The Times of Middle Country - May 18, 2023

Above, Middle Country senior Olivia Annunziata rifles a shot for the goal in the opening round of the playoffs at home against Sachem East. Photo by Bill Landon

School election results in Middle Country

Middle Country Central School District

The budget passed.

Yes – 1,717

No – 705

Candidates, three seats

Kathleen Walsh – 1,580

Doreen Feldmann – 1,456

Deborah Mann-Rodriguez – 1,456

Kimberly Crawford-Arbocus – 866

Thomas Bettua – 854

Bruce Bennett – 731

Polling sites for this year’s school budget and BOE elections. Centereach High School, above, and Newfield High School. Above file photo by Julianne Mosher; below from Facebook

Powering down? New climate regulations may impact local power plants

BY AIDAN JOHNSON DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

The Biden administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced new proposed regulations on May 11 that would require most power plants fired by fossil fuels to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent between 2035 and 2040. Plants that do not meet these requirements may have to close down entirely, according to the new plan.

Starting in 2030, the EPA guidelines would generally require more CO2 emissions controls for power plants that operate more frequently, phasing increasingly stringent CO2 requirements over time, an EPA statement said.

If passed, the new requirements would likely impact the Port Jefferson and Northport power stations, both fired by natural gas.

The EPA projects the carbon reductions under the new guidelines would help avoid over 600 million metric tons of CO2 released into the atmosphere from 2028 to 2042, “along with tens of thousands of tons of nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and fine particulate matter,” the statement reads.

This new proposal comes over four years after the Long Island Power Authority, which

buys all of the Port Jefferson Power Station’s power, settled its tax lawsuit with the Town of Brookhaven and the Village of Port Jefferson.

“The terms of settlement shelter us from having to pay back taxes (taxes collected during the 6-year-long court battle) while also providing a glide path moving forward over the next 8 years, during which the 50% reduction of tax revenue can be absorbed,” Village of Port Jefferson Mayor Margot Garant said in a 2019 statement.

The new EPA standards represent a step toward alleviating the climate crisis, according to the Biden administration. Their impact, however, will likely be felt locally given that a sizable portion of PJV’s budget is subsidized by the plant. This applies to other local institutions, such as the Port Jefferson Fire Department and school district.

Bruce Miller, former Port Jefferson Village trustee, said in an interview that it is technologically feasible to remove carbon dioxide and other polluting gasses from the

smoke stacks. He also maintains that the possibility of using hydrogen, a clean fuel source, remains an option.

“The thing that I’m talking to National Grid [the owner of the plant] about is hydrogen,” Miller said. “Will they be thinking in terms of possibly a combined cycle plant in Port Jefferson? That would be our hope.”

These talks are still preliminary as the proposed regulations are still subject to a public comment period. “Whether National Grid and LIPA would want to make the investment to put some hydrogen-powered combined cycle plants — redo the Port Jefferson plant — is a huge question mark,” Miller indicated. “I don’t have an answer for that or even a projection.”

The former trustee added that the impact to local budgets could be “substantial,” noting, “It’s going to be a major adjustment if that plant goes offline.”

While the long-term plans for the plant remain unknown, Garant maintained that the

village’s finances would not be hit all at once if the plant were to shutter.

“The community wouldn’t be on a cliff,” she said in a phone interview. “The norm is like another 10-year glide path to give you a chance to settle into another loss of revenue.”

While the potential loss of public revenue remains a critical policy concern for local officials, the impact that climate change has had on the village cannot be ignored either. The past few years have brought both droughts and flooding, likely the consequence of intensifying storms and rising tides due to climate change.

“Projections for sea-level rise over the coming decades are nothing short of staggering,” said trustee Rebecca Kassay, Port Jeff’s sustainability commissioner, in a statement. “If the global community does not work together — from individuals to villages to states to nations and every agency in between — and climate change is not slowed from its current projections, [the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] confidently forecasts that Port Jefferson Harbor will engulf Port Jefferson Village’s downtown Main Street within a century’s time.”

The EPA will host virtual trainings on June 6 and 7 to provide information about the proposed regulations.

‘It’s going to be a major adjustment if that plant goes offline.’

—Bruce Miller

Local hospitals ramp up efforts to treat reflux disease

BY DANIEL DUNAIEF DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

Joel Gonzalez was waking up in the middle of the night, gasping for air. During the day, if he ate too quickly, he felt like food was getting stuck in his throat.

In 2018, Gonzalez, who lives in Coram and is a high school counselor, was diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. A small hiatal hernia, in which part of his stomach bulged through an opening in his diaphragm and into his chest, caused the condition.

Gonzalez started taking medications, which helped relieve the symptoms and enabled him to sleep without experiencing discomfort or waking up suddenly.

In August 2022, after learning that his hiatal hernia had gotten slightly larger and deciding he didn’t want to continue taking reflux medicine for the rest of his life, he met with Dr. Arif Ahmad, director of the St. Charles and St. Catherine of Siena Acid Reflux and Hiatal Hernia Centers of Excellence, to discuss the possibility of surgery.

Gonzalez was so convinced that the surgery would help and confident in Dr. Ahmad’s experience that he scheduled the procedure during that first meeting. Since his November surgery, which took about an hour, he hasn’t had any GERD symptoms and is not taking any medication for the condition.

Gonzalez said he would “absolutely” recommend the surgical procedure, which became a “simple decision” after consulting with Dr. Ahmad.

Caused by a mechanical problem with a valve at the bottom of the esophagus called the lower esophageal sphincter that allows stomach acid to enter the esophagus, GERD affects over 20% of the population.

Symptoms of GERD vary, which means doctors can and do take a range of approaches to treatment.

Hospitals, including St. Charles, St. Catherine of Siena, Stony Brook and Huntington Hospital, have been ramping up their efforts to evaluate and treat GERD.

Port Jefferson-based St. Charles and Smithtown-based St. Catherine of Siena, both part of the Catholic Health system, have been expanding these services at the Acid Reflux and Hiatal Hernia Centers of Excellence.

“There is a big need” for this increasingly focused effort to help patients dealing with the symptoms of GERD, said Dr. Ahmad.

At St. Charles and St. Catherine, Dr. Ahmad, who has been doing hiatal hernia and GERD-correcting surgery for over 25 years, created the center to ensure that the nurses on the floor, the people who do the testing, and the recovery staff are aware of the specific needs of these patients.

Dr. Ahmad has done presentations for the staff to ensure they have “the highest level of

expertise,” he added.

Dr. Ahmad, also the director of the Center of Excellence in Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery at Mather Hospital, said he could perform surgery, if a patient needs it, at any of the hospitals, depending on a patient’s request.

Stony Brook’s efforts

At the same time, Stony Brook recently created a multidisciplinary Esophageal Center at Stony Brook Medicine, designed to provide a collaborative care model for diagnosing and treating GERD.

The center provides minimally invasive endoscopic treatments as well as surgical options.

Dr. Lionel D’Souza, chief of endoscopy, said the center provides a cohesiveness that “allows an evaluation by a group of people who are experts and can communicate with each other” to provide a patient-specific plan.

Dr. D’Souza suggested people seek medical attention from their primary care physician or gastroenterologist if they experience any of the following conditions: heartburn every day or severe heartburn several times a week, trouble swallowing, food getting stuck in the throat, anemia, blood in the stool or weight loss without another explanation.

Other partners in the Stony Brook GERD Center include Dr. Olga Aroniadis, chief of the division of gastroenterology, Dr. Alexandra Guillaume, director of the gastrointestinal motility center, and Dr. Konstantinos Spaniolas, chief of the division of bariatric, foregut and advanced GI surgery at Stony Brook Medicine and director of Stony Brook’s bariatric and metabolic weight loss center.

“When someone has a lot of excess weight, the chance of developing GERD is a lot higher,” Dr. Spaniolas said. “Sometimes, getting patients through a program to facilitate with weight loss can help [people] avoid GI symptoms, such as heartburn.”

Stony Brook will see patients in different parts of its network and then, depending on the needs, will determine who is best-suited to start their work up and treatment, Dr. Spaniolas added.

While a potential option, surgery is among a host of choices for people who have ongoing heartburn.

Huntington Hospital, meanwhile, will begin offering esophageal motility testing starting in June. Patients can call Northwell Health’s Heartburn and Reflux Center to schedule an

appointment.

A team of gastroenterologists, surgeons and dietitians will work with patients at Huntington to determine the cause of GERD and possible treatments, according to Dr. David Purow, chief of gastroenterology.

Soft foods

Those who have surgery return to solid foods gradually.

Marlene Cross, a resident of St. James who struggled with GERD for about a decade, had the procedure in March.

For the first few weeks, she ate primarily liquids, with some protein drinks and puddings. She added Farina and oatmeal to her diet and then could eat flaky fish.

At 83, Cross, who lost sleep because of GERD-induced heartburn, said the surgery was a success.

“I’m not running a marathon, but I’m definitely feeling a lot better,” said Cross, who is a retired teacher’s assistant for special education students.

Cross urged others who might benefit from surgery to “see a specialist and ask questions and do it” if the doctor recommends it. “The younger you do it, the better.”

Joel Gonzalez, right, with his wife Amanda, daughter Isabella and son Julian. Photo courtesy Gonzalez

The following incidents have been reported by Suffolk County Police:

Coram man arrested for shooting cop

Suffolk County Police arrested a Coram man after he shot a Suffolk County police officer on May 11. Sixth Precinct officers were conducting surveillance on a Norfleet Lane home in Coram after receiving information that Janell Funderburke, who was wanted for an armed robbery that occurred two days earlier, was inside. Funderburke exited the home and upon seeing officers, he fled. One officer pursued the suspect on foot and Funderburke fired two shots at the officer, striking him in the right thigh, at approximately 12:50 a.m.

The officer, a six-year veteran of the department assigned to the Sixth Precinct Anti-Crime Unit, was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital via police vehicle and underwent surgery. Funderburke, 20, of Homestead Drive in Coram, was charged with Attempted Aggravated Murder and Robbery 1st Degree.

Coram driver arrested for DWAI after crash at Commack gas station

Suffolk County Police arrested a Coram man for allegedly driving while ability impaired by drugs and alcohol after he crashed a vehicle into a gas station in Commack on May 10. Hunter Addonizio was driving a 2010 Dodge Challenger westbound on Veterans Memorial Highway, and attempted to merge onto Jericho Turnpike, when the vehicle left the roadway and crashed into a gas pump and another vehicle at Sunoco, located at 2211 Jericho Turnpike, at approximately 11 p.m. A man and a woman, who were inside the vehicle that was struck, were transported to South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore for treatment of minor injuries. Addonizio, 21, of Hayes Lane in Coram, was charged with Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs and Alcohol.

ShotSpotter program meetings

The Suffolk County Police Department will host three community meetings to provide information and address concerns regarding the upcoming implementation of ShotSpotter in Suffolk County communities. The meetings will be held at the SCPD Second Precinct, located at 1071 Park Ave. in Huntington, on May 15 at 6 p.m.; at the Brentwood Public Library, located at 34 Second Ave. in Brentwood, on May 16 at 6 p.m.; and at the SCPD Sixth Precinct, located at 400 Route 25 in Selden, on May 17 at 6 p.m.

CAUGHT ON CAMERA

Groceries stolen from Stop & Shop

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 items from Stop & Shop, located at 449 Portion Road in Ronkonkoma on April 1.

Kings Park man arrested for taking photos of children without permission

Suffolk County Police arrested a Kings Park man on May 15 for allegedly taking pictures of children without consent at a Smithtown gymnastics school. Robert Colyvas entered Gold Medal Gymnastics Center, located at 253 West Main Street, on April 29 between 12:40 p.m. and 1 p.m. and allegedly took pictures of the staff and children without consent. Following an investigation by Fourth Precinct Crime Section officers, Colyvas 29, was arrested at his home on Orchard Drive in Kings Park and charged with allegedly Endangering the Welfare of a Child. Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call Fourth Precinct Crime Section officers at 631-854-8426.

— 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.

Do you recognize this woman? Photos from SCPD

Robert Colyvas

Photo from SCPD

Elected officials and grieving parents raise fentanyl crisis awareness

BY DANIEL FEBRIZIO DANIEL@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

Grieving residents and elected officials gathered on Tuesday, May 9, for a press conference in Hauppauge hosted by Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) for National Fentanyl Awareness Day. A pebble was dropped into a jar every 8 1/2 minutes during the press conference, representing the average span that another individual dies from a fentanyl overdose in the United States. Purple rocks with faces and names of lost loved ones painted on them were placed on the ground in front of the podium, representing the 175 lives lost each day due to this epidemic.

In addition to Hahn, several other elected officials attended and spoke at the press conference, including county legislators Anthony Piccirillo (R-Holtsville), Manuel Esteban (R-East Northport), Leslie Kennedy (R-Nesconset) and Stephanie Bontempi (R-Centerport).

Several parents and family members of individuals who had lost their lives due to an opioid addiction also spoke. One common thread speakers emphasized was that prevention is key.

Something as simple as parents talking to their children about the dangers of drugs could encourage them to never experiment in that area.

Dorothy Cavalier, currently chief of staff for county Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) and future candidate for Anker’s term-limited post, said that she’s “seen the great work that we can do and the amazing things that can happen when people just talk [to their children].” She warned that children might receive a pill from another kid at school thinking that it will help them focus while studying, but it might be laced with fentanyl.

Doctors overprescribing drugs for other issues could also lead to an addiction. Esteban said that there needs to be accountability for doctors to disincentivize giving out dangerous drugs too freely. “We need laws to hold doctors responsible who overprescribe,” he said. Piccirillo added that the county has won lawsuits against large pharmaceutical companies and put that money back into the community to help parents and children that are battling this addiction issue.

Several speakers also touched on the need for better treatment options for those attempting to overcome this battle with addiction. “We need programs that give people a fighting chance,” Esteban said. “Studies show they need at least three months. Why are we not funding these programs?”

The mental health crisis was also discussed as a factor in this rising issue. Bontempi emphasized that part of this has to do with putting too much pressure on children and keeping expectations too high. Claudia Friszell, who lost her son to an overdose and is a drug treatment advocate, said, “We need to talk to our kids about dealing with stress and our emotions.”

Kennedy emphasized that we “need more

funding for mental health treatment, which includes substance misuse.” She said that it should be a focus to get the federal and state governments to fund programs that get treatment to every individual who needs it.

Many speakers wished to remove the stigma around drug addiction. Carole Trottere, who lost her son in 2018 and helped organize this event, said, “Some people think these kids deserved what they got or they knew what they were getting into.” She added that some people will say that all those who have died from overdoses were “just a bunch of drug addicts.”

Blue Point resident Dorothy Johnson, who lost her son in 2011, wants to remove that shame

and stigma. She said that when returning to work after her son passed, no one wanted to talk about it with her. Johnson works in her community to get people discussing this issue so that those in need know they are not alone.

Steve Chassman, executive director for the Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, emphasized that if a person is struggling with addiction they should reach out for help. “If you’re out in the cold from opiate or substance use, it’s time to come in from the cold, and we will help you,” he said.

Hahn began the press conference by informing the attendees of the fentanyl death statistics in the United States: seven every hour, 175 each day,

1,225 each week, more than 5,250 each month and more than 63,000 each year. The hope is that an environment is built where those battling drug addiction feel supported enough to seek help before they become another number in the rising fentanyl death total.

In a press release from Hahn, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine.

The release noted that since taking office in 2012, Hahn “has sponsored several pieces of legislation designed to help stem the tide of opioid deaths in Suffolk County.”

Suffolk County Legislators Kara Hahn and Stephanie Bontempi hug after latter’s speech at the May 9 press conference to raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl.

Photo by Daniel Febrizio

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6249 in Rocky Point will hold its second annual PTSD 5K Race on Sunday, May 21, at noon at Rocky Point High School.

This annual race honors the memory of American war hero Joseph P. Dwyer, highlighting the importance of supporting U.S. veterans, especially

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those who experience post-traumatic stress disorder.

Sign up through Strong Island Running Club’s website: www. strongislandrunningclub.com.

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Baby Animal Day at Suffolk County Farm and Education Center

Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) joined over 3,000 residents on Saturday, May 13, at the Suffolk County Farm and Education Center in Yaphank.

readings and children’s games, among other activities.

Partnering up to help seniors to help seniors avoid scams

COUNTY

The event, hosted by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, included wagon rides, music, food vendors, hands-on farm animal interaction, model airplane demonstrations, book

The Suffolk County Farm is a working farm in Yaphank that has been in operation since 1870. Managed by CCE Suffolk since 1974, the location serves as a bridge between the organization’s programs and Suffolk’s agricultural heritage. The farm is open year-round, offering many programs and resources for residents, including

education programs, gardening information, marine research, summer camps and nutrition programs.

“Baby Animal Day is a favorite amongst the events offered at the Suffolk County Farm, bringing Long Island families outside to enjoy the warm weather and interact

with our animals,” said Vanessa Lockel, executive director of CCE Suffolk. “Our organization is grateful to Legislator Anker for attending Baby Animal Day and showing support for the Suffolk County Farm and our programs.”

For more information, visit www.ccesuffolk.org.

The Town of Brookhaven’s Senior Citizens Division and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office are partnering to help seniors protect themselves from scammers.

On Tuesday, May 30, a free “Senior Safety Tips” event will take place at Brookhaven Town Hall from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Presented by the Family and Children’s Foundation, the program will help senior citizens recognize and avoid scams.

TOWN

The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office will also be available to discuss and answer questions about Project Lifesaver. Brookhaven Town Hall is located at 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY 11738.

Above, Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker and Vicki Fleming, 4-H Youth Development director at Cornell Cooperative Extension, with members of the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office and visitors during Baby Animal Day. Photo courtesy Anker’s office

Mad Dogs too much for Sachem East

BY BILL LANDON DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

East at bay in this contest.

Seniors Speziale and Annunziata, both of whom will play lacrosse for Long Island University next season, notched four goals apiece and three assists between them.

SPORTS

Middle Country, the seventh seed, entered postseason play hosting tenth-seeded Sachem East in the opening round of the playoffs, leading the Arrows by five goals to open the second half of the Div. I matchup on Tuesday, May 16.

It was the trio of Kate Timarky, Juliana Speziale and Olivia Annunziata who dominated the scoreboard for the Mad

Senior Kate Timarky, the Notre Dame-bound midfielder, netted five goals along with one assist in the 13-5 victory. Senior goalie Jamie Cuozzo had a quiet day in net with three saves.

Middle County travels to the quarterfinal round on Friday, May 19, when the Mad Dogs face second-seeded Northport. Game time is 4 p.m

1. Middle Country senior Juliana Speziale scores; 2. senior Mia Juvelier with a draw control; 3. goalie Jamie Cuozzo with a save; 4. senior Kaitlyn Ippolito looks for a cutter; 5. Middle Country senior Kate Timarky looks to shoot; 6. senior Olivia Annunziata passes to the outside.

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Oh,mostbeautifulflowerofMt. Carmel,fruitfulvine,splendorof heaven,blessedmotherofthe SonofGod,immaculatevirgin, assistmeinmynecessity.Oh starofthesea,helpme&show meherein,youaremymother. OhHolyMary,MotherofGod, QueenofHeavenandEarth,I humblybeseechyoufromthe bottomofmyhearttosuccorme inthisnecessityTherearenone whocanwithstandyourpower. Ohshowmehereinyouaremy mother.OhMaryconceived withoutsin,prayforuswho haverecoursetothee. (3times).OhHolyMary,Iplace thiscauseinyourhands. (3times).HolySpirit,youwho solveallproblems,lightallroads sothatIcanobtainmygoals. Yougavemethedivinegiftto forgiveandforgetallevilagainst me,andthatinallinstancesof mylife,youarewithme.Iwant inthisshortprayertothankyou forallthingsasyouconfirm onceagainthatIneverwantto beseparatedfromyouineternal glory.Thankyouforyourmercy towardmeandmine. M.L Thepersonmustsaythisprayer 3consecutivedays.Therequest willbegranted.Thisprayermust bepublishedafterthefavorhas beengranted. WithThanks

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ST.JUDENOVENA

MaytheSacredHeartof Jesusbeadored,glorified, lovedandpreservedthroughout theworld,nowandforever.May theSacredHeartofJesusthy kingdomcome.St.Jude,helper ofthehopeless,PrayForUs. St.Jude,workerofmiracles, PrayForUs. Thisprayerisneverknownto failifrepeated9timesdailyfor 9consecutivedays.Publication shouldbepromised.J.B.ST. JUDENOVENA

MaytheSacredHeartof Jesusbeadored,glorified, lovedandpreservedthroughout theworld,nowandforever.May theSacredHeartofJesusthy kingdomcome.St.Jude,helper ofthehopeless,PrayForUs. St.Jude,workerofmiracles, PrayForUs. Thisprayerisneverknownto failifrepeated9timesdailyfor 9consecutivedays.Publication shouldbepromised.J.B.

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Editorial New EPA regulations are a sobering dose of reality

The Environmental Protection Agency’s new regulations concerning power plants could have dramatic consequences for communities across the North Shore.

The EPA is proposing emissions caps and further guidelines for fossil-fuel-burning power plants.

The proposed guidelines aim to “set limits for new gas-fired combustion turbines, existing coal, oil and gas-fired steam generating units, and certain existing gas-fired combustion turbines,” according to an EPA statement.

While we certainly acknowledge the need for government to intervene in the spread of planetwarming carbon, we expect these regulations to have severe consequences for our local communities.

Generations ago, residents of Port Jefferson and Northport planned their communities around these power plant facilities. Power plants have represented a lucrative tax base for these communities, subsidizing several important community ends.

In exchange for the industrial activities taking place at these plants, residents saw opportunities — opportunities for better schools, better services and a better way of life. Now these opportunities may remain only aspirational.

Local governments and school districts are already struggling as it is. Between inflation and rising costs, further declines in public revenue will only compound the financial troubles of our public institutions. Yet, despite the challenges ahead, plans must start moving now.

At the local level, municipalities and school districts that rely upon LIPA subsidies should begin imagining a future in which those subsidies no longer exist. If plants start shuttering, public officials will be tasked with plugging enormous holes in their budgets. What are their plans to do that?

We are seeing warming temperatures and the changing climate affecting a wide array of local issues. From coastal erosion to prolonged droughts to intensifying flooding and countless other concerns, this global environmental phenomenon is already reshaping our local policies — and soon our bottom line.

Using fossil-fuel-powered plants to subsidize our way of life has become increasingly untenable. Municipal and school district officials may soon face some extremely uncomfortable discretionary choices.

For this reason, it is time for our leaders to adopt a policy of radical acceptance and realism. Relocating waterfront properties inland, conserving our scarce water supply and protecting open spaces are some ways to meet this moment. But the necessary conversations about taxes and budgets need to happen as well.

With a new frame of mind, we can rise to the challenges ahead. We can adapt our communities to the changing environment.

With a clear focus and sober long-term thinking, let us cease denying the transformations happening before our eyes. Instead let us plan to deal with them.

Letters to the Editor

Local crime exposes bail reform dangers

In an effort to champion the successes of cashless bail, letter writer David Friedman cited a study done by the Data Collaborative for Justice [“Eliminating bail reduces recidivism,” TBR News Media, May 4]. Along the way he took the opportunity to make inaccurate personal assumptions about me, while criticizing respected Albany District Attorney David Soares [D]. In a clumsy effort to paint me as insincere, Friedman applies the term “crocodile tears.”

I’ve spent over three decades working with special needs and at-risk children ranging in age from preschool to high school. Responsibilities included teaching, meeting with parents and working with multidisciplinary teams that included probation officers, child protection specialists, social workers and psychologists. We had uplifting successes and heartbreaking disappointments. Tears, whether for joy or sorrow, were genuine.

Soares, shamefully silenced by his own party for condemning cashless bail, had a different take on much of the Collaborative Justice “data.” But an area where he could agree was the study’s very own “Summary and Conclusions.” Here were highlighted the dangers of “increased recidivism for people with substantial recent criminal histories.”

That terrifying scenario became reality in Suffolk County.

On April 24, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney [R] announced the recent seizure of guns and narcotics: “Law enforcement was able to recover … approximately 268 grams of fentanyl, which could kill 134,000 people.’’

Tierney blamed bail reform laws: “Out of the 21 individuals arrested, we only got to seek bail on 11.” Consider that fact, knowing 350 of our neighbors died of fentanyl overdoses last year.

On May 11, Michael Lafauci, a six-year veteran assigned to the 6th Precinct’s Anti-Crime Unit, barely survived a gunshot wound. The alleged shooter was Janell Funderburke. Last August, he and three others were arrested after fleeing police, then crashing a 2018 BMW. Suffolk cops pulled them from that burning vehicle and, in the process, found a handgun and drugs.

Suffolk County Police Benevolent

Association President Noel DiGerolamo linked Lafauci’s horrific wounding to what he considers New York’s failed bail reform law, saying this suspected gang member “should never been out on the street.” He continued, “An individual who one day is rescued by Suffolk County police officers … only … for him to attempt to kill one. This is what our leaders in Albany have created.”

Counting on those 10 enjoying a cashless bail release, as described by Tierney, after their drug bust to “reform”? Ask DiGerolamo, the two DAs and, most importantly, Officer LaFauci.

Jim Soviero East Setauket

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Above, the Port Jefferson Power Station. Photo by Raymond Janis

Like a moth to the flame, revelers revere Janet Jackson

Most of us engage in group movements that don’t make our day. We get in a car, sit in traffic as we wait for other cars to pass or for lights to turn green, all the while surrounded by other people doing the same thing.

Group movements start at a young age, which we witness when we stop for school buses that pick up students. A line of buses then brings those students into the parking lot.

performance by Janet Jackson as a part of her Together Again tour.

Unlike 15 years ago when we last saw Janet Jackson at Madison Square Garden, we asked our son to take us to and from the concert. That’s one advantage of the passage of time.

We left the car about four-tenths of a mile from the arena. Walking more rapidly than the cars inching along next to us, we followed the line of people trekking along the shoulder to the entrance.

her graduation from nursing school.

Once Ludacris took the stage, the crowd, which included every age group from young children to gray-haired seniors, shouted, swayed and responded to his songs.

Cooled by a light and intermittent breeze, the crowd roared its appreciation with the left side screaming at full throat to outdo the right.

into some of her iconic moves, with sweat gleaming on her forehead.

She urged the audience to turn on their phone flashlights, which created a wave of swaying bright lights along the lawn and in the seats.

A father, mother and daughter two rows ahead of us had clearly come to see Janet, sitting and eating popcorn despite Ludacris’ exhortations for everyone to stand and shout.

BY DANIEL DUNAIEF

Our entertainment and discretionary decisions follow some of the same patterns as we travel by car, bus, or train to sporting events or, in our case, recently, concerts.

And yet, the experience and the excitement we share in our interactions are markedly different.

My wife and I attended a recent

A woman leaned out of her window and asked us if we knew if the place would sell refreshments. We said we hoped so, but weren’t sure. She gave us an appreciative and friendly wave, despite the fact that we were completely unhelpful.

People wore a wide range of outfits, with some clad in T-shirts showing a younger version of Janet from earlier concerts and others adorned in dresses and high-heeled shoes.

While waiting to get inside the arena, we spoke with a couple behind us, who were celebrating their 5th wedding anniversary and

Before Janet took the stage, the arena displayed a photo montage from 50 years of Janet, showing the many faces of her public life.

I wasn’t tall enough to see over a man two rows in front of me. I looked around him to see the stage and the numerous screens with images of Janet and her dancers.

As I listened and watched a show in which Janet changed her wardrobe several times, I appreciated the energy such a concert must take to put on at the age of 56. She isn’t sprinting around the stage, but she still breaks

While I reveled in familiar songs, I wished the heavy and loud bass and drums didn’t overwhelm Janet’s voice. I also second-hand smoked a high dose of marijuana, as the smokestack attached to the person two seats away from me must have felt as lit up as the stage by the finale.

The experience, which I shared with thousands of thrilled audience members, brought me back to the times and places where I heard these same songs decades ago. As we followed the crowd back to our cars (or, in our case, to meet our son), I could feel the glow the concert created for an appreciative audience. For a few hours, the strangers we might otherwise see as obstacles on the way to something else came together during a joyful concert.

Martha Stewart, 81, loves being oldest model for swimsuit issue

“ When are you going to retire?” is a question that makes me smile. Of course, it is closely related to another word: age. Put the two words together, and I start to become defiant, which is probably why Martha Stewart decided to pose in a swimsuit for the cover of Sports Illustrated’s annual issue. Now I know about Martha Stewart, who was not called by that name when she was a year behind me at Barnard College. That means she is only one year younger than I, and she, too, was feeling defiant. She wanted to show the world that she was not invisible just because she is older. And indeed, she is showing the whole world because she is an

international personality, a businesswoman, writer and television personality, who has written books, publishes a magazine, hosted two syndicated television programs and personifies contemporary graceful living with her Martha Stewart Living ventures.

My guess is that many women in the latter years of their lives are cheering Martha Stewart’s swimsuit photos and her defiance.

BY LEAH S. DUNAIEF

Ageism is definitely an unwelcome bigoted “ism” in this century, when people are often living into their 80s, 90s and beyond. One of my personal heroes is Warren Buffett, American business investor and philanthropist. Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, known as the “Oracle of Omaha” and worth over 100 billion dollars, making him the fifth richest person in the world, he will be celebrating his 93rd birthday in August. Even more impressive is his business partner, Charlie Munger, who is 99. Together they still run the fabulously successful company.

Another such story is about Milton Esterow, 94, profiled in The New York Times last Sunday. A publisher at the age of 10 in Brooklyn where he grew up, he made 18 copies of his first publication, each consisting of one handwritten page, and sold them to friends for 2 cents apiece. You can see why he has already stolen my heart. Today he still writes articles for The New York Times about culture and art. In between, he has traveled around the world, met famous artists, owned the country’s oldest art magazine, ARTimes, and won many distinguished prizes. His culture stories had an edge. In 1964 he wrote a front page story for The NYT on treasures stolen by the Nazis during WWII, one of rare culture stories to run on page one.

His investigative approach made his stories and magazine successes. In the early 1980s, as a result of a rumor he had heard, he and his wife flew to Vienna and visited a monastery that might house thousands of works looted by

Nazi soldiers. He met with head of the Federal Monuments Office in Austria and sensed that the man was defensive. He assigned a reporter to dig around and by 1984, the article appeared attesting to the hidden collection. At that point, “All hell broke loose,“ according to Esterow.

“In 1985, the Austrian government announced a plan to return stolen works to their owners or heirs,” according to The NYT. “In 2016, the general consul of Austria presented Mr. Esterow with a Cross of Honor for Science and Art, saying that his work helped to make Austria ‘a better country.’”

Esterow continues to follow the trail of Nazi looting. He does not plan to retire. I particularly like what he had to say about that.

“Work is more fun than fun.”

For all these people and so many more octogenarians and older — Martha Stewart, Warren Buffett, Milton Esterow — retirement is a strange idea. Old age is another.

My sentiments, too.

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