The Times of Huntington-Northport - December 15, 2022

PHOTO BY MEDIA ORIGIN

Legislator Bontempi celebrates work of young scientists

At the Dec. 6 general Suffolk County Legislature meeting, Legislator Stephanie Bontempi (R-Centerport) recognized four young scientists from the Cold Spring Harbor Central School District for their work on mosquito DNA sequencing.

COMMUNITY NEWS

The DNA information compiled by Sophie Cohen, Veronica Walkin, Jenna Schetty and Madison Brass is of such high quality that it will be published in a database of the National Center for Biotechnology Information, a component of the National Institutes of Health.

“To say that these young ladies are inspiring is an understatement,” Bontempi said. “The fact that such an accomplishment was achieved before even graduating high school is mind boggling. At this rate, these students are without question on track to even greater contributions to the field of science in the very near future.”

Once the collective DNA work is entered into the NIH’s database, it will be accessible to other scientists who can potentially utilize it for applications and further studies. Therefore, in a very real sense, this contribution to the

field will be a perpetual testament to the talent and devotion of the students, as well as to the guidance of their teachers.

“There are a lot of naysayers surrounding the up and coming generations,” Bontempi added. “All one has to do is look at these individuals and he or she will immediately realize that we will be in good and capable hands in the years to come.”

To learn more about the NIH’s National Center for Biotechnology Information, visit: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

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Above from left to right, Jill Gierasch, Superintendent of Schools, Cold Spring Harbor Central School District; Sophie Cohen; Veronica Walkin; Legislator Stephanie Bontempi; Jenna Schetty and Madison Brass. Below, the honorees stand outside the Legislature building. Photo above from Bontempi’s office; photo below from Cold Spring Harbor school district

Hahn, professionals and parents lead fight against local drug addiction

BY RITA J. EGAN RITA@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) joined forces with the Westburybased Long Island Council on Alcoholism & Drug Dependence to inform residents about the increased danger of opioid-related deaths during the holiday season and the threat of street drugs.

COUNTY

The legislator, treatment providers and family members of those who have died from opioidrelated deaths, some holding posters featuring photos of their deceased loved ones, gathered at a press conference held outside Hahn’s Port Jefferson office on Tuesday, Dec. 13.

Steve Chassman, executive director of LICADD, said the area is “rich in resources, and we are going to need them.” He listed some of the organizations that provide services 24 hours a day for those dealing with drug use and their families, such as Seafield Center of Westhampton Beach and Hope House Ministries of Port Jefferson as well as LICADD.

“We are here because it is absolutely necessary to let Long Islanders know the drug supply, not just heroin — cocaine, amphetamines, ecstasy, pressed pills — are tainted with fentanyl,” Chassman said.

He added that the death rate due to drug overdoses continues to rise, and for many families the holiday season is not a season of peace and joy.

“For families that are in the throes of substance use or opiate-use disorder, this is a time of isolation. This is a time of stigma. This is a time of financial insecurity, and we know that the rate itself, that of self-medication,

increases exponentially,” Chassman said. “We’re having this press conference to let families know they’re not alone.”

Hahn said according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, winter is when drug-related deaths spike, most likely due to holiday gatherings or experiencing depression during the winter season.

“The months of March, January and February, respectively, are traditionally the deadliest of the year for overdoses,” she said.

Hahn encouraged families to take advantage of the resources available to them.

“Too many families already face empty chairs at their tables, but there is always hope,” the county legislator said. “Recovery is possible.”

Carole Trottere, of Old Field, lost her son

She said the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration now refers to overdose deaths as poisoning. The DEA has stated that six out of 10 illegal pills tested had fentanyl.

“Using street drugs is the equivalent of playing Russian roulette with your life,” Trottere said. “It’s not if it will kill you, it’s when.”

Trottere advised parents not to “hide their heads in the sand.” She said to talk to their children about the dangers of drug use and to reach out to an organization for help when needed.

Anthony Rizzuto, Seafield Center director of provider relations, said, “When I first got involved in this advocacy fight, we were at about 74,000 [deaths],” he said. “We’re looking

at each other, how can we let this happen? We are now at 107,000.”

This number from the CDC, for the year ending January 2022, reflects the opioidrelated deaths in the U.S.

Rizzuto said one of the challenges of providing help is the stigma attached to drug use, and people being hesitant to talk about it.

“There is no shame in getting help for the disease of addiction,” he said.

He reiterated how marijuana, cocaine and fake prescription pills often are laced with fentanyl.

“If you’re not getting your medication from a pharmacy with your name on the label, please be [suspicious],” he said. “Fentanyl kills.”

For information on how to get help, visit www. licadd.org, or call the hotline, 631-979-1700.

Alex Sutton to a heroin-fentanyl overdose in April 2018.

Steve Chassman, of LICADD, shows attendees strips to test drugs for fentanyl at a Dec. 13 press conference in Port Jefferson. Photo by Rita J. Egan

School News

All-County honors

Harborfields High School

Elwood-John H. Glenn High School

Collaborative art

Harborfields High School’s National Art Honor Society worked with eight other participating Long Island NAHS chapters to create this year’s 6x6 collaborative installation in partnership with the Heckscher Museum of Art.

The 6x6 project was founded in 2014 by two National Art Honor Society advisers —Jeanie Ritter of Harborfields High School and Roe Elder of Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK High School — with the goal for National Art Honor Society

students to connect, collaborate and create. The Heckscher Museum of Art became an essential partner, providing artistic enrichment for students, the inspiration for artwork and a location to exhibit the 6x6 projects that students make each year.

In an effort to share this exhibition with all the participating schools, it “travels” when not on display at the Heckscher Museum, and a portion was displayed in the Harborfields High School lobby’s art gallery during November.

Augmented reality

Elwood-John H. Glenn High School students in Chris Lafferty’s earth science classes recently explored the concepts of topography and topographic maps using the school’s augmented reality sandbox. The AR sandbox provided a 3D, interactive experience that helped students understand contour and gradient lines while mapping onto the sand.

“As our teachers and students are transitioning to the new New York State P-12 Science Learning Standards, we are embedding more and more phenomena into our lessons to provide students with the opportunity to understand the world around them and how it works,” said Director of Math, Science and Technology Dawn Valle.

Three exceptional Elwood-John H. Glenn High School varsity football players — wide receiver/defensive back Mario Bento (fourth

from left above), center Graig Decembre (second from right) and quarterback/safety Chris Franzese — were recently selected for All-County honors.

The three senior student-athletes were honored at the annual Suffolk County Football Coaches Association dinner on Dec. 5.

“Congratulations to Mario, Graig and Chris,” said Athletic Director Dave Shanahan. “What a great honor.”

Photo from Harborfields Central School District

Photos from Elwood School District

Elwood-John H. Glenn High School

Photos from Elwood School District

Red-light camera administration fee repeal awaits Bellone’s signature

BY RITA J. EGAN RITA@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

Suffolk County red-light camera offenders will find their bill will be a little less in the future.

did so because of the county’s budget.

Suffolk County considered high risk for COVID once again

BY RITA J. EGAN RITA@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advised Suffolk County residents to wear masks while at indoor public spaces regardless of their vaccination status

The recommendation is due to the increase in COVID-19 cases in the county. According to the Suffolk County Department of Health, for the week ending Dec. 3, there were 264-290 people hospitalized with COVID-19, and 14 died from the virus in the county. There were 4,168 new cases reported. The reinfection rate for Long Island increased from 10.3 to 18 per 100,000.

Flu cases have also increased. According to the SCDOH, during the week ending Dec. 3, flu cases increased in the county by 85%, from 1,577 confirmed cases to 2,916.

In a video posted to the SCDOH’s social media pages, Dr. Gregson Pigott, county

health commissioner, said the COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (or RSV) infection rates are surging in Suffolk. The cases are in addition to the rise of other common seasonal infectious diseases.

“They are causing too many people to miss work or school and straining our health care systems,” Pigott said.

He urged residents to take precautions such as getting the vaccines for the flu and COVID, noting it is safe to take them together. He added the COVID bivalent booster “has shown to be effective against the older and newer strains of SARS-CoV-2.”

Pigott said the flu shot is a good match for this year’s circulating strains. Currently, there is no vaccine for RSV.

In the video, he reminded residents to wash their hands often and stay home when sick. He added that masks should be clean and well fitted, and used in enclosed public spaces.

“As we head into our third pandemic winter, let us be safe and do our best to protect one another,” Pigott said.

COUNTY

County legislators passed a veto-proof resolution, 126, to repeal the $30 administration fee that was an addition to the $50 ticket at their general meeting Dec. 6. The resolution was sponsored by Legislator Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga). Trotta has been an opponent of the red-light camera ticket program since its inception more than a decade ago. The $30 administration fee was added a few years after the program began.

The bill now awaits County Executive Steve Bellone’s (D) signature.

All 11 Republican legislators were in favor of the legislation and Tom Donnelly (D-Deer Park) also voted for its repeal. The remaining Democrats voted against it.

Trotta has called the program a “money grab to generate revenue by the county executive.”

In a phone interview, Trotta said it’s the equivalent of people going a few miles over the speed limit.

“It’s not a safety issue, it’s a scam,” he said.

Suffolk County Legislature Minority Leader Jason Richberg (D-West Babylon) said in a statement that those who voted “no”

“Repealing the administrative fee for redlight camera tickets is a fine idea and is not what our caucus has an issue with,” Richberg said. “This problem is we have a law on the books that says the Legislature cannot remove any funds out of the budget unless there is an offset, which there is not currently. Without a budget offset we are knowingly putting a $7 million hole in the county’s 2023 budget, which was voted on and passed less than a month ago. We’re not able to amend the budget until February, so until then there will be gaps that could lead to shortages in other areas.”

Trotta also acknowledged the problems with the budget. While he is against the redlight cameras entirely, he said removing them completely presently does not make sense.

“We’re in a bind where we have to be very careful,” Trotta said. “We have to start cutting before we can start cutting the cameras.”

Trotta said the current administration fee was deemed illegal by a state Supreme Court judge. The ruling was handed down in 2020, and the county has appealed it. With the redlight program being a state initiative, the county cannot charge more than other municipalities in the state, according to the court.

Marykate Guilfoyle, a spokeswoman for Bellone, said the county executive would sign the bill. Once Bellone signs the legislation and it is filed with the Office of the Secretary of State of New York, the law will take effect.

Red-light camera tickets will be less expensive in the future after the Suffolk County Legislature voted to repeal the $30 administration fee. File photo by Phil Corso

Man pleads guilty to scamming Huntington homeowner out of $200K Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney announced on Dec. 2 that defendant Nicholas Spano pleaded guilty to Attempted Grand Larceny for scamming a woman out of $200,000 of her retirement and savings funds while posing as a home improvement contractor.

According to the investigation and his own admission, Spano, 59, who is a transient, exploited the victim from September of 2019 to December 2020. Spano had been recommended to the victim by another contractor, and in September 2019 he gave an estimate for home improvement work on the victim’s Huntington residence.

Upon gaining the victim’s trust, Spano manipulated the victim into giving him money for different reasons. His behavior escalated to the point that he made threats of violence against the victim, her family, and her associates. This conduct continued for more than a year, until the victim’s retirement and savings accounts were depleted.

When Suffolk County Police Department Second Precinct officers arrested Spano on April 24, 2022, he exclaimed, “She’s doing this because I took her for the money.” He pleaded guilty on Nov. 30 and faces a two- to four-year sentence. He is due back in court Jan. 18, 2023.

Wanted for Commack petit larceny

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Fourth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the woman pictured on the right who allegedly stole $275 worth of clothing from Target, located at 98 Veterans Memorial Highway in Commack, on Nov. 1 at approximately 5 p.m.

CAUGHT ON CAMERA

Wanted for Huntington Station assault

Just released! Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Second Squad detectives are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the man pictured above who allegedly attacked another man with a metal pipe in front of 1405 New York Ave. in Huntington Station on Oct. 14 at approximately 11:05 a.m. The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

Dix Hills woman killed in house fire

Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad and Arson Section detectives are investigating a house fire that killed a woman in Dix Hills on Dec. 14. Second Precinct officers responded to 1365 Carlls Straight Path at 2:53 a.m. after a 911 caller reported a fire at the location. Two patrol officers and a sergeant attempted to enter the cottage but were repelled by the fire. They were transported to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation. Tanya Bathija, 32, the resident of the cottage and daughter of the homeowners, was killed in the fire.

Update on puppy stolen from pet store

Following an investigation and tips from the community, the Havanese puppy that was stolen from Selmer’s Pet Land in Huntington Station on Dec. 6 was recovered on Dec. 7 in Brooklyn. The 3-month-old puppy was returned to the pet store. The incident is under investigation.

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.

The following incidents have been reported by Suffolk County Police:

Do you recognize this man? Photo from SCPD

— COMPILED BY HEIDI SUTTON

Nicholas Spano

Do you recognize this woman? Photo from SCPD

Icy plunge raises more than $22K for Special Olympics

A few dozen swimmers could be seen braving the cold waters at Frank P. Petrone Crab Meadow Beach on Sunday, Dec. 11.

A Polar Plunge organized by the Town of Huntington and Special Olympics New York raised nearly $23,000 for the nonprofit.

Among those who were freezing for a reason were Huntington Councilmembers Sal Ferro and Dave Bennardo.

Mark and John Cronin from John’s Crazy Socks were also on hand to take the plunge and present a check. — Photos by Media Origin

Northport girls basketball season off to a strong start

BY STEVEN ZAITZ DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

The Northport Lady Tigers basketball team won their home opener against Half Hollow Hills East, 6331, and are now 2-0 in the young season.

In a second straight dominating performance that was essentially decided before halftime, junior forward Kennedy Radziul led Northport with 17 points, most of which came in the first quarter when she was 5 for 7 from the floor.

Senior captain Sarah Morawski added 11 points, 10 rebounds, two blocked shots and a spectacular, twohanded reverse scooping layup. Sophomore swingman Claire Fitzpatrick had 10. The Lady Tigers average margin of victory in their two wins is 26.5.

After the game, Tiger fans were still buzzing about Morawski’s highlight-reel bucket.

“The coaches make us practice that kind of stuff religiously so I’m pretty comfortable with that type of shot,” Morawski said. “But I’m not gonna lie, that was

a greater degree of difficulty than I thought when I left my feet, so I was nervous when I threw it up there. I was happy it went in.”

Everything seemed to go in for Northport as 10 different Tiger players made it on to the scoring sheet as Head Coach Rich Castellano was able to use his bench as his lead was 24-6 after one quarter and 48-19 after three.

Senior guards and captains Payson Hedges and Emma Kezys played lockdown defense that helped to create 18 turnovers by the Lady Thunderbirds. Kezys drew four charging fouls, had five steals and four assists. Hedges had four steals and like the rest of her mates, fought hard for every loose ball.

The Lady Tigers might not have it so easy when they play against Copiague on Thursday. The Lady Eagles are 4-0 and have an average margin of victory of 16.

Pictured clockwise from above, Sarah Morawski with a reverse layup; Brooke Kershow speeds to hoop and Claire Fitzpatrick grabs a rebound.

— Photos by Steven Zaitz

School News

Harborfields High School

Disney Magic

Over the course of four days in early November, more than 150 Harborfields High School music students traveled to Disney World to perform and take part in educational workshops.

The vocal ensemble, directed by Clare Jackson, and the chamber orchestra, under

the baton of Greg Antonelli, gave separate performances for adoring crowds at Disney Springs. The marching band and kickline, under the leadership of Allison Scilla and Jackie Best, respectively, paraded through the Magic Kingdom.

All four ensembles had the pleasure

of working with Disney professionals in workshop settings that covered choreography and dance (for kickline) and rehearsing, sight reading and film scoring (for the vocal ensemble and a combined marching band/chamber ensemble).

“Student travel and life experiences

beyond the classroom are an essential part of what we try to teach,” said Scilla, who coordinated the entire trip. “We’re so proud of how our students represented Harborfields and what they learned and accomplished during our whirlwind days in Disney.”

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Letters to the editor

Putting age before youth: Caught in COVID’s crosshairs

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unforeseen challenges for nearly everyone in our nation and world.

COVID-19 has already claimed the lives of 6.65 million people around the globe, 1.09 million of which are in the U.S. Countless more have been infected, with the illness hitting hardest the elderly and those with preexisting conditions. In this time, however, perhaps no demographic sacrificed more greatly than our youth.

We made a decision: Would we let the kids — who were not nearly as vulnerable to the disease as their older counterparts — continue their lives as usual? Or would we limit their inperson activities and restrict their social gatherings to curb the spread of COVID-19? Given a choice between age and youth, we opted for age.

Many children were shut out from traditional social interactions during those critical early years of their emotional and psychological maturation. Sadly, many high school seniors lost their graduation ceremonies, proms and final sport seasons.

In the absence of interpersonal connections, our young became increasingly dependent upon their technologies. Zoom sessions quickly replaced the classroom. Video games supplanted schoolyards and after-school hangouts. Their relationships with the outer world became mediated through a digital screen.

There is still much to learn about the long-term social and psychological impact of the pandemic on our youth. How will the frequent COVID scares, forced separations, quarantines and widespread social panic affect their developing minds? This remains an open question.

As we transition into the post-COVID era, we know that our young will have difficulty adapting. Right now, they need our help more than ever.

The generation that came out of World War I is often called the “Lost Generation.” A collective malaise defined their age following the shock and violence during that incredible human conflict.

Members of the Lost Generation were often characterized by a tendency to be adrift, disengaged from public life and disconnected from any higher cause or greater purpose. Right now, our youngsters are in jeopardy of seeing a similar fate.

Like the Great War, the COVID-19 pandemic was outside the control of our children, with the lockdowns and mandates precipitating from it. Yet, as is often the case, the young bore more than their share of hardship.

We cannot allow Gen Z to become another Lost Generation. They have suffered much already, and it is time that we repay them for their collective sacrifice. To make up for that lost time, parents and teachers must try to put in that extra effort.

Read with them, keep up with their studies, and apply the necessary balance of support and pressure so that they can be stimulated and engaged in school. Keep them from falling behind.

Remember to limit their use of technology, encouraging instead more face-to-face encounters with their peers. These interactions may be uncomfortable, but they are essential for being a fully realized human being. Devices cannot substitute these vital exchanges.

As it is often said, difficult times foster character and grit. Perhaps these COVID years will make the young among us stronger and wiser. But we must not allow the COVID years to break them either.

Despite their lost years, with a little effort and love they will not become another lost generation.

Party chairs are out of touch

In reading the Dec. 8 TBR interview with Suffolk Democratic and Republican party chairs Rich Schaffer and Jesse Garcia [“Suffolk’s two party leaders dissect midterm election results”], I was struck by how both men are deeply out of touch. For workingclass and poor people, government serves as a lifeline. For those who struggle to survive on Long Island, elections are not a game of red vs. blue.

This lack of understanding is clear in Garcia’s crowing over the defeat of state Assemblyman Steve Englebright [D-Setauket]. Englebright has been a champion for environmental protection, public education, and has brought home tens of millions of dollars in resources to our community. If you believe in government as a public good, you’d be hard pressed to find a better legislator than Englebright. However, for Garcia, this is just a game, and he has no qualms about taking out Englebright and replacing him with a nonentity like Ed Flood [R-Port Jefferson], who is unlikely to deliver for this community.

Flood’s campaign was built on sharing fearmongering New York Post articles, stoking racial resentment and offering “change,” while never articulating how “change” could occur as a freshman member of the minority party, which will be outnumbered more than 2:1. Unfortunately, our community will find this out when Flood fails to bring home the resources that Englebright did.

With that said, Garcia is a perfect embodiment of today’s Republican Party

— petty, cruel and power hungry for the sake of power itself.

Schaffer is deeply out of step with today’s Democratic Party. As a Democrat who also runs as a Conservative in his elected town position [of Babylon supervisor], he does not represent nor understand the changing and evolving Democratic Party, as is clear in his statements in the article. He has time and again sided with Republicans, including his cheerleading for county District Attorney Ray Tierney [R] in 2021.

Suffolk Democrats deserve a leader that recognizes the need to reach out to youth voters, meet the needs of the growing minority population in the county and embrace the grassroots movements that have grown since 2016. Schaffer has done none of this, and the Democratic Party has been bleeding seats over the past few years. It is time for new leadership that can provide an alternative to Garcia’s worldview and can outorganize the Republican machine.

At the end of the day, we in the 4th Assembly District lost a great public servant in Englebright because of partisan politics. I look forward to reclaiming that seat in 2024 with a Democrat that will put the interests of the community first and will be

the type of public servant in the mold of Englebright. I look forward to a stronger, more diverse, better organized Democratic Party that wins elections and works for the people who need the government to work for them.

Shoshana Hershkowitz South Setauket Founder of Suffolk Progressives

Biden doesn’t know how to play chess

President Joe Biden [D] announcing the agreement to exchange former Soviet military translator turned “merchant of death” arms dealer Viktor Bout for WNBA star Brittney Griner reminded me of a chess game. Bout has served over 12 of 25 years in prison for crimes, including the targeting of American citizens.

Bout was the second most-wanted man in the world after Osama bin Laden. Russian President Vladimir Putin exchanged a pawn (Griner) and got a king (Bout). If Biden knew how to play chess, he would have exchanged a king for a king and made it a higher priority to obtain the release of former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan instead.

Whelan was arrested in Moscow in 2018 on espionage charges. He was subsequently found guilty in a closed trial and has served more than two years of a 16-year prison sentence. Contrast that with women’s basketball star Griner, who has been detained for almost 10 months and just began serving her nine-year prison sentence.

In 2020, she was quoted by the Arizona Republic as saying, “I honestly feel we should not play the national anthem during our [WNBA] season.”

Michael Braun, then retired chief of operations for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, told “60 Minutes” (CBS) in 2010, “Viktor Bout, in my eyes, is one of the most dangerous men on the face of the Earth.” The exchange of Bout for Whelan would have been better.

Once again, Putin has played Biden for a fool.

Larry Penner Great Neck

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: rita@tbrnewsmedia.com or mail them to TBR News Media, P.O. Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733

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

Jesse Garcia, left, and Rich Schaffer answered questions about the midterms in the Dec. 8 editions of TBR News Media newspapers. Left file photo from Suffolk GOP; right photo from Babylon Town website

Has customer service become a vestigial organ in our culture?

tells me I have to get there within half an hour because they’re closing.

When we arrive home, I bring in my small bag, grab the keys, and race out to the restaurant.

“Are you Dan?” she asks hopefully as I step towards the counter.

“Yes,” I say, realizing that I’ve cut the halfhour mark pretty close.

“Here’s your food,” she says, shoving the bag across the counter.

“This is everything?” I ask.

D.

Icould take it personally, you know. I mean, come on! Does this happen to everyone? Okay, so, check it out. First, I’m coming back from the airport, and I’m starving. I don’t tend to eat too much on days when I’m on a plane. I have a sensitive stomach, yeah, right, poor me, and I’m a bit, which is an understatement, of a neurotic flier. The combination doesn’t tend to make travel, food and me a harmonious trio.

None of the above

“What?” I rage, between clenched teeth in the kitchen as I unload the groceries.

“Your salad isn’t here. Did they charge you for it?”

“Yes,” I say, as I grab some slices of turkey I bought for lunch and a few salad items.

professional basketball game. Stunningly, the person operating the scoreboard had the wrong statistics for each player and the wrong names and uniform numbers of the players on the floor.

What’s happening? Is customer service a thing of the past? Are we better off with artificial intelligence or online systems?

BY DANIEL DUNAIEF

Okay, so, there I am in the car, on the way home, and my wife can tell that I’m hungry. Ever the solution-finder, she suggests I order food from a local restaurant. When I call, the woman on the phone takes my order, which includes a salad with blackened chicken, and

“Yes,” she says, as she rings me up and is clearly eager for me to step outside so she can lock the door and go on to the portion of her evening that doesn’t involve taking food requests, handing people food and charging them for it, all while standing near a gratuity jar that says, not so subtly, “Even the Titanic tipped.” That, I suppose, should inspire me to consider forking over a few extra dollars.

I stop at the supermarket for a few items next door, drive home and bring the bag into the dining room, where my wife opens it.

“Uh, Dan?” she says tentatively. “They forgot your salad.”

skin off my nose,’ but there was.

Just to add some excitement to my life, I had Mohs surgery this past week. Of course, it was not my idea. The dermatologist identified a spot on the side of my nose as possibly the beginning of a basal cell carcinoma, scraped it off and sent it for a biopsy. The report came back positive.

The next step in this situation was a visit to a Mohs surgeon, who specializes in removing the unwelcome cells.

So off I went.

for areas totally visible, like the cheek or nose, where scars would be most undesirable. The skin with the troubled spot is cut away one layer at a time and then studied under a microscope. When a layer is found free of the cancer, the surgeon can stop removal. In that way, no more skin is cut away than is affected, minimizing the healing process and the scarring.

At the initial consult, I was told to come back at 8:30 a.m. last Monday and bring lunch and a book because there was no way to know in advance how deep the basal cells have penetrated and hence, how many layers may have to be removed.

The next day, I called the restaurant to explain that my food didn’t come. The manager said he came in that morning and saw a salad with blackened chicken in the refrigerator. He says he can make a new one that day or can leave me a gift card. I opt for a new salad, When I arrive, the same redheaded woman with a nose ring from the night before greets me.

“If it makes you feel better, I forgot much bigger parts of other people’s order,” she says, with a curious mix of sheepishness, humor and pride.

“No, how is that supposed to make me feel better?” I ask.

Still in food ordering mode, and perhaps not having learned my lesson, I ordered two breakfasts the next morning and, this time, received a single order that was a hybrid of my wife’s and mine.

That night, my wife and I went to a

I realize that the missed food could have happened with anyone at any time and that the thankless job of taking orders, preparing food and making sure people get what they order isn’t particularly exciting.

Are people not taking responsibility in their jobs? Are they proud of their mistakes? Has customer service become like our appendix, a vestigial organ in our culture?

I’m the type of consumer who would eagerly become more loyal and would recommend services when the people who work at these establishments show me they care, want my business, and can be bothered to provide the products I purchased. Companies, and their staff, should recognize that I’m likely not the only one who enjoys efficient, professional and considerate customer service.

of baby boomers turn 65 every day.

Mohs surgery can be done in a hospital or a physician’s office. I was in an office. First, the nurse carefully and thoroughly wiped my face with antiseptic to prevent an infection. Pictures were taken to record the exact location of the spot. Then my upper body was draped, and the nurse injected pain killer in several locations on the nose and cheek, which each felt like a sharp but quick pinch.

In less than an hour, the nurse waved me back into the procedure room, and I swooped up my untouched lunch, my book and my coat and anxiously followed her.

“It’s all clear,” she said smiling. “No further cancer.”

BY LEAH S. DUNAIEF

Now typically there are three types of skin cancers: basal cell, squamous cell and melanoma. Mine was a basal, the least of the three and slowest growing. Nonetheless, it had to come off.

An appointment was made for the deed to be done. Now Mohs surgery, used first by Frederic E. Mohs in 1936, is intended

“Plan to spend the whole day here,” the nurse instructed. “Of course you can leave as soon as the skin is cancer free.”

So I dutifully appeared at the appointed time, heart pounding, not knowing exactly what I was in for. For those facing Mohs surgery or will undergo the procedure in the future, here is what’s involved. And by the way, more and more people are developing various skin cancers because the skin is damaged by the sun, older people have had more time to be affected, and there are now more older residents in America than ever before. Thousands

When I was anesthetized, the physician entered, put on his surgical gloves, and the procedure began as Christmas music played softly in the background. It took less than five minutes to get the specimen for the lab. It takes about an hour for the slide to be inspected, using a special diagnostic machine.

I was then bandaged and sent out to wait. While I was waiting, I studied the others in the waiting room. Some had bandages on their ear or their cheek. One lady had a dressing on her scalp. A man had one on his neck. All were reading.

I also enjoyed the company of my son, who accompanied me throughout this experience, for it gave us an opportunity to chat and catch up on the latest. That was the silver lining.

“Hot dog!” I exclaimed, thereby giving both the young nurse and youngish doctor a laugh. Apparently, they were not familiar with that enthusiastic expression. I guess the current phrase would have been, “Cool!”

Then the surgeon took a thin slice of skin from elsewhere on my nose, and using this plastic surgery technique, covered the surgical site. The wound was next stitched up and covered with a pressure bandage that was to remain until the next day.

Happily we could leave. The task now is to keep the area clean and manage the ensuing pain until the healing is complete.

Until then, should we cross paths, I hope you won’t confuse me with your neighborhood raccoons. Or think that I was in a bar fight and got punched in the eye.

‘No

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