The Village Beacon Record - February 2, 2023

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School bus safety program sparks dialogue within Suffolk County government

BY RAYMOND JANIS EDITOR1@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

The Suffolk County School Bus Safety Program has drawn scrutiny from Republican county officials targeting the program for alleged mismanagement.

Enacted unanimously by the county Legislature in 2021, this traffic safety program uses cameras attached near the stop arm of school buses to enforce the New York Vehicle and Traffic Law. The county has partnered with Virginia-based BusPatrol to operate the program.

Under state law, offenders caught passing buses while the stop arm is extended receive a $250 fine. The county code states, “net proceeds of any penalty … shall be expended for programs related to improving traffic safety and/or school district safety in Suffolk County.”

County Comptroller John Kennedy Jr. (R) recently announced his office is conducting an audit of the School Bus Safety program. He stated the program had captured his attention when numerous residents complained about receiving potentially erroneous violations.

“My interest in any program is always that a program is being operated as the laws that adopted

it … sought to have it operate,” Kennedy said. “How is the revenue that’s being collected from the program being allocated? Is it being done under the terms of the contract? Is the vendor fulfilling all of their requirements?”

He added, “That’s the audit function, and it is universal across the board.”

Legislative purpose

Marykate Guilfoyle, a spokesperson for Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D), summarized the motive for developing the program in the first place.

“The goal of the School Bus Safety program is to protect children as they get on and off the bus and to reduce the number of drivers illegally passing stopped school buses, which endangers the lives of students,” Guilfoyle said in an email. “The program is completely violator funded, and county proceeds are used to support public safety, traffic safety and school safety initiatives.”

County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) defended the School Bus Safety program. She said her office’s most frequent complaints are related to roadway safety and other traffic concerns.

“Red light cameras and school bus cameras are a way to prevent death and injuries without

The Suffolk County School Bus Safety Program has drawn criticism from Republicans within the county government. Stock photo

School News

Rocky Point Union Free School District Shoreham-Wading River Central School District

Rocky Point students note the ‘I’ in kindness

Frank J. Carasiti Elementary School students work throughout the school year to promote kindness, and they pumped up their efforts by celebrating the Great Kindness Challenge during the week of Jan. 23-27.

Students and staff enjoyed spirit dress-up days and daily activities, and individual classes created their own independent kindness initiatives. The school’s Google Classroom also housed videos, books, quotes, activities and resources for classroom teachers. The colorful bulletin boards in the hallways share messages to make anyone smile.

Daily themes included “Favorite Team Gear,” “Peace, Love and Kindness” and “Crazy for Kindness Day.” Crazy clothes, hairstyles and funky socks were worn.

Others included “Dreaming

of Kindness Day,” in which many wore pajamas or cozy clothes, and “Kindness Spirit Wear,” when students wore shirts with messages of kindness.

The annual event, coordinated by school

SWR students perform at Long Island String Festival

counselor Jamie Adamski, encourages students to gain the social-emotional skills to help improve the school climate, increase student engagement and create a culture of kindness.

Miller Place students excel at trade show and business plan competition

Thirty-nine students in Thomas Frank’s Virtual Enterprise class at Miller Place High School excelled at the Long Island Regional Trade Show and Business Plan Competition.

Students were tasked with either setting up a business to sell their products at a trade show or pitching a business idea to angel investors.

“Our Virtual Enterprise students did an amazing job and were part of a very successful field trip,” Superintendent of Schools Seth Lipshie said. “Everyone who participated represented Miller Place with pride and enthusiasm and exceptional skill.”

He added, “Congratulations to all of the students who participated at the trade show for the professionalism and passion they demonstrated while promoting their ideas

to investors.”

The Deja VR business, set up by student CEO Gianna Benavides, is a virtual reality company that sells headsets with a wide variety of games, sports, music, history and travel options. Gianna’s company took home the silver trophy in the website competition.

Website creator for Deja VR, Salome Davoudiasl, commented, “the company I am a part of made it entertaining to choose an electric color palette for the website. Once the simple mechanics of our website were evaluated, it became an awesome project to work on throughout the course of the school year.”

Deja VR, which earned $150,000 at the trade show, placed among the top 10 schools on Long Island in the competition, including 3,000 schools across Nassau,

Fourteen Albert G. Prodell Middle School students were selected to perform in the Intermediate Long Island String Festival on Jan. 22 at Northport High School.

Working under the musical leadership of Fred Volz, they are sixth graders

Sonny Alessi, Natasha Azmoun, Eve Calvert, Alexis Cordano, Hazel Cresser, Gianna Horsford, Linda Hu, Zachary Lister and Brynne Shinnick; seventh graders

Kai Hidaka and Aiden Weng; and eighth graders Michael Ceschini, Spencer Lee and

Timothy Worthington. The talented students were selected along with others from across Suffolk County on a competitive basis, with New York State School Music Association scores as the main criteria, along with teacher recommendations.

Suffolk County, and New York City.

The Sand N’ Shade business, established by student CEO Alexandra DeAmario, sells customized sunglasses, snow goggles, watches and hats. Sand N’ Shade set a

school record by selling over $170,000 in merchandise at the trade show.

For more information about the Miller Place School District, please visit the district’s website at www.millerplace.k12.ny.us.

Albert G. Prodell Middle School students with music teacher Fred Volz. Photo courtesy SWRCSD

Julianne Warren (left, back) and Erin DeMarco’s second grade class at Frank J. Carasiti Elementary School during “Crazy for Kindness Day.” Photo courtesy RPSD

Student business Sand N’ Shade sold over $170,000 in customized sunglasses, snow goggles, watches and hats at the Long Island Regional Trade Show. Photo courtesy MPSD

Miller Place School District

Thrills and chills in Port Jeff during annual ice fest

BY RAYMOND JANIS EDITOR1@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

Despite the chiseled blocks of ice stationed around the village, downtown Port Jefferson was red hot last weekend during the 4th annual Port Jefferson Ice Festival, hosted by the village’s Business Improvement District.

This two-day celebration took place on Jan. 28 and 29, bringing together several local institutions, dozens of small businesses and a whole lot of ice. Roger Rutherford, Port Jefferson BID president and general manager of Roger’s Frigate, summarized the boost the festival brought to storefronts.

“This is the slowest time of the year for the business community,” he said. “This is our fourth annual, and it has really taken off and turned into something spectacular.”

Making the festivities possible required significant organizational collaboration between the BID and its partners. The Greater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce assisted by facilitating a mac ’n’ cheese crawl.

With 12 participating restaurants, the crawl offered festivalgoers a chance to taste various cuisines from food establishments

around the village.

“This is the second year they asked us to be the administrators for the mac ’n’ cheese crawl,” said chamber executive director Barbara Ransome. “They go to 12 places. It’s four ounces of mac ’n’ cheese [per stop], so you’re talking three pounds [in all].” She added, “It’s a lot of mac ’n’ cheese.”

Thousands flocked to the village to partake in the fun, including trustee Stan Loucks who projected the weekend as one of the highest local turnouts on record.

“I have never seen so many people in our village,” he said. “The merchants were extremely happy with the crowd. They did very well this weekend, and I think it was terrific to see that many people walking around our village.”

James Luciano, owner of PJ Lobster House, reacted to the festival’s success in stimulating small businesses. “This festival brings in a lot of business for us,” he said. “This time of year, you’re lucky to get a couple of tables for lunch and a couple of bar customers.” But, he added, “We’ve been full since we opened the door.”

Meltdown

The sizable show gave much-needed relief to storefront owners still recovering from the aftereffects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Almost

three years ago, the world and nation were shocked by the outbreak of the pandemic, leaving downtowns such as Port Jeff’s in disarray.

Indu Kaur is the owner of the Curry Club at SāGhar in Port Jefferson, an establishment that opened in February 2020, just weeks before the lockdowns.

“We took over the business and had no idea that we were going to be shut down,” Kaur said, describing the impact of the pandemic on her business as “a huge tragedy.”

In the face of hardship, Kaur and her staff continued operations by donating meals, then reopened in the fall of that year. With a historic turnout villagewide, Kaur regarded the resurgence of the downtown businesses with delight.

“It’s so exciting to see everyone walking around, enjoying our village, enjoying the new restaurants, the new shows and our ice sculptures,” she said.

Outside Kaur’s restaurant lay a decorative ice sculpture depicting Ganesha, a Hindu deity tying into the theme of local renaissance. “Lord Ganesha is the statue that we all have faith brings prosperity, happiness and peace,” she said.

Icebreaker

Ganesha was just one of a few dozen ice sculptures displayed throughout the village. Many visitors stood and posed with the ice, which was often interactive. Some sculptures depicted animals, others tied in with the businesses for which they were custom made.

Rich Daly, president and owner of Ice Memories, has created sculptures during each of the festival’s four iterations. He discussed the considerable effort and material that made it all possible.

“We do live carvings and have about 90,000 pounds worth of ice set up throughout town,” supplied by Riverhead-based Long Island Ice, Daly said. “Every year, we add more ice and more activities for everybody to do.”

Daly got interested in ice sculpting during culinary school, where he first received an ice carving assignment. “Once they put a chainsaw in my hands, I just never let it go,” he said.

Given how a sculpture shapeshifts and reforms during the different melting stages, the temporality

ICE FEST CONTINUED ON A5

‘The businesses were thriving, the restaurants were full.’

— KATHIANNE SNADEN

Photo courtesy Greg Catalano

Photo courtesy Kathianne Snaden

Photo by Raymond Janis

Photo courtesy Greg Catalano

Photo by Raymond Janis

As vehicle thefts surge, Suffolk police detective warns against leaving key fobs in cars

BY RAYMOND JANIS EDITOR1@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

The Suffolk County Police Department has observed a recent uptick in stolen vehicles and now urges residents to take precautions.

Detective Richard Marra of SCPD offered a brief history of the crime phenomenon in a phone interview. While vehicle theft cases have been recurrent, the detective noted that the crime is relatively preventable.

“Ninety percent of the cars that are stolen are probably stolen because [drivers] leave the key fobs in the car,” he said.

Marra said the police department first noticed the trend about three years ago when an organized out-of-state group started targeting luxury models.

“We had a group of guys coming out of New Jersey, mostly from Newark, and they would go to the more affluent neighborhoods,” he said. “They’d come in a van, walk down the street and look for any kind of foreign car.”

Thieves often sought out vehicles with the mirrors folded open. This, Marra said, was an indicator that the vehicle was unlocked.

If the key fob was left inside, they would easily steal the vehicle. If not, they may rummage through it for hidden valuables.

“Three years ago, it was crazy,” Marra said. “It slowed down a little bit in the last eight

Ice Fest

Continued from A4

and mutability of the ice medium offer both challenge and opportunity for creative expression.

“It’s a temporary art form, which makes it unique,” Daly said. “Especially on a day like today or a weekend like this, Mother Nature just doesn’t want the ice to be around,” adding, “As it melts, it just kind of changes and transforms, and it’s pretty cool.”

Daly said the process is relatively straightforward for those interested in carving ice. Blocks of ice, he said, can be acquired at most ice plants on Long Island. “It doesn’t take a crazy amount of money to buy tools,” he said. “Just have at it. Start [carving] whatever inspires you.”

Tip of the iceberg

Spring-like temperatures and melting points played a prominent role throughout the festival, with some environmentalists ringing the alarm about the threat of climate change.

Posted along Main, a small group of protesters lined the sidewalks with signs that read: “There is no planet ‘B’” and “Be nice, save the ice.” Holly Fils-Aime, president of the local environmental group EcoLeague, discussed how the melting sculptures signal a dangerous trend.

“The fact that these sculptures didn’t last the day because it’s so warm out here in January is a great teaching device,” Fils-Aime said.

months, but we still have a lot of thefts of cars because the key fobs are left in the car.”

The SCPD detective said that the New Jersey bunch often resold their stolen cars on the secondary market. In a highly coordinated manner, they would steal the cars, drive to New Jersey, remove any GPS trackers and then prepare them for international shipment.

Picketing alongside Fils-Aime was village resident Myrna Gordon, who stressed the importance of local government in identifying environmental problems and implementing science-based solutions.

“In my own village here in Port Jefferson, I think that a lot more has to be done with environmental issues,” she said. “Having an ice festival is wonderful — bringing people to the village, helping the businesses. But we also need to focus on very, very serious issues that are happening here.”

Frozen in time

Through the ice fest, scores of people interacted with the various facets of the community. While there wasn’t an ice sculpture outside the Bayles Boat Shop, boat builders continued their work on the Resolution whaleboat project.

“We’re in the finalizing stages of lofting,” said John Janicek, treasurer of the boat shop. After that, the buildout of the keel and stem can commence.

As the whaleboat enters a pivotal moment in its buildout process, the village is undergoing a transition of its own, moving into the postpandemic era. With downtown thriving once again, Deputy Mayor Kathianne Snaden gave her thoughts on these positive developments.

“It was incredible to see so many people enjoy the village this time of year,” she said. “The businesses were thriving, the restaurants were full. There were shoppers and diners, and it was great to see the comeback.”

“When they had a container ready, they put them on the container, and it was usually going to South Africa,” Marra said.

While the group from New Jersey had targeted luxury models, some vehicle thieves are less interested in the car’s resale value than its utility. Marra said some would use the vehicle to temporarily transport drugs or steal catalytic

converters, then discard it. While victims of this variety of theft often retrieved their stolen cars, its condition could be irreversibly impaired.

“The ones that are taking just any car — anything that happens to be left with the fob in it — may drive it around for a day or two and then leave it somewhere,” he said. “Sometimes it’s destroyed, sometimes it’s not, but most of the time it’s not in the shape you left it in.”

The spike in vehicle theft follows another auto theft crime that has hit the county, the theft of catalytic converters. [See story, “Catalytic converter theft on the rise in Suffolk County,” TBR News Media website, Feb. 26, 2022.]

Marra indicated that catalytic converter theft has fallen off substantially in recent months due primarily to coordinated arrests conducted with the federal government.

For residents to protect themselves from vehicle theft, he said there is a simple solution — taking their fobs with them as they exit their cars.

“If people would take their key fobs with them and never leave them in the car, I’d say 90 to 95% of the car thefts would go down,” the detective said. “You just have to keep your keys in your pocket instead of leaving them in the console or the glove compartment.”

He added, “I know it’s nice to just jump in and drive away — but then everybody could jump in and drive away.”

Pixabay photo

The following incidents have been reported by Suffolk County Police:

Pedestrian killed in Rocky Point Suffolk County Police Seventh Squad detectives are investigating a motor vehicle crash that killed a pedestrian in Rocky Point on Jan. 30. Thomas O’Brien was driving a 2018 Subaru Forrester eastbound on Route 25A, east of Rocky Point Road, when his vehicle struck a pedestrian who was crossing the road on Jan. 30 at 9:30 p.m. The pedestrian, Sharif Murray, 21, of Rocky Point, was pronounced dead at the scene. O’Brien, 75, and his wife, Mildred O’Brien, 75, of Shoreham, were not injured.

Selden woman convicted of stealing

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on Jan. 27 that Leslie Mroz, 39, of Selden, was sentenced to two to six years in prison for allegedly embezzling more than $340,000 from her employer over the course of approximately three years.

“This defendant wasted no time abusing the trust that her employer placed in her by stealing from her employer,” said District Attorney Tierney. “She will now face justice and serve prison time for her greed.”

An investigation conducted by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and the Suffolk County Police Department revealed that from February 2016 to February 2019, Mroz was employed by a Medford company where she handled payroll as part of her responsibilities as the Human Resources manager. The position gave her the ability to manipulate her salary and the benefits she received. At the time her theft was discovered, Mroz was paying herself more than double the salary that her employer had authorized.

A review of company records also revealed that Mroz was also making unauthorized contributions to her retirement fund and health insurance.

The owner of the small family-run Medford business where Mroz worked, who asked not to be named for privacy concerns, stated that Mroz’s theft of over $340,000 had the potential to ruin her company. However, she said what hurt her the most was that

CAUGHT ON CAMERA

Wanted for public lewdness

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Fourth Squad detectives are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the man who allegedly exposed himself and committed a lewd act at a Lake Grove store. A man allegedly exposed himself and committed a lewd act in front of a female in the cafe located in Barnes and Noble at the Smith Haven Mall on December 9 at approximately 4:35 p.m.

Mroz was considered a trusted employee and had been accepted as part of her family. Mroz pleaded guilty to one count of Grand Larceny in the Second Degreein October. She was sentenced on Jan. 23 to two to six years in prison.

Man arrested for bank robbery

Suffolk County Police arrested a Middle Island man who allegedly robbed a Centereach bank on Jan. 31. Ralph William Dominguez entered M&T Bank, located at 1919 Middle Country Road, and allegedly handed a note demanding cash to a bank teller. The employee complied and Dominguez fled on foot at approximately 3:20 p.m.

Approximately 25 minutes later, a man matching his description was located by Sixth Precinct patrol officers in the parking lot of 7-Eleven at 1740 Middle Country Road, Centereach. He was taken into custody and charged with Robbery 3rd Degree, a felony.

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS.

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

Leslie Mroz

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Wildcats topple Panthers in a “Battle of the Cats”

BY BILL LANDON DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

SPORTS

The Shoreham-Wading River girls basketball team, at 17-0, was the only team in Suffolk County that had yet to lose a game this season.

The Wildcats visited Miller Place on Monday, Jan. 30, looking to make it 18 straight. And they did just that, surging ahead by 25 points in the first eight minutes of play, then closing out the game with a 65-20 victory over the Panthers.

SWR head coach Adam Lievre pulled his starters six minutes in, but the roster’s depth made itself known. The Wildcats continued piling on points as the Panthers struggled to keep pace.

Lievre had to temper his non-starters — eager to score varsity points — to curb the scoring fest.

With two games remaining in the regular season, the Wildcats have positioned themselves as the top-seeded team going into postseason play, which begins Feb. 14.

Pictured clockwise, from above: ShorehamWading River sophomore Reese Marcario looks for an open shooter as Grace Flammia defends; SWR senior Kelsey Hughes shoots; Miller Place junior Sophia Ingenito boxes out Annie Sheehan; and SWR sophomore Grayce Kitchen on a fast break.

— Photos by Bill Landon

Bus Safety Program

Continued from A2

needing a paid police officer at every intersection and following every bus,” she said. “It’s a very efficient way for providing the consequence for breaking the rules of the road.”

Before the program took effect, Hahn added, few violators ever got caught. Today, they receive a fine, incentivizing better roadway behavior and creating a safer traffic environment.

“Now people have to change their behavior to no longer do the illegal action that puts people’s lives at risk,” the county legislator said.

Questions over potential misapplication

County Legislator Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) said the School Bus Safety program is one of the few measures for which he wishes he could rescind his “yes” vote. He said the Legislature was misled when the program was pitched.

Figures obtained by Trotta indicate the program grossed $23 million last year, with $13 million retained by the county and the outstanding $10 million collected by the vendor. Kennedy estimated the county government netted approximately $11 million.

“We don’t have all the net revenue,” Kennedy said. “That’s been another consequence of the hack” against the county government in September. For more on this ransomware event, see story, “Suffolk County cyberattack offers a window into the dangers of the digital age,” Nov. 17, also TBR News Media website.

By statute, the net proceeds generated by the School Bus Safety program must support various educational programs related to school bus and traffic safety. Asked how the revenue is being spent, an administration official said the 2022 revenue figures are still being finalized.

Guilfoyle, however, cited specific examples of how the revenue supports countywide traffic education initiatives: “Examples of the county’s efforts include dedicating more than

$1 million to school districts and $125,000 in [public service announcements] during the back-to-school months to educate drivers on the state law surrounding stopping for buses.”

Trotta viewed the school bus program as a lucrative moneymaker for the county and vendor rather than a measure promoting bus safety. He said the law is applied unfairly, ticketing busy multilane corridors in the same manner as residential neighborhoods.

“I’ve checked with all the school districts, and kids aren’t crossing major thoroughfares,” Trotta said. “I’m all for giving a ticket to someone who passes a school bus on a residential avenue because it’s dangerous. I’m not at all for 1,000 people on Jericho Turnpike getting tickets.”

While the county code imposes rigid reporting requirements regarding expenditures of revenues generated from the program, Kennedy said he has yet to see any reports to date.

Competing perspectives

Following an initial spike when programs such as this are first instituted, Hahn said offenses start to wane “because people begin to change their behaviors — they stop at red lights because they’re afraid of getting a ticket.”

In time, the legislator added, drivers throughout Suffolk “will no longer go around stopped school buses,” but “if they choose to break the law, they will get tickets.”

Trotta said he is pushing to repeal the School Bus Safety program altogether. “The reality is it’s a sham, and it’s not what we were told it was going to be,” he said.

While Kennedy acknowledged the importance of traffic safety, he held that the audit is to determine whether the program is administered correctly.

“I never want to see somebody blowing a stopped school bus sign — it’s just heinous,” the county comptroller said. “But if [the program] is not being operated in a fair and proper and consistent manner by the school bus drivers and the vendor … then it’s a problem.”

Kennedy expects the audit to be finalized by the second quarter of 2023.

Pictured clockwise from aboce: Miller Place junior Grace Flammia lets a three-pointer fly; Ava Ziccinelli boxes out Anabel Keegan; amd SWR senior Sophie Costello sets the play for the Wildcats in a road game against Miller Place. Photos by Bill Landon

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Editorial

Substance over slander: The art of letter writing

To our readers: We appreciate your weekly letters to the editor. Writing a letter enables vital communication and contributes to a meaningful community dialogue. It is also a safety valve for expressing different, equally passionately held opinions in a civil fashion.

Letter writing can be powerful as the writer broadcasts opinions to the wider public. Here at TBR News Media, our editorial staff shoulders responsibility in channeling that message appropriately.

We hope writers and readers can regard our letters page as a community forum, a place to express themselves and potentially influence their peers and neighbors. But by necessity, this forum must be moderated to function. When a writer expresses a thought as a fact, we do our best to confirm the information is accurate. If we cannot find the information on our own, we go back to the writer and ask for a source. As journalists, we have an obligation to ensure that the facts cited are verified, that we are not allowing someone to use our letters page to spread misinformation or vitriol.

Often we are asked why our letters do not focus squarely on local matters. It’s simple — we don’t receive as many localized letters as we would like.

Our editors aim to choose letters that represent a mix of local, county, state and national topics. We also look for a mix of opinions from conservative, liberal and moderate points of view. Letters serve as a form of public debate, and people from various sides of the political spectrum should be heard.

Moderating our letters page, we view ourselves as mediators for the various interests and opinions of the community. By sharing diverse perspectives on a range of topics, we arm our readers with the information and give them the freedom to make up their own minds.

We are asked why certain writers appear regularly on the opinion page. It’s because they write to us often and thoughtfully, and contribute to the public dialogue. We welcome and encourage letters from readers, and we hope to continue seeing new names each week.

Sometimes, we don’t receive a substantial number of letters to choose from each week that gives both sides of an issue.

If readers feel something is missing from our paper — whether from the news or editorial sections — we urge that they write us. We welcome readers’ thoughts — including criticism — regarding our content. Please feel free to react to a recent article or reflect upon life in our hometown. You can comment on an entertaining festival or even chronicle a delightful day spent at the park. The opportunities for letter writing are endless, so don’t be shy. Let your thoughts be heard.

We edit letters not to censor, but to catch grammatical mistakes, for consistency and to protect the media outlet and letter writers from libel suits. We edit for A.P. style, which is the standard in most U.S.-based news publications. We also edit for length and good taste. If a letter runs longer, we may print it as a perspective piece along with the writer’s photo.

As for good taste, our letters page is not the place to bash a neighbor or a fellow writer. There are plenty of instances when one writer will reference another person and their letter, addressing specific ideas in the other’s writings, and that’s acceptable. However, name-calling or denigration are not helpful.

In the past, we have received letters using derogatory nicknames for presidents and other officials and political figures. We do our best to edit out uncivil language.

The letters page is not a place for one to spew animosity or insults. If blanket, hateful statements are made about a group of people based on the color of their skin, ethnicity or religion, they will not be published. Our letters page is designed to add to, not detract from, a healthy public discourse.

So, please send us a letter — see address and formal policy statement to the right of this editorial. We are always interested in your thoughts, especially regarding what goes on in our coverage area.

to the editor

Flooding the zone

Two letters in the Jan. 19 TBR News Media newspapers — by George Altemose [“Not only Santos economical with the truth”] and Mark Sertoff [“No electric car for me”] — are flagrant examples of a tactic dubbed by rightwing ideologue Steve Bannon as “flooding the zone with BS.” The strategy aims to overwhelm readers with long lists of false, misleading and irrelevant information, making it difficult for readers to separate fact from fiction.

Sertoff’s letter omits the most crucial fact about electric vehicles: They are dramatically more energy efficient than internal combustion engines. EVs convert about 60% of their battery energy into movement, while internal combustion engines convert just 20% — the rest is lost as heat. Large power plants are about 45% efficient. So, even with energy losses along the path, most electric vehicles still get more than 100 miles-per-gallon equivalent, which means fill-ups for $15. Recycling, battery performance and power distribution are indeed challenges, but all are being addressed and are perfectly solvable. But Sertoff doesn’t really care about the environmental or social impacts of lithium mining, given the overwhelming impacts of fossil fuel extraction and climate change. The purpose of his letter is to stoke the flames of the culture war on behalf of a Republican Party and conservative media heavily funded by the energy industry.

The letter by George Altemose drew a false equivalency between embellishments — some minor, some serious — and the outright fabrication of an entire identity by recently elected U.S. Rep. George Santos [R-NY3]. Santos claimed education, degrees, finances and work history that were completely false, along with a host of other personal attributes that appear to be utter fabrications.

Altemose accused Rep. Adam Schiff [D-CA30] of “lying” about having evidence of Trump campaign collusion with Russia. However, the evidence Schiff referred to includes emails showing that Russian agents offered the campaign “dirt” on Hillary

Clinton as “part of Russia and its government’s support for Trump.” Then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump wrote back, “If it’s what you say I love it,” and the campaign eagerly took the meeting.

Later, 2016 campaign manager Paul Manafort shared internal Trump campaign polling data and strategy with former Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. The only plausible reason to do that would be to allow Russia to coordinate its U.S. election influence operations. That Trump himself wasn’t charged with being a foreign agent doesn’t change the documented facts of multiple Trump associates’ numerous illicit contacts with Russian representatives. Even if legal, what else can all this be called but “collusion”?

But Altemose doesn’t really care about politicians’ honesty. The purpose of his letter is to draw attention away from the Republican failure to expel Santos from the party and force his resignation.

Why does TBR News Media continue to publish such transparently misleading letters? By all means let’s argue about which facts are more important, and what our national energy goals should be. But the media have a responsibility to exercise some judgment about the veracity and honesty of what they publish.

John Hover East Setauket

True cost of East Side Access

Even with the opening 15 years late on Jan. 25, MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber and Gov. Kathy Hochul [D] still refuse to acknowledge that the $11.6 billion cost for construction of Long Island Rail Road East Side Access to Grand

Central Madison is misleading. It does not include $1 billion debt service payments for borrowing costs bringing the price tag to $12.6 billion. Debt service charges are buried under a separate agency operating budget.

There is also $4 billion plus for indirect costs known as LIRR readiness projects. They took place east of the Harold Interlocking near Woodside carried off line from the official project budget. These include the $2.6 billion Main Line Third Track, $450 million Jamaica Capacity Improvements, $387 million Ronkonkoma Double Track Project, $120 million Ronkonkoma Yard Expansion, $44 million Great Neck Pocket Track, $423 million for rail car fleet expansion and others that are necessary for successful full implementation of East Side Access.

Without these projects, the LIRR would have lacked the expanded operational capabilities to support both promised 24 rush-hour train service to Grand Central Madison along with a 40% increase in reverse peak service as per the Federal Transit Administration MTA 2006 Capital Investment $6.3 billion Full Funding Grant Agreement. The federal share was capped at $2.6 billion. The MTA also had to pick up the tab for any additional costs above $6.3 billion. The temporary shuttle service between Jamaica station and Grand Central Madison was never designed to be permanent. Rather, it gave the MTA and Hochul political cover so they could claim service began. Commuters will have to wait many more weeks to see the full benefits of East Side Access when the LIRR ends the temporary limited service and initiates full service.

Larry Penner Great Neck

Opinion

A pink llama, an empty car seat and some perspective

O

The next day, your life changes.

D. None of the above

You want to know why or how, but you’re too busy trying to apply the brakes to a process that threatens the nature of your existence and your current and future happiness.

Your son had some gastrointestinal issues for a few weeks. You took him to the pediatrician and he said he’s got to get over a virus.

You wait, hope, and maybe say a few extra prayers, because the hardest thing for any parent

ne day, you’re playing with your twin sons at home, running around with a ball on the driveway, calling and waving to neighbors who pass by when they walk their dogs or take their daily stroll through the neighborhood.to endure is the sickness of a child.

You check on him, day after day, hoping he’s better, only to find that there’s no improvement.

Suddenly, three weeks later, you’re in the hospital, trying to keep yourself, your spouse, and your other son calm while doctors remove a malignant brain cancer in a 5-year-old boy who defines “goofy” and “playful.”

One of our close friends in our neighborhood just started this unimaginable battle against a disease many of us know all too well, although the specific form of cancer varies.

Their babysitter shared the horror of the prior weekend with me outside the window of her passing car, where she normally would have driven both the twins to school.

I heard the story because I asked about the empty car seat in the back, where both boys typically showed me whatever stuffed animals or toys they had decided to bring to school, either for show and tell or because they were carrying an object that began with a particular letter.

As I talked with the babysitter, who spoke

in the kind of hushed and dramatic tones often associated with discussions about serious health crises, I thought about how hard it was and will be for the other son. I thought he needed the kind of 5-year-old normalcy that might become hard to find when he’s worried about his brother and the anxious adults around him.

I asked him to show me what he was holding. He had a pink llama, who he said wanted to poop on my head or on my dog’s head.

I told him that my dog wouldn’t appreciate the poop unless the stuffed llama somehow pooped pink marshmallows.

He laughed, flashing all his straight baby teeth.

As I walked home, I thought of all the things my wife and I planned to offer our neighbors. Maybe we’d babysit the healthy son, walk their dogs, help with house chores, bring over food, do anything to lighten the unbearably heavy load.

I also thought about all the scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory and Stony Brook University I have

‘The Sopranos’ and our scary sailboat ride

known who are working towards cures for cancer.

Many of them know someone in their family, their friend group, their neighborhood, or their schools who, like my daughter’s beloved firstgrade teacher, suddenly were in a battle for their lives against a disease that steals time and joy from people’s lives.

Their labs often invite or include family members of people with cancer to staff meetings and discussions about their work, making the connection between what the scientists are studying and the people desperate for solutions.

It seems utterly cliche to write it, but I’m going to do it anyway: we should appreciate and enjoy the days we have when we’re not in that battle. The annoyance of dealing with someone who got our order wrong at a restaurant seems so spectacularly small in comparison.

We can appreciate that the person who seems like a total jerk for cutting us off on our way home may also be the one racing back to hug his child or spouse after an impossible day that changed his life.

wild rainstorm. Unable to see the road ahead, and with all of them feeling in peril, Tony parks and ushers his family into an Italian restaurant nearby. There, despite the loss of electricity, the proprietor cooks a marvelous pasta dinner for them, which they finally calm down and eat by candlelight, huddled together at a table in the warm and dry dining room. As he is appreciating the spaghetti on his fork, Tony looks up and says to his children something like, “When you think back on your childhood, it will be scenes like this that you will remember,” while the camera fades out.

a large frying pan from the cupboard, mixed together flour, eggs and milk, poured Hi-Hat peanut oil (the popular brand then) into the pan, and started cooking the mixture, as thunder cracked overhead. Almost immediately, the irresistible smell of the pancakes started to fill the rustic room.

peaceful sail near New Haven harbor, my husband and three sons and I, sprawled out in the big cockpit, when the unexpected shift in weather occurred.

Between

Having been exposed to the pleasure of streaming movies on my “smart” television, I now look for good stories and have caught up with “The Sopranos.” I well remember how popular the series was, running from Jan. 10, 1999, to June 10, 2007, winning all kinds of awards and addicting millions with its 86 episodes. Somehow I never caught up with the drama, but now, thanks to HBOMax, I have turned the family room into a nightly theater and watch as Tony Soprano tries to balance his work “family” and his biological family responsibilities, thanks to the help of an Italian-American woman psychiatrist.

At the end of the latest installment, Tony, his wife Carmela and his daughter and son are driving at night when they are deluged by a

That got me thinking. Can I recall such scenes from my childhood, when being with my family in a safe place was so comforting?

One of the first such memories for me was of an intense rainstorm in the Catskill Mountains. I was perhaps 5 or 6 and with my mother and sister in a dilapidated cabin, whose roof leaked ominously. After my mother put pails under the leaks, she realized I was frightened. “Just wait,” she said with a smile, “This storm has brought us pancakes.” With that, she took out

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My mother dabbed the extra oil from the dollar-sized pancakes at the stove, put them on a platter on the kitchen table, brought out a bottle of maple syrup, and my sister and I started to eat ravenously. Soon, my mother joined us at the table, and despite the frequent bolts of lightning I could see through the windows behind her head, and the dripping water in the buckets, I felt warm and safe. The only trouble with that memory: every time there is a heavy rain, I get the urge for pancakes.

I asked my middle son if he had such a memory, and he remembered when we were out in the Sound in our 22-foot Pearson Ensign day sailboat, and the wind and seas suddenly picked up. We had been enjoying a sunny,

With the waves towering around us, we pulled down the sail, put the outboard motor at the stern on high speed, and made for the harbor. My husband, at the tiller, gave each of us a task. My sons were to bail out the water that was flooding the cockpit with every crashing wave, and I was to sit on top of the motor to try and keep it in the water every time a wave pushed us up.

Needless to say, it was a harrowing ride until we finally reached shore and tied up at the marina, onlookers clapping. We left the boat and were thrilled to be on the sand. Drenched as we were, we walked the short distance to the harborside restaurant, Chart House and, laughing by then, had one of the best meals of our lives.

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