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By Rita J. Egan

Wet weather couldn’t stop Santa Claus from visiting Stony Brook Village Center as promised Dec. 3.

Santa’s appearance was part of the 44th annual Ward Melville Heritage Organization Holiday Festival. In addition to photos with the jolly elf, attendees spent the afternoon visiting with animals at the petting zoo and viewing the promenade of trees decked out for the holidays and the train display at W.L. Wiggs Opticians. Carolers also performed throughout the shopping center.

“Despite the weather, hundreds of people came out to see Santa arrive in Stony Brook on the antique fire engine for the 44th time,” said Gloria Rocchio, WMHO president. “What was added this year was a Grinch character to complement Santa, which the children loved. People noted the tree looked fuller than usual and was decorated beautifully. Hundreds tuned into the tree lighting in person and also remotely on our website.”

WMHO trustees and elected officials were on hand for the center’s tree lighting later in the day, followed by a private reception at the Long Island Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame. Santa showed up once again, telling guests he was surprised that not one child asked for a Barbie doll. He added the popular gift request this year was a Taylor Swift-branded acoustic guitar.

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Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on Dec. 6 that Terence Wolffe, 41, of Mastic, was arrested for alleged felony criminal mischief and related charges for intentionally damaging parkland in the undeveloped wilderness of Walter S. Commerdinger Jr. County Park on Edgewood Avenue in Nesconset.

“The destruction of county parklands is an affront to our quality of life in Suffolk County,” said District Attorney Tierney. “We will never stand by and allow Suffolk’s beautiful and unique ecosystem to be compromised. I commend our county’s Park Rangers for their diligence in this case and look forward to further strengthening the working partnership between our offices.”

“The investigation by Rangers assigned to the Targeted Response Unit led to their apprehension and arrest of the defendant,” said Chief Park Ranger Steve Laton. “The Ranger’s actions coupled with D.A. Tierney’s tough stance on environmental crimes prevented further destruction of environmentally sensitive county parkland.” According to the investigation, over a prolonged period of time until his capture, Wolffe would travel to an off-trail area in the interior of the park to clear and excavate a personal “hang-out” spot in the woods.

Using machetes, axes, and shovels, Wolffe allegedly chopped down native trees, removed native vegetation, and dug up ground-brush, thatch, soil, dirt and earth from an area approximately 1,150 square feet in dimension. Wolffe would then pile the displaced brush, soil, and tree limbs upon adjacent park land (smothering other native vegetation). While some trees around the periphery were left standing, Wolffe had allegedly hacked and sectioned their roots, causing severe and fatal damage that, in turn, jeopardized those on trails from falling timber. The defendant allegedly dug so deep in certain spots that his actions redirected water flow from nearby wetlands into the cleared zone.

Preliminary environmental estimates place the replacement value of the felled trees and cleared plants at approximately $20,000. This number does not incorporate restoration of the parkland’s natural grade; nor does it incorporate the extensive labor and equipment costs for remediation.

Wolffe was arrested on December 5, 2023. On December 6, 2023, Wolffe was arraigned by Acting County Court Judge the Honorable James McDonough, for the crime of Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree, a Class D felony, and multiple related Environmental Conservation Law and Suffolk County Code violations. Under current New York State law, the offenses charged are not considered bail eligible, so the defendant was released on his own recognizance. Wolffe is due back in court on December 11, 2023.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Jed L. Painter of the District Attorney’s Biological, Environmental, and Animal Safety Team (BEAST) with investigative assistance from the Suffolk County Parks Department.

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Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Second Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate three women who allegedly stole merchandise from a Huntington Station store last month.

Three women allegedly stole clothing and televisions from Target, located at 124 East Jericho Turnpike on November 24 at approximately 9:30 p.m. The stolen merchandise has a value of approximately $640.

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS, utilizing a mobile app which can be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play by searching P3 Tips, or online at www.P3Tips.com. All calls, text messages and emails will be kept confidential.

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Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Sixth Squad detectives are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate three people who allegedly stole from a Medford store last month.

Two men and a woman allegedly stole more than $4,500 in merchandise, including more than $3,000 worth of Mackage winter jackets, from TJ Maxx, 2799 Horseblock Road, Medford on Nov. 26. During the incident one of the suspects displayed a knife when confronted by store management. They fled in what appears to be a black Nissan or Infiniti sedan with aftermarket rims.

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS, utilizing a mobile app which can be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play by searching P3 Tips, or online at www.P3Tips.com. All calls, text messages and emails will be kept confidential.

Veterinarian Steven Templeton, of Animal Health & Wellness in Setauket, pets his two rescue dogs Penny and Emmy. Penny, the black dog, recently passed away. Photo by Stephanie Templeton

Long Island veterinarians are scratching their heads, unsure of whether reports of a new and as yet poorly-defined respiratory illness in dogs is a new threat or whether the ongoing talk is something of a shaggy dog tale.

“No one knows what it is,” said Steven Templeton, a veterinarian at Animal Health & Wellness in Setauket. “Nobody seems to have a clue. Some suggested it was a weird new bacteria, while others suggested it was viral.”

As of now, a potential respiratory infection, which hasn’t been well-defined and differs in its origin depending on whom you ask, could be contributing to making some dogs in other parts of the country sicker than they might otherwise be from the usual assortment of canine maladies that strike at this time of year.

Templeton has seen an increase in respiratory cases in his practice, although none of the cases has become severe.

Some of the illnesses he’s treated are coming from dogs that have no known exposure to other dogs, which “makes you wonder if they’re not catching it from dogs, and if they’re catching it from people,” Templeton added. “It could be a variant of the flu or COVID.”

When Templeton graduated from veterinary school in 1989, he said the conventional wisdom was that dogs didn’t give people viruses and vice versa. Now, he said, that’s turned around, and humans and their best friends can and do share illnesses.

With conflicting reports that this illness could be viral or bacterial, the infection could be a grab bag description for more than one health threat, Templeton said.

As of now, this mysterious dog illness has reportedly affected dogs in 14 states.

At Animal Emergency Services in Middle Country Road in Selden, veterinarian Melody Ribeiro has had one pneumonia case in a dog, which was straightforward in its treatment. 

The dog recovered.

Advice for dog owners

Dog owners have been asking about reports of this infection.

Ribeiro suggested people who are planning to travel check out the facility where they are bringing their pet to make sure they know how the dogs are handled.

Vets also recommended asking kennels or other boarding facilities if they isolate dogs who are coughing or might be contagious.

Templeton, who finds someone who can care for his dogs at home when he travels, added that minimizing group dog contact at this point might also help.

Similar to the advice health care providers who work with people offered during COVID, veterinarians suggested that dog owners should take special precautions with beloved pets who might be in vulnerable categories or who have underlying medical conditions.

Dogs who are particularly young or old, have conditions that weaken their immune system, have poor organ function or are not fully immunocompetent should stay away from gatherings where they might contract viral or bacterial infections.

“We say the same thing for animals that we say for humans for COVID,” said Templeton. “If they have underlying issues, stay away from public [gatherings]. They could be asking for trouble.”

Other dog challenges

Apart from the threat of one or a combination of infections, veterinarians also suggested that dogs continue to struggle with the carry-over from a pandemic that kept many of their human friends home for extended periods of time.

Dogs “feed off the emotions of their owners,” said Templeton. Owners who are stressed or who are angrier than normal can bring tension into their homes that can make their dogs act out.

Dog owners are increasingly asking veterinarians for drugs to help their dogs cope with anxiety or emotional problems.

“The drug approach is minimally effective,” Templeton said. He urged people to get their dogs training and to work with their pets to minimize their distress.

“Anxious owners have anxious dogs,” added Ribeiro.

Holiday risks

During the holidays, dogs can also get into foods they shouldn’t eat, which can lead to pancreatitis, Ribeiro said.

With the legalization of pot, dogs are also consuming products that have tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.

The accidental consumption of THC has occurred over the last few years, with dogs coming in who need medical attention, Ribeiro said. Veterinarians urged people to be cautious about where they store their gummies or other products that might prove an irresistible attraction to their dogs.

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Photo courtesy the Matkovic Family

Prepared by the Matkovic Family

Martina Matkovic was born in White Plains in 1943 while her father was serving in World War II.  When he returned, the family moved to Ossining, New York, where she spent the rest of her childhood.

She graduated from Ossining High School in 1959 and later from White Plains Hospital School of Nursing. She met her husband, Chris, at a mixer in 1964. They moved to Boston in 1965, where she began her career as an orthopedic scrub nurse at the Lahey Clinic.

In 1968, they married in Westchester. They moved to New York City in 1970, where Chris attended medical school, and their first child was born. From 1974-79, they lived in Pittsburgh, where their second child was born. They moved to Stony Brook in 1979, where they had resided ever since.

Martina had a passion for choral music and was an active member of the Long Island Symphonic Choral Association since 1980, where she served as vice president for many years. She loved tending to her garden and belonged to the Three Village Garden Club. She was active in various charitable endeavors organized by the Setauket Presbyterian Church.

Most recently, she volunteered at the local soup kitchen and with Meals on Wheels. She enjoyed her many friends, book clubs and traveling (including bicycle excursions).

There was nothing she loved and enjoyed more than spending time with her four beautiful grandchildren. She is survived by her husband, Chris; her children, Chris and Mara; her sister, Carolyn; and her grandchildren, Max, Molly, Hunter and Henry.

Photo from Nolan Funeral Home

Robert Lowell Beauregard died on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 23, from a severe blood infection with resulting sepsis complications. All who knew him can attest to the remarkable man he was. 

He was born in East Northport to parents Albert Joseph Beauregard and Hazel Lillian Murphy. His siblings were Douglas Albert and Sue Ann.

Bob graduated college from St. John Fisher in Pittsford, New York and received his J.D. degree from Boston College. After graduating law school, he accepted a direct 5-year commission into the U.S. Coast Guard, stationed in Washington D.C.

Throughout his 45-plus years of professional work both in government and the private sector, his specialty was energy law and regulation. 

Bob was married for 56 years to Eileen Harley Beauregard. His daughter, Katherine Beauregard Davis (Erik), and son, Robert L. Beauregard Jr. (Colleen) were his pride and delight. His four grandsons, Grady and Liam Beauregard and Cole and Drew Davis, gave him joy beyond measure. Eileen will miss their spontaneous dancing in the kitchen, sitting under beach umbrellas, exploring on international trips, his genuine and outgoing interest in others and his love of her and his laughter.

Sweet dreams, dear Bob.

You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, want to know why?

Santa Claus made his way for another year to Port Jefferson last weekend, ringing in holiday cheer and the start of the Christmas season.

Who else joined the parade with the man in red, whose sled was attached to a horse-drawn carriage? Other visitors included business owners and elected officials who took the time to show some spirit with costumes, floats and dancing.

Local Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts dressed in their favorite holiday hats Sunday, Nov. 26, along with Shine Dance Studio and Backstage Studio of Dance who had their students twirl up and down Main Street. Special guests showed up including Disney princesses, Donald Duck and Goofy. The parade was finished with a march of characters from the upcoming Dickens Festival scheduled for next weekend.

“I’m grateful to the Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce for giving first responders, business owners, elected officials, Scout troops, community groups and performing artists an opportunity to sync up and help usher in the joy of the holiday season for the young and young-at-heart,” said Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kassay, who is currently running for New York’s 4th Assembly District. “May the weather be just as cooperative and the spirits just as jolly for the Dickens Festival this coming weekend,” she added.

— Photos by Julianne Mosher

By Michael Scro

Port Jefferson Business Improvement District held its 2nd annual Christmas Tree Lighting on Wednesday, Nov. 22, at the intersection of Broadway and East Broadway, where a crowd of resident families gathered to enjoy live music, dancing and a visit from Santa Claus, who joined in with the tree lighting.

The crowd was treated to dance routines from the Shine Dance Company, based in East Setauket, live holiday music from Erik McCormack, who played the famous tunes on his acoustic guitar, and hot chocolate to keep everyone warm.

The evening culminated in the arrival of Santa Claus, who sat in a large upright chair beside the tree before its official lighting.

Village of Port Jefferson Mayor Lauren Sheprow led a countdown to the tree’s lighting and thanked everyone in attendance.

“This is a truly special event the village looks forward to every year,” she said.

Santa then greeted the children and handed out candy canes while the tree shined brightly for the rest of the evening.

— Photos by Michael Scro/Media Origin

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Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Fourth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate two men who allegeldy stole from a Commack store this month.

Two men allegedly stole a Husqvarna leaf blower from Lowes, located at 100 Express Drive North, on November 16 at approximately 11:55 a.m.

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS, utilizing a mobile app which can be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play by searching P3 Tips, or online at www.P3Tips.com. All calls, text messages and emails will be kept confidential.