Stu Vincent, director of public affairs and public relations at Mather Hospital, has also made a name for himself within the Port Jeff business community.
As 1st vice president of the Greater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, Vincent has emerged as an important local figure and leader. He has been active in chamber events, including overseeing its annual Health & Wellness Fest.
Barbara Ransome, GPJCC director of operations, characterized his role as chair of this festival. “That is a very important event that we are involved in because it is a strong revenue-producing event,” she said.
Ransome maintains that Vincent, as 1st VP, acts as a close adviser, referring to his public relations expertise as a helpful springboard for different ideas. To her, Vincent is a warm presence within the chamber and a reliable attendee of chamber events.
“That particular skill set is very important, certainly for a chamber of commerce, and I look for his expertise on certain matters that pertain to that,” Ransome said.
With Mather, Vincent has had considerable influence in the hospital’s Paint Port Pink campaign. Through the Fortunato Breast Health Center at Mather Hospital, this initiative raises awareness about breast cancer, shares information and brings the community together. The bright pink lights streaming through the village in October are a staple of the campaign.
Mayor Margot Garant considered Vincent a dedicated community servant and a positive force for the Port Jeff community.
“He’s at every single event, a strong member and volunteer of the chamber, so he’s definitely a dedicated servant and a very good employee,” she said. “I think he makes an excellent face of the hospital, and he’s just a swell guy — kind of a quiet soldier.”
That quiet soldier continues to leave his mark on the Port Jeff community. For his sterling work on behalf of the chamber and Mather Hospital, TBR News Media recognizes Vincent as a 2022 Person of
the Year.
As a child growing up in New Hampshire, Holly Fils-Aime and her sister would often venture into the wilderness surrounding their rural childhood home to play. The sisters spent much of their time admiring nature and would often canoe, swim and take walks in the neighboring woods.
Fils-Aime became enamored with the undisturbed woodlands that she would often explore, crediting her mother for deepening her knowledge and understanding of the wildlife that surrounded her family home.
“We learned a lot about nature,” Fils-Aime said. “My mother was an avid bird enthusiast and she had actually taken a course in that in college. We learned to identify bird songs and identify birds by sight. I just had a pretty good background in nature and identifying different species.”
Beyond birds, Fils-Aime’s mother taught her children how to identify wildflowers and various tree species as well. One of the major actions her family took was helping to preserve a portion of the woodlands she happily spent her time adventuring in when she was still a young child.
“My family did donate 25 acres of woodland to the town where I grew up, which is going to New Hampshire as a conservation easement,” she said. “That’s in perpetuity that that land will not be developed.”
Fils-Aime’s deep appreciation for nature endured and has stuck with her well into adulthood. The mother of two admits that when she moved to Port Jefferson in 2000 to settle down with her husband and children, she was somewhat removed from the environmental field and instead focused her attention on teaching English at the New York Institute of Technology.
However, following her retirement in June 2021, her passion for environmentalism and nature preservation was reignited. So she connected with like-minded friends to discuss the environmental issues impacting Port Jefferson, Long Island and beyond.
Fils-Aime said her plan was to forge a group of individuals who understood the importance of environmentalism and how nature should ultimately be protected. The group goes by the name EcoLeague and consists of about 10 members with three of them living out of state.
Before expanding their various initiatives both on Long Island and outside New York, the group came together to focus on the move away from plastics.
“I had been having these conversations with my friends and it seemed we were always talking about plastic, and was there any better way to recycle it,” she said. “My friends didn’t necessarily know each other, but I thought they would all be compatible.”
On Sept. 18, Fils-Aime and other members of the EcoLeague joined a small group of protesters to call out Mather Hospital’s move to clear the surrounding woods and walking trails to make way for additional hospital parking.
‘Holly really understands the value that birds and wildlife bring to us as humans.’
— Ana Hozyainova
The protesters were joined by Ana Hozyainova, formerly working in international human rights, who ran for a seat on the Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees earlier this year.
Though she was not elected to the village board, Hozyainova used her platform in the fall to draw attention to what she, EcoLeague and the remaining protesters felt was an unjust action carried out by Mather and the village.
The demonstrators protested these actions because the woods are “crucial in protecting Port Jefferson from further flooding, from even steeper increases in temperatures, but also ensuring that our backyards are filled with birds and insects that protect against harmful pests,” Hozyainova said in an interview.
A lawsuit against the parking lot expansion was filed in August, but this measure proved to be unsuccessful. The woodland was cleared, and the additional hospital parking was paved.
“I had done the right thing by signing on to the lawsuit,” Fils-Aime said. “We filed the lawsuit in August. We didn’t get what we wanted.” She added, “This was, in our minds, an act of complete disregard for the concerns of Port Jefferson citizens. … This was a part of our habitat. People enjoyed going in there with their kids and so on.”
Hozyainova expressed her concern that the new parking lot at Mather and the predilection to clear out trees to expand backyards and to pave new driveways are all leading to what could be a disturbing situation.
“The more impermeable surfaces that we create, the more we reduce the capacity of the water to go down into the ground and be absorbed into the ground,” said Hozyainova, who also expressed concern that flooding is only going to get worse with deforestation and a rise in sea levels due to climate change.
Asked about working with Fils-Aime and the vision that the EcoLeague founder has for Port Jefferson, Hozyainova said, “Holly really understands the value that birds and wildlife bring to us as humans, because it’s a well-documented fact that we need access to nature to be well. Nature is a part of what we try to protect.”
As for what’s next for EcoLeague and its founder, Fils-Aime is optimistic. A current endeavor is appealing to small businesses and company leaders to make a move away from plastic to aluminum, which is infinitely recyclable.
Fils-Aime is determined to continue working with EcoLeague and spreading her environmentalist message, with the goal to change some minds and hearts in the village and greater community.
“We don’t want to make enemies, but if we see something that is not right, that is hurting the environment, that is hurting Port Jefferson, we are going to be doing something right,” Fils-Aime said. “Whatever we need to do, we’re going to be doing something.”
For her passionate environmentalism, TBR News Media is pleased to name Fils-Aime a 2022 Person of the Year.
Station Street, a one-way corridor between Port Jefferson train station and Port Jefferson Crossing apartments in Upper Port, is set to open early next year.
Following an upcoming Jan. 3 public hearing and a vote by the village’s board of trustees, the street will be codified within the village code. In an exclusive interview with Mayor Margot Garant, she offered some updates on the roadway opening.
“Physically, it’s ready,” she said. “The structure is up, the signage is installed, the lighting is in and the irrigation is in.”
Arriving at “Station Street” was an effort that integrated various aspects of the village government’s tech apparatus. That name was given to the street during the Upper Port master plan phase. Cementing the name, however, the village employed some creative means.
“We’ve been calling it that for almost a decade, but we thought, ‘Maybe it’s fun to give the public a chance’” to add input, Garant said.
As part of its monthly Port eReport, the village generated an online survey to collect input from the community. Charmaine Famularo, a village staff member, organized the survey.
With over 130 entries, Station Street was the highest vote getter with 54 votes. Rail Road and Port Place tied as distant second-place finishers, with 19 votes each. Other names included Locomotion Lane, Gateway Drive and Upper Port Drive, among countless others. There were even humorous suggestions such as End of the Line Avenue and Whistle Way.
“We are so excited about the participation we received,” Famularo said in a text message. “Now, as we all pass the Station Street sign as we enter Port, we will have pride in our new road. It is one that we named.”
Deputy Mayor Kathianne Snaden voiced similar sentiments. In an email, she suggested public participation in naming the street added a sense of community identity.
“Having the residents involved in naming the street brings a sense of pride of ownership in the community that I strive to bring to this village,” Snaden said.
Garant regarded the street naming activity as part of an ongoing initiative by the village to boost readership and interaction with the eReport. “I think it adds strength and depth to the newsletter,” she said. “This newsletter is chock-full of information. It’s interactive. It can be a real way of getting the public more engaged.”
She added, “I think the more you understand the technology and are able to utilize it, it’s fun. It was a fun suggestion.”
While street renaming was the first example of incorporating tech in decision-making, it may serve other functions down the road.
When asked whether she foresees these technologies being used in different formats, Garant said, “With that particular incident, a very small segment of the population responded. I think it’s a way — maybe in addition to a public hearing — of gaining public input, but it would not be the sole source.”
The naming of Station Street reflects how local policymakers and constituents relate to one another through technology. Garant stated the need for municipalities to adapt to these technologies and use them to strengthen local democracy.
“Social media is a very powerful, interactive tool, and if it’s used constructively, it can embrace a lot of important public input,” she said. “I think it can also be a way to distribute important public information.” She concluded by saying, “I think we’re finally getting our arms around that entire thing.”
Attendees of the latern dedication. Photo courtesy Kevin Wood
Friends, family, and community members gathered on Friday, Dec. 2, to dedicate a lantern to the late Aida Ramonez, a beautiful young girl very dear to the Port Jefferson community.
The community continues to come together for the Ramonez family, this being the latest example. Mayor Margot Garant shared her sentiments during the ceremony.
“I see there are many of her classmates out here tonight and know when one family hurts, we all hurt,” Garant said. “We can’t think of a more beautiful thing than celebrating life. Look around you, look at all the people in your life and in this community and be so very grateful for what we have here together.”
The inscription on Aida’s lantern reads, “In loving memory of Aida Esperanza Ramonez — Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” Aida’s grandfather Ramon expressed his gratitude to those who coordinated the service.
“I want to thank the community of Port Jefferson,” he said. “The love and kindness that we have felt from you. Losing someone so young and so precious has been difficult. But the support of a community like this makes it a lot easier.”
The Port Jefferson School District and community raised the money for the lantern dedication. Funds raised beyond those necessary for the dedication ceremony will support a scholarship in Aida’s name.
It’s tradition each year during the lantern dedications that students participate by reading a poem as a part of their curriculum. Students Luca Caltagirone and Blake Weaver eloquently shared the poem “Family is like a Circle” by Nicole M. O’Neil.
“This community is strong, and we’re here to support the Ramonez family still,” Garant said. “Every time we see this beautifully lit lantern, you’ll have a very special place to sit by the harbor and honor her spirit.”
Participating businesses will have this sign in their window.
By Heidi Sutton
Creativity is in full display in the Village of Port Jefferson as more than 20 businesses take part in a Holiday Window Decorating Contest. Shoppers can vote for their favorite window display at any of the participating businesses or by scanning the QR code on the flyer located outside the store.
Participating businesses include The Amazing Olive, Breathe, Century 21 Icon, Curry Club Saghar, Fedora Lounge, Fetch Doggy Boutique, Fame and Rebel, Lavender and Co., Organically Connected Dispensary and Kombucha Tap Bar, Luna Nova, Pattern Finders, Port Jeff Salt Cave, Pasta Pasta, Pattern Finders, The Spice and Tea Exchange, SkinMed Spa, The SoapBox, Sue La La Couture, Tabu Boutique, Torte Jeff Pie Co., The East End Shirt Company, The Smokin’ Gentleman and WILD Plant Shop. Winners will be announced in the first week of January, 2023.
The festive event is sponsored by the Greater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce. For more information, call 631-473-1414.
During the 26th annual Charles Dickens Festival in Port Jefferson village, TBR News Media had a chance to catch up with some of those in attendance. During a series of one-on-one encounters throughout the event, we asked the attendees what this local tradition meant to them.
— Photos by Raymond Janis
Nancy Klimpel, Ronkonkoma
“The Port Jeff [Dickens] Festival, to me, means the beginning of the holiday season. It helps to bring people together, allows them to mix and mingle with different kinds of things and cultural opportunities, to see anything from a radio show to a small production, to a choir or some kind of orchestral choice. It really brings the joy of the season to others.”
George Overin, Bohemia
“When you walk down the street, the people you see are very heavy during the holiday season. It may seem really heavy for some people, but when they look up and see these two idiots in smoke and soot and everything else, going ‘Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to ya,’ they smile. You know what? For that second, the world is lifted off their shoulders. For us, that’s what this is all about: Giving a little bit of joy in the darkest time of the year for some people. There are some joys you can’t buy anywhere, and that’s what it means to me.”
Joseph McGowan, Middle Island
“Oh my goodness, where do I start? To bring joy to the local community, to put a smile on someone’s face, to make a little baby’s eyes light up, to see an elderly person — who probably lost a loved one at a recent time — to put a smile on their face, to bring joy and happiness to the whole community, and to bring the true spirit of Christmas into the hearts of everyone in the neighborhood and throughout the area.”
Bob Ogden,Setauket
“I’m going to micro in and break it down a little bit tighter, just to be selfish about the troop, the groups, and the street plays. Since September, I have liked to see these little guys’ and girls’ development. Walking in in September and saying, ‘Here’s a script. I want you to memorize it and act it by December,’ and to see their growth and how they gain confidence as they learn their lines, that’s what I like to see.”
“Jacob Marley,”Port Jefferson
“It’s an opportunity to introduce people to the wonderful storytelling of Charles Dickens. If you haven’t read ‘A Christmas Carol,’ you should or listen to the audiobook. It’s funny, it’s incisive and relevant to today. The message of Christmas being a time of giving — as opposed to a time of just getting things — I just love that feeling of the spirit of being generous.”
Russ Green,Sound Beach
“’A Christmas Carol,’ specifically, is a story of hope and redemption on many levels. The Dickens Fest as a whole, to me, means, more than anything, a time of coming together as a community, which is especially lacking in this day and age.”
The Village of Port Jefferson reignited a time-honored tradition last weekend during its 26th annual Charles Dickens Festival.
Hundreds of community members, visitors, business groups and local organizations participated in the festivities from Friday, Dec. 2, to Sunday, Dec. 4.
The show went on despite hard rains and gusting winds throughout the morning and early afternoon Saturday. Mayor Margot Garant, decked out in traditional Dickensian garb, commented on the turnout in the face of these conditions.
“To me, it just shows how important this festival is to not just this community but kids coming from St. James and beyond who are coming to see Santa,” she said. “It’s just magic, and rain or shine we’re going to be doing Dickens.”
Deputy Mayor Kathianne Snaden concurred with this positive outlook, regarding the festival as another means for community-building. “It’s heartwarming to see everybody still supporting this festival,” she said.
Trustee Stan Loucks commented on the uniqueness of the opportunities afforded through the festival and the steady growth of the events over its nearly three decades in existence.
“It’s grown every single year, and it’s just the most festive time of the year,” he said, adding, “I love the whole atmosphere, the village center. It’s a very special place, and I look forward to this every year.”
The program across all three days was loaded with special events featuring the various elements that formulate this distinct village’s character. The heart of Port Jeff was on full display, from its downtown business sector to its local history, public institutions and more.
At the Bayles Boat Shop, local shipbuilders showcased their ongoing work to construct a 25-foot whaleboat honoring the village’s Revolutionary War heritage.
John Janicek, treasurer of the boat shop’s nonprofit arm, the Long Island Seaport and Eco Center, detailed how the whaleboat ties together various threads of Port Jeff’s historical roots.
“It not only ties in the historical aspect that Caleb Brewster performed here during the Revolutionary War and [the role] Port Jefferson played, but it also ties in our shipbuilding aspect, too,” Janicek said. “We’re getting a lot of support from the village on this. They see this as something the whole village can get their arms around and embrace, similar to the Dickens Festival.”
Over at the Drowned Meadow Cottage on the corner of West Broadway and Barnum, local historians greeted visitors with guided tours detailing Port Jefferson’s strategic position during the Revolutionary War. They shared stories of local patriots whose involvement in the Culper Spy Ring helped advance the cause of American independence.
Village historian Chris Ryon discussed how the Dickens Festival offers a platform to promote local history to residents and visitors alike.
“We take the people from Dickens and tell them how Port Jefferson was involved in the Culper Spy Ring,” he said. “It’s another group of people that we can bring in.”
Mark Sternberg, Culper Spy Ring historian at the Drowned Meadow Cottage, offered a unique take on Dickens. He remarked upon the intersection of the Dickensian and Revolutionary periods and how people today can relive tradition and rehear the lore of the past.
He said, referring to the American spies, “A lot of these people survived into the 1800s, and the stories of the American Revolution were told during the 1800s. For us to tell stories about the American Revolution as part of the Dickens Festival, it’s what they would have done.”
The historian added, “It’s keeping with the tradition of telling a story about the founding of our nation, even in later periods. Now Charles Dickens may not have talked about it because he was British, but here in America during the Victorian era, we would have.”
Along with stories of the past, the village exhibited the musical talents of local students. At the Port Jefferson Free Library, the Edna Louise Spear Elementary School chamber orchestra delivered moving string performances, filling the library with festive tunes.
Their music teacher, Christian Neubert, summarized this Dickens custom. “For a number of years now, we’ve been coming to perform here at the library during the Dickens Festival,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity to get our students out for a performance and to get the community involved with our music program.”
Jessica Schmettan, superintendent of schools for Port Jefferson School District, was among the dozens of audience members at the library. She expressed pride in seeing the students perform before their fellow community members.
“It’s just amazing that our students can be performing in the village in which they live,” she said, adding that the festival “gives them a different avenue to perform in, not just the auditorium or the classroom but in front of a real audience.”
At Suffolk Lodge No. 60 on Main Street, the oldest Masonic lodge on Long Island, brothers treated guests to magic shows and a dance festival. Downstairs, they served freshly baked cookies and hot chocolate.
Chris Connolly, master of the lodge, said the lodge dates back to the late 18th century. He expressed delight at seeing this historic organization maintain an active community presence through Dickens.
“Being a part of the community is a big part of who we are and helping others,” Connolly said.
Jason Intardonato, senior deacon of Suffolk Lodge No. 60, discussed Dickens as a means of strengthening local connections and a time for selflessness.
“The Dickens Festival provides us with an extraordinary opportunity to interact with our neighbors here and with the community in Port Jefferson and to allow them into our space, entertain them for a while during the holidays, and give back,” he said.
Farther along Main, Jeffrey Sanzel’s annual production of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” at Theatre Three is an active reminder of the historical background to the Dickens Festival.
The festival also provided a platform for some to communicate their message on a larger stage. For the second month in a row, protesters from the farmworkers union Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW gathered outside the Pindar wine shop in yet another call of action to negotiate a contract. The dispute is part of more than a year of negotiations between the union and Pindar Vineyards, the wine store’s parent company.
John Durso, president of Local 338, joined the picketers on Main Street during the festival. “We knew that today was the Dickens Festival,” he said. “We knew that there would be a lot more people around, so we decided to … bring attention to the fact that these workers, like everybody else, are entitled to the same dignity and respect that all workers should have.”
Coordinating the annual festival is a monumental task for the village and the various stakeholders involved in its planning. Kevin Wood, the village’s director of economic development, parking administrator and communications committee head, thanked the sponsors who supported the festival and commented on the event’s success despite the inclement weather conditions.
“Because this has been [going on for] 26 years, people understand that this is one of the most unique events on Long Island, so they’re going to fight the rain to be here,” Wood said. “To support the production and the infrastructure, there are so many volunteers but there are also so many people staffing to make it work.”
Snaden concluded by offering how the Dickens Festival advances some of the village’s highest aims. She said the community uncovers its sense of place through an event such as this.
“It really goes to the sense of community that we all have,” she said. “All the work that goes into this festival and how everybody comes together, it’s a beautiful thing to see.”
The Port Jefferson Business Improvement District held a tree-lighting ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 1.
The tree was purchased by the Business Improvement District with the full support of the village government, according to Deputy Mayor Kathianne Snaden. Santa Claus lit the tree during the event after a countdown from those in attendance.
The night was festive with a snowmaker, hot chocolate from Starbucks, and candy canes from Roger’s Frigate. Those involved in the planning and lighting of the tree expressed enthusiasm for adding this new holiday staple to Port Jefferson.
Artists put the finishing touches on a new mural in Port Jefferson on Oct. 8. The sign, located next to the Village Grocery at the corner of Main Street and Maple Place, welcomes visitors to the quaint seaside village.
The entrance to Cedar hill Cemetery. Photo by Chris Ryon
By Tara Mae
From slightly spooky to sublimely serene, the Port Jefferson Village Center’s latest exhibit captures the majesty and tranquility of Port Jefferson’s historic Cedar Hill Cemetery.
Titled Cedar Hill Cemetery: Hidden Sanctuary of Our Past, the exhibit of approximately 60 photos offers insight into the still-operational, non-denominational cemetery as seen through the lens of Port Jefferson Historian Chris Ryon and historic photographs from the Library of Congress.
The Hulse family plot at Cedar Hill Cemetery. Photo by Chris Ryon
Located on the second floor mezzanine of the Center, the show, which opens Sept. 5, features black and white, color, and near-infrared photographs, evoking different emotions and transcending different periods of time.
The photos trace the seasons, years, and decades of the cemetery, which was established in the mid-19th century and houses the grave markers for some of the area’s most prominent and historic names, including members of the Woodhull, Roe, and Mather families.
Ryon, who began regularly photographing the cemetery about ten years ago, curated the exhibit and contributed most of the images, including all of the near-infrared pictures, which require a specially outfitted camera. He said he is fascinated by the distinctive, haunting images it can yield.
One striking example is the Mather family marker, a 41-ton obelisk that is the largest memorial in Cedar Hill. Standing high above its neighbors, a focal point in any photo, it features the names of John R., prominent shipbuilder, and his son, John Titus, founder of Mather Hospital.
With the near-infrared, details such as snow covered tombstones and skylines framed by trees and awash in clouds, the hint of the harbor in the background, take on a gothic luster. The cemetery’s gates appear stark and imposing. Names and details of the gravestones are frequently in sharp focus, names clearly visible.
“I just keep going back to infrared; it is just so ominous looking … green turns white, shadows become more pronounced, etc,” Ryon said, adding that he was drawn to the cemetery as a subject because of his dual appreciation of photography and history. However, he sees the exhibit and cemetery appealing to more than photography and history buffs.
The gates of cemetery came from the 71st regimental armory on Park Ave. in NYC. Photo from Library of Congress
“This cemetery has everything: photographic interest, history, insight into the lives of people in Port Jefferson … I return because it is a serene, moody place different from our everyday lives,” Ryon explained. “Through this exhibit, we are trying to encourage people to visit the cemetery; they will be rewarded for it.”
Situated on 23 acres of carefully tended rolling hills (the highest point is 271 feet above sea level), grass roads, and reimagined sheep pasture at the end of Liberty Avenue, Superintendent of the cemetery Ken Boehm described Cedar Hill as “an oasis in the middle of suburbia.”An additional few acres of untouched wooded property enhances the feeling that the cemetery complements and almost sprouts from the natural world.
Architectural details, such a somewhat squat, “brick house” that once housed the deceased awaiting burial and now holds landscaping equipment, are testaments to the cemetery’s evolution from privately owned land to publicly accessible final respite. And, of course, historic Cedar Hill Cemetery continues to function as originally intended.
“Not to sound corny or anything, but we are helping people at the worst time in their lives, so to be able to maintain this place, make it a sanctuary any way we can, is very rewarding,” Boehm said.
In April of 1859 Hubbard Gildersleeve sold 13 acres of his land to the Cedar Hill Cemetery Association, which had been established on March 30, 1859, with the express purpose of establishing a public cemetery. Prior to this, residents had largely continued the long held custom of burying loved ones in family plots on private property.
“These larger cemeteries were all established around the same time; there was a change in the way we thought about the dead, and how we wanted to respect them,” Ryon said.
The Association still exists today and oversees the cemetery’s operations.
Back row, from left, Nick Hartmann, Will Hatfield, Spencer Woolley, Tom Cove and Ken Boehm. Front row, from left, Nick Koban and Dennis Jourdain. Photo by Chris Ryon
Cedar Hill’s first official burial was of Mary B. Hulse, wife of Charles L. Hulse, who died March 27, 1859. Gravestones, belonging to people who predeceased her, soon joined Mrs. Hulse.
Since it was considered both disrespectful and unwise to disinter the actual bodies from their more informal resting places, bits of soil from those locations were moved with the markers to their new homes. Families who visited would often picnic and tend the gravesites; photographs from different eras may show them sitting among the graves or looking towards the water.
People still come to visit their loved ones, do some plantings at the family plots, and take in the views, though they rarely picnic, according to Boehm.
Other modifications, not just in behavior but appearance, have been made over the years. The tall gates, somehow both welcoming and austere, which greet or guard the entrance to the cemetery depending on the time of day, were purchased from a salvage yard in 1971. They once protected the 71st Regiment Armory on Park Avenue in New York City, and need some TLC after so much time on the job.
“The gates will be restored; people want to restore them. Fundraising and other efforts are in development,” Ryon said.
This ties into the larger goal of Hidden Sanctuary: to bring more public awareness to its existence and garner more support for its preservation and maintenance. The Cemetery Association and Village of Port Jefferson are discussing plans to create QR codes, implement cemetery tours, and generally invite people to take advantage of all the cemetery has to offer.
“The exhibit is important to make the public aware of this beautiful sanctuary right in our village. Many do not know it exists. We are hoping to share our cemetery with everyone and take some of the stigma out. We are non-denominational, all are welcome,” President of the Cemetery Association Gail Tilton said.
The Port Jefferson Gallery at the Village Center, 101 E. Broadway, Port Jefferson presents Cedar Hill Cemetery: Hidden Sanctuary of Our Past from Sept. 5 to Oct. 31.Join them for an opening reception on Sunday, Sept. 11 from 1 to 3 p.m. Viewing hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. For more information about the exhibit, call 631-473-4778 or visit www.portjeff.com/gallery. To learn more about Cedar Hill Cemetery, call 631-371-6113 or visit www.cedarhillcemeterypj.com.
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