation movement, she said locals could take away from the movement the power of civic engagement in contributing to tangible change in their community.

“It’s about making our own decisions,” she said. “It’s good being incorporated. I’m proud of my village. It means a lot to me.”

This story is part of a continuing series on the incorporation of Port Jefferson.

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The Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees was back before the public Monday night, Aug. 7, with discussions centering around public safety, mobility and Port Jefferson Country Club.

Sergio Möller, community relations officer for the Suffolk County Police Department’s 6th Precinct, said motor vehicle accidents were up in July, attributing the spike to an increase in people during the downtown area’s busiest season.

He alerted residents to an ongoing gift card fraud trend throughout the county, saying that any solicitation for money in the form of a gift card is a scam.

PJV code enforcement chief Andy Owen reported on recent findings from his department’s speeding survey on Brook Road.

“As far as I’m concerned, it was a positive survey with positive results,” the code chief said.

Village of Port Jefferson code enforcement chief Andy Owen delivers his department’s monthly public safety report during a general meeting of the village Board of Trustees Monday, Aug. 7. Photo by Raymond Janis

Owen reported that in an ongoing speed survey at Scraggy Hill Road, the department observed some residents driving around the speed table on the street. He said the department is exploring extending the speed table to prevent this trend from continuing.

Parking and mobility administrator, Kevin Wood, updated the public on PASSPort, a village-operated municipal rideshare service created earlier this year. [See story, “Port Jeff Village to pioneer PASSPort…” March 31, TBR News Media.]

“We’re seeing between two and 12 rides per weekend,” Wood said, a ride volume “below our expectations.”

“We’re seeing very low usage for residents at this point,” he added.

Village clerk Sylvia Pirillo reported that the village’s municipal website “is in the process of being completely revitalized.” She noted that the website overhaul includes updates to promote user friendliness and a section on the landing page for employment opportunities.

PJCC’s general manager, Tom Natola, said the golf course is at the apex of its season, with heightened activity posing operational challenges for the village-owned country club.

Natola said the volume of play is adding pressure on PJCC’s parking lots. With so many people playing on the course during this time of year, he noted that basic maintenance repairs are further complicated.

The general manager stated that PJCC is exploring designs for new racket sports amenities. 

“Once the phase II [of the village’s East Beach Bluff Stabilization Project] is completed, we’re going to be redoing the paddle facility,” he said, with plans in the works for new tennis and pickleball courts.

However, he added, “The number of both we have not decided on yet because it depends on where the wall is going and how much space we actually have.”

The village board will reconvene Monday, Aug. 21, with a public hearing on proposed north- and south-facing stop signs on the west and east sides of Scraggy Hill Road.

To watch the entire meeting, including trustee reports, see video above.

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