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Meet the woman planning to run for town council district 2
by Kyle Barr - April 26, 2019
Sarah Deonarine. Photo from campaign website
Coram woman looks to face Bonner in November election
Sarah Deonarine, who is planning to run for the Town of Brookhaven Council District 2 seat on the Democratic ticket, said she believes there's a way to balance the environmental and economic needs of the North Shore.
"Nationwide, there's a feeling of participating in the democracy, and I just couldn't sit by anymore," Deonarine said. "I realized somebody strong had to stand up, and it was either going to be me or nobody was going to do it."
In the upcoming weeks, Deonarine is looking for the petition application to run for councilwoman to come through, and she will run for the district seat against 12-year incumbent Jane Bonner (R-Rocky Point).
Deonarine said she decided to jump into the race because of Proposition One, a back-of-the-ballot proposition that extended officials' terms in office from two years to four, and limited officeholders to three terms. A total of 58 percent voted in favor of that measure with 42 percent opposing last November.
Sarah Deonarine and her family. Photo from campaign website
The Democratic contender said the proposition was a backwards means of extending the council members' time in office, since each elected official would no longer have to run every two years, and the term limits weren't retroactive.
"It was like they hoodwinked the voters by not giving them the right information," she said.
The contender for the council seat has been a resident in Brookhaven for 11 years, and in Coram for four along with her husband and three young children. A Pennsylvania native, she holds a masters degree from the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University. She has worked for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for seven years, and has spent the past four years as the executive director of the Manhasset Bay Protection Committee, which serves to protect the water quality of North Hempstead. She is a member of the Town of Brookhaven Democratic Committee, as well as a member of the Mothers of Twins Club of Suffolk County, the Coram Civic Association, Mommy and Me and Science Advocacy of Long Island.
Deonarine already has the nod of the town Democratic Committee as well as the Working Families Party, and she said she has sent in the petitions she needs to run for town council, though she has yet to receive confirmation back as of press time.
She is running on numerous issues, including reforming the town's meeting schedule, and focusing new developments around sustaining the environment.
"A lot of what I want to do gets back to the quality of life," she said. "People are happier surrounded by nature."
She said that while it's all well and good the town has meetings at 2 p.m. for those who can't drive at night, having the nightly meetings at 5 p.m. means most people who are out working cannot attend. She said she would like to move those meetings past 6 p.m., and potentially move the meeting location occasionally to different parts in the town, giving more people availability to attend.
She also called attention to the issues of derelict housing, otherwise known as zombie homes. The biggest barrier to people making use of this property, she said, was the liens Suffolk County puts on the property after it is razed by the town. She said she would use the strong connection she said she has with Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) and other county and state lawmakers to see if there could be any program of lien forgiveness, or otherwise a program that would give developers the opportunity to revitalize the destroyed parcels.
Developments and their consequences are on the minds of many North Shore residents, and with new developments coming up in the town's agenda, including the Mount Sinai Meadows millennial housing project and the Echo Run senior living project in Miller Place, Deonarine said there needs to be attention paid to making sure these developments do not affect the local wildlife, impact the below- ground drinking water or increase traffic.
"We need to protect all our water beneath our feet — you build more development, you have more waste running off into our local waterways," she said. "More housing means more traffic, but we also need the tax base. The cost of living is really high, people living here, more industries, it's a Catch-22."
"More housing means more traffic, but we also need the tax base. The cost of living is really high, people living here, more industries, it's a Catch-22."
— Sarah Deonarine
She said she would take a close look at the Brookhaven Industrial Development Agency, especially in terms of the tax breaks it gives to developments such as the Engel Burman senior living facilities currently under construction in Mount Sinai. The development was given a 13-year Payment in Lieu of Taxes agreement that would see the developer continue to pay $46,000 in property taxes for the first three years while the two projects are under construction.
She said there needs to be more public transparency with IDA meetings and decisions, along with a closer look at their decision- making process.
"Local politics matter a lot. This is our everyday lives," she said. "We really need to pay attention and consider a new way, a new approach."
11-year-old found in hot car in Coram dies
Times of Middle Country
File photo by Victoria Espinoza
The late summer extreme heat wave likely contributed to the death of an 11-year-old girl in Coram Aug. 28.
Suffolk County Police Homicide detectives are investigating the death of the girl who was found unresponsive in a vehicle on Kathleen Crescent in Coram Tuesday at about 3:45 p.m., police said.
The girl's mother had been running errands with the 11-year-old and two other children, according to police. After returning home, the girl's mother went inside believing all of the children were out of the car. Sometime later, the mother could not locate the 11-year-old girl and checked inside of the car where she found the girl. The mother carried her inside the house and called 911.
The girl's mother began CPR. Police arrived in less than two minutes. Police and rescue personnel from Coram Rescue continued CPR and transported the girl to Stony Brook University Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Coram man causes three-car crash
by Desirée Keegan - June 22, 2018
Suffolk County police 6th Squad detectives are investigating a three-car crash that seriously injured a woman last night in Holtsville.
Richard Sougstad, 33, of Coram, was driving a 2012 Dodge Ram eastbound on the Long Island Expressway, approximately 1,000 feet west of exit 63, when he allegedly attempted to change lanes and crashed into a 2003 Hyundai Sonata driven by John Capuano, at approximately 7:15 p.m. The crash caused the Dodge to overturn. The Hyundai then struck a 1998 Nissan Maxima driven by Capuano's son Christopher. Christopher Capuano then drove the Maxima to a parking lot at a nearby hotel.
Linda Capuano, 54, of Astoria, Queens, a passenger in the Hyundai, suffered serious injuries. Her husband John Capuano, 53, also of Astoria, sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Sougstad also sustained non-life-threatening injuries. A 2-year-old female passenger in the Dodge sustained minor injuries. All of the victims were transported to Stony Brook University Hospital. Christopher Capuano, 31, of Medford, was not injured.
The investigation is ongoing. Detectives are asking anyone with information about the crash to call the 6th Squad at 631-854-8652.
Updated: Coram boy last seen with father may have been found dead
Times of Smithtown
by Desirée Keegan - June 6, 2018
Jovani Ligurgo, on left, who was reported missing by his mother, was last seen with his father John Ligurgo III, on right. Photos from SCPD
Jovani Ligurgo's mother dropped off her 2-year-old boy at his father's residence on Brettonwoods Drive in Coram at around 7 a.m. on June 5. When the child, who lives with his mother in Smithtown, was not returned to her at a predetermined time, 3:30 to 4 p.m., she called police. Meanwhile, officers responded to a call of a house fire at approximately 3:35 p.m. where the father, John Ligurgo III, 43, lived. The residence was unoccupied.
Sixth Squad detectives believed the child was with his father, who might have fled the state in a black Jeep Grand Cherokee, New York license plate GAV 4699, with Ligurgo III possibly in possession of a hunting rifle.
A similar vehicle bearing New York license plate GAV 4699 was found June 6 in Rockbridge County, Virginia, with two deceased occupants who are believed to be the pair. A positive identification is pending.
Coram teen arrested for stabbing mother to death
by Desirée Keegan - May 31, 2018
Suffolk County police arrested a Coram teen May 30 for allegedly stabbing his mother to death.
During an altercation Wednesday morning, Jacob Beechem stabbed his mother, Donette Beechem, inside their residence at approximately 7:15 a.m. Jacob Beechem was injured as he fell out of a window attempting to flee the home.
Donette Beechem, 47, was pronounced dead at the scene by a member of the office of the Suffolk County medical examiner. Jacob Beechem, 18, was admitted to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
Jacob Beechem was charged with second-degree murder and will be arraigned at a later date.
Attorney information for Beechem was not immediately available.
Coram woman arrested for Leandra's Law after crash injures her three children
Suffolk County police arrested a Coram woman for Leandra's Law after she was allegedly involved in a single-vehicle crash May 28 that injured her three children.
Tyleen Smith was driving a 2004 Saturn Vue northbound on West Yaphank Road when her vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree in front of 99 West Yaphank Road at 6:07 a.m. Smith had four passengers in the vehicle, including the three children.
Smith's 11-year-old twins, a boy and girl, were transported to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of broken bones. Smith and her 8-year-old son were also treated at Stony Brook University Hospital for minor injuries. Front seat passenger Talisha Thomas, 43, of Bellport, was transported to Long Island Medical Center in East Patchogue for treatment of minor injuries.
Smith, 36, was charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated with a child passenger 15 years old or younger (Leandra's Law) and three counts of endangering the welfare of a child. She will be held overnight at the 4th Precinct and will be arraigned at 1st District Court in Central Islip May 29.
Suffolk County Child Protective Services was notified.
Attorney information was not immediately available.
Coram woman arrested after allegedly putting newborn in trash
Suffolk County police arrested a woman May 10 who allegedly attempted to murder her newborn baby earlier this year.
Felicia Squillace gave birth at her home in Coram April 27 at approximately 1:30 p.m. The mother then allegedly wrapped the baby boy in a plastic bag and attempted to put the baby in a garbage bin outside. Two residents of the home heard the baby cry, took the bag from the mother, removed the baby and called police.
Following the birth, Squillace was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital for medical treatment and evaluation. She was subsequently transferred to Brunswick Hospital in Amityville where upon her release she was arrested by detectives from the special victim's section.
The baby was transported to St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson for evaluation and has since been released to foster care.
Squillace, 26, was be held overnight at the 4th Precinct and is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on May 11. Attorney information was not immediately available.
Rocky Point man arrested for Coram robbery
by Desirée Keegan - March 12, 2018
Paul Mauro's mugshot. Photo from SCPD
Suffolk County police arrested a man March 9 for allegedly robbing a Coram 7-Eleven in February.
A man entered 7-Eleven, located at 1671 Route 112, on Feb. 26 at approximately 1:20 a.m. and approached the counter as if he was going to purchase merchandise. When the clerk began to ring up the items, the suspect punched the victim in the face, knocking him down to the ground. The victim hit his head on shelving and then the floor, knocking him unconscious. The suspect then hopped over the counter and stole cash from the draw and other items before he fled on foot southbound on Route 112.
An investigation by 6th Squad detectives led to the arrest of Paul Mauro, 31, of Rocky Point, at approximately 1:50 p.m. at the 6th Precinct.
Mauro was charged with second-degree robbery and with an active parole warrant. Mauro was held overnight at the 6th Precinct.
Coram man arrested for knifepoint robbery
by Desirée Keegan - February 26, 2018
Kevin Hauff's mugshot. Photo from SCPD
Suffolk County police have arrested a man who allegedly robbed a Medford gas station Feb. 23.
On Friday, a man, armed with a knife, entered BP gas station at 286 Expressway Drive South and demanded money at 7:55 p.m. The clerk complied and the man fled the scene in a Hyundai Tucson.
Sixth Squad detectives, acting on an anonymous tip received by Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS, located the suspect, Kevin Hauff, at his home in Coram Saturday, Feb. 24 at 10:19 p.m. Detectives charged Hauff, 30, with first-degree robbery. He will be held at the 6th Precinct and is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip Feb. 25.
Former Se-Port Delicatessen owner dies at 85
Port Times Record
by TBR Staff - February 16, 2018
Günther Lützen. Photo from Lisa Viscovich
By Fred Lützen
Günther Lützen, former Long Island delicatessen owner and entrepreneur, of Plano, Texas, formerly of East Northport and Coram, died peacefully Jan. 27 at the age of 85.
Günther is survived by his wife Ingrid Lützen of Cape Canaveral, Florida, and their five children and ten grandchildren: Harold Lützen of Taylor, Michigan and his wife Jennifer and their children Sabrina and Thomas; Fred Lützen of Manlius, New York and his wife Nicole and their children Frederick and Riley; Lisa Viscovich of Glen Cove and her husband Gregory and their children Calvin and Emery; Linda Francis of Cutchogue and her children Julia and Samuel and her husband Donald; Stefanie Summers of Celina, Texas and her husband Daniel and their children Günther and Tanner; and by his brother Volkert Lützen of the City of Wyk, Island of Föhr, Germany; and his sister, Christa Storm, of Kayhude, Germany. He is preceded in death by his father Friedrich Christian Lützen, his mother Christina Dorothena [Freiberg], his brother Friedrich ["Freddy" or "Fiete"] Lützen and his brother Werner Lützen.
Günther was born May 21, 1932, in Wyk on the Island of Föhr, Germany. He has always loved flowers, plants and vegetation, so as a teenager in Germany he studied botany and received a certification in botany at the age of 19.
He moved to the United States in 1951. He then began his German delicatessen career and his American Dream. After working relentlessly toward his goals, he became a delicatessen and business owner within a few years, and then married Ingrid by the late 1960s, and they started a family together. Günther and Ingrid worked hard in the delicatessen business for years and raised five very proud children.
One of his longer tenures was owning the Se-Port Delicatessen in East Setauket, which he owned for two separate stints through the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. The Village Times published an article in the 1980s about Günther and his hard work ethic that focused on his success with the Se-Port deli, and the devotion and discipline required of him to operate such a business so successfully. Günther and the deli received a "4 Pickle Rating" award (out of a possible four) from the paper, which was the only "4" rating amongst all of the local North Shore delis that were reviewed. He still had the award with him in Texas when he passed away.
Günther and Ingrid are examples of how hard work pays off. Günther truly lived the America Dream, and his family is extremely proud of his accomplishments. Günther was a man of integrity, a gentleman, and a kind, loving, and devoted father and grandfather. Opa will be missed.
A post-cremation visitation and memorial service is scheduled for Feb. 17 at O.B. Davis Funeral Home, 4839 Nesconset Hwy., Port Jefferson Station. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m., and the ceremony will be at 1:30 p.m. followed by additional visitation ending at 3:30 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Children's Cancer & Blood Foundation. The family would like to thank The Legacy at Willow Bend in Plano and their caregivers, the Vitas hospice caregivers and the caregivers at The Bristal at East Northport assisted living for their efforts and dedication.
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