Volume 5, Issue 11
November 2025
The Trail Mix is the monthly newsletter of The Friends of the Greenway. We established this bulletin to keep you current on some of the “goings-on” regarding our Trail and to dispense a mix of bits and bytes of flavorful information. Hopefully, The Trail Mix will enlighten, inform, and entertain our readers.
The Friends of the Greenway is part of The Three Village Community Trust. The Trust was established more than twenty-two years ago to “Protect the Places You Love.” Support the Greenway by joining the Trust today! Visit: threevillagecommunitytrust.org
Happy Thanksgiving
Our long time Trail Steward Dave Wang snapped this photo of a white turkey. Seems this bird got word of the upcoming holiday and took off running!
The Friends of the Greenway and The Three Village Community Trust wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Norm Samuels, one of our dedicated Trail Stewards, snapped this beautiful Fall photo of the Greenway. Everyone should be proud of the trail – a remarkable community asset.
A Very Special Gold Award Project
The Friends of the Greenway is proud to announce the completion of another Scouting Leadership project on the Setauket to Port Jefferson Station Greenway!
This project was completed by Kathryn (Katie) Nielsen as part of her Girl Scout Gold Award community project. In her own words, here is a brief summary of her amazing work:
My name is Katie Nielsen, and I recently completed my Girl Scout Gold Award project. For my project, I developed an interactive scavenger hunt along the Setauket to Port Jefferson Station Greenway Trail. I created a series of educational websites, each accessible via QR codes placed on metal signs attached to trees or other wooden posts along the trail. These websites provide information about the local ecosystem, including the various plant species found in the area. The goal of my project was to encourage children and adults to spend more time outdoors, engaging with nature and being physically active, rather than spending extended periods indoors on screens!
Above is a photo of Katie mounting one of the metal signs with the QR code.
Help Support the Greenway!
It’s the one special event that everyone looks forward to throughout the year!
The Trust’s Fall Gala at the Old Field Club is a fun-filled evening that helps kick off the Holiday Season.
Yes, the Three Village Community Trust is hosting its 21st Annual Fall Gala on Wednesday, November 12th at the Old Field Club. This Fall Gala brings together many of the area’s most prominent leaders from government, business, cultural organizations, educational institutions, and civic groups.
The Gala is the Trust’s most important source of funding to “Protect the Places You Love.” As an all-volunteer, not for profit organization, we depend on the Gala to support our projects throughout the upcoming year. Every Trust site benefits by this event: Patriots Rock Historic Site, The Immigrant Factory Houses, The Hawkins Homestead, the Smith/deZafra House, the Tyler House, the Setauket to Port Jefferson Station Greenway, the Steven D. Matthews Preserve, the Little Red House, the Dr. Robert and Julia de Zafra Estate, Julia’s Corner and the Bruce House. Additionally, this event helps fund the Dr. Robert and Julia de Zafra Acquisition Fund – enabling us to purchase key historical properties in the future.
Our special guest for the evening is Noel Gish, the popular Long Island historian, teacher, author, researcher and lecturer. Noel is a past president of the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium. A dedicated wing at the Suffolk County Historical Society Museum is named the Noel J. Gish Gallery in recognition of his lifetime of public service and achievement. With the ability to engage, captivate and amuse audiences, we are thrilled to welcome Noel as our special guest.
There will be live music, a light buffet, an amazing art raffle, spectacular raffle baskets, door prizes and much, much more!
Tickets are $75 each. There is limited seating!
Another way to support the Greenway
Take a chance!
Three Village Community Trust’s 2025 Annual Art Raffle
$25 a Ticket, Only 200 Tickets will be Sold
“Village Sycamores” 2006
By Eugene Quinn Jr.
Oil on canvas 16”x16” ( 22”x22” framed )
From the collection of Dr. Robert and Julia de Zafra
For Raffle Tickets – Click Here!
The Trust’s Fifth Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive is now in Progress
Please donate to our Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive!
The Trust’s Bruce House Headquarters, at 148 Main Street, Setauket, is our Drop Off Point for the Thanksgiving Food Drive! It is a fast, easy collection center -simply drop off your donations on the front porch. We’ll take it from there!
Canned goods, protein bars, snack items, toiletries and cereal are appreciated. Your donations are important to so many families as we near the holiday season.
Adding a card with your name, address and email in your donation bag or box will allow us to send you a thank- you note.
Northville Industries – Deserving a Second Mention
If you remember, in the last issue of The Trail Mix, we mentioned Northville Industries’ big, big help in mowing the Greenway throughout the past year. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we thought it was important to mention again how much we appreciate their contribution to the community! Thank you!
Our Special Friends
Keep in mind, these special friends of the Greenway who support our efforts throughout the year! Please consider giving them your business, and mention you saw them in The Trail Mix.
Shown above is Dave Prestia, owner/operator, of Bagel Express
Bagel Express at 15-5 Bennetts Road in Setauket. Owned and operated by David Prestia, Bagel Express generously donates the catering of our Trail Steward breakfasts. Delicious bagels, hot, steaming coffee – sooo good! For the third year in a row, The Trail Mix has voted Bagel Express #1 for breakfast and lunch, and all of your catering needs. Call 631-675-2770 or check website at Bagel Express – New York | View our menu, reviews & Order food online (bagelexpressli.com)
Emily Riley Design631-512-3330 emilyrileydesign.com
Emily Riley of Emily Riley Design knows plants and landscaping. Using the latest understanding of natural, native and sustainable landscaping methods, Emily can transform your yard into a magical setting that lasts for years and years. As a landscape designer, Emily has been a generous donor of both time, energy and materials to a host of Trust projects!
A Big Friend of the Trust is Swan Cove Landscaping. Swan Cove does a whole line of services – lawn maintenance, pruning, stone walls, firewood. Dave Fortuna has recently retired, but his longtime employee Wander Aleman is now the new and capable owner/operator. Swan Cove donates many, many of services to the Trust. The result – our properties always look great! Thank you, Dave! Call 631-689-8089.
Emerald Magic Lawn Care’s horticultural consultant, Craig den Hartog has been providing flower bulbs for the Greenway over many years at “no cost.” We planted a big bulk of these bulbs at the kiosk on Gnarled Hollow Road, Setauket. Craig generosity is part of his beautification effort known as Old Town Blooms.Why not support Emerald Magic, who supports us! Call 631-286-4600, 631-804-9205.
Steve Antos – He can do it all!
For your yard’s beautification look to Setauket Landscape and Design. Steve Antos can help you plan and design the unique surroundings to make your property the envy of your neighborhood. His company has helped us with many large and small projects on the Trust’s historic properties. Call 631-882-7190.
And lots of thanks to Bove Industries and Skyline Industries for their generous support of the Trust’s projects – they have been instrumental in our grounds restorations at the Smith/deZafra House! Bove Industries and Skyline Industries are leaders in producing materials for roads and construction products.
Randall Brothers Tree Service is always a big help and big hearted in helping the Trust! Call 631-862-9291. Marty is the Man!
Jos. M. Troffa Materials Corporation at 70 Comsewogue Road in Setauket is a very special friend. The company has every conceivable item to beautify your yard. Mulch – they got it. Grass seed – yes! Soil, gravel, shovel, – everything. Forget the big box stores – You gotta go to Troffa!
Maeder Landscaping and Snow, Ltd. is a really great choice for your all of your yard’s needs. Rest your back, spend more time with your friends and family – give them a call at 631-988-9211.
The Three Village Community Trust
A community of volunteers working to “Protect the Places You Love.”
Trust properties and stewardships include: The Setauket to Port Jefferson Station Greenway, Patriots Rock Historic Site, The Immigrant Factory Worker Houses, the Hawkins Homestead, the Smith/de Zafra House, the Bruce House, the Steven D. Mathews Preserve, The Little Red House, the Drs. Robert and Julia de Zafra Estate, and the Tyler House.
Trust programs and outreaches include: The Trail Steward Program, The Little Food Pantry, Chicken Hill Country Picnic, Annual Winter Coat Drive, Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive, Patriots Rock Program – Culper Spy Day, Maria’s No Mow May, Simply De-Vine Awareness Program, Annual Ukrainian Relief Drive, The Trail Mix Newsletter, monthly Greenway Cleanups, Earth Day Celebration, The Trust’s Photo Letter, and the Stony Brook Train Station Beautification Project
The Trust is a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization of all volunteers dedicated to Protecting the Places You Love.
PO Box 2596, Setauket, New
