The Village
TIMES HERALD Stony Brook • old Field • Strong’S neck • Setauket • eaSt Setauket • South Setauket • Poquot t March 3, 2016
Volume 41, No. 1
$1.00
631-9414300
’Godspell’ comes to Theatre Three
Also: ‘The Sainted’ book review, Theater Talk, go Ape exhibit winners
PAge B1
Walking tall Stony Brook native plans Brooklyn strut By giSelle Barkley
Falling off the radar Sex offenders start coming off state registry after 20 years
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Ken Rogers of Stony Brook couldn’t walk for the first four years of his life. But this year, he’s walking for a cause — all the way to Brooklyn. Rogers, whose cerebral palsy affected his ability to walk in his youth, is training to walk 50 miles on May 19 from his Stony Brook residence to Canarsie Pier in his hometown. While the three-day walk will help raise money for the American Cancer Society, Rogers is also walking to honor his high school friend, Russell Donovan, who lost his battle with cancer last February. Donovan lived in Wading River at the time. “We did everything together,” said Rogers, 64, about Donovan and long-time friend Eddie Troise. The trio started smoking cigarettes at 15 years old because it “was the cool thing to do in the 60s,” according to Rogers. But he said he believed the bad habit contributed to Donovan’s condition. Donovan, of Wading River, was diagnosed with prostate cancer around 2010, before
it spread to his lungs. Troise and Rogers suffered from their own health complications over the years. Around five years ago Troise suffered a major stroke. Rogers was also diagnosed with and treated for prostate cancer. Although Rogers is currently healthy, he wants to raise awareness about the drawbacks of smoking tobacco and hopes residents will donate for his cause. “It’s one of the hardest things to break … because it takes a lot of determination,” said Rogers about quitting smoking, which he did around 30 years ago, after his son was born. Over the past months, he’s raised 15 percent of his $1,200 goal. He hopes to reach his goal before he treks to Canarsie Pier, a place he, Donovan and Troise frequented in their youth. Bonnie Schulz is one of many residents who donated to support Rogers’ cause. The two met around 14 years ago through Setauket Presbyterian Church. Schulz learned of the 50-mile walk when Rogers presented the idea last fall for the church’s Peace & Justice Committee. “I thought it was very admirable and that he’s very passionate about [his cause],” Schulz said. Rogers walks between six and 12 miles daily. Depending on the WALK continued on page A5
Photos by giselle Barkley
The Stony Brook man makes his way down a residential street as he gets his body ready for the big walk later this spring.