Volume 10, Issue 32 - Teen Suicide

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Long Island Press for August 16 - August 22, 2012

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Sound Smart at a Party While Americans argue over whether or not birth control should be covered by insurance, one South African province has decided to use it as population control…for elephants! KwaZulu-Natal has seen

the elephant population steadily grow in its province, and officials are afraid that if the rate continues the pachyderm proliferation will seriously affect the area’s plant and wildlife. Now officials are trying to curb the population by shooting elephants with a dart containing a vaccine that makes the immune system block sperm reception. So far they’ve gotten a thumbs-up from the Humane Society, and say that studies show the drug is reversible, nearly 100 percent effective and has no adverse side-effects. Elephants eat about 220 to 600 pounds of food a day, and many forests in the area have disappeared as a result…

43-year-old told her he was separated (he is married with children) and that he worked in “special ops.” In July the woman received an email from someone named “Bob,” stating that Ward was dead and due to the nature of his work, he couldn’t say more. His pregnant (yup, he just gets sleazier by the minute) girlfriend was so upset that she drove out to his home, and

“‘Broken Silence’ changed my life. I always loved Foxy. When she put out ‘Broken Silence,’ I knew she was an innovator.”

A naval submarine commander allegedly faked his own death after the married man found out his mistress was pregnant. Comdr.

Nicki Minaj, on rapper Foxy Brown, who made a guest appearance during her concert at Roseland Ballroom on Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2012 in New York. (Photo by Jason DeCrow/Invision/AP)

Michael P. Ward II, met the 23-yearold Virginia woman through a dating website last October. She says that the

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there she learned that he had really just moved to Connecticut to assume command of the USS Pittsburgh. She reported him, and the Navy relieved him of his duties “due to lack of confidence in Ward’s ability to command.” He’s now reassigned to administrative duties while the Navy investigates, and the woman has since lost the child. We personally think this sounds like the perfect NCIS episode, and would love to see this guy alone in a room with

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Leroy Jethro Gibbs…

The results are in: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that Mississippi has the highest rate of obesity in the nation, with 34.9 percent of its residents weighing in at obese. The

results, which were complied using data from the CDC’s 2011 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, also showed that Mississippi is one of 12 states that have more than 30 percent of their population listed as overweight. The state with the least amount of obese residents was Colorado at 20.7 percent. New York tied with Nevada and Connecticut and placed 42nd on the list, with only 24.5 percent of residents identified as obese. Yup, we knew those trips to the gym have been making a difference…

It’s a real life version of the “Madagascar” movies. Zoo officials

in Germany are clamoring to find a runaway kangaroo after a fox and wild boar helped it and two other roos escape to sweet freedom. The fox snuck into the wildlife park and dug a hole next to the cage’s fences and three kangaroos broke out. Two were then able to fly the coop by sneaking under another hole that was dug by a wild boar under the exterior fence. One is still on the lam…

Long Island Press for August 16 - August 22, 2012

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Letters to the Press The following are some reader comments posted on our website. Join the conversation at longislandpress.com. Doggone Shame The upswing in dog abuse nationwide, especially of Pit Bulls, has been extremely disturbing [“Puppy Thrown from Vehicle in Brentwood,” Aug. 14]. Some are shot down the throat, set on fire, jaws taped shut and left tied to a pole somewhere, their ears cut, throats slit... and people are afraid of them?! We need to be afraid of our own! Jeanette Lowe Hafke DW-Why? It’s not just Long Island, it’s everywhere [“Mastic Teen Charged With DWI After Crash Kills 2,” July 21]. Drinking and driving affects all ages, not just teens, but grown, hard-working adults, too. Unfortunately, people have been drinking and driving for years. There have been many assemblies educating these kids about the causes of drinking and driving. We need to find something new that could prevent them from drinking and driving because so far there has not been any success. Kathy Goetschius Killing Us Softly These chemicals are harmful to living things other than mosquitoes [“Nassau, Suffolk Anti-mosquito Spraying Resumes,” Aug. 13]. Further, they will enter the groundwater and gardens and be part of the food chain as they are now. There are alternatives to inundating Long Island with pesticides. These spraying events are in response to one confirmed case of West Nile virus, but it really is an excuse to spray for “nuisance mosquito” biting. These compounds are serious pesticides, and they are not inert. They can harm you.

Educate yourself to the facts. Read about Resmethrin, Piperonyl, Sumithrin, Sourge and Anvil. Do not be in denial of the side effects and collateral damage these compounds bring with them. W.k. Vanderbilt Veep Ryan? From a purely strategic view, it’s a risky move [“Romney Picks Paul Ryan for VP,” Aug. 11]. Positive: Romney is sure to energize his base by choosing such an anti-government right winger. There are few (less than 8 percent) undecided voters right now and the best chance for Romney to win is to energize Republicans to go out and vote. Negative: Ryan budget is huge ammunition for Obama campaign. Most risky of all, now Dems can say Medicare is threatened as Ryan wanted to change it to voucher program, and seniors are a big block of GOP voters. Also, McCain’s right wing VP pick in ’08 didn’t help much. Andrzej Sienko NBC Fail Whale The one good thing about NBC coverage is overall video quality [“Olympic Viewing: NBC’s Poorly Timed Commercial,” Aug. 4]. Beyond that, let’s see: They censored the opening ceremony, they loaded their coverage with filler, they decided whether a match involving the US was worth showing, they heavily edited everything, they showed very little of other countries except if the US was involved, they refused to let you watch pretty much anything live so odds are by the time you got to see something you already knew who won. And then, of course, the perfectly timed monkey commercial, and the announcement of the “gold medal” winner’s interview before they aired the race. Can’t wait until the next Olympics for more great NBC coverage! Ron Troy

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Long Island Press for August 16 - August 22, 2012

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Long Island Press for August 16 - August 22, 2012

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C Ex h pr ec e ko ss ut

The Target

ROTH—OFF TARGET Raymond Roth, the man suspected of faking his own drowning at Jones Beach in a scheme to collect more than $50,000 on a life insurance policy, is arrested at South Nassau Communities Hospital in Oceanside, where he had been undergoing psychiatric treatment for his alleged fragile mental state. In other words, he’s been ey banging his head against the wall for getting caught. Crowl

ROTH

h Gen. Smit MMERRSIA ER T B E W

IKEA t Medne

CROWLEY—bull’s eye The first woman in 20 years is named to host a presidential debate, after three New Jersey girls held a signature petition so the Commission on Presidential Debates would select a woman moderator. CNN’s Candy Crowley will host the debate between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama at Hofstra University on Oct. 16. But just how many women will Secret Service agents “petition” at local hotels when they arrive?

MERRIAM-WEBSTER—PARTIAL SCORE The Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary is updated to include new words including Oprah’s “aha moment,” “bucket list,” “earworm,” “f-bomb,” “man cave,” “sexting” and “gastropub.” Wow, thanks, guys—pretty soon we’re not even going to need Urban Dictionary! GEN. SMITH—bull’s eye Gen. Tammy S. Smith, a 26-year Army veteran, becomes the first openly gay officer of flag rank in the U.S. military when her wife pins a star on her uniform during a ceremony promoting Smith to brigadier general in Arlington National Cemetery, a practice Smith says is “both common and expected of a leader.” Take that, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”! IKEA—PARTIAL SCORE The Swedish do-it-yourself home decor giant announces it’s getting into the hotel business. IKEA is making plans to build at least 100 affordable hotels across Europe. It sounds like a great idea—as long as guests won’t have to assemble their own furniture. MEDNET—OFF TARGET Ten Missouri women sue their doctor after realizing that when their names are searched in Google Images, before-and-after pictures of their breast augmentation surgeries turn up. The photos were uploaded as a promotional tool on Dr. Michele Koo’s website but Long Island-based MedNet Technologies, which manages the sites of thousands of health-care providers around the world, forgot to remove the patients’ names from the computerized picture file information, allowing them to be displayed on the images during a simple Internet search. What, no good?

50.3

The Pink Slip

paul ryan Congress is at its lowest approval ratings in decades, so picking Rep. Paul Ryan as the No. 2 on the Republican presidential ticket is a political risk. He could energize conservatives and alienate everybody else. Ryan’s already a lightening rod of controversy for his plans to overhaul Medicare, gut foodstamps and cut spending on popular federal programs like highways and national parks. With his selection as Gov. Mitt Romney’s vice president, suddenly Congress is in play as Republican incumbents must switch from offense to defense and have to explain why they couldn’t even pass the farm bill the Midwest so desperately needs. Romney can avoid the stigma of being a Washington, D.C. insider by claiming that he’s just a very successful businessman who did a stint in state government. But Ryan, chairman of the House Budget Committee and author of “The Path to Prosperity,” his extreme budget that Democrats have slammed as “the road to ruin,” has been on Capitol Hill for 14 years. So now the Obama campaign can put a human face on right-wing ideology, and make the link between Romney and why the country hates Congress. Surely, there were better choices than the Wisconsin Congressman. Ryan may have been voted the biggest brown-noser in high school but he could make Republicans the biggest loser in the House and elsewhere. Paul Ryan…You’re fired!

The percentage of U.S. counties currently designated as disaster areas—1,584 total as of August15— by the Department of Agriculture, most due to drought conditions.

The Quote “We’re big humans. Every bed is small. You can’t put a damn dinosaur in a twin-sized bed. A normal-sized human jumps into a regular-sized bed and it fits perfectly. Large, big humans jump in a regular-sized bed, the bed’s too small. — NY Giants tight end Martellus Bennett on why the team has been having back trouble the past few weeks while staying in the twinsized beds during summer training camp on the suny albany campus.

The Equation

Phelps’ record - NBC Tape - Badminton Team + 22 medals Delay Spoilers Takes Dive

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Long Island Press for August 16 - August 22, 2012

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The Photo

A pile of wood, plywood, drywall, insulation and other building material is all that remains after an apparent gas-related explosion leveled a house in Brentwood Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2012. The blast killed a toddler and sent 14 other people to area hospitals. (AP Photo/Frank Eltman)

Bolt: A Legend - McKayla Marone, is Born Not Impressed

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The Rundown

1. MEET WINNIE COOPER!: It seems like just yesterday Danica McKellar was chasing after Fred Savage on her bicycle. That is, if you are a child of the ’80s. If not, well, you probably have no idea what we’re talking about. The star of The Wonder Years didn’t follow the bumpy path most child stars do. She grew up to be a math genius. Meet the actress—and coauthor of a mathematical theorem—Aug. 16 at Barnes & Noble in Carle Place.

2. WATCH “MOTORWAY PRANK VIDEO”: So this guy gets on a parkway behind a giant truck being towed while his wife is sleeping next to him. He speeds up then wakens her by screaming that they are about to be hit by an oncoming truck. In short, if someone did this to us, we’d kill them. But it’s still funny to watch. At least 1.2 million people thought so, anyway. Check it out on www. digitalspy.co.uk. 3. GO TO THE ARTISTS & WRITERS SOFTBALL GAME: The annual game at Herrick Park in East Hampton kicks off August 18. It once featured the likes of Willem de Kooning and Jackson Pollock and now attracts celebrities like Alec Baldwin, Christie Brinkley, Mark Feuerstein and Giada de Laurentiis. 4. GET TIX ON TICKETS.LONGISLANDPRESS.COM: Instead of running around from eBay to StubHub, Craigslist, Ticketmaster and everything in between, make one stop here. This site will allow you to search for your artist, team, play, etc. and find the best prices. Unlike those other sites where you only search their inventory, this site will give you prices from multiple sites where people sell their tickets, giving you the best deal. Pretty sweet, eh? 5. TRY SKINNY PIZZA AT ROOSEVELT FIELD MALL: This recently opened restaurant serves up a very thin and crispy crust pizza with your choice of toppings, from Greek to Buffalo. The crusts are made with no preservatives or additives, the pizza sauce is 100-percent organic, cheeses are all-natural and toppings are antibiotic and hormone-free. You can even order online at www.skinnypizza.com. 6. ORDER A CAKE AT TASTE IN SYOSSET: A Dunkin Donuts cup, a pair of Christian Louboutins, SpongeBob, a Louis Vuitton bag, Angry Birds…these aren’t your standard cakes. Check them out at www.cakesbytaste.com or visit in person at 16 Split Rock Road.

8. GOOGLE “FIFTY SHADES OF GREY CLASSICAL ALBUM”: EMI Classics is releasing a 15-track album featuring classical music personally selected by author E. L. James herself and referenced in her bestselling Fifty Shades book trilogy. The album will be available digitally on August 21 and in CD format on September 11. The books’ various references to classical music have spurred sales of these pieces, even going so far as to cause “Spem in Alium,” a 16th century motet by Thomas Tallis, to jump to the top of the classical charts in the UK. 7. BUY A JETSON E-BIKE: It’s hard peddling up those North Shore hills on Island, so why not get a bike that peddles itself? New York-based Jetson has released a neon bike collection included in their stylish, eco-friendly affordable electric bike line. Neon pink, purple, yellow, orange and green are now available. Reaching speeds up to 20 mph, a 40-mile range per charge and a 500w motor, LCD digital screen and heavy-duty disc system, Jetson is safe and legal for urban and non-urban biking. For information visit www.jetsonbike.com.

Long Bike and bikes brake more

8. TIVO “STORAGE WARS: TEXAS”: A&E’s top-rated non-fiction franchise heads to the Lone Star state to follow teams of bidders on their quest for auction gold. The series returns for a second season with brand-new buys, all-new finds, and a few new faces. In season two, “The Rangers” Ricky and Bubba aim to expand their franchise across the great state of Texas. New buyer Jenny Grumbles enters the fray using her Southern wits to revive old furniture for massive payouts. And Dr. Moe Prigoff looks to his old friend Mary Padian to save him from his newfound hoarding problem. Season 2 premieres this week. Tune in. 10. VISIT A YOGURT BAR IN NYC: Greek yogurt giant Chobani recently opened its first yogurt bar in SoHo featuring a menu of creations from the honey-drizzled chopped fig & walnut variety to the yogurt with cucumbers. Orders run from $3.75 to $4.75 and come with recipe cards so you can recreate these masterpieces at home. There is no mixing and matching and orders come as they are, created by the experts—so you may want to think twice before you ask for those rainbow sprinkles! news

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The Book The New New Deal By Michael Grunwald Typically it takes decades to parse, analyze and recount the information surrounding historical policy decisions. In his new book The New New Deal (Simon and Schuster) Michael Grunwald effectively cuts the line and delivers a walloping, real-time narrative that explores the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (aka “The Obama Stimulus”) in astounding detail. In fluid prose that is accessible without pandering to the reader, Grunwald invites us into the chaotic world of Washington, D.C. as a newly elected president grapples with a devastating economic collapse while battling unruly opposition, unrealistic expectations and an ever-dwindling window of opportunity to pass one of the most transformative bills of our time. Assiduously researched and wonderfully written, Grunwald has given future historians the ultimate factual baseline from which to draw conclusions and analyze policy for decades to come. The New New Deal is a gift to policy wonks and casual political observers alike. Regardless of which category you fall into, this book should be required reading for anyone looking to make an informed decision in the voting booth this November. —Jed Morey

B-List B-Day

John “Best in the World” Stamos August 19, 1963 Actor and musician John Stamos, aka Jesse Katsopolis on Full House, is a Leo ruled by the sun and symbolized by the lion. Stamos has bounced between roles since the cancellation of the sitcom in the 1990s, going from Dr. Tony Gates on ER to Dr. Carl Howell on Glee. And while it may seem like Uncle Jesse has faded into obscurity somewhat, don’t think he’s just hanging out in Danny Tanner’s attic. No, Leos are daring and Stamos has stayed true to his adventurous sign—whether by utilizing his lifetime pass to Disneyland every chance he gets or luring women with Greek yogurt.

Long Island Press for August 16 - August 22, 2012

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Jerry’s Ink BY JERRY DELLA FEMINA, Publisher, the Independent

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Recent news reports are once again focusing on testosterone as a big factor in the perpetual war that we fight against aging. There has been a great deal of success prescribing it to women. I’m on vacation so I’m dragging out an old column I wrote about testosterone some years ago where I told the inside story on the evils of testosterone and the truth about men: Men are contaminated from the day they reach puberty by testosterone, which causes them to do unspeakable things. Men think about sex all the time. They just don’t think about sex with their spouses when they think about sex. What I’m about to reveal is wordfor-word true. A few years ago, I was driving with a male acquaintance of mine. The subject of marriage came up. My friend, who has been married for 12 years, revealed to me that lately he’s been feeling like he is “cheating.” “What do you mean you feel like you’ve been cheating?” I asked. “Well, ever since I got married to Jane (not her real name), whenever we have sex I fantasize that I’m with a woman who works in my office.” “You have fantasized about this other woman for 12 years?” “Yes,” he replied. “And now you finally feel unfaithful to your wife for doing that?” I asked incredulously. “No,” he answered. “The fact is that in the last few weeks, I’ve stopped fantasizing that I’m with the woman at my office and now I’m fantasizing that I’m with this beautiful woman who just joined my tennis club, and so I kinda feel that I’m being unfaithful to the woman I’ve been fantasizing about for the last 12 years.” If you’re a woman reading this, don’t make the mistake of asking a man if this is true. He will assure you that it is certainly not true of him. Don’t believe it. Men lie. On the positive side, testosterone increases sexual desire. On the negative side, men will do and say anything while they are under the influence of the testosterone poison. Here’s a joke that most women will tell you is the truth. It sums up the attitude of most men. Not me, mind you. Not politically correct, sensitive-to-a-fault me.

But, alas, just about every other man. It seems this couple occupied two separate beds in their large bedroom. One night they came home and both retired to their beds. The second the light was out, the husband, feeling a surge of testosterone, started his baby talk. “Lovey-dovey, hubby-wubby wants his little sweety-weety to come to his bed. Daddy-waddy wuvs his little sweety-weety.” As the woman left her bed and crossed the room she caught her foot on the rug and she fell flat on her face. The husband said, “Did loveydovey hurt her pretty little noseywosey? Hubby-wubby is sooooo soooo sorry. Lovekins, sweetheart, let me kiss that pretty nosey-wosey all better.” The woman went to her husband’s bed and they made passionate love. When they were finished, the husband immediately started to fall asleep so the woman climbed out of his bed and headed for her own bed. Once again, in the middle of the room, she caught her foot on the same spot on the rug and fell flat on her face. The husband lifted his head from his pillow and muttered, “Clumsy bitch.” Isn’t it about time that some smart pharmaceutical company came up with a testosterone modifier? A powder a woman could sneak into a man’s oatmeal to have him act like a lamb instead of an ass? Men have discovered Viagra and products like it and they brag and boast to each other about their new-found hardness. But do men really get it? No! They still don’t understand that it’s not about hardness—it’s about tenderness. But testosterone is never about tenderness. As I was writing this, my wife, the beautiful Judy Licht, looked over my shoulder and said, “This is my favorite column. It’s time a man told the truth about men. You’re not like that are you?” I looked her right in the eye and said, “Would I be nutty enough to reveal myself this way if that were true?” Judy left the room smiling. I held my breath until she was gone. That was a close one. For a second I was worried she could hear the torrent of testosterone gushing and flooding through my veins.

If you wish to comment on “Jerry’s Ink” email Jerry at jerry@dfjp.com

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Long Island Press for August 16 - August 22, 2012

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Long Island Press for August 16 - August 22, 2012

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LI Schools Struggle With the Rise In

Teen SuicidE BY JACKIE SALO

or Lynn Hunter* the suicidal hitting home: the commack high school thoughts began in 9th grade community has been coping with several student suicides in recent years—the when she started as a new latest in march—and searching for the student at Commack High most effective ways to raise awareness School. and increase prevention. She was bullied the first day after mistaking a classmate she didn’t know for someone else. “It was a silly mistake, but the girl and her friends laughed at me,” Hunter tells the Press. “I saw them later in gym class and I could hear them talking about it again.” The harassment snowballed from there. When Hunter logged on to her Facebook account later that day she saw the girls had left her a nasty message through an anonymous messaging application called Honesty Box. “They told me to go back to my old school,” she says. Hunter is but one of more than 5 million 10- to Another student hung up a picture of an ugly- 24-year-olds who attempt suicide each year, according looking man with her name scrawled beneath it in to the latest statistics from the U.S. Centers for class. Hunter asked the teacher to take it down, but he Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Suicide is the wouldn’t. Only when her parents got involved was the third-leading cause of death among that age group and sign removed, she says. accounts for 13 percent of all its deaths, according to The 15-year-old, who says she used to make the agency. The new figures, released in June, reveal a friends easily, didn’t want to return to Commack High. disturbing trend: The number of attempted suicides Her apathy toward tests and schoolwork worsened. among teenagers has been increasing, from 6.3 percent Her grades started to slip. in 2009 to 7.8 percent last year. “Going to school was the worst thing for me,” she The demographic also experienced substantial says. “I began to feel very lonely.” spikes in those having suicidal thoughts and those Hunter began counseling and medication for who’d actually made a suicide plan during that time, depression later that year, but the suicidal thoughts up about 2 percent for each category, says the agency. crowding her mind did not stop. She threatened to kill Suicide is not only on the rise nationally, it’s herself, even going so far as to stay outside in the biting also growing statewide and on Long Island. The cold of winter in a failed attempt to freeze to death. most recent data from the New York State Health “I wanted to disappear,” she says. Department indicates that instances of suicide among

teenagers aged 15 to 19 on Long Island in 2010 were more than double each of the previous three years. And although the state health department’s 2011 suicide figures aren’t available yet, a spokesman for the agency tells the Press five teens took their own lives last year in Nassau and 11 in Suffolk—up from two and five, respectively, just a year earlier. As alarming as the numbers are, suicide prevention specialists believe the true figures are actually higher and that suicide is the No. 1 killer of teens, since not every self-inflicted act has a suicide note and families often try to keep such a tragedy’s truth within the family. While teens are confronted with the age-old challenges of peer and academic pressures, family tension and depression, suicide prevention specialists and other experts interviewed for this story say the Internet— with its myriad social networking sites and global, real-time audience—plays a lethal role in the disturbing trend. Instead of the taunting or bullying that historically took place in the schoolyard or hallways, teens are now victim to cyberbullying—vicious attacks plastered across the Web to a much wider audience with the possibility of the bullies’ complete anonymity. New legislation signed into law last month by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, called the Dignity for All Students Act, seeks to crack-down on cyberbullying and other forms of student torment by holding school officials more accountable. With the new school year set to begin next month at Long Island’s 124 school districts, suicide prevention specialists from both counties are getting ready for yet another academic year of educating and spreading awareness. Along with parents and Continued on Page 12

“One of the most important issues is to reduce the stigma, so everyone feels comfortable and so a kid will feel comfortable talking to an adult about it.” —Theresa Buhse, associate director of the Long Island Crisis Center

* Actual name has been changed.

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Long Island Press for August 16 - August 22, 2012

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Long Island Press for August 16 - August 22, 2012

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students, they tell the Press much more can be done to combat and better equip students to handle suicide and its many causes. They know it’s not going to be easy. “One of the most important issues is to reduce the stigma, so everyone feels comfortable and so a kid will feel comfortable talking to an adult about it,” says Theresa Buhse, associate director of the Long Island Crisis Center. “Suicide is here and has probably been here since the dawn of time, and if we don’t educate people and talk about it and reduce the stigma around it, people won’t seek treatment,” adds Dale Camhi, the Long Island regional director of the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention (AFSP).

HELP! owhere else on LI do

the CDC and DOH’s latest figures seem more apparent than in Hunter’s hometown of Commack. At least four students from her alma mater, Commack High School, have taken their own lives in the past five years, according to school officials—a number some suicide prevention specialists deem unusually high. Adding to the self-inflicted tragedies, at least three times as many former graduates have met untimely fates during that same period—the most recent being Commack High School graduate Gabe Philby, whose mother was arrested and charged with his murder last month. The suicides and untimely deaths have had a lasting effect on many throughout the community. Instead of remaining silent on the issue, Commack High School alums Victoria Modica and Nicole Blanco wanted to do something about it. They created an online petition urging the district to better educate students and find new ways to deal with the deadly trends. “It’s time to make a change!” their petition reads. “If someone listens, or stretches out a hand, or whispers a word of encouragement, or attempts to understand a lonely person, extraordinary things begin to happen. BE THE CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THE WORLD!” Their message struck a chord. More than 3,000 people signed the petition, ranging from parents and students to concerned well-wishers from out of state. “Everyone in this community can say that they know someone who passed away from this in the last few years, whether it be a neighbor, cousin, anyone,” says 23-yearold Blanco, sharing her

leading the charge: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention li Regional Director Dale Camhi (top) and long island crisis center associate director theresa buhse want more awareness in schools.

thoughts about suicide with the Press at a Commack Starbucks. “The community needs to come together and understand how these people feel and need to understand how they feel.” For Blanco, it’s personal. Her cousin Jeremy Twible shot himself days before he turned 17 in July 2009 and her 18-year-old brother Michael took his own life nearly seven months later, she says, adding that she hadn’t seen any of the warning signs beforehand. Her brother had signed up for the U.S. Marines at 17 and graduated Commack a semester early to serve. While deployed, he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. He returned home for the second time after being in the military for one and half years, but his family was unaware that he felt troubled, says Blanco, who went to dinner with him the night before his death. “They don’t give that information to the friends and family so we didn’t know,” says Blanco. Two days after returning home, Michael took his own life. Her cousin Jeremy Twible, a junior at Commack High, also didn’t seem like he was on a suicidal path, she says. Blanco had been with him just days before his death, too. “He was happy and riding motorcycles,” she says. “You never would have known.” Blanco is adamant about getting the community to understand the complexity of suicide and its many causes—which she stresses has more to do with mental health than stereotypical vices. “It is not always drugs,” she says. “It is not always alcohol involved. It is not always being bullied. It is mental illness.” People about to commit suicide aren’t acting rationally, Blanco believes. “They are not thinking about the friends speaking out: commack high school alum nicole blanco (r), who lost her cousin jeremy (l) and brother michael (below) to suicide, says her alma mater and community must do more to save lives.

or family they are leaving behind,” she says. “It is not just junkies.” Her online petition has evolved into a very public discussion and debate about the school district’s approach to handling suicide. Many comments blame the district for the losses. Similar criticisms were echoed by parents at an April suicide prevention presentation at the high school. Blanco, who graduated Commack High in 2005, remains critical. “I don’t know if they are afraid to get into the issue of suicide or suicide prevention, but it hasn’t been full-force,” she says. “It hasn’t been, ‘Let’s go and fix this problem.’” The community has recognized that there is tragedy, but what they need to realize is that Commack has a problem, she adds. Dr. John Kelly, Commack School District’s school psychologist, views the criticisms aired at the public meeting and the online petition’s website differently. “Suicide rocks the foundation of any community,” he says. “It scares the heck out of parents and students. People tend to react on those fears and that is where a lot of the negative reaction comes from. “There was concern on the part of the community not knowing about the efforts that we were engaging in and wanted more to be done,” he adds. It can’t be said Commack schools haven’t been trying. In fact the district was recognized by New York State in 2003 for its suicide prevention efforts. In addition to the in-class programs, students hold an annual anti-violence presentation and on another date some are invited to participate in a full day aimed at celebrating diversity and the human connection. The school district’s website includes links to an entire landing page of information regarding suicide and drugs and alcohol abuse. It also features links to an Anonymous Alert system, where anyone with a computer can let school officials and local law enforcement know about students who may be in danger. The district has also brought in suicide prevention specialists to address the student body directly. For example, Meryl Cassidy— executive director of Response of Suffolk County, a nonprofit that runs a 24/7 crisis intervention and referral hotline (as does the Long Island Crisis Center)—has worked with students there twice so far this year. She’s also been to about 30 other schools throughout Suffolk—about half the county’s total—in that time. The group initially came to Commack in February to talk about suicide awareness within the health classes, and then again in March following the most recent student suicide. That time around, they presented a series of workshops on grief and were able to reach the entire student body, whereas in the health classes they were limited to mainly 10th graders. There was also the April suicide prevention presentation. “People in the audience said that they hadn’t done enough prevention,” says AFSP’s Camhi, a panelist. “Some people felt they ought to do it every year for all of the students, so every student learns the warning signs.” Continued on Page 14

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Long Island Press for August 16 - August 22, 2012

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Even so, she adds: “They did have us come in. They at least attempted.” Commack exemplifies the challenges facing all LI school districts regarding teenage suicide: What’s the perfect solution? How to get the message to stick? To this end, Commack created a task force— similar to those created to raise awareness about alcohol and drug abuse—to work on creating new suicide prevention programs. It’s open to new approaches, perhaps, similar to those already implemented at a school district 20 miles to the east.

the message to students each month using the creativity of both faculty and peers. “Once it is out of sight, it loses focus,” says Pifko. “Assemblies and one-time events are great for getting info out to students, but it will not change the culture of the school. Through incorporating it into curriculum and making it multifaceted, you can.” Pifko researched suicide prevention and anti-bullying for months before implementing any programs, conferring with the school’s two anti-bullying clubs for help. “Every 38 minutes, a person between ages 10 and 17 commits suicide,” blares a student’s voice from the loudspeaker while everyone walks to their next class on a day in January dedicated to suicide awareness. Ten students dressed in black T-shirts that read “Victim” in tape were among those bustling through the halls. The figure represents the number of young adults lost to suicide in a school day nationwide. Each student took an oath of silence for the day, not even verbally communicating with teachers—all to stress the importance of human life. Pifko, who gave classroom presentations on bullying and suicide awareness last October, felt it was critical for faculty to be just as educated as students on the issue. “It is crucial that they care about the emotional well-being of the students,” he says. “It is said that students don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”

CONSTANT REMINDERS omsewogue High School’s programs

mirror more of a movement than a chapter in a health textbook, with student involvement being the driving force. “Schools don’t change until the students decide to change them,” reads purple bracelets sported by students and faculty walking around the school. The mantra, originally proposed by a student, represents a school-wide commitment by its student body. They’ve implemented programs aiming to bring attention to depression, bullying, acceptance and suicide prevention—four subjects the district sees as going hand-in-hand. This shift in dynamics has had teachers from other districts at conferences asking, “‘How do you get them to do that?’” says Clarissa Porello, a guidance counselor at Comeswogue. While the district has not been faced with a student suicide in several years, Joe Pifko, a counselor and social worker at Comsewogue, decided to spread

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Long Island Press for August 16 - August 22, 2012

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spreading hope: Response of Suffolk County Executive Director Meryl Cassidy has been taking the message of suicide prevention directly to the students.

The faculty underwent training on signs of bullying and suicide. In February, the school encouraged different departments to incorporate awareness about both issues into their curriculum. The English department, for example, worked on an activity that evaluated the tone of words and their impact, whereas the social studies department did a lesson on labels and the effect they have on the way students are treated. The school’s efforts have been effective— evident, says Comsewogue’s Director of Guidance Michael Mosca, in the amount of students seeking referrals for further help with issues such as suicidal thoughts. “People are coming forward [to get help] now when they haven’t in years past,” he says. “This is not because it is becoming a problem, but because they now know how to get themselves or their friends help.” And awareness isn’t just limited to inside the school walls. Every Sunday the superintendent sends out a recorded message to the entire community and during this time, a student reads a statistic on bullying or suicide. The school held a presentation for parents, similar to the one given to students. To one of its programs, Comsewogue also invited Paula Pilkington, of West Islip, whose 17-year-old daughter’s suicide two years ago drew national media attention.

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GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN ith photographs

of her daughter Alexis plastering the fridge behind her, Paula sits at her kitchen table in West Islip, her eyes welling up with tears as the 48-yearold recalls how “Lexi” had been cyber-bullied both before and after her death. Vicious attacks filled a Formspring Web page. Offensive images and other postings appeared on Lexi’s Facebook memorial page, some depicting her with a noose. Paula and her husband Tom, a New York City police supervisor, told their daughter’s horrified friends not to pay any attention to the images or those trolling her memorial page. Even at Lexi’s wake the malice directed toward the soccer-playing senior was not put to rest, she tells the Press. “I felt the abuse,” says Paula. The ferocity and maliciousness of this case and several others grabbed national headlines and helped bring cyberbullying to the forefront. Last month, New York lawmakers passed a law requiring schools to have policies addressing the issue. “It made it very clear that bullying was not acceptable,” says Jon Cooper, a former Suffolk County legislator who had proposed two anti-cyberbullying and anti-cyberstalking bills adopted by the county

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legislature in 2010. Both make cyberbullying and cyberstalking misdemeanors punishable by a $1,000 fine and up to a year’s imprisonment. Cooper proposed a third bill but withdrew it following fierce opposition from school administrators and teachers. The bill—to be named “Jamie’s Law,” after bullied Lake Grove teenager Jamie Isaacs—aimed at holding them equally accountable. “I believe cyberbullying played a major role in the rise in the teen suicide rate,” says Cooper. “Ultimately, it is the

her spirit still lives on in her family’s home, which is decorated with photos of her playing soccer and hanging out with the family, and through the foundation the family started in their daughter’s name to promote suicide awareness, using Lexi’s mantra on the soccer field, “Give everything but up.” “You might not have the problem [now], but that’s not going to say that you aren’t going to have the problem,” she says of schools that have yet to implement any prevention programs. “There are some school districts who want to ignore the issue,” explains Camhi of AFSP, who visited more than two dozen schools last reaching year. “They don’t want to admit that out: paula this problem exists.” pilkington of west islip Other school districts don’t fully (top), who understand how to properly address lost her the students about it. Recently, 17-year-old daughter 15-year-old Jessica Barba made alexis (l) to national news when Longwood High suicide in 2010, has School administrators suspended her been visiting this May for creating an educational long island anti-bullying video that ended with school districts the character committing suicide. and raising “There are schools that think awareness that it is a taboo topic, or that it will about suicide prevention. plant the idea in a student’s head, but that is a myth,” says the Long Island Crisis Center’s Buhse. “It’s not a phase, a weakness or a flaw,” adds Camhi. “It is an illness. Depression is an illness and it is okay to go get help.” Continued on Page 16

parents, the teachers and the kids that need to realize that cyberbullying is not cool and that it causes real pain and in some cases, much worse than that.” Lexi Pilkington has been gone since 2010, but

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Long Island Press for August 16 - August 22, 2012

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And since suicide is the outcome of a disease, schools need to treat it as any other death from an illness, if one of its students takes their life, she insists. “You don’t want to trivialize it,” says Camhi. “It is still the result of illness. You don’t want to memorialize the way they died either, though.” Because just as the Internet can tear down a teenager, so too can it glorify their demise in a way no school or suicide prevention specialist can control. It’s a fine line between Internet memorials and martyrdom, say suicide prevention experts. Buhse warns that “glorifying it… on Facebook” may make suicide “more

attractive” to those who are already troubled. Sign onto Facebook after a fellow classmate’s self-inflicted death and you are walking into a congregation of student grief and outrage. “RIP” statuses flood newsfeeds and students cry out for change. The Facebook pages become cyber-funerals as classmates openly mourn and share stories, pictures and tearful goodbyes—many times long after their passing. Families post, too, as the Facebook pages keep their children’s memory alive. “I can’t even keep track of how many suicides that have happened in the past few years,” reads one student’s Facebook post following Commack’s

latest suicide this March. “The issue cannot be ignored anymore.” The AFSP helps schools handle the suicide of a student with everything from how to inform the community to providing grief counseling for friends of the deceased. They also can help the school memorialize the student— ranging from a page dedicated in the yearbook to scholarship funds. Commack High’s school psychologist Dr. Kelly says the school has to be cognitive of what is best for the student body. Memorials highlighting how the student died can lead to an increased possibility of suicide for students already vulnerable to the risk, he adds.

“We have found that large presentations about the student is an ineffective way to help students grieve that loss,” says Kelly. “You want to do it on a small scale so they can discuss their feelings.” That’s a big difference from how the school handled a suicide in 2009. A morning loudspeaker announcement interrupted classes to inform students about a classmate’s passing, leaving them stunned and upset. The school has updated its methods and is constantly researching new ways to handle these personal tragedies, Kelly says. Friends of the deceased student often look to honor them after their passing, presenting another challenge for school officials. Commack students had petitioned for seats to be left open at graduation for Twible and another classmate. “The friends of the student may want that, but most of the time the families don’t want that,” says Kelly. And the families of the deceased have the last word.

SURVIVOR unter, the former

Commack High School student harassed and cyberbullied to the brink of suicide, says her self-destructive thoughts lasted through her junior year; she’s now just completed her freshman year at college. Her straightened hair is tucked behind her ear—a stark contrast to the unkempt appearance she had in high school. The 19-year-old credits joining Pay It Forward, a club where she was able to talk openly about being bullied, as part of the reason she was able to graduate. Hunter believes her alma mater could be doing more to address suicide and the vicious acts that lead up to such tragedies, such as cyberbullying, since she says current students she knows at the school still don’t know where to look for help. “I might have learned about suicide prevention in health and gym, but those are the classes that students treat like downtime,” says Hunter. “They don’t really pay attention and it is an important topic. Students need to know where to go to help themselves or others. “Teens think that high school is the hardest battle they will go through, but it is not,” she continues. “There are hurdles. You just need to push through… “I am so happy I didn’t take things further.” Sadly, other students will never have the chance to reconsider. 16

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Long Island Press for August 16 - August 22, 2012

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CYBERCHONDRIA By Rashed Mian

Since the explosion of the Internet, people—even those suffering from a harmless headache or fever—have been turning to Google and health information websites to learn what’s ailing them, oftentimes discovering dubious prognoses that have them scampering to their doctors with faulty evidence they think proves they’re severely ill, or worse. Internet users are increasingly typing “headache” into search engines to learn they might be suffering from a brain tumor. Or they’re searching “fever” and being told it’s a symptom of Leukemia. Chest pain equals a heart attack. Muscle twitches must be ALS (or Lou Gehrig’s Disease). Bug bites are surely a flesh-eating staph infection. Computer-aided self-diagnoses can lead to anxiety and a whole-hearted acceptance of whatever unfounded prognostication is blaring from the screen. Searchers are contracting something, all right—recently dubbed “Cyberchondria,” it’s the Internetequivalent of hypochondria—and the number of infected is continuing to grow. A 2008 study by Pew Research Center found that 75 to 80 percent of people surveyed have looked online for medical information. A study of Cyberchondria by Microsoft, also in 2008, found that the Internet has the potential to increase the risk of medical

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concerns and can lead to “unnecessary anxiety, investment of time, and expensive engagements with healthcare professionals.” The study also discovered that an online search for causes of a headache listed “brain tumor” as the culprit 26 percent of the time, which had the same number of results as the more likely cause—“caffeine withdrawal.” “It scares people to death,” says Susan Hirsch, a personal care doctor at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Manhasset. In the past decade, doctors have seen a large number of patients educating

Long Island Press for August 16 - August 22, 2012

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themselves via Internet search engines before visits, she says. She’s surprised when people don’t come in with prior information about their symptoms. “Sometimes they have an open mind,” she says. “They say ‘I read about it—I know I’m not a doctor—but here’s what is scaring me.’ But other times they really cling to what the Internet says they have and they just won’t let go of it.” Others go to the extreme and take the advice given on the Internet over trained medical professionals. One extreme example, Hirsch tells the Press, is a 60-year-old male patient of hers. He suffers from heart problems and was prescribed Plavix—“which basically is a life-saving medication,” Hirsch says—but the man decided to stop taking the once-daily medication because he learned on the Web that it causes bleeding.

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He recently had a heart attack. “It might say ‘Warning’ on the Internet,” says Hirsch, “but the point is you have to check with your doctor.” Another patient, this one suffering from ear problems, visited Hirsch and admitted that she tried to treat herself by sticking a clove of garlic in her ear—because the Internet said to do so. Hirsch treated her and advised against aural garlic therapy. There can be some benefit to patients educating themselves, admits Hirsch, but some take it too far—and that can be dangerous. The moral of the story: Trust your doctor, not the computer. “You don’t want to get too defensive,” Hirsch says, “but the patient has to be able to trust you at a certain point. “I’m still the one with experience,” she adds.

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Long Island Press for August 16 - August 22, 2012

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MinuteClinic, a medical treatment center found in select cvs stores.

“RETAIL” Therapy By Alyssa Melillo

Back-to-school shopping at CVS? Don’t forget to put flu vaccinations on the list. MinuteClinic, a medical treatment center found in select CVS stores, is just one of several clinics located in retail chains throughout the country. These small, walk-ins welcome facilities offer many services patients could otherwise receive from their personal physicians. “MinuteClinic provides high-quality, convenient and affordable care and makes it easy for patients to be seen, especially if they are not able to get a timely appointment with a primary care provider,” says Brent Burkhardt, a spokesman for MinuteClinic, via email. “MinuteClinic supports the medical home model and is a complement to primary care, not an ‘instead’ option.” The CVS clinic, which has locations in Syosset and Bellport, can treat common illnesses such as strep throat and infections, and it also provides flu and tetanus vaccinations. Parents can bring their children there for physicals as well. Most insurance policies are accepted, but for those who aren’t insured, treatment costs start at $79. Target, Walmart and Walgreens were quick to adapt to this trend, which took off with MinuteClinic in 2000 as a way to provide quality healthcare for busy Americans. Target opened its first clinic in 2006 and currently offers it in 53 stores in six states, not including New York. Walmart and Walgreens also have many locations with clinics of New York. These clinics offer similar services to MinuteClinic, such as treatments for injuries,

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skin conditions and medical screenings. Visits at all of these clinics usually takes about 15 minutes, and patients are treated by boardcertified nurse practitioners. For uninsured patients, treatments start at $21 at Target, $65 at Walmart and $79 at Walgreens. These clinics are quite popular with the public. According to a study by RAND Corporation, the use of retail clinics increased 10-fold between 2007 and 2009. The study found that if a clinic was closer to a patient’s home than a physician was, the patient would choose to go to the clinic instead. Target spokeswoman Kristin Jahnke says through email that Target Clinic receives very positive response from its patients. “The response to Target Clinic has been strong, and feedback from our guests is overwhelmingly positive,” writes Jahnke. “Guests have told us they appreciate the convenience, value and quality of the services at Target Clinic.” As for Long Island, the two aforementioned MinuteClinics are the only retail medical clinics in the area. Jahnke says Target does not have plans to open its clinic at a local store any time soon. Representatives from Walmart and Walgreens did not respond to interview requests. Retail medical clinics are a less expensive alternative for those who are uninsured and convenient for people with busy lifestyles. Burkhardt tells the Press that MinuteClinic plans to open 100 stores a year for a total of 1,000 clinics by 2016, so there is a possibility that more CVS pharmacy stores on LI will offer this convenient service.

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Long Island Press for August 16 - August 22, 2012

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This Week: Best Informational School Feature Think Before You Send

By Hannah Sarisohn, The Courant, Commack High School

Following the recent cyberbullyingrelated suicides of two New York teenagers, lawmakers took action to pass laws that would punish cyberbullies. As of 2010, Suffolk County became among the first counties in NY to enforce a law prohibiting cyberbullying of minors, known as local law No. 36. The New York State legislature is following suit in establishing a statewide cyberbullying law. According to Suffolk County police officer and Commack resident Antoinette Semetsis, the purpose of the law is to

protect minors and teach them that there are consequences for their actions. As a police officer, Semetsis educates students about the dangers of cyberbullying. “My role is to enlighten [students] and teach them to take into consideration the feelings of the person who the negative text or post is about,” said Semetsis. “I try and teach them to think before they send.” According to Pay It Forward member sophomore Rebecca Haber, the club aims to promote a similar message of being kind to one another. But Haber believes that many students are not aware of the consequences of cyberbulllying. “I didn’t even know that there was a cyberbullying law, and I don’t think that other kids know either,” said Haber. “If

people are going to say something hurtful to someone with the intentions of hurting them, then they probably don’t care about the consequences. “ Many students believe they are protected by the anonymity of the Internet and that the school cannot punish them for harassing a student elsewhere. “If [cyberbullying] happens outside or inside of school, but affects the way the school is run, then the school can get actively involved,” said Lee Tunick, dean of discipline. “If a student feels threatened, then the school can take action.” According to Tunick, the best way to work out problems between the bully and

the victim is by talking face to face and not on the Internet. Tunick recommends using student mediators to work out problems between the bully and the victim. “Kids tend to handle disputes better when their peers are helping them,” said peer mediation adviser Sara Salazar. “There is a better chance a student will listen to his or her peer rather than an adult.” Since cyberbullying is now a crime, many students are afraid to speak out when they witness cyberbullying in fear of becoming involved in the criminal justice system. “Part of our message is that if you’re silent, you’re giving more power to the bully,” said Semetsis. “We don’t want to give any more power to the bully… Awareness is the key to prevention.”

Read This and other students’ Stories at highschool.longislandpress.com

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Long Island Press Arts, Entertainment & Nightlife

Week of August 16- August 23, 2012

Events Thursday p.27 Friday p.27 Saturday p.28 Sunday p.30 Monday p.31 Tuesday p.31 Wednesday p.31 Thursday p.31

KELLY CLARKSON & THE FRAY @ NIKON @ JONES BEACH THEATER Fading into obscurity is a real threat that looms large for former American Idol contestants. Clarkson has managed to buck that trend, becoming the most successful ex-Idol around the world with five albums under her belt and high-profile mentoring gigs on the Voice and ABC’s Duets. This week Clarkson takes the stage with The Fray at the beach. Tuesday, 8.21.—Manny Fernandez

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Sebastian Maniscalco @ McGuire’s

Leo Kottke @ Stephen Talkhouse

98 Degrees @ Rockefeller Plaza

Lionel Richie @ Rockefeller Plaza

Kathy Arnold’s “A One Night Stand” @ Brokerage

Charlie Mars @ City Winery Mickey Hart @ The Paramount Misery Index/Triac/ Amputee/Strong Intention/Radiation Blackbody @ St. Vitus Joe Louis Walker/ Felix Cabrera Band @ B.B. King Blues Club & Grill Serial Poets @ Revolution

Joan Osborne plays an acoustic show at the Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett Thursday, 8.23.

Marina & The Diamonds @ Webster Hall An Evening with God Street Wine @ Gramercy Theatre friday 8.17 Neon Trees @ Central Park Neil Berg’s 100 Years of Broadway @ Eisenhower Park Comedy Fest @ Theatre Three, Also 8.18.

Venue addresses and information can be found on Page 30

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thursday 8.16 Danica McKellar (The Wonder Years) @ Barnes & Noble Carle Place

Beer, Wine, & Food Tasting @ Bellport Country Club

MARY J. BLIGE @ NIKON @ JONES BEACH THEATER Ever since she broke on the music scene in 1992, Mary J. Blige has branched out and turned herself into a successful multi-media entrepreneur who has excelled beyond being a respected Grammy-winning artist. The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul has racked up acting roles on the Lifetime network series Strong Medicine and HBO’s Entourage, become a record company executive with her imprint Matriarch Records and launched both perfume and sunglasses lines. For this tour she’s returning to her roots and will be performing her classic 1994 sophomore effort My Life in its entirety along with previewing material from its 2011 sequel, My Life II…The Journey Continues. As an added bonus, D’Angelo has emerged from whatever witness protection program he’s been in to co-headline. With Melanie Fiona. Sunday, 8.19.—MF

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Movie Feature p.32

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BRING IT ON HOME

KRIS ALLEN & DANIEL POWTER @ EISENHOWER PARK The Fresh FM Presents: Fresh in the Park summer concert kicks off at the Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre and no tickets are required. The free show features 2010 American Idol winner Kris Allen and Daniel Powter, known for his radio hit, “Bad Day.” Saturday, 8.18.—Daphne Livingston

Venue Info p.31

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Grown on LI Day @ Suffolk County Farm

Big Time Rush @ Nikon @ Jones Beach, With Cody Simpson. Jane’s Addiction @ Williamsburg Park Jane’s Addiction has had problem keeping bass players since founding member Eric Avery first quit the band in 1991. And while he briefly returned to the fold in 2008, over the years his spot has been held by a number of substitutes including Flea, Duff McKagan, Porno for Pyros’ Martyn LeNoble and TV On the Radio’s Dave Sitek. With Chris Chaney (Alanis Morisette/ Methods of Mayhem) forming the rhythm section with Stephen Perkins, fans can get back to the realization that Jane’s is currently touring behind last year’s The Great Escape Artist, only the band’s fourth studio album. With Die Antwoord.—Manny Fernandez Soulfly @ Revolution The one constant in Continued on page 28

Long Island Press for August 16 - August 22, 2012

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Do This Continued from page 27 /////////////////////

Friday Cont. Soulfly since leaving Sepultura in 1996, Max Cavalera has studiously ignored music labels, taking his experimental flights of fancy toward fusing disparate genres like metal with Brazialian tribal and world music. With the new rhythm section of Prong bassist Tony Campos and Borknager drummer Dvid Kinkade aboard, the recently-released Enslaved is a devastatingly brutal and torrid return to form as Cavalera and company dish out the groove, death metal and thrash riffs by the bucketful. With Incite, Lody Kong, Valor, This Life We Live & Sanitarius.—MF Kottonmouth Kings @ B.B. King Blues Club, With Big B, Prozak & Moonshine Bandits. Kevin Gordon @ Grey Horse Tavern BLOODIEST/ Chrome Waves/ Vattnet Viskar @ St. Vitus

Alex Goot @ Vibe With Against the Current, Approaching Troy, Six Stories Told, Madeline Luongo & Electric City Chargers. saturday 8.18 Long Island Fest @ Ethical Humanist Society of LI, Featuring Madball, Indecision, Tripface and more. School Bus Demolition Derby @ Riverhead Raceway Deborah Voigt @ Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings @ Williamsburg Park In the past decade, there been a soul revolution coming out of Brooklyn, with Daptone Records being ground zero and Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings serving as the house band. There’s nothing retro about Jones and her crew, who specialize in the kind of gritty rhythm and blues that fueled the UK’s northern soul movement a few years back and has subsequently made fans of Mark Ronson, Amy Winehouse,

Rufus Wainwright and Lou Reed. With Soul Time! being this crew’s last studio outing, don’t be surprised to hear new tunes getting road-tested during this free show. With Antibalas. —MF Chicago/The Doobie Brothers @ Nikon @ Jones Beach Theater Jamey Johnson @ The Paramount Ex-Marine Jamey Johnson may have gotten his start penning tunes for mainstream country acts like Trace Adkins and George Strait, but his sound and musical approach are pure outlaw. So much so that his next album, the forthcoming Livin’ for a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran, finds him paying homage to the late legendary singersongwriter with help from Ray Price, Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris and Merle Haggard.—MF Twenty One Pilots @ Vibe, With Off City Limits, This Damn Universe, Three Friends Short, Frank Buick, Happy Kid & Head North! Trespass America Tour @ Prudential Center, Featuring Five Finger Death Punch,

Killswitch Engage, Emmure, Trivium, Pop Evil, God Forbid & Battlecross. This Century @ Revolution Dashboard Confessional Acoustic @ Music Hall of Williamsburg, With Tallhart & Elle King. Black Black Black/ Killer of Sheep/ Dead Sands/Red Octopus @ St. Vitus Ronnie Spector @ City Winery You May Be Right: A Billy Joel Experience w/Movin’ Out Band & Robbie Rosen @ Hofstra University, Also 8.19. LI Summertime Blues & Roots Festival @ Napper Tandy’s Smithtown 10th Annual Bluegrass Festival @ Tanner park, With Grand Ole Orpy Star and Bluegrass Legend Bobby Osborne, Buddy Merriam & Back Roads, Too Blue, Free Grass Union, Appalachian Diaries (featuring local favorites Maria Fairchild & Kerry Kearney!), Acoustic Electrix, The Continued on page 30

DOCUMENTARY: WORDS OF WITNESS

This moving documentary chronicles the life of Heba Afify, a 22-year-old Egyptian journalist covering the recent revolution in her country. Afify’s situation is unusual not only because she is covering historical events as they happen, but also because she is female. “I know you are a journalist, but you’re still a girl,” her wellmeaning mother tells her. Words of Witness shows the breaking of rules and cultural norms not only in the case of Afify, but also for her entire nation. The film will be screened at the IFC Center in Manhattan on: 8.17 (1:55 p.m., 7:45 p.m.) 8.19 (12:05 p.m., 5:25 p.m.) 8.20 (1:55 p.m., 7:45 p.m.) 8.21 (3:40 p.m., 9:50 p.m.) 8.22 (12:05 p.m. 5:25 p.m.) and 8.23 (1:55 p.m., 7:45 p.m.).—Daphne Livingston Venue addresses and information can be found on Page 31

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Do This Continued from page 28 /////////////////////

Saturday Cont. Mandolin Experience plus a a very special Guitar Workshop by Toby Walker. Visit www.babylonarts.com for full schedule. Wali Collins @ Brokerage Comedy Club Glitz Glamour Groove Give @ Allegria Hotel, Ooh La La Boutiques will host its 3rd annual Glitz Glamour Groove

Give, to benefit B4BC (Boarding for Breast Cancer). This lavish fashion fundraising event and runway show will be held on the rooftop lounge with breathtaking views. Visit www. b4bc.org for details. Plein Air Landscape Painting w/Howard Rose @ Art Guild Elderfields, Also 8.19. Rich Vos @ McGuire’s

Pig Roast w/the Jim Small Band @ Nutty Irishman Farmingdale Artists & Writers Celebrity Softball @ Herrick Park Amateur Radio Lighthouse Weekend @ Fire Island Lighthouse, Also 8.19. The Hilarious Comedy of Uncle Floyd @ Dix Hills Performing Arts Center Pet-a-Palooza @ Little Shelter, Huntington, Chinese

auction, blessing of the animals and more. Also 8.19. sunday 8.19 The Wiggles @ NYCB Theatre @ Westbury Into Eternity/Single Bullet Theory/Riksha @ St. Vitus My Morning Jacket @ Williamsburg Park Fear Factory @ Revolution, Existing at the crossroads of death metal and industrial rock, Fear Factory has enjoyed quite a bit of drama in recent years, dating back to

REcord REVIEW

Giants At Large - Doubt

If you are unfamiliar with Long Island-based quartet Giants At Large then you should know how much they enjoy teetering between fast-paced pop punk anthems, and more thoughtful alternative slow burns. Though this has become an increasingly popular approach within the genre, Giants At Large have managed to carve out their own little niche. Their distinctiveness lies in the band’s natural ability to create and capture a sound that is full of heart and laced with sincerity. While cementing their presence within the pop punk scene, both locally and nationally, the band is set to release their first full length record, Doubt. To be perfectly clear, Doubt is not your little brother’s pop punk record. The record proves to be the band’s most thought out and progressive to date, as it redefines their musical identity and further develops their sound. Throughout the 11-song track list, Giants at Large stretch the confines of their genre, yet they never shed them. Instead, they improve upon existing structures and dynamics and incorporate new influences to create a sound that is a natural progression more than a retooling. As a whole, Doubt is a magnetic record that fits nicely between two poles. With album opener “Timebomb,” the band crafts a slower song that takes the time to build and develop into something very powerful. This opener firmly grasps the concept of something starting at its beginning, i.e. a north pole. In contrast with this is the album’s closer, “Let Me Down.” Though more aggressive, this closer displays the band’s progression, and ultimately brings Doubt full circle, i.e. a south pole. Giants at Large manage to explore and employ a number of dynamics gracefully, and as a result the record is never disjointed. While tracks like “Villans” and “Anti-Hero” capture the band’s familiar aggression, “Doubt,” “Morning Birds,” and “Sleep Sound” 30

Long Island Press for August 16 - August 22, 2012

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better display the growth and evolution the quartet has undergone. In place of retooling, Giants at Large have embraced their previous musical identity and taken it to the next stage. By spreading enough familiarity through their newer stylings, Doubt benefits from tight cohesion of tonality. Musically, the band is at an alltime high. With their tight rhythms, and layered melodies throughout, you will undoubtedly be singing along in no time. Given their unique approach to drumming, syncopated vocals, and dynamic strings, Giants at Large truly have the ability to craft a record that rests on its musicianship as much as its hooks. Lyrically the album deals with a number of themes. but vocalist/guitarist/frontman Matt Lagattuta’s introspection is never too far detatched from the listener. Instead, each song bears an honesty that is easy to identify with. As a result, the album is an incredibly hard-hitting and personal experience. The quartet understands universality, and it serves them quite well throughout. Doubt is a mammoth record from beginning to end. It showcases a band that is not afraid to step outside their genre, as well a band that strives to reinvent elements within their genre. —Michael Ventimiglia Giants at Large celebrate their CD release Sunday, 8.26 at Vibe. P r e s s P l ay

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the 2009 return of founding member Dino Cazares to the fold after a seven-year hiatus. While Cazares and band vocalist Burton C. Bell are still on the outs with fellow founding member Raymond Herrera and Christian Olde Wolbers, the band has recorded two albums since Cazares’ return—2010’s Mechanize and this year’s The Industrialist. With Killjoy, Sensory Defect, Eyes Like Cyanide & Beta Plus Embryo.—MF Wynton Marsalis Quintet @ Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center Louie Anderson @ The Paramount The Village People @ Eisenhower Park

unteer Firefighters Museum Ellen’s Run & Walk @ Southampton Hospital Rock N Blues Fest @ NYCB Theatre @ Westbury Kennedy’s Comedy Hour (And A Half) @ Brokerage Comedy Club monday 8.20 LI Pint Night @ T.J. Finley’s, $4 LI pints. tuesday 8.21 Joan Osborne/ Meshell Ndegeocello @ City Winery wednesday 8.22 Psychic Robert Hansen @ McGuire’s

Duck Race @ Chase Creek, Shelter Island

Mid-Summer Mixer & Pet Product/ Service Showcase Event @ Sheraton LI, Hauppauge

Rocket Rally Classic Car Show @ Brookhaven Vol-

USTA Pro-Am Cocktail Reception @ The Bridge,

1180 Millstone Rd., Bridgehampton, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. www. ustaserves.com. thursday 8.23 The Barclays PGA Playoff @ Bethpage State Park, Through 8.26. Tennis Pro-Am @ E. Hampton Indoor Tennis, 175 Daniels Hole Rd., Wainscott, 1 p.m. www. ustaserves.com. Al Green @ Beacon Theater, Those expecting a full evening’s worth of song should gird themselves for disappointment as nowadays the good Reverend Green is prone to performing hourlong sets. But within those 60 minutes, the soul icon takes the audience on a trip through his considerably rich canon along with a few medleys of covers for good measure. To make up for the brevity of the headliner’s set, be

Where it’s At Do This Venue Information Allegria—80 W. Broadway, Centre Long Beach Dix Hills Performing Arts Art Guild—200 Port Wash- Center—305 N. Service Rd., Dix Hills. www.dhpac. ington Blvd., Manhasset org B.B. Kings—237 W. 42nd Dublin Deck—325 River St., Manhattan. www. Ave., Patchogue bbkingblues.com

galehouse.com

Babylon Bean—17 Fire Island Ave., Babylon

Mercury Lounge—217 E. Houston St., Manhattan. www.mercuryloungenyc. com

Beach Bar—58 Foster Ave., Hampton Bays

Eisenhower Park—Hempstead Turnpike, East Meadow

McFadden’s—210 Merrick Rd., Rockville Centre. 516-442-2600. www. mcfaddensrvc.com McGuire’s—1627 Smithtown Ave., Bohemia

Ethical Humanist Society of LI—38 Old Country Rd., Middle Country Beer Garden City. www.shsli.org Garden—1702 Middle Country Rd., Centereach Governor’s—90 Division Mulcahy’s—3232 RailAve, Levittown. www. Bellport Country road Ave., Wantagh. www. govs.com Club—40 S. Country Rd., muls.com Gramercy Theatre—127 Bellport Music Hall of WilE. 23rd St., Manhattan. Blue Parrot—5460 Merliamsburg—66 N. 6th Grey Horse Tavern—291 rick Rd., Massapequa St., Brooklyn. www.musiBayport Ave., Bayport challofwilliamsburg.com Blue—7 Montauk Hwy., Herrick Park—Newtown Blue Point Napper Tandy’s—275 Lane, East Hampton Route 25A, Miller Place; Boardy Barn—270 W. 229 Laurel Ave., NorthHighline Ballroom—431 Montauk Hwy, Hampton port; 15 E. Main St., W. 16th St., Manhattan. Bays. www.boardybarn. Smithtown. www.napperwww.highlineballroom com tandys.com Hofstra University— Bowery Ballroom—6 Nikon @ Jones Beach— Delancey St., Manhattan. Hempstead Turnpike, Ocean Parkway, Wantagh www.boweryballroom.com Hempstead Brickhouse Brewery—67 IFC Center—323 6th Ave., Nutty Irishman—60 E. Main St., Bay Shore; 323 Manhattan W. Main St., Patchogue Main St., Farmingdale. Brokerage—2797 Merrick Jackie Reilly’s—3964 www.thenuttyirishman. Rd, Bellmore. www.broker- Hempstead Tpke., Bethcom page. www.jackiereillys. agecomedy.com NYCB Theatre at Westcom Brookhaven Volunteer bury—960 Brush Hollow Katie’s—Main Street, Firefighters Museum— Rd., Westbury Smithtown. www.katiesofMiddle Country Road, Paddy McGee’s—6 Watersmithtown.com Ridge view Rd., Island Park Central Park—East Drive, Lark—93 Larkfield Rd., East Northport. www.the- Painters—416 S. Country Manhattan Rd., Brookhaven. www. larkpubandgrub.com Cinema Arts Centre—423 paintersrestaurant.com Lily Flanagan’s—528 Park Ave., Huntington. Paramount—370 New Main St., Islip www.cinemaartscentre. York Ave., Huntington org Lizard Lounge—4589 Post Office Café—130 W. Sunrise Hwy, Bohemia. City Winery—155 Varick Main St., Babylon www.lizardloungeli.com St., Manhattan. www. citywinery.com Prudential Center—744 Loyal Dog—288 E. Montauk Highway, Linden- Broad St., Newark, New Dark Horse Tavern—12 Jersey hurst. www.theloyaldoS. Park Ave., Rockville Beacon Theatre—2124 Broadway, Manhattan. www.beacontheatre.com

sure to get there early for Charles Bradley, (a.k.a “The Screaming Eagle of soul”), the latest phenomenal talent to emerge from the Daptone Records stable. With Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires.—MF Walter Trout @ B.B. King Blues Club Sebadoh @ Bowery Ballroom David Ryan Harris @ Highline Ballroom Out at the Movies: Men’s Hot Shorts @ Cinema Arts Centre The year’s best short movies about men, a Hot Shorts contest, classic cars & more to benefit the LI Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. Bobby Keys & the Suffering Bastards @ Highline Ballroom Lera Lynn featuring members of Georgia Satellites, Black Crowes, Lynyrd Skynyrd and John Fogerty’s band. Revolution—140 Merrick Rd., Amityville. www.revolutionli.com Riverhead Raceway—1797 Old Country Rd, Riverhead Rockefeller Plaza—1230 6th Ave., Manhattan Schafer’s—111 W. Broadway, Port Jefferson Social Sports Lounge & Kitchen—1002 Hempstead Tpke., Uniondale Southampton Hospital—240 Meeting House Lane, Southampton St. Vitus—1120 Manhattan Ave., Brooklyn. www. saintvitusbar.com Stephen Talkhouse—61 Main St., Amagansett Suffolk County Farm— 638 Chapman Blvd., Manorville T.J. Finleys—42 E. Main St., Bay Shore. www. tjfinleys.com Tanner Park—Kerrigan Road, Copiague Tap & Barrel—550 Smithtown Bypass, Smithtown Theatre Three—412 Main St., Port Jefferson. www. theaterthree.com Velvet lounge—10 Woods Corner Rd., East Setauket Vibe Lounge—60 North Park Ave., Rockville Centre Webster Hall—125 E. 11th St., Manhattan. www.websterhall.com Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center—76 Main St., Westhampton Beach. Wickers—206 W. Old Country Rd., Hicksville Williamsburg Park—Williamsburg, Brooklyn Woodmere Lanes/Backstage—948 Broadway, Woodmere

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Long Island Press for August 16 - August 22, 2012

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The Final Interview By Prairie Miller

Whitney Houston Sparkles Whether or not audiences applaud the vibrant sounds and Motown style dynamic girl group nostalgia of Sparkle when the remake of the 1976 original hits theaters this week, may be beside the point. Casting a bittersweet pall over the proceedings will be the stellar presence of one of the most revered female music legends in history, the late Whitney Houston. Whitney had raised expectations that the movie, which will be released a week after what would have been her 49th birthday, would be her big comeback, both personally and artistically. And those were exactly the very positive vibes she gave when we met during filming.

I have to give him props where props are due. And he has anointing on him that’s powerful. I witnessed it myself. I’ve watched him. We’ve had our share of words. And I would win! But he is like a brother to me. We talk about life, and things that happen in life and our triumphs and our survival of it. And that makes a good song for anybody to sing or anyone to write, you know? So, I’m extremely proud and I’m very, very grateful that he’s part of this project.

Is there something new about this material that really speaks to you? It’s crossing the boundaries. And it’s breaking down walls. Whatever is left, it’s tearing them down. And it’s presenting African Americans in a beautiful light. Everybody on camera is just beautiful, you know. And we’re smart and we’re educated, and we’re dealing with our time of civil unrest. It was the year Dr. King was assassinated. And we have drama, all of that feeling was all up in there. And raising children at that time as a single parent must have truly had its tasks. However, that’s why we put church How does it feel to be back in in it. Because it’s a foundation in my life. I front of the camera after so many think anybody who was raised in the church years? Now that I’m older and after my will understand what I’m talking about. experiences in life and things like that, you become more seasoned. And more Do you feel pressure making a mature. And it coincides with my life as comeback? I don’t think of it as a comeback, a mother. Because [in the movie] I have and I don’t think of it as a pressure. I think of three daughters. But I have one daughter it as a gift that God gave me, to contribute to that adds up to three for me, as far as I’m a cast of people who are working as hard, if concerned! But yeah, I’m comfortable with not harder, than I. And you know, I’ve done it. Because I am a hands-on mother, and I it before. It’s just in my life. It was not that I am a disciplinary mother. And I don’t make said “Oh, I want to entertain. I want to be an idle threats. So basically it was good, it was entertainer”. It’s in my family bloodline. So a good position for me to be in. Because I I can’t help it. You know, it’s something that feel very close to all three of them as my God just said, “This is what you do.” It’s in daughters. We’re having a great time. me. And so to me, it’s not like a comeback. It’s just innate. It’s natural. What about working with R. Kelly on the soundtrack? Oh my goodness. How are you keeping grounded Okay, I call him Robert. Let’s get that these days? I have priorities. Maintaining straight. He wrote a song for me about 12 my daughter is my first. She’s 18 now, and or 13 years ago, that he had been trying she’s going to be a woman in a minute. Lord to get to me for years which was called, “I have mercy! But I also have a son that I have Look To You.” And I finally got the song. I now, my godson. And he’s 22, and a wellheard it back then and we kind of passed. balanced young man. My family I took care He still kept on it. And he’s the kind of of first. And now, I’m comfortable in keeping musician whom you can stand there and my focus on what I have to do here. And you say, “This is how I feel.” And he’ll write a never know what happens in between. You song in five minutes. He’s that incredible, just be ready for whatever it brings.

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Crossword SOFT TOUCH ACROSS 1 Picker-uppers 7 Mr. Ziegfeld 10 Bread spread 13 Actress Laurie 18 Conductor Toscanini 19 Word with corn or snake 20 Mr. Baba 21 Scavullo’s equipment 22 Elizabeth Taylor movie 25 Hudson River city 26 Day- 27 Rock’s - Floyd 28 “Holy cow!” 29 Use the microwave 31 “Topaz” author 32 Gab 33 Football’s Matson 35 Pupil’s place 36 Energetic 39 ‘64 Hitchcock film 42 Way 45 Steber solo 46 English racer 49 Arkansas hrs. 52 West’s “Diamond -” 53 Presses 54 Help in a heist 55 Cry of discovery 56 Blend 58 - -chef 59 “Die Fledermaus” maid 62 Word form for “bone” 64 Fancy 66 Sailing 67 “Wait - Dark”

(‘67 film) 68 Comic Mandel 70 Bribe-to-be 74 Recesses 75 Pays to play 76 Manuscript imperative 77 Peter’s partner 79 Smallest 80 Fiery felony 82 Atmosphere 83 Ridicule 86 Bisoglio or Kilmer 87 Perry’s creator 89 “-, you’ll like it!” 90 Laudatory verse 91 Wapiti 92 Jason’s quest 96 “Uptown Girl” singer 97 Screenwriter James 98 Big-billed bird 99 Power a trike 100 On the - (fleeing) 102 Composer Telemann 104 Moira Shearer, for one 106 Mrs. Zeus 107 Sniggler’s quarry 108 Humor 110 Actress Arlene 111 Salon request 114 Hammed up “Hamlet” 116 Some boxers 120 Helen Hunt Jackson novel 121 Unwell 122 Hosp. area 123 Layers 124 Musty

125 Relative of -ist 126 - de plume 127 Tailor’s apparatus DOWN 1 Din from dynamite 2 Articulated 3 Director Preminger 4 “- generis” 5 Award 6 Sanchez or Braga 7 - dance 8 Actress Ullmann 9 First name in fashion 10 Field event 11 Flagon filler 12 Actress Gaynor 13 Crony 14 Permeated 15 Pole star? 16 Banks of baseball 17 Sunshine, slangily 21 Mushroom part 23 Farm animal 24 Tea of “Deep Impact” 30 Certain bacterium 32 Numbers man? 34 Part of a triangle 36 Reading matter? 37 Part of HOMES 38 Doris Day movie 39 Writer de Cervantes 40 Olympic hawk

41 “Kidnapped” monogram 43 Sugary suffix 44 Flabbergast

46 Iranian city 47 Moves like a Morgan 48 “- de mer”

49 Certain poplar 50 Arabian chieftain 51 Hoes and ham-

Sudoku

mers 57 Produces prunes 59 Wan 60 Adroit 61 - Claire, WI 63 A nose that shows 65 IRA, e.g. 66 Concerning 68 Bisect 69 Hoopster Shaquille 71 Nav. designation 72 Vietnam’s - Van Thieu 73 Column style 78 Figure of interest? 80 Accuse tentatively 81 Florid 82 Length X width 84 Scheme 85 Relate 88 Salty spread 89 RN’s specialty

93 Ike’s domain 94 Connecticut city 95 “Tempus -” 96 Gush 97 Explosive mixture 99 Considerate 100 Paul of “American Graffiti” 101 Luncheonette lure 103 Wee 104 Shorten a slat 105 Karpov’s game 106 Towel word 107 Author LeShan 109 Svelte 110 Grass’ “The Tin -” 111 Kind of carpet 112 Major conclusion 113 Obsolete title 115 Chemical ending 117 Ivy Leaguer 118 Author Umberto 119 Kennel threat

Last Week’s Answers

All Games © 2012 King Features Synd. All Rights Reserved

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Adoption ADOPT: A wonderful life awaits your baby! We’ll provide warmth, security, devoted extended family, opportunities and endless love. Expenses Paid. Anne & Marc 1-877-977-5411. www.anneandmarcadopt.com. Auto Donations DONATE A CAR- HELP HOMELESS PETS! Free Next-Day Towing. Tax Deductible. NonRunners OK. Receive $1,000 Grocery Coupons. Call National Animal Welfare Foundation 1-888-333-3848 Autos Wanted CASH FOR CARS! We Buy ANY Car or Truck, Running or NOT! Damaged, Wrecked, Salvaged OK! Get a top dollar INSTANT offer today! 1-800-267-1591 Buildings for Sale HAS YOUR BUILDING SHIFTED OR SETTLED? Contact Woodford Brothers Inc, for straightening, leveling, foundation and wood frame repairs at 1-800-OLD-BARN. www.woodfordbros. com.Suffolk Cty~ License #41959-H Nassau Cty~ License #H18G7160000 Buying/Selling BUYING/ SELLINGgold, gold-filled, sterling silver, silver plate, diamonds, fine watches (Rolex, Cartier, Patek Philippe) coins, paintings, furs, estates. Call for appointment 917696-2024 JAY Computer Repair Very rapid turnaround times. Full repairs and tune-ups. Hardware specialist with well below retail prices. Setups networking and general help. All problems addressed in terms that are easy to understand. Very friendly and honest with hundreds of references of already happy customers. NO HOURLY FEES. Lowest price guaranteed. Call Justin 631-355-0567

Education Medical Office Trainees Needed! Train to become a Medical Office Assistant! No Experience Needed! Career Training & Job Placement Assistance at CTI! HS Diploma/ GED & Computer/ Internet to qualify. 1-888-5287110 Help Wanted AIRLINES ARE HIRING ñTrain for hands on Aviation Career. FAA approved program. Financial aid if qualified - Job placement assistance. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance 866-296-7093 Drivers- Annual Salary $45K to $60k. $0.01 increase per mile after 6 months. Quarterly Bonuses. CDL-A, 3 months current OTR experience. 800-4149569 www.driveknight. com Legal A+ BANKRUPTCY ATTORNEY-LOAN MODIFICATIONS Low fees. EZ payments. Get out of debt today! Save Home & Car. Friendly, Knowledgeable. Debt Relief Agency, Adam Gomerman 631-549-1111 Miscellaneous CANADA DRUG CENTER. Safe and affordable medications. Save up to 90% on your medication needs. Call 1-888-432-1479 ($25.00 off your first prescription and free shipping) Music Gear CENTER STAGE MUSIC We Buy/Sell/Trade/ Repair all fine new & used gear. Guaranteed lowest price on everything from amps to guitars, PAs, DJ equipment, lighting, etc. Professional technician on site. 100% satisfaction guaranteed. Open Mon.-Thurs. 11-6pm Fri & Sat. 11-9pm. 18-40 Newbridge Rd., Bellmore. Mention this ad. Get a discount. 516-557-2527

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Ability to screen quick set up and run. Experience with M&R equipment a +.

Pen & Pencil & Manual Silk Apply in person at 15 gilpin Ave. Hauppauge, email: hr@positivepromotions.com or fax to (631) 232-3129

Classes Forming Now!

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Call Now 516.714.3598 www.StarCareerAcademy.com 125 Michael Drive, Syosset, NY 11791

APPROVED Licensed by the State of New York. Accredited by ACCSC. For more information about our graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed the program and other important information, please visit our website at www.starcareeracademy.com/consumerinfo.php

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LET STAR HELP YOU BE A STAR, JUST LIKE WE DID FOR CORINA ELGART OF TLC’S NEXT GREAT BAKER & OWNER OF ‘TASTE’!

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High Quality Modern Home Furniture at Affordable Prices

Pets KOI FOR SALE 516-8096771 Beautiful Butterfly & Standard Fin Koi. All Varieties, Quantity Discounts, Pond Supplies. GET A FREE KOI FOR STOPPING BY!

From sofas, tables, chairs, beds and lightings, you have thousands of modern items to choose from at IFN Modern. We do our best to provide you with high-quality affordable furnishings for your home and office, and give you the ultimate shopping experience.

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IFN Modern is the perfect one-stop shop for all your home and office furnishings. Let us help you decorate your living space.

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to Advertise in this Section

Contact Sal Calvi at (516) 284-3320 or email scalvi@ longislandpress.com

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or Apply online at: www.positivepromotions.com Email: hr@positivepromotions.com • Fax: 631.232.3129 EquAL opporTuNiTY EmpLoYEr

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What would you do with the $522 you could save with Esurance?* Call 1-866-682-5167 to get your fast, free car insurance quote.

*National average annual savings based on data from customers who reported savings by switching to Esurance between 1/1/10 and 5/19/10.

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