The Port
Times record port jefferson • belle terre • port jefferson station • terryville
Vol. 31, No. 4
December 21, 2017
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What’s inside Mather, Northwell finalizing affiliation agreement A3 Comparing PJSD AP exam scores to past years A4 Traffic signal near marina boat launch changed A5 County Legislature passes law to charge for plastic bags A8
‘Oliver!’ is a Dickensian delight in Smithtown Also: Holiday Scavenger Hunt, ‘The Last Jedi’ reviewed, Photo of the Week
Hoping for a home
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Save-A-Pet rescues more than 100 dogs that are now up for adoption — story A6 Photo by Alex Petroski
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PAGE A2 • THE PORT TIMES RECORD • DECEMBER 21, 2017
He gave her a new appliance for Christmas!
She gave him a new bedroom! File photo by Heidi Sutton
Port Jefferson Village Hall
Village board roundup
Don't waste another second! Come see us!
If you were unable to attend the Port Jefferson Village board meeting Dec. 4, here’s what you missed:
We'll help you choose that special something.
•Board approved hiring Paul Feuer to serve as special prosecutor for building and housing code violations on behalf of the village at a rate of $225 per hour •Board approved hiring James Tracy to replace William King, who resigned, as a laborer at the request of Highway Superintendent Steve Gallagher for an annual salary of $30,575
And you'll sleep in heavenly peace... in your usual quarters!
•Board approved request of PJCC head golf pro Bill Mackedon to attend a PGA show in Orlando, Florida Jan. 23 through
26 and pay expenses for gas, tolls and meals only •Board approved recommendation of Village Assessor Paul Damato to settle outstanding tax certiorari proceedings against the village in connection with property owned by Fairfield Terrace LLC for a total refund of $2,000 with no reduction of the current assessment •The village is looking to purchase a new utility dump truck, not to exceed $32,000, to replace one that was destroyed by a fire The next public board meeting will be Jan. 3 at 6 p.m. at Village Hall.
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DECEMBER 21, 2017 • THE PORT TIMES RECORD • PAGE A3
VILLAGE
Mather Hospital, Northwell Health finalize affiliation agreement Official signing ceremony to take place today BY ALEX PETROSKI ALEX@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM A historic change at a nearly 90-year-old Port Jefferson institution has been finalized. John T. Mather Memorial Hospital will officially finalize an affiliation agreement with Northwell Health Dec. 21, according to a Mather board member, who asked not to be referred to by name. Leadership from Mather Hospital signed a letter of intent to join Northwell, New York’s largest health care provider, in August, though the sides had not yet finalized the terms of the agreement at that time. It is the first time in the hospital’s history it will be affiliating with a larger health system, and a signing ceremony is set to take place Thursday, Dec. 21, at 3 p.m. in a conference room at the hospital. The board member said he expects Northwell Health president and chief executive officer Michael Dowling as well as Mather board of directors chairman Ken Jacoppi to attend the signing. “We’re very pleased Northwell has committed to making an investment in our community and bringing their extraordinary capabilities to our community,” the board member said. “They’ve committed to preserve our culture of patient safety.” The board member said part of the
agreement is that Mather’s board and CEO will remain in place through an initial period of five years, allowing the hospital to remain “largely self-governing” during that time with collaboration and cooperation from Northwell. The Mather board member did not specify the total length or any other specifics of the agreement. A spokesperson from Mather confirmed the ceremonial signing will take place Dec. 21 and that the agreement has been reached, but declined to confirm any details relating to the contract. The board member summed up what the change might mean for hospital patients going forward. “In the near term the experience should not change at all,” he said. “We happen to believe that’s a good experience, generally speaking. In the long term Northwell has greater capabilities than we do and we’ll gain those. They’re committed to supporting our residency program as well.” In August, state Sen. Ken LaValle (RPort Jefferson) voiced opposition to the agreement, saying he would have preferred Mather affiliate with Stony Brook University Hospital. “I don’t think it’s a good decision,” LaValle said at the time. “For 50 years-plus there’s been a culture in place if people needed
File photo from Mather Hospital
John T. Mather Memorial Hospital in Port Jefferson is set to affiliate with Northwell Health. tertiary care they would go from Mather to Stony Brook. Stony Brook will still be in place, will still offer services and people if they choose can go to Stony Brook.” Mather Hospital vice president of public affairs Nancy Uzo said in August Stony Brook was considered an option for affiliation and offered an explanation by email. “Our goal through this process is to ensure that our communities continue to have access to advanced, high-quality care and superior satisfaction close to home, and to serve the best interests of our medical staff and employees,” she said. Dowling commented similarly about Mather Hospital’s reputation around the let-
ter of intent signing in August, and as to why Northwell would be a good fit for Mather. “Mather Hospital is known for patientcentric care both in the community and throughout the industry,” he said. “That deeply embedded sense of purpose is the type of quality we want to represent Northwell Health, along with an excellent staff of medical professionals and physicians. Together, Mather and Northwell will play a crucial partnership role expanding worldclass care and innovative patient services to Suffolk County residents.” A public relations representative from Northwell did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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PAGE A4 • THE PORT TIMES RECORD • DECEMBER 21, 2017
VILLAGE
PJSD AP students 2017 scores rise in English, history, physics, chemistry, environmental science, calculus BY ALEX PETROSKI ALEX@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM
Port Jefferson School District AP Results For May 2017 4.504.254.003.753.503.25PORT JEFF MEAN
The results are in, and Port Jefferson School District teachers, administrators and students have plenty to be proud of. Jessica Schmettan, the district’s executive director of curriculum and instruction, presented data regarding Port Jeff students scores on Advanced Placement tests taken in May 2017 during a Dec. 12 board of education meeting. AP is a program that offers college-level curriculum and exams to high school students, and college credits are available based on performance in the courses. The College Board, a nonprofit formed to expand access to higher education in North America, created the AP program. The exams are scored from 1 to 5, with scores 3 or higher considered proficient and a minimum standard to be able to earn college credit. Participation in AP courses and performance on exams overall are trending up in Port Jeff. In 2017, Port Jeff students took 354 AP exams, compared to 280 in 2015. Schmettan said the district was proud to see the increase in the number of students taking the exams and expects that number to increase as more AP offerings are made available to students. “It is gratifying to see the number of our students [taking AP courses] continuing to grow and the offerings in AP,” board of education member Mark Doyle said during the meeting. The mean score for Port Jeff students increased when comparing 2016 results to 2017 results on exams in 13 subject areas, including chemistry, environmental science, world history and calculus. In each of those particular subjects, more than 90 percent of students taking the test scored a 3 or better. In addition, the mean Port Jeff 2017 scores in 14 subject areas exceeded the New York State means. In environmental science and chemistry, the Port Jeff means were more than a full percentage point better than New York State means.
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3.37
3.22
3.18
3.15
AP English Language & Composition
AP English Literature & Composition
3.79 3.24
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AP World History
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2017 Image by TBR News Media
Mean test scores for Port Jefferson School District students in 2016 and 2017 on AP exams in 10 major subjects. Schmettan said she was impressed to see the 2017 chemistry scores as the district mean was 4.00, compared to 2.90 across the state and 3.13 in 2016 in Port Jeff. Average scores in English language and composition, English literature and composition, world history, and U.S. history all went up from 2016 to 2017. However, AP calculus scores skyrocketed in 2017, jumping from 2.57 on average last year to 4.15, which represented the largest increase in any subject. “We saw a very strong comeback in AP calculus, and we’re proud of that,” Schmettan said.
In another area of mathematics, statistics, 2017 test takers struggled compared to last year. The average 2016 score was 3.92, compared to 3.05 this past May. “We’re hoping that is a similar event as to what happened in AP calculus last year, that perhaps it is an event not a pattern in the data,” she said. Port Jeff came in below other New York State test takers on average in five subjects: macroeconomics, biology, Spanish language and culture, music theory and computer science. Biology scores have come down from a mean of 3.19 in 2014 to a 2.92 in 2017.
In total 29 students in Port Jeff were named AP Scholars with Distinction, which is granted to test takers who receive scores of at least 3.50 on all exams taken and scores of 3 or better on five or more exams. Six students were named National AP Scholars for earning a 4 or better on all tests taken and at least a 4 on eight or more exams. “This is something that we should very much be proud of in Port Jefferson,” Schmettan said. Visit www.portjeffschools.org to see the full results and click on “Curriculum & Instruction” under the “Departments” tab.
PJSD superintendent, board discuss future after bond fails BY ALEX PETROSKI ALEX@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM
File photo
Kathleen Brennan, Port Jeff school district board of education president
Port Jefferson School District superintendent, Paul Casciano, and board of education president, Kathleen Brennan, each made public comments Dec. 12 regarding the future of capital improvement projects that would have been addressed by a $30 million bond, a proposal that was voted down by a wide margin by district residents Dec. 5. Casciano: “Our capital bond proposal was defeated [Dec. 5]. Our board of edu-
cation and administration are in the process of reviewing what implications there are in the results to determine which steps would be in the best interest of our students. Although we’re disappointed by the outcome, we are grateful that so many residents took the time to vote. Our discussions moving forward will be focused on how best to address the problems that we are facing, namely the health, safety and security of our students and staff; compliance with state and federal regulations; our aging infrastructure; and our overcrowded and overtaxed athletic fields.
Hopefully at some point in the future we’ll actually get to plan how to transform our instructional settings into a 21st-century learning environment.” Brennan: “This is our first board meeting since the vote, so clearly we had no time to discuss the outcome among the board members. I can assure you that we hear you, we heard the vote from the public, and we plan to study that and clearly and carefully and slowly move forward. We certainly will include the public in those plans. So I thank you for your comments and your interest in our district.”
DECEMBER 21, 2017 • THE PORT TIMES RECORD • PAGE A5
VILLAGE
Traffic light changed near troublesome Port Jeff boat launch BY ALEX PETROSKI ALEX@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM Changes have finally been made to a Port Jefferson Village intersection closely situated near the Town of Brookhaven boat launch ramp within the Port Jefferson Marina. The New York State Department of Transportation installed new traffic signals at the intersection of Barnum Avenue and West Broadway Dec. 12 in the hopes of further alerting northbound drivers on Barnum not to proceed through the intersection, as just yards away on the other side lies the boat ramp directly into Port Jefferson Harbor. The new signal features green left and right arrows, replacing the standard green signals that used to hang above the crossing. The change was made after a letter was sent to the department by Village Mayor Margot Garant earlier this year calling for safety improvements in the aftermath of an April 6 incident in which a man in his early 60s drove into the harbor via the same boat launch. DOT Regional Director Joseph Brown responded to Garant in a letter dated Sept. 15, saying the department had conducted an investigation which included an accident analysis, turning movement counts, pedestrian counts and field observations of the area. The letter also said the DOT would heed Garant’s request and change the traffic light.
Photo by Alex Petroski
The intersection of Barnum Avenue and West Broadway in Port Jeff Village now features left and right green arrows. On Oct. 30, 69-year-old Lake Grove resident William Whalen was pronounced dead at the hospital after he was pulled from a submerged vehicle in Port Jefferson Harbor. His vehicle entered the water via the troublesome intersection. “I think it’s one of many steps we’re going to continue to take,” Garant said of the new traffic signals during a Dec. 18 board meeting. “For those who are paying attention the green arrows help, but I think clearly for those people who are having
either a medical problem or maybe an ulterior motive, they might just continue to drive through. I don’t really know.” Garant said the village’s only recourse at the intersection is to add more signage, which she said the village would pursue, as West Broadway is a New York State road, and Brookhaven owns the boat ramp and marina. A spokesperson from the town declined to comment and instead directed inquiries to the office of Councilwoman Valerie Cartright (D-Port Jefferson Station)
regarding additional plans to prevent drivers from entering the harbor. Cartright’s office declined a request for comment. Michael Schwarting and Frances Campani, of Campani and Schwarting Architects in Port Jefferson, in a joint letter to the editor and in a presentation to the village said they thought the new signals might not be enough. The architects suggested the exit from the ramp could be narrowed so that it does not perfectly align with the intersection. “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 in,” the letter said. “It is pedestrian friendly, would not be very expensive and would add to the visual quality of the intersection.” Village Deputy Mayor and Trustee Larry LaPointe said during the meeting he liked the architects’ idea. “I thought that was a very good design,” he said. “I’d like to see the town consider that.” In December 2005 60-year-old Setauket resident Richard Levin drove into the water on the same ramp and onlookers had to pull his unconscious body from the fully submerged car. Levin died days later as a result of the incident. The wife and executrix of the estate of Richard Levin named the town and village as co-defendants in a lawsuit in 2007. A New York State Supreme Court judge ultimately dismissed the case in 2011, finding the municipalities were not at fault.
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PAGE A6 • THE PORT TIMES RECORD • DECEMBER 21, 2017
VILLAGE
POLICE BLOTTER Photos by Alex Petroski
Above and below, two of about 100 small dogs who were rescued by Save-A-Pet in Port Jeff Station from an upstate home over the weekend and now up for adoption.
Port Jeff Station animal rescue takes in 100 dogs from upstate home BY ALEX PETROSKI ALEX@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM More than 100 four-legged, furry friends are looking for a new home. Save-A-Pet Animal Rescue and Adoption Center in Port Jefferson Station assisted in a rescue at a home in upstate New York Dec. 16 and 17, and as a result, the facility has taken in more than 100 dogs all at once, which are now up for adoption. The center was founded by Dori Scofield in 1994, who said this was by far the largest one-time influx of dogs it has ever had to deal with. She said about once a year Save-A-Pet is asked to assist in large-scale rescues, but this occurrence is “totally out of the ordinary.” “Luckily we didn’t have that many [animals currently] but I had already set up three transports, so now I can’t say no to the ones I already committed to, so I have 16 more dogs coming,” Scofield said. The dogs from the upstate home are small, mixed breeds and overall they are in good health, according to Save-A-Pet executive director Lynne Schoepfer. “Stop in, meet them,” she said. “One is sweeter than the next. They all need homes. We’d love to have them all in homes by Christmas. They’re just really, really nice dogs.” Schoepfer said the home was in “deplorable” condition when they arrived over the weekend. The rescue required two trips back and forth to get all the animals to the Port Jeff Station center. The owner of the home reached out to another group to help her, according to Schoepfer, which contacted Save-A-Pet asking if it could get involved. “Unfortunately what happens is people think they’re doing good, and they don’t spay and neuter, and they just keep on taking in and then all of the sudden you have
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. over 100 dogs in your house,” she said. “The woman was overwhelmed to say the least.” In the short term, the facility is in need of money to feed the dogs and administer medical care, garbage bags, paper towels and rubber bath mats to help house the dogs until their adoption. A fundraiser will be held Dec. 23 at 7 p.m. at Portside Bar & Grill to help Save-A-Pet deal with its new tenants. Those interested in adopting can visit www.saveapetny.org to fill out an application, and can see photos of all of the available dogs on the Save-A-Pet Facebook page. Donations can also be sent through the website. “We’re all about saving the animals and getting the animals in a safe environment, getting them re-homed into some place that’s going to love them and take care of them and do the right thing by them,” Schoepfer said. See more photos of the dogs on page B17.
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
DECEMBER 21, 2017 • THE PORT TIMES RECORD • PAGE A7
OBITUARY
Remembering Betty Kanowitz, longtime PJ community member BY DONNA NEWMAN Longtime Port Jefferson resident Betty Kanowitz died Nov. 25, just three days after her 95th birthday. She is mourned by her family — sons Martin (Christine) of Loveland, Colorado and Howard of Mount Sinai; grandchildren Kenneth (Cintia), Jessie (Luke Tonjes) and Max; and daughterin-law Susan Alexander. The loss is also felt by the vast number of people with whom she connected throughout a long and productive life, according to her dear friend Harriet Martin. “Betty bonded with most everyone she met,” Martin said. “She found commonalities and shared her interests and passions, enhancing the lives of family and friends alike.” Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, was one of Betty’s main passions. She was introduced to the organization by neighbors Natalie Kieffer and Jeannie Cohen, and she was a charter member of the Sea-Port chapter, launched in 1974, as a daytime study group. Betty played an active role in the chapter’s functioning. She served as president in the early 1980s, and was named chapter Woman of the Year in 1981. In 1987, she received its first Leadership Award. She served as treasurer and records administrator for many years. She was voted the chapter’s Love of a Lifetime in 2011. Sea-Port member Arline Greenbaum praised Betty’s leadership qualities. “At membership meetings Betty was always aware of new faces,” she said. “She
Photo from the Kanowitz family
Betty Kanowitz, center left, with her grandson Max, son Howie and granddaughter Jessie at an art museum in 2014. welcomed them, inquired about their interests and remembered to greet them at future encounters. Ever watchful for skills a new face might bring to the chapter, Betty was a one-woman recruitment dynamo.” From the start, Betty was the “go to gal” volunteering for a host of tasks, from coordinating printing jobs, such as the month-
ly bulletin and invitations for the annual book and author luncheon; to organizing mailings for the Hadassah Suffolk Region journal, mahjong card sales, and the High Holy Days greeting fundraiser; to pitching in with seating arrangements and all manner of miscellaneous details. Her dedication to Hadassah was extraordinary.
Betty was an avid knitter, creating beautiful sweaters, afghans, scarves and hats for grateful recipients. She met weekly with a group of knitters led by Joyce Golub at the Port Jefferson Village Center. She was a voracious reader and a constant presence at the Port Jefferson Free Library, which recognized her in 2011 as one of their patrons of longest duration — a cardholder for more than 55 years. She was a member of the morning book club at the Emma S. Clark Memorial Library in Setauket for many years. An appreciator of all things cultural, she frequented art museums and was a patron of local artists. Music was a constant in her home, from classical to jazz and especially the percussion compositions of her grandson Max. Betty enjoyed socializing and mahjong, and played weekly with a group organized by Michelle Kohn at North Shore Jewish Center. Betty and Henry Kanowitz moved to Long Island from Brooklyn, into a house that Henry built in Harbor Hills in 1956. It’s where they raised their two sons, and later were a daily presence in the lives of Jessie and Max, the grandchildren who grew up in nearby Mount Sinai. A funeral service Nov. 27 was officiated by Rabbi Aaron Benson of North Shore Jewish Center, with participation by Rabbi Emeritus Stephen Karol and Cantor Marcey Wagner of Temple Isaiah. Eulogies delivered by Jessie and Max added depth and poignancy to a celebration of Betty’s life.
SCHOOL NEWS Edna Louise Spear Elementary School
Terryville Road Elementary School
Photo from Port Jefferson School District
Learning to code
Edna Louise Spear Elementary School students in the Port Jefferson School District took part in the national Computer Science Education Week’s Hour of Code, an initiative to encourage them to spend one hour to learn to program with an ultimate goal of wanting to learn more advanced coding. Students in Kim Pelkonen’s fourth-grade class were introduced to Flappy Bird, a simple, popular game in which the user controls the bird through narrow passageways
without hitting the pipes on the screen. They used their Chromebooks to access the educational site Khan Academy, which uses detailed, step-by-step instructional videos to teach code. According to Pelkonen, the program makes it possible for advanced students to move ahead and manages to assist others by filling in the gaps if they missed any concepts. “They really enjoyed it,” Pelkonen said. “The game was a fun introduction and got them excited. Many students asked me to assign a new project so that they could try it at home.”
Photo from Deniz Yildirim
Pajama fashion show
The student council at Terryville Road Elementary School proved it is certainly full of promising future leaders as they organized the school’s first-ever fashion show. The week leading up to the school’s holiday break is full of a variety of cheerful activities from class parties to door decorating contests. This year, the students decided to add an extra spin to their holiday sing-along and asked teachers to model their pajamas in a fashion show in front
of the whole school. From one of a kind snowflakes to classic plaid, teachers strutted their snuggly garments down an aisle in the school’s gym. “The students worked hard to organize this event and it’s nice to see their ideas come to life,” said Gail Ports, a teacher and student council coordinator. Pictured above from left to right are Kim Cassidy, Gail Ports, Jackie Shields, Karen Luchese, April Victor, Dana Urbinati and Daniella Reduto. — DENIZ YILDIRIM
PAGE A8 • THE PORT TIMES RECORD • DECEMBER 21, 2017
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.
DECEMBER 21, 2017 • THE PORT TIMES RECORD • PAGE A9
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 heard of Team Puerto Rico’s wasn’t as difficult as it might sound. Mission Fencing Center owns a bus that predicament through Iris Zimmermann, who already transports athletes from across 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.”
PAGE A10 • THE PORT TIMES 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
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DECEMBER 21, 2017 • THE PORT TIMES RECORD • PAGE A11
OPINION
In a diner with Carole King, Evan Hansen and Luke Skywalker
T
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
A
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.
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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 Johness Kuisel MANAGING EDITOR Desirée Keegan EDITOR Alex Petroski
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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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