The Times of Smithtown - February 9, 2023

Trotta congratulates Commack/East

Northport Troop 304’s newest Eagle Scout

Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta recognized Nicholas Skaggs for attaining the esteemed rank of Eagle Scout at his Court of Honor at the Burr Intermediate School in Commack. For his Eagle Scout project, Nicholas Skaggs built two weatherproof collection bins for two organizations in Smithtown — the American Vet Dogs and the Smithtown Animal Shelter. He designed the bins to look like doghouses and each will be located

outside of the facilities for the collection of dog food and other pet related items.

At the ceremony, Trotta presented Nicholas Skaggs with a proclamation recognizing his achievement of the rank of Eagle Scout.

“This is a very proud moment for Nicholas, his family and friends and the other scouts. This accomplishment will be with him for the rest of his life,” Trotta said.

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Eagle Scout Nicholas Skaggs, center, with Allen Bode, chief assistant district attorney, left, and Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta at the Commack/East Northport Troop 304 Court of Honor. Photo from Trotta’s office

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 dual-mode 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

PORT JEFF BRANCH CONTINUED ON A8

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

Opposition to rail yard grows, owner defends proposal

Commack Community Association among concerned residents

BY RITA J. EGAN RITA@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

As the number of people signing the Change.org petition against a Kings Park rail yard grows, the property owner said the plan would benefit Smithtown and Huntington.

In the last few weeks, residents of Kings Park and the surrounding areas, including Fort Salonga and Commack, have voiced their opposition to a proposed rail yard. More than 2,000 people have signed the Change.org petition titled “We Oppose Townline Rail Terminal.”

Townline Rail Terminal LLC, an affiliate of CarlsonCorp, owned by Toby Carlson with property on Meadow Glen Road in Kings Park, proposed to the Surface Transportation Board — an independent federal agency — a plan that asks for railroad tracks to be used for commercial use. The proposed rail spur construction would extend approximately 5,000 feet off the Long Island Rail Road Port Jefferson Branch line and be located near Pulaski and Town Line roads. Among the uses would be the disposal of incinerated ash and construction debris using diesel freight trains. Incinerated ash would be trucked between Covanta waste facility on Town Line Road in East Northport and the rail terminal.

Petitioners on Change.org have cited concerns about the rail spur being too close to where children play and homes; health risks associated with diesel exhaust and incinerated ash; diesel trains operating between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.; the impact on the quality of life; noise and possible water pollution; negative impact on home values; and the lack of notice provided to residents about the project.

Representatives and members of the Commack Community Association, Fort Salonga Association and the revived Townline Association have also spoken out against the project at meetings, on social media and on the organizations’ websites.

The use of rail over trucking has received support from Town of Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R) and Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga).

Bob Semprini, Commack Community Association president, said in a phone interview that local elected officials have always been helpful based on his experiences in the past. In this case, he feels “it’s a poor decision on their part.” He said that elected officials and Carlson cite the closing of the Town of Brookhaven landfill in 2024 as the reason for opening the rail yard.

“The bottom line is this, they are selling a bill of goods to the community that if this does not happen, we’re all screwed — and this is not the case,” Semprini said.

He added that he has heard that while the Brookhaven landfill is scheduled to close in

2024, it may only close partially next year and there will still be the potential of sending ash to the town. A request for comment from the Town of Brookhaven to confirm was not answered by press time. He added local carting companies are working on plans to transport off Long Island, and if Covanta was open to it, one of those companies could transport the incinerator’s ash.

Semprini added that while Toby Carlson has said the rail spur would lessen the number of trucks on local roads, many feel if the project goes through, there will be more trucks.

He said the community and civic associations are ready to work against the proposal.

“We always have to fight for our quality of life in this town, and it’s absolutely ridiculous,” he said.

Carlson defends rail yard

In a telephone interview, Toby Carlson said the industrial area in Kings Park is ideal for such a rail yard as the businesses in the area historically have used construction materials such as gravel, stone, brick and cement, and also because Covanta produces ash.

The Northport resident said that 12,000 to 14,000 truckloads of material a year travel the roads to supply the area’s needs, and the rail terminal could potentially take “tens of thousands of trucks off the road.”

“Rail is the most efficient form of transportation,” Carlson said. “It’s the most environmentally-sound form of transportation, and to be able to consolidate all those loads that are coming in will take trucks off the road.”

He added that the rail spur would help when

the Brookhaven landfill closes next year.

“At the end of the day, what we’re just trying to do is consolidate everything into a plan that makes sense,” Carlson said.

He said residents protesting the plan are not looking at the “longer-term picture of how our society has changed and how we’re all consumption based.”

He added that the only way to help fix the garbage problem is to make a concerted effort to reduce the materials we consume.

“We always want to push our solution somewhere else, into somebody else’s backyard, but I think regionally, locally, we need to solve our own solid waste issues,” he said, adding, “What about the hundreds of thousands of people that live out in Brookhaven that don’t want our stuff coming to them anymore?”

He said during the night, one train, which will run along the Port Jefferson line, will travel along the rail with approximately 20 to 27 cars.

“Materials will come in the night, we’ll drop that set of train cars off and that same train power unit will pick up 27 loaded cars, and take them out once per day, five days a week.”

He said the materials brought in are used locally and will stay in the Smithtown and Huntington areas.

“We are not supplying Babylon,” he said. “It’s really a regional solution for Smithtown and Huntington needs.”

Carlson said there would be an environmental review process, and if the proposal receives approval from the STB, it will still be a years-long process. Proposed buildings and site work would be subjected to

Town of Smithtown approval.

As for residents’ concerns, he said some issues would be addressed with the rail grade closest to residents being 25 feet below the elevation of the existing Long Island Rail Road grade. There will also be a planted berm at least 15 feet high about the rail ground, an approximately 180 feet vegetative buffer. He is also open to sound walls, he said, “and other mitigation measures are on the table for discussion, depending on what scientifically gives the greatest amount of buffering and mitigative results.”

He is grateful for the support of Wehrheim and Trotta, who Carlson said, like others, are looking toward the future to figure out how to tackle the Brookhaven landfill closing.

The owner said he encourages everyone to send their concerns to STB and be curious about the proposal, as well as what’s happening with Long Island’s waste and how others feel about waste being shipped to their communities.

“They’re going to look at all those comments, all those concerns, all those things and they’re going to basically provide a solution to them, whether they decide for the project or against the project,” he said. “All those words have to be heard and they have to be addressed.”

According to the Town of Smithtown, “the STB will not issue a final decision until the public has an opportunity to comment on the proposal.” Residents can view the plan and all documents pertaining to it as well as letters of support and concerns on STB’s website under docket number FD 36575.

An aerial shot of Carlson Corp. property in Kings Park. Photo from Town of Smithtown

The following incidents have been reported by Suffolk County Police:

Pedestrian killed in Nesconset car crash

Suffolk County Police Fourth Squad detectives are investigating a motor vehicle crash that killed a pedestrian in Nesconset on Feb. 2. Equislaure Gabriel was driving a 2005 Honda CRV on eastbound Nesconset Highway, east of Terry Road, when her vehicle struck a pedestrian in the roadway at approximately 9 p.m. The pedestrian, Gustavo Carino, 31, of Washington Heights, New York, was pronounced dead at the scene by a physician assistant from the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner. Gabriel, 27, of Nesconset, was not injured. The vehicle was impounded for a safety check. Detectives are asking anyone with information on the crash to contact the Fourth Squad at 631-854-8452.

Two arrested for stolen vehicle

Suffolk County Police arrested two men on Feb. 1 after they allegedly crashed a stolen vehicle into a Kings Park marsh and fled the scene on foot. Fourth Precinct officers were on patrol when they observed a white 2017 Lexus SUV that matched the description of a vehicle that had been observed in the vicinity of larcenies reported in the Fourth Precinct over the last several weeks.

Officers then observed the vehicle enter Landing Avenue Park and crash into a marshy area at approximately 4 a.m. Three men fled the scene on foot, with two being apprehended a short time later, one outside of a Riviera Drive residence and one on Rumford Road, both in Kings Park. Neither were injured in the crash. A third man, who has not been identified by police, has not been located.

Following an investigation, it was determined the 2017 Lexus had been allegedly reported stolen from outside a Copperbeech Road residence in Saint James on Jan. 13. Purses and credit cards that had also been previously reported stolen in the area were located inside the car.

Milton Allen, 19, of Hempstead, was charged with alleged Criminal Possession of Stolen Property 3rd Degree, Grand Larceny 3rd Degree and two counts of Grand Larceny 4th Degree, all felonies, as well as Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle 3rd Degree, a misdemeanor.

Andrew Lawrence, 21, of Hempstead, was charged with alleged Criminal Possession of Stolen Property 3rd Degree, a felony, as well as Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle 3rd Degree and Leaving the Scene of a Crash with Property Damage, both misdemeanors.

CAUGHT ON CAMERA

Wanted for petit larceny

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Fourth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the man who allegedly stole shoes from Famous Footwear, located at 1770 Veterans Memorial Highway in Islandia, on Jan. 16 at approximately 2 p.m.

$6100 worth of merchandise stolen

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Fourth Squad detectives are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate two men who allegedly stole $6,100 worth of electrical breakers from Lowes, located at 100 Express Drive North in Commack, on Dec. 3 at approximately 6:35 a.m.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact Fourth Squad Detectives at 631-854- 8452.

— COMPILED BY HEIDI SUTTON

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.

Do you recognize these men? Photo from SCPD

Do you recognize this man? Photo from SCPD

School News

Tackan Elementary School

Teddy bear clinic

With the help of special guest, Stony Brook University Hospital resident pediatrician Sean O’Connor, kindergarten students at Tackan Elementary got some great safety tips on Jan. 20.

O’Connor spoke to the children about the proper ways to keep safe while riding a bicycle

Mt. Pleasant Elementary School

by always wearing a helmet. As a way to prove this, he had students drop two eggs: one with a “helmet”and one without. He also discussed seat belt safety in cars.

The students then proceeded to their stations where they acted like doctors, diagnosed and provided cures for their teddy bears.

Champion crowned

The stakes were high. The pressure was on. The parents were nervous.

But Mt. Pleasant fifth-grader Stuti Prabhu was unwavering in her focus and determination, and on Feb. 1 won the Mt. Pleasant Elementary School spelling bee championship.

Nineteen finalists from grades 3, 4 and 5 had advanced to the spelling bee finale.

The winning word was “breakneck” which is an adjective meaning dangerously or extremely fast.

Stuti now advances to the online written test and then potentially the Long Island Regional Championship.

The spelling bee was hosted by fourthgrade teacher Steve Jackowski and supervised by Principal Joseph Ierano.

Photo from Smithtown Central School District

Photos from Smithtown Central School District

PORT JEFF BRANCH

Continued from A3

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 hydrogenpowered 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 for the region,” she said. “You need partners on every level, from the federal and state levels to the town and county.”

Prophet said megaprojects, such as the $11 billion East Side Access extension into Grand Central Madison, have taken up much of the political and economic capital in New York state.

“I think there’s a lot of emphasis on large projects that make a big splash,” the passenger association president said. “Politicians need to spend a little more time on smaller projects that may not make a big splash but may help commuters and people looking to travel between cities.”

Setting the stakes, Penner returned to the 20-year capital needs assessment. He equated

the North Shore’s present predicament to a baseball game.

“You’re in the ninth inning with two outs,” he said. “The last at-bat is the 2025-

2044

20-year capital needs assessment.” He concluded by saying, “If this project is not included in that document, then the ball game is over.”

Illustration by Kyle Horne: kylehorneart.com @kylehorneart

School News

St. James Elementary School

Fun with math

Where can you go to learn about Super Bowl Roman numerals, baking measurements and baseball batting averages? The St. James Elementary School math fair, of course!

Fifth graders at St. James Elementary School proudly showed off their math skills at their

math fair held on Jan. 31. Each student shared a math concept they learned and taught their parents and family members with an interactive activity. Students calculated baseball batting averages by dividing decimals, practiced “mathket-ball”, baked with fractions and more.

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Photos from Smithtown Central School District

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Editorial

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.

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

Letters to the editor

The end of utopia as we know it

In the not-too-distant future, Long Island will be facing a waste crisis as our last municipal landfill is closing and over 1 million tons of ash and C&D [construction debris] will now have to find a home. Most communities have relied on the Town of Brookhaven Yaphank landfill for decades and now Brookhaven residents are fed up with being Long Island’s dumping ground. Several solutions have been proposed bury it, burn it, recycle it, truck it, train it and launch it into space. It just may take a combination of all these ideas to handle the issue, yet all those ideas are met with a tremendous amount of shock and awe from surrounding communities all over Long Island. Truth is there is not one community that likes the idea of having to deal with the “dirty work.” Communities fight against solutions to the very real problems that communities have created. We want the same nimbyism to insulate us from the cold reality that we live on an island of consumption, and we need practical solutions to our crisis. If we truly desire to protect our quality of life for generations then we as individuals and communities must stop our overconsumption of goods and services. As a society we must stop our addiction to consumption. We live in era of instant gratification — I will admit myself that I am addicted to consumption. Amazon is at my house every morning delivering my daily wants with some needs sprinkled in. Together with my wants and needs is the packaging and associated waste that comes with that glorious gray truck. The garbage truck shows up three times a week and my landscaper has meticulously groomed my landscaping. When I want a new patio or pool or an extension on my home, I can easily finance this and live my utopian dream. The roads are paved every year or so and if I plan to go shopping within a few miles I can find everything I need — even a newly constructed Chickfil-A. We live in a time like no other with every wish and desire being met with a touch of the button and a click away. As we go through the day it is easy for us to lose track of how much we consume and why we are consuming it. More importantly, then, is the question of where is all this postconsumer waste going? Where are all these products coming from? Who are the people performing all these services to maintain me in my utopia? What are the true costs of me living here? If we utopians stopped consuming, industries would have no need to exist. Transfer stations, recycling facilities, municipal service facilities, rail shipping facilities, landfills, incinerators, concrete plants, asphalt plants, landscapers and trucking companies would no longer be needed. Our consumption as a society drives industry and our utopian world can

only exist in a world where we a connected with the uncomfortable reality that industry is the backbone of our utopian life.

Toby Carlson Carlson Corp. Kings Park

Editor’s note: See story on page A 5 in respect of an application by Townline Rail Terminal, an affiliate of CarlsonCorp, for a rail spur at Kings Park.

Sign of our times

It is a sign of our times that some people believe that it is entirely reasonable to have those with whom they do not agree to be banished from public discourse, or in the modern parlance, to be “canceled.” Such a person is John Hover, who, in a Feb. 2 letter to The Village Times Herald [“Flooding the zone”], recommended the banishment of Mark Sertoff for pointing out a few of the many shortcomings of electric vehicles, and of me, for suggesting that the transgressions of Rep. George Santos [R-NY3] may have been inspired by the successful mendacity of several prominent politicians, all of whom happen to be Democrats.

Sertoff’s fatal offense, according to Hover, is that he failed to state that electric vehicles are “dramatically more energy efficient than internal combustion engines.” The truth is that some EVs may be more efficient at some times and under some conditions than internal combustion engine vehicles, but this is not “dramatically” true in all cases.

And so, we are told that a writer needs to be canceled, not for something he wrote, but because he failed to promote the talking points of a group with which he does not agree. For those who are interested, the highly respected Anderson Economic Group recently published a report entitled “Gaspowered cars cheaper to fuel than electric in late 2022.” Maybe AEG needs to be canceled as well, along with Mark Sertoff.

After having terminated the writing career of Sertoff, I was next. My apparent sin was stating that Rep. Adam Schiff [D-CA30] “repeatedly lied about having ‘smoking gun’ evidence proving that President Donald Trump [R] had colluded with Russian operatives to throw the 2016 election.” To prove me wrong, Hover claimed that Russian agents offered campaign dirt on former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton [D], and campaign manager Paul Manafort shared campaign polling data with the Russian ambassador.

One of Schiff’s most famous lies was that he himself was in personal possession of a “smoking gun,” although he never did share this alleged information with the public. When asked about it at a later date, Schiff declared that it had been “in plain sight” the whole time. This was only the tip of the Schiff iceberg, and we can thank House Speaker Kevin McCarthy [R-

CA20] for removing this bad apple from the tree of Congress.

With regard to Santos, if I choose to suggest that his meteoric rise may have been inspired by the successful disregard of the truth by politicians who preceded him, why is that not my prerogative?

If John Hover is so concerned about “veracity and honesty,” as he sanctimoniously claimed in his letter, he should take a look at the current occupant of the White House and leave the First Amendment alone.

George Altemose Setauket

A matter of human decency

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 [RFL13] 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

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

Special Olympics hosts regional competition in Commack

Special Olympics New York hosted its regional floor hockey competition in Commack Feb. 5. More than 120 athletes from Long Island, New York City and the Hudson Valley attended.

Sports

The day featured a Champions Challenge floor hockey team competition and skills tournament at Commack Middle School.

Connor LaMantia, lower right, held the torch as he led the Torch Run at the event, a ceremonial portion of the opening ceremonies that signifies the opening of the games.

The competition showcases the culmination of the teams’ hard work and training throughout the winter season.