Three Village Chamber of Commerce celebrates summer

by Rita J. Egan - August 13, 2018

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Sun, food and fun were on the agenda at West Meadow Beach in Setauket.

The Three Village Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual family barbecue at the town beach Aug. 8. Bagel Express was on hand to serve the food, and the store’s owner Dave Prestia donated all the hamburgers and hot dogs. Attendees had a chance to win a variety of raffle prizes, and the Stony Brook Rotary provided a golf simulator.

Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) and Brookhaven Town Councilwoman Valerie Cartright (D-Port Jefferson Station) joined residents at the barbecue which has been an annual tradition of the chamber for nearly 20 years.

For more information about the Three Village Chamber of Commerce, visit www.3vchamber.com.

Racers build then row their way around Port Jeff Harbor

by Kyle Barr - August 13, 2018

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Not even a downpour could stop the participants of the eighth annual Sikaflex Quick & Dirty Boat Build Competition August 12 from testing both their ingenuity and skill in racing a craft they built.

Six teams were given five hours Saturday, Aug. 11 to construct their own small craft out of plywood and calk, even including their own oars. Those boats were painted early Sunday before they were taken out into Port Jefferson Harbor alongside Harborfront Park to be raced against each other. Though for many who participated, a large part of the competition was to see if their boat could actually float.

“We didn’t even float in last year’s competition, so this year was a redemption,” said Queens resident Kelsey Pagan, who along with her partner Dominic Ware, won third place with their boat the Crooked Angler.

Winners of the previous year’s competition, Matthew Debeau and Ken Callirgos, from Port Jefferson, got second place with their spaceship-themed boat named Apollo 1379. Brooklyn residents Keanne Petrie and Jocelyn Cabral won this year in their boat School of Fish. Petrie is a five-year contestant, and this was the first time she won. It was a day of victories for Petrie, as she also was picked in a raffle drawing for a brand-new Sassafras 16 Chesapeake Light Craft Canoe.

“This is really amazing,” Petrie said. She thought about it, and laughed. “Now I just need to figure out how to bring this back to Brooklyn.”

Lemonade stand provides refreshing summer fun

by TBR Staff - August 9, 2018

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Stony Brook siblings host sixth annual Three Village Kids Lemonade Stand

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By Amanda Perelli

What was once a simple lemonade stand in front of a Stony Brook house, has turned into a sweet community-driven event raising thousands each year.

The 6th annual Three Village Kids Lemonade Stand was back at R.C. Murphy Junior High School for the second year on Aug. 8. The event was founded by siblings Maddie and Joseph Mastriano with help from dozens of student volunteers from the Three Village school district.

Fifty-cent cups of lemonade were poured by young student volunteers and kids played games with athletes from Stony Brook University teams. Sales from the lemonade stand benefit Stony Brook Children’s Hospital. At the event, $24,609 was raised and donations were still coming in after Aug. 8. As of Aug. 15, the organizers reached their goal of $30,000.

For more information or to make an online donation, visit www.threevillagekidslemonadestand.com or www.gofundme.com/2018-3village-kids-lemonade-stand.

Night out on the town with Suffolk County police

by Rita J. Egan - August 9, 2018

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On Aug. 7, Suffolk County Police Department officers, as well as members of the military and local fire departments, took time out to spend an evening with residents in the communities they serve.

National Night Out events took place in various locations in Suffolk County including Centereach Pool Complex in Brookhaven, hosted by the 6th Precinct, and in the Commack Target parking lot, organized by the 4th Precinct. The free events included a chance to meet and chat with law enforcement officers, rescue workers and representatives from the different branches of the military. During the evening, attendees could play games, learn how to perform CPR, sit in an impaired driver simulator device, rock climb and more. The Flashing Fingers Signing Club also performed in Centereach.

“The night is about being able to humanize the people behind the uniform,” said William Zieman, 6th Precinct community liaison officer at the Centereach event. “It’s also about connecting residents with all the positive resources in the community and at the same time having the opportunity to interact with law enforcement in a positive way.”

The Squillance family of Medford attended the event to show support for the 6th Precinct, including officers that came to their rescue recently.

“This Suffolk police are a great group of people,” Steve Squillance said. “They were there when my son had a seizure in our pool at home, and Officer [William] Zieman and Officer [Casey] Berry even came to our house to teach my kids about pool safety.”

Additional reporting by Anthony Petriello

Paige Keely memorial installed at Nesconset gazebo

by Sara-Megan Walsh - August 7, 2018

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Town of Smithtown residents now have a place where they can sit down to remember the life of 6-year-old Paige Keely along with other children who have died too soon.

Three Nesconset residents Danielle Hoering, Bridget Scher and Sasha Worontzoff, members of Tackan Elementary School’s Parent-Teacher Association, spearheaded the creation of a memorial to Paige Keely installed at Nesconset gazebo Aug. 2.

Paige Keeley. Photo from St. James Funeral Home

The 6-year-old Paige was first-grader at St. James Elementary who died suddenly of a rare, undetected brain condition called arteriovenous malformation Jan. 8. It’s an abnormal development of blood vessels that connect arteries and veins, which occurs in less than 1 percent of the population, according to the Mayo Clinic, a nonprofit academic medical center based in Minnesota.

“I know what it’s like to lose someone,” Worontzoff said. “People end up forgetting after a while or move onto the next big thing and we didn’t want people to.”

The St. James community initially showed its support for Keely’s parents, Tom and Gina, along with her two siblings by tying pink ribbons – Paige’s favorite color – around trees, stop signs and telephone poles in the community. Now, there is a permanent pink ribbon at the Nesconset gazebo.

In memory of Paige and all children who have died, a cherry blossom tree donated by Borella Nursery Wholesale Growers in Nesconset was planted near the gazebo as it will blossom with pink flowers each year. The tree was surrounded by a garden with a stone plaque, and a white bench inscribed a pink ribbon dedicating it “In Memory of Paige Keely.” The Town of Smithtown Parks, Building & Grounds Department helped install the memorial.

“We wanted to do it in a public area so that all families could come and enjoy it, not just at a school,” Scher said. “We just wanted a spot where people can sit and reflect or pay respect to Paige and the family.”

The gazebo was selected as the memorial site because several public events like the Nesconset Concert series are hosted at the park, attracting families and community members. Local businesses and those in the community donated money to help fund the project.

“People end up forgetting after a while or move onto the next big thing and we didn’t want people to.”

– Sasha Worontzoff

“We wanted each person and each establishment to have a sense of contribution to this permanent fixture in our community,” Worontzoff said. “We really just wanted Nesconset people to help and be a part of it.”

Worontzoff and Hoering had to get permission from Smithtown’s elected officials in order to build the memorial on town-owned land.

“We were so grateful and appreciative that the parks and rec and Town Hall were so quick and knew our story ahead of time,” Worontzoff said. “It was wonderful.”

She hopes local Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops will maintain the memorial and keep it in good condition throughout the years.

This is the second memorial to be constructed in Paige’s memory. Earlier this summer, St. James Elementary School dedicated a butterfly garden on its grounds at the Keely family’s request.

Summer family fun reigns at East Northport fair

by Sara-Megan Walsh - August 6, 2018

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East Northport residents and their families flocked to the East Northport Fireman’s Fair this past weekend.

The East Northport Fire Department kicked off its annual community fair Aug. 1 with a parade. The four-day festival featured rides, carnival games and live music to entertain all ages. Click through the gallery above to see if TBR News Media caught your family having fun.

Setauket Fire Department honors ex-chief John Evans

by TBR Staff - August 6, 2018

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Ex-Chief John Evans, a 62-year member of the Setauket Fire Department, died July 28 and was buried with honors in the St. James R.C. Church Cemetery in Setauket Aug. 2. Firematic Services were held at Bryant Funeral Home Aug. 1.

Evans was born Oct. 31, 1934, in Mather Hospital. He graduated Port Jefferson High School in 1952. His studies in college were followed with a position with Suffolk County as a civil engineer. He retired after 36 years in 1991.

He married Betty in 1957 and recently celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary. They have three children, Sharon Pifko, Tim Evans and Kathy Mays. He is also survived by his two grandchildren Hailey and Sean Mays and a sister Sandra Kratina of Miller Place.

Evans joined the Setauket Fire Department when he was 18 years old and was chief of the department from 1964 through 1965. He was also an assistant chief for six years prior. After serving 61 years, 11 months and 4 days, he became a Life member of SFD, and in his final years, he was a member of the Fire Police.

In his years of active firefighting, Evans shared his great knowledge of hydraulics and pumping with many of the younger firefighters as they learned all the nuances of the department pumpers. He will be missed.

Huntington student rally calls for stricter gun control measures

by Sara-Megan Walsh - August 3, 2018

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Youth coalition pushes for ‘wave of orange,’ support for politicians in favor of more regulation this November

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More than 600 people gathered together loudly chanting, “Enough is enough,” and calling for measures to help bring an end to gun violence in schools at a Huntington Station park this past weekend.

Members of Students against Gun Violence LI, a student-led coalition calling for stricter gun control measures, were joined by parents, Huntington area residents and community members in a rally July 29 at Breezy Park. This event aimed to build on the momentum gathered in the March 24 marches in response to the February Parkland, Florida, school shooting, encouraging young adults to voice their opinions on gun control issues at the polls this November.

“America just loves its guns more than its people and if that’s not f****d up, I don’t know what is,” said Lucy
Peters tearfully, as the niece of Dix Hills native Scott Beigel, who was killed in the Parkland shooting. “We need to elect ‘orange’ politicians who see gun control for what it is — a human issue and not a political issue.”

We need to elect ‘orange’ politicians who see gun control for what it is — a human issue and not a political issue.”

– Lucy Peters

Orange has been adopted as the color worn and displayed by those protesting stalled gun control measures.

Peters stood alongside relatives of other Parkland shooting victims: Commack resident Paul Guttenberg whose niece, Jaime, a student, was killed, and Linda Beigel Schulman, mother of Scott Beigel, in calling for stricter gun control measures.

“On Feb. 14, 2018, a 19-year-old was not mature or trustworthy enough to handle a beer but was mature and trustworthy enough to handle a weapon of war, an AR-15 assault rifle,” Beigel Schulman said, in questioning gun control laws. “In what world does that make sense?”

The mother of the 35-year-old Parkland shooting victim called out Long Island politicians who have offered their “thoughts and prayers” to victims of mass shootings but have not voted in support of gun control legislation, specifically naming U.S. Reps. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) and Peter King (R-Seaford). Beige Schulman said in the wake of Scott’s death, she had chosen to make gun control reform her life’s mission and encourages others to take action.

“People ask me, ‘What can we do to support you?’ My answer is so simple: Make sure you get out and vote.”

– Linda Beigel Schulman

“People ask me, ‘What can we do to support you?’” she said. “My answer is so simple: Make sure you get out and vote. Then make sure to tell at least two more people to get out and vote.”

U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove), who co-sponsored the Huntington rally, stressed the importance of high school and college students continuing to voice their opinions on national issues by registering to vote and holding politicians accountable for their viewpoints in the upcoming
midterm elections.

“We need young people to continue to keep a youth movement going in this country to focus on this issue of gun violence,” Suozzi said. “This is a unique time in history. The adults have failed and we need young people to keep this going.”

Huntington resident Owen Toomey, who has been actively involved in March for Our Lives Long Island, stressed that the movement has defined five major legislative goals that it is fighting for. First on that list is universal background checks for gun purchasers.

“I accept that my innocence has been eroded by the fear of gun violence, but I refuse to accept that same fate for upcoming generations.”

– Gia Yetikyel

Other goals of the movement include upgrading and digitalizing the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives registry; a ban on the sale of high-capacity gun magazines and semi-automatic assault rifles, and getting Congress to approve funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to research and study gun violence.

“When people ask what you are rallying for, tell them our goals,” Toomey said. “Remind them we aren’t banning guns, remind them we aren’t taking their guns, remind them we aren’t taking away their sport or self-defense — we are just making it harder for someone to kill 15 people in the span of six minutes.”

Gia Yetikyel, of New Hyde Park, recalled how terrified she was 17 years old and her high school experienced an incident that required a lockdown. While crouching in the corner of the classroom, she reported sending out text messages to her mother to ask about a younger brother’s safety, sending messages to beloved family and friends all while making a list of goals she had yet to accomplish.

“I’ll be telling them the young on Long Island have never rested or stopped fighting for what is right.”

– Avalon Fenster

“I accept that my innocence has been eroded by the fear of gun violence, but I refuse to accept that same fate for upcoming generations,” she said.

Yetikyel said she still suffers effects from that day and, as such, fights for stricter gun control measures.

“We send out condolences to the families of the dead, but I’m still sending them to the living for having to fight this battle that shouldn’t even exist,” she said.

March for Our Lives Long Island co-founder Avalon Fenster, of Dix Hills, announced that she will be taking her pledge to fight for gun control legislation to the national level. She’s been invited to join the “Road to Change” national March for Our Lives Tour as a representative for Long Island alongside Parkland survivors Emma González and David Hogg. The tour stopped in Greensboro, North Carolina, from July 31 to Aug. 2 to rally for gun control while showing active opposition to the National Rifle Association.

“I’ll be telling them the young on Long Island have never rested or stopped fighting for what is right,” Fenster promised those gathered. “We will resist. We will register, and we will bring justice.”

Former East Setauket financial adviser faces federal charges

by Rita J. Egan - July 30, 2018

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During an 18-year span, an East Setauket financial adviser allegedly scammed 17 people out of more than $13 million, according to a federal indictment.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York announced Steven Pagartanis faces nine federal charges.

Steven Pagartanis will face federal charges in addition to county charges for allegedly running a Ponzi scheme in East Setauket. Photo from Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office

The 58-year-old owner of Omega Planning Associates, was arrested and arraigned in federal court in Central Islip July 25 and was charged with security fraud, mail and wire fraud conspiracies, as well as money laundering for orchestrating a Ponzi scheme, according to a press release from the EDNY office.

The government alleged Pagartanis solicited individuals to invest in variable annuities, mutual funds and similar investments, according to court documents. At least 17 individuals between January 2000 and March 2018 invested more than $13 million collectively with the defendant. The victims believed the money was for real estate investments, including a Canadian land development company, referred to as Company 1 in court documents. The individuals sustained a loss of more than $8 million. The investors are listed as Jane and John Does in the court documents and live in various areas including Long Island, Illinois, California and Florida.

“Rather than investing in Company 1 and other investments as promised to the victims, the defendant Steven Pagartanis, used the investment capital to repay prior investors and for his own personal benefit,” the release reads. “For example, Pagartanis used the victims’ investment capital to pay for his personal and family expenses, and to purchase luxury items such as clothing, jewelry, airline tickets, massages and cigars.”

The defendant used interstate communications including telephone calls and emails to induce the victims to invest and to prevent them from withdrawing their investments, according to court documents.

“As alleged, Pagartanis conned vulnerable members of the community who had entrusted him with their hard-earned savings,” said Richard Donoghue, U. S. attorney, in a statement. “Protecting the elderly and the community at large from predators like the defendant is a priority of this office and the Department of Justice and with our law enforcement partners we will continue to pursue that mission.”

“As alleged, Pagartanis conned vulnerable members of the community who had entrusted him with their hard-earned savings.”

— Richard Donoghue

Pagartanis was previously arrested May 30 for allegedly stealing millions from elderly victims in a Ponzi scheme, according to a statement from the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office. He was arraigned in Suffolk County District Court in Central Islip on two counts of first-degree grand larceny, a B felony, and two counts of second-degree grand larceny, a C felony. According to the Suffolk County district attorney’s office, Pagartanis allegedly stole approximately $7.5 million from his victims in the county case.

A family member of one of the victims brought the case to the attention of the district attorney’s office. The four victims included in the felony complaints, who range in age from 64 to 83 years old, began investing in the scheme in 2013, according to the statement from Sini’s office.

Pursuant to a concurrent investigation by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., Pagartanis was barred from acting as a securities broker April 10, according to FINRA’s website, brokercheck.finra.org. The site lists customer disputes as well as a judgment/lien against the former broker. In addition to the criminal charges, a civil lawsuit was filed against Pagartanis May 30 by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, according to Sini’s office.

Attorney Kevin Keating of Garden City is representing Pagartanis. The defendant pleaded not guilty. Keating did not respond to a request for comment.

Huntington Fire Department celebrates 175 years

by Sara-Megan Walsh - July 30, 2018

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The sun came out from behind clouds to shine down on Huntington Fire Department’s volunteers as they celebrated the organization’s 175th anniversary July 28.

The event kicked off with a 4 p.m. parade that stepped off from Huntington Town Hall, headed west on Main Street before turning north onto Wall Street and ended at the Leverich Place firestation. Huntington resident Henry Gerdes, 98, was selected as the parade’s grand marshal in honor of his 78 years of volunteer service to the fire department. Numerous fire companies traveled in from as far away as Sheldon, Connecticut to march with their trucks draped in banners announcing their congratulations to Huntington on their 175th anniversary.

After the parade, Huntington residents and community were invited to a free festival behind the firehouse featuring free refreshment, live entertainment, carnival games, inflatable rides for children late into the evening.

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