The Village Beacon Record - August 22, 2019

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The VILLAGE BEACON RECORD M O U N T S I N A I • M I L L E R P L AC E • S O U N D B E AC H • R O C K Y P O I N T • WA D I N G R I V E R • S H O R E H A M

Vol. 35, No. 5

August 22, 2019

$1.00 KYLE BARR

How things used to be

Sound Beach civic and community members peer into hamlet’s history — A3 SPACE RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBER ADDRESS

SWR residents want their gym back

Men and women who used the now-defunct high school fitness center want to be included in the discussion

A5

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PAGE A2 • THE VILLAGE BEACON RECORD • AUGUST 22, 2019

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AUGUST 22, 2019 • THE VILLAGE BEACON RECORD • PAGE A3

Sound Beach

Community sees through the looking glass of history

BY KYLE BARR KYLE@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

Ninety years ago in 1929, New York City newspaper The Daily Mirror offered subscribers the opportunity to buy a 20- by 100-foot parcel of undeveloped land between Rocky Point and Miller Place. The cost to purchase a plot of land through the subscription was $89.50 in 1929, equivalent to $1,315 in 2019.

In the trees and rocks of Long Island’s North Shore, a hamlet slowly rose from the earth.

Sound Beach is a hamlet of only 1.6 square miles and around 7,612 people, according to the last census. Stuffed in between Rocky Point and Miller Place, one of the North Shore’s smallest hamlets barely scrapes along the ubiquitously driven Route 25A. For those who don’t know the area, the hamlet boundaries are often mistaken for that Above, left, Bedrossian Real Estate on Northport Road once was a community house used by the whole community; right, Sound Beach once had its own police, highway and sanitation departments; below, the original ad for Sound Beach land in THe of its neighbors.

Daily Mirror. Left photo by Kyle Barr; right and images from Bea Ruberto Rocky Point has a historical society. So does Miller Place, combined with borderand wanted to get away from the city — from houses Bedrossian Real Estate on Northport ing Mount Sinai. Now prominent members of Brooklyn and Queens. They put up their tents, Road once was a community house that hosted the Sound Beach community feel that’s some- they put up their own little houses, and eventual- everything from dances to pingpong and knock thing that needs correcting. ly, in 1930, the Sound Beach Property Owner’s hockey. In that time, lacking a church, McArdle, Mimi Hodges, a near lifelong resident, is Association was born.â€? just one of the several women who are looking The Sound Beach history project, which is T H E at Sound Beach’s past. She said that ad in the being spearheaded by the Sound Beach Civic newspaper didn’t attract your average vaca- Association, is hoping to bridge that gap. Entioners looking to take a break from New York gineered by community leaders and longtime City. They were working-class individuals, all of residents, local women are already uncovering whom were looking for a change of pace during several old photographs that show a much difthe depression era of the 1930s. They came with ferent Sound Beach, full of dirt roads and dusty very little, sometimes only tents for their families, buildings. but still managed to build a small but safe town. “It’s like a little mystery,â€? said Sound Beach “Sound Beach is unique in that it was a place Civic Association President Bea Ruberto. created speciďŹ cally for the working class,â€? she Vilma Rodriguez, another resident, said said. “People who didn’t have a lot of money work comes in bits and pieces, but their

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a resident from the 1930s, said local community members “would iron the tablecloth, ip it over and they would have Mass on Sundays in the bar, Boyles.â€?

Sound Beach once had its own police department, its own highway and sanitation department. People once gathered at the “pavilion� on the bluff, where kids could buy ice cream and hot dogs.

Local resident Stephanie Mcllvaine said she has been pouring through newsletters from the 1940s, which reveal just how much has changed in the 80 years since. She wrote that a May SOUND BEACH CONTINUED ON A8

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group has been energized. “Sound Beach had no roads, no streetlights,� she said referring to the olden days of the small hamlet. “It’s little bits of information, but it builds up.�

For many of its earliest decades, mail was sent and received through Scotty’s General Store on Echo Avenue or Moeller’s General Store on Sound Beach Boulevard. It wasn’t until June 1, 1946, the ďŹ rst post ofďŹ ce opened in the hamlet.

In the small shopping center off of New York Avenue, where La Famiglia Pizzeria currently resides, the locals used to go to M.B. Sweet Shop for lunch and candy. Next to it, instead of the Italian restaurant, was the Square Market Store.

Local resident Florence McArdle attributed the local setting to a particular show. “It was just like ‘Happy Days,’� she said.

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PAGE A4 • THE VILLAGE BEACON RECORD • AUGUST 22, 2019

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AUGUST 22, 2019 • THE VILLAGE BEACON RECORD • PAGE A5

District finishes HS SWR residents continue to plead for use of fitness center parking lot, looks to install mobile guard booth

BY KYLE BARR KYLE@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

the gym. They said the only times they could attend gym hours were early in the morning, as later in the day they may be too tired to go to a gym.

“I got through cancer thanks to the exercise of the gym,” Peggy Loscalzo said.

Poole presented there was an average of 30 weekly resident users of the previous gym, and most were regulars. Of those 30 only eight users exceeded three days a week in attendance.

Badalian vehemently disputed those numbers, calling it closer to 70 paid members.

“The staff was never even questioned about this,” he said.

Some residents questioned why the wrestlers

while other spots are designated for library patrons, marked with green lines, of which there are 20. Each space, except for handicapped spots, are numbered, which will correspond to senior student’s assigned parking values. Otherwise there are a number of spots for parents dropping off items or for expected mothers.

The other major piece of the parking lot, however, still has to arrive. Arcuri said they ordered their mobile guard booth, one that is attached with a trailer, after the school budget passed several months ago but has yet to arrive, with the company citing delays.

Otherwise, the guard booth will be set up at the drive in toward the new parking lot. It will not contain a lowering bar, and instead a security guard will ask each incoming car why they’re there. All North Shore Public Library users will be asked to park in a marked section, while others who are dropping off items will be directed, and the guard will radio they are coming. The booth will be up during school hours, but it may also be used during larger events. A permanent booth could be added using money from the New York State Smart School Bond Act, which the district finalized plans for at the end of 2018.

The mobile booth is a test, the assistant super said, for what may become a permanent booth not just in the high school but in other district buildings.

During school hours, the recreational facilities like the football field and tennis courts, along with the trails to the southwest of the high school, are off limits, Arcuri said.

“It pushes any imminent threat further out, and that’s the goal of the visitors booth,” he added. “We are learning as we’re going.”

Arcuri said the district should be releasing a map of how to navigate the new parking lot sometime before the start of school.

Robert Badalian once woke up early in the morning on weekdays to make it to the aging Joe Ferreira Fitness Center at the Shoreham-Wading River High School. For close to 20 years, from 6 to 8 a.m. men and woman walked through the

BY KYLE BARR door, quickly becoming friends and regulars.

Most were older in age and already retired but KYLE@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM found a community where they could exercise With construction of a new parking lot at without judgment. the Shoreham-Wading River High School comMore than a year since the fitness center sudplete, school officials are chomping at the bit to denly closed after an engineer’s report showed receive the guard booth they already ordered the floor was not up to code, the fitness center by the start of the school regulars are continuing to shout year. their support at board meetings Entering into the new for their small group to be able to parking lot, drivers are use a fitness center at their school. greeted with two routes, Though current plans to move the one for buses and the othfitness center into the school builder for parking. ing has many of those residents “The biggest question feeling they’re being pushed out, as a person will have to ask now the temporary facility is locatis whether I turn right, or ed inside the school in rooms A101 I go straight,” said Glen and 102.

Arcuri, the assistant su“If the fitness center stays where perintendent for finance it is or moves to the auxiliary gym, and operations. “There’s it will remain a single use facility,” plenty of signage. ... It Badalian said. “It’s just not logical should be very clear.” that you would move a fitness cenSome of the new spacter from an external building, that’s self-contained, and move it into the The SWR High School parking lot is finally completed as part of the ongoing bond project. The district es are designated specifically for student parking, high school.” is looking to see if the fitness center will use extra bond funds. Photo by David Luces Officials have already floated the idea to move the fitness center into the should need their own specific space, though school building where the current auxiliary gym those parents with kids in the wrestling program resides. Though the district had definitive plans called it a year-round sport, with training taking to renovate the old fitness center, a proposed place throughout the year.

Several residents said they have bought gym plan is to create a wrestling center in that external building where the old gym room sits vacant. memberships in the meantime, but they find it Board Vice President Katie Andersen said hard to schedule their times, so they could be much of it has to do with the security issue of there with the old compatriots of the old gym.

SWR student Connor Blenning, a wrestler, having people walk outside the building during school hours to reach the gym. Students also said lacking a fitness center hurt them last wreshave limited access and could suffer injury out- tling season, and having a specific space for their sport would be invaluable. side from adverse weather.

“We didn’t have a gym to do strength trainSWR Superintendent Gerard Poole gave NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY LAW HAVE a presentation at the Aug. 20 board meeting ing,” he said.

He added that he thought that if the gym is recommending gym hours be separate from EXTENDED THE TIME PERIOD IN WHICH TO FILE students’ hours, and that if the gym were to be easily accessible to students, who might walk YOUR SEXUAL ABUSE CLAIM. ACT NOW TO GET moved into the school it would only be open for by it multiple times a day, they could be influYOUR CLAIM TIMELY FILED. enced to use the fitness center where they may outside residents two days a week in the evening hours and Saturday morning. He also offered the not have previously.

“We students don’t have the money to buy a idea of a structured community program for fitCLERGY ABUSE ATTORNEY HOTLINE gym membership,” he said. “School kids could ness education.

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PAGE A6 • THE VILLAGE BEACON RECORD • AUGUST 22, 2019

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Police Police search for two Selden shoplifters Police are searching for two men who allegedly stole items from the Selden Target in July and a Rite Aid in August Suffolk County Police said a man allegedly stole a Seagate portable hard drive from Target, located at 307 Independence Plaza, on July 15, at around 8 p.m. Another man allegedly stole 81 toothbrushes from Rite Aid, located at 229 Independence Plaza, Aug. 8, at around 12:48 p.m.

— compiled by Kyle Barr

SCPD

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Above, man who allegedly stole from Selden Target; below, man who allegedly stole from Selden Rite Aid.

Security guard arrested after fight at Mount Sinai condominium complex Police arrested a residential community security guard for allegedly assaulting a visitor Wednesday, Aug. 14.

Suffolk County Police said John Ruggiero, while working as a security guard at The Ranches at Mount Sinai condominium complex, located along Route 25A, allegedly denied entry to a 68-year-old man who was attempting to visit a friend Aug. 14 at around 2:55 p.m. The two men exchanged words followed by a physical altercation, during which the 68-year-old man sustained serious injuries.

Police did not release the name of the other

man involved in the fight.

Police could not say who provoked the incident or threw the first punch.

The visitor was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital where he was listed in serious condition. Ruggiero, 50, of Port Jefferson Station, was treated and released from St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson for injuries sustained during the fight. He was charged with second-degree assault and was scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 15 at 1st District Court in Central Islip.

— compiled by Kyle Barr

Police arrest man for alleged MP Chase bank robbery Police said they have arrested a man in connection with the robbery of the Miller Place Chase bank earlier this month.

Suffolk County Police arrested Raymond Peruggi, 29, in Mastic Beach Monday, Aug. 20 at around 8:55 p.m. Peruggi was described as undomiciled.

Peruggi was held overnight at the 7th Precinct and is scheduled to be arraigned in 1st District Court in Central Islip. He has been charged with third-degree robbery.

On Aug. 12, a man allegedly entered the

Man who allegedly robbed MP bank. Photo from PJSD

Chase Bank, located at 385 Route 25A, at around 2:40 p.m. and displayed a note demanding cash to an employee. The teller complied with the suspect’s demands and gave him cash from the drawer. He then fled the bank on foot, west toward Miller Place road, police said.

— compiled by Kyle Barr

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward of up to $5,000 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 800-220-TIPS (8477) or texting “SCPD” and your message to “CRIMES” (274637). All calls and text messages will be kept confidential.

AUGUST 22, 2019 • THE VILLAGE BEACON RECORD • PAGE A7

County

Obituaries Frank Schiavone

Frank “Francesco” Schiavone, of Brookhaven died July 31. He was 91.

Schiavone was born April 15, 1928, in Brooklyn, the son of the late Francesco and the late Lucia (Daraio) Schiavone.

He was a proud veteran, serving in the Army from 1947 to 1949. He was employed as a machinist at Kraft Mech in Bohemia. He is survived by his beloved wife, May (Benvenuta) (Calvacca) Schiavone; one loving daughter, LuAnn Schiavone of Coram; and one loving son, Ignatius (Nate) Schiavone of Bohemia. He also has five cherished grandchildren and three cherished great-grandchildren.

All services were entrusted to the Rocky Point Funeral Home, 603 Route 25A, Rocky Point. Cremation was private. An online guest book can be found at www.rockypointfuneralhome.com.

Denise Young

Denise D. Young, of Ridge, died July 27. She was 40.

Young was born Oct. 19, 1978, in Plainfield, New Jersey. She was employed by Right at Home Cares in Miller Place as a home health aide. She was the beloved daughter of Ronald and Lydia (Jammal) Mihalek.

She is survived by her two cherished daughters Sierra Young of Starlight, Pennsylvania, and Mariah Young of Ridge; and two loving brothers Donald Mihalek of Winter Garden, Florida, and Daniel Mihalek of Midland, Virginia.

A Mass of Christian burial was celebrated Aug. 2 at St. Mark’s R.C. Church in Shoreham followed by a private cremation ceremony.

Services were entrusted to the Rocky Point Funeral Home, located 603 Route 25A, Rocky Point. An online guest book can be found at www.rockypointfuneralhome.com.

Edna Kenski

Edna A. Kenski, of Mineola, died July 27. She was 87.

Kenski was born Jan. 16, 1932, in Mineola, and was the daughter of the late Richard and the late Margaret (Kammerer) Rueb.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Frank Kenski in 1999. She was em-

File photo

ployed as a manager by Verizon in Hempstead.

She is survived by her loving children Karen (Carmine) Abbatiello of Ridge and Frank (Kathy) Kenski of Selden. She is also survived by seven cherished grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

Celebration of the Mass of Christian burial was held Aug. 1 at St. Anthony of Padua R.C. Church in Rocky Point, with a burial following at Holy Rood Cemetery in Westbury.

Services were entrusted to the Rocky Point Funeral Home, located 603 Route 25A, Rocky Point. An online guest book can be found at www.rockypointfuneralhome.com.

Donna Marie Durney

Donna Marie Durney, of Rocky Point, died July 18. She was 53.

Durney was born Feb. 6, 1966, in Brooklyn, the daughter of Clifford and the late Mildred (Faucci) Dean.

She is survived by her beloved husband, James Durney; her loving children, including her daughter, Taylor Durney, and her son, Jack Durney. She was the dear sister of two brothers, James Dean and Clifford Dean.

Cremation was held private, while a memorial was held at the Rocky Point Funeral Home, located at 603 Route 25A, Rocky Point. An online guest book is available at www.rockypointfuneralhome.com.

Anne Davis

Anne “Anna” Davis, of Hawthorne, died July 1. She was 90.

Davis was born June 8, 1929, in the Bronx, the daughter of the late Harry and the late Fay (Foxman) Dorfman.

She was employed by New City schools as a teacher.

She is survived by her son, Warren Davis of Yonkers; sister-in-law, Madelyn Dorfman of Ridge; her niece, Debra Botens of Norwalk, Connecticut; and her nephew, Robert Dorfman of Holbrook. A memorial service was held July 27 at Rocky Point Funeral Home, located at 603 Route 25A, Rocky Point. Cremation was private.

An online guest book is available at www. rockypointfuneralhome.com.

David Krohmer

David Krohmer, of Rocky Point, died July 19. He was 58.

Krohmer was born Feb. 18, 1961, in Port Jefferson, the son of Edward and the late Nora (O’Connor) Krohmer.

He was employed by Adchem in Riverhead as a machinist.

He is survived by his father, Edward Krohmer of Port Jefferson; sister, Donna Famiglietti of Rocky Point; and brother, Edward Krohmer of Miller Place.

Memorial visitation was held July 25 at the Rocky Point Funeral Home, located at 603

Route 25A, Rocky Point. Cremation was private.

An online guest book can be found at www.rockypointfuneralhome.com.

Joanne Lucille Boeger

Joanne Lucille Boeger, of Ridge, died July 11.

Boeger was born in Boston March 30, 1934, and graduated salutatorian from Abbington High.

She grew up in Quincy, Massachusetts.

She married Richard M. Boeger, after meeting in Hyannis. They raised four children in Massapequa Park, where they were members of St. David’s Lutheran Church. She created Heptas, a women’s educational self-improvement group. She became a life insurance agent for Aid Association for Lutherans in the 1970s and was the first woman to hold that position in the Long Island agency.

Boeger and her husband, Dick, retired to Sutton, West Virginia, where she began painting in many various mediums, settling on water colors as her favorite. She also became an avid gardener and was president of Judy’s Garden Club in Sutton. She loved reading (mostly history), birding and wildlife magazines. She was a member of the Suffolk Chapter of the DAR and the Rich Family Association. She returned to Long Island in 2012 and lived in Leisure Knoll in Ridge. Recently, she had been living with her daughter and granddaughter in Washington state, returning to Ridge for vacations and family events.

She had returned to New York for one such event but passed away in her sleep in her own home. She will be buried in Hingham, Massachusetts, in a family plot with her mother, paternal grandparents and great-grandparents.

She is survived by four children, Lynne Plewa of Bellevue, Washington, Richard M. Boeger Jr., of Redlands, California, Bonnie J. Boeger of Sound Beach and Wade Preston Boeger of Pennsylvania; and her sister, Betty Tuttle of Columbus, Indiana. She is also a cherished grandmother of seven, and great-grandmother of one.

Her family is proud of her and her lifelong love of learning, history, the arts and nature.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks people to make donations in her name to the Alzheimer’s Association or another deserving charity.

Services were entrusted to the Rocky Point Funeral Home, 603 Route 25A, Rocky Point.

Cremation was private.

An online guest book can be found at www.rockypointfuneralhome.com.

Suffolk County announces Choose LI signs for local businesses Those who are trying to grow it and sell it on Long Island have a new way to try and get their business on the map.

Suffolk County announced that through the Choose LI – Local and Independent initiative, local businesses can request a free “Choose LI” or “Take the Pledge” sign to display at their farm stand, farmers market, fish market, brewery, cidery, distillery or vineyard. The signs, printed on white corrugated plastic measuring either 18 × 24 feet or 30 × 40 feet, can be requested online through the chooseli.org website. To date, more than 46 local businesses have signed up, according to a county press release.

“Our local farmstands, fish markets, vineyards and breweries are the backbone of our community and we want residents to continue to take advantage of these locally grown and harvested products,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) in a release.

The Choose LI initiative asks local residents and visitors to choose goods from local and independent farmers and fishermen. Suffolk is asking residents to “Take the Pledge” and commit to spending 10 percent of their weekly food budget, approximately $17.60, on local and independent food goods.

The website includes a searchable and interactive map of all the farmstands, farmers markets, fish markets, vineyards, breweries, cideries and distilleries in Suffolk County The searchable map currently lists 25 farmers markets, 115 farmstands, 33 breweries, 4 distilleries, 2 cideries, 33 fish markets, 51 vineyards, 21 restaurants selling local oysters and 49 flower retailers. Anyone who visits the website can interact with the map, finding the exact address, hours of operation, phone number, and website of the business they are looking for. If your business selling Long Island produce is missing from the county map, please contact Choose LI at chooseli@suffolkcountyny.gov.

PAGE A8 • THE VILLAGE BEACON RECORD • AUGUST 22, 2019

Town North Shore resident creating new show to promote volunteerism

BY KYLE BARR KYLE@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM Baltimore, Maryland. So much has been said about the city, criticism that came from way beyond the city itself. But Rebecca Kassay, the co-owner of the Fox and Owl Inn in Port Jefferson, saw something incredible from the people living there. There was a community in the neighborhood of Cherry Hill growing fresh fruit and vegetables, teaching others to farm, giving access to fresh food for people who live several miles from the nearest supermarket. The program, called the Black Yield Institute, was making a difference in their community, and the Port Jeff resident said she knew it needed to be seen by the world.

“What they’re doing there is just so incredible as far as combining uplifting the community — integrating culture and fun,” said Kassay. “It was amazing to experience it with my own eyes and be there while this incredible group said, ‘We’re going to create this garden, how can we help people become more aware of health issues and social issues?’”

The inn owner is out on the road, touring in a renovated 1991 Winnebago with her husband, Andrew, and their dog. Filming with a Setauket-based crew, she is trying to spread the news of just how many nonprofits and volunteer works are out there and how much good they do for their respective communities.

“What I really love is connecting people, not just with a cause they love to help, but more importantly, connecting them with the power within themselves,” she said.

The show, titled “Be the Change with Rebec-

SOUND BEACH Continued from A3

1940 newsletter was the census results. John Mertz, the winter caretaker and “mayor,” found 61 families consisting of 185 people lived in Sound Beach year-round. There were four general stores, three gas stations, one restaurant, five general contractors, two masons, one electrician, two fire wardens and two deputy sheriffs. Many of the year-round residents were members of the fire department as well.

Despite their deep dive into this local history, many things are still unknown. What locals call “The Square” was either called Journal Square or Moeller Square, though Ruberto did not know where Journal Square even came from. There was a Moeller of the general store fame, but she has had trouble getting in contact with the family. She learned there was a James Moeller who taught math at the Miller Place School Dis-

ca,” is finishing filming throughout the fall before transitioning to full post-production during the winter. The show expects to come out sometime in spring 2020 on Amazon Prime video.

Kassay, 30, who was born in St. James and later moved to Port Jefferson to open the Fox and Owl Inn with her husband, said the show is inspired by modern serialized documentaries, and takes a form much like a show she loved as a child, “Dirty Jobs,” hosted by Mike Rowe. In much the same way to that Discovery Channel hit, which had the host performing a variety of blue-collar jobs on screen along with the regular workers, Rebecca gets down and dirty with the volunteers, whether it’s driving in nails while building houses or digging in the dirt in a community garden.

“We’re collecting the stories of how they do the work and how they decided to come out,” she said. “Such as, here’s what it looks like when you volunteer at a community garden, here’s what it looks like when you volunteer to restore an oyster reef.”

By the end of their trip, they will have traveled as far east as Baiting Hollow on Long Island, as far south as Washington, D.C., and as far west as Detroit, Michigan.

Kassay had the idea for this project nearly two years ago, working off her own background as a youth volunteer project manager at Avalon Park and Preserve. She reached out through local Facebook groups for a crew interested in taking on the project, and the Setauket-based Aureate Visuals production team answered the call.

The three filmmakers, Steve Glassner, Larry Bernardo and Marvin Tejada, have donated their time on a pro bono basis to help make the projtrict but learned from the board of education he passed in 2012.

Barbara Russell, the Town of Brookhaven historian, said her office has only a few items and details in the way of Sound Beach, but she praised the women for taking on the task. She said with the enthusiasm the group is showing, they’re well on their way to creating walking tours or a historical society.

Many of the local women looking back at the hamlet’s history have a fondness for the way things were. They watched the area grow slowly, ever so slowly, from the working-class family’s retreat to what it is today.

Back then, Sound Beach was the destination, and there was no need to drive out and plan visits to other parts of the island, they said.

“Most of us here, we thought we were growing up in a ‘garden of Eden,’” said Hodges. “It was just fantastic.”

For those looking to get involved in the history project or who are interested in donating old photos, contact Bea Ruberto at rubertob11789@aol.com or call 631-744-6952.

Above, Rebecca Kassay, along with the crew from Aureate Visuals and local hired help, in front of their 1991 Winnebago Photo from Kassay

ect possible. All three have worked on projects before, such as “Mentally Apart,” a feature film set to premier by the end of the year. All three met while in school at Five Towns College.

“It’s been a very, very fun experience, especially all the people we meet and the locals who worked on the crew with us,” said Glassner. “It’s been a real learning experience. We’re meeting people from all walks of life, and it’s amazing and incredible what they’re doing in their own communities.”

The project has taken in this spirit of volunteerism with the crew. The folks at Aureate Visuals, in keeping with the spirit of the show, have volunteered their time to the project. Several of the crew work day jobs, and so they are constantly traveling back and forth from Long Island to where the next shoot is taking place.

For the most part, the project is self-funded,

though they have received significant pledges from the Port Jefferson Rotary Club and have financed $1,654 so far from backers on Indiegogo.

Everything else is coming from the owners of the Fox and Owl Inn. Their minimum budget, according to their Indiegogo page, includes $3,000 for travel and lodging, $3,000 for local crew wages, $1,500 for per diem food, $500 for miscellaneous expenses and $800 in Indiegogo-related fees.

As the family goes around in the renovated Winnebago, retrofitted with whitewashed cabinets and flooring to make it feel like home, she has become certain this was the right way to get the message across.

“Working with these young people when you connect them with a power within themselves, they just light up,” Kassay said. “The light in their eyes is something the greatest gift you can give someone, connecting them with that.”

Sound Beach Fire District to host hearing on proposed firehouse renovations

BY DAVID LUCES DLUCES@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM The Sound Beach Fire District is encouraging residents to attend an information hearing Sept. 24 at 8 p.m. and provide public comments on possible renovations to the firehouse.

The discussion is on a proposed referendum for voters to approve a bond resolution for funding repairs and renovations to the fire department headquarters.

Lynnann Frank, Sound Beach Fire District manager, said the meeting will give them an opportunity to talk in depth with residents about what needs to be repaired and replaced at the department headquarters.

“The firehouse needs a new fire alarm system, we have no sprinkles, no CO2 protec-

tion,” Frank said. “The repairs will make the place safer for daily operations.”

She said the fire district wants to make sure it hears from the public and taxpayers before it moves on to any potential next steps.

If residents are receptive to the proposed repairs, the fire district could possibly plan a vote in the future.

“We didn’t want to do anything until we heard from the public,” she said. “We are 100 percent community oriented.”

Frank said the entire fire district board of commissioners, architects and herself will be on hand at the meeting to answer any questions residents may have.

The information hearing will held be at 152 Sound Beach Boulevard in Sound Beach.

For more information go to www.soundbeachfd.org.

AUGUST 22, 2019 • THE VILLAGE BEACON RECORD • PAGE A9

University Stony Brook to receive over $70 million in energy efficient upgrades In an effort to fight climate change, Stony Brook University will receive $79 million in energy efficiency improvements and upgrades throughout the campus.

New York State Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul was on hand at the school Aug. 19 to announce the planned upgrades in front of the university’s Center of Molecular Medicine.

The improvements build upon the State University of New York’s Clean Energy Roadmap, a partnership between SUNY and state energy agencies that aims to accelerate progress toward the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030.

The energy efficient upgrades will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 28,000 tons a year, which is the equivalent of taking over 5,000 cars off the road. It will also save the university nearly $6 million in energy and maintenance costs annually.

“As the largest single site employer on Long Island, Stony Brook University must remain committed to reducing our carbon footprint,” Interim President Michael Bernstein said.

The improvements, which will be financed

and implemented by the New York Power Authority, will include a number of energy-saving upgrades such as lighting, ventilation and building management upgrades at university buildings, including residence halls, science buildings and the hospital.

The planned upgrades continue the university’s effort to reduce its carbon footprint. NYPA and SUNY have already partnered to complete more than $50 million in energy efficiency improvements at Stony Brook. If all goes according to plan, expectations are for the removal of nearly 16,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere.

Some of those projects included interior and exterior LED lighting upgrades, replacement of older HVAC equipment, pipe insulation and lab HVAC modernization.

PSEG Long Island provided more than $500,000 in rebates to Stony Brook University for projects underway.

“We have a moral responsibility to protect this Earth while it is in our hands,” said Hochul. “Forty percent of buildings owned by the state of New York are on SUNY campuses ... If we are going to make an impact this is where we start.”

SUNY and NYPA, together, have completed energy-saving projects at more than 600 SUNY

Councilwoman Valerie Cartright (D-Port Jefferson Station) and Interim SBU President Michael Bernstein meet with Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul to discuss energy effeciency improvements. Photo by David Luces

facilities, reducing energy consumption by more than 6.2 megawatts, removing more than 48,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere, and saving $12.1 million annually, according to SUNY. The public college institution

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PAGE A10 • THE VILLAGE BEACON RECORD • AUGUST 22, 2019

Mount Sinai

Bon Journey belts out classic hits at Heritage Park

BY KYLE BARR KYLE@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM Long hair, ripped pants, T-shirts drenched in sweat. Like an event straight out of the ’80s, crowds gathered at Heritage Park in Mount Sinai Friday, Aug. 16, for the Free Family Fun Day and concert, featuring Bon Jovi and Journey tribute band BonJourney. The event was

sponsored by the Heritage Trust and Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai).

Celebrating its 20th year, the park played host to yoga sessions, bounce castles, martial arts demonstrations, crafts and magic shows all throughout the afternoon and early evening. Later, with a field crowded with people, BonJourney belted out renditions of classic Bon Jovi hits like “Livin’ On A Prayer” and “Wanted Dead Or Alive” and Journey songs like “Don’t Stop Believin.’”

All photos by Kyle Barr

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Opinion

Letters to the Editor

Civics need your help

In response to what I thought was a noncontroversial column by Leah Dunaief [Aug. 8] on the sad decline of local newspapers, a letter from Robert J. Parmegiani [“Newspapers have become too biased,” Aug. 15] claims that the cause of this decline is left-leaning bias. He couldn’t be further from the mark.

The primary reason for the decline is reduced advertising revenue. Advertising is how newspapers make their money. According to the nonpartisan Pew Research Center, revenue from advertising is down sharply since 2005 while revenue from circulation is slightly up. Print newspapers are declining for the same reason brick and mortar outlets of every description are: technological change.

Online outlets have not only taken billions of dollars from newspapers in ad revenue, they’re also giving away for free what newspapers report. Think of aggregators like Google News, Yahoo or HuffPost. Trained journalists who dig deep and check facts and sources are expensive, but it’s easy and cheap for anyone with a computer to “report” unsubstantiated allegations, rumors and conspiracy

theories as “news.”

The letter writer gives two examples of purported left-leaning bias in newspapers. He claims that the Ohio shooter supported Elizabeth Warren, that the Florida school shooter supported Bernie Sanders and that not one newspaper reported this.

Regarding the first, actually newspapers including The Washington Post and USA Today, as well as the AP wire service did report this. Even so, unlike the El Paso shooting, no connection has been established between the Ohio shooter’s motives and his politics, which makes his politics less newsworthy than those of the El Paso shooter, who drove more than 600 miles for the express purpose of killing “Mexicans.”

As for the Florida school shooter’s supposed support for Bernie Sanders, the reason we haven’t read about it in the papers is because it’s not true. I challenge the letter writer to cite his source. What is true is that the shooter had significant psychological problems, that he was rabidly racist and anti-Semitic on social media, writing “I hate Jews, n----rs and immigrants” on Instagram, and that he used a legally purchased AR-15

to commit his crime.

As far as painting President Donald Trump (R) a racist, newspapers are not necessary. His own words and actions are sufficient.

So instead of newspapers, what news source would the letter writer have us rely on? Trending stories on Facebook and Twitter? “The abusive and often factually incorrect tweets of the president?” Websites that are little more than propaganda and simply echo partisan talking points?

The shouting heads, spinmeisters and self-appointed gurus on cable news?

The biggest “fake news” of all is the purported left-leaning bias of the press. Maybe the letter writer hasn’t heard of Rupert Murdoch, The Wall Street Journal or The Washington Times. For some, starting with Trump, “fake news” is anything that doesn’t reaffirm his greatness. No matter how firmly based in fact news reporting is, the letter writer apparently stands ready to accuse it of being “left leaning” if it doesn’t reconfirm his own political beliefs. There’s a name for this in sports. It’s called working the ref.

David Friedman St. James

In the past two years since the death of Heather Heyer at the hands of neo-Nazis in Charlottesville, Virginia, who chanted “Jews will not replace us,” while carrying tiki torches in the streets, I have learned that words matter and that the words of our leaders have direct influence in the way we in this nation treat one another.

As the recently deceased Toni Morrison said in her 1993 lecture when accepting the Nobel Prize in Literature, “’Oppressive language does more than represent violence. It is violence.”

The bigoted rhetoric of President Donald Trump [R] has been referenced by several of the domestic white supremacist terrorists in their manifestos, the most recent example being the shooter who killed 22 people in El Paso, Texas, Aug. 3. The killer echoed Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric as a motivation for targeting Hispanics as his victims, and choosing El Paso as the location he chose. Words matter. And our president is doing severe damage with his words.

It is unfortunate that our own U.S. representative, Congressman Lee Zeldin [RNY1], parrots Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric in his own social media posts. Rather than looking to seek solutions that would address immigration, he continually rails

against “illegals,” despite the fact that our district has a large immigrant population.

Zeldin should know better, given the history of our district. It was only a decade or so ago that Marcelo Lucero was brutally murdered on the streets of Patchogue, not far from the congressman’s district office. Words matter, and Zeldin is endangering the immigrant community he represents with his rhetoric.

Zeldin has also continually attacked his Muslim colleagues in Congress, including U.S. Reps. Rashida Tlaib [D-MI] and Ilhan Omar [D-MN], saying that they have “darkness in their hearts,” both on social media and national television. Rather than address the political and philosophical differences between him and his colleagues, Zeldin uses bigoted and inflammatory rhetoric, not only endangering his colleagues but endangering the Muslim community that he represents. Words matter, and Zeldin is using language in a violent manner. Given that we live in a diverse, multinational district, Zeldin should choose his words carefully. It is far too easy for where we live to become the next Charlottesville, the next El Paso.

It is not only words that cause the type of violence, it is our nation’s far too lax gun laws. In this area, Zeldin is on the wrong side as well. He receives more money from

the NRA than any member of the New York congressional delegation. His legislative record includes voting against the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019, despite the fact that expanding background checks have broad support. Zeldin also was a co-sponsor of Concealed Carry Reciprocity in 2017, which would have allowed people with concealed carry permits from states with lax gun laws to carry anywhere, including where we live, which would have gutted New York’s gun safety laws. Not only do words matter, votes matter, and in both instances, Zeldin is endangering the people he is supposed to represent.

It is true that we are a diverse nation, and at this time, a very divided one. Our leaders should be modeling how to build bridges and find common ground in their rhetoric.

Both Trump and Zeldin have utterly failed to do so, and our nation and congressional district are worse off for it. It is time to find leaders who will rise to the moment and be moral in their words and their deeds. I look forward to voting both of these men out of office in 2020 and making America and New York’s 1st Congressional District moral again.

Shoshana Hershkowitz South Setauket

Editorial

As local journalists, we spend many hours attending meetings. Many, many meetings. Our goal is to know what’s happening in our communities at every level of government, from county to town to village.

A good way for people to become better engaged in community affairs is through civic groups. These groups, which are often overlooked, serve as the bridge between local government and residents.

They are the closest to the ground, with their ears toward local developments, both public and private. They are meant to represent the community. They ask businesses looking to develop the tough questions, mainly how the new Starbucks or Popeyes or hotel, just to name a few, will impact people in their daily lives.

Sadly, though, these civic groups often struggle with lack of participation. Groups like the Shoreham Civic Association publicly asked in a local Facebook group for people to show up, saying without participation their capacity for change goes out the window.

“Without Shoreham citizen participation we can do nothing,” the group wrote on Facebook.

If one were to get very Disney with their analogies, civics and civic participation are like … well, fairies. If one says out loud, “I don’t believe in fairies,” then the fairy dies.

Still, it’s clear why civics lack participation. Despite reports of a strengthening economy, people continue to work long hours and, in several cases, multiple jobs. Civic meetings often take place on weekdays and, understandably, the last thing one wants to do after getting home at 5, 6 or even 7 p.m. is rush out again to sit in another hour-long-plus meeting to discuss, for example, road issues.

When we attend these meetings, we see the demographics.

Most people who attend are older and likely have the time to sit and discuss the issues.

That’s not to say the younger generations don’t attend solely because of time constraints. In all likelihood, many community members don’t even know who their local civic leaders are, and when or where they meet.

If you are asking yourself: How can I have a hand in designing my community? Or, how can I keep taxes down? Well, it starts with the civics, so reach out to your local civic group.

It may also be time for civics to reach out more to their community residents, as well.

As reporters, we have noticed times when local elected officials, like in the Village of Port Jefferson, have actually become active in local Facebook pages. Some of these pages are full of comments, and often facts get misrepresented. If civics would take videos of their meetings, then upload them directly to these Facebook groups. It may be a means of bridging the knowledge gap. Civic leaders need to reach out by every means possible, including social media.

The issues aren’t going away. The only way to have your voice be heard is to get involved.

Letters … We welcome your letters. They should be no longer than 400 words and may be edited for length, libel, style and good taste. We do not publish anonymous letters. Please include a phone number and address for confirmation. Email letters to kyle@tbrnewsmedia.com or mail them to The Village Beacon Record, P.O. Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733.

Newspapers are not in decline from ‘bias’

Trump, Zeldin are using bigoted language

The opinions of columnists and letter writers are their own. They do not speak for the newspaper.

AUGUST 22, 2019 • THE VILLAGE BEACON RECORD • PAGE A23

Opinion

Reflections on the eve of the first college drop-off

A

m I going to cry? That’s the question I get so often when I talk to other parents who, like me, are about to send their first child off to college.

I’m sure I’ll be more reflective than tearyeyed. I’ll probably think about expected and unanticipated milestones. Like a montage or a video, pictures and memories of my daughter at various ages will pass through my head.

D. None I keep thinking of the above about her fourth

BY DANIEL DUNAIEF birthday.

The night before her party, she could barely sleep. She came into our room several

times to ask if it was time to get up yet. I told her to look out the window, past the streetlights of Manhattan, into the sky, where it was pitch dark. When it was lighter, she could get up and start preparing for the party.

As soon as we got to Jodi’s Gym, which was a wonderful padded room filled with age-appropriate apparatuses, my daughter raced around the room. The party planner asked us to wait in the entrance so we could greet her guests. While we were waiting, I chased her around the table, listening to the wonderful, happy screeches that came each time I either caught up to her or got close to her.

“You know,” the party planner said, “you might want to save some energy for the party.”

My daughter smiled at me, shook her head and ran away, expecting me to follow her. I continued to play the pre-party game, even as the party planner shrugged. After everyone arrived, my daughter led the way on every piece of equipment, delighted that she had the chance to run, jump and scream

without waking Maryann and Frank, who lived beneath us in our apartment. Even though she can’t picture Maryann and Frank today, she knows that those were the names we used whenever she got too loud early in the morning or late at night.

I also think about how enchanted my daughter was by her first grade teacher. Mrs. Finkel delighted her students and their parents with her soft voice, her ability to focus on each student individually and the class as a whole at the same time, and her control of the classroom. While Mrs. Finkel died incredibly young after a short battle with cancer, I know her legacy lives on with the students who are preparing for college and with her husband and daughter.

I am also recalling the many moments when a book captivated my daughter’s attention, causing her to read late into the night; when she caught blue claw crabs at a dock; or when she played board games with her brother and cousins at my mother’s house

during Thanksgiving.

Perhaps the most recurring memory, however, goes back to when she was learning to ride a bicycle. I pushed the bike for several seconds, let go, and watched her wobble unsteadily until she either fell or put her feet to the sides. Eventually, my back hurt so much that I couldn’t bend and run anymore.

“Let’s stop for now,” I gasped. “You don’t need to do it now. When you’re ready, you’ll do it.”

She paused and asked me to push her one more time. When I did, she slowly circled the parking lot and stopped, a triumphant smile plastered across her face. On the walk back home, I asked her how she was able to conquer the bike.

She told me she thought about how she wanted to be ready, so she did it.

While I probably won’t cry when I turn around and leave her at college, I will hope that she feels as ready as she did when she conquered her bike.

The art of creating a personal profile for a dating app If you want to see what your kids really think of you and have some fun in the process, ask them to come up with a profile for you if you are single to use on an internet dating app. My children and a couple of grandchildren were here for a visit this past weekend, and that was one bit of interaction we enjoyed. I have never filled out such a profile before, and I turned to them — the generation that started using apps to find partners — for help. Here are Between some words they you and me threw out.

Beautiful: Well

BY LEAH S. DUNAIEF listen, if your sons don’t think you are good looking, what was the point of all that maternal sacrifice? This one is just a given.

Energetic: Of course. You have to have

some measurable degree of energy in order to put yourself out there. It’s certainly easier to lay back and watch endless television or read a novel every night. And I am leaving off the comments they threw out about double chins and still having my original teeth.

Good conversation: Yes, OK, but it takes two to tango. Willing to offer opinions on just about everything. And listening is at least as important.

Loves to travel: That probably narrows the field to about 90 percent of the female population.

Enjoys theater: Ditto.

Sense of humor: If you have to brag, not much hope. I would hate to be asked to say something funny. Probably more of a way of looking at life.

Likes sailing: Although I no longer ski or play tennis, because of knees that are given to protest. That’s probably in a league with long walks on the beach. Not much personalization there. Come now, let’s find something unique.

Opera subscription: Only unique for the younger generation of Dunaiefs because they can’t imagine thousands of people gathering

TIMES BEACON RECORD NEWS MEDIA We welcome letters, photographs, comments and story ideas.

Send your items to P.O. Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733 or email kyle@tbrnewsmedia.com.

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to hear some fat women screech. Little do they know that the women are no longer fat, and the human voice can be one of the most exquisite instruments delivering some of the most beautiful melodies ever written. Plus operas often have profound themes dealing with universal questions. What we have here is theater, concert and choir all in one offering.

They are young yet, they may come upon the bargain that is opera one fine day.

Well read: That’s correct if measured by the amount of newspaper articles I feel it necessary to ingest every day. Books mostly have to wait for vacations.

Loves learning: Now we are getting somewhere. They say that journalists know things a mile wide but only an inch deep. That is true. From one day to the next, we have to leap from subject to subject, spending only enough time on each one to be able to write about its newsworthiness correctly before moving on to the next. And that suits me fine. Where I become more interested, I can always go back and dig deeper. Meanwhile there are endless facts to absorb as I move along.

Still working: Yes, that’s how one continues

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Leah S. Dunaief GENERAL MANAGER Johness Kuisel MANAGING EDITOR Kyle Barr EDITOR Kyle Barr

LEISURE EDITOR Heidi Sutton ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Kathryn Mandracchia ART AND PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Beth Heller Mason

to learn.

Independent: You bet. That is definitely a truth about yours truly, and those children of mine are probably glad that I am. Being independent, not having to live up to anyone else’s expectations, including one’s own from long ago, is hard won and to be cherished. Not having to lean on anyone for support, unless by choice, is the ultimate liberation.

Loves raspberries and blueberries: Now we are getting to the heart of the matter. Yummy!

Adores flowers and nature in all its magnificence: Yes, yes, yes.

Good friends: You have to be one to have one. I certainly try.

Love my family: And I am close to them. A most important part of my life.

Optimistic and positive to a fault: I have always told my children that all things are possible. They just have to work hard to succeed.

They are the CEOs of their lives.

Romance: Ah, yes. What is life without an adoring someone? Worth searching for, I think.

INTERNET STRATEGY DIRECTOR Rob Alfano CLASSIFIEDS DIRECTOR Ellen Segal BUSINESS MANAGER Sandi Gross

CREDIT MANAGER Diane Wattecamps CIRCULATION MANAGER Courtney Biondo

PAGE A24 • THE VILLAGE BEACON RECORD • AUGUST 22, 2019 KYLE BARR

Livin’ on a prayer

See more inside, and don’t forget to visit www.tbrnewsmedia.com for more local North Shore news

Tribute band Bon Journey made its way to Heritage Park in Mount Sinai— see page A10