The Times of Middle Country - February 3, 2022

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TIMES of MIDDLE COUNTRY C E N T E R E AC H • S E L D E N • L A K E G R O V E N O R T H

Vol. 17, No. 42

February 3, 2022

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Snow day!

A Groundhog Day celebration Holtsville Hal predicts an early spring!

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Brookhaven becomes a winter wonderland — A7

Rock of Ages opens in Northport Also: Review of Netflix’s Archive 81, SBU Sports, Book review of I’ll Wait For You

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PAGE A2 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • FEBRUARY 3, 2022

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FEBRUARY 3, 2022 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • PAGE A3

Village

Longtime restaurateur set to open new business in former Pentimento location

BY RITA J. EGAN RITA@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM After being vacant since September, the spot formerly occupied by Pentimento will be home to a new restaurant.

In a statement Jan. 31, Eagle Realty Holdings Inc. announced David Tunney, who owns and operates several restaurants on Long Island from Port Jefferson to Roslyn, will open a new restaurant at 93 Main St. in Stony Brook Village Center.

“After many interviews with at least a halfdozen local and more distant restaurateurs, Eagle Realty Holdings trustees are pleased with our choice of David,” said chairman Richard Rugen in the press release.

According to Eagle Realty, Tunney is expected to open the new restaurant in the spring. He has not announced the name of the business or what will be offered.

“This will be a new concept, different cuisine and a whole new look,” Tunney said in the press release.

The business owner has been in the restaurant industry for 35 years and is a familiar face in the Three Village area. He grew up in

Setauket and graduated from Ward Melville High School. In 2019, he bought the former Raga Indian Restaurant on Old Town Road and turned it into Old Fields Barbecue.

“This is where I grew up, this is where my roots are, and it’s amazing to come back to it,” Tunney said in a 2019 TBR News Media interview.

In addition to the Setauket spot, he owns Old Fields restaurants in Port Jefferson and Greenlawn and Old Fields Barbecue in Huntington. He is also one of the founders of the Besito Restaurant Group along with his brother John and part-owner of Besito Mexican restaurants in Huntington and Roslyn.

In the 2019 interview, Tunney said he had good memories of growing up in the Three Village area. His mother, Marilyn, worked in the TBR News Media offices for 25 years, and one of his first jobs was at the Arby’s that once was located where the Setauket Main Street firehouse is today. Tunney said his first job was with the former Dining Car 1890 that was located on Route 25A and Nicolls Road, where he started as a dishwasher.

In the interview, Tunney said he leaves the cooking to the chefs and enjoys the hospitality

David Tunney is ready to open a new restaurant in Stony Brook Village Center. Photo from Eagle Realty Holdings

side of the business, which he learned from his brother John.

“The part I really love about it is making

people have a great experience and that they just love all the food, the service, the ambiance, how they are taken care of,” he said in the interview.

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PAGE A4 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • FEBRUARY 3, 2022

Foxes don’t pose a danger to humans

BY RITA J. EGAN RITA@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

When foxes are spotted in a neighborhood, residents may wonder if the animal poses any danger to them or their dogs and cats or if they have rabies because they’re out in the daytime.

However, experts say seeing foxes out during the day doesn’t necessarily indicate rabies.

“Generally, foxes are most active at night or during twilight, however they can be active at other times of day when food demands are higher such as needing to conduct additional foraging to feed young,” according to New York State Department of Environmental Conservation officials. “During the winter months, foxes may be more inclined to hunt during the day, so a sighting in daylight hours is often not an indication of a sick animal.”

The DEC added that foxes should be viewed at a distance while they are searching for their necessities.

“If foxes are being sighted near residential homes it is probably because some resource need is being met, i.e., shelter, such as under decks or sheds, access to food, where rodents or other natural forage are located.”

Janine Bendicksen, curator and director of wildlife rehabilitation for Sweetbriar Nature Center in Smithtown, said sometimes a person may see a fox circling. This is a result of people

who feed them, which is not a good idea as they begin to depend on humans for food. Because of this dependency, when a fox sees a person, they begin circling in anticipation of being fed.

“The fox is definitely more afraid of you than you are of it,” she said. “Foxes have what they love to eat. They love to eat mice. They love moles, rats, and won’t necessarily go after your cat or dog. Could they? Absolutely. But chances are they’re going to be more afraid of the dog than it is of them.”

While people don’t have to worry about their dogs and cats if foxes are spotted, they do have to keep an eye on their chickens.

Bendicksen said people who find that foxes get into their chicken cages need to house the birds in an enclosure that is completely fox proof because the animal can get to the chicken easily if there are any substantially sized holes.

Fox population

Bendicksen said there hasn’t been an uptick in the fox population necessarily, but with more people at home during the pandemic, she believes more residents have noticed them than they did in the past. Even the number of calls they have received about injured wildlife, in general, have increased over the last couple of years, she said, as people are spending more time outdoors.

The fox population is a cyclical one. When it’s a good summer and they can get more than adequate amounts of food, she said, in turn, the

‘The fox is definitely more afraid of you than you are of it.’

—JANINE BENDICKSEN

animals have many pups.However, this can result in overpopulation and the foxes get mites, which cause the contagious disease known as mange.

The foxes can die from the disease. When another good summer comes along, the population can grow again.

“The population does go up and down based on food and based on the disease that keeps them in check,” Bendicksen said.

Recently, the nature center saved a fox with mange when a resident found him curled up outside their front door.

“He would not have survived the winter,” the wildlife director said. “We literally got him just in the nick of time. His hair just started to fall out.

His eyes were just starting to shut. He would have died of secondary infections and starvation had

he not come in.”

The fox, named Tod by the staff, will now spend the winter with the nature center and be released in the spring when he is “older and wiser,” according to Bendicksen.

Injured foxes

If a person sees an injured fox, they should contact an animal rescue such as Sweetbriar (631-979-6344, www.sweetbriarnc.org).

Bendicksen said foxes are difficult to catch, and they have to be extremely sick for a person to catch them. She pointed out that people rarely see foxes hit along the road because of their speed and other skills.

“The foxes are truly super intelligent, super shy, super careful, and so to catch a sick fox, they have to be in pretty bad shape,” she said.

Town Will Relocate Glass Recycling Drop-Off to Setauket Fire District On Friday, February 11th, the Town’s glass recycling bins at the Stony Brook Yacht Club will be relocated to the Setauket Fire District at: 394 Nicolls Rd, Setauket-East Setauket, NY 11733 This new location will offer Brookhaven residents in and near the 1st Council District a convenient spot to drop off their glass for recycling.

Reminders: 1) Only glass bottles and jars are acceptable.

2) Glass does not need to be color separated.

What are we doing with recycled glass?

Glass collected from the Town’s twelve drop-off locations is crushed and used to replace sand in construction. This saves natural resources and reduces our waste.

Questions? Call Councilmember Kornreich at (631) 451-6963

Pictured: Brookhaven Town Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich at the Setauket FD 67080

FEBRUARY 3, 2022 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • PAGE A5

County Police, public safety urge residents to keep their car doors locked

in July, August and December of last year.

Port Jefferson reported 10, 13 for Rocky Point, 17 for Setauket and 21 for Stony Brook.

These numbers also do not include thefts of parts from the vehicle like tires or catalytic converters.

But along with small thefts from inside easy-to-reach cars, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) said during a recent press conference that eight cars were stolen across Suffolk County in one week — Dec. 19 through Dec. 23.

“Many victims of vehicle theft not only leave their cars unlocked, but they leave key fobs in plain sight, either on the passenger seat, the driver’s seat or in the cup holder,” Bellone said during the Dec. 23 Hauppauge press event. “This allows car thieves to easily enter the vehicle and take off.”

BY JULIANNE MOSHER JULIANNE@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM Over the course of the last year, North Shore residents have gotten relaxed or forgetful when it comes to locking their car doors.

For example, Fred Leute, chief of Port Jefferson’s code enforcement, said that over the past month, village code has been receiving calls about people rummaging through open vehicles.

He said that right now, thanks to Ring camera footage, they have seen three separate people on camera trying to open car doors.

“They’re looking for loose change or cash,” he said. “They’re checking for open doors — not even looking inside.”

Leute said this can be prevented.

“Lock your doors,” he said. “Double check.”

And while the village experienced these incidents over the last few weeks, he said that this problem isn’t confined to just one area.

“We’re aware of what’s going on,” Leute said. “It’s happening all over.”

A spokesperson from the Suffolk County Police Department said several North Shore hamlets have reported thefts from motor

Stock photo

vehicles. These numbers cannot verify if a car was unlocked or not.

From January 2021 until this Jan. 22, there have been 111 reported thefts from a motor vehicle in Old Field, Poquott, Port

Jefferson, Rocky Point, Selden, Setauket and Stony Brook.

Old Field and Poquott had the least amount, with just two each in the fall, while Selden experienced 46 thefts — the most happening

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PAGE A6 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • FEBRUARY 3, 2022

Mount Sinai Elementary School

118 North Country Road, Mount Sinai, New York 11766

The following incidents have been reported by the Suffolk County Police.

­

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TBR NEWS MEDIA

Centereach

■ 7-11 on Mark Tree Road in Centereach reported that someone allegedly stole two preloaded Vanilla Visa gift cards with a value of $500 each on Jan. 23.

Wanted for questioning

■ A petit larceny was reported at Walmart on Middle Country Road in Centereach on Jan. 22. A woman allegedly stole a blender, two mixers, and one juicer with a total value of $650.

■ A resident on Continental Drive in Centereach called the police to report a man had allegedly taken a delivery package off of his front porch valued at approximately $400 on Jan. 23.

■ A petit larceny was reported at Carters on Middle Country Road in Centereach on Jan. 28. Four women allegedly stole assorted children’s clothing with a value of approximately $200.

■ A resident on Bellwood Avenue in Centereach reported that a catalytic converter had been stolen from a 2002 Ford F250 on Jan. 23. Approximate value was $800.

Lake Grove

■ A catalytic converter was reported stolen from a 2002 Ford F250 parked on Olive Street in Lake Grove on Jan. 22. The stolen item was valued at approximately $650.

■ Sephora at the Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove reported that a woman allegedly put three Daisy by Marc Jacobs fragrances in her purse and walked out of the store on Jan. 28. The items were valued at $340.

■ A woman shopping at Trader Joe’s in Lake Grove on Jan. 27 left her pocketbook unattended in her shopping cart. When she returned her wallet containing credit cards and cash was missing.

■ H&M at the Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove reported a petit larceny on Jan. 28.

A woman allegedly stole assorted clothing valued at about $200.

Selden

■ Home Depot on Middle Country Road in Selden reported that a man allegedly stole $350 worth of car batteries from the store on Jan. 26 and fled in a Ford Edge.

Do you recognize this woman? Photo from SCPD

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Sixth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the woman who allegedly stole groceries from Stop & Shop at 294 Middle Country Road in Coram on January 25 at approximately 2 p.m.

South Setauket

■ Target on Pond Path in South Setauket reported two shoplifters on Jan. 26. A man and a woman allegedly concealed 17 videos and 1 calculator in their jackets and walked out of the store.

■ Target on Pond Path in South Setauket reported a petit larceny on Jan. 26. A man allegedly stole a Dyson V8 Animal Vacuum valued at $400.

■ A man was stopped by store security at Home Depot on Middle Country Road in Selden on Jan. 26 for allegedly attempting to steal assorted power tools and wire worth around $2600.

Stony Brook

■ A resident on William Penn Drive in Stony Brook reported that a purse, credit cards and money were stolen from a vehicle parked on their driveway on Jan. 22. A front window was broken to gain entry.

— COMPILED BY HEIDI SUTTON

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest.

Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS.

FEBRUARY 3, 2022 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • PAGE A7

County

Weekend blizzard slams Suffolk

BY AMANDA POMERANTZ DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM The expected nor’easter over the weekend dumped more than 2 feet of snow in some areas of the Town of Brookhaven, but a big challenge was the blizzard conditions.

Snowfall started Friday night, and continued into Saturday evening. The wind kept blowing and drifting snow, and areas that had been plowed kept needing to be plowed again.

The National Weather Service reported that in the Town of Brookhaven winds reached as high as 66 mph in Stony Brook, according to the Citizen Weather Observer Program known as CWOP, and snow totals reached as high as 23.5 inches in Medford, according to a trained spotter.

But the town’s superintendent of highways, Daniel Losquadro (R), said that the cleanup was able to keep going through the blizzard conditions.

“We kept making passes and making roads as clear as possible for emergency services,” he said.

The town’s Highway Department posted a press release on Friday urging residents to take “common sense” precautions to stay safe, including staying off roads and parking cars in driveways to allow snowplows and emergency vehicles to pass.

Brookhaven covers over 530 square miles, with more than 3,700 lane miles of road. The Highway Department now has 250 pieces of hired snow-removal equipment and relies on about an equal number of outside contractors to help with plowing during snowstorms.

“There is no way we can afford that many

pieces of equipment and employees to do that work,” Losquadro said.

The town had 400 pieces of equipment a few years ago, which is down almost 40%, according to the highway superintendent.

He compared their equipment numbers to those of the Town of Smithtown, which he said has 40 pieces of equipment, down more than 50% from the 92 pieces it had a few years ago.

“There aren’t as many private contractors doing snow removal right now,” Losquadro said, adding that the Highway Department had advertised aggressively. He and his colleagues agreed that a scarcity of outside contractors is a problem everywhere.

He suggested that this may be due to an increase in costs and oil prices, and a ripple effect in the supply chain.

“A truck needs to go to work on Monday,” he said. “They risk damages and needing parts.”

He said that the town had a system to break up the large area into sections so that every part would get covered.

“The contractors were able to stay on,” he added.

On Sunday and Monday, the town focused on widening the snow-laden roads and cleaning intersections. “There were not too many breakdowns,” the highway superintendent said.

Brutally cold temperatures overnight on Saturday and Sunday shifted to gradually warmer weather. By Monday afternoon, Losquadro considered how the town had responded to the storm and said, “Everything went well for the most part.”

— Photos by Amanda Pomerantz

PAGE A8 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • FEBRUARY 3, 2022

University

SB weather professors, students launch balloons during nor’easter

BY DANIEL DUNAIEF DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM The hours a few meteorology professors and some of their students spent in driving snow and whipping wind this past weekend amid the nor’easter may improve the accuracy of future weather forecasts.

Even as other Long Island residents were hunkered indoors, Stony Brook University Professors Brian Colle and Pavlos Kollias were teaming up with scientists from several institutions as a part of a threeyear NASA-led study called IMPACTS, for The Investigation of Microphysics and Precipitation for Atlantic Coast-Threatening Snowstorms.

The researchers and a group of their students launched weather balloons and gathered radar data from last Friday evening through Saturday night, as the nor’easter named Kenan dumped well over two feet of snow through parts of Long Island.

Stony Brook students helped launch weather balloons every few hours, while NASA sent an ER-2 high altitude airborne plane and a Lockheed P-3 Orion plane into the storm.

“Everyone brings their tools to the sandbox with respect to looking at these storms,” said Colle, who collected data and managed students for over 24 hours.

At 4 a.m., Colle was driving on a road where the lanes and other traffic had disappeared.

“I kind of enjoyed it,” Colle admitted, as he maneuvered along the snow-covered roadway where the lanes completely

disappeared.

Colle is in the second year of an IMPACT operation that started in 2020 and was put on pause last year amid the pandemic.

The purpose of the study is to improve forecasting in a one-to-two-day time horizon.

An improvement in the accuracy of localized forecasts over a shorter time can help municipal authorities determine when to send out plows.

“The models can hone in on those features and provide what we refer to as ‘nowcasting’ or short term forecasting,” Colle said.

“There’s a big emphasis within the National Weather Service of providing decision support to emergency managers.”

Part of what makes forecasting these storms so challenging is the difficulty in predicting the timing and location of snow bands, which drop large amounts of snow in short periods of time.

In addition to information from the weather balloons, scientists throughout the area gathered temperature, wind and moisture data in places like Brookhaven and Albany.

Researchers ran a few different radar systems probing into the clouds to get more details about how these precipitation bands formed.

During the storm, Colle said the wind shear or the change in wind speed at different altitudes was dramatic, with 10- to 20-knot winds near the ground and 50-knot winds only 500 meters above.

“I was surprised by how strong those winds were, right above our heads,” Colle said.

Colle suggested that the students who participated in gathering data amid a driving

Samantha Lankowicz, above, a sophomore at SBU, takes a photo of the multi-angle snowflake camera, which is the equipment mounted on the black tripod. It captures photos of the snowflakes as they fall from three angles in real time.

Below, weather balloons were launched to gather radar data. Photo by Brian Colle, Stony Brook University

snowstorm had the opportunity to apply their textbook learning to a real-world situation.

“The students learn about these measurement approaches in class” but they truly understand it differently when they gather the data themselves, he said.

Student experience

A second-year student in the PhD program at Stony Brook, Erin Leghart, who lives in Farmingdale, worked from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., which included launching six balloons in about six to eight hours.

Leghart said this was the first time she experienced winds like this in a winter storm.

She was well-dressed for the weather, as she invested in an ankle-length winter coat, snow boots, thermal long johns, Patagonia under armor and ski goggles.

Leghart said the excitement about the storm built about five days before it arrived, as it presented an opportunity to “do a live experiment.”

A sophomore at Stony Brook, Samantha Lankowicz, meanwhile, was excited to join her shift from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“I got to do hands-on science with other

students,” she said.

Lankowicz, who loves snow and was hoping for a chance to study a nor’easter this year, was pleased that one of the balloons made it all the way to the stratosphere.

Lankowicz has been to other balloon launches where a snow band turned into rain, which was “not as fun, standing in pouring rain when it’s 34 degrees.”

The only time she felt cold was when she had to take off her ski gloves and put on thinner gloves to handle the balloons.

Also a sophomore, John Tafe, who is from Salem, New York, was fascinated by weather early in life. When he was four years old, he saw clouds on the horizon and predicted a thunderstorm, which not only came later that day, but also knocked out power.

Tafe, whose hands also got cold from handling the balloons, was excited to contribute to the effort.

“To be in such a major storm that hopefully will provide valuable data is exciting,” Tafe said. “I hope that the data we collected will help advance the science.”

FEBRUARY 3, 2022 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • PAGE A9

Holtsville Hal predicts an early spring

Attention Readers!

We want to hear from you, be part of our new monthly feature:

Village Diary

Send in your anecdotes and vignettes, memories, quirky unexpected experiences and overheard snippets that let us know what life is like in our community.

Send your local story to desk@tbrnewsmedia and put Village Diary in the subject line.

We will glady print them.

Photo from Town of Brookhaven

Following the blizzard that battered Brookhaven Town this past weekend, Holtsville Hal’s 2022 prognostication was welcome news for many. After awaking from his slumber, Hal brushed the snow aside to emerge from his burrow and did not see his shadow, predicting an early spring for the Town of Brookhaven. The virtual event was livestreamed on the Holtsville Ecology Site’s Facebook page on Groundhog Day, Feb. 2.

According to tradition, if a groundhog sees its shadow on Groundhog Day, there will be six more weeks of winter weather; if not, spring should arrive early.

“After this weekend’s blizzard, I’m sure we are all looking forward to spring arriving on time and keeping our fingers crossed that our resident weatherman maintains his accuracy,” said Superintendent of Highways Daniel Losquadro.

“Regardless, the Brookhaven Highway Department remains ready to handle whatever else Mother Nature sends our way during these remaining few weeks of winter.”

Above, Town of Brookhaven Highway Superintendent Dan Losquadro with Holtsville Hal’s handler, Greg Drossel, revealing Hal’s 2022 prognostication.

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PAGE A10 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • FEBRUARY 3, 2022

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FEBRUARY 3, 2022 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • PAGE A11

WE ARE:

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TIMES BEACON RECORD NEWS MEDIA The TIMES of Huntington, Northport & E. Northport • Huntington • Greenlawn • Halesite • Lloyd Harbor • Cold Spring Harbor

• Miller Place • Sound Beach • Rocky Point • Shoreham • Wading River • Baiting Hollow • Mt. Sinai

The Village TIMES HERALD

The Port TIMES RECORD

• Stony Brook • Strong’s Neck • Setauket • Old Field • Poquott

• Port Jefferson • Port Jefferson Sta. • Harbor Hills • Belle Terre

The TIMES of Smithtown • Smithtown • Hauppauge • Commack • E. Fort Salonga • San Remo

• Kings Park • St. James • Nissequogue • Head of the Harbor

The TIMES of Middle Country • Selden • Centereach • Lake Grove

©98994

• Northport • E. Northport • Eatons Neck • Asharoken • Centerport • W. Fort Salonga

The Village BEACON RECORD

PAGE A12 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • FEBRUARY 3, 2022

Place your ad today Call 631.751.7663 or 631.331.1154

E M PL OY M E N T / C A R E E R S PUBLISHER’S EMPLOYMENT NOTICE: All employment advertising in this newspaper is subject to section 296 of the human rights law which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, disability, marital status, sex, age or arrest conviction record or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. Title 29, U.S. Code Chap 630, excludes the Federal Gov’t. from the age discrimination provisions. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for employment which is in violation of the law. Our readers are informed that employment offerings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis.

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F/T Medical Receptionist Miller Place Benefits/PTO/401K To apply, visit our website: stonybrookmedicine.edu/ community-medical/careers

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SEEKING HOUSEKEEPER/ ASSISTANT in Huntington, NY area for family of 3 with 2 loveable small dogs. Text only: 631-978-6435 and 631-512-6928. SEE DISPLAY AD FOR MORE INFORMATION

F/T MEDICAL RECEPTIONIST Miller Place Benefits/PTO/401K To apply, visit our website: h t t p s : / / w w w . stonybrookmedicine.edu/ community-medical/careers

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MOUNT SINAI SCHOOL DISTRICT School District Aides and Custodial Substitutes, positions available throughout the district, please email resume to: Maureen Poerio at mpoerio@mtsinai.k12.ny.us.

TO SUBSCRIBE CALL 751-7744

The Village of Port Jefferson Highway Department is seeking a

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Must be available to respond during and after hours to emergencies including snow, ice and flooding.

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For consideration, please send your resume to sgallagher@portjeff.com ©67870

TBR NEWS MEDIA

ARE YOU HIRING?

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Please call the district office for further information at 631-744-4102

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FEBRUARY 3, 2022 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • PAGE A13

Place your ad today Call 631.751.7663 or 631.331.1154

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PAGE A14 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • FEBRUARY 3, 2022

Place your ad today Call 631.751.7663 or 631.331.1154

SERV ICES Lawn & Landscaping

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Editorial

Shoveling safe

With nearly 2 feet of snow covering the North Shore of Long Island, it’s important to remember that shoveling it can be a strenuous task for both the young and old.

While freshly fallen snow looks pretty, it gets ugly fast when it piles up preventing us from getting to work, school or the supermarket.

In order to get back to our daily tasks, the bottom line is we have to shovel. But shoveling can lead to not only minor aches and pains, but unfortunate situations such as heart attacks or death.

This week alone with the most recent nor’easter, there were three blizzard-related deaths on Long Island — two in Syosset and one in Cutchogue.

According to data analyzed in a 2019 Washington Post story, shoveling during snowstorms is responsible for about 11,500 injuries — 100 of which on average are fatal.

However, Catholic Health Physician Partners cardiologist, Dr. Chong Park, gave his insight on how to prevent heading to the hospital while cleaning up your property.

Park suggested doing a 10-minute warm-up before going outside.

“Light exercise and stretching allow your muscles and joints to loosen,” he said. “Also, avoid eating a heavy meal and consuming alcohol prior to clearing snow.”

Park added, “Should symptoms such as chest pain, chest heaviness, palpitations or shortness of breath occur as you shovel snow, stop immediately and seek medical attention.”

Other tips from Park include: Dress properly: To stay warm when you’re outside, wear several loose layers of clothing. Additionally, don a waterresistant coat and boots along with a knit hat, scarf and gloves. It’s important to keep your gloves as dry as possible while shoveling. Wet gloves won’t keep your hands warm.

Set your pace: You may want to clear the snow as fast as possible, but that’s when injuries occur. Go slow and do it step-by-step. As much as possible, push snow along the ground. Use a smaller snow shovel to avoid lifting a load that is too heavy.

Be sure to take frequent breaks, return inside to warm up and consume plenty of water. It’s also important to clear snow as quickly as possible before it begins to melt and gets too heavy.

Good form: When lifting snow, it’s important to use your legs. Bending at the waist can lead to an injury. Keep your back straight and squat with your knees wide. Avoid tossing snow. Instead, walk it to where you want to dump it.

Avoid falls: Wear boots with slip-resistant soles. Once you have cleared your driveway and walkway, throw down salt or sand to eliminate any remaining ice or snow and enhance traction.

So, please follow our motto, “Snow: Handle with care.”

WRITE TO US … We welcome your letters. They should be

no longer than 400 words and may be edited for length, libel, style and good taste. We do not publish anonymous letters. Please include a phone number and address for confirmation. Email letters to julianne@tbrnewsmedia.com or mail them to TBR News Media, P.O. Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733

Letters to the Editor Reckless Government Spending and Over Regulation will Only Worsen the Inflation Crisis

Gov. Kathy Hochul. Photo from Hochul’s office

Spirits lifted

What do you do when you see a large shore bird walking down Main Street in Port Jefferson Village? You call Port Jeff Code enforcement. I expressed my concern that the bird would wander into traffic and cause an accident or worse be hit by a car.

Not sure of their response to such a strange call, I was pleased and grateful to see a patrol car in five minutes. When I arrived on the scene, outside CVS, code officers and another concerned resident had captured the bird and placed it in a box inside the patrol car and were awaiting the DEC. The concern and compassion showed this helpless creature was certainly a bright spot in these dark days.

Arlene Caselli Port Jefferson

Hitch a ride on mass transit

The apple, Gov. Kathy Hochul [D], didn’t fall far from the tree of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo [D]. Both enjoy the perks of office at “taxpayers’’ expense. Is it really necessary for Hochul to travel from Albany via helicopter or airplane to events in New York City and Long Island? Upon arriving at Penn Station, the governor can transfer to either a NYC Transit Subway or Long Island Rail Road train to reach her final destination. Just like ordinary New Yorkers who travel with a laptop or other communication devices, she can still be working and staying in touch with her office will riding Amtrak, the NYC Transit subway or LIRR. When he was a U.S. senator, President Joe Biden [D] was known as Amtrak Joe. He commuted from his Delaware home to the capital via Amtrak on a regular basis for decades. Why can’t Hochul emulate Biden? Forget the helicopter and private airplane trips between Albany and NYC. Set an example for others. Show your support for transit just like Biden and become Amtrak Kathy.

Larry Penner Great Neck

A op-ed by Congressman Lee Zeldin Throughout 2021, Long Islanders and Americans all across the United States experienced historic levels of inflation that drove up the costs of everyday items, such as groceries and gasoline, to long-term purchases like houses and cars. In fact, the December 2021 Consumer Price Index (CPI) report showed that inflation had grown at 7 percent over the past 12 months. That is the largest inflation spike in four decades.

Inflation affects everyone. It can cause families trying to make ends meet to skip going out for pizza or to the movies because of the cost of filling up their car with gas or buying a week’s worth of groceries. Inflation makes it difficult for young people who want to upgrade from renting to purchase their first home. It certainly places even more of a burden on small businesses still struggling from the effects of overly restrictive COVID lockdown policies and mandates because now the prices of everything they need to operate on a day-to-day basis are on the rise.

The numbers bear this out. It is estimated that in 2021 inflation had the effect of wiping out two biweekly paychecks for the average American worker and added $3,500 to the expenses of the average family.

The same study showed low income families were hit the hardest and needed to increase their spending in 2021 by a minimum of 7 percent to achieve the same purchasing power as the previous year.

Several months ago, I asked my constituents to describe the impact inflation and increased prices of everyday goods were having on their lives. Their specific answers varied, but there was a shared theme of frustration with the Biden Administration’s approach to this crisis.

Lynne from Mattituck expressed concern about the rising costs of groceries, home heating oil and gasoline. She expects that she will pay as much as $1,250 more for home heating oil than she did last winter and already pays about $75 to fill up her car with gas.

Lynne was understandably fed up with President Biden’s nonsensical approach to domestic oil production

and American energy independence.

She asked, “How the heck do you shut down oil production in the country based on fear of pollution and then beg OPEC for oil? Their oil doesn’t pollute?”

The price of gas has forced Steven from Port Jefferson Station to take steps to monitor the number of miles he’s driving so he can make less frequent trips to fill up at the gas station. He also shared his frustrations with the Biden Administration’s lack of attention to an issue that is making Americans’ lives so much harder.

“To be honest, I never dreamed it would get like this. There is no attention to Americans coming from the White House. There’s a certain selfishness and self-absorbedness I have never seen before,” he said. It is easy to see why Steven and many other Americans feel this way when they see White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain publicly endorsing the idea that inflation is a “high class” problem.

From the time President Biden took office and brought one-party rule to Washington, Democrats’ agenda has been focused on jamming through massive spending increases, job killing regulations, suffocating mandates, and crippling tax hikes on businesses and individuals.

These reckless policies will do nothing to slow down inflation or tackle the supply chain crisis our nation is also facing. Throughout the President’s first year in office, his Administration has turned a blind eye to this reality and made this crisis far worse with the out of touch policies it has pursued.

The best way to tackle this inflation crisis and ease the burden of skyrocketing costs of everyday goods for hardworking Americans is to remove unnecessary regulations on small businesses, confront the supply chain crisis head on, encourage and incentivize people to rejoin the workforce, and ease the tax and cost of living burdens on American families.

I will continue to promote the policies that will help ease the inflation burden that is bringing unwanted challenges to the ability for families to provide for themselves, and I will keep pushing back on the proposals for more out-of-control spending that our nation cannot afford and that will only fan the flames of inflation.

Congressman Lee Zeldin represents New York’s First Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The opinions of columnists and letter writers are their own. They do not speak for the newspaper.

FEBRUARY 3, 2022 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • PAGE A19

Opinion Headlines we’re unlikely to see any time soon

W

e are stuck in a headline and news cycle rut. Please find below some fantasy headlines, and the sources or unlikeliest of sources, for those news flashes.

— “Kardashian women decide not to show any more skin” - People Magazine.

In the interests of encouraging people to dress appropriately for winter weather and to draw attention to their ideas rather than their bodies, the Kardashians decide that revealing less of their overD. None exposed bodies will aid of the above society.

BY DANIEL DUNAIEF — “President Biden had a great day” - The New York Post. Granted, President Biden hasn’t exactly created a stellar track record in his first year in office - the withdrawal from Afghanistan

clearly could have gone better - but the The New York Post seems intent on providing a steady stream of stories excoriating him for everything.

— “Former President Trump tells the whole truth and nothing but the truth” - The Washington Post. Fond of fact checking the former president, the Washington Post would certainly attract attention with a fact check that suggests the former leader of the free world was being honest.

— “Senator McConnell itching to approve Biden’s Supreme Court pick” - The New York Times. Using unnamed sources, of course, the Times could break one of the biggest stories of the decade if McConnell somehow signaled that he was eager to give a liberal Supreme Court nominee the benefit of the doubt and his full support.

— “Giants and Jets get A’s for effort” - New York Daily News. It seems obvious and easy to pick on losing sports teams, particularly those that haven’t delivered for rabid fans for years.

Hometown papers could recognize the effort, even if the results aren’t there.

— “We don’t really know, but look out your window” - the Weather Channel. I give weather.com credit for calling last weekend’s nor’easter well. About five days before a single flake fell, they knew that a big storm had the potential to form and dump tons of snow in the area. They were right. Then again, all of that technology doesn’t always play out scenarios accurately. It’d be funny and fitting if they said on the air, “big storm could be coming our way. Or not.”

— “Inflation totally under control” CNBC. Despite evidence to the contrary at the gas pump, in the supermarket and just about anywhere people have to pay for goods or services, wouldn’t it be great if inflation somehow, magically, came under control, giving the Fed the chance to stay on the sidelines for an economy still recovering from the pandemic?

— “Fauci appreciates the respect and support of Senator Rand Paul” — Reuters.

Okay, so, this may be among the least likely of the headlines, but, wouldn’t it be nice/

shocking if the two doctors somehow were on the same page?

— “Spirit of bipartisanship sweeps through Washington” - Politico. Yeah, sure, we can dream. Dems and Repubs aren’t seeing eye to eye on anything. In fact, they seem to be energizing their bases by attacking the other side. Still, the day such a report came out would indeed be a chance to celebrate.

— “Children rediscover books” Apple News Spotlight. Disenchanted with electronics, children around the world left social media for a day and enjoyed interacting with characters like Horton, Mr. Tumnus, Meg Murry, Alec Ramsey and Emma Woodhouse.

— “Hero scientists behind life saving vaccines” - Fox News. Despite some members of conservative media taking vaccines to protect themselves and their families, they and their guests sometimes praise those who resist vaccines and question the legitimacy of the vaccines for others.

Russia – in and out and back in our daily lives

H

ere comes Russia again. I am of the generation of children that took refuge from an imaginary atomic bomb attack from Russia by pulling our coats over our heads and crouching under our desks. We grew up with the Cold War always threatening Soviet aggression on both foreign and domestic soils. Were there Communist cells, funded by Russia, hidden among us that could erupt at any time?

McCarthy whipped the nation to a fever pitch.

Between you and me The United States and the Soviet Union raced

BY LEAH S. DUNAIEF each other to influence governments and people, ideologically and financially, all over the globe.

I still remember the relief I felt, going to the old Metropolitan Opera House in 1959, to view a performance by members of the Bolshoi

Ballet, who came to America bringing not only the most breathtaking dancers but also tangible evidence of detente. And then the Berlin Wall came down. I was there. At least I was there in 1989, six weeks before they broke through to West Berlin. I walked No Man’s Land, the barren stretch between East and West Berlin, with cameras trained on anyone who would start the crossing between those two universes, seeking permission from the guards to go behind the Iron Curtain.

I was in the Russian Embassy in Washington D.C. in 1991 with a small group of journalists, being feted with caviar and blinis, when word came that the Soviet Union had crumbled, and then the embassy personnel cried. “The end of a dream,” they sobbed. The end of a nightmare, I thought, as they led us to the exits and fell upon the sumptuous food we left behind. Mikhail Gorbachev won the Nobel Prize, the Russian people were real, not just the Evil Empire, and co-existence was finally possible. In a couple of years our attention turned to jihadists.

Now Russia is dramatically back in our lives. The Russia that for centuries had sought

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EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Leah S. Dunaief GENERAL MANAGER Johness Kuisel MANAGING EDITOR Rita J. Egan EDITOR Julianne Mosher LEISURE EDITOR Heidi Sutton

warm water ports and had ruled Crimea for 134 years until 1917. The Russia that again annexed Crimea, a part of Ukraine since 1954 and of an independent Ukraine since 1991, with armed intervention in 2014. The Russia that has now lined up reputedly over 100,000 troops on three sides of the Ukraine border, and with aggressive leadership is making demands.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is insisting that Ukraine not be allowed to join NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization initially formed after WWII as a protection against potential Soviet aggression, that has grown as more Eastern European countries have joined. Putin insists it is a security issue to have bordering Ukraine a NATO member. He also wants military exercises in nearby NATO states to cease and for offensive weapons to be removed from those NATO countries.

So where do we come into the picture?

“It seems to me that the United States does not care that much about Ukrainian security— maybe they think about it somewhere in the background,” Putin said in his news conference. “But their main task is to restrict

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the development of Russia.”

By “development,” the concern is that Putin wishes to restore the former Soviet empire and that, after Crimea, Ukraine would be the next step. Students of history will remember the lessons of the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia and the “spheres of influence” imposed by the Yalta Conference (in ironically Crimea).

Meanwhile, Putin, with his soldiers and weapons at the ready, is accusing the U.S. of threatening Russia. White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, likened Putin’s comments to “when the fox is screaming from the top of the henhouse that he’s scared of the chickens.”

Now, as of yesterday, the decision has been made to send several thousand troops to Poland, Germany and Romania. Presumably they are meant to show support for NATO and for the principle that countries may decide which alliances they will enter.

Meanwhile everyone concerned, including Putin, has embraced the idea of diplomacy as a path to a Ukrainian solution. For the moment, at least, the spotlight has moved away from constant COVID.

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PAGE A20 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • FEBRUARY 3, 2022

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