The Port Times Record - February 9, 2023

Photo by Raymond Janis

Margot Garant announces retirement, to step down as Port Jeff mayor this June

BY RAYMOND JANIS EDITOR1@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

During a public meeting on Monday, Feb. 6, Village of Port Jefferson Mayor Margot Garant announced her retirement from public service. Her 14 years of uninterrupted tenure presiding over the village government will come to its conclusion this June.

“We’re going to give the community back to the residents,” Garant told a group of supporters the night of her first election win in 2009.

Six successful races later, Garant has been at the seat of power longer than any other in the village’s nearly 60-year history. And during that window, the village has undergone considerable change.

Garant’s mother, Jeanne, served three terms as mayor starting in 1999 through 2005. Unlike her mother, who had previously sat on the village Board of Trustees, Margot Garant was a first-time elected official upon entering the mayor’s office.

For over eight years, Garant’s administration engaged in a widely publicized legal battle with the Long Island Power Authority over the assessed valuation and property tax bill on the Port Jefferson

Power Station. The tax grievance case was settled in 2018.

Colloquially known as the glide path, the village and LIPA agreed to an eightyear phasing out of the public utility’s local tax contribution, with a 50% reduction in revenue by 2027.

Known for her ambitious building

MAYOR GARANT CONTINUED ON A4

Breaking news: Fred Leute no longer serving as code enforcement chief

It has been confirmed to TBR News Media that Fred Leute, code enforcement chief in the Village of Port Jefferson, is no longer serving in his present position.

This news comes just days after Leute

delivered the department’s report on public safety during the village board’s monthly meeting held Monday, Feb. 6. At press time, further details were not made available. Story to follow.

Interest Rates? Inventory?

Mayor Margot Garant, above, announced plans to retire from public office during a public meeting on Monday, Feb. 6. Photo by Raymond Janis

Village of Port Jefferson code enforcement chief Fred Leute (right) presented certificates of commendation to code officers during a general meeting of the village Board of Trustees on Monday, Feb. 6. Photo by Raymond Janis

Mayor Garant

Continued from A3

philosophy, Garant facilitated the construction of numerous projects, including large-scale developments along Port Jeff Harbor and near the train station.

The development of Upper Port has been a core tenet of her administration. The seven-term incumbent also advanced the envisioned Six Acre Park along Highlands Boulevard, with plans in place to preserve that last remaining tract of undeveloped land as open space.

Garant’s boards have been forced to confront the crippling effects of coastal erosion at East Beach, which presently endangers the Port Jefferson Country Club’s catering facility at the edge of the bluff.

Construction is currently ongoing for a toe wall at the base of the cliff. Most recently, Garant announced the injection of federal funding to subsidize the upland phase of the

bluff stabilization initiative. Controversially, village residents have not had input on these investments through voter referendum.

Outlining why she will not seek reelection, she told the group assembled at Village Hall that her decision to step down was motivated by a desire to let others into the political process. She added, “I’ve got a lot of opportunity. I’m excited about my next chapters, and ... I really believe this is the best time” to step down.

Leaving public life, she reiterated her message delivered 14 years ago.

“It’s not about me, it’s about this community,” she told the audience. “This community is yours, and it’s always been in your hands. I couldn’t have done my job without you.”

The race to fill Garant’s seat is now underway, with candidate announcements expected in the days and weeks ahead.

Village elections will take place Tuesday, June 20.

John, Henry & Paul Vigliante, 3rd Generation and 4th Generation Funeral Directors/Co-Owners

An emotional evening of public business at Village Hall

BY RAYMOND JANIS EDITOR1@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

The Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees met Monday, Feb. 6, with public commendations, updates on East Beach Bluff construction, coastal resilience strategies and parting words.

Recognitions

The village board recognized three code enforcement officers who responded on Dec. 28 to an active shooter incident in Upper Port. Mayor Margot Garant acknowledged code officers Scott Borrero, Emmanuel Kouroupakis and Kevin Toner for their services during a recognition speech.

“I want to thank you in your team efforts for closing off the scene to both vehicular and pedestrian traffic, rendering lifesaving first aid to the victim and keeping all safe until Suffolk County police arrived,” she said.

The board also acknowledged former New York State Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) for his decades of service representing the Port Jefferson community. While she had intended to present Englebright with a plaque, Garant said the village parks department was “so efficient they already secured it on the building” at the Drowned Meadow Cottage Museum.

Instead, she presented the former assemblyman with a picture off the bathroom wall at Village Hall. Accepting this honor, Englebright delivered a brief address, sharing the history of the William Tooker House on Sheep Pasture Road, for which his office worked to secure over $800,000 for historic preservation.

The Town of Brookhaven Department of Housing and Community Development is holding a Fair Housing Forum

on ursday, February 16, 2023 at 6:00 pm at Brookhaven Town Hall One Independence Hill Farmingville, NY 11738

AGENDA

What is Fair Housing?

Overview of the Brookhaven Fair Housing Plan

Online Fair Housing Survey will be Open February 1-28, 2023

Open forum for public comments and suggestions on fair housing matters in the Town of Brookhaven

Please join us to discuss fair and a ordable housing matters in the Town of Brookhaven. Public comments are welcome. If you cannot attend the Brookhaven Fair Housing Forum, written comments may be submitted to akarppi@brookhavenny.gov. Please visit the Town of Brookhaven’s website during the month of February 2023 for a link to the online Fair Housing Survey.

*If you require a reasonable accommodation or an interpreter, please contact the Town of Brookhaven Department of Housing and Community Development at 631-451-6600 at least three days prior to the forum.*

“We have a chance to preserve the legacy that our forebears have brought to us,” he said. “That adventure is just beginning. That house has many more insights to give us as we restore it to useful service.”

He added, “I again say thank you so very, very much to the board. You’re all my heroes, and it’s a great honor to receive the picture off

the wall.”

Reports

Mayor Margot Garant offered an update on the ongoing construction at East Beach as part of phase I of the village’s bluff stabilization initiative.

VILLAGE BOARD CONTINUED ON A9

2023-2024 Prekindergarten and Kindergarten Registration

The Port Je erson Union Free School District will open registration for the 20232024 Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten programs on Wednesday, Feb. 1. The Elementary School Registration Packet can be found under the Central Registration tab, under District, on the district website, www.portje schools.org. Registration packets can be dropped o during school hours, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., to the Edna Louise Spear Elementary School or to the District O ce. Only packets that are complete will be accepted. Registration packets must be received by 3  p.m. on Friday, March 3.

The Pre-Kindergarten Program will be a full-day program located in the Elementary School. A lottery will be implemented if necessary for the Pre-Kindergarten Program. Noti cation of acceptance will be via email.  Please be aware that transportation is not provided for prekindergarten students.

To be eligible for prekindergarten and kindergarten, children must  be 4 and 5 years old, respectively, on or before Dec. 1, 2023, and  a resident within the boundaries of the Port Je erson School  District.

Please call 631-791-4323 for more information or to request a registration packet for pickup.

Former New York State Assemblyman Steve Englebright (third from right) with members of the Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees on Monday, Feb. 6.

Photo by Raymond Janis

The following incidents have been reported by Suffolk County Police:

Pedestrian killed in Farmingville crash

Suffolk County Police Sixth Squad detectives are investigating a motor vehicle crash that killed a pedestrian in Farmingville on Feb. 5. Steven Godden was driving a 2022 Mercedes-Benz northbound on North Ocean Avenue at Granny Road when he swerved in an attempt to avoid hitting Roland Degroff, who was running east across the roadway at the intersection against the direction of traffic control devices at 7:40 p.m. The Mercedes struck Degroff, who was then struck by a 2021 Hyundai Sonata being operated by Yair Pacheco. Degroff, 58, of Port Jefferson Station, was transported to Long Island Community Hospital in Patchogue where he was pronounced dead. Neither Godden, 41, of Mount Sinai, or Pacheco, 44, of Coram, or two passengers in the Mercedes-Benz, were injured. The vehicles were both impounded for safety checks. Detectives are asking anyone with information on the crash to contact the Sixth Squad at 631-854-8652.

Centereach man pleads to guilty to stabbing a police officer

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on Feb. 6 the guilty plea of Jonathan Nunez, 27, of Centereach for stabbing and seriously injuring a Suffolk County Police Officer in 2021 after an attempted traffic stop.

According to court documents and the defendant’s statements at his guilty plea allocution, Suffolk County Police Officer Christopher Racioppo observed a vehicle being driven in an erratic manner and with its lights off, on South Ocean Avenue in Patchogue on April 10, 2021, at approximately 10:30 p.m. When Officer Racioppo activated his emergency lights in an attempt to pull the vehicle over, Nunez, the driver, sped away and the officer pursued him. Nunez subsequently crashed into another vehicle at a high rate of speed, totaling both vehicles and causing minor injury to the other driver.

Nunez then exited his vehicle and, despite directives from Officer Racioppo to stop, he fled on foot. Officer Racioppo chased Nunez into a backyard where Nunez stabbed Officer Racioppo in his upper left leg, severing his femoral artery. Witnesses and other responding officers at the scene were able to restrain Nunez and render lifesaving aid to Officer Racioppo.

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk Police Sixth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate two men, including the man pictured above, who allegedly stole tool sets and other items from Lowes, located at 2150 Nesconset Highway in Stony Brook, on Jan. 21 at 2:15 p.m. They fled in a blue Ford F-150.

Nunez is due back in court on March 13, 2023, and is expected to be sentenced to 16 years in prison followed by five years of postrelease supervision.

Groceries stolen from Stop & Shop

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police

Sixth Precinct Crime

Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate two people who allegedly stole from Stop & Shop at 260 Pond Path in South Setauket in two separate incidents.

A man allegedly stole 37 packages of seafood on Dec. 20 at approximately 2 p.m. The merchandise was valued at approximately $990.

A woman allegedly stole assorted groceries on Jan. 24 at approximately 1:30 p.m. The merchandise was valued at $116.

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS.

Wanted for Stony Brook petit larceny

CAUGHT ON CAMERA

Photos from SCPD

Do you recognize this man? Photo from SCPD

COMPILED BY HEIDI SUTTON

Jonathan Nunez

Humpback whale deaths increase along Eastern Seaboard

BY DANIEL DUNAIEF DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

This year has been tough for the population of humpback whales, as eight of them from Maine to Florida have had so-called unusual mortality events as at Feb. 7.

ENVIRONMENT & NATURE

Indeed, a 41-foot humpback whale was discovered washed up Jan. 30 at Lido Beach on the South Shore. The whale likely died after a vessel strike, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Officials said.

Threats to whales in the area include getting hit by boats, becoming entangled in fishing lines and ocean noise.

The last of these potential dangers to humpbacks has received considerable attention from some members of the popular press, who have suggested that the process of installing wind farms along the coastline has or may create the kind of noises that can cause trauma to whale ears and that might throw a whale off course in its search for food.

To provide a broader context, unusual mortality events have been occurring for humpback whales since 2016, as 180 have been stranded along East Coast states since that time, according to NOAA data.

Scientists were able to study about half of the total humpback whale strandings from 2016 and attributed about 40% to ship strike or entanglements. The rest either died from starvation, parasites, inconclusive causes, or were in places where it would have been difficult to study and analyze them.

The combination of whales distracted by feeding and boat traffic has led to some of the deaths.

“Our waterways are one of the busiest on Earth,” said Nomi Dayan, executive director of The Whaling Museum & Education Center of Cold Spring Harbor. “During busy eating months, when they are gorging, it’s harder to pay attention” to what’s around them.

Many of these humpback whale deaths occurred during periods when wind farm activity was low along the Eastern Seaboard.

“What we’re seeing right now [in terms of whale strandings] is something that has been going on for years,” said Lesley Thorne, associate professor in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University.

In a press conference last month, officials suggested that the wind farms, which are designed to reduce the reliance on fossil fuels, cut down on carbon emissions and slow global warming, are not likely to make what is already a challenging period for humpbacks even worse.

“At this point, based on the information that

we do have, we do not believe the evidence supports that those planned construction activities would exacerbate or compound these ongoing unusual mortality events,” Ben Laws, biologist with NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources, said during a Jan. 18 conference call with reporters.

As part of the investigation process, NOAA has brought together an independent team of scientists to coordinate with the Working Group on Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Events to review data, sample stranded whales and determine the next steps for this investigation.

The scientists include marine mammal stranding network members, academics and veterinarians with local state and federal biologists.

At this point, most of the surveys off the coasts of New York and New Jersey are “characterizing the seafloor and the sub-bottom for engineering purposes for

the foundation of offshore wind facilities as well as looking at cable burial risks along that route,” Brian Hooker, marine biologist in the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, said on the press call.

Slower boat speeds

Reducing boat speeds in areas where whales are likely hunting for food or migrating can reduce the likelihood of vessel strikes and, in the event of contact, can improve the outcome for whales.

“What’s been demonstrated in the past is that, with faster vessels, collisions are more likely to occur and it’s more likely for that collision to be fatal,” Thorne said. The specific speeds or thresholds that are more likely to cause fatal collisions vary depending on the whale species.

The whales around Long Island include sei whales, North Atlantic right whales, finback whales, minke whales and, rarely, blue whales, according to Dayan.

Some management strategies for a host of whales such as the North Atlantic right whale include seasonal management areas, in which boats around a particular area during a specific season are required to travel more slowly.

Floating humpback whale offshore of Delaware. Photo courtesy the Marine Education, Research & Rehabilitation Institute

‘What we’re seeing right now [in terms of whale strandings] is something that has been going on for years.’

— LESLEY THORNE

LEGALS

NOTICEOFSALESUPREME

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Term Mayor Office

Term Trustee Office

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BarbaraSakovich

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Dated:February9,2023

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PUBLICNOTICE

Inc.VillageofBelleTerre

VillageElections

June20,2023

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9

Village Board

Continued from A5

“They’ll be starting some of the upland work, restoring some of the material that we lost at the top of the bluff,” she said. “Then they’re poised to revegetate the entire slope for the spring.”

The mayor added, “It’s an exciting project. I believe in the project, and I’m looking forward to its completion.”

Entering the budget season, Garant said she is also working with each of the departments with the goal of “not trying to spend a lot of money.”

Trustee Stan Loucks updated the public on engineering plans to replace racket facilities at Port Jefferson Country Club. “These plans call for the building of six pickleball courts and three tennis courts,” he said. “This new facility is going to be constructed with a hard surface to allow play for a much longer season.”

He added, “The facility is going to be available to all village residents, as well as some sort of membership. The timetable for construction is totally dependent upon present construction that is going on up there right now.”

Trustee Rebecca Kassay announced an upcoming meeting between the village and officials from U.S. Geological Survey. Coordinated with the assistance of Elizabeth Hornstein, a New York State Sea Grant sustainable and resilient communities specialist for Suffolk County, the meeting will cover the coastal resiliency needs of the village.

“The mayor and I will display how clearly interested we are in climate resilience and in being proactive about these issues,” Kassay said.

Trustee Lauren Sheprow reported on a recent meeting of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Council, stating that one of the priorities that came from the discussions was updating the East Beach and West Beach restroom facilities.

Deputy Mayor Kathianne Snaden reacted to the success of the 4th annual Port Jefferson Ice Festival. [See story, “Thrills and chills in Port Jeff during annual ice

fest,” The Port Times Record, Feb. 2, also TBR News Media website.]

“It was toasty warm that day, but it was a fun event, very well attended,” she said. “The ice sculptures were beautiful as always, and fun was had by all.”

Mayor’s upcoming retirement

Near the end of the meeting, Garant announced her retirement as mayor, with her 14-year tenure to end in June. During the public comments period, some residents took the opportunity to thank the outgoing village mayor.

“As a resident, mayor, thank you,” said Alison LaPointe. “As your friend, I’m so proud of you. Congratulations.”

Kathleen Riley discussed the breadth of Garant’s impact over her seven terms in office. “I don’t think many of the residents know to what extent you have done for this village,” she said.

Loucks said he has “learned an awful lot working with Margot,” adding, “I think the world of her and wish her all the best.”

Snaden recognized Garant’s level of commitment during her time presiding over the Board of Trustees. “Your guidance, your instruction and your dedication have gone unmatched and will continue to go unmatched,” the deputy mayor said. “I appreciate you as our mayor, as the leader of this community for so many years, as my friend.”

‘Your guidance, your instruction and your dedication have gone unmatched and will continue to go unmatched.’

— KATHIANNE SNADEN, TO MARGOT GARANT

Pictured clockwise, from top-left: Comsewogue senior Patrick Griffin drives the lane; junior Aidan Bayer lays up for two; senior Colin Strohm shoots from downtown; and Strohm battles for the rebound.

Warriors triumph during Senior Night

BY BILL LANDON DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

After losing to East Hampton in early January, Comsewogue had a score to settle. This time, however, the Warriors were at full strength, outpacing the visiting Bonackers 64-46 on Tuesday, Feb. 7, during their Senior Night celebration.

Comsewogue opened the second half protecting a 10-point lead that grew to 20 in the third quarter. With a healthy cushion, head coach Joel Sutherland flushed his bench.

The Comsewogue seniors led the way in

victory, with Colin Strohm netting 23 points, Austin Nesbitt banking 16 and Hayden MorrisGray adding 14. Teammates Ryan Harding, Mikey Bernzott and Aidan Bayer scored three points apiece, with Cole Keating adding two in the Div. IV matchup.

The win lifts the Warriors to 12-3 in league, 15-5 overall, to conclude their regular season. The playoffs begin Saturday, Feb. 11.

Pictured clockwise, from above: Senior night at Comsewogue High School; Comsewogue senior Hayden Morris-Gray lays up for two; and Warrior Nation.

— Photos by Bill Landon

Port Jeff Branch riders face potentially decades more electrification woes

BY RAYMOND JANIS EDITOR1@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

The decades-long proposal to electrify the Port Jefferson Branch line of the Long Island Rail Road is nearing yet another derailment.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, public owner of LIRR, is expected to unveil its 2025-2044 20-Year Needs Assessment in October. Larry Penner, a transportation analyst and former director for Federal Transit Administration Region 2, considered that document pivotal for the project’s future advancement.

“If the project is not included in that 20year document, then none of us are going to be alive to see electrification,” he said, adding pessimistically that electrification “is not on the radar screen” of senior MTA or state-level officials.

Requests for comment submitted to the press offices of the MTA, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) and U.S. Congressman Nick LaLota (RNY1) went unanswered.

A cry unheard

Generations of North Shore residents and community leaders have called upon the MTA to electrify the Port Jeff line to no avail.

Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) has been among Long Island’s loudest and most prominent proponents of electrification in recent years. In an interview with TBR News Media last summer, he said public investment has shifted away from the Island.

“Our voice has not been raised,” he said. “There hasn’t been an investment in providing modern technology” to this region.

Village of Port Jefferson Mayor Margot Garant voiced similar frustrations. According to her, a fully electrified rail would boost local and regional economies, expediting travel to Manhattan and between North Shore communities, namely transit to and from nearby powerhouse Stony Brook University.

The project “would incentivize people being able to take the train not only into Stony Brook but into the city in a really timely manner,” she said.

From an environmental perspective, former Port Jeff Village trustee Bruce Miller decried the existing railway infrastructure as “ludicrous.”

“It’s appalling that they’re using diesel in this day and age,” he said, adding, “Everyone is making every effort for green energy in all fields except for the MTA and the Long Island Rail Road.”

State legislators join the cause

Local leaders are not alone in their disappointment over the long delay. State Sen. Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk) condemned what he considered an imbalance between the state taxes Long Island spends and the infrastructure dollars it gets from Albany.

“Long Islanders already contribute greatly to the MTA and deserve better access to more reliable and dependable rail service,” he said in an email, referring to Port Jefferson Branch electrification as a “critical project.”

At the western end of the branch, state Assemblyman Keith Brown (R-Northport), whose district includes travelers from Huntington, Greenlawn and Northport stations, expressed dismay over the state’s billowing budget yet few returns for North Shore residents.

He noted the apparent contradiction between Albany’s green energy priorities and the MTA’s continued use of diesel locomotives, which are due for replacement in the coming years.

Referencing the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which targets an 85% reduction in statewide greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2050, Brown regarded the continued dependence upon diesel technology as inconsistent with state law.

“They can’t really replace the existing fleet with diesel trains,” he said. “At the same time they’re calling to stop the use of gas in homes, the MTA and LIRR can’t be purchasing diesel locomotives.”

The Empire State Passenger Association is a transit advocacy group that aims for improvements in public transportation services throughout New York state. ESPA president Gary Prophet said the passenger association has endorsed Port Jefferson Branch electrification over the years, referring to the project as necessary and justifiable given the volume of commuters along the line.

“That is a heavily used branch of the Long Island Rail Road that should be electrified,” he said. “It probably should have been electrified in the past, but it just hasn’t happened for a variety of reasons.”

A history of inaction

The original concept of Port Jeff line electrification dates back over half a century. However, planning began in earnest in the early 1970s when electrification of the North Shore line extended up to Huntington.

Derek Stadler, associate professor and web services librarian at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City, has closely followed historical developments along the Port Jeff Branch.

He attributes the failures to electrify the line to a combination of resistance from property owners near the tracks, engineering challenges, financial setbacks and bad luck.

“In the ‘80s, they had money set aside to start working on it though they hadn’t secured the funds to complete it,” he said. “Then in 1985, the president of the MTA postponed that indefinitely.” Stadler contends this was the closest the project ever was to moving forward.

In the ‘90s, the MTA launched a fleet of dualmode locomotives which are still in use today.

Despite the good intentions, Stadler maintains

that this fleet has not adequately substituted for electric service. Given the high costs to repair and replace outdated train cars, Stadler regarded this effort as a poor long-term investment.

“They have spent more money on that new fleet and repairing them than if they would have done the electrification way back in the ‘80s,” he said.

Prioritization problem

The current cost estimate of Port Jeff Branch electrification is $3.6 billion, though that figure will almost certainly climb. To secure these dollars, however, the North Shore is competing against other project proposals across Long Island and New York state.

Throughout LIRR’s history as a public railroad company, North Shore riders have lost out consistently to their inland counterparts traveling along the Ronkonkoma line. Richard Murdocco, adjunct professor in the Department of Political Science at SBU, chronicled this pattern, saying the pursuit of Port Jeff Branch electrification continues running up against the hard realities of the MTA’s prioritization scheme.

“The question is: Is electrification really the priority on the North Shore, or should you electrify east of Ronkonkoma?” Murdocco said.

Given the spur of recent growth in Yaphank and new developments in the Town of Riverhead, he added, “If I’m the MTA, I’m electrifying the East End before I electrify the North Shore.”

Further hampering investment into the Port Jeff Branch is the topography along its route. Given the large hills and frequent bends, the flatter main line may win the day for its comparably simple engineering logistics.

Murdocco said the MTA could either electrify the Port Jeff Branch, which “meanders along the hilly terrain, or you get a straight shot through the Pine Barrens, where there’s already talk of them doing it, where they’re welcoming it and where there are no neighbors to disrupt.”

Political and financial distress

Penner claims the political and financial currents are also working against North Shore residents. Suffolk County’s state representatives are increasingly in the legislative minority in Albany, leaving mere “crumbs on the table” for infrastructure improvements.

“Suffolk County does not have the political clout that it used to,” he said.

Even so, the MTA is encountering a systemwide economic crisis from the COVID-19 pandemic, with daily ridership hovering around 65% from pre-pandemic levels. Murdocco insists that many of the labor trends unleashed by COVID-19 will likely linger indefinitely.

“There’s no denying remote work is here to stay,” the SBU adjunct professor said, adding, “We don’t know how long the ramifications of the pandemic will last.”

Meanwhile, the MTA is facing even greater fiscal strife over looming labor negotiations. With recent inflation, Penner said the agency

could lose potentially hundreds of millions from renegotiated union contracts.

“All of this plays into the bigger picture of MTA’s overall health,” Penner said, which he considered dismal based on state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s (D) most recent analysis.

“They’re barely staying afloat maintaining existing service, systems and repairs,” the former FTA official added.

Penner, Stadler and Murdocco expressed collective pessimism about Port Jefferson Branch electrification getting underway within the next decade. “As of right now, I do not see this project happening within 10 years because I do not see a fiscal way for anyone to pay for it, given the MTA’s current financial status,” Murdocco said.

Looking for answers

Given the hefty $3.6 billion price tag, Miller proposed exploring alternatives to electric service. He cited examples in Germany, where zero-emission hydrogen-powered train cars recently went online.

“Hydrogen technology is new but they’ve developed it, and it’s working in Germany,” the former village trustee said. “I don’t think they’re exploring enough options here.”

But implementing high-tech propulsion technologies may be out of reach for the MTA, which uses a late 19th-century fuel source to power the Port Jeff line. When asked about these potential innovations, Brown expressed skepticism.

“As far as hydrogen is concerned, that’s all it is right now — experimental,” the state assemblyman said. Rather, he favored pursuing electrification in a piecemeal, station-by-station fashion, dispersing infrastructure funds for the project over several annual budgets.

Penner implored community members to adopt a policy of maximum pressure upon their elected representatives.

“I wouldn’t give a dime to any elected official unless, with your campaign contribution, there’s a little note in your check [that says] you have to promise me that electrification of Port Jefferson will be your number one transportation priority,” he said.

Stadler emphasized executive support, arguing that several system expansions during the administration of former Gov. Nelson Rockefeller (R) were made possible by the chief executive’s commitment to seeing them through.

“A lot of money has to be budgeted for it,” he said. “State leaders have to be involved in it, and pressure from the governor” can be a reliable instrument.

To make the electrification dream a reality, Garant said all levels of government should pool their energies around this cause. “It’s certainly going to be a long-term plan

From a planning perspective, what is the overall vision for the Lawrence Aviation property?

Roughly a third of the site would be preserved as open space. Another third would be for industrial purposes, specifically a solar farm. And the last third would be, theoretically, set aside for the MTA rail yard to try to move [the existing] rail yard there and eliminate the grade crossing on

Is the proposed rail yard intended to accommodate electric train cars or the diesel-powered locomotives currently used on the Port Jefferson Branch?

I’d love to see it as an electrified rail yard. But even if it were to relocate the existing rail yard using the same 19th-century technology they’re using now to a better location, it would still be an improvement.

How is your office coordinating with higher levels of government?

Have they been open to your suggestions?

We haven’t interacted much on a federal level. We have had a couple of meetings with the MTA, with [former state] Assemblyman [Steve] Englebright [D-Setauket].

Much more of our interaction has been with Suffolk County. I did help negotiate a New York State contribution through Assemblyman Englebright’s office to get the buildings taken down.

When you’re dealing with some of these big state bureaucracies like the MTA, I feel like we tell them things, and they tell us things. But sometimes, I don’t know how responsive they really are.

This is a major priority for us, but I don’t know if it is for the MTA. My job, what I’ve been trying to do, is get meetings with them to keep those lines of conversation open.

It’s to communicate to them how important this project is and what the regional impact of electrification would be.

Is there a disconnect between local and state-level officials’ priorities, particularly with electrification?

Yes, and this is a common theme that we have seen. The centers of power in Albany seem to be well aware of the city’s concerns. To some extent, they’re concerned with upstate and rural communities. But I feel that sometimes there is a disconnect between state-level priorities and suburban concerns. What can local officials along the North Shore do to make their concerns heard by state-level officials in Albany?

This is the nexus between politics and government. We have to advocate for the needs of our communities — not for political reasons but from the standpoint that these are the concerns of the suburbs.

These are concerns that these communities face, and we want state support in addressing the unique challenges that we face in the suburbs.

Is it realistic that MTA-LIRR will commit to Port Jefferson Branch electrification within the next decade?

My parents moved out here in 1968, and my dad was working in the city at that time. The real estate agent who sold them the house said, ‘You are going to love getting into the city because the Long Island Rail Road is going to electrify that train.’ They were literally talking about this in the 1960s. So, is it realistic? I guess it could happen. Will it happen? I have no idea, but I’m going to fight like hell for it.

Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich.

Photo from Brookhaven Town website

Brookhaven councilmember talks Lawrence Aviation, PJ Branch electrification

One-on-one with Jonathan Kornreich

Illustration by Kyle Horne: kylehorneart.com @kylehorneart

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Editorial Letters to the Editor Electrify our line

The decades-old plan to electrify the Port Jefferson Branch line of the Long Island Rail Road has transformational implications for our community, region and state. Yet for far too long, this critical infrastructure need has gone unmet, passed over repeatedly for other projects.

The MTA’s long pattern of negligence has condemned our commuters to ride in rickety train cars powered by diesel, an antiquated, environmentally hazardous fuel source. For a better ride, our residents often travel inland to Ronkonkoma, the MTA siphoning ridership to the main line and adding cars to our already congested roadways.

A fully electrified rail would provide the necessary recharge for downtowns still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. It would free up mobility for our residents, connecting them to every restaurant, bar and storefront along the North Shore within walking distance of a train station.

Electrification would give students and faculty at Stony Brook University swift access to Manhattan, producing even stronger ties between the southern flagship of our state university system and the global capital. This project would unlock the full commercial, environmental and educational potential of our region.

Throughout history, generations of New Yorkers have participated in engineering feats of great scope and vision. In the early 1800s, our citizens constructed the Erie Canal, bridging the world’s oceans to the American frontier. A century later, we built the state parkway system, laying thousands of miles of road, linking Montauk Point and Niagara Falls along a continuous stretch of pavement.

Generations have taken part in our state’s rich public works tradition, which has united New Yorkers around herculean aims, facilitated greater movement and improved the lives of ordinary people.

Yet, at every stage, the North Shore has been systematically shut out from any public investment of considerable scale. MTA has continually repurposed our tax dollars with no giveback to North Shore communities.

With our money, MTA recently opened its Grand Central Madison terminal ($11 billion), opened the 9.8 mile Third Track between Hicksville and Floral Park ($2.5 billion) and laid the groundwork for a proposed Interborough Express between Brooklyn and Queens ($5.5 billion estimated).

For us, Port Jefferson Branch electrification is our shared vision of change. This is our noble cause, our generational investment, our Erie Canal. The funds for the projected $3.6 billion Port Jeff electrification project are there if we can start getting them to come our way. And to do that, we must begin applying maximum pressure upon our elected officials.

From village and town boards to the county and state legislatures to the United States Congress, every public representative between Huntington and Port Jeff must be in alignment, letting out one common cry, “Electrify our line.”

We must treat electrification as the paramount infrastructure concern of our region, demanding our elected representatives and public railroad match our level of conviction. We should cast no vote nor contribute a single campaign dollar for any candidate without their unyielding support of this project.

This October, MTA will publish its 20-year Capital Needs Assessment. Port Jefferson Branch electrification must be included within that document for it to have any shot to prevail over the next two decades.

Write to your congressman and state reps in Albany. Write to the MTA and LIRR. Tell them to electrify this line, lest there be consequences at the ballot box. With all our might, let us get this project underway once and for all.

Setalcotts do not warrant exemption from state mascot policy

While a Jan. 26 TBR News Media story [“New state mascot policy threatens aid to Comsewogue School District”] about the New York State Education Department’s initiative to end the widespread, institutionalized use of race-related, Native “themed” sports team identities in our public schools did a good job of exploring the nuanced complexities of this longstanding and often emotionally volatile education, human and civil rights related issue, it could still use some clarification.

First, to avoid potential noncompliance penalties such as the loss of funding, which the article’s headline highlighted as a “threat,” affected schools only need to affirm commitment to making changes by the end of the current school year, not put them in place as the article erroneously stated. Completing changes would not be required until 2025.

Quoting the Comsewogue School District superintendent [Jennifer Quinn] saying that questions remain about the pending changes until the Education Department releases details about them, neither the superintendent nor writer apparently knew that the proposed regulations were made publicly available weeks before the article’s publication.

Similarly, had the author known about the availability of the proposed regulations, the article may not have vainly suggested the Comsewogue district might be spared from making changes because the president of the Setalcott Native American Council [Helen Sells] appeared to endorse these once acceptable but now dubious “traditions.”

However, as the Setalcott is not a federally or New York Staterecognized tribe, it does not qualify under the state’s proposed guidelines to provide an exemption.

The writer continued with the Setalcott theme by saying the stereotypical icon of a side-profile, male “Indian head” used prolifically by the district was of a historic Setalcott when it is in fact a generic, near duplicate of that once used by the Washington, D.C., NFL team which first announced plans to change its team’s racial slur name and Native “themed” identity some 30 months ago.

Finally, rather than relying on a single Native voice, the article might have been improved by including an alternate source of information, such as

from the National Congress of American Indians, which is not only the oldest, largest and most representative Native organization of its kind, but has endorsed ending these practices for decades.

Although New York State will not be the first to formally enact overdue changes to practices like these, it stands in good company and may yet serve as a worthy role model that other states would do well to follow.

Robert Eurich Endicott

Editor’s Note: The writer is a longtime advocate for the removal of Native American mascots in schools.

The Setalcott Nation, from which the name Setauket is derived, is a member of the Suffolk County Native American Affairs Advisory Board. On that board, Setalcotts are given equal representation as the state and federally recognized Shinnecock Nation.

A matter of human decency

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WRITE TO US

This week MAGA members of Congress engaged in the glorification of the AR-15 rifle by wearing a pin of the aforementioned weapon on the lapel where most members would normally display an American flag. The pins were distributed by Rep. Andrew Clyde [R-GA9] who proclaimed that it was to “remind people of the Second Amendment of the Constitution and how important it is in preserving our liberties.”

Two freshman members of Congress explicitly stood out as those who chose to adorn themselves with this despicable display, Reps. Anna Paulina Luna [R-FL13] and Long Island’s own George Santos [R-NY3]. Luna should be particularly ashamed of herself — as if Republicans can experience that emotion — since only days before she chose to accessorize with this unscrupulous trinket there was a mass shooting in the city of Lakeland in her home state. As for Santos, well there is no excuse, other than maybe he convinced himself it was a boutonnière, and rather than engaging in his congressional duties

(as if), he was attending a winter formal at West Beverly High. How must surviving victims and families feel when members of Congress have the audacity to revere the very weapon that has injured, maimed and killed so many people in this country? It is blatantly obvious that these representatives simply do not care and will continue to push their ignorant agenda no matter the cost to the sanctity of human life. I would include this in the “you can’t make this s**t up” category, but we are so past this point in our country of division that the actions of these Trump sycophants no longer rely on shock value to get their point across. This is not a Bill of Rights issue, it is a matter of human decency, something which surely requires personification by those who represent us at the highest level of government.

Stefanie Werner East Setauket

Photo from George Santos’s congressional website

A novel and free food stop sign on the way to a jelly donut

You don’t have to pay me. I’m not selling anything, and I don’t have any desire for you to provide testimonials.

prepared for something that might not be all that pleasing.

BY DANIEL DUNAIEF

Many of you have probably pledged to lose weight. It’s healthy, you’ll look and feel better, and you might increase your endurance, allowing you to walk, jog or engage in your exercise of choice for longer. Some of you may have gone to the gym for a week or even a month and are ready for a break or, maybe, a different way.

Before I proceed, I’d recommend that those with weak stomachs or who are eating one of their favorite meals not read this until you’ve happily digested your food and are now

No, I’m not going to suggest something harmful or particularly unhealthy. I’d like to suggest a few sensory images to keep in mind that will prevent you from eating too much of the wrong foods.

So, let’s say there’s a jelly donut at your office. Now, I want you to picture or imagine any of the following:

— You’re exercising at the gym (you don’t have to go to the gym. Just imagine yourself there). Maybe you’re on an elliptical machine. There, standing in front of you is a man who has a ring of hair above his ears and a bald spot on top of his head. He’s on the phone, with air pods in his ears, and he brings his index finger slowly to the bald part of his head. He starts digging his fingernail into that spot. Over and over and over again. You try to look away, but then, he’s still there, digging. Even with all the noise of other people grunting, sweating and

clearing the phlegm from the backs of their throats, you can hear the scratching as if it were broadcast directly into your ears. You want him to leave, but he’s planted in front of you. Yes, I know I may have turned you off the gym and food at the same time. Then again, were you really going to the gym or were you just looking for an excuse to cuddle up under the covers? And, yes, this did happen to me.

— Okay, next, you’re walking into a house filled with dogs after a rainstorm. The dogs are friendly enough and, in fact, want you to pet them, which is fairly unpleasant because their fur is covered with water. Soon, the smell of matted, wet, soggy dog fur overwhelms you. You can barely breathe as you search for an open window and fresh air. That donut might taste like wet fur at this moment, right?

— You don’t have to work out to imagine this one, either. Picture yourself in a gym locker room. You’ve changed into your work clothes and are ready to return to your desk.

Shame and honor…two lost words

Has anyone noticed that there seems to be a conspicuous lack of shame in our society? One could also point out, in the lacking department, the disappearance of honor. And to a great extent, of respect. Yes, and even civility, courtesy, apology and politeness.

not just another cranky, older person. No, I’m referring to something else, something more sinister in our present culture.

Now I am not accusing everyone here. Just saying that these qualities seem to be a lot less evident in today’s world. I guess if you never need to tell the truth, you never have to admit that you lost a tennis match ... or an election.

But, wait, the scent of body odor is so strong that you have to breathe shallowly through your mouth. You search for the exit, which seems to have moved, leaving you stuck in a foul-smelling maze. A jelly donut is the last thing on your mind.

— The heating system in your office suddenly goes on full blast, turning your office into a sauna. It’s so hot that sweat drips down your forehead and lands in a growing puddle on the floor. Your body sticks to the material on your seat. Even the saliva in your mouth feels too hot to swallow. Water is much more appealing and refreshing than food at this point.

Okay, so, if all you got out of that is that you now want a jelly donut, my apologies. Chances are, you wanted one anyway and maybe it’s time to find a gym that smells nice and where men aren’t scratching their scalps. If, however, those unappealing images work for you, consider this a free food stop sign.

BY LEAH S. DUNAIEF

Now I am not pointing a finger at any particular demographic, as in, “In my generation, we always stood up if we were seated, when introduced to an elderly lady,” or “Children shouldn’t talk to their teachers that way.” Members of older generations have traditionally found fault with those coming up after them, for being less ambitious, or mannerly or some such. But I would hope I am

That loss of good sportsmanship is troubling. I like to see, for example, when the other two participants in a nightly round of “Jeopardy!” turn and applaud the winner at the end of the contest. It makes me feel that we are all together as part of a community when the ball teams each form a line and shake hands with the opposing team members, however competitive the preceding game might have been.

George Santos (R-NY3), the newly elected Congressman from Queens, is a case in point. He is merely a product of our times, if an extreme one. While he now admits to falsifying the resume he campaigned on, he

seems to consider his behavior acceptable, exaggerating not lying. During Tuesday night’s State of the Union address, he unabashedly sashayed around the room, sitting in one of the most visible seats, shaking hands with many senators and the president, even taking selfies. He clearly feels no shame about his actions and no sense of consequence. What sort of culture does he come from? The answer is: one in which the lack of all the above attributes rule. Santos is not the first such example, of course. I am reminded of the historic, “At long last, have you left no sense of decency?” question asked of Sen. Joseph McCarthy (RWI) by soft spoken American lawyer, Joseph Nye Welch, for the Army during the infamous Army-McCarthy hearings. Those hearings searched for Communist activities in the early 1950s on behalf of the Senate. McCarthy lied his way to power, but Welch’s immortal query, in effect, ended his career, as his Republican colleagues no longer accepted his erratic

antics, censured and ostracized him.

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), before Biden’s speech and noting Santos’s actions, told him he “shouldn’t have been there,” meaning front and center in the House, and had no shame. But so far, Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA20) — odd repetition of names — has not publicly challenged or denounced him.

“He shouldn’t be in Congress,” Romney said, when he was questioned by the press after Biden’s speech about the testy exchange with Santos . “If he had any shame at all, he wouldn’t be there.”

Far from shame, Santos tweeted Romney, “Hey @MittRomney, just a reminder that you will NEVER be PRESIDENT!” Romney, of course, lost his presidential bid in 2012.

Perhaps in the culture of today, not only does one refrain from acknowledging wrongdoing but rather, when challenged, comes back fighting. How far we have come in our ethics evolution. Sounds a bit like Putin, doesn’t it?

D. None of the above