Category: Three Village Patch Clips

Nader: College Students’ Curriculum Lacks Reality

Posted on by chrismellides

 

Students and other members of the community filled the Student Activities Center auditorium at Stony Brook University Tuesday night for an appearance by four-time presidential candidate Ralph Nader, who delivered a presentation on current political party struggles, global problems and instabilities, and what the future may hold for citizens of America and other nations.

“Basically what I want to do is combat what is a shortened attention span by your generation,” Nader told students. “I know you’re not getting the spectrum of reality in your curriculum as necessary for you to assume the leadership and the reshaping of our country and what we can do with others for the rest of the world.”

Nader focused on the harsh circumstances and poor standards of living that hundreds of millions of impoverished people are facing worldwide, and how the general public largely ignores these details.

He quoted from Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein and William Blake in order to deepen the meaning of what it means for students to succeed in their lives following graduation.

“Concentration, curiosity and imagination go a long way,” said Nader, hinting towards the three quotes he previously cited. “You could think you’re educated, you can get a lot of degrees, but without having concentration, curiosity and imagination such as the nature of formal education and the system of rewards.”

As the evening progressed Nader shifted focus to the class struggle America is facing. He said the economy and worker productivity have doubled since 1968, but that the top 5 percent of Americans are the ones reaping the gains while the financial wealth of the top 1 percent is equal to the combined wealth of the lower 95 percent of the American people.

“Here I’m reminded of how deteriorated your work future is going to be,” he said.

Taking a break from his speech, Nader selected a song by the late John Lennon called “Working Class Hero” to play for the audience. The song deals with the clash between the rich and poor and how people are told what to believe by those in power.

“This is a song where he [Lennon] wants you to be a working class hero,” said Nader. “He doesn’t quite tell you why…but he tells you what he thinks is happening to you at a young age. Listen very carefully to the lyrics.”

Ben Schnekenberg, a 21-year-old Stony Brook University student studying biochemistry and sociology, found himself agreeing with much of what Nader was saying during the presentation.

“We need to wake the heck up, it’s time to get out there and advocate,” said Schnekenberg. “It starts at the local level, going to town hall meetings and feeling that you can do something. That’s the essence of the progressive movement.”

See the original article here.

Protesters March through Setauket to Mark Anniversary of Iraq Invasion

Posted on by chrismellides

 

Dozens of black-clad anti-war protesters wearing white face masks marched single file Saturday morning from the Three Village Shopping Center to the site of a vigil on the corner of Route 25A and Bennetts Road in Setauket.

The march was in observance of the eight years that have passed since the invasion of Iraq in 2003, and in remembrance of those soldiers and civilians who have lost their lives overseas. The event was coordinated by the North Country Peace Group, a grassroots organization comprised of Three Villagers who advocate diplomacy as a means of ending war.

More than 20 religious, community and peace organizations from across Long Island endorsed the march, according to a statement issued by NCPG. Members of some of these groups, including Food Not Bombs and the Bellport Women in Black, attended the demonstration.

“With each passing year, you realize that perpetual preemptive war is not the way to go, even though that has become U.S. policy,” said Bill McNulty, 76, of Setauket, a member of NCPG. “We come today with the help of all these additional peace groups to witness to the fact that this should not be the policy that our government follows.”

Rosalie Yelen, a Huntington Station resident and member of the peace and social justice group Code Pink, told the crowd that more than 4,400 American troops have died in Iraq.

“Tens of thousands have returned home maimed, blinded, scarred and suffering from traumatic brain injury,” Yelen said. “War and occupation can never bring democracy.”

Following the march, demonstrators remained at the southeast corner of Route 25A and Bennetts Road until the early afternoon. Some held signs displaying messages of peace and others had large photos of soldiers who have died in the conflicts.

On the opposite side of the street, members of another group, the North Country Patriots, gathered as they have done every Saturday for the past six years to express their support for American troops, as well as the missions they are undertaking.

“The main thing we stand for is that we support our boys, we support our troops,” said founder Howard Ross, 67, of Setauket. “These people serve our country honorably and that’s why we’re here.”

While observing the NCPG demonstration across the street, Ross expressed dismay.

“It just doesn’t make any sense to me why they can just all of a sudden believe that this is right, and that we should just pack it in. I mean, the mideast is on fire,” he said.

See the original article here.

Coin Galleries of Oyster Bay Launches Location in East Setauket

Posted on by chrismellides

 

Coin Galleries of Oyster Bay recently opened its doors to residents at its newest location in East Setauket’s Three Village Shopping Center, prompting varied reactions from those unfamiliar with the business.

Since the launch of its first storefront in the village of Oyster Bay in 1999, Coin Galleries has offered customers item appraisals and gives them a chance to purchase, among other things, authentic music and sports memorabilia.

“We appraise a variety of items that people may have in their houses and are not quite sure what they’re worth,” said Lloyd Levine, manager of Coin Galleries. “Whether it’s sports memorabilia, historical documents, coins, stamps or paper money, we offer an appraisal service, and if they’re interested, we can buy these items from them.”

The East Setauket shop will be the fifth Coin Galleries location on Long Island and the second in Suffolk County, next to the Huntington Station outlet. Coin Galleries broke ground in East Setauket because it was both an affluent area and a perfect fit for the company, according to Levine.

Even with a clear company message, a marketing campaign featuring television and print advertisements and a solid endorsement by former New York Met Keith Hernandez, some town residents like Melissa Bishop, 50, still expressed a hint of concern.
“If it’s a legitimate business, I don’t have a problem with it,” Bishop said. “But if it’s a pawn shop that will bring unsavory characters to the area, I’m not for it.”

Levine said he knew the owners of Coin Galleries of Oyster Bay for several years before becoming manager of their East Setauket store roughly two months ago. He firmly believes in the fairness and integrity of the company.

“We’re an honest business and we wouldn’t be around for 11 years if we were anything other than that,” said Levine.
Kamil Galka, a 22-year-old manager at the Verizon Wireless store adjacent to Coin Galleries, expressed little concern about working side-by-side with the appraisal company.

“I wouldn’t consider it [Coin Galleries] to be a pawn shop. People around here have a lot of stuff they’re willing to sell,” said Galka. “I think that they’ll do well here.”

Coin Galleries had a soft opening on Sept. 20 with plans for an official grand opening in the coming weeks. However, the shop is currently stocked with changing inventory and open to customers looking for appraisals or gifts for family and friends.

Local Accountants: IRS Extends Filing Deadline, but Taxpayers Shouldn’t Wait

Posted on by chrismellides

 

With this year’s tax season underway, Three Villagers are once again readying themselves for the creeping April deadline. However, this year, some taxpayers can breathe a sigh of relief in knowing that the tax filing deadline has been pushed forward from April 15 to April 18.

The reason for this three-day extension lies in the observance of Emancipation Day, which falls on Friday, April 15. This nationwide holiday is fairly new and was officially adopted by the District of Columbia on Jan. 4, 2005. The holiday honors President Abraham Lincoln’s signing of the Compensated Emancipation Act of 1862, which freed roughly 3,000 slaves living in the D.C. area during that time.

“Lincoln made an emancipation on April 15, so since the holiday is on a Friday, the next business day is Monday, April 18, which accounts for the deadline extension,” said George Rehn, an accountant living in East Setauket.

Despite there being additional time for individuals to file tax returns, certified public accountants like Rehn recommend that taxpayers make early preparations for the April deadline.

“I think people filing early is smart because your head is clear and you could work through the tax return and come up with the right results,” said Rehn. “I find people at the end of the tax season … rush the tax return and they usually miss things. People [who file] in February are much more organized than the people in April.”

Dennis Maffei, a 59-year-old Setauket resident, claims to be largely unaffected by the altered deadline and chooses to file early.

“We have all of the paperwork,” said Maffei. “Why should we wait to file a refund when we can do it early?”

Emancipation Day was not planned to affect the nationwide tax deadline by any stretch. For some Long Islanders the three extra days may offer relief, but according to George Cavooris, a CPA working in East Setauket, the pushed deadline will likely invite procrastination.

“I don’t think the extension is significant, it’s only a few more days and it’ll just give the procrastinating taxpayers a couple more days to get their things ready,” Cavooris said. “From my standpoint, I would expect to be done by April 15 anyway.”

During this year’s tax season, local business owners can find themselves feeling the strain when having to comply and ultimately deal with the ever-changing regulations issued by the Internal Revenue Service. With the tax filing deadline just around the corner, shopkeepers must maintain good recordkeeping and have a clear understanding of their business deductions and profit margins.

“The last couple of years have gotten tougher and tougher,” said Costantinos Drepanitis, a 36-year-old Stony Brook resident and owner of the Setauket Village Diner. “As any business, whenever your cost of operation goes up, you pass it on to the customers and during tax season that always becomes an issue.”

While it’s true that some taxpayers may not be affected by this year’s extended tax filing deadline, others can still relish the thought of having more time to spare.

See the original article here.

Business Notebook: Local Businesses Still Feeling the Effects of a Slow Economy

Posted on by chrismellides

 

Even though economists say the recession ended in 2009, many businesses still face economic uncertainty and those in the Three Village area are no exception. While some are faced with the arduous decision to remain open or shut their doors, others set their sights on expansion.

Borders Bankruptcy Agreement Spares Stony Brook Store

As a result of filing for bankruptcy earlier this month, the Borders Group will be closing 200 of its locations nationwide – but for now, its Stony Brook location is not among those slated for closure.

The group, which oversees 642 Borders bookstores, faced a steady decline in annual profits since 2007 and has been fighting to stay afloat since then.

“…because of the ongoing impact of the difficult U.S. economy, coupled with the rapidly changing bookselling environment, we must restructure Borders and reposition our business for long-term success,” wrote Mike Edwards, CEO of the Borders Group, in a company statement.

Borders locations in Commack and Westbury will be closing, but the company’s Stony Brook store located on Route 347 is not on the list.

While this is the case for now, Borders Group public relations manager Mary Davis warned that nothing is for certain and that a store’s fate can change at any time.

“We can never guarantee that a store is going to be open indefinitely,” Davis said. “We’re always looking at our portfolio to make sure that each and every location is meeting our objective and we make decisions on a case-by-case basis.”

A-O Village Vacuum Reportedly Going Out of Business

A-O Village Vacuum seems to have suddenly shut its doors, forcing its customers to visit neighboring stores looking for answers.

“We’ve had a lot of people come in here to look and ask us questions,” said a Pete’s Barbershop employee, who chose to remain anonymous.

According to that individual, A-O Village Vacuum owner Johnny O may be in the process of being evicted by the landlord.

“Whoever’s vacuums are in there, or whatever he’s got to give to people, they will get it back,” said the barbershop employee. “Until things are straightened out, everyone is kind of stuck in limbo, which is a shame because it is the customer who is losing, unfortunately.”

Calls made this week to A-O Village Vacuum were redirected to a full voicemail inbox.

Gold Coast Bank to Open Third Location in March

After a few months of waiting, Gold Coast Bank will be opening its East Setauket location in late March, according to John Tsunis, owner of the bank chain.

The new branch will be located at the corner of Route 25A and Bennetts Road and will neighbor the Country Riding Shop and Ingrid’s Fashion Design & Alterations.

The decision to break ground in East Setauket was made on the great exposure the company believes the bank will receive on Route 25A and the notion that the area is very well trafficked, Tsunis said.

“It’ll be the closest bank to Stony Brook University, which is the largest onsite employer on Long Island,” he said.

The new bank was originally expected to open its doors as early as January of this year.

See the original article here.