Supervisor’s ‘State of the Town’ speech rescheduled to June 29

The “State of the Town” address has been rescheduled to June 29 “due to unforeseen circumstances” and will not take place tonight, according to a press release issued by Supervisor Yvette Aguiar’s office.

The address will be held at a joint dinner of the Riverhead Rotary, Lions and Kiwanis clubs — called the tri-club meeting — the longstanding forum where prior supervisors traditionally gave the speech. Former Supervisor Laura Jens-Smith broke with that tradition and gave the speech in Town Hall instead. Aguiar did the same last year, after missing the opportunity to give the address in her first year in office, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

[See prior coverage: Aguiar to give ‘State of the Town’ speech at service clubs’ dinner meeting June 8]

The dinner meeting will take place from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Sea Star Ballroom on East Main Street. Dinner tickets are $35 per person. There will be a cash bar. 

People who are not members of the clubs are welcome to attend as guests, but purchase of a dinner ticket is required for admission to the event. Registration and payment can be made on the Rotary Club’s website. Questions can be directed to Rotary Club Secretary Kim Judd by email or (631) 727-3017.

The press release also states that the event will now be televised live on Optimum Channel 22. Originally the speech was to be taped and aired on Optimum Channel 22 and available on the town’s website within a couple of hours after it had ended, Aguiar said last week.

It is unclear what “unforeseen circumstances” caused the rescheduling of the dinner. Judd said she didn’t know what the issue was and Deputy Supervisor Devon Higgins declined to elaborate on the delay when asked about it Monday.

Aguiar has not attended meetings or events since leaving Memorial Day ceremonies early due to illness. The VFW post commander called her to the microphone to give scheduled remarks and learned she had gone home. He announced that she wasn’t feeling well. The supervisor was absent from yesterday’s town board meeting and participated in last week’s work session via telephone. At that time, Aguiar said she was ill but had tested negative for COVID-19.

“We do not discuss people’s medical situations. If the supervisor wants to comment on that, that’s certainly her prerogative. That’s certainly up to her,” Higgins said when asked about the supervisor’s health.

“She’s doing well. She’s working, continuing to move the ball forward as always, never stops,” Higgins added. “Anxious to get back in the saddle.”

Correction: An earlier version of this article erroneously stated the State of the Town address was rescheduled to June 26. It is rescheduled to June 29.