Issuu

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BEACON

RECORD

MOUNT SINAI • MILLER PLACE • SOUND BEACH • ROCKY POINT • SHOREHAM • WADING RIVER

Vol. 33, No. 22

December 21, 2017

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What’s inside

Rocky Point brewery joins town recycling program A3 Group, local residents sue Suffolk over fees A6 Plastic bags at many stores now come at bigger cost A7 Mount Sinai celebrate start of successful cheer season A9

Also: Holiday Scavenger Hunt, ‘The Last Jedi’ reviewed, Photo of the Week

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Local fencers support Puerto Rico Rocky Point fencing center owners Jeff and Jennie Salmon host displaced fencers in wake of Hurricane Maria — A8

Photo by Bill Landon

Happy Holidays from our homes to yours, Scott Sanders and Staff 222 Main Street, East Setauket, NY 11733 631-360-0004 • Scott@SheaAndSanders.com

‘Oliver!’ is a Dickensian delight in Smithtown

PAGE A2 • THE VILLAGE BEACON RECORD • DECEMBER 21, 2017

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DECEMBER 21, 2017 • THE VILLAGE BEACON RECORD • PAGE A3

TOWN Rocky Point brewery owner never wastes spent grains Mike Voigt joins Brookhaven’s Brew to Moo program to continue recyclying brewing waste for good causes BY DESIRÉE KEEGAN DESIREE@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM Rescue animals at Double D Bar Ranch can thank Rocky Point Artisan Brewers for their full bellies. The brewery has entered into a partnership with Town of Brookhaven, called Brew to Moo, in which spent grains are sent to feed abused or unwanted farm animals at the Manorville ranch. “I think the program is wonderful,” said 51-year-old Mike Voigt, the owner of Rocky Point Artisan Brewers, which he founded in 2008 with Donavan Hall. “I’d like to get involved and actually go see the animals. It’s terrible to throw out the grains, so to see it get put to good use is fulfilling.”

A byproduct of brewing is literally tons of spent grains left behind from hops, barley, oats or whatever is used to make the beer, which in many cases gets tossed in the trash. While the grains have reduced caloric content, they can provide protein and fiber that can supplement corn for livestock feed. Voigt, who said he’s typically handed over his grains to friends whenever needed, heard about the program through Port Jeff Brewing Company, and reached out to the town to get involved. Rocky Point Artisan Brewers is now the third local brewery or distillery to link with the town in its efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle, along with the Port Jeff brewery and BrickHouse Brewery in Patchogue, which was the first to get involved. Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) said he expects Patchogue’s Blue Point Brewing Company to get involved as the fourth partner once the organization has moved into its new headquarters on Main Street at what was formerly Briarcliffe College. “Breweries spend a lot of money getting rid of the leftover grains, because it is now garbage, but we’re in the interest of looking for ways that we can reduce our waste, recycle it, and reuse that which we recycle,” Romaine said. “We’re picking up the spent grains that breweries would typically have to pay a carter

Photos by Mike Voigt

Rocky Point Artisan Brewers owners Mike Voigt and Donavan Hall, above, have partnered with Town of Brookhaven to send spent grains, on left, to be recycled at local farms. to take away, and then we’re taking that spent grain to farms to feed the animals. It’s a way to continue to promote reusing and recycling. We shouldn’t be a throw away society.” Since the program launched in August 2017, approximately 50 tons of spent grains have been fed to the rescue animals at Double D Bar Ranch on Wading River Road. Rich Devoe, the operator of the ranch,

which is a nonprofit organization, said the roughly 400 animals living at the ranch never go hungry, but having a steady source of food from the two breweries will allow him to substantially shrink the food bill. Typically, he spends $175,000 a year on feed. Now, Devoe will be able to save $100,000 of that, and spend its donations and money from

ROCKY POINT BREWERY continued on page A5

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PAGE A4 • THE VILLAGE BEACON RECORD • DECEMBER 21, 2017

COMMUNITY NEWS

SCHOOL NEWS

Wading River

Joseph A. Edgar Intermediate School

Photo from King Kullen

King Kullen continues to support local nonprofit King Kullen supermarket’s 35th annual James A. Cullen Memorial Golf Outing raised $100,000 for Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York. The nonprofit organization finds adoptive and foster homes for children on Long Island and in New York City. “To help fund Little Flower’s foster care and adoption services and pay tribute to our father, James A. Cullen, my brothers and I started the golf outing 35 years ago,” King Kullen Co-President Brian Cullen said. “Thanks to the generous support of our vendors and business partners, King Kullen has raised well over $3 million for Little Flower since the first outing. We are extremely proud of this accomplishment. It is an honor

to support Little Flower Children and Family Services in their important mission.” The Cullen family is personally involved in Little Flower and has actively supported many programs, including the construction of eight cottages that serve as home for more than 100 children and teens at Little Flower’s Wading River location. “Little Flower has been able to care for children of all ages at our residences and place children in homes with caring parents in large part thanks to the leadership support of King Kullen and its close circle of family and friends,” Little Flower chief executive officer, Corinne Hammons, said. “The golf outing remains a great success that directly benefits the children of Little Flower.”

Photo from Rocky Point Union Free School District

Ensuring a warm holiday for children in need Students at Joseph A. Edgar Intermediate School helped ensure that children in need had a warm holiday by collecting 150 pairs of pajamas for an initiative organized through Scholastic’s Great Bedtime Story Pajama Drive. Recognizing that Scholastic matches the donation of pajamas with a book, the fourth-grade students in Kristie Jackson, Deborah Vieira and Lisa Celentano’s classes

wanted to add a special touch to their donations, so they created their own collection of fairy tales to add to the donation. The students researched fairy tales and the structure of the written pieces before proceeding through the writing process to develop their own fairy tales. The completed stories were bound together to give each recipient a copy of the students’ fairy tales collection.

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DECEMBER 21, 2017 • THE VILLAGE BEACON RECORD • PAGE A5

SCHOOL NEWS Frank J. Carasiti Elementary School

Shoreham-Wading River High School

Photo from Shoreham-Wading River Central School District Photo from Rocky Point Union Free School District

Reflecting upon tradition Second-grade students in Christina Capaldi and Erin Glennon’s class at Frank J. Carasiti Elementary School have been reflecting upon the meaning of symbolism and the traditions that their families have as part of an author study and connected writing project. After reading the book “The Keeping Quilt” by Patricia Polacco, the students discussed the theme of the book and how a simple piece of cloth was passed down from generation to generation, each time taking on new life and a new purpose, eventually

becomng a quilt that remained a symbol of the family’s love and devotion. Throughout the study, the students discussed the different symbols found in their classroom and throughout the world, each of which carry greater meaning, from iconic symbols like the Statue of Liberty and the American flag to ones of personal significance. The students then each drew an item that was passed down in their family on small squares of paper, which were then joined together to make one large class quilt.

Sharing holiday favorites Shoreham-Wading River High School musical performance groups hit high notes as they performed at the annual Holiday Tea and Antiques Appraisal hosted by the Wading River Historical Society. The event, held at the Wading River Congregational Church, featured the high school’s select string quartet, the Orpheus Ensemble and the school’s a cappella group, Vocal Express. In addition to the highlighted performers, the social event welcomed volunteers from the high school’s Tri-M Music Honor Society who helped to organize and run the festivities.

Rocky Point High School

Photo from Rocky Point Union Free School District

Learning from industry experts Rocky Point High School’s Virtual Enterprise class recently took part in an entrepreneurship and leadership conference held at Long Island University. During this conference, students delivered an elevator pitch for their class company, networked with industry experts and took part in informative breakout sessions.

One highlight from the conference was keynote speaker Al Kahn, CEO of CraneKahn LLC, and a leading figure in the licensing industry. Students learned about how he grew his licensing empire to include some of the biggest names in the industry, including Cabbage Patch Kids, Pokémon and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

ROCKY POINT BREWERY

since its inception in 2012, which is where he met Sean Pilger, a manager at the garden since 2006. Voigt sells most of his beer at the farmer’s market because he said he wants to maintain a local feel. “The beer doesn’t leave Long Island,” he said. “I like to sell it locally.” Romaine said he sees the new partnership as enhancing nature rather than disrupting it. Voigt said he is hoping other businesses can continue to get behind that mantra. “Who wants to throw it out?” he said of the spent grains. “I’m rather small, but seeing this go anywhere instead of in the garbage is a good thing. It takes no more effort to put it in a can and have the town pick it up than it takes to throw it out. I wish the program was larger — it would make sense — and I hope more breweries on the Island get involved.”

Continued from page A3 his own pocket elsewhere, like on barn repairs and fencing. He called the arrangement “great” and “very important.” “We’ve even had breweries from outside of the town calling us asking to get involved that we’ve had to turn away,” Romaine said. “Seeing what owners like Mike Voigt are doing is tremendous. This is a model that responsible business will want to enter into with the town.” Voigt has made good use of the brewery’s spent grains since before Brew to Moo came about. The owner provided more than 1.8 tons to Hamlet Organic Garden in Brookhaven to be composted. The 21-year Rocky Point resident has been a seller at the Rocky Point Farmer’s Market

Photo from Shoreham-Wading River Central School District

SWR boasts musical talent Nine students from Shoreham-Wading River High School participated in Suffolk County Music Educators’ Association AllCounty Festival held at Hauppauge High School. Brett Callagy, Jack Flatley, Julianna Kohlus, Kerry Mannix, Sophia Mastrangelo, Alexandra Meli, Ryan Nowak, Justin Stuart

and Christopher Wygonik participated in band, orchestra and chorus. “These students represent the finest musicians in Suffolk County and were excellent representatives of our school district and program,” said high school music coordinator David Minelli.

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PAGE A6 • THE VILLAGE BEACON RECORD • DECEMBER 21, 2017

COUNTY

Albany group, residents take the county to court over fees

BY KEVIN REDDING KEVIN@TBRNEWSPAPERS.COM An upstate New York legal group that helps residents stand up against improper actions by their government recently set its sights on Suffolk County, whose hike in illegal fees in the past two years is the focus of a class-action lawsuit. On Oct. 24, the Government Justice Center, an Albany-based nonprofit that offers pro bono representation to New York residents seeking to “fight city hall,” filed a lawsuit in state Supreme Court on behalf of five Suffolk County residents against the county, saying its abundance of assessment fees are “unauthorized taxes.” The plaintiffs — homeowners living in Melville, Kings Park, Commack, Calverton and Shirley — face increasingly expensive fees for filing real estate documents, namely tax map verifications, which raked in $66 million this year, that far surpass the county’s operating budget of $1.2 million to perform the transactions through its Real Property Tax Service Agency, the suit alleges. Between 2015 and 2017, mortgage recording fees and tax map verification fees imposed by the county jumped from $60 to $200 per land parcel, with an additional $300 slapped on for every mortgage recording instrument used. The revenue from the fees contributes to the county’s general fund. According to the complaint, the county passed legislation to enforce these “backdoor taxes” on a certain subset of residents — in this case, homeowners — to bear the county’s burden as it was “unwilling to rein in its spending or face the political consequences of raising taxes to pay for general fund expenses.” But, under state law, local fees are not allowed to exceed the cost of service or be used to offset the revenue of government functions. The homeowners are now calling on the county to stop imposing the illegal fees or at least reduce them to more closely match the $1.2 million service cost, and to refund them a portion of the real estate document fees. The county is currently being subpoenaed. “It’s important that residents get the opportunity to have their voices heard,” said Cameron MacDonald, the executive director of the GJC. “The county is not supposed to be raising revenue through unauthorized taxes in the form of excessive fees. They need to either pass a tax that affects everyone or cut its spending.” Ahead of the Suffolk County Legislature’s budget vote for 2018, which passed Nov. 8, MacDonald said he and his group called on legislators, to no avail, to eliminate a total $102 million in fees that generate revenue above the cost of the departments that collect them. Mike Armstrong, the director of field operations for Reclaim New York Initiative, a nonpartisan group with representation on the GJC’s board which launched the Fight the Fees campaign to end illegal fees across the state, has been active in gaining public support of the lawsuit. Armstrong compared the gradual increase of fees on taxpayers to “the difference between getting small cuts on your arm to having it chopped off entirely.

POLICE BLOTTER File photo by Alex Petroski

Suffolk residents are suing the county, overseen by Executive Steve Bellone, for what they deem to be illegal fees. “The county talks about wanting to keep people here while they’re pushing them out the door with fees and taxes,” Armstrong said, adding that while tax increases are never popular, it’s at least honest compared to these fees. “I feel bad for young couples who want to buy a house that are now paying that mortgage fee. I feel bad for senior citizens who are closing out their mortgages and then are faced with an exorbitant fee. It’s an issue that’s impacting people in a really dramatic way.” During a vote last December to adopt the 2017 county budget, Presiding Officer DuWayne Gregory (D-Amityville) defended the fee increases, saying residents will not leave Suffolk County because of a few additional hundreds of dollars. “I don’t think anyone is going to move to Florida, Virginia, North Carolina, Arizona or anywhere else because of $300,” Gregory said regarding the verification fee. “I think it’s going to cost more to relocate than the increase in this fee.” Among few voices of opposition on the Legislature is Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga), who, during the meeting to adopt the 2017 county budget, called it “death by a thousand knives.” He warned of an inevitable deficit in the county’s budget. “The mismanagement of Suffolk County is heading us down the path of bankruptcy,” Trotta said. “They’re going to lose the lawsuits and they’re going to have to refund the fees and stop spending money. There’s going to be a huge hole in the budget no matter what.” Jason Elan, a spokesman for County Executive Steve Bellone (D), addressed the lawsuit in an emailed statement. “This is a politically motivated lawsuit filed by Albany insiders who lack any understanding on how government costs are apportioned, yet have no problem saddling taxpayers with the cost of fighting this completely frivolous complaint,” Elan’s statement read. The state supreme court has since ruled similar fees in Nassau unconstitutional. “This is a major victory for taxpayers, homeowners, businesses and any New Yorker who has been forced to pay an illegal fee,” Reclaim New York said in an email. “Every government around the state should get the message loud and clear. Nassau and Suffolk legislators have knowingly been stealing from residents with illegal fees — it’s theft. It is time to end illegal fees across New York.”

Incidents and arrests Dec. 11–18

Cashing out

A 30-year-old man from Centereach entered a BP gas station on Route 347 in Port Jefferson Station at about 6 a.m. Dec. 18 and demanded cash from the clerk, according to police. Police said the man left the gas station without getting money from the register. He was arrested and charged with third-degree robbery.

No license, no drive

At about 5:30 p.m. Dec. 13, a 36-year-old man from Port Jefferson Station was driving a 1997 GMC east on Hallock Avenue without a valid driver’s license, according to police. He was arrested and charged with second-degree aggravated-unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

All-terrain theft

On Dec. 17 at about 3:30 a.m., an 18-yearold man from Holbrook, a 16-year-old man from Ronkonkoma and an 18-yearold man from Lake Ronkonkoma took an all-terrain vehicle from within a fencedin yard at a home on Grand Offenbach Street in Centereach, according to police. All three were arrested and charged with fourth-degree grand larceny.

Narcotics nabbed

A 37-year-old man from Medford sold narcotic drugs at a location on Route 27A in Shirley March 8, and again at a location on Middle Country Road in Coram April 17, according to police. He was arrested Dec. 13 at the Centereach Mall, where police discovered he also possessed heroin. He was charged with two counts of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Money missing

Money was reported missing from a home on Old Town Road in Port Jefferson Station at about midnight Dec. 11, according to police.

Where’s your car dude?

A 2016 Subaru left running with the keys in the ignition at the gas pump at Speedway gas station on Route 112 in Port Jefferson Station was stolen about 3:30 p.m. Dec. 18, according to police.

Lock it up

A wallet containing cash and credit cards was stolen from within an unlocked vehicle parked in the driveway of a home on Clematis Street in Port Jefferson Station at about 3 p.m. Dec. 18, according to police.

Holiday shoppers

At about 10 p.m. Dec. 16, a couple entered Target on Pond Path in Setauket and took a computer printer without paying, according to police. At about 8 p.m. Dec. 18, a couple entered the same Target, filled a bag with video games and exited the store without paying, according to police. Police did not specify if it was believed to be the same couple.

Horsing around

At Island Hills Stable equestrian center on Rocky Point Road in Middle Country Dec. 17 at about 12:30 p.m., someone stole a pocket book from within an unlocked vehicle containing gift cards, credit cards and a checkbook, according to police.

How the Grinch stole Christmas

At a home on Fireside Lane in Setauket Dec. 16 at about 10 a.m., packages delivered to the home were opened, the contents were removed and the empty shipping boxes were left on the property, according to police.

Mailbox malfeasance

A mailbox at a home on Locust Avenue in Setauket was removed at about noon Dec. 15, according to police. — COMPILED BY ALEX PETROSKI

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DECEMBER 21, 2017 • THE VILLAGE BEACON RECORD • PAGE A7

COUNTY

Stock photo

New Suffolk County environmental law prohibits plastic and paper bags in favor of eco-friendly reusable ones.

Survey: Shoppers still prefer plastic As of Jan. 1, shoppers will be paying for paper and plastic bags at most retail stores.

Stock photo

Paper or plastic? What to know when planning your 2018 shopping trips BY KEVIN REDDING KEVIN@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM Suffolk County shoppers, get your nickels ready. In an effort to encourage residents to shop with reusable bags instead of plastic and paper “carryout” bags that harm the environment, the Suffolk County Legislature is rolling out a 5 cent fee on all disposable bags at a variety of retail establishments, from supermarkets to department stores beginning Jan. 1. The new law, which was officially passed by the Legislature in September 2016, applies only Page A10 to the single-use plastic or paper bags provided by cashiers at the end of a sale and used to carry goods from the store. There won’t be a fee, however, on bags found in produce sections for fruits and vegetables, frozen foods or on bags by pharmacies to carry prescription drugs, according to the law. Cashiers are required to add the total fees to a customer’s receipt based on how many bags are used. Residents can avoid the fee by either buying a reusable bag — ones made of cloth or canvas, which are available in many retail stores — or shopping with a bag from home. “Hopefully people will say ‘I’m not paying 5 cents’ and go with the other options,” said Legislator William “Doc” Spencer (D-Centerport), who wrote the legislation to reduce the influx of plastic bag waste that gets trapped in trees, blocks storm

Editorial comment

drains and causes significant damage to water supplies and wildlife. “We’re hoping to change behaviors. While we won’t change everyone’s, this will change a lot of people’s and that can make a big difference. I think once people start to not use the plastic bags, they’re not going to really miss them.” Spencer’s bill began in March 2016 as a ban on all single-use plastic bags, piggybacking off an initiative adopted by the Town of Southampton, but it didn’t receive enough support. This revised bill was co-sponsored and pushed by five legislators, including Al Krupski (D-Cutchogue), Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) and Bridget Fleming (D-Sag Harbor), and 140 out of 150 residents who weighed in on the initiative during a public hearing testimony. The legislators also worked alongside a Suffolk County plastic bag working group, which consists of local scientists, educators, environmentalists, business people and government employees. “We have to curtail the use of plastic bags,” Krupski said. “They’re everywhere. I would encourage people not to pay the fee. It’s all just a matter of changing your habits and keeping a shopping bag in your vehicle to have it at the ready. It’ll take time for people to get used to that, but like anything else, people will get used to it.” A 5 cent fee on plastic and paper bags was adopted in Washington, D.C., in 2010 and the accumulated nickels have contributed a total $10 million to the Anacostia River Clean Up and Protection Fund, as of 2015. As mandated by New York State, however, the fees collected in this bill will be retained

by the stores. Not being able to apply the collection to an environmental cause convinced a Democratic legislator not to support the law. “That 5 cent charge should go back into the environment,” said Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai), who voted “No.” “Instead, the fees are going back into the pockets of the stores. The legislation needed work.” Anker also said she received outcry from constituents over the concept of fees. “A lot of the community, especially the senior population, did not want to pay extra for the plastic bags,” she said. “But I will say, plastic is a really harsh environmental pollutant.” Spencer said he plans to revisit the legislation after a year to evaluate the financial impact it’s having and ask the state to allow funds to be used for environmental purposes. “It would be great to do that, but only the state has that ability,” Spencer said. “The state may make that decision.” Jay Peltz, general counsel and vice president of government relations at Food Industry Alliance, which represents 800 state supermarket chains, convenience stores and wholesalers, including Stop & Shop and King Kullen, which will be charging the fees, said it’s a current law where everybody wins. “It will help the environment and it will help the stores,” he said. “It’s a thoughtful, productive law and is the only way to both reduce plastic bag distribution while incentivizing people to increase their use of reusable bags.” He added that the fees may be used to help pay for higher minimum wages expected to be put in place in the coming year, but store owners are still weighing the options.

BY DESIRÉE KEEGAN DESIREE@TBRNEWSMEWSMEDIA.COM A local survey conducted shows that just 5 percent of shoppers bring reusable bags. The finding, coming ahead of a 2018 Suffolk County law banning the free use of plastic and paper bags at a vast majority of retail stores, was concluded after students from Northport, Brentwood, Huntington, Smithtown, East Islip and North Babylon, with member of St. Joseph’s College, surveyed 11,395 shoppers in November and December, in front of grocery stores, convenience stores and a pharmacies. The polling, organized by a countycreated task force to help educate the public about the bill, found 71 percent of individuals use plastic bags, while the balance use paper, a combination, or no bag. The survey will be repeated next year to analyze the effect of the law on consumer behavior, according to Adrienne Esposito, executive director of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment. She said she hopes between 60 and 70 percent of residents are bringing reusable bags by next year. “Reducing litter, marine pollution and saving our oceans are worth changing our habits,” Esposito said. While plastic bags drew the ire of environmentalists and lawmakers, the law also requires stores to charge for paper bags, as well as thicker “reusable” plastic bags, to prevent stores from circumventing the law, Spencer said. County Legislator William “Doc” Spencer (D-Centerport), the bill’s primary sponsor, said county residents should contact his office at 631-854-4500 for a reusable bag, especially if you cannot afford one. “If you need a reusable bag, come see me,” Spencer said, adding he bought 1,000 reusable bags to give away.

PAGE A8 • THE VILLAGE BEACON RECORD • DECEMBER 21, 2017

SPORTS

Photos by Bill Landon

Members of Mission Fencing Center, above, helped host members of Team Puerto Rico, on podium at back row, who had no place to train in the wake of Hurricane Maria. Below, the group’s chaperone, Carlos Quiles, trains against fencing center member and Ward Melville junior Cat Cao to secure his position on the Puerto Rico national team.

Mission Fencing Center opens doors to help international friends BY BILL LANDON

ber of her eight-person group paid for his or her plane ticket, and the Salmons took care After devastation struck Puerto Rico in the of the rest. form of Hurricane Maria in September, mem“Fifteen years ago Jennie and I bought our bers of Puerto Rico’s national fencing team home and ran a fencing clinic out of the extra reached out to anyone willing to lend a hand. space,” Salmon said. “We didn’t have the fiHearing of Team Puerto Rico’s plight, nances to support [Team Puerto Rico], but we Rocky Point’s Mission Fencing Center owners live in an old church, which we still run camps Jeff and Jennie Salmon quickly opened their out of in the summer, so we have a bunch of doors so the team could train for an upcom- beds and have plenty of room. We have some ing international competition, and many of pretty nice housing for them.” the fencers were more than thankful. The fencing community demonstrated its “As my family and a lot of my friends said generosity by holding food drives and 50/50 it was like a blessing for this raffles since the guests landfamily to reach out to us ed Dec. 11, as well as by and give us the opportunity donating hats, gloves and [to train],” said 17-year-old other cold-weather items to épéeist Freddie Rivera, who help the Caribbean team adcalls Juana Díaz, Puerto Rico just to the temperature. The home. “Ever since I got the group also received home news that we had this opitems like paper towels and portunity, I wanted to meet laundry detergent. them. They gave us their “Today we went to house too, and to take us to the laundromat and the this place [Mission Fencing] minute one of the girls — that takes a lot of effort.” — Freddie Rivera stepped outside she said, ‘Oh Salmon, a Comsewogue my God, here we go again,’” High School graduate and Jeff Salmon said, laughing. varsity boys fencing coach for Ward Melville, “The team doesn’t like the cold, but they all said housing and feeding the fencers, as well as have coats and gloves because everyone reproviding transportation to his 30,000-square- ally stepped [up]. Everyone is so excited that foot subterranean training facility on Route they’re here and the whole Long Island fencing 25A, which he said is the largest in the country, community has been great.” His wife said she heard of Team Puerto Riwasn’t as difficult as it might sound. Mission Fencing Center owns a bus that co’s predicament through Iris Zimmermann, already transports athletes from across who co-owns the Rochester Fencing Club, and Long Island to and from the center, and the said she immediately knew she wanted to get Salmons have plenty of space in their old mis- involved in any way she could. “I guess I just took the bull by the horns,” sion church home in Mount Sinai, from where the center got its name. He said this, along Jennie Salmon said. “And now USA Fencing with local contributions, made accommoda- federation is even involved in helping them.” Carlos Quiles, a 24-year-old Carolina, tions for the four-week stay accommodations simple. Karina Del Mar Pagan, a 19-year-old Puerto Rico, resident chaperoning his group of from Carolina, Puerto Rico, said each mem- eight fencers, said he was connected with the

‘Jeff and Jennie like to help people, and there are not a lot of good people that open their homes like that in the world.’

Salmons after pleading to his fencing federation president that they needed a place to train after seeing his club’s flooded headquarters. “When we saw that our club was completely destroyed, the head of our fencing federation went to a meeting to make a plan as to what we were going to do,” Quiles said, adding that the organization reached out to anyone in the United States and beyond. “That’s when Mission Fencing found us and [Jeff Salmon] told us he wanted us to come here. We couldn’t be more grateful.” Team Puerto Rico took to the strips of Mission Fencing Center Dec. 15, where its members showed off their international flare while competing against local Long Island fencers like Ward Melville épéeist Ben Rogak. Rivera said he was excited to challenge himself and partake in a unique experience, one that provided a first for the young athlete. “I’m so thankful for this opportunity,” he said while fencing inside the center as snow began to fall. “This is my third trip to the United States — [having previously visited] Mexico and Costa Rica — and this time, I’m a proud member of the junior national team. This is also the first time I’ve ever seen snow.”

Rogak said he also enjoyed competing against fencers he’s never seen before, and said that he admired their dedication. Jennie Salmon agreed. “They’ve been awesome guests,” she said. “We’ve had press based on our success as high school coaches, and at some level we’re very proud of that, but that isn’t even close to our biggest success. What we’re doing here is so meaningful.” Before returning home, the Mission Fencing Center bus will take the team to Virginia, where it will be joined by its other members from around the country to compete. Rivera reiterated how happy he was to learn from Long Island’s established athletes, adding it’s been helpful as programs at home begin to take flight. “In Puerto Rico we are starting to have leagues in high school — we are taking baby steps,” he said. “This is a super club, [Mission Fencing]. It’s complete with a gym, trainers, and I’m thankful for this opportunity. Jeff and Jennie like to help people, and there are not a lot of good people that open their homes like that in the world. I have to say that they have big hearts and they’re full of love.”

DECEMBER 21, 2017 • THE VILLAGE BEACON RECORD • PAGE A9

SPORTS

Photos from Megan Wesolowski

Mount Sinai’s cheerleading team, a county, state and national champion, bounced back after having its seven-year streak of first-place Empire Regional finishes snapped, to win the first meet of the regular season.

Mustangs bounce back after early season heartbreaker BY DESIRÉE KEEGAN DESIREE@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM For the first time in seven years, Mount Sinai’s cheerleading team fell short of a first-place finish at the Empire Regional championship. The girls could have sulked, hung their heads and given up the idea of maintaining their national prowess. Instead, the Mustangs used the slip to second place to fuel their fire. “We put out an amazing routine that we were very proud of,” senior captain Alexa Tabile said of Mount Sinai’s 88.1 score Dec. 2 at Nassau County Community College that still earned the team a bid to nationals. “We took a step back and saw we need to be better, because the team that beat us was better. It’s just as simple as that.” The girls went into the next practice asking what they could do to get back on top, and worked at it. “I try to motivate my teammates before practice and tell them we need to be supporting each other,” Tabile said, adding that the team takes everything in stride. “It’s something I felt we did, and it led to our next first-place finish. We focus on what’s coming up next, but always have the big picture in mind.” The Mustangs ended up in the No. 1 spot Dec. 11 at Longwood, redeeming themselves from a bobble in the pyramid at the regional competition and a fall at the meet. Tabile said she was still afraid of once again coming in second, because more points are deducted for a fall. “There was a little bit of doubt,” she said. “We thought maybe the fall really put us back, but we knew we put out a routine that was clean, and everything else in the routine we hit beautifully. We kept going.” Mount Sinai placed fifth in the state championship earlier this year after taking first in the inaugural state competition in 2016. The Mustangs won the county title

last season and have a history of placing at nationals, coming in third in February and in 2015, and first in 2016 and 2014. “They feel a great amount of pressure knowing that we have a long tradition of winning,” said first-year head coach Megan Wesolowski, who coached the district’s middle school team for the last five years and took over for long-standing leader Samantha Melella following the birth of her child. “They want to make the people that made this program proud. They’re proving that one fall or one mishap never carries through an entire routine, and Alexa Tabile is leading the team through everything. She’s one of our best back spots with great tumbling skills. Cheer-related or not, she’s there for every girl that needs her.” Mount Sinai, as Suffolk County’s only Division II Large team, competed against Division I Large schools, which made the win this time around even sweeter. Wesolowski petitioned for her team’s step up in competition. “It’s great to have teams to compete against, and especially to be able to compete against schools with a bigger pool of girls to choose from,” she said. “Competing against yourself you kind of lose that competitive edge. We didn’t want to end up going down to nationals next year with a false sense of security.” Tabile said the jump has not only forced her team to improve its skills and routine, but it has also been more fun. “Now, we go to competitions and we know we have to be on point,” she said. “ Going out there last year, it didn’t matter if we were doing forward rolls on the mat for two-and-half minutes, we were still getting first place. Now, we’re driven to put in the extra work because we’re competing against other teams with national titles.” After new and old players quit the team, and through injuries and adjusting to a new coach, Mount Sinai worked to remain com-

petitive, and Tabile said this learning experience is only making the Mustangs stronger. “We’ve clicked very well,” she said. “Coach Wesolowski motivates us in every way and we want to do better for her. It hasn’t been the easiest season for us — we’ve had our

fair share of challenges throughout the season — but I feel like we’ve never had a team with this kind of bond, where we pick each other up and say, ‘Hey, things haven’t been going as we’ve planned, and we’ve had our hardships, but we can move on from this.’”

Photo from Mel Jacoby

Four Mount Sinai wrestlers finish first at Port Jefferson’s Bob Armstrong tournament.

Mount Sinai grabs Armstrong gold After losing three top wrestlers to graduation, Mount Sinai head coach Matt Armstrong wasn’t sure what to expect. His Mustangs proved there’s still plenty left in their tanks to keep the team moving forward as Mount Sinai came away with its second straight Bob Armstrong tournament win at Port Jefferson Dec. 16. Leading the way were four first-place finishers, seniors Jake Crostan and Mike Ziriff; junior Mike Sabella and sophomore Matt

Campo. Brendan Goodrich, Tristin Nardi, Mike O’Brien, Dominick Boscarino and David Mazzella also came up big despite facing experienced wrestlers. Armstrong said he was extremely pleased with the performances of each wrestler on the team. Mount Sinai finished with 204.5 points, Ward Melville was close behind with 201 and Port Jefferson finished with 186.5. Newfield, Harborfields and Riverhead also competed.

PAGE A10 • THE VILLAGE BEACON RECORD • DECEMBER 21, 2017

OPINION Editorial

Letters to the editor

Zeldin: Why I voted ‘No’ on the tax bill

File photo

There will be a 5 cent charge for each plastic or paper bag used at many local stores beginning Jan. 1.

Bag fees should foster forward thinking A survey conducted ahead of the passage of Suffolk County’s new environmental law banning plastic and paper bags from convenience, grocery, liquor, office supply, clothing and home center stores yielded a large figure — 70 percent of 11,395 people asked said they use only plastic bags to carry their groceries and shopping items. The questionnaire, conducted by a group of 85 high school students and 15 teachers from seven Suffolk County school districts and St. Joseph’s College is not surprising, but should be an eye-opener to the future health of our environment. More can and needs to be done. Suffolk County’s ban will take effect Jan. 1. While shoppers should be prepared to reach a little deeper into their pockets to afford the nickel-per-bag charge to be able to pack with store-provided plastic or paper, they should also think long and hard about the environmental impact of their choices. We encourage residents to bring their own bags when shopping, be it reusable bags or leftover plastic, but we’d also encourage New York State to get behind an even bigger eco-friendly cause. While we support the bag ban, what we don’t support is the fee funds going back to retailers. To help promote the use of the reusable bags, the money could be used to purchase and distribute more reusable bags. If not, the 5 cents per bag fee should be deposited into a county general fund designated for environmental improvement efforts, be it open-space preservation, the cleaning of a park or protecting drinking water. If the money generated isn’t going into a government-held account, we’d also suggest pooling the money into donations to national nonprofits like the Sierra Club, or even local ones like Defend H2O, Seatuck Environmental Association, Setauket-Port Jefferson Station Greenway Trail or Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon Society — or any other organization with environmental preservation as its mission. We hope the result of this law is not that consumers simply get comfortable with paying the extra money, like many have with the 5 cent deposits on bottles and cans. Instead, we hope the result is a conscious, purposeful effort on the part of shoppers to use less paper and plastic, and the county’s leadership in putting the extra money to good use would set a great example.

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 desiree@tbrnewsmedia.com or mail them to The Village Beacon Record, P.O. Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733.

I am a “No” on the final tax reform bill. Getting this bill done and getting this bill done right should not have been a binary choice. My goal in this tax reform mission has always been to ensure that the hardworking men and women of Long Island keep more of their paychecks, reduce their cost of living and remain able to save more for retirement. Unfortunately, this bill is not the tax relief they were promised. I like many aspects of this final agreement, including the expansion of the medical expense deduction, preservation of critical education and student deductions and strong corporate tax reform that will stimulate job creation and make America more competitive in the global economy. Reducing the corporate tax rate to 21 percent, for example, is great; but it should not be done on the backs of any hardworking, middle-income taxpayers. I still don’t understand why spending cuts couldn’t have been used as a more responsible way to pay for tax cuts. On balance, this bill remains a geographic redistribution of wealth, taking extra money from a place like New York to pay for deeper tax cuts elsewhere. New York is a net contributor that now

File photo by Alex Petroski

U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, at center, with U.S. Reps. Peter King and Tom Suozzi voice bipartisan opposition to the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. will be contributing even more. This bill chooses winners and losers in a way that could have and should have been avoided. While adding back in the state and local tax (SALT) deduction to a $10,000 cap was progress, it was not enough progress. While I support fully maintaining the SALT deduction, a better policy if a change was to be made would have been a phasedown of SALT over a period of time to a level that fully protects middle-income itemizers. With that being said, we must realize that our deduction is so high because our state and local taxes are so high, which means that all levels of govern-

ment must work on tax relief moving forward. I wish I could get to a “Yes” on this bill, but when it comes to my district and my state, this proposal leaves too many of them out in the cold. There was a massive missed opportunity here to fix this bill for millions of Americans who also desperately needed tax relief and ended up getting screwed by the handicap of rigid ideological blinders and a countdown clock that really wasn’t yet at zero.

Lee Zeldin U.S. Representative 1st Legislative District

Image by Campani and Schwarting Architects

A digitally altered image of what the exit ramp could look like at the intersection of Barnum Avenue and West Broadway in Port Jefferson.

A simple change can make it safe We see they made some traffic signal changes at Barnum Avenue and West Broadway. That might not be sufficient. We believe that there is a simple solution that we have presented to Port Jefferson Village: narrowing the exit from the ramp, so that it does not align with the Barnum lane running north would make it almost impossible to turn into it.

It is pedestrian friendly, would not be very expensive and would add to the visual quality of the intersection. Of course, the phase of our park plan in the Waterfront Revitalization Project that is in the Comprehensive Plan is best all around, although it hasn’t yet come to fruition. It relocates the ramp, which was incorrectly constructed, to be more efficient;

relocates 135 parking spaces to create park space in the Town of Brookhaven lot without reducing the trailer spaces; and enhances the visual quality of this area with trees and better lighting.

Michael Schwarting and Frances Campani Campani and Schwarting Architects Port Jefferson

Get into the mix. Participate in our reader forums @ www.tbrnewsmedia.com

DECEMBER 21, 2017 • THE VILLAGE BEACON RECORD • PAGE A11

OPINION

In a diner with Carole King, Evan Hansen and Luke Skywalker

his year I enjoyed “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” and “Dear Evan Hansen” on Broadway; and “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” movie sequel. As the year comes to a close, I can’t help imagining a conversation in a diner among the central characters. Evan Hansen: “Hey, you want to sign my cast?” Luke Skywalker: “What?” Evan Hansen: “No, forget it. I was just, nothing. You were saying?” Carole King: “No, you asked if we wanted to sign your cast, right?” Hansen: By Daniel Dunaief “No,Evan well, I don’t know. Maybe.” Luke Skywalker: “What happened to your arm?” Evan Hansen: “It’s a long story. It’s OK. I don’t even have a pen.” Luke Skywalker: “Oh, you feel bad about your arm, which is going to heal.

D. None of the above

How do you think I feel? My father and I got into a battle a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away and this is what happened.” Evan Hansen: “Wow, that’s a scary fake hand. You win.” Carole King: “You both have scars. We all do, right? My parents divorced.” Evan Hansen: “My dad left when I was young.” Luke Skywalker: “Oh, so sorry for you. When I was born, I had to be hidden from my father, who was angry and moody and wore a mask and wanted to kill me.” Evan Hansen: “Aren’t you supposed to be a Jedi Master now? Why do you seem so angry and annoyed all the time?” Luke Skywalker: “I am a Jedi Master.” Evan Hansen: “Oh, right. So, how come you don’t sound cool and wise?” Luke Skywalker: “It’s just that I have low blood sugar and I haven’t eaten in a while and I’m not sure what to order.” Yoda: “Hmmm, not know what to order, do you?” Carole King: “Wow, you’re from far away, aren’t you?”

Yoda: “Say that, you could.” Luke Skywalker: “Master Yoda. I’m so hungry and I’m not sure whether to get the burger or the salad.” Evan Hansen: “You’re glowing, Yoda.” Yoda: “When 900 years old, and dead, you are, this good will you not look.” Luke Skywalker: “Master Yoda. What should I do?” Yoda: “Order the salad, would I. Delicious it looks. Leave you, I must.” Luke Skywalker: “Wait, but what should I get to drink?” Evan Hansen: “For a Jedi Master, you often seem to need Yoda or ObiWan to give you advice. Can’t you make your own decisions?” Carole King: “Listen, Evan, Luke here knows he has glowing friends who come running to see him again whenever he calls their name.” Evan Hansen: “They come whenever you need them? That’s cool.” Luke Skywalker: “Yeah, I guess, but I’ve been trying to spend time on my own, far away from all the ‘saving the galaxy’ responsibilities. There always seems to be another Death Star or some

young person with the ability to move rocks with his or her mind who needs guidance.” Evan Hansen: “I’m the opposite. I’m trying to help save other people to get away from my loneliness. High school is tough.” Carole King: “You got romantic issues, too, Evan, don’t you?” Evan Hansen: “No, of course not, why do you say that?” Carole King: “I can tell you feel the earth move under your feet.” Evan Hansen: “Do you have a song for everything?” Carole King: “Well, pretty much.” Luke Skywalker: “Yeah, don’t challenge her. The number of songs she’s written far exceeds the number of ‘Star Wars’ sequels.” Evan Hansen: “That is a lot. Does that include the one-off movies?” Luke Skywalker: “Yes.” Evan Hansen: “Does she know anything about trying to stop faking things?” Luke Skywalker: “Yes, and it’s not too late, baby, to learn from her.”

Whisper network that warned becomes social network that shames

s 2017 comes to a close, it is not an overstatement to say that this year we have lived through a revolution. And it is a revolution that is just beginning. Millions of women, drawn by the hashtag #MeToo, have come forth to put their experiences with sexual harassment, assault and rape on the record. Some men also have revealed similar heartbreaking stories of sexual predators that altered their lives. It is as if an enormous dam has By Leah S. Dunaief broken with the gut-wrenching descriptions pouring out unendingly, toppling icons of power like bowling pins. Just as Betty Friedan started the revolution we call the women’s liberation movement, so this avalanche of sordid encounters that began with revelations about Hollywood mogul

Between you and me

Harvey Weinstein has touched off a revolution but of a much faster pace than the one 50 years or so ago. Social media has helped connect these victims and carry the torch of outrage. I suppose from the earliest times when men and women have walked the earth, there have been sexual predators. Mostly the predators have been men who were able to exact what they wanted from vulnerable women who needed their protection and support, perhaps for such basics as food, clothing and shelter for themselves and their children. Once women entered the workplace in large numbers, they were often assigned to male supervisors who could advance or block their careers or even take away their jobs. Those jobs could be in Hollywood, in TV journalism, in large and small offices, in hotels, in politics, in academia, in short anywhere that there might be an imbalance of power leaving one employee vulnerable. What’s different now? The whisper network that warned has become a social network that shames. Time magazine named the Silence Breakers as 2017 Person of the Year.

The hashtag, #MeToo, will go down in history although the movement’s founder, Tarana Burke, was not featured on the cover. Instead the group photo comprised actress Ashley Judd, former Uber engineer Susan Fowler, Visa lobbyist Adama Iwu, songstress Taylor Swift and Isabel Pascual, a Mexican strawberry picker who asked to use a pseudonym to protect her family, according to Time. They might have been anyone on the cover, although the famous attract more attention, from the doctoral candidate at a prestigious university who refused her professor’s advances and consequently was denied her degree, to the housekeeper in a hotel who goes about cleaning the bathtubs but never knows when she might be cornered by a guest or supervisor demanding sexual favors. The first time I personally knew anyone who had been a sexual victim was in college. A close friend was talking about her affair with a professor and was overheard by another student who was having the same experience. The unlikely encounter and some quick conversation revealed the same professor

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Leah S. Dunaief GENERAL MANAGER We welcome letters, photographs, comments and story ideas. Send your items to P.O. Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733 or email desiree@tbrnewsmedia.com. Johness Kuisel MANAGING EDITOR Times Beacon Record Newspapers are published every Thursday. Desirée Keegan Subscription $49/year • 631-751-7744 EDITOR www.tbrnewsmedia.com • Contents copyright 2017 Desirée Keegan

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was bedding both women. In a rage, my friend confronted her lover with the words, “You are sick!” But was he sick? Or was he just acting out the culture in which he had been raised? As Time magazine wrote, “It wasn’t so long ago that the boss chasing his secretary around the desk was a comic trope, a staple from vaudeville to prime-time sitcoms.” Cultures are all pervasive, and where they are not confronted by conscience or mob outrage, they continue. On the eve of the holidays, let’s focus on a short but delightful segment from the “PBS News Hour” Tuesday night. Women confide to sometimes feeling taken advantage of financially when bringing cars to be repaired, knowing so little about the way cars work. One woman felt tired of feeling a victim, quit her job as an engineer, went to auto-mechanic school and opened up what appears to be the nation’s first all-female auto-repair shop in California. It seems to be a great success. Best of all, she no longer feels a victim. There is a moral here. Happy and healthy holidays to you and yours!

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