Week in Review: Drunk Bus Driver Sentenced, School Budget Update

Drunk Bus Driver Gets 2 Years in Jail

The Three Village school bus driver who was busted for driving drunk with a flat tire on the Long Island Expressway will serve two years in prison, according to a report published Thursday in Newsday. Robert Stundis, 48, of Bohemia, was convicted in December on charges including 12 counts of aggravated driving while intoxicated with a child in the vehicle and six counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Reports say he had a blood-alcohol content of .23; a half-empty bottle of vodka was found in the center console of the bus.

Cloud Hangs Over Teacher Layoffs

The amount of state aid received and the Consumer Price Index will help determine just how many teachers will get cut in Three Village's 2013-14 school budget. During his budget presentation at Tuesday's school board meeting, Jeff Carlson, the assistant superintendent for business services, said while those two variables are out of the district's control, they will govern the district's ability to avoid what he called the worst-case scenario of laying off up to 81 teachers.

Stony Brook University officials and Brookhaven Town attorneys have come to an agreement that has the potential to ease friction arising from illegal housing issues within the community, Three Village Patch has learned. University spokeswoman Lauren Sheprow told Patch that following a meeting with a town attorney and a town investigator, the university has agreed to ask landlords to produce valid permits when they want to list available housing with the university. In addition, she said, the university will also cross-reference off-campus housing lists with town database of known illegal dwellings. She also said the town has agreed to "host and/or participate in a workshop with our students living in off-campus housing so these students better understand the importance of, and how to comply with town codes."

New Tex Mex Eatery Coming to Setauket

New signs are up at 736 Route 25A in Setauket, a commercial space that has been home to at least two other restaurants in the past three years. The new signs read "East Coast Burrito" and "Tex-Mex Redefined." The new eatery replaces Cuzzin's Smoothie Café, which closed early in 2012, and which itself had replaced Melville Grill.

Strange Signs Pop Up on Christian Avenue

While many people found them humorous, the Town of Brookhaven certainly didn't. When mysterious signs reading "Welcome to Christian Avenue" and "Enter at Your Own Risk" appeared, the town didn't hesitate to remove them. Commenters seemed to think the signs were meant to bring attention to the many potholes on Christian Avenue.

Sex Offender Registers Residence in Setauket Area

In a letter dated March 6, the Three Village Central School District informed its residents that a sex offender has registered with a residence in the district. According to the letter, a moderate-risk Level 1 sex offender has taken up residence in the Setauket area, zip code 11733.