The Village Times Herald - June 8, 2023

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Stratford Shoal (Middleground) Light Station unlikely to be the next hot tourist spot

BY MALLIE JANE KIM DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

The Stratford Shoal Light Station in the middle of Long Island Sound is going up for auction June 12 through the U.S. General Services Administration’s real estate website, but locals with knowledge of area waterways doubt it will become the next tourist hot spot.

Other historic lighthouses around U.S. coasts have become vacation rentals, local government offices or museums. Such a fate might be tricky for the lighthouse at Stratford Shoal, also known as the Middle Ground Light, a stone building constructed in the late 1870s and perched on two partially submerged rocky islands halfway between Old Field on Long Island and Stratford, Connecticut. The U.S. Coast Guard will retain ownership of all navigation aid systems active at the lighthouse, regardless of a future owner’s development plan.

“Whoever decides to do something, it’s not going to be easy,” said Pete Murphy, owner of Sea Tow Port Jefferson and Murphy’s Marine Service. Murphy passes the lighthouse fairly often through his service rescuing stranded boaters and said the area seems most often used as a fisherman’s hot spot.

Murphy would welcome a commercial use of the property, like a bed and breakfast, and he could

see expanding his shore-to-boat harbor taxi service to include ferrying visitors to a commercial entity at the lighthouse. According to Murphy, though, any potential renovations on the shoal would face challenges since it’s so far out into the sound. “The safety is getting there,” he said. “You’ve got to pick your weather to get out there.”

That isolation and exposure to waves and storms made the shoal lighthouse a tough posting for its keepers before it was automated in 1970. One assistant keeper, a newcomer from New York City named Julius Koster, reportedly suffered a psychological breakdown at the lighthouse in 1905, attempting to attack a colleague, then the lighthouse itself. Eventually he made an unsuccessful attempt on his own life.

Local water quality advocate George Hoffman agreed the lighthouse probably won’t see any major development since it is so far from shore, but it could entice someone who wants to get away from it all. “I think there’s a million people on Long Island who would like to live there,” he said. “But I think the reality is a bit harder because everything has to be brought in on a boat.”

Hoffman, who co-founded the Setauket Harbor Task Force, a volunteer environmental group that works to improve water quality in Port Jefferson and Setauket Harbors, isn’t concerned about the environmental impact of potential construction on the shoal, as any development would have to comply with government

environmental regulations.

Still, Hoffman finds the idea of living on the shoal romantic. “Every one of us probably wanted to live on a lighthouse by ourselves,” he said. “Though movies about lighthouses all tend to end badly.”

The Stratford Shoal structure is on the national register of historic places and is one of four lighthouses the U.S. General Services Administration is auctioning this year, alongside six others to be offered at no cost to eligible historical, educational, nonprofit or local governmental agencies. The lighthouse had been awarded to lighthouse enthusiast Nick

Korstad under the latter designation in 2016. But Korstad, who has made a career of buying and renovating lighthouses around the country for use as destinations, gave up his stewardship of the water-bound site after his plan to use the lighthouse as a museum where guests could stay overnight faced too much regulatory red tape. The National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2020 allows the federal government to convey ownership of lighthouses to promote preservation of these historical sites and also to save taxpayer money on federal real estate costs. The starting point for bids of the Stratford Shoal Lighthouse is $10,000.

The Stratford Shoal Light Station is going up for auction June 12, with a starting bid at $10,000. Photo from Josh Moody.

BY MALLIE JANE KIM DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

VILLAGE

Local parks and trails took center stage at the Three Village Civic Association monthly meeting Monday night, June 5. The civic’s land use chair Herb Mones took attendees on an impressive slideshow tour of the area’s offerings for walkers, cyclists, view seekers and the like.

These natural spaces “are unique and different, and enable us to be proud that we’re Three Villagers,” Mones said. “I always say there are two types of people: Those that live in Three Villages, and those that want to live in Three Villages.”

Among the more-than-20 properties Mones highlighted were well-known spots such as Frank Melville Memorial Park, Avalon Nature Preserve, Gamecock Cottage and the Setauket-Port Jefferson Station Greenway Trail.

Also featured were lesser-known gems such as McAllister County Park located in Belle Terre near the eastern entrance to Port Jefferson Harbor; Old Field Farm County Park adjacent to West Meadow Beach; and the Besunder property on North Road at the entrance to Strong’s Neck.

Nearly all of the sites on Mones’ slideshow boast trails or harbor views, or both. Among his favorites, he said, is the Flax Pond Tidal Wetland Area.

He also mentioned a particular point of pride in Patriots Rock Historic Site, acquired by the Three Village Community Trust. “For the first time in 300 years, the site is open to the public,” said Mones, who is president of the trust. According to him, the trust plans to add trails surrounding the location to enable the public to enjoy the entire property.

There are also undeveloped, “emerging” places to watch, Mones said, such as the Suffolk County parkland known as the Sand Pits along the Greenway Trail; the Patriots Hollow State Forest across from the shopping center on Route 25A in East Setauket; and the Stephen D. Matthews Nature Preserve in Poquott. Each of those areas, he said, could use trails and added public access.

Mones urged members to keep a careful watch over these local natural assets. “Parks are so special, parks are so desirable, parks are so beautiful that you have to be ever vigilant because somebody is always trying to acquire, buy and obtain it,” he said.

Mones added that he plans to publish his presentation on the civic association Facebook page.

Police scam warnings

Also at the meeting, Suffolk County Police Community Liaison Officer Sergio Moller, from the 6th Precinct, warned about the prevalence of scams popping up in the area, particularly electronic scams.

According to Moller, residents are receiving texts purportedly from utility or media companies warning service will be halted unless the person clicks a link to pay their bill. “What a scammer wants you to do is hit that link, so they can get access to your computer,” he said at the meeting. “So don’t do that, please.”

He also urged the audience to be skeptical of calls from an unknown number alleging a loved one has been arrested or needs money — even if the voice on the other line is familiar. “Artificial intelligence can reproduce your voice to a T, so it may sound like you’re talking to your grandson … it may sound like you’re talking to a loved one,” he said.

As with the texting scams, Moller said people should call the person’s known phone number to verify whether they actually need assistance.

“Please don’t give money to anybody, especially if they ask you for gift cards,” he said. “If they are asking you for gift cards, this should be an automatic red light in the back of your head that this is not legit.”

Birds and Bees Protection Act. George Hoffman made an impassioned plea for civic members to lobby state Sen. Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk) and state Assemblyman Ed Flood (R-Port Jefferson) to support the imminent Birds and Bees Protection Act [see also letters, page 22].

A visitor stands atop Patriot’s Rock in Setauket. Photo by Mallie Jane Kim.

Three candidates vie for two trustee seats in Village of Poquott

BY DANIEL FEBRIZIO DANIEL@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

Village of Poquott residents will vote June 20 on the open seats on the village board. There are two trustee positions for twoyear terms while the justice position runs for four years.

For the two trustee seats, the three candidates are incumbent trustee and Deputy Mayor John Musiello, Jeremy Flint and Jim Ma. Current trustee Dee Parrish is not seeking reelection. For village justice, the candidates are incumbent Paul Edelson and current trustee Darlene Mercieca.

Musiello, Flint and Mercieca are running on an informal ticket known as Team Poquott. Their website is yourpoquott.com.

Village trustee candidates

John Musiello

Musiello has served as trustee the past two years for one term. He has lived in Poquott for almost 10 years now. He was appointed deputy mayor last year by Mayor Tina Cioffi. Traditionally the village mayor appoints one of the four trustees to take on the mantle of deputy mayor.

“I think it’s going really well,” Musiello said in a phone interview regarding his time on the village board. He explained that everyone on the board has their areas of expertise, and that a lot of what he has done is work with landscapers and construction workers fixing potholes and paving roads.

He said that his responsibilities include helping organize the annual budget as well as attending the monthly meetings which, he said, “gives me an opportunity to learn not only the operations but to work with a lot of

our residents.”

“I agreed to run for trustee because I really felt like I could help bring the community together, and I certainly want to have a united front with our residents,” Musiello said. He explained that the platform he ran on was “to keep Poquott safe, clean and friendly.”

He said that neighborhood cleanliness is particularly important to him and that multiple times per month he’ll go out with gloves and garbage bag to pick up garbage on the neighborhood streets. He has also helped coordinate cleanup initiatives, like the annual beach cleanup.

Jeremy Flint

Flint is a newer resident of Poquott, having moved into the neighborhood in 2021 with his wife and now three small children. Flint was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, although his parents are from Brooklyn and Connecticut.

Flint has a “background in construction insurance and consulting,” he said in a phone interview. He has experience running his own public adjusting firm, which specializes in “commercial and large loss catastrophe work,” according to yourpoquott.com.

“I’ve worked with a lot of municipalities, vendors, associations,” Flint said. “I can bring some of that experience to the village with helping them run their day-to-day activities and any of the issues that the village [encounters] through the year.”

“I think it’s really important to be involved in your community,” Flint said. After he was approached to run for the open trustee seat, he spoke with his wife and they decided he should run for the position. “If you can help and contribute to it, we thought it would be a good opportunity to continue our involvement in the village,” he said.

He indicated that he’s looking forward to “better getting to know [the residents] and working with them and seeing the best way I can help with this process and the continued growth of the village.”

Jim Ma

Ma has lived with his family in Poquott since 2013. His professional experience includes more than 15 years as a financial risk manager. Now he consults for regulatory,

credit and market risks on client portfolios.

“My consulting business mainly focuses on domestic and international banks on Wall Street,” Ma said in an email interview. “We have had many challenges in the village for the past few years that trace their roots to financial resources and planning. Some of the village’s previous very successful projects already showed the benefit of leveraging the proper financial tools.”

Ma continued, “I have a strong finance and business development background, which equips me to represent and fight for our interests effectively. I envision making Poquott village the best place to live, work and raise a family.”

He highlighted the importance of maintaining financial responsibility, enhancing infrastructure, preserving the environment and promoting community engagement.

“I will ensure our village’s budget is handled responsibly, focusing on essential services and strategic investments while also pursuing additional sources of funding to ease the burden on our taxpayers,” Ma wrote.

Village justice candidates

Village justice incumbent Edelson and health care professional Mercieca did not respond to requests for comment in time for publication.

According to Musiello, if Mercieca were to win, she would leave her trustee seat and the mayor would appoint a replacement trustee to fill the vacancy.

The elections will take place on Tuesday, June 20, from noon to 9 p.m. at Village Hall, 45 Birchwood Ave., Poquott.

Above, Jeremy Flint, Jim Ma and John Musiello are vying for two trustee seats in the Village of Poquott. Elections take place on June 20 at Village Hall, below. Photos from candidate; file photo of Poquott Village Hall

The following incidents have been reported by Suffolk County Police:

Terryville man killed in hit-and-run

Suffolk County Police Major Case Unit detectives are investigating a hit-and-run crash that killed a man in Port Jefferson Station on June 2.

Peter Williams, 47, of Terryville was crossing Route 112 eastbound, south of Rose Avenue, when he was struck by an unknown SUV heading southbound on Route 112 that fled the scene, then struck by a second southbound vehicle that remained at the scene at 10:13 p.m.

Williams was pronounced dead at the scene by a physician assistant from the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner. Detectives are asking anyone with information on the crash to call 631-852-6553.

Two Farmingville men arrested for stealing cooking oil

Suffolk County Police arrested two men on June 5 for allegedly stealing cooking oil from restaurants in the Fifth Precinct in May and June of this year.

Gregory Smith and Andrew DeMarco allegedly stole cooking oil from three different restaurants on five occasions between May 22 and June 5. Smith drove a rented box truck and siphoned the oil into a 500-gallon container while DeMarco drove a 2023 Honda Accord to act as a look-out.

Following an investigation by Fifth Precinct Crime Section officers, the two were arrested in Patchogue on June 5 at approximately 1:45 a.m. for stealing from the following restaurants: Island Empanada in Medford on May 22 and May 31; Dirty Taco in Patchogue on May 31 and June 5; and Harbor Crab in Patchogue on June 5 Smith, 39, of Dogwood Ave., Farmingville was charged with Criminal Mischief 3rd Degree and five counts of Petit Larceny. DeMarco, 38, of Dogwood Ave., Farmingville was charged with two counts of Petit Larceny and one count of Criminal Mischief 3rd Degree. They are scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip at a later date.

The investigation is continuing. Police are asking anyone who believes they may have been a victim of a similar crime to call 631852-COPS to make a police report.

Visit www.tbrnewsmedia.com/police

— COMPILED BY HEIDI SUTTON

CAUGHT ON CAMERA

Do you recognize this woman? Photo from SCPD

Wanted

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Sixth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the woman above who allegedly stole approximately $500 worth of merchandise from Walgreens, located at 302 Route 25A, Miller Place on May 9 at approximately 2:45 p.m. with a male accomplice.

Do you recognize this man? Photo from SCPD

Wanted for Petit Larceny

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Sixth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate a man who allegedly stole air conditioners from Lowe’s, located at 2796 Route 112 in Medford, at 5:23 p.m. on May 24. The merchandise was valued at approximately $710.

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.

for Petit Larceny

Marianne Gerard, former resident, dies at 91

PREPARED BY THE GERARD FAMILY DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

Marianne Elizabeth Gerard, 92, of Cedar River Road, Indian Lake, passed away May 25, 2023, at Glens Falls Hospital, in Glens Falls.

OBITUARY

Marianne was born July 27, 1930, in Flushing. She was the daughter of Frederick and Anne Hilliard. She grew up in East Setauket, graduated from Setauket High School, attended Acadia University in Nova Scotia, Canada, and Katharine Gibbs Secretarial School in Melville. She married Bernard Gerard on April 3, 1951, and raised five boys.

In July 1998, Marianne and Bernard retired to their cabin on Cedar River Road. She was a member of the Indian Lake Garden Club and a parishioner of St. Mary’s Church. She enjoyed gardening, bird watching, hiking, playing cribbage and reading.

Marianne was predeceased by her parents Frederick and Anne; her husband, Bernard Gerard; and brother Frederick Hilliard Jr. She is survived by her sister Irene and brother Robert. She is also survived by her five sons: Bernard Jr., wife Grace; Edward, wife Cheri; Richard, wife Loralie; Daniel; and Christian, wife Maria. Eight grandchildren: Mary, Richard, Kevin, Makayla, Aimie, Melissa, Miranda and

Samuel. Five great-grandchildren: Arabella, Brayden, Reiner, Henry and Hudson.

In accordance with Marianne’s wishes, there will be no calling hours or funeral services. A Celebration of Life will be held this summer in Indian Lake.

Donations in Marianne’s memory may be sent to the Indian Lake Volunteer Ambulance Corps, 6231 NYS RT 30, Indian Lake, New York 12842 or Treasurer ILGC, P.O. Box 608, Indian Lake, New York 12842. Donations may also be sent to St. Mary’s Church, 6335 NY-30, Indian Lake, NY 12842.

Love Our 2023 Grads!

Marianne Elizabeth Gerard. Photo courtesy the Gerard family

Setauket makes front page of New York City newspaper

BY BEVERLY C. TYLER DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

“SWAM NUDE. A LONG ISLANDER CROSSES SETAUKET LAKE ON A WAGER. (New York Tribune)”

About three months ago, Kristen J. Nyitray, director of Special Collections and University Archives, and University Archivist, at Stony Brook University, sent a newspaper clipping she came across to the Three Village Historical Society, which forwarded it to my wife and me. Like many clippings, this one was unidentified as to publication and date, and so the search began.

We found a number of clippings with the same story from various newspapers, including the New York Sun. All clippings indicated it came from the New-York Tribune. Based on the individuals mentioned in the article, we finally traced it to the Thursday, February 21, 1896 issue of the New-York Tribune. It was even a frontpage article. Imagine, an article about Setauket on the front page of the New-York Tribune.

Most of the articles on the front page that day had headlines with shocking and gruesome details to attract readers. The 1890s was a period of newspaper publishing competition that cared less about facts than about gaining readership.

The original article in the Tribune started with the headline “SWAM NUDE IN ICY WATER.” The rest of the article was almost the same in every clipping and not one of the various clippings made any attempt to check the facts in this quite interesting story.

“A strange wager was quietly made and won last Sunday night in Setauket, Long Island, with a view of testing human endurance in cold water. William Sickles, a well-known young man of the village, declared that he could swim across Setauket Lake, a quarter of a mile, without a stitch of clothing on him, and with the thermometer considerably below the freezing point. Three wellknown Setauket men, Dr. Bates, Ellis H. Davis and James Fallon, declared that no human being could go through the ordeal without permanent injury.

“The wager was brought about by the four men discussing the death of a horse that happened to fall into freezing water and died simply from the after effects of the exposure soon afterward. Mr. Sickles listened to the discussion and finally declared that a man could endure cold in any form better than a horse. His opinion was opposed. Then he announced his willingness to swim naked across Setauket Lake that night. The three men declared that could not do it, but Sickles insisted that he could and offered to put up money on it. The wager was promptly accepted.

“That night the four men repaired to Davis’ Hotel, which is on the edge of the lake. The attempt was to be made at 8 o’clock in the evening, and the thermometer at that hour indicated 14 degrees below the freezing point. Sickles undressed in the hotel, and, accompanied by the doctor and

Davis and Fallon, ran down to the lake shore and plunged into the icy waters.

“He struck out boldly for the goal on the other side, Captain Hudson’s mill, but the three men who accompanied him did not believe that he could get across, and, supposing that he would return, stood on the shore in readiness to launch a boat if he showed signs of distress.

“But Sickles kept right on, swimming a clean overhand stroke. He soon reached the middle of the lake, and in a few minutes was on the last half and nearing the goal. The three men then hastened to the other side of the lake to wait his arrival, the doctor taking restoratives with him and Davis having several blankets. With the same vigorous stroke with which he started, Sickles neared the goal in a few minutes. He was assisted out of the water, rolled in a blanket and started on a run to regain the hotel kitchen, where a roaring fire was awaiting him.

“In a few minutes he was dressed again, and declared that, aside from the natural exhaustion of such a rapid swim, he felt none the worse for the experiment. As he manifested no indications of a cold since Sunday night or any deleterious results of the exposure, Sickles has claimed the money and received it.

“When seen by a Tribune reporter, Mr. Sickles said, ‘I have always maintained that a man can stand more cold than a horse. I have been some years at sea and have been exposed to fearfully cold weather. Of course, there is some difference

in swimming in salt and fresh water, but I have always insisted that a man could endure exposure to cold better than a horse or most any other other animal. I have frequently jumped overboard while at sea in winter and taken a short swim and thought little of it. The fresh water in Setauket Lake, of course, was chillier than I expected and not so buoyant as the salt water, but that is only additional evidence of the endurance of the human body. The temperature at the time I went into the water was eighteen degrees above zero and was rapidly growing colder. Ice had formed along the borders of the lake, so I had to walk out on the ice some distance before I could get into the water. Several times before in my life I have been exposed to the water when the thermometer was below the freezing point. Once I fell from a schooner off Bay Ridge and it was two hours before I could get ashore. On another occasion I fell overboard off the Jersey coast and was three hours in ice cold water.’” (New-York Tribune)

The 1880 census lists Von Sickles, Willis, Black, age 20, living with George Elderkin, next to John Elderkin who ran the Elderkin Hotel. We could not find Sickles listed in any other census.

The “Davis Hotel” in the article was actually the former Elderkin Hotel, inherited by Gussy Elderkin following John Elderkin’s death in 1888. In 1896, it was called the Lakeside House and was owned by Captain Beverly Swift Tyler who had married John Elderkin’s niece Gussy Elderkin in 1893.

Doctor John Ferdinand Bates was a well-

known and respected physician who lived in the circa 1800 Dutch colonial house which is next to the Setauket Post Office. ln 1896, a drug store and former post office called the Setauket House stood where the Setauket Post Office is today.

In 1896, “Captain Hudson’s mill” was owned by Lorenzo W. Hudson who sold the mill to Everett Hawkins in 1897. Hawkins operated the mill until he sold the property to Ward Melville who, along with his mother Jennie, established the Frank Melville Memorial Park in 1935.

Ellis Davis appears in the 1900 census, age 32, married, a rubber shoemaker in Naugatuck, Connecticut. He spent most of his life on Long Island and probably moved briefly to Connecticut to find employment after the Setauket rubber factory closed in 1898. He was back in Port Jefferson in the 1910 census and listed as a hotel proprietor.

James Fallon was 50 years old in 1896. He lived with his wife and children in South Setauket, probably along Bennett Road. His daughter Annie Fallon was Setauket’s postmistress from 1936 to 1954. In the 1950s, a group of us, ages 12-15, called her “Hot Rod” since the coupe she drove had tuned exhaust pipes. We thought that was hilarious for who we thought of as an “old lady.” Annie was age 69 when she retired in 1954.

Beverly C. Tyler is a Three Village Historical Society historian and author of books available from the society at 93 North Country Road, Setauket. For more information, call 631-751-3730.

An aerial view from 1940 of Setauket Mill Pond, called Setauket Lake in the article. Hudson’s mill was top left, the location of the current mill dam.

As summer nears, new SCWA chair asks residents to conserve water

BY RAYMOND JANIS & AIDAN JOHNSON EDITOR1@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

As the county enters the hottest and driest months of the year, the Suffolk County Water Authority is urging residents to take preemptive measures to help mitigate potential water shortages.

Last month, commercial real estate developer, Three Village Chamber of Commerce president and former Town of Brookhaven Councilman Charlie Lefkowitz, a Setauket resident, took the helm of the SCWA Board. He takes the reins of the public benefit corporation at a critical juncture in its history.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration tracked record lows in rainfall throughout the region in 2022, with the county experiencing its sixth driest July on record.

In an exclusive interview, the newly installed SCWA chair maintained that while clean water is essential, the county is facing growing water quality and quantity issues. And with summer weather approaching, he said the water authority’s existing infrastructure would also be feeling the heat.

“Being on the board for the last year, I got some really good insight on how

important protecting our groundwater and the constitutional right of everyone in Suffolk County to have clean drinking water,” he said.

Lefkowitz described the county’s water situation as being “very unique,” as it’s one of the largest water districts with a solesource aquifer, whereby ratepayers receive 100% of their water from the ground.

“We have 1.2 million customers,” he said. “Eighty-five percent of the residents of Suffolk are customers of Suffolk County Water,” adding that the rest primarily rely upon private wells or smaller water districts.

But in some areas, notably along the East End, prolonged droughts coupled with heavy water consumption can put an undue strain on SCWA’s infrastructure.

“The East End and the North Fork get very stressed this time of year,” he said. “When you have pristine lawns, gardening, pools, waterfalls and multiple geothermal” air-conditioning units, the excess strain on SCWA’s pumps can become severe, creating water shortages in some areas of the county.

To counteract these trends, Lefkowitz stressed the need for residents systemwide to limit their water use.

SCWA’s existing billing schematic is two-tiered, placing an upcharge upon

customers who exceed 75,000 gallons in a single billing cycle. Given the severity of water quantity challenges as of late, Lefkowitz said the SCWA board is now exploring creating a third tier.

“This is for excessive use of water,” he said. “When you look at someone who has a single-family home of 20-40,000 square feet, but they’re using millions of gallons of water, we have to really look at” disincentivizing overconsumption of water.

Lefkowitz said he is often asked why he promotes water conservation, as the initiative could likely diminish revenues. Given the environmental and financial realities, he maintained the

environmental pluses still outweigh the economic minuses.

“We’re in that season now,” he said. “At the end of the day, water conservation is really important.”

Last month, Charlie Lefkowitz, above, took over as chair of the Suffolk County Water Authority Board. Photo courtesy SCWA

In praise of Amtrak, LIRR not so much

BY JOHN BROVEN DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

How should I travel to the recent Association for Recorded Sound Conference in Pittsburgh? Although the air flight from New York is short, I was shocked when I found the round trip would cost up to $500. A 430mile car journey didn’t come into consideration.

Following a quick call to Amtrak and after negotiating the inevitable automated messages, I was quoted a return fare of $133.20 on the daily Pennsylvanian train.

After checking the Long Island Rail Road app, I found the connections between Stony Brook and Penn Station were workable, even if it meant all-day journeys to and from Pittsburgh on a Wednesday and a Sunday. I had the time.

With the booking made, I wondered how much extra a business-class seat would cost. When I was quoted $116.40 for the privilege, I accepted with alacrity. Why not travel in comfort? The total outlay was still half the price of an air flight without the hassle of going through LaGuardia Airport and the rest.

The 7:43 a.m. train from Stony Brook arrived on or close at Penn Station. After a short hike through the building site that is one of the premier U.S. rail stations, I arrived at bustling, brand-new Moynihan Train Hall in plenty of time for the 10.58 a.m. Amtrak train to Pittsburgh. We headed south on a perfect sunny day through New Jersey to Philadelphia before we veered west via Lancaster and Harrisburg. “This beautiful farming countryside is Trump country,” I mused to myself.

With a compelling book to hand, Mack McCormick’s “Biography of a Phantom: A Robert Johnson Blues Odyssey,” detailing the author’s travails through 1960s Mississippi in search of family and friends of the country blues legend, the hours flew by.

The business-class carriage was located next to the café car. The meals were hardly haute cuisine, rather adequate comfort food that was washed down with acceptable Pinot Grigio wine.

At one point, the conductor excitedly announced that we were approaching the World Famous Horseshoe Curve where Irish immigrant workers in the 1850s had constructed rail tracks from the side of the Allegheny Mountains. It was a sight I would never have savored from 35,000 feet in the air.

On past Amtrak trips, my trains had been held up for longish periods by freight convoys, including the Tropicana orange special from Florida. Passenger trains, it appeared, were playing second fiddle to the more profitable freights. For certain, Amtrak has suffered for years from underinvestment, lack of political will and poor reputation.

Still, our train, due in Pittsburgh at 7:58

p.m., was only 10-minutes late on a mellow sunlit evening. “Are there any taxi cabs at the station?” I asked the ever-polite conductors on my first visit to the reinvigorated Steel City. “Never seen any,” they said in unison.

With my Uber app on the blink, I tried the iPhone map and was delighted to find it was just a 10-minute walk up Grant Street to the conference hotel.

The closeness should have been no surprise. Amtrak rail and Greyhound bus stations were invariably built in or near city centers, not miles away on the outskirts. I found out later that taxi fares from the airport cost $60.

The music conference, after the pandemic hiatus, was good. Aside from seeing recordcollecting and archivist friends old and new, there were excellent presentations on Harlem’s Apollo Theatre, pioneering blues pianist Leroy Carr and Pittsburgh disk jockey Porky Chedwick. A personal highlight was seeing the film, “How They Got Over: Gospel Quartets and the Road to Rock & Roll,” including a stunning black-and-white clip of the Consolers husbandand-wife duet from some 60 years ago.

And so the return journey to New York, starting out at 7:30 a.m., was more of the pleasant same, although on this occasion the Horseshoe Curve view was obliterated by, you guessed it, a freight train coming in the opposite direction.

Downhill with LIRR

The scheduled 4:50 p.m. Amtrak train arrived some 10 minutes early at Penn. There was a 5:10 LIRR train which meant a modest wait at Huntington for a Port Jeff connection but it avoided another change of train — and track — at Jamaica.

From here on, the journey went rapidly downhill. My trolley bag, indeed any suitcase, would not fit into the overhead rack. There was one pull-down seat but the space was taken up by a bicycle zealously guarded by its owner. I knew I would not be permitted to block the carriage walkway with my case. What to do? Luckily, a kind lady from Hudson Valley, on her way to JFK airport and London, made room for my bag — and me.

Consider this: LIRR is serving one of the world’s major airports yet is almost totally commuter focused. There is little or no thought given to travelers and their luggage. “Oh, for Amtrak’s business coach class,” I thought.

We arrived at Huntington on the opposite platform to the scheduled Port Jeff departure. “Use the elevator,“ the conductor helpfully announced. Not so fast. The contraption had broken down, not for the first time in my experience. And so I had to haul the trolley bag and myself up and down one of the long footbridges.

The train eventually limped into Stony Brook “on time” at 7:34 p.m. My journey from New York, allowing for the 36-minute stopover

at Huntington, had taken 2 hours, 24 minutes — in the year of 2023. High-speed rail, anyone? Is there any better argument for the electrification of the Port Jefferson Branch line –which services prestigious and populous Stony Brook University — along with a complete review of the LIRR system? How long are North Shore residents going to put up with a thirdworld rail service? Will the proposed Lawrence Aviation rail yard at Port Jeff Station happen? Yet there is no sign of any positive movement in the Metropolitan Transit Authority capital budgets, as the aging diesel trains continue to pollute the environment and potential riders take to the road in this age of climate change. I cannot forget I was spoiled by superefficient European trains in my younger life. America is a wonderful country, as I saw on my trip to Pittsburgh, but it deserves a better rail system everywhere. Meanwhile, our local elected officials — state, county, town, village — of every stripe should continue to lobby LIRR, MTA and Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) for a 21stcentury railroad for the future benefit of us all.

John Broven, originally from England, is a copy editor with TBR News Media, and author of three award-winning American music history books.

Amtrak departure board at Moynihan Train Hall, New York.

Photo by John Broven

Simons Foundation gives record $500M gift to Stony Brook University

BY DANIEL DUNAIEF DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

Stony Brook University’s former Math Department chair is making history.

$1.2 billion to a university that Gov. Hochul declared a flagship of the state university system in 2022.

“I’m so happy to be here today, to be able to give back to Stony Brook, which has given so much to me,” Marilyn Simons said at the press conference.

UNIVERSITY

Jim Simons, with his wife Marilyn and through the Simons Foundation, is giving the largest ever unrestricted gift of $500 million to the university’s endowment.

The donation, which the Simons Foundation will provide in installments over the next seven years, will more than double the endowment for the SUNY flagship school.

As a part of a program Governor Kathy Hochul (D) created last year, New York State will provide a one-to-two endowment match while the school, with support from the Simons Foundation, reaches out to other donors for additional support.

SBU expects the gift to total about $1 billion.

“Today is indeed a historic day for Stony Brook University,” President Maurie McInnis said during a press conference at the Simons Foundation headquarters in Manhattan on June 1. “I cannot overestimate the tremendous impact” the gift will have.

The university anticipates using the gift, named the Simons Infinity Investment, for student scholarships for a diverse student body, endowed professorships, research initiatives, development of new academic fields and clinical care.

McInnis, who is the sixth president of SBU, suggested this kind of support helped create and shape some of the nation’s most prestigious universities, including Harvard and Yale.

Looking at how they started, “you’ll find that they were bolstered by generous supporters who were ambitious and wise enough to see the potential of the institutions and invest in the future,” McInnis said at the press conference. “Because of those supporters, look where they are now. That is the trajectory we are on,” thanks to the support from Jim and Marilyn Simons and the foundation president, David Spergel.

McInnis believes the funds will help make the university a place where every student meets their potential, thanks to the support and the “deep sense of belonging in every corner of campus.”

The funds would also help ensure that researchers have access to the “best labs and equipment” so they can “chase the next discovery” and where learners will come to the university because they “know they have the resources they need to make a difference.”

History of giving

The Simons family has a long history of giving back to the university, which was so important in their lives.

Starting with a much more humble gift of $750 in 1983, the Simons family, with this gift and other recent commitments, have pledged

When she started as a student at Stony Brook, Marilyn said her father was a subcontractor who, along with her brother and cousin, did some of the brickwork at university buildings.

In addition to earning her bachelor’s at Stony Brook, Marilyn Simons also earned her Ph.D.

“I’m grateful to Stony Brook for all it’s given me,” she said. “I hope many others will invest along with us.”

Jim Simons became chairman of the Math Department when he was 30. He hired 10 faculty in his first year and the same number in his second.

When Hochul stood up to speak, Simons interrupted her.

“I’ve known” all six presidents of Stony Brook, the former Math Department chair said. McInnis “is the best.”

Hochul appreciated the direction and vision of SBU’s leadership, recognizing the sizeable financial commitment the state would now have to meet.

When she came up with the endowment idea, “I didn’t realize it was going to be so expensive for me,” Hochul laughed. If that inspired the Simons Foundation to come forward, “it was worth it.”

A public institution like Stony Brook “has no limits right now,” Hochul added. “I guarantee across the world, they’ve all heard of Stony Brook right now.”

A winning streak

The $500 million gift from the Simons Foundation continues a winning streak, making 2023 a memorable and landmark year for the university.

A few weeks ago, Stony Brook, with a $100 million commitment from the Simons Foundation, won the state’s contest to turn Governors Island into a center for climate science called the New York Climate Exchange. [See story, “SBU will develop $700M climate center on Governors Island,” April 26, TBR News Media website.]

The center, which will cost $700 million to construct and is expected to open in 2028, will house research laboratories, host community discussions and train 6,000 people per year to work in green energy jobs.

SBU has “shown that it has the knowledge, the authority and the boldness to bring together the most eminent institutions to address the world’s leading challenges,” McInnis said.

BY RAYMOND JANIS EDITOR1@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

Debates over immigration continue to intensify in Suffolk County.

During a special meeting Thursday, June 1, the Suffolk County Legislature approved a procedural motion, 11-6, to hire special counsel to advise the legislative body on the legal options at its disposal concerning the relocation of asylum seekers to the county.

Advocates for and against accepting new migrants appealed to the Legislature, followed by deliberations among legislators. Legislator Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) emphasized the need for proper vetting procedures, arguing that the federal government still has not created that process.

“The problem is the federal government doesn’t have a cohesive process to get people in, and this really shouldn’t be our problem,” he said. “We have to tread lightly, and I think this is a very light way of doing it — looking at our options and making sure we can afford to do this.”

Majority Leader Nick Caracappa (C-Selden) expressed concerns over asylum seekers diverting public resources from the county’s veteran and homeless populations. The procedural motion “is just another way for us to make sure that we’re all protected,

and that those who do come here come with adequate resources,” he said.

Several legislators, including Kara Hahn (D-Setauket), expressed their distaste for the procedural resolution.

“It’s unfortunate that some have chosen to exploit fear and weaponize vulnerable people legally seeking asylum through legal means for political theater,” she said. “While I agree that the nation’s current immigration process is broken — and it has been for a long time — and that we do need comprehensive immigration reform, I am certain that it will not be fixed through this hollow proposal.”

Two days later, Anthony Figliola, a Republican running to fill Hahn’s term-limited seat, held a rally near Stony Brook University to oppose housing asylum seekers at the state university campus. The candidate criticized Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) for not yet signaling whether this proposal would be instituted.

“I think we have to have an open dialogue and transparency in the process, and I think what’s happening right now is that we don’t have that from the governor’s office,” he said. “This is a humanitarian crisis, and local communities are being charged with handling something that the federal government should be doing.”

Simons Foundation President David Spergel; Jim and Marilyn Simon; Stony Brook University President Maurie McInnis; and Governor Kathy Hochul. Photo by John Griffin/Stony Brook University

Aidan Johnson contributed reporting to this story.

Suffolk County legislators quarrel over immigration COUNTY

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Letters to the Editor Editorial

Immigrants may be coming

In an all too familiar saga, Suffolk County officials have been decrying the notion of welcoming migrants seeking asylum. Since New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) announced that he would be sending migrants to neighboring counties last month, the Suffolk County Legislature has been doing all it can, including hiring special counsel, to make sure it’s not this county that has to welcome them.

We respect those who feel concerned about the traditional anti-immigration talking points, such as fears of drugs and crime. It’s important to remember that the data says the opposite. A study done by the U.S. Department of Justice in December 2020 found that “relative to undocumented immigrants, U.S.-born citizens are over two times more likely to be arrested for violent crimes, two and a half times more likely to be arrested for drug crimes, and over four times more likely to be arrested for property crimes.”

In essence, the vast majority of migrants, who are usually coming from desperate circumstances, are doing nothing more than trying to stabilize their lives and protect their families. Asylum is a legal process, and those seeking asylum have the right to have their cases heard.

We have all seen the footage on the news media of the often-brutal journeys migrants make from their home countries to land in the United States. If we put ourselves in their shoes, it wouldn’t be the first choice for most of us to, in some cases, walk hundreds of miles from our homes. These people are desperate.

It’s been proven time and time again immigrants benefit this country, state and county. Here at TBR News Media, our ongoing “American Dream” series highlights just a few local business owners, community leaders and neighbors who are immigrants themselves, making stellar and invaluable contributions to our towns and villages each and every day.

This debate also comes at a time when we have a labor shortage. Elderly residents are struggling to find quality home care, and parents quality child care. Since the pandemic, a number of teachers and health care workers have left their professions. Restaurants need helpers, farmers need agricultural workers and so on.

Local politicians have expressed their concerns about the ability to house migrants and provide for them. While we acknowledge these are real, practical concerns, we have found that most asylum seekers are not looking for handouts. Once we give them the tools to work, they will become assets, not burdens to the local economy.

Suffolk County could receive hundreds of people, able and willing to work. This would give us an incredible opportunity to harness new talents and ideas.

WRITE TO US … AND KEEP IT LOCAL

We welcome your letters, especially those responding to our local coverage, replying to other letter writers’ comments and speaking mainly to local themes. Letters should be no longer than 400 words and may be edited for length, libel, style, good taste and uncivil language. They will also be published on our website. We do not publish anonymous letters. Please include an address and phone number for confirmation. Email letters to: editor1@tbrnewsmedia.com or mail them to TBR News Media, P.O. Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733

Carlton “Hub” Edwards: an uplifting story

Congratulations to Rita J. Egan and The Village Times Herald for a wonderfully uplifting story on Carlton “Hub” Edwards [“Veteran Stories” series in Arts & Lifestyles section, also TBR News Media website, May 25].

A Korean War veteran, he’s been a knowledgeable, affable, active and patriotic fixture in our community for many, many decades.

One of Ms. Egan’s many interesting highlights features Hub unquestioningly trading his baseball glove and local team jersey for the uniform of our United States Army. What people may not know is he made that switch after being drafted by the Brooklyn Dodgers, who happened to be one of the top three or four Major League teams in 1951.

The pitcher of three no-hitters simply said, “Uncle Sam took first precedence,” feeling even today that the military can provide much-needed discipline for young people.

Whether it’s been Hub’s work at the American Legion Irving Hart Post 1766, his Bethel AME Church or our Three Village Historical Society, the post’s community liaison Joe Bova summed up things perfectly: “He really felt strongly about what his commitment to people should be and that just transferred over to the community he belongs to.”

Talking to Hub or his lovely wife, Nellie, whether it be at the Memorial Day ceremony or during a Frank Melville Memorial Park concert, is both a treat and an enriching experience. Here’s hoping those who haven’t read the article will now take the opportunity to do so.

Jim Soviero East Setauket

Yes, words do matter

I found the title to Shoshana Hershkowitz’s recent letter on the immigration debacle taking place quite ironic [“Words matter in immigration dialogue,” May 25]. Let’s examine “words matter” for a moment, shall we?

I wonder if anyone remembers when people were caught entering our country illegally, they were referred to as illegal aliens. That term was legally accurate, yet deemed offensive to progressives. The acceptable words to describe a person in our country illegally then became undocumented immigrant.

Now, the words (that matter) have become “asylum seeker.” Asylum is defined as protection granted to a

political refugee. It was not intended to bypass the legal immigration process for people that want to enjoy all of the benefits of living in the United States. I think honest people can agree that not everyone coming over our border illegally is a political refugee.

I fully support legal immigration. No one is above the law in the U.S. Once again, the compassion and goodness of the people of this country is being taken advantage of by progressives that created this unprecedented and unsustainable surge.

I read that Vice President Kamala Harris [D] was supposed to be figuring out the “root cause” of the surge at our border. I have not seen her give an explanation yet. Could it be progressive policies? For example, in New York, politicians declared a sanctuary state and gave out over $2 billion of taxpayer money to noncitizens through the Excluded Workers Fund. Is that an incentive to come here illegally?

Ms. Hershkowitz quoted Kevin McCaffrey [R-Lindenhurst], presiding officer of the county Legislature, stating, “We don’t know who’s coming over.” Is that not a true and fair statement? Ms. Hershkowitz says asking that question implies that asylum seekers are a danger to us. How extremely disingenuous of her.

Our leaders cannot ask simple, reasonable questions about who enters our country now? Can Ms. Hershkowitz personally vouch for all of these people? In New York City, the mayor was housing some of these people in public school facilities. Our governor is considering using our taxpayer-funded universities to house these people in our neighborhoods, and our elected officials cannot ask any questions without being labeled xenophobic or accused of demonization?

Seems like Ms. Hershkowitz’s rhetoric is a bit extreme to me. Does constantly labeling people who you don’t agree with politically as evil or dangerous, just for asking questions, bring us together or divide us?

Words matter … indeed.

Charles Tramontana East Setauket

Open letter to Assemblyman

Ed Flood

Dear Assemblyman,

I urge you to vote for the Birds and Bees Protection Act when it comes before you this week. The bill (A7640/ S1856A) will protect honey bees and other pollinators from neurotoxic pesticides known as neonicotinoids

which are having a devastating impact on bees.

You might not be aware, but the original bill was worked on by Maria Hoffman, my wife and longtime state Assembly staffer and local Setauket beekeeper, in response to the massive die-off of bees caused by these new genetically manufactured nerve agents that are coated on corn and soybean seeds and then spread by contact with bees as they forage for nectar and pollen.

You should also know that the bill is very specific and bans only neoniccoated corn and soy seeds and does allow farmers to use locally applied pesticides if their crops are threatened.

Beyond the partisan wrangling of our elected officials that seem to take up so much of government lately, you should know that your Assembly district has a strong environmental leaning by both Democrat and Republican residents of the district. The Birds and Bees Protection Act has strong support districtwide and your constituents will appreciate your leadership on this important bill.

George Hoffman Setauket

Boating safety is necessary

Thanks to TBR News Media for their timely editorial on boating safety [“Safety key to a successful summer,” May 25].

The sobering facts about boating safety should be of concern to everyone who enjoys the water this year. There is little doubt that the use of a personal flotation device, or life jacket, would have contributed to saving a number of lives lost due to drowning.

There are a number of organizations which offer short courses that provide a New York State boating safety certificate or its equivalent, including the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and the United States Power Squadrons — America’s Boating Club.

Just this past spring, the Mount Sinai Yacht Club, in association with the Suffolk County Police Department, ran a boating certificate course for the general public. These courses give you an opportunity to talk to instructors and get all your questions and concerns answered.

The requirement for all operators of a motorized vessel to have a boating safety certificate is being phased in by age. As of Jan. 1, 2025, every operator of a motorized vessel in New York state waters will be required to have a boating safety certificate or its equivalent.

Beverly Tyler Certified instructor and past commander Old Field Point Power Squadron

Opinion

National Geographic execs share an optimistic outlook

What’s possible?

We can spend time criticizing each other, becoming nattering nabobs of negativity, as British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once said. We can also rue our lot in life or feel an overwhelming sense of dread about problems we can’t solve or conflicts we haven’t resolved.

Or …

Or we can get out and create a remarkable life.

That’s what happened with famed paleoanthropologist Richard Leakey.

when I was young, convinced that I would pull up a dinosaur bone or reveal some incredible secret someone had hidden among the prickers and weeds. Yeah, no such luck.

And yet, the life of the late Richard Leakey offers exciting hope and opportunities for inspiration.

He didn’t graduate from high school, but he was successful and world-renowned.

Leakey’s life is “awe-inspiring,” demonstrating the “ability of one person to literally transform the world and leave it a better place,” Lee Berger, National Geographic Explorer in Residence, said in an interview.

He would see [someone] and say ‘you’re going to do this’ and they did.”

Next generation

As for how to get the next generation to believe in themselves and to participate in the scientific process, National Geographic’s Berger and Tiefenthaler shared their vision.

Ensuring transparency in the process helps people trust the science.

of Colorado College for nine years before becoming the first woman to lead National Geographic in its 135-year history. “We have got to meet them where they are: they are probably not reading the paper magazine with small, dense print.”

National Geographic is on social media and TikTok.

“We are focusing on issues they care about,” Tiefenthaler said. “We know this generation is very concerned about climate change and biodiversity loss.”

BY DANIEL DUNAIEF

Okay, so maybe he had a few advantages, like the fact that his parents Mary and Louis Leakey were already successful in the field and, unlike those of us who grew up on Mud Road near Gelinas Junior High School, he spent his formative years near and around fossils. I recall digging in the back corner of my yard

brother

Had he lived, my brother would have been 95 this week. As it happened, he barely made it to 64 before dying of heart problems. I barely knew him, there being such an age gap and with no siblings between us, and he still disquiets me, like an unfinished story. Perhaps that’s because, by the time I could have gotten to know him, he was gone, gone from the house by the time I was six and from my life when I could have started to pay attention.

National Geographic CEO Jill Tiefenthaler described the impact Leakey had on his home country of Kenya as “amazing” and the impact on the field as “remarkable,” particularly because he did it in a non-traditional way.

In an interview, Tiefenthaler credited the “army” of people who supported him with helping him achieve his goals.

“How do you move and get people to move with you?” Tiefenthaler said. “He was this person who saw talent. It wasn’t just about him.

“People are with us when we find those fossils, they watch us, we make sure there’s open access when they come out,” said Berger, who considered Leakey a friend and mentor. “Your child can print these things out and they can check.”

For National Geographic, which funded Leakey for decades, the goal is to “try to give people information and let them draw their own conclusions,” Tiefenthaler added.

The next generation of scientists has access to a large educational program through National Geographic, she added.

“I spent my career in higher education,” said Tiefenthaler, who was the president

Tiefenthaler “loves how much they care about the work we do at National Geograhpic. They’re a little mad at [this generation] because of the predicament that we’ve left the world in for them. We made the mess and there are fewer resources to fix things.”

Still, she believes there are leaders and actors among the younger generation who will follow in Leakey’s footsteps and have an important and positive impact on the world.

“We have a generation that’s going to make major progress on this planet,” she said.

paper with her phone number on it and asked him to call, so I knew he wasn’t just goodlooking to me.

major role in developing Checker cabs.

For those who are too young to remember them, Checker cabs were big, yellow automobiles with jump seats in the back floor that could unfold and transport a party of five plus one passenger in the front anywhere in the City.

his enthusiasm when I was able to hit the can and knock it off the fence. In my excitement, I turned back to look at him, continuing to point the rifle straight ahead, only now it pointed at him. I guess the incident remains with me for his look of distress and panicked directive to turn back around.

I have a number of memories about him, of course. In his 20s, he was quite good-looking, with thick, wavy blond hair and big dark brown eyes, a straight nose and strong chin. I was with him one day when a young woman my family knew gave him a piece of

My brother also personified great adventure. He rode a motorcycle, flew a twin-engine airplane in the days when plane flight was somehow romantic but becoming commonplace, and he owned a car, a 1948 Plymouth, which was unusual for someone who lived in the midst of New York City. He would drive the family back and forth to my grandfather’s farm in the Catskills and also to get some air along the outer borough highways on hot, sticky summer days. I always sat in the front seat because otherwise, I would throw up from the motion of the car.

BY LEAH S. DUNAIEF

He loved cars and could fix whatever was malfunctioning under the hood. In fact, he loved anything mechanical and might frequently be found tinkering with motors. He also would talk endlessly about the physics of propulsion, telling my friends and me more than we wanted to know.

I don’t remember his job title, but he had a

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The real genius of the cab was its modular construction. Until then, if a taxi was in a fender-bender, not an uncommon occurrence in urban heavy traffic, it was off the road being repaired for at least two days. After all, no one wanted to hail a crumpled taxi, and so there was substantial lost revenue. But my brother’s work on the idea of manufacturing fenders that could pop off the body of the cab and be replaced with another in half an hour was considered a major breakthrough for the industry. I believe he collected a small royalty for many years.

There is a photograph of my brother pushing me on a swing. I look to be about three years old. I have no memory of that, but I do well remember his teaching me to shoot a .22 rifle in a country field near my grandfather’s farm and

Larry Stahl

Katherine Yamaguchi

My brother attended my graduation from college, and I was puzzled by his show of pride. I never knew that I was anything growing up but a great distraction as I required our parents’ attention and contaminated the chemicals in his photography dark room. But I do remember that a couple of my classmates asked me how old he was.

We lived in Yorkville, a German section of NYC, and he loved wiener schnitzel with spaetzle and red cabbage. Many years later, I traveled into the City one day to meet him for dinner, and it was at just such a meal that we had one of our first meaningful conversations in a restaurant on East 86th Street and Third Avenue just before he died.

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