The Times of Smithtown - December 23, 2021

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TIMES of SMITHTOWN

F O R T S A LO N G A • K I N G S PA R K • S M I T H TO W N • N E S C O N S E T • S T J A M E S • H E A D O F T H E H A R B O R • N I S S E Q U O G U E • H A U P PA U G E • C O M M A C K Vol. 34, No. 44

December 23, 2021

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East meets West Photos from Monday’s game — A9 COVID updates Bellone provides pandemic updates

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PAGE A2 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • DECEMBER 23, 2021

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Despite the damage done, the Three Village Inn’s employees and contractors are performing

DECEMBER 23, 2021 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • PAGE A3

Health

With COVID at highest level in over a year, county plans to open new testing sites

BY DANIEL DUNAIEF DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM The Greek letter versions of the variants are beating up on Suffolk County, just as families prepare to gather during the holidays and New Year.

Suffolk County reported a 13.6% positive testing rate on Dec. 20, which is the highest rate in over a year, according to County Executive Steve Bellone (D).

“The omicron variant is, without question, powering a surge in cases here,” Bellone said on a conference call with reporters. “We are seeing that play out in long lines for testing as the holiday season continues and as Christmas and New Year’s approach.”

Indeed, Bellone announced that he is using his emergency powers to create three new testing sites on Long Island. The county will open a site at Gabreski Airport in Westhampton Beach on Dec. 27, in West Sayville on Dec. 27, and in the Sound Beach area on Jan. 4.

Bellone said he chose these sites near locations where the positivity rate is higher.

Bellone encourages residents to visit the county’s website, at suffolkcountyny.gov/ covid19 to get details about signing up for tests at these new locations.

As for holiday preparations, Bellone and Dr. Gregson Pigott, commissioner of the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, suggested residents could continue

with their holiday gathering plans as long as they take adequate precautions.

“It’s important to be vaccinated with Pfizer or Moderna,” Pigott said. “It’s more important to get that third shot, that booster shot, that’ll give you the maximum protection.”

Infectious disease experts urged residents to remain vigilant about the virus during the current surge and as people prepare to visit families.

“I would suggest making sure that everyone test for COVID and receive a negative test result” before family gatherings, Sean Clouston, associate professor in the Department of Family, Population and Preventive Medicine, explained in an email. “This is especially true for those in which there are individuals who are either unvaccinated, or those where attendees either are vaccinated but aged 60 and older.” Hospitals in the area have seen a dramatic increase in emergency room visits from residents who contracted COVID. “The number of COVID hospitalizations has tripled in the last three weeks,” Dr. Adrian Popp, chair of Infection Control at Huntington Hospital/Northwell Health, wrote in an email.

Popp explained that patients who have been vaccinated have a milder form of COVID, while unvaccinated patients have suffered more severe symptoms. About two thirds of hospitalized patients are unvaccinated at Huntington Hospital, while several patients are in the intensive care unit.

With the increase in omicron cases,

County Executive Steve Bellone, above in a photo from earlier this year, held a conference call with reporters this week to update the public on the COVID testing rate and new testing sites . File photo by Rita J. Egan

Popp explained that “we are all concerned that we may be overwhelmed if too many sick patients will show up all at once in the emergency room.”

To be sure, even with the increase in hospitalizations from the fall, the number of people batting the disease in the hospital remains well below peak levels. As of a year ago, 526 people battled COVID in the hospital. This week, that number stood at 326.

“The numbers are increasing, but they are still less than they were,” Bellone said.

Dr. Sunil Dhuper, chief medical officer at Port Jefferson’s St. Charles Hospital, suggested a three-pronged approach to

defending against the next phase in the spread of COVID. Getting vaccines and boosters is the first and most important step. Treating vulnerable residents with monoclonal antibodies is the second, and testing and wearing masks is the third step.

GlaxoSmithKline’s monoclonal treatment, called sotrovimab, works the best against omicron, Dhuper said.

At this point, the supply of that treatment, however, is limited. Dhuper hopes to get the supply issue resolved this Monday.

Until that is resolved, however, only people who are unvaccinated and who are vaccinated and immunocompromised or over 65 are eligible for this treatment, which is what the National Institutes of Health and Department of Health have recommended, Dhuper said.

The shortage of monoclonal antibodies is “an issue that needs to be addressed at the state and federal levels,” Bellone said. “I’m encouraged by what we’ve seen happening there. It’s an issue that we’ve heard from hospitals. With this surge, we’re seeing all of the capacity tested once again.”

Indeed, hospitals remain prepared to increase their staffing levels, particularly in January when people return from traveling and visiting family members.

“Everybody is aware that we may call upon any employee at any time, even if they are on vacation if we begin to see that the system is getting overwhelmed,” Dhuper said.

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PAGE A4 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • DECEMBER 23, 2021

County

SCPD says goodbye to acting police commissioner Cameron Members of the Suffolk County Police Department said goodbye to Acting Commissioner Stuart Cameron during a walkout at police headquarters in Yaphank Dec. 17.

Cameron retired after a nearly 37-year career with the SCPD. Cameron’s most recent assignment was acting commissioner, a title he held on two separate occasions since 2018. Cameron has been the SCPD chief of department since 2015, a title he earned after serving as both the chief of Support Services and assistant chief of Patrol.

He began his career Feb. 25, 1985, and served the residents of the 2nd Precinct upon graduation from the academy. Cameron

rose through the ranks, reaching the rank of captain in July 2000, taking over as the commanding officer of the Planning and Community Services Bureau. A year later, he moved to Highway Patrol Bureau as the executive officer before spending a decade in the Special Patrol Bureau as both the executive and commanding officer.

Cameron was honored in 2016 with the department’s Daniel P. Guido Leadership Award and was named the department’s Cop of the Year in 1990. He also earned Cop of the Month three times during his career along with numerous command and department recognitions.

— Photos from Suffolk County Police Department

Paws of War hosts holiday fire truck parade On Dec. 18, families celebrated the holiday season along with local veterans and first responders from Paws of War at its Nesconset headquarters. The event allowed

attendees to meet the nonprofit’s rescue dogs and view 15 decorated fire trucks from the Nesconset Fire Department.

— Photos from Paws of War

Movers and Shakers

DECEMBER 23, 2021 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • PAGE A5

Part two: Reflections on Jefferson’s Ferry’s 20th anniversary

BY LINDA KOLAKOWSKI DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM Part two of three Over its 20 years in existence, Jefferson’s Ferry has been home to a significant number of accomplished and creative older adults who have been groundbreakers, innovators, educators and artists. All were original thinkers with a desire to do something that hadn’t been done before, and many of these residents wrote books about their work, which can be found in the Jefferson’s Ferry library collection.

Lee Koppelman: visionary of open space preservation

The Suffolk County landscape would look markedly different if not for Lee Koppelman. He was the first regional planning board director for Suffolk County.

An early advocate for the preservation of open space, Koppelman drew up Suffolk’s first comprehensive master plan in 1970 and dominated planning on Long Island from the 1960s until he stepped aside in 2006. A leading professor emeritus at Stony Brook University who still teaches, Koppelman was appointed the director of the Center for Regional Policy Studies there. He is also chairman emeritus of the Town of Brookhaven Open Space and Farmland Acquisition Advisory Committee. The Lee Koppelman Preserve, a parcel of land on the Stony Brook campus, commemorates his stewardship of open space in the county.

The Town of East Hampton has also commemorated his contributions to Long Island’s open space, designating about 800 acres contiguous to and adjacent to Hither Hills State Park as the Lee Koppelman Nature Preserve. Koppelman is the author of 22 books, which include “The Fire Island National Seashore” and “The Urban Sea: Long Island Sound.” He and his wife, Constance, reside in an independent living apartment at Jefferson’s Ferry.

Fred and Carol Fenter; author and wife

As a high school social studies teacher, Fred Fenter had a front-row-center season ticket on the cultural revolution that marked the 1960s and ’70s. From that perspective, in 2008, he penned “Sex, Drugs and Rock ’n Roll: The Legacy of the Counter-Cultural Revolution.” What made his experience particularly radical was the transformation of the ultraconservative Bay Shore High School, a place of separate faculty rooms for men and women, strict dress codes, zero tolerance for even a muttered “hell” or “damn.”

Quite suddenly, to Fenter’s eye, the

From left to right, Lee Koppelman, Carol Fenter holding her husband’s book ‘Sex, Drugs and Rock ’n Roll: The Legacy of the Counter-Cultural Revolution’ and Joan Watson holding her book ‘My Turning Points.’ Photos from Jefferson’s Ferry

school swerved to embrace the antiestablishment fervor of the ’60s. Faculty rooms were converted to student space, the dress code disintegrated to rags and teachers had to find new ways to engage the more willful students.

All of this was anathema to Fenter, who had to drop out of high school and join the U.S. Navy at age 17 to support his family. Upon his return, he finished high school at night while holding a variety of day jobs that included bank teller, shelf stocker at the supermarket and elevator operator. He earned his master’s degree while teaching at Delehanty High School in Queens and Division Avenue High School in Levittown, where he met his future wife Carol. Fred Fenter ultimately taught advanced history honors for 20 years at Bay Shore High School.

“Fred always wanted to write,” Carol Fenter said. “But with a family of four children to support, he had to put that dream on hold. He worked two jobs, which left little time for writing.”

After his retirement from teaching, Fred and Carol became among the first residents at Jefferson’s Ferry. They moved in during fall 2001 seeking a lifestyle that suited Carol’s active social life and Fred’s desire to write.

“Sex, Drugs and Rock ’n Roll” was written in its entirety at Jefferson’s Ferry.

“He came from nothing,” his wife said.

“His father died when he was 14 and life

became all work and no play. That made the cultural revolution of the ’60s and ’70s into a particular challenge. During World War II, the U.S. Navy took over control of cargo ships from various importers and shippers to augment its supply fleet. Assigned as a signalman on one of the so-called ‘banana boats,’ Fred never could understand how he survived the war. He didn’t have the youth that his future students would have.”

“He didn’t put himself into the book at all,” she added. “It’s all philosophical. He hits the movements of the times — anti-war, free love, civil rights, feminism — from all different aspects. He had it in his head and wanted to get it out.”

Fred Fenter passed in 2008, but Carol finds plenty to do at Jefferson’s Ferry. She is chair of the residents council, former chair of the Jefferson’s Ferry Foundation, has taught countless residents in her popular computer classes and has installed more than 100 modems in residents’ apartments. While she’s not a writer like her late husband, she is a voracious reader, consuming multiple books each week.

Joan Watson: ‘My Turning Points’

Dec. 1, 1952, was the last day 12-yearold Joan Watson was tucked into bed feeling safe and secure. Today, as clearly as the day in which it happened, Watson remembers waking up the morning of Dec. 2 to her

mother’s suicide. This tragedy was the first “turning point” in Watson’s young life, the day her life changed forever. Gone was the affection of her mother, the family memories and the sense of stability. Unlike her mother, her father wasn’t affectionate. He was very strict and determined that his three children would learn responsibility. Frightened about what her life would be without that special love of her mother, she prayed for God to send someone to love her.

Her challenges didn’t end when years later, she left the family home to marry her high school sweetheart. After three years of marriage, her husband left and moved out of state, leaving her and their two daughters.

Watson’s next turning point occurred when she lost her youngest daughter to illness at barely 2 years of age. Watson and her surviving daughter lived with the help of public assistance and Joan’s jobs as a school bus driver and waitress.

But her story doesn’t end there — it begins anew. Through therapy and her faith in God, she tapped the inner strength and talents that allowed her to begin to take control of her life and start initiating her own turning points.

She furthered her education with secretarial school and got a job typing medical records at St. John’s Episcopal Hospital in Smithtown.

Watson began to achieve a modicum of stability and happiness.

JEFFERSON’S FERRY CONTINUED ON A5

PAGE A6 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • DECEMBER 23, 2021

Mover and Shaker

Kings Park resident exemplifies the holiday spirit

BY RITA J. EGAN RITA@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM A Stony Brook garage owner knows something about the gift of giving.

Brian Barton, owner of TEB North Country Car Care in Stony Brook Village Center, and more than a dozen employees and family members spearheaded a food drive that made 250 Thanksgiving dinners possible. The garage collected donations from community members that included canned vegetables, turkeys and more. Fifteen people joined in to help assemble 60 boxes, and then on Nov. 25, delivered them to homes of cancer patients and veterans from Plainview to Greenport.

Barton, who lives in Kings Park, said in addition to employees and family members chipping in to help, his customers have been extremely generous during the Thanksgiving drives. This year one regular donated 50 turkeys. Barton’s daughter Elaine, he said, is the one who makes all the phone calls and organizes where the meals need to go.

Brian Barton, left, owner of TEB North Country Car Care, and his employees and family organized a food drive that resulted in 250 Thanksgiving dinners this year. Photos from The Ward Melville Heritage Organization

He has been heading up the food drives for a dozen years.

“It seems as if each year it’s getting bigger

and bigger,” Barton said.

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and Penney’s Waterside Car Care Center in Northport, is modest when talking about organizing the food drive as he says “it takes a village” to get it done.

“I would just like to thank everybody,” Barton said. “I can’t do this myself.”

He said this was the first year volunteers delivered meals to veterans after state Sen. Mario Mattera (R-St. James) became involved and connected them with the Northport VA Medical Center.

In a statement, Mattera thanked Barton and all of those who volunteered to help with the drive: “By donating Thanksgiving dinner to our veterans and those who are fighting cancer, his efforts helped show these men and women that their fellow Long Islanders support them.”

Gloria Rocchio, president of The Ward Melville Heritage Organization which oversees Stony Brook Village Center, described Barton as a modest and generous person who quietly helps others and donates to causes.

“He’s just amazing,” Rocchio said. “He’s constantly giving, and he’s always there for residents.”

Continued from A5

A second marriage was full of love and support, giving her the freedom to be her best self. She achieved positions of increased responsibility and reward at work.

Then came another turning point, totally unexpected and serendipitous.

While attending a party, Watson learned of a 60-minute program — a company, Mary Kay, was giving away diamonds and minks to reward its salespeople. While still working at the hospital, she started selling Mary Kay products and quickly reached the director level, making real money. Watson excelled at bringing successful consultants into the company by adhering to Mary Kay’s wisdom, “Help enough people get what they want, and you’ll get what you want,” Watson said. What determined her success was the ability to lift her consultants and teach them to do what she did. Mary Kay also taught her about investing. The recognition she received surpassed money as Watson’s motivator. In her eyes, God had sent her the love of many.

Watson wrote “My Turning Points” to make a difference in other peoples’ lives, to help them find their own turning point and make a difference in their lives. “My Turning Points” is among the most popular books in the Jefferson’s Ferry library. Reading the book has also spurred people to open up to her about challenges in their own lives.

A Jefferson’s Ferry resident for six years, Watson values the community and the ease of her days. When she was widowed after 40 years of marriage 14 years ago, she knew that she’d have to find a continued sense of place and security. She reviewed her expenses and investments, sold her house and found a new home and friends while remaining close to her family. She is retired from Mary Kay, but still mentors and coaches women who have followed in her footsteps at the company. Watson’s pink Cadillac, parked outside her apartment, continues to be a conversation piece.

Linda Kolakowski is vice president of Residential Life at Jefferson’s Ferry Life Plan Community in South Setauket.

Part one of this article appeared in the Nov. 18 edition of The Times of Smithton and can also be found on tbrnewsmedia.com.

DECEMBER 23, 2021 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • PAGE A7

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PAGE A8 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • DECEMBER 23, 2021

University

Winter SBU graduation features surprise

Students, families and the Stony Brook University community celebrated newly earned degrees at Stony Brook’s Winter Commencement ceremony on Dec. 17 and witnessed a sweet surprise.

More than 1,600 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students become members of the more than 200,000 Stony Brook University alumni worldwide. Graduates ranged in age from 19 to 72-years old.

Among the graduates was Alyssa O’Hara who received her diploma in math. O’Hara thought her husband, U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Justin O’Hara, would be watching the ceremony via the university’s live stream. He is currently stationed in Alaska.

According to a press release from SBU, for two months, Justin O’Hara was figuring out how he could surprise his wife and be there for the graduation ceremony in person.

“Alyssa, we have a special surprise for you today,” said Marianna Savoca, Stony Brook’s director of Career Services at the Career Center, who also announced the names of the graduates.

As Justin O’Hara snuck out from behind the stage, his shocked wife walked to meet him.

The couple saw each other last in August, prior to the beginning of the semester. Justin O’Hara has served three years in the Air Force, mostly in Alaska, but was also deployed overseas for

eight months.

“I’m so happy to see him,” Alyssa O’Hara said as she walked off the stage and embraced her husband.

Pictured clockwise from above, Justin O’ Hara suprises his wife, Alyssa, during graduation; graduates wait for thier diplomas; and the O’Haras after graduation.

— Photo upper left by Greg Catalano; all others from SBU

History Close at Hand

Historian shares holiday postcards

BY BEVERLY C. TYLER DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM Greeting postcards were becoming popular in the United States by the 1870s, and by the 1880s, they were being printed in the millions.

During the late 1800s and early 1900s, humor was a favorite theme for postcards and Christmas postcards were no exception.

The lower price of postage — one cent for a postcard — was one of the reasons for their popularity. The greeting postcard was most popular between 1895 and 1914, when the craze for collecting cards was at its height.

By the end of the first decade of the 20th century, the collecting of picture postcards was the most popular hobby in the world.

Pictured left to right, Santa’s Gift series postcards were popular at Christmas time especially with a child waiting for Santa to bring a gift. This one is a series of three scenes. Other stories featured many more scenes.

— Postcard images submitted by Beverly C. Tyler

DECEMBER 23, 2021 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • PAGE A9

Sports

tbrnewsmedia.com Goforto more sports photos

Smithtown West 62 Smithtown East 36

The battle of the Bulls

BY BILL LANDON DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

It was the battle of the Bulls when Smithtown East traveled to Smithtown High School West where East faced an unrelenting defensive press by Smithtown West in a League III matchup Dec. 20. Smithtown West caused several turnovers that resulted in a 21-point lead at the half. West benched their starters and played the balance of their roster in the 62-36 victory to remain undefeated.

Smithtown West senior forward Patrick Burke led his team in scoring with a free throw

and eight field goals for 17 points. Teammate Tyler Anderson followed netting 14, and Lorenzo Rappa banked eight.

Smithtown East sophomore Ben Haug hit a three-pointer, five from the floor and six from the free throw line for 19 points.

Pictured clockwise from above, Smithtown West junior Landon Schneider, #22, boxes out Traven Pannell; the Whisperettes perform during halftime; Smithtown East senior Nick Ferraro drives the lane; Smithtown West junior Landon Schneider shoots; and Smithtown West senior Brendan Tenety goes up for the score.

— Photos by Bill Landon

PAGE A10 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • DECEMBER 23, 2021

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References available.

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BLUES MAN PIANO TUNING Certified piano technician, 631-681-9723, bluesmanpianotuning@gmail. com, www.bluesmanpianotuning.com

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PAGE A12 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • DECEMBER 23, 2021

WE ARE:

CONTACT US:

BASIC AD RATES • FIRST 20 WORDS

The Village TIMES HERALD The Village BEACON RECORD The Port TIMES RECORD The TIMES of Smithtown The TIMES of Middle Country The TIMES of Huntington, Northport & East Northport

TBR News Media 185 Route 25A (Bruce Street entrance) Setauket, NY 11733 Call: 631-331-1154 or 631-751-7663

1 Week $29.00 4 Weeks $99.00 DISPLAY ADS Call for rates.

SPECIALS*

tbrnewsmedia.com ©98619

*May change without notice REAL ESTATE FREE FREE FREE ACTION AD 20 words Merchandise DISPLAY ADS $44 for 4 weeks under Ask about our for all your used $50 15 words Contract Rates. merchandise 1 item only.

EMPLOYMENT GARAGE SALE Fax•Mail•E-mail Buy 2 weeks of ADS $29.00 Drop Off any size BOXED 20 words Include Name, ad get 2 weeks Address, Phone # Free 2 signs with free placement of ad

GENERAL OFFICE 631–751–7744 Fax 631–751–4165 This Publication is Subject to All Fair Housing Acts OFFICE HOURS Monday–Friday 10:00 am–4:00 pm

INDEX

OFFICE • IN-PERSON

(40¢ each additional word)

MAIL ADDRESS TBR News Media Classifieds Department P.O. Box 707 Setauket, NY 11733

EMAIL class@tbrnewsmedia.com CONTACT CLASSIFIEDS:

(631) 331–1154 or (631) 751–7663 Fax (631) 751–4165 class@tbrnewsmedia.com tbrnewsmedia.com

The Classifieds Section is published by TIMES BEACON RECORD NEWS MEDIA every Thursday. Leah S. Dunaief, Publisher, Sheila Murray, Classifieds Director. We welcome your comments and ads.

TIMES BEACON RECORD NEWS MEDIA will not be responsible for errors after the first week’s insertion. Please check your ad carefully. • Statewide or Regional Classifieds also available - Reach more than 7 million readers in New York’s community newspapers.

Line ads 25 words : Long Island region $69 - $129 – New York City region $289 - $499 – Central region $29 - $59 – Western region $59 - $99 - Capital region $59 - $99 – all regions $389 - $689 words. $10 each additional word. Call for display ad rates.

The following are some of our available categories listed in the order in which they appear.

• Garage Sales • Computer Services • Announcements • Electricians • Antiques & Collectibles • Financial Services • Automobiles/Trucks etc.

• Furniture Repair • Finds under $50 • Handyman Services • Health/Fitness/Beauty • Home Improvement • Merchandise • Lawn & Landscaping • Personals • Painting/Wallpaper • Novenas • Plumbing/Heating • Pets/Pet Services • Power Washing • Professional Services • Roofing/Siding • Schools/Instruction/Tutoring • Tree Work • Wanted to Buy • Window Cleaning • Employment • Real Estate • Cleaning • Residential Property • Commercial Property • Out of State Property DEADLINE: Tuesday at Noon

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1-855-225-1434 Dental50Plus.com/nypress Product not available in all states. Includes the Participating (in GA: Designated) Providers and Preventive Benefits Rider. Acceptance guaranteed for one insurance policy/certificate of this type. Contact us for complete details about this insurance solicitation. This specific offer is not available in CO, NY; call 1-800-969-4781 or respond for similar offer.

Certificate C250A (ID: C250E; PA: C250Q); Insurance Policy P150 (GA: P150GA; NY: P150NY; OK: P150OK; TN: P150TN). Rider kinds: B438, B439 (GA: B439B).

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©101636

6 Newspapers/Internet Site ~ Huntington to Wading River ~ Deadline: Tuesday at noon.

Call 631–331–1154 or 631–751–7663 • TIMES BEACON RECORD NEWS MEDIA • tbrnewsmedia.com

DECEMBER 23, 2021 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • PAGE A13

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 Help Wanted

BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG ©105751

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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.

PART-TIME GROUNDSKEEPER I General job duties include: Performs a variety of light and heavy manual laboring tasks in the maintenance of the grounds at all four Library Buildings.

Tasks to be performed use hand and power tools.

Interested candidates please email a letter of application, and your résumé to smithjob@smithlib.org PLEASE SEE OUR DISPLAY AD FOR MORE INFORMATION

P/T SALES/CUSTOMER SERVICE Inside position selling advertising for an award-winning community news media group, Fax resume to 631-751-4165 or email resume to Class@tbrnewspapers.com.

See our display ad for more information.

TRAIN AT HOME TO DO MEDICAL BILLING! Become a Medical Office Professional online at CTI! Get Trained, Certified & ready to work in months! Call 855-543-6440. The Mission, Program Information and Tuition is located at CareerTechnical. edu/consumer-information. (M-F 8am-6pm ET)

­

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MOUNT SINAI SCHOOL DISTRICT School District Aides & Custodial Substitute Positions available throughout the District

Please email resume to : Maureen Poerio @ mpoerio@mtsinai.k12.ny.us

HELP WANTED SPECIAL! Display Ads Buy 2 Weeks - Get 2 FREE

Call Classifieds for sizes and pricing.

631–331–1154 or 631–751–7663 NOTICE OF AVAILABLE POSITION

MOUNT SINAI SCHOOL DISTRICT

Substitute Registered Nurse ©62180

small space

MOUNT SINAI SCHOOL DISTRICT Substitute Registered Nurse needed, Please email resume to: Scott Reh at sreh@mtsibai.k12.ny.us

Please email resume to: Scott Reh at sreh@ mtsinai.k12.ny.us

Part-time Groundskeeper I General job duties include: • Performs a variety of light and heavy manual laboring tasks in the maintenance of the grounds at all four Library Buildings. Tasks to be performed use hand and power tools.

• Gives minor routine maintenance service to groundskeeping equipment.

• Removes snow. Salts and sands driveways and sidewalks. Performs custodial tasks during winter months.

Applicants must possess and maintain a valid license to operate a motor vehicle in New York State.

Entry 2022 level salary is $17.69 per hour.

Interested candidates please email a letter of application, and your résumé to smithjob@smithlib.org ©61690

PROF E S SION A L & B U SI N E S S Place Your Ad in the

Double size • $296/4 weeks Ask about our 13 & 26 week special rates

Buy 4 weeks and get the 5th week

FREE (631) 751.7663 or (631) 331.1154

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Professional Services Directory Single size • $228/4 weeks

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COMPUTER & IT TRAINING PROGRAM! Train ONLINE to get the skills to become a Computer & Help Desk Professional now, Grants and Scholarships available for certain programs for qualified applicants. Call CTI for details, (844) 947-0192 (M-F 8am-6pm ET)

MANAGER OF GALLERY ATTENDANTS & SITE SAFETY The Long Island Museum Stony Brook, NY longislandmuseum.org Full-time, 35 hours per week Thursday- Sunday, 11:00 AM 6:00 PM Seven (7) additional hours on one additional day per week Salary commensurate with experience Position to be filled immediately, start date in January/February, 2022 SEE OUR DISPLAY AD FOR MORE INFORMATION

PART-TIME GROUNDSKEEPER General job duties include: Performs a variety of light and heavy manual laboring tasks in the maintenance of the grounds at all four Library Buildings.

Tasks to be performed use hand and power tools.

Gives minor routine maintenance service to groundskeeping equipment.

Removes snow. Salts and sands driveways and sidewalks. Performs custodial tasks during winter months.

Applicants must possess and maintain a valid license to operate a motor vehicle in New York State.

Entry 2022 level salary is $17.69 per hour.

Interested candidates please email a letter of application, and your résumé to smithjob@smithlib.org

©62160

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.

Help Wanted

©Fill000036

Help Wanted

Place your ad today Call 631.751.7663 or 631.331.1154

Blues Man Piano Tuning Brad Merila Certified Piano Technician 6 Barnwell Lane, Stony Brook

631.681.9723 bluesmanpianotuning@gmail.com bluesmanpianotuning.com ©62100

PAGE A14 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • DECEMBER 23, 2021

Place your ad today Call 631.751.7663 or 631.331.1154

SERV ICES Decks

WIREMAN CABLEMAN Professional wiring services.

Free estimates. All work guaranteed. Call 516-433-WIRE (9473), 631-667-WIRE (9473) or text 516-353-1118. SEE DISPLAY AD FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Carpentry LONG HILL CARPENTRY 45 years experience All phases of home improvement. Old & Historic Restorations. Lic.#H22336/Ins. 631-751-1764 longhill7511764@aol.com

Cesspool Services MR SEWERMAN CESSPOOL SERVICE All types of cesspool servicing, all work guaranteed, family owned and operated since 1985, 631-924-7502.

Licensed and Insured.

Cleaning COME HOME TO A CLEAN HOUSE! Attention to detail is MY PRIORITY. Serving the Three Village Area. Call Jacquie 347-840-0890

Home Improvement

DECKS ONLY BUILDERS & DESIGNERS Of Outdoor Living By Northern Construction of LI. Decks, Patios/Hardscapes, Pergolas, Outdoor Kitchens and Lighting.

Since 1995. Lic/Ins. 3rd Party Financing Available.

105 Broadway, Greenlawn.

631-651-8478. www.DecksOnly.com

Exterminating REACT PEST CONTROL INC. Wasps, Yellow Jackets Nesting in your home! Protect your home before those pesky nests are built. SEE DISPLAY AD FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Fences SMITHPOINT FENCE. DEER PROBLEM? WE CAN HELP! Wood, PVC, Chain Link, Stockade. Free estimates.

Now offering 12 month interest free financing.

Commercial/Residential.

70 Jayne Blvd., PJS. Lic.37690H/Ins. 631-743-9797 www.smithpointfence.com.

ADVERTISE FOR RESULTS 631-751-7663 FILL000061

HOUSKEEPING 631-742-0661 KAREN experienced, Covid vaccinated, detailed, openings for reoccurring accounts, owner operated, no substitute cleaners, safe, secure, trustworthy Mt Sinai/Wading River

Clean-Ups LET STEVE DO IT Clean-ups, yards, basements, whole house, painting, tree work, local moving and anything else. Totally overwhelmed?

Call Steve @ 631-745-2598, leave message.

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Floor Services/Sales FINE SANDING & REFINISHING Wood Floor Installations Craig Aliperti, Wood Floors LLC. All work done by owner.

29 years experience.

Lic.#47595-H/Insured.

631-875-5856

Furniture/Restoration/ Repairs REFINISHING & RESTORATION Antiques restored, repairing recane, reupholstery, touch-ups kitchen, front doors, 40 yrs exp, SAVE$$$, free estimates.

Vincent Alfano 631-707-1228

ALL PHASES OF HOME IMPROVEMENT From attic to your basement, RCJ Construction www.rcjconstruction.com commercial/residential, lic/ins 631-580-4518.

BLUSTAR CONSTRUCTION The North Shore’s Most Trusted Renovation Experts.

631-751-0751 We love small jobs too!

Suffolk Lic. #48714-H, Ins. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD FOR MORE INFORMATION. E L I M I N AT E G U T T E R CLEANING FOREVER! LeafFilter, the most advanced debrisblocking gutter protection.

Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today.15% off and 0% financing for those who qualify.

PLUS Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-877-763-2379 LAMPS FIXED, $65.

In Home Service!! Handy Howard. My cell 646-996-7628 NEVER PAY FOR COVERED HOME REPAIRS AGAIN, Complete Care Home Warranty, Covers all major systems and appliances. 30 day risk free. $200.00 OFF +2 FREE Months, 866-440-6501 THE GENERAC PWRcell, a solar plus battery storage system.

SAVE money, reduce your reliance on the grid, prepare for power outages and power your home. Full installation services available. $0 Down Financing Option. Request a FREE, no obligation, quote today. Call 1-888-871-0194 WIREMAN/CABLEMAN Flat TVs mounted, Phone, TVs & Computer wiring installed & serviced, camera & stereos, HDTV Antennas, FREE TV www.davewireman.com Call Dave 516-433-WIRE (9473) 631-667-WIRE (9473) or Text 516-353-1118

Home Repairs/ Construction GENERAL CONTRACTOR, TILE & MASONRY SPECIALIST. 20 years of experience.

Also clean-ups and junk removal. Call 631-232-0174. FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE DISPLAY AD.

Lawn & Landscaping SETAUKET LANDSCAPE DESIGN Stone Driveways/Walkways, Walls/Stairs/Patios/Masonry, Brickwork/Repairs Land Clearing/Drainage,Grading/ Excavating. Plantings/Mulch, Rain Gardens.

Steve Antos, 631-689-6082 setauketlandscape.com Serving Three Villages

SWAN COVE LANDSCAPING Lawn Maintenance, Cleanups, Shrub/Tree Pruning, Removals. Landscape Design/ Installation, Ponds/Waterfalls, Stone Walls. Firewood. Free estimates. Lic/Ins.631-6898089

Landscape Materials SCREENED TOP SOIL Mulch, compost, decorative and driveway stone, concrete pavers, sand/block/portland.

Fertilizer and seed.

JOS. M. TROFFA MATERIALS CORP. 631-928-4665, www.troffa.com

Masonry CARL BONGIORNO LANDSCAPE/MASON CONTRACTOR All phases Masonry Work:Stone Walls, Patios, Poolscapes. All phases of Landscaping Design.

Theme Gardens. Residential & Commercial. Lic/Ins. 631-928-2110

Painting/Spackling/ Wallpaper ALL PRO PAINTING INTERIOR/EXTERIOR Power Washing, Staining, Wallpaper Removal. Free estimates. Lic/Ins #19604HI 631-696-8150. Nick BOB’S PAINTING SERVICE 25 Years Experience.

Interior/Exterior Painting, Spackling, Staining, Wallpaper Removal, Staining and Deck Restoration Power Washing.

Free Estimates. Lic/Ins. #17981.

631-744-8859 LA ROTONDA PAINTING & DESIGN Interior/exterior, sheetrock repairs, taping/spackling, wallpaper removal, faux, decorative finishings. Free estimates. Lic. #53278-H/Ins. Ross LaRotonda 631-689-5998 WORTH PAINTING “PAINTING WITH PRIDE” Interiors/exteriors. Staining & deck restoration, powerwashing, wallpaper removal, sheetrocktape/spackling, carpentry/trimwork. Lead paint certified. References. Free estimates. Lic./Ins. SINCE 1989 Ryan Southworth. SEE DISPLAY AD FOR MORE INFO. 631-331-5556 WORTH PAINTING “PAINTING WITH PRIDE” Interiors/exteriors. Staining & deck restoration, powerwashing, wallpaper removal, sheetrocktape/spackling, carpentry/trimwork. Lead paint certified. References. Free estimates. Lic./Ins. SINCE 1989 Ryan Southworth. SEE DISPLAY AD FOR MORE INFO. 631-331-5556

Power Washing EXTERIOR CLEANING SPECIALISTS Roof cleaning, pressure washing/softwashing, gutter maintenance. Squeaky Clean Property Solutions 631-387-2156 www.

SqueakyCleanli.com

Satellite TV BEST SATELLITE TV WITH 2 YEAR PRICE GUARANTEE, $59.99/mo with 190 channels and 3 months free premium movie channels, Free next day installation,Call 888-508-5313

Tree Work ARBOR-VISTA TREE CARE A COMPLETE TREE CARE SERVICE devoted to the care of trees. Maintenance pruning, water-view work, sun-trimming, elevating, pool areas, storm thinning, large tree removal, stump grinding. Wood chips.

Lic#18902HI. Free estimates.

631-246-5377 RANDALL BROTHERS TREE SERVICE Planting, pruning, removals, stump grinding. Free Estimates.

Fully insured.

LIC# 50701-H. 631-862-9291 SUNBURST TREE EXPERTS Since 1974, our history of customer satisfaction is second to none. Pruning/removals/ planting, plant health care.

Insect/ Disease Management.

ASK ABOUT GYPSY MOTH AND TICK SPRAYS Bonded employees. Lic/Ins. #8864HI 631-744-1577

EXTRA! EXTRA! ADVERTISE HERE!

Local Press 3X More Trusted than Social Media!

©FILL000047

©FILL000057

Cable/Telephone

DECEMBER 23, 2021 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • PAGE A15

Place your ad today Call 631.751.7663 or 631.331.1154

HOME SERV ICES BOB’S PAINTING SERVICE

INTERIOR • EXTERIOR

O wne r Ope rat ed S i n c e 19 78

Wallpaper Removal

REFERENCES GLADLY GIVEN

FREE ESTIMATES

©61250

631-744-8859 Lic./Ins. (#17,981)

Construction

Decorative Finishes

Power Washing

PAINTING & DESIGN

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LAMPS FIXED $ 65

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Lic. # 53278-H/Ins.

INTERIOR • EXTERIOR • POWERWASHING CUSTOM WORK • STAINING • WALLPAPER REMOVAL

Additions & renovations, decks, windows, doors, siding, kitchens, baths, roofs & custom carpentry.

We love small jobs too!

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• Interiors • Exteriors • Powerwashing • Staining & Deck Restoration • Wallpaper Removal • Gutter Cleaning • Spackling & Wall Restoration

Taping Spackling

29 YEARS EXPERIENCE Formerly Of A Huntington Father & Son’s Business Lic. #47595-H/Insured

In Home Service !!

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My Cell  646-996-7628

Lic. #48714-H & Insured

EXTERIOR CLEANING SPECIALISTS Roof Cleaning

Luxdevelopment.com Licensed #55203-H & Fully Insured

631-283-2266

Siding, Decks, Patios, Fences

Gutter Maintenance Cleaning, Leaf Guards ©25190

Owner is a Three Village Resident for Over 30 Years

Pressure Washing/Softwashing ©61880

Historical Restorations Extensions & Dormers Cedar Siding & Clapboard Installation Basement Renovations Kitchens & Bathrooms Doors & Windows Finish Carpentry & Moulding

No Pressure, Safe Foam Process Removal of black/green algae stains, moss and lichen

631.387.2156 • SqueakyCleanLI.com m P.O. Box 151, Saint James, NY Licensed #55467-H & Fully Insured

©62430

40 Y E A RS EX PER IENCE

PAGE A16 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • DECEMBER 23, 2021

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PAGE A18 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • DECEMBER 23, 2021

Editorial

Staying safe this holiday With Christmas this weekend, families are looking to get together for some quality time.

Last Christmas, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, people quarantined with just those in their households. It was lonely for some, but they stayed safe, away from contact with other people.

Then 2021 came around and with the vaccines we saw some hope — we began slowly peeling off our masks and traveling again. Families became reunited.

But unfortunately, that was premature and now Suffolk County is at a 14% positivity rate as of Tuesday, Dec. 21.

To put it in perspective, municipalities across New York state were shut down at 5% in the spring of 2020. We have doubled the seven-day average compared to where we were at that time and have not shut down.

And there are reasons for that. Luckily more than a yearand-a-half later we have the vaccines, we have boosters and we know that masks work — we just need to continue using them and continue using common sense.

It’s sad to think that this is the second Christmas where some families might not be able to see their loved ones out of fear. It’s sad that we as a country were doing well and now have fallen back into old habits of not taking care of ourselves and of others.

If we continue not to listen to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, our health care providers and the science, Politicians insist we won’t go into lockdown, but what will happen if the infection rate goes to 20%? What will we do if the hospitals are overfilled again?

With the comfort we felt during this past summer, newly vaccinated with restrictions lifted, some might have forgotten what early 2020 looked like. Visits to grandparents were through a window. Restaurants were not allowed to have inside dining. Disinfectants and masks were impossible to find, while bodies were kept in outside trailers because the morgue was filled to capacity.

We don’t want to head back in that direction, especially with all of the resources now available to us. We have the vaccine, we have the booster, we have masks and we know how to combat this virus. We just need to collectively do it and not treat it lightly.

So, for this holiday season, and throughout the rest of the winter, please take care of yourself, take care of others and be cautious.

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 The Times of Smithtown, P.O. Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733

The opinions of columnists and letter writers are their own.

They do not speak for the newspaper.

Letters to the Editor Zeldin uses commonly known political tactic

I found Congressman Lee Zeldin’s [R-NY1] recent letter to the editor [Dec. 9 edition] to be insulting and, more importantly, a threat to our democracy.

Zeldin employed the unethical political tactic commonly known as “the straw man fallacy.” The way it works is this: The accuser makes negative, misleading statements about the behavior and/or intentions of those whom he would like to see criticized. He then condemns those individuals, provoking unwarranted criticism of those individuals by those who believe his allegations.

For 37 years, I worked as a teacher, school building administrator and school district administrator here on Long Island.

Zeldin claims that educators want to impose “a racist, hateful curriculum.” He says that educators “promote radical ideas.”

Never, not once, did I encounter a situation where any one of my colleagues in any way promoted racist, hateful ideas. Long Island’s educators are caring, professional individuals. They implement curriculum without bias.

Zeldin says he agrees with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice [R] that our children should not be made to “feel that they are somehow bad people because of the color of their skin.” His implication, with no basis in fact, is that educators are making our children feel this way. To the contrary, in schools throughout Long Island, educators hold it as a priority to teach our children to respect and appreciate the racialethnic background of others, and to be proud of their own culture and heritage.

Teachers and administrators go out of their way to encourage parental involvement, contrary to what Zeldin has implied. To say that educators “discourage” parental input, as Zeldin alleges, is simply incorrect.

This straw man fallacy has been used throughout history to provoke animosity, to sow division and to incite right-wing vigilantism. We have seen it used time and time again, to weaken democracies and to promote authoritarian regimes. Let us remember that, just hours after the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, after a police officer was murdered and there were calls to execute our vice president, Zeldin acceded to the rioters’ demand that he vote against the certification of our duly elected president. All of us — Democrats, Republicans and Independents — must speak out when Zeldin engages in such misleading and provocative statements as those he presented in his letter. We must speak out to protect our democracy, because we care so much for our republic.

Robert Marcus Setauket

Zeldin hasn’t done his homework

The Dec. 9 edition of TBR’s newspapers features Congressman Lee Zeldin’s [R-NY1] letter on parental involvement. Zeldin shows a fundamental lack of understanding of public education and the collaborative partnership required of parents with educators for their children’s success.

Zeldin clearly has no idea how effective partnerships between teachers and parents work. As a veteran educator with over two decades of experience in both K-12 and higher education, I have always embraced the involvement of parents in their children’s education, as do my colleagues, because we know that when parents are informed and involved, and collaborate as partners with their children’s teachers, the student has a far greater chance at success.

As a parent, involvement in my children’s education is a daily ritual.

Each afternoon, I am required to sign my children’s agenda, so I am aware of what their homework is. I assist with projects, with reading, with school events. I’ve been in my children’s classrooms to present lessons on Hanukkah, to read to the class, to plan parties as the class parent. I’ve run after-school programs with the PTA and sit on districtwide curriculum committees. I am a collaborative partner in my children’s education, rather than an adversary, as Zeldin’s letter promotes.

He describes the education curriculum as “racist and hateful.”

Learning history as it happened is neither of these things. Reading the perspectives of diverse authors gives our children an understanding and empathy for those whose lived experiences are different than their own, attributes that Zeldin himself clearly lacks. He also describes an incident of sex education in a first grade classroom. What he fails to mention is that the school he’s discussing is The Dalton School, a private school in New York City that costs over $55,000 a year to attend.

That is not the educational or economic reality for the vast majority of New Yorkers, again showing how deeply out of touch Zeldin is with the electorate.

It seems that Zeldin is unaware of the hands-on experience that many parents have as partners with their children’s schools. It is understandable, given that being a career politician often keeps parents from that dayto-day engagement. But ignorance is not a plausible excuse, especially for a candidate seeking executive office. Zeldin’s fundamental lack of knowledge and understanding of public

education is why the New York State United Teachers, a public sector union with over half a million members, has never endorsed him. We educators recognize when someone hasn’t done their homework and lacks basic comprehension of the issue.

Shoshana Hershkowitz South Setauket

Schumer double counts

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s [D-NY] recent announcement that he has brokered a deal between Amtrak and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for repairs to the East River Tunnels and the Metro-North Bronx East Penn Station Access projects is full of more holes than a slice of Swiss cheese.

Schumer claims that the MTA will allocate $432 million toward repairs of the East River Tunnels. He neglected to mention that the Federal Transit Administration previously provided $432 million in June 2016 to the MTA. These funds were intended to be spent quickly for 2012 Hurricane Sandy-related work in the East River Tunnels to bring them up to a state of good repair. Six years later, these dollars are worth less due to inflation. They are not new money.

The original project cost estimate was $300 million. The cost has grown six years later by $1 billion to $1.3 billion today.

Schumer wants work on the East River Tunnels to begin next year.

Amtrak has previously said they would not start work until 2024. The East River Tunnels are just as old and in need of major repairs as are the Hudson River tunnels. Six years later, there is no evidence that these funds have been used for their original intended purpose. How many more years will go by before work is completed and these funds are fully spent?

Schumer, Amtrak and the MTA failed to make public a detailed recovery schedule for start-to-finish work along with a spending plan to bring all four East River Tunnels up to a state of good repair. The MTA and LIRR have yet to complete negotiations with Amtrak for how this work will be initiated. Amtrak wants to take one of four tunnels out of service at a time so work can proceed 24/7. With only three remaining working tunnels, there will be permanent combining and canceling of LIRR trains for two or more years before work is completed. This will make the previous LIRR Penn Station “summer of hell” work look like a walk in the park.

Larry Penner Great Neck

Opinion Celebrating the life of a holocaust survivor

H

e was a part of my wife’s family’s inner circle for years. He appeared at summer gatherings and at significant family events and celebrations.

With his white hair, his signature smile and a Polish accent that seemed as fresh in each conversation as it likely was the first time he arrived in the United States, Carl wandered in and out of conversations and rooms, often smiling and always listening.

He seemed as comfortable in his D. None own skin as anyone of the above I’d ever met, paying

BY DANIEL DUNAIEF close attention to his wife, interacting with his children and grandchildren and soaking up life the way everyone around him soaked up the

warm rays of the sun.

Carl watched one day almost 20 years ago when my daughter got too close to the pool’s edge, falling in before she could swim. I immediately jumped off the diving board and brought her back up, where, as I dried her off, she protested that it took too long for me to get her.

When my daughter felt comfortable and confident enough to walk away from me, Carl waited for me to make eye contact.

“That’s what you do when you’re a father,” he smiled.

I nodded and sighed while my blood pressure and pulse returned to normal.

Several times over the years, Carl and I sat next to each other, sharing buffet-style meals of chicken kebobs, pasta, and filets.

Carl didn’t have the numbers tattooed on his arm, but I knew some of the story of his life. I didn’t want to bother him or upset him with a discussion of what was a painful and difficult period.

Once, when we were alone inside a

DECEMBER 23, 2021 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • PAGE A19

screened-in area, I raised the topic.

“Hey, Carl, I understand you survived the holocaust,” I said.

When he looked me in the eyes, he narrowed his lids slightly, processing what I said and, likely, trying to figure out whether he wanted to talk.

“It’s okay,” I said, immediately backing off.

As a journalist, I have a tendency to ask questions.

I recognize, however, the boundaries that exist during social interactions and with family and friends. I wanted to speak with him to hear about what had been an unspoken part of his life.

“Yes, I survived,” I said.

“How? Where?”

“In the woods,” he said. “I lived in the woods when the Nazis came.”

He described how he was so hungry that he ate leaves, bugs and bark. That, however, was far preferable to being caught by the Nazis, who had murdered the rest of his family. Carl had been a teenager when he escaped to the woods, avoiding Nazi guards who were always searching for people they deemed enemies and who they

readily killed.

Surrounded by a collection of other people who might, at any given time, vanish forever, Carl survived for several years, emerging at the end of the war to try to restart a life shattered by violence and cruelty.

After a brief description of his experience, he told me how important he felt it was that people study the specifics of World War II and understand what really happened to him, his family and people in so many other countries. It angered him that people tried to ignore a history that took so much from him.

All those years later, Carl seemed so easy going and relaxed, so prepared to laugh and smile and to enjoy another bite of lunch or dinner.

Carl recently died. I’m sorry for the loss to his family. I’m glad to have known him and to have shared a few meals, a few smiles and a few stories. All those days, months and years of life, like initials carved into a tree, showed that he was, indeed, here and, having seen his family react and interact with him, that his life had meaning.

Thoughts for the last regular column of the year

A

s the year draws to a close, I think of the Chinese curse, “May you live in interesting times.” That would seem an apt description of the times we are living through today. Why do I say that? Let me count the ways.

For one, we have been tricked by the coronavirus. As spring faded into summer this year, we thought the pandemic was ebbing. We gathered in groups again, even without masks, visited relatives, returned to restaurants, went on vacations. Surprise! By the end of October, the Between virus started making you and me itself felt again, by

BY LEAH S. DUNAIEF November, it was led by the new variant, Omicron, and now it commands the front page of newspapers and

the top of the network and cable newscasts.

Yes, we have made impressive progress with vaccines and precautions, but society is still in the grip of the disease, still with some 30 percent of the population unvaccinated, still with those refusing to don masks, and now lined up not for inoculating but for testing.

Testing and boosters are the new battle cry. Just as our grandparents, who were living through it, didn’t know when WWII would end, so we who are at war with the virus don’t know when the pandemic will fade into just another annoying wintertime contagion.

For another unprecedented way in recent memory that times are interesting, we have a country so divided and vehemently at odds that neighbors, friends and family members are afraid to talk politics with each other. It is such a contrast with the 9/11 era, when we all held doors open for each other, flew the American flag together and identified as one nation.

“Democracy is at risk” is the new battle cry.

And the threat of political violence and random

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shootings simmers just beneath the surface.

Meanwhile, worthy issues involving any sort of social safety net and how to provide money for them, like pre-school education and acceptable child care enabling parents to work, lie undebated in a symbolically divided Congress. It’s no wonder that the national birthrate for this past year is the lowest since 1979. That’s not just due to the pandemic but has been a trend for the last six years.

Climate change is another subject that has driven itself to top of mind this past year. Fires, the likes of which never before seen, also floods, tornadoes and melting ice caps have changed the face of the nation and have killed many residents.

And then there is racism, the shadow that has always loomed over the United States since its inception and has burst forth to claim attention across the country, spawning marches and protests. Is it better for bigotry to come out of the woodwork and be viewed in all its aspects in the clear light of day? Perhaps that is a necessary step for it to be ultimately eradicated. Until then, the atmosphere is bitter with recriminations.

COPY EDITOR John Broven ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Kathleen Gobos ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Elizabeth Bongiorno Robin Lemkin Larry Stahl Minnie Yancey SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER Kathryn Mandracchia

ART AND PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Beth Heller Mason PRODUCTION Janet Fortuna Sharon Nicholson CLASSIFIEDS DIRECTOR & SUBSCRIPTIONS MANAGER Sheila Murray

There are some bright spots. Although the possibility of spiraling inflation has lately been a concern, unemployment is decidedly low and the economy has been growing. So has the stock market, while not the economy, is nonetheless a telltale of how their financial standing is perceived by residents. Stimulative monetary policy on the part of the Federal Reserve and equally generous fiscal action by the administrations of both presidents and Congress have kept civil unrest at bay. Savings rates are at a high. And the kinks in the supply chain, although most apparent now with the gift-giving demands of the holidays, will eventually be straightened out.

Furthermore, Dec. 21 is one of my favorite days because it brings with it the longest night of the year. After that, each day has a bit more light. So I hope for whatever darkness we are presently living through to lift, and I am optimistic that it will.

Until the new year, wishing you all healthy holidays filled with devotion and love.

CLASSIFIEDS Joann Brady BUSINESS MANAGER Sandi Gross CIRCULATION MANAGER Courtney Biondo INTERNET STRATEGY DIRECTOR Rob Alfano

AwardWinning Newspapers 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Year After Year

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