News Nearby: Miller Place Pharmacy Owner Discusses Prescription Drug Epidemic

Miller Place Pharmacy Owner Discusses Prescription Drug Epidemic

When Bryan McCutcheon opened Echo Pharmacy in Miller Place in 2002, his intent was to build a community pharmacy with a mom-and-pop feel.

That feel is long gone. In its place: fear.

“All of my employees have expressed concern for their safety,” McCutcheon said, adding that the pharmacy has been robbed numerous times, including once at hammer point, as Long Island finds itself at the epicenter of a prescription drug abuse epidemic.

McCutcheon was a panelist Tuesday morning at a press conference as part of “Long Island United: Saving Lives--Call to Action,” a day of meetings, exhibitions and group discussions held in Melville meant to urge action against drug abuse.

Police Identify Commack Man Killed in Motor Parkway Accident

Suffolk County police have identified Commack resident Abraham Sparber, 90, as the man killed in a two-car crash on Vanderbilt Motor Parkway Tuesday morning.

Police said Patrick Williams, 46, was driving a 2003 box truck westbound on Motor Parkway when his vehicle struck a 2010 Hyundai driven by Sparber, who was attempting to make a left turn out of a parking lot onto eastbound Motor Parkway.

A new Caribbean-inspired restaurant has the green light to begin building a new location in the Smith Haven Mall Plaza.

But it may not get a warm welcome from local residents.

Smithtown Town Board voted unanimously to approve site plans for N & D Restaurants to build a new Bahama Breeze restaurant, from the ground up, on the corner of Middle Country Road and Alexander Avenue in the Smith Haven Mall Plaza.

Lumber Yard Condemned by Smithtown's Building Department

The former home to Nassau Suffolk Lumber and Supply Corp., the abandoned lumber yard at 102 West Main Street in Smithtown, has been condemned by the town.

Signs have been placed on the door by the town's building department, stating the building is "unsafe and its use or occupancy has been prohibited."

Residents Rejoice at Kings Park Library Opening

Patrons who stepped into the newly renovated Kings Park Library took a moment to get their bearings as they tried to compare the old with the new, a signal library director Robert Lusak took as a good one.

"We know we've done a good job when they step in and it feels brand new to them," said Lusak.

Local Civics Join Forces in Three Village

The Civic Association of the Setaukets and Stony Brook on Monday publicly welcomed the Three Village Civic Association into its membership via a merger.
Judy Shivak, longtime president of the Three Village Civic Association, presented a check of approximately $400 to Ron DiBiase, president of the Civic Association of the Setaukets and Stony Brook, representing the last of its funds.

"I think it'll add to our diversity," DiBiase said of the merger. "It's good to have representation from all over the community. Many hands make light work."

The announcement comes during a membership campaign being conducted by the Civic Association of the Setaukets and Stony Brook. Leaders of that organization, which has been around for 70 years, said this past summer that the organization would be seeking more members to help keep it thriving.