Top Stories of September 2012

As we say goodbye to September and welcome October, let's take a look back at the most widely-read headlines on Three Village Patch:

Residents at the Sept. 10 meeting of the Civic Association of the Setaukets and Stony Brook grilled two Stony Brook officials over the university's plans to increase enrollment and add housing space, saying those plans will only exacerbate existing quality-of-life issues in the community. This also sparked a discussion on a separate thread: "How Do You Feel About Stony Brook as a College Town?"

Setauket Man Missing Following Outing at Caleb Smith State Park

The story of retired doctor Jerome Nadler of East Setauket gained attention as the community held its breath as authorities searched for him. He went missing on Labor Day and was found three days later in an extremely weak and dehydrated condition. He left the hospital Sept. 12.

Port Jefferson Station Firm Rallies Around East Setauket Man After ALS Diagnosis

Vinnie Cullen may have ALS, but he's still pushing forward as a college instructor and accountant with his firm, Cullen & Danowski. His staff rallied around him to create a walking team for the annual ALS walk, called "Cullen's Crusaders," which raised more than $111,000 for research.

Scott Borland has big plans for the Jamba Juice name on Long Island. The St. James resident has acquired the franchise rights to Jamba Juice smoothie and juice cafés in all of Suffolk, Nassau, Brooklyn and Queens, and he's starting right here in Stony Brook with a location at 2460 Nesconset Highway. "The location is great," he said. "Near Stony Brook University. The high school is close. It's a very busy center." The 1,600-square-foot space, once home to a deli, is a little bigger than what Borland said would typically be the ideal size for a Jamba Juice storefront because its Long Island headquarters will also be housed there.

New Committee Will Shape Fresh Vision for a Stony Brook Downtown

Imagine a vibrant downtown development surrounding the Stony Brook train station corridor on Route 25A: a beautiful, village-like community that is safe for pedestrians – one that encourages people to shop and dine in the area while remaining respectful of the nearby residents and convenient for nearby students. That kind of vision is what has brought together a new community-based group of leaders, the "Stony Brook Safety, Beautification and Improvement Planning Committee." It has been tasked with exploring ideas that would re-imagine that area of the Three Village community, make it safer for traffic and pedestrians, and plan for the future with the help of the residents and stakeholders.