The Village Beacon Record - January 26, 2023

Photo by Rita J. Egan

January

welcome relief from persistent viral infections in county

BY DANIEL DUNAIEF DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

After a November and December in which realities like a “tridemic” of viral threats sickened residents throughout Suffolk County, the new year has started off with fewer illnesses and cautious optimism among health care professionals.

Cases of monkeypox continue to be on the lower side, in part because of the number of vaccines people in the area have received.

HEALTH

“The numbers are coming down now,” said Dr. Sharon Nachman, chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital. The overall threat is “less” and “we’re in the take-a-deep-breath phase.”

Indeed, the frequency of cases of several viruses is lower.

“Flu and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) are down,” Dr. Adrian Popp, chair of Infection Control at Huntington Hospital/ Northwell Health and associate professor of medicine at Hofstra School of Medicine, explained in an email.

At the Catholic Health hospitals, including Port Jefferson-based St. Charles and Smithtown-based St. Catherine of Siena Hospital, the emergency room visits are down around 10% from a few weeks ago, said Dr. Jeffrey Wheeler, medical director of the Emergency Department at St. Charles.

In between too busy and too quiet, the hospital is in the “sweet spot” where health care providers have enough to do without frantically racing from one emergency to another, Wheeler said.

Among those visiting St. Charles, Wheeler added that health care providers are seeing a smattering of illnesses.

At the same time, the vaccine for the flu has proven to be a “good match” for the current strain, Nachman said. “Amongst those who did the flu shot, they have tended to not get sick enough to go to the doctor.”

According to New York State Department of Health figures, the overall numbers across the state have been declining for the flu. For the week ending Jan. 14, the number of infections was cut in half.

Suffolk County saw a slightly larger drop, falling 59% for the same week, to 571.

This year, people who were going to get the flu vaccine may have helped themselves and their families by getting the shot earlier, rather than dragging out the process of boosting their immune systems over the course of months. Nachman said.

To be sure, health care workers are still helping people overcome a range of infections circulating in the county.

“We are still seeing a smorgasbord of flu, COVID and RSV,” said Nachman. Of the people admitted to Stony Brook Hospital, most of them have a comorbidity.

At Huntington Hospital, admissions are “high,” and the hospital census remains high, Popp added.

Health care workers are diagnosing viruses like the flu and COVID-19 and have used available treatments to reduce the symptoms and the spread of these viruses.

New COVID vaccine approach

Earlier this week, the Food and Drug Administration posted documents online that reflected a possible future change in its approach to COVID-19 vaccinations.

Instead of recommending bivalent boosters or a range of ongoing vaccinations to provide protection against circulating strains, the FDA plans to approach COVID-19 vaccinations in the same way as the flu.

Each year, people who are otherwise healthy and may not have high risks may get a single dose of a vaccine based on the strains the administration anticipates may circulate, particularly during the colder winter months.

Health care professionals welcomed this approach.

Nachman and Popp thought a single shot would be “great” and appreciated how the annual vaccine would simplify the process while reducing inoculation fatigue.

“The simplest messages with the simplest strategy often wins,” Nachman said.

Bivalent booster concern

Addressing concerns raised by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about a potential link between the bivalent booster and stroke, Nachman suggested that was one data point among many.

Israel has used the Pfizer bivalent booster exclusively and hasn’t seen any such evidence linking the booster to stroke.

The CDC data is “one of multiple data points that we use to look at safety events,” she said. “Not a single other one has shown any relationship with stroke among the elderly in the first 21 days.”

Abandoned or worse, pandemic pets crowd shelters

BY DANIEL DUNAIEF DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

The life of Linx is becoming an all too familiar tale in recent months.

A 3-year old German shepherd, Linx, who didn’t receive effective training from his owners, was abandoned a year ago, making it difficult for him to function as a normal dog. Although he’s not conventionally affectionate, Linx is eager to play and run, which means he is best suited for an outdoor and active life.

“He has low odds of finding the right situation,” said Leigh Wixson, animal shelter supervisor in the Town of Smithtown Animal Shelter & Adoption Center, where Linx currently resides.

Some residents throughout Suffolk County bit off more than they could chew during the worst months of the pandemic, adding animals ranging from dogs and cats to guinea pigs, rats, rabbits and roosters to their brood.

Unfortunately for many of those animals, their new owners didn’t always do sufficient research to understand what their new pets needed and didn’t take the time to train them.

At the same time, as people have returned to work outside the house or have become concerned about their budgets amid high inflation and the potential for a recession this year, some people have brought their pets to shelters, or worse.

In the last few weeks, people have left kittens in Tanner Park in Copiague and have abandoned a dog in a motel room for days.

“How do you do something like that to an animal that loved you?” asked Roy Gross, chief of the Suffolk County Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. “Never mind it being illegal, it’s immoral.”

Gross said his department has been pursuing cases where people have attempted to discard their pets in ways that jeopardize animal safety.

He urged people who may not be as comfortable or capable of continuing to provide care for their animals to bring them to one of the county’s 10 municipal shelters.

People who mistreat their pets, by neglecting or putting them in dangerous situations, face fines and jail sentences, Gross said.

Dori Scofield, president of Port Jefferson Station-based Save-A-Pet Animal Shelter, said someone recently tied a dog to a fence near the shelter.

“The dog could have hung himself on our fence, could have gotten away and gotten killed, lost or injured,” she said. Fortunately, she said, the dog made it through the night.

Not a good gift

People who work at shelters urged those who adopt animals, particularly pets like larger breeds of dogs, to take the time to work with them.

Make a Statement...

“Between 10 months and two years, people have to focus on training,” Scofield said. Without the proper support and direction, some dogs develop behavioral issues.

The first two years of owning a dog are the hardest. “It’s like having a teenager,” Wixson said. “You go through phases and then something clicks around two or three years old.”

Wixson added that every breed of dog has its quirks, which means that the adorable dalmatians from movies and other photogenic dogs don’t necessarily interact with their owners the way people might have expected.

“I have been attacked by more dachshunds and chihuahuas than any other breed,” Wixson said.

While people have surrendered or “donated” dogs, shelters have also had numerous calls about rabbits, roosters and other pets.

Scofield described rabbits as “awesome” pets, but cautioned that they are “highmaintenance” animals that require cleaning, feeding and attention.

The prospects for a domestic rabbit released into the wild are poor. A domesticated rabbit could get run over, starve or be attacked by predators, Gross said.

Wixson said she used to get one or two calls a week before the pandemic from people who couldn’t manage their pets. On Monday, she received five calls.

Some people have given pets to friends and family during birthdays and holidays, which works out as well, and sometimes worse, than when people receive gifts that are easier to return, like sweaters, ties, or toys.

“Giving an animal as a gift is not a good thing,” Gross said, “unless people are expecting it and this is what they want.”

As for the German shepherd Linx, Wixson said that, despite the odds, an adoption “can happen and we are always hopeful.” Wixson believes Linx would do “wonderfully well on a farm where people are outside and busy and there are many things going on around him.”

Adult B’nai Mitzvah Class

Wednesdays, 7-8pm, starting February 8th to May 24th, 14 sessions (no classes April 5th and 12th for Passover) Busy doing something else when you were 13? No problem! It’s never too late to have a bar or bat mitzvah. Study for 14 weeks with Rabbi Benson and learn the basics about Jewish texts, history, practices, Hebrew and Torah reading. The class will have their B’nai Mitzvah on Saturday, May 27th which is the holiday of Shavuot. RSVP by to 631-928-3737 or rabbi.benson@nsjc.org.

A 3-year-old German shepherd named Linx has been at the Smithtown Animal Shelter for more than a year and loves being outdoors. Photo from Smithtown Animal Shelter & Adoption Center

State awards grants to help the arts recover from pandemic shutdowns

BY RITA J. EGAN RITA@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

advocacy and public education programs,” according to the organization.

The funds were awarded in two grants to PLI: $20,000 in Recovery Funding and nearly $50,000 through the renewal of the Support for Organizations grant.

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The New York State Council on the Arts recently dispersed grants to nonprofit arts and culture organizations with the intention of helping them recover from the aftermath of COVID-19 shutdowns.

In a press statement, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said, “As a cultural capital of the world, New York state is strengthened by our expansive coverage of the arts across all 62 counties. This year’s historic commitment to the arts sector will spur our continuing recovery from the pandemic and set the course for a stronger future.”

Local organizations — including The Jazz Loft in Stony Brook, Preservation Long Island in Cold Spring Harbor and Huntington Arts Council — have announced that they are among the NYSCA grantees.

The Jazz Loft

The Jazz Loft has received two grants totaling $50,000 from NYSCA: the Regrowth and Capacity grant for $10,000 and the Support for Organizations grant for $40,000.

The grants will be used to support the venue’s performance schedule, which includes more than 160 shows each year. Tom Manuel, president and founder of The Jazz Loft, said in an email the funding would make additions to the programming possible during the 2023-24 season. It will also help with the Loft School of Jazz program for high school students.

Manuel said learning about grant funding “is always a feeling of both excitement and relief.”

“The arts has just been one of those mediums that has existed due to patron and government support since the time of Bach and Beethoven and even earlier,” he said. “The vast majority of our artistic masterpieces and institutions were birthed from philanthropy of some kind.”

The venue employs musicians at a cost of a quarter million dollars annually, according to Manuel, and in December The Jazz Loft welcomed 2,000 visitors.

“We’re honored to be a part of a wonderful community and that we can generate traffic and tourism throughout the village,” he said. “Our plan for the NYSCA grant funding is to present a series of world-class performers and educational events that will continue to support our artistic community and draw visitors from near and far.”

Huntington Arts Council

The nonprofit Huntington Arts Council has received a Statewide Community Regrant totaling $1 million over two years.

Kieran Johnson, executive director of the Huntington Arts Council, said HAC was grateful and humbled. He added the HAC grants are different from others as it’s not entirely for the council but to help other organizations recover.

The organization has been part of the regranting program since it was a pilot in the 1970s.

“It’s all about supporting local artists and local arts organizations across Nassau and Suffolk counties,” Johnson said.

He said he remembers a statistic he once read that stated every dollar put into the local creative sector generates $5.25 of regional gross domestic product.

“That’s the idea behind the SCR program, taking the money, keeping it local and really growing local economies, also,” he said. “It’s a huge economic impact.”

Recently, the HAC granted $351,000 to organizations in Nassau and Suffolk counties due to the New York grant and are in the process of sending the funds, Johnson said. Previous years the total amount of grants HAC dispersed has been around $120,000.

The state funds will help HAC award minigrants every month for $1,000 for one person and one organization for a total of $2,000 a month for the next two years. Each month a new person and organization will be chosen. HAC also is running a professional development series for artists and organizations that includes brand identity, social media, legal courses and more.

“That’s our primary role of the HAC, we are an artist support organization,” he said.

Preservation Long Island

NYSCA also presented grants to Preservation Long Island based in Cold Spring Harbor. The nearly $70,000 in grant money will support “regionally focused historic preservation

PLI will be able to help fund the rehiring of seasonal museum educators on Long Island and reopen historic houses which were closed to the public during the pandemic. Funding will also be used to enhance digital programming strategies introduced during the pandemic.

Alexandra Parsons Wolfe, executive director, said fortunately, many arts and cultural organizations received Paycheck Protection Program loans.

“We were not abandoned during the pandemic,” Wolfe said. However, she added more relief is needed.

The regional organization is able to help smaller organizations on Long Island that may not have the means to hire a paid staff in their pursuits to implement preservation projects for endangered historic places.

“I can’t emphasize how important the New York State Council on the Arts is to the cultural institutions of Long Island and New York, and it’s so worth tax money to be able to support organizations like ours,” she said.

118 North Country Road, Mount Sinai, New York 11766

Mount Sinai Elementary School

New York State Council on the Arts grants will help arts and cultural organizations across the state, including ones locally such as The Jazz Loft, above, recover from lingering issues due to the pandemic shutdowns. Photo from The Jazz Loft

Happy New

The following incidents have been reported

E. Setauket woman arrested for DWI

Suffolk County Police arrested an East Setauket woman on Jan. 22 for Leandra’s Law for allegedly driving while intoxicated following a motor vehicle crash with two 14-year-old girls in her vehicle. Alison Drain was driving a 2018 BMW X5 northbound on Old Town Road in East Setauket with her daughter and her daughter’s friend in the vehicle, when she attempted to turn left on to Sheep Pasture Road and crashed into a southbound 2004 Lexus RX330 at approximately 5:25 p.m.

When Sixth Precinct officers arrived at the scene, they determined Drain was allegedly intoxicated and arrested her. The two 14-year-old girls were treated for minor injuries at Huntington Hospital at their request. A passenger in the Lexus was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. Drain, 52, was charged with Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated with a Child Passenger 15 Years Old or Younger (Leandra’s Law), Felony Driving While Intoxicated and 2 counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child. The BMW was impounded for evidence. Detectives are asking anyone with information on the crash to call the Sixth Squad at 631-854-8652.

Three people arrested for burglaries

Suffolk County Police arrested three people on Jan. 20 in connection with burglaries at Dunkin’ Donuts and other commercial establishments that have occurred since December. A pair allegedly broke into Dunkin’ Donuts on Horseblock Road in Farmingville, stole cash and fled to a waiting vehicle at approximately 3:40 a.m. A short time later, detectives pulled over the vehicle and arrested the driver, Michael Gruber, 54, and passengers Kristen Osmolia, 51, and Christopher Volpe, 44, of Holbrook.

A further investigation by Major Case Unit detectives determined Gruber and Volpe were also responsible for allegedly burglarizing Dunkin’ Donuts in Holbrook on Jan. 3; Dunkin’ Donuts in Smithtown on Jan. 20; Dunkin’ Donuts in Saint James on Dec. 29; and Dunkin’ Donuts in East Setauket on Dec. 27. Osmolia was charged for the January robberies and she and Volpe were found responsible for burglarizing Sunoco in Hauppauge on Dec. 15. Gruber and Volpe were also charged with burglarizing Toast Coffeehouse in Port Jefferson Station on Dec. 3.

CAUGHT ON CAMERA

Wanted for multiple robberies

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Seventh Squad detectives are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate a woman who allegedly robbed multiple stores since December.

A woman entered Dunkin’ Donuts, located at 1780 Middle Country Road, Ridge, on Dec. 18 at approximately 12:05 p.m. and demanded cash. An employee did not comply and the woman fled without proceeds. The same woman entered Subway, located at 895 Montauk Highway, Shirley, on Dec. 18 at approximately 12:20 p.m., displayed a knife and demanded cash. The woman fled with cash. The suspect entered Carvel, located at 51 Route 25A, Rocky Point, on Jan. 9 at approximately 9:10 p.m., displayed a knife and demanded cash. The suspect fled with cash. Detectives believe the woman also robbed Speedway, located at 1956 Route 112 in Coram, at approximately 10:50 p.m. on Dec. 12 and displayed what appeared to be a knife. For video of this incident, go to YouTube. com/scpdtv and click on Wanted for Multiple Robberies 22-734047 et al

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.

by Suffolk County Police:

Do you recognize this woman? Photo from SCPD — COMPILED BY HEIDI SUTTON

LEGALS

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BY DANIEL DUNAIEF DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

As a part of her State of the State address last week, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) proposed providing additional financial support to Stony Brook University’s research effort.

The governor proposed adding $200 million in capital funding for research labs at SBU and the University of Buffalo to invest in new and renovated research buildings, labs, and state-of-the art instrumentation.

In the proposal, the state would also match up to $500 million in state funds for SBU and three other university centers.

In the technical arena, the state would also provide $200 million in digital transformation and IT infrastructure across the State University of New York system, including SBU.

In a statement, Stony Brook President Maurie McInnis said “Governor Hochul’s announcement providing support for an endowment match, research labs, and innovative programs will help to propel Stony Brook to even greater heights.”

The SBU president added that the match would inspire “our philanthropic supporters to secure our long-term future while supporting current research and student scholarships. We are grateful to Governor Hochul for her visionary leadership and for providing the flexibility and mission-specific resources needed to advance our transformational goals of doubling research expenditures and moving into the top 25-ranked public research universities nationally.”

SBU officials added that the additional research funding will allow the university to grow its technology-transfer and businessincubation programs, which foster New York’s entrepreneurs.

“More robust research and entrepreneurship

infrastructure will allow us to accelerate the commercialization of medical, engineering and other technologies generated from our faculty to start and grow companies across the state,” SBU officials explained in an email.

The university appreciates the governor’s support and officials look forward to seeing the final executive budget proposal with related details and working with the legislature to enact these proposals.

Previous recognition

The proposed funds come a year after the governor designated SBU and The University of Buffalo as New York State’s flagship universities as part of her plan for “A New Era for New York.”

The governor proposed additional funding for several efforts. The funds would help construct a multidisciplinary engineering building on campus. She also supported a partnership between SBU and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory for NeuroAI, an initiative that combines neuroscience and artificial intelligence.

She suggested expanding the Stony Brook Center for Clean Water Technology research to include wastewater treatment technology and creation of the Suffolk County Wastewater Management District, both with the goal of protecting Long Island’s aquifer system.

The state could also support the modernization and repair of scientific labs and could fund “Grand Challenges” that will encourage cross-disciplinary research.

With additional funds, these universities would also have the ability to continue to hire top-rated faculty and researchers.

SBU and Buffalo are members of the Association of American Universities.

Annual research expenditures at the two universities are also a combined $663 million, including affiliated institutions.

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Pictured clockwise from top-left: Mount Sinai junior Mo Castillo lays up for two; senior Drew Feinstein with a monster dunk; senior Derrek Shechter drives the lane; and senior Chris Paz lays up for two for the Mustangs in a road game against Comsewogue. Photos by Bill Landon

Feinstein scores 32 in Mustang win over Warriors

BY BILL LANDON DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

It was a battle between two talented scorers Wednesday, Jan. 18, when the Mount Sinai Mustangs came knocking on Comsewogue’s door for a League IV divisional matchup.

Mount Sinai’s Drew Feinstein went head-tohead with Comsewogue’s Hayden Morris-Gray. Feinstein, averaging 26.9 points per game, led the Mustangs with 32 points, lifting his team to a 7158 road victory.

Dominic Pennzello followed Feinstein with 19 points for the Mustangs, and Derrek Shechter

notched another eight.

Morris-Gray topped the scoring chart for the Warriors with 25 points, hitting five triples and five field goals on the day. Teammates Colin Strohm netted 16, and Austin Nesbitt banked 10.

The win lifts Mount Sinai to 7-1, clinching a postseason playoff berth. The loss drops Comsewogue to 7-2, with six games remaining in regular season play.

Pictured above, from top-left: Rebound; Mount Sinai senior Thomas Frycek scores; Comsewogue senior Austin Nesbitt goes to the rim; and Mount Sinai timeout.

— Photos by Bill Landon

Elected officials say Hochul is misguided with affordable housing proposal

BY RITA J. EGAN RITA@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

Local elected officials held a press conference Friday, Jan. 20, to make it clear that they don’t agree with Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) New York Housing Compact proposal.

State Assemblyman Keith Brown (R-Northport), who has been a zoning attorney for more than 20 years, in an interview after the press conference said incentives and funding are needed.

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Republican state senators and assemblymembers, county legislators and town supervisors from Suffolk County gathered at the Perry B. Duryea State Office Building in Hauppauge with a message for Hochul. The elected members speaking at the press conference said zoning, land use and development matters are best left to local elected officials.

In her State of the State message earlier this month, Hochul proposed a housing strategy calling for 800,000 new homes to be built in the state over the course of a decade to address the lack of affordable housing. Among the plan’s requirements would be municipalities with Metropolitan Transportation Authority railroad stations to rezone to make way for higher-density residential development. All downstate cities, towns and villages served by the MTA would have a new home creation target over three years of 3%, compared to upstate counties that would need to build 1% more new homes over the same period.

But speakers on Jan. 20 called her proposed initiative “government overreach” and “misguided,” and they said municipalities should create zoning laws, grant building permits and urban plans based on the individual needs of their communities. Many added that a blanket state housing proposal wouldn’t work on Long Island due to lack of sewer systems, also infrastructure and environmental concerns.

The press conference was led by state Sen. Dean Murray (R-East Patchogue).

“We all agree that we have an affordable housing problem,” he said. “What we don’t agree on is how to fix it.”

He added, “The governor apparently believes that one size fits all is the way to go, that heavyhanded mandates are the way to go.”

Murray said the Village of Patchogue is the model of revitalizing villages and downtowns across the state. He added local issues must be considered, such as environmental concerns, traffic issues and parking options. He said Patchogue officials worked to rebuild the village’s infrastructure, invested in and expanded sewer plants, repaved 85% of its streets, invested into pools, parks and the Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts. Murray added 700 new residential homes were built since 2003, 575 of them are within walking distance from the train station and village.

Town supervisors speak up

Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) said they were all concerned about what Long Island will look like in the future. He added there is a need for sewer systems in most towns, and local infrastructure needs improvement. He said the three rail lines that cross the town depend on diesel fuel, and he added overgrowth has also contaminated the waters.

“Governor, before you start talking about more housing, how about the infrastructure to support it?” Romaine said. “How about electrifying the rail? How about making sure the roads work? How about making sure that there are sewers?”

Town of Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R) said the town is manufacturing affordable housing “to the extent it’s possible” based on its infrastructure.

In the last five years, he said the town has approved the construction of 450 rental units, 10% of which are classified as affordable per state law.

“The only elected officials that know how to do that on Long Island are your local elected officials with the help of our county, state and federal officials as well,” Wehrheim said. “So, we are doing what the governor wants, but we’re doing it the right way.”

Town of Huntington Supervisor Ed Smyth (R) said New York politics “is not Republican vs. Democrat. It’s New York City versus New York state.” He said the governor is affected

by New York City extremists.

“I implore the governor to form a working coalition of centrist Democrats and centrist Republicans in the state Legislature to govern from the center as the vast majority of New Yorkers expect of you,” Smyth said.

Additional perspectives

State Assemblyman Mike Fitzpatrick (RSt. James) said when he hears the governor talk about local control, he feels she is aligning with the progressive left. He added “everything they touch they destroy,” listing the economy, energy independence and the southern border.

“They want to destroy our local zoning, and they will destroy what makes Long Island and New York state the wonderful place to live that it is,” Fitzpatrick said. “Local control works, and we seek a cooperative relationship, a carrot approach rather than the stick approach that she is putting before us.”

Eric Alexander, director of Vision Long Island, also spoke at the press conference. He acknowledged there is a housing problem on the Island and said the town supervisors have provided hope with past projects.

“They have been behind getting affordable housing in their communities,” Alexander said, adding 20,000 units of multihousing have been approved on Long Island over the past 17 years.

According to Alexander, 10,000 more units are coming down the pike, and 50 communities have had buildings built near transit stations.

He said Brookhaven’s Commercial Redevelopment Districts are excellent zoning examples of redevelopment and multifamily houses where there are incentives such as being near transportation and connecting to sewers.

“Those are the incentives that we should be talking about, not creating super zoning boards, and more bureaucracy,” Brown said.

In a statement to TBR News Media, Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook), who was a former president of the Three Village Civic Association, said, “We have to be wise enough to recognize that the land under which our aquifers sit can only bear so much development.”

He gave the example of a parcel of land in Port Jefferson Station on Route 112 and near the train station. The large, vegetated parcel has restrictive covenants to limit the type of development on the site.

“This place is a vital area of green space, where trees can grow, where oxygen is produced and where rainwater is filtered before it goes down to the aquifers we drink from,” he said. “The governor’s proposal would throw all that planning out the window and turn this into a potential development site for hundreds of new units.”

Former state Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket), who was chair of the Assembly’s Environmental Conservation Committee between 2015 and 2022, attended the press conference and in a phone interview said, “This is a proposal that attempts to meet one need, but has a likely outcome, if advanced, of completely overriding environmental concerns. Our first limiting factor for sustainable communities is the environment, in particular water — drinking water.”

He added the proposal to increase the density of housing not only overrides local planning but threatens communities’ quality of life.

He added, for example, a village such as Poquott wouldn’t be able to build more housing as it’s “essentially a completely built-out community.” Or, a hamlet such as St. James wouldn’t be able to add more housing near the train station.

“If you impose from above a mandate to change the land use, you’re basically impacting the environment immediately and, for the long term, the quality of life of a community,” he said.

Englebright and current elected officials are concerned that the housing legislation would be included in the state budget similar to bail reform.

Hochul’s administration has said more information on the housing proposal will be released in the near future.

Eric Alexander, director of Vision Long Island, at podium, joined elected officials at the Jan. 20 press conference. Photo by Rita J. Egan

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Editorial

Birds of a feather, in our cars together

County officials are currently engaged in a contentious debate over the Suffolk County School Bus Safety Program.

Proponents say the program bolsters traffic safety around school buses. Detractors argue the program represents little more than a convenient revenue generator to plug holes in the county budget.

Promoting safety on public roads remains a priority regardless of where one stands on the program itself.

New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law is a worthy undertaking to protect school children. Whether cameras remain strapped to school buses, drivers should always be vigilant near a school bus with flashing yellow lights.

Under no circumstances should one ever pass a school bus while the stop arm is extended.

But roadway safety is not isolated to school buses. The U.S. Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 42,915 people died in traffic crashes in 2021. That’s a 10.5% increase from the previous year.

NHTSA reports collected from 2016 to 2020 indicate that nearly 1,000 vehicular fatalities occurred on Long Island, more than half of which were in Suffolk County.

Statistics aside, we read almost weekly reports of individuals involved in significant motor vehicle accidents within our coverage area. Many times, they include serious bodily injury to the victims. At other times, they can be fatal.

Long Island is unique in its autocentric character. Development of our Island happened nearly a century ago, and the suburbanization of Long Island happened almost simultaneously with the growth of the American automobile industry.

Planners, notably Robert Moses, saw the car as offering individual autonomy. They viewed the Long Island Dream as an expression of that individualistic promise.

Unfortunately, they failed to provide sufficient mass transit infrastructure, twisting a dream into our difficult reality.

Today, Long Islanders are glued to their cars. For most of us, getting to work requires a car. Having success in our professional and social lives requires a car. For those who do not live within walking distance of a train station, accessing the rail requires a car.

All of this highlights the need to drive responsibly.

When we operate a moving vehicle, we harness the power to unleash great bodily injury — even death — upon ourselves and others. At the same time, we can monitor our decisions and protect our fellows on the roads.

We can make our roads safer by following the speed limits, driving sober and taking extra precautions when we get behind the wheel.

Unfortunately, we Long Islanders are stuck in our cars for the foreseeable future. But we are stuck together.

Let us be mindful of our neighbors. Let us regard the lives of other drivers as we would our family members or friends.

We can help make these roads safer for all through our positive choices today.

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: editor1@tbrnewsmedia.com or mail them to TBR News Media, P.O. Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733

Letters to the Editor

Lies passed as opinions

In spite of all his “what abouts,” George Altemose does raise an important concern in his Jan. 19 letter [“Not only Santos economical with the truth”] about U.S. Rep. George Santos [R-NY3] and others: truth vs. falsehood. If we can’t tell one from the other, we’re in big trouble. It seems we’ve reached a point where factual truth simply doesn’t matter. In former White House aide Kellyanne Conway’s notorious phrase, if the facts are inconvenient, they’re simply replaced with more politically convenient “alternative facts.” These used to be called “lies.” Now they pass as “opinions.”

Here’s a small sample of “alternative facts” far more consequential than whether President Joe Biden [D] ever drove a tractor trailer or whether Sen. Elizabeth Warren [D-MA] has any Native American blood — which, incidentally, the letter writer gets wrong in asserting “DNA testing showed otherwise.”

Former President Donald Trump [R] won the 2020 election: There’s not a shred of evidence which stands up to scrutiny to support this falsehood. Nonetheless it’s still believed by millions of Americans. As a consequence, our Capitol was invaded on Jan. 6, 2021, by an angry mob that embraced it. This mob attempted to subvert our democracy by preventing the constitutional peaceful transfer of power, and to impose its will by force, based on this lie.

QAnon: Is the world run by a cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles — not coincidentally all Democrats — operating out of the basement of a certain pizzeria in Washington, D.C. (which pizzeria does not actually have a basement?) Do I really need to debunk this? In spite of being self-evidently ludicrous, millions of Americans believe it.

The “great replacement” theory: One recent survey shows a third of Americans believe there’s a plot to replace white Christian Americans with non-white immigrants for electoral gain. Another survey had nearly 70% of Republicans agreeing with the central tenets of this “theory.” Instead of seeing illegal immigration as a chaotic process driven by war, violence, oppression and poverty, believers in this notion see it as a conspiracy organized by Democrats, Jews or shadowy left-wing elites.

Once a fringe idea, originating with the European anti-Semitic right, it’s been mainstreamed thanks to its relentless popularization by media

personalities like Tucker Carlson on Fox News and politicians such as U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik [R-NY21] and Sen. J. D. Vance [R-OH]. It’s an invitation to violence: the murderers at the mass shootings in Buffalo, the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh and Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C., were all influenced by it.

Sandy Hook was a hoax staged by paid actors to justify taking away people’s guns: Even after a noncontrite Alex Jones was ordered, upon being convicted of defamation, to pay $473 million in punitive damages for the suffering he caused parents of the murdered children by broadcasting this lie, his Infowars website still averages over 300,000 viewers daily. It’s not like he’s got no defenders, or that everyone is so disgusted by this rank lie that his credibility has been reduced to zero.

Santos is a symptom of a deeper pathology in our body politic: a culture of lying. And much as I’d love to appear nonpartisan by claiming that both political parties are equally at fault, that wouldn’t be the truth either. The Democrats aren’t choir boys, but the really big lies are embraced and spread by the reactionary faction which has seized control of the Republican Party. In spite of the letter writer equating Santos with some Democrats, there’s a huge difference: Santos is a fraud, from top to bottom.

David Friedman St. James

EVs include benefits, too Mark Sertoff’s letter in TBR News Media newspapers on Jan. 19 [“No electric car for me”] gave many arguments why he would not buy an electric vehicle. He is correct that EVs are heavier than gas vehicles because the weight of the battery is larger than the weight of a fuel tank, and this does lead to increased tire wear. But he is incorrect about brake wear. One of the great ways that EVs save energy is regenerative braking, that uses the motor as a generator to put the energy of the moving car back into the battery for reuse. Brakes in EVs last far longer than for gasoline cars because they are used only for emergency braking, and the regeneration greatly improves the efficiency of the vehicle, especially in stop-and-go traffic.

The cost of driving an electric car vs. a gas car depends on the prices of electricity and gasoline. Electric

cars typically go approximately 3 miles per kWhour, while gas cars go to approximately 30 miles per gallon. Electricity at night (from PSEG rate booklet) is 6 cents per kWh, so this is 2 cents per mile. If gas is $3 per gallon, then for a gas car it is 10 cents per mile.

Sertoff brings up other issues that pertain to many of the materials needed in modern society. All mining should comply with safety and labor guidelines and laws, and this is not an issue that is specific to EVs. Fracking to extract oil and gas also pollutes and can even cause earthquakes, so fossil fuels have their issues also. Proper recycling of lithium car batteries needs to be done and is the focus of many new companies. Batteries can catch fire, but so can fuel tanks. Statistics from Tesla state that there are 55 gasoline car fires for 1 billion miles driven, but only five EV car fires for the same distance driven. Batteries in EVs are temperature controlled and have warranties of at least 100,000 miles or eight years.

The recently passed Inflation Reduction Act includes money to speed the transition to EVs, tax incentives to install heat pumps for heating homes, and funding for long-distance transmission lines to efficiently carry energy from regions that have excess renewable energy to places that need it. The 50% increase in grid capacity that is needed is comparable to the increases that were made when air conditioning of homes became more prevalent. This transition will take place over time, so that utilities can upgrade their equipment as it is needed. The blackouts in Texas were because the local power authority did not require winterization of generation equipment. The blackouts in California were caused by extremely dry conditions — a result of global warming — so that power lines through forested areas could not be used because of fire danger.

To slow and reverse the warming of the planet, the world must change its reliance on fossil fuels. Electric cars still have issues, such as long trips requiring planning for charging and they have been expensive, but as these problems get solved, they are becoming excellent choices for many people, especially if you can charge in your garage every night and never visit a gas station.

Gene Sprouse Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Stony Brook University and Editor in Chief, Emeritus, American Physical Society

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

Hearing about jumping out of a plane while on a flight

When our children were young, a friend recently told me, she viewed the parents of people she met through a binary process.

D. None of the above

BY DANIEL DUNAIEF

A mom of two boys, she figured she had a better chance, at least in the first 10 years or so of her sons’ lives, of interacting with the parents of other boys.When she met girls and their families, she was polite and friendly, without putting too much effort into getting to know them.

Fast forward almost two decades, and her children, like mine, are out of the house. She and her husband have an adorable, small dog that they dote on, transferring their abundant parenting attention to a canine companion.

Nowadays, my friend said, she sees people through a similar lens. She takes her small dog

to a dog park, where a fence separates pets under 40 pounds from the bigger, heavier versions. When she meets someone outside the park with a dog, she’s more likely to pay attention to their names and their stories if they have a small dog.

As I considered what she said about the parents of boys and girls, as well as the owners of dogs of different sizes, I wondered about the metaphorical fences we create.

Sure, those fences make it easier for us to find people who have similar interests and opinions and who might not challenge us or disagree with us in our decision-making. Those fences also, however, separate us from others with whom we might have even more connections or common interests than we thought, especially if the filter for our “in” and “out” groups is as arbitrary as having sons, daughters or small dogs.

What if a man with a large dog worked in a similar field, had two children about my friend’s offspring’s ages, and went to the same college at the same time? Then again, what if a woman on the other side of the fence had nothing in common with my friend? She had no children,

grew up in another country, worked in a completely different field, and didn’t see any of the same movies or read the same books? Would that make her less or more interesting? Perhaps that woman might be fascinating for her life experiences, compelling for her opinions, and amazing in her own way.

Recently, I sat in the window seat of a plane next to a large man who was stuck in the middle. An army veteran, he laughed as we reached our destination, saying he was unaccustomed to landing in planes. I took the bait, asking him why. He said he’d made over 150 jumps out of airplanes.

He and his unit jumped out of planes at 800 feet, although he didn’t need to do much jumping, as he felt as if a hand pulled him out when he got to the opening. He never had to pull a chord, as the parachute automatically started opening within a second of leaving the plane.

On one type of plane, he stepped out and immediately started falling. Another had a small “bubble” outside the entrance, where he and others stood before leaving the plane. One of his

army unit once forgot about the platform, took a small hop on the landing, and then rolled along the entire side of the plane. The others heard as his body scraped the airplane all the way to the back. Fortunately, the impact didn’t cause severe injuries.

One of the many instructions he received was to keep his chin on his chest as he exited. On his first jump, he didn’t, which caused enough discomfort that he never made that mistake again. He reached the ground at 38 miles per hour, at which point he was supposed to tuck and roll, ending on his back. Once, a crosswind turned him upside down and he landed on his head, cracking his helmet and causing a concussion.

Listening to his stories, I learned about something I will likely never do and connected with someone I will likely never see again. He did, however, expand my horizons and share his compelling life experiences, among other stories. I appreciated the opportunity to connect with someone who lives outside whatever fences I intentionally or unintentionally put up around me.

Proud of our columnists, including the nepotism of my sons

Maybe it sounds like I’m tooting our horn too much, but I have to say how proud I am of the columnists who write for our papers and website. They are clearly bright and offer the reader information and knowledge that aren’t usually found even in a big metro daily or a glossy magazine. They are, collectively and individually, one of the main reasons our hometown newspapers have managed to survive while so many of our colleagues, 25% of them in the nation, have had to shut their doors.

LEAH S. DUNAIEF

Readers want to learn from our regular columnists, who, by the way, are local residents. That’s not surprising, though, because the population we serve is exceptional, accomplished in their own right, and can be expected to harbor such talent. Let me explain. The columnists are found in the second section of the newspaper, called Arts & Lifestyles. In

the interest of full disclosure and without false modesty, I point out and salute my youngest son, Dr. David Dunaief. He is a physician totally committed to helping his patients, and the high regard is returned by them in equal measure, as testimonials about him confirm. In addition, he writes every week about current medical problems and brings readers up to date with the latest research and thinking regarding common ailments. I know him to be a voracious reader of medical journals and he footnotes his sources of expertise at the end of every “Medical Compass” column.

Dr. Matthew Kearns is a longtime popular veterinarian who writes “Ask the Vet,” keeping our beloved pets healthy. Michael E. Russell is a successful, retired financial professional who cannot cut the cord with Wall Street, and shares his thoughts on the economy and suggesting current buys on the stock market. He will also throw in something irreverent, or even askance, to keep you tuned in.

Also writing knowledgeably on the contemporary scene about finance and the economy is Michael Christodoulou, who is also an active financial advisor. Ever try to read your auto insurance policies? If I had trouble falling

asleep, they would knock me out by the second paragraph. Enter A. Craig Purcell, a partner in a long-established local law firm, who is attempting to explain auto insurance coverage, a merciful endeavor, with his column. His words do not put me to sleep. Shannon Malone will alternate the writing for us. Michael Ardolino, a well-known realtor, somehow manages to make both ends of a real estate transaction, for buyers and sellers, sound promising at this time.

Our lead movie and book reviewer is the highly talented Jeffrey Sanzel. In addition to being a terrific actor, he is a gifted writer and almost always feels the same way about what he is reviewing as I do. No wonder I think he is brilliant. Father Frank has been writing for the papers for many years and always with great integrity and compassion.

John Turner, famous naturalist and noted author and lecturer, keeps us apprised of challenges to nature. This is a niche for all residents near the shorelines of Long Island. He also writes “Living Lightly,” about being a responsible earth dweller. Bob Lipinski is the wine connoisseur who travels the world and keeps us aware of best wines and cheeses.

Lisa Scott and Nancy Marr of the Suffolk County

League of Women Voters, keep us informed about upcoming elections, new laws and important propositions. Elder law attorney Nancy Burner tells us about Medicare, estate planning, wills gifting, trustees, trusts and other critical issues as we age.

The last columnist I will mention is Daniel Dunaief, who, like bookends for my salute, is also my son. Among several other articles, he writes “The Power of Three,” explaining some of the research that is performed at Stony Brook University, Brookhaven National Labs and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. He makes a deep dive into the science in such a way that layman readers can understand what is happening in the labs. He has been paid the ultimate compliment by the scientists for a journalist: they pick up the phone and willingly talk to him, unafraid that he will get the story wrong or misquote them. In fact, he has been told a rewarding number of times by the researchers that his questions for the articles have helped them further direct their work.

When my sons began writing for TBR News Media, a few readers accused me of nepotism. I haven’t heard that charge now in years.

P.S. Of course, we can’t forget Beverly C. Tyler and Kenneth Brady, stellar historians both.