Kimberly King is a Commissioner at the Plymouth Massachusetts County Mosquito Control Project. Ms. King’s five year old daughter, Adreanna, died five after acquiring Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) after being bitten by an infected mosquito in 2005. Ms. King has since become an advocate for mosquito control and educational awareness.

On July 9th 2013 Mrs. King traveled to Rye from her home in Massachusetts to inspect Hen Island and speak with local government officials about her findings. Ms. King publicly addressed the Rye City Council on the dangers of vector borne illnesses, the high vector borne exposure rate on Hen Island and how it affects the surrounding communities. Ms. King detailed the importance of the removal and remediation of the Hen Island’s primitive water collection systems and the lack of maintenance on the Island.

After Ms. King’s presentation, rather than contacting the Westchester County Health Department, Mayor Doug French contacted the Ms. King’s superiors in Massachusetts in effort to have her silenced in Westchester County.

Earlier that same day in a meeting with the Westchester County Health Department, Ms. King was advised by George Vaselekos (Westchester County’s Mosquito Control Supervisor) that Hen Island is a political mess and treated differently than other areas of the County.

Ron Schoenfeld, is a West Nile Virus survivor who lives roughly a half mile from Hen Island in Rye Neck NY. Ron, 73, and his wife Isabel were traveling in Canada mere days after he was bite by a mosquito carrying the virus in his own backyard. Mr. Schoenfeld spent weeks in a coma after the mosquito borne virus caused encephalitis.

After the first hospital was unable to determine Mr. Schoenfeld’s illness, he was airlifted by a medevac team to another as his wife was informed by doctors that his survival was unlikely. As West Nile Virus is not well known in Canada, Ron was only correctly diagnosed after his daughter, a licensed nurse, specifically requested West Nile Virus testing after realizing her father lived in a high risk area.

Miraculously, just as Isabel was preparing for a funeral service, Ron began to come out of the coma and showed signs of improvement. His battle with West Nile Virus was only beginning, as it would take years of what he describes as “infinitesimal progress” while still coping with long term disabilities. Today, Schoenfeld has taken on an advocacy role through media interviews, his personal testimony (which includes an appearance before the Rye City Council in August of 2014) and his participation in this film.

Ben Minard is the 10 year Board President who has lead the movement among Board members and stockholders to spend well over a half of million dollars on legal fees to avoid compliance on sewage, potable water and the horrific mosquito infestation. Mr. Minard also condoned the building of an 80 foot wall along the Shores of Milton Harbor without permits. After the City mandated its removal he sued the City of Rye and lost.

With the help of then City Manager Scott Pickup, City attorney Kristen Wilson, Island attorney Ira Goldenberg and Mayor Doug French, Mr. Minard spearheaded a movement which allowed 34 home owners to install composting toilets along the environmentally sensitive shores of Milton Harbor. That process was conducted without any applications being submitted to any local, state or federal agency.

Attorney Ira Goldenberg was hired by Kuder Island Colony (the corporate owners of Hen Island) to prolong the illegal pollution, lack of potable water and horrific mosquito infestation in Rye New York. To date the Hen Island Corporation has spent over $800,000 defending their actions.

In a letter drafted in April 2014, the U.S. Attorney’s office was asked to investigate claims of Mr. Goldenberg’s involvement into inappropriate legal tactics and the impeding of an investigation conducted by the Department of Environmental Conservation and requested by State Senator George Latimer.

Claudio Iodice and his wife Barbara have been Hen Island homeowners from 1993. In 2008 after a visit by his son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren one of the younger girls was severely bitten during a play session in the rear of the Island. As a result of the numerous bites the child had to be medically treated and was no longer allowed to visit Hen Island. Although Mr. & Mrs. Iodice still own the cottage they have not used it in the last six years.

Nathan Barotz is a New York City attorney practicing commercial transactions and litigation law. Mr. Barotz graduated from Duke University for his undergrad, and George Washington Law School for his law degree. A longtime Hen Island resident, Nathan Barotz repeatedly voiced concerns with the Hen Island Board of Directors regarding their overall position, lack of movement on issues, and legal maneuvers relating to sewage, potable water and the mosquito infestation.

Dr. Carolyn Lederman-Barotz married into the Hen Island community. Wife of long time Hen Island resident Nathan Barotz, Dr. Barotz is a mother of two.

After positive test results for West Nile virus on Hen Island in 2012, Dr. Barotz refused to allow her children to spend their summers on the Island. Dr. Barotz has since written multiple letters of concern to the Rye City Council, and on two occasions appeared in person to plead her case for remediation of the health and safety issues.

Dr. Carolyn Lederman-Barotz practices pediatric ophthalmology and is affiliated with Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Lederman-Barotz attended medical school at the University of Virginia School of Medicine.

Michael Johnson and his wife Margaret are both long time Hen Island and Rye residents. Michael is the adopted son of former Rye City Mayor H. Clay Johnson.

Mike and his wife are both former members of the Hen Island Board of Directors and Mike is one of Hen Island’s most vocal members opposing the remediation efforts. Mike has boasted that his efforts in preventing code enforcement on Hen Island was a monumental success, and a direct result of his father’s past position as Rye City Mayor.

Mr. Johnson attended numerous Rye City Council meetings and consistently reminded the City Council that his father was a Rye City Mayor.

Ms. Cunningham is a long time resident of Hen Island and past member of the Board of Directors. To this day, Ms. Cunningham maintains that the cottage owners of Hen Island have no intention of remediating the ongoing problems of potable water containment, effluence and mosquito breeding.

As documented in City of Rye police reports: During a night of heavy drinking in August of 2008 Beth Cunningham daughter of Hen Island resident Helen Cunningham attempted to instigate a fight with Ray Tartaglione. After several rounds of calling Tartaglione a POS and his refusal to be baited, Ms. Cunningham fell on her face as she staggered to her home on Hen Island.

Gary Ederer is currently a Hen Island stockholder, board member and cottage owner. In 2008, Mr. Ederer purchased a cottage on Hen Island and began to dismantle it without receiving necessary building permits. After receiving complaints from Ray Tartaglione, a stop work order from the Rye Building Department was issued.

Mr. Ederer was referred to the Rye Zoning Board of Appeals to apply for a use variance. With the help of local attorney Anthony Piscionere (leading the City of Rye Zoning Board for that meeting only), Mr. Ederer managed to have the Zoning Board change the requirement from a ‘use variance’ to an ‘area variance’ despite objections of then Building Inspector Vincent Tamburro.

In full view of the entire Zoning Board of Appeals, the granting of the variance by the Zoning Board served as an official determination that there was no threat to public safety or the environment.

As a result, Mr. Ederer was allowed to enlarge and construct a home on Hen Island without any approvals as required from the Westchester County Health Department for sewage treatment or potable water.

Long time Hen Island stockholder, board member and cottage owner. Mr. Ederer is the owner of the cottage on the south-end of Hen Island that had a blue garbage can buried partially in the ground, with only the top exposed.

This garbage can was used to dispose of his family’s sewage effluence along the shoreline of the Long Island Sound. The top was accessible to enable Mr. Ederer to remove the contents when the sewage can was full or clogged. Martin Ederer is one of the more flagrant “polluters” on Hen Island.

After years of attention brought by HEALtheHARBOR, in 2013 Mr. Ederer dismantled and removed the blue garbage can that polluted the waters of the Long Island Sound for decades.

Lorraine Volpe is an former-President and long time member of the Hen Island Board of Directors. During the West Nile virus epidemic of 1999, Lorraine instructed Hen Island residents to bury dead birds found on the island, while the rest of Westchester County was sending samples to the State Department of Health for testing. Ms. Volpe led the effort to remove the mosquito control program on Hen Island that had been in place for years. Ms. Volpe is the sister of Ben Minrard, who succeeded her as Board President, a position he held for over 10 years.

Robert Volpe is a long time Hen Island resident, present stockholder, son of Board member Lorraine Volpe and nephew of long time Board President Ben Minard. By his own admission, Mr. Volpe partook in retaliatory measures against Ray Tartaglione after his public awareness campaign shed light on environmental violations on Hen Island.

After a night of heavy drinking and partying, Mr. Volpe and his brothers admitted to urinating on tents where grade school girls and their fathers camped out overnight on Hen Island. Mr. Volpe has also been suspected of vandalizing property, urinating in water tanks used for bathing and domestic use.

Ed Volpe is a long time Hen Island resident, present stockholder, son of Board member Lorraine Volpe and nephew of long time Board President Ben Minard. Mr. Volpe is also a close friend and neighbor to former Mayor Doug French on Meadow Place in Rye. The Volpes have hosted Doug French and his wife on Hen Island on occasion prior to his election as Mayor in 2010.

After a night of heavy drinking and partying, Mr. Volpe and his brothers admitted to urinating on tents where grade school girls and their fathers camped out overnight on Hen Island. Mr. Volpe has also been suspected of vandalizing property, urinating in water tanks used for bathing and domestic use on Hen Island.

Jay Sears is the publisher of MyRye.com. A resident of the Bradford Park section of Rye, Jay lives with his wife and three boys. Professionally, Jay is works in online advertising as the General Manager of the Rubicon Project.

MyRye.com began publication in January 2006 and currently reaches over 3,000 people each month. The web site welcomes participation from readers through blog comments.

MyRye.com was the first publication to cover the Hen Island story in detail, which resulted in hundreds of comments. Mr. Sears penned stories titled “Seven Foot Turd in Downtown Rye”, “Hen Island ‘Spokes-Turd’ Mr. Floatie Visits Rye City Council”, “Rye City Council on Commodes: Mr. Floatie”, “Hen Island – Photos of Dubious Septic Systems” among others. It was through MyRye.com that Rye residents followed Ray Tartaglione, his controversial humor and environmental awareness campaign through the early days.

One of Kuder Island newest board members. Kuder Island Colony Inc. recruited Cadenhead with the intention to solidify relations between the City of Rye and the Hen Island Board of Directors. This tactical move further enabled Hen Island to avoid code compliance.

As a resident of Rye and also Hen Island Cadenhead was involved in a number of local City of Rye committees including Rye’s TPS committee as well as the Rye Arts Council. Cadenhead was named as one of the top political donors in the 2015 Rye City elections.

When asked by a local real estate agent in July of 2015 about the sewage conditions on Hen Island he began to act confused, fumbled his words but eventually stated that he is not familiar with the sewage systems on Hen Island.”

Jeffery O’Neill is a technical expert on mosquitos and control. Mr. O’Neill has earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and masters in entomology and insect toxicology. He is presently the Executive Director for the state of Delaware training program on mosquito control toxicology. Mr. O’Neill has extensive experience in application training as well as laboratory and field research on mosquito and pest control. Mr. O’Neill has worked with every agency involved with mosquito control east of the Mississippi River.

In July of 2013 at the request of Massachusetts Mosquito Control Commissioner Kimberly King, Mr. O’Neill traveled from his hometown of Bear Delaware to inspect Hen Island and report his findings to the Rye City Council.

He reported finding “188 water filled, stagnant bird feces infected rain barrels as well as 3 species of mosquito importance including the disease bearing yellow fever mosquito and the Asian tiger mosquito.”

During his 14 minute presentation to the City Council Mr. O’Neill addressed Hen Island’s sewage neglect and it’s mosquito breeding effects as he went on to say “You have replaced what has been our worst mosquito to date with a terrible mosquito and now you have them breeding on Hen Island”