Week in Review: James Cress Moves, Districts Partner Up On New STEM Initiative

James Cress Florist Moves Back To Previous Location in PJS

James Cress Florist has been a staple in Port Jefferson Station for years. It was originally located in a house, but due to needed expansion, the company thought it would be better suited in a store located only three doors down at 4699 Nesconset Highway. 

The store remained there for almost 15 years. "We were renting our space there," said Luz Guido, manager of the Port Jefferson location. However, an opportunity came up that the owners could not resist.

"We found out the house that we used to be in was for sale and we thought we should buy it and move back. It's a lovely house. It's cozy, has beautiful colors, and is just a cute place to be in," said Guido.

So, the florist moved back into their original location on 36 Nesconset Highway in Port Jefferson Station. The owners have also manage a store in Smithtown on 115 E Main St. 

Mount Sinai Scoutmaster Troop 1776 Is Working Hard To Gain Hands-On Experience

A new troop working hard to make the community better in Mount Sinai is Troop 1776. Although it's a relatively new, Assistant Scoutmaster James Snider said the group comes with a lot of knowledge.

“We all have experience with the boy scouts from previous troop work. Just this past weekend we went on a retreat where the kids learned and acted out the civil war for the whole weekend," said Snider in a phone interview.

Snider said the boy scouts get hands-on experience, something they won't be able to get from school. "The experience they get is unmatched for a child that is not in scouting. A boy scout can survive anything thrown at him because of what he is taught. They lean about survival skills," said Sinder.

Port Jeff Liquors Is Open For Business In Port Jefferson Village

Stephen Plunkett, owner of Port Jeff Liquors, said he searched high and low looking for the proper location to open a store. “I searched all over Long Island looking for a place where they wasn't already an established liquor store and I found there wasn’t one in Port Jefferson Village. I was surprised no on beat me to it,” said Plunkett.

Plunkett chose a vacant store located on 156-1 East Main Street in the Port Jefferson. He said what sets him apart for other stores is his wide range of pricing, along with his speciality orders. 

“I have mostly every single type of wine. My wines range from as little as $6 to as high as $65. So there is something for everyone. All of the wines I carry are good names,” said Plunkett.

“Listen, I am local and I am here for the local customers. If I don’t stock what they want I will look into ordering it for them. Almost 30% of what is on my shelves are already customer requests.”

MS and PJ Districts Partner Up On New STEM Initiative

The Port Jefferson School District and the Mount Sinai Union Free School District have partnered up for a new STEM initiative that will allow students to participate in a variety of subjects at the Brookhaven National Laboratory and Stony Brook University. 

The district said with the the help of New York State Senator Kenneth LaValle, it was able to secure an additional $45,500 that is separate from the funding generated through the state aid formula. These funds opened up spots for high school students to attend classes in fields such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics and the laboratory or the university. 

In a letter to the district, La Valle said this new initiative was critical for students. "Every child deserves outstanding schools and a quality of education at a cost taxpayers can afford," said La Valle. "It's becoming more and more difficult for homeowners to absorb increased school taxes…I have long been an advocate of districts sharing services and commend Port Jefferson and Mount Sinai for working collaboratively to expand student programming and save taxpayers' dollars."

Update: Ward Melville First Suffolk County Stop for State Education Commissioner

The date of the forum has been moved to Nov. 12 from 6-8 p.m.

Ward Melville High School will be one of two locations on Long Island where State Education Commissioner John B. King will meet with community members to discuss the Common Core standards.

According to the state education website, the forums will be moderated by state legislators. State Sen. John Flanagan's office is coordinating the event. 

King was heavily criticized for canceling a tour of Common Core town hall meetings scheduled to take place across the state, after attending only one in Poughkeepsie on Oct. 10. According to King's office, that meeting, which has been described as heated, "was not constructive for those taking the time to attend." 

Support a Long Island Veteran Cause: Family & Children's

Veteran's Day is November 11. If you want to help an organization that helps veterans in Long Island, one option is Family & Children's of Mineola.

You can click on the GoFundMe interactive above to learn more about their efforts with veterans (as well as children and senior citizens) across Long Island. GoFundMe is a Patch partner.