Photo credit – Matt Meduri
The famous train car on the corner of State Route 347 and State Route 112 in Terryville helps maintain a treasured community space, preserve local culture, and has served as a magnet for local attraction as opposed to blight and decay.
It also serves as a festive highway-side decoration for the Port Jefferson Station-Terryville community during the Christmas season.
Saturday night saw dozens and dozens of families descend on the train car to ring in the holiday, enjoy a festive marketplace set up by the Port Jefferson Station-Terryville Chamber of Commerce, and, of course, to get a quick word with the man himself, Santa Claus.
Chamber President Jennifer Dzvonar welcomed attendees, alongside Suffolk County Legislators Nick Caracappa (C-Selden) and Steve Englebright (D-Setauket), as well as Assemblywoman-elect Rebecca Kassay (D-Port Jefferson), and the Kringles as well.
However, the main event of the night was an unveiling of a new edition to the pocket park, the culmination of months of work of a lifelong resident of the area.
Spencer Aron, 16 of Terryville and Boy Scout Troop 454, completed his Eagle Scout Community Service Project by designing, hand-crafting, and painting a large Adirondack chair, similar to the Big Chair at the Port Jefferson Harbor. The chair is painted red, white, and, blue, with stars all along the back, Aron has had long ties to Train Car Park, starting with a cleanup of the needles and refuse in 2021.
“I looked at that as a time to really clean up the area. I told my mom that I really wanted to pick out a project that would bring more people in and kick out the bad people who were hanging out here,” Aron told The Messenger. “The Adirondack chair will hopefully benefit the community, as well as the chamber and the park as a photo spot to bring more of the public to a free event right in the center of your hometown.”
Aron worked on the chair with the help of his Scoutmaster, Chris Trubia, his uncle, Peter Ladolcetta, and Mr. Adam Maracheau. Two-to-three months of work started with buying materials in October.
Aron, a student at Comsewogue High School, also thanked his parents Stacey and Howard and his brother Max for their support.
The chair’s exposure can be tracked on social media, with the hashtag #TrainChairPJS.
Although a yearly tradition is always well-anticipated, this year’s train car lighting in Terryville certainly had more than just holiday-themed festivities, but a testament to a young person’s commitment to his community, as well as a wholesome attraction for the ultimate betterment of Train Car Park.
