The Village Beacon Record - October 20, 2022

MOUNT SINAI

MILLER PLACE

SOUND BEACH

ROCKY POINT

WADING RIVER

SHOREHAM

Photo by Raymond Janis

Long Island fish kills climb to over 50 this summer

BY DANIEL DUNAIEF DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

than colder water, because oxygen can escape more easily from water in higher heat.

With temperature as the primary driver, a combination of factors robs the water of oxygen.

ENVIRONMENT & NATURE

Fish kills in waterways around Long Island climbed to over 50 this summer from about five per year in earlier years, driven by increasing water temperatures, algal blooms and increased nitrogen in local waters.

With temperatures climbing more than 2 degrees Celsius over the last two decades, waters around Long Island don’t have as much oxygen, particularly at night when photosynthetic plants are no longer able to catch sunlight and turn it into oxygen.

The fish kills represent a “pretty big number,” said Christopher Gobler, endowed chair of Coastal Ecology and Conservation at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University.

Members of Gobler’s lab sample Long Island waters routinely as a part of their research. While his team was out gathering data, Gobler asked them to report any fish kills that included 10 or more fish. The area between Hempstead Harbor and Northport Harbor routinely included observations of fish kills.

Warmer water holds less dissolved oxygen

“The warmer the water gets, the quicker the bacteria take oxygen out, the faster the fish are respiring” Gobler said.

He added the fish kills often included menhaden, or bunker, fish. These fish have returned in larger numbers in recent years to the waters around Long Island amid other conservation efforts. More menhaden this summer also brought sharks to the area, as these apex predators hunt bunker fish.

While global warming likely had a significant impact on the number of fish kills, Gobler said, an increase in nitrogen in local waterways also contributed to anoxic conditions and is something residents can control locally.

With more nitrogen, typically from onsite wastewater, algae have more nutrients to grow.

At the same time, when more abundant algae dies, the bacteria that break down the algae consume oxygen.

An additional emerging perspective suggests that the more abundant algae at night are respiring, removing oxygen from the water.

Gobler said people can reduce the release of nitrogen into local waterways, which can also affect groundwater, by upgrading their sewage

treatment systems. Suffolk County has created rules, including a Reclaim our Water Septic Improvement Program, which protects the environment by reducing nitrogen emissions.

Gobler remains concerned not only for the fish that wash up in numbers along the shore, but for the marine organisms that aren’t as mobile, such as the invertebrates at the bottom of the waterways.

The fish kills are a flag that “these water bodies are impaired and are not capable of

sustaining marine life in a way we’d like them to,” Gobler said.

As for the future, Gobler said it’s difficult to predict how the combination of factors, from global warming to nitrogen runoff, will affect marine life.

“Maybe next year, we go back to five [fish kills] in the summer,” he said. This year was “unlike anything we’ve seen” with a combination of high temperatures and numerous fish kills.

Fish kills in Long Island have increased from about five per year to 50 this summer.

Photo by Laurie Vetere

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File photo by Giselle Barkley

Rocky Point BOE unanimously accepts DEI signage, signals detente with public

BY RAYMOND JANIS EDITOR1@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

The Rocky Point Union Free School District Board of Education convened Monday, Oct. 17, for a public meeting.

Proceedings commenced with a brief presentation by the district superintendent, Scott O’Brien, recognizing school board appreciation month in the district. In his presentation, O’Brien discussed the vital work performed by school board members in educating students and advancing the community’s educational aims.

“School board members give Rocky Point citizens a voice in education decisionmaking,” he said. “Even though we make a special effort to show our appreciation this month, their contribution is certainly a year-round commitment.”

During the meeting, the board unanimously approved a resolution to accept the donation of posters by Sound Beach resident Ernestine Franco. These posters, valued at approximately $130, are related to diversity, equity and inclusion, colloquially known as DEI.

“I am happy that the posters were accepted,” she said. “I hope that this means that the board supports inclusiveness.”

This poster donation comes on the heels of months of tension between the school board and some in the public after the

board reversed its long-standing practice of accepting book donations. [See story, “Rocky Point BOE reverses practice on book donations, causes controversy,” The Village Beacon Record, Aug. 11, also TBR News Media website.]

Despite this recent history, Franco viewed the outcome of Monday’s decision as a positive step, signaling a possible cooling of tensions.

“We were also happy that they accepted the donation as a way for the community to participate in school activities,” she said, adding, “For us, this was a way for them to say, ‘Yes, you can be a part of this.’”

During the public comments portion of the meeting, Bea Ruberto, president of the Sound Beach Civic Association, shared news of an upcoming memorial event to be held at the hamlet’s Veterans Memorial Park. Scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 22, at 1 p.m., community members will celebrate the life of Ann Moran, a former teacher in the district and treasurer of the civic.

“This Saturday, we are holding a celebration of her life,” Ruberto said. “She was a force to be reckoned with, and she will be missed very much.” Ruberto invited those in attendance to join for Saturday’s service.

The BOE will reconvene on Monday, Nov. 14, at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium.

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Reconnecting with local history

Miller Place-Mount Sinai Historical Society honors its roots with country fair

BY RAYMOND JANIS EDITOR1@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

Community members enjoyed a blast to the past during the annual Country Fair hosted by the Miller Place-Mount Sinai Historical Society Oct. 15-16.

The program was held at the historical society’s c. 1720 headquarters, located within the area’s historic district on North Country Road. Outside, live music played as the society’s volunteers educated the crowds of spectators.

In a vivid recreation of an era without running water or electricity, some prepared baked goods and stews over an open flame, offering spectators a taste of history. Others brought out toy sets, reliving the pastimes of their local forebears.

Antoinette Donato, vice president of MPMSHS, was overjoyed by the number of community members who turned out throughout the day. She described the event’s purpose and its place in honoring the region’s history.

“We share a step back in time with the community,” she said. “We have demonstrators who demonstrate old crafts from years and years ago that no longer exist. We have our barn open, which is full of historical artifacts.” She added, “We feel it’s really important to share this experience with the community. It’s an opportunity to share what early America was like.”

Mark Sternberg, a local historian who specializes in the American Revolution, was

among those who joined the festivities. In an interview, Sternberg shared the unique place Miller Place occupied during the Revolutionary War.

“There were patriots here, loyalists here, but there is definitely a huge amount of Revolutionary War history here,” he said.

At this historic site in Miller Place, Sternberg described the experience of being transported through time. He emphasized the need to preserve historical artifacts and structures, and celebrate local customs — all a function of the historical society.

“It’s tough when you don’t have a touch point,” Sternberg said. “The saving of these historic structures is one key way of connecting to history, giving people an idea of imagining the event happening there.”

He added, “What’s great about this area is a lot of these houses are exactly where they were initially, so you can also position the whole landscape as tying into how you would imagine that place being throughout history.”

Donato believes that events such as these keep local history alive, making it engaging and entertaining for the next generation. She also stated that there is no substitute for the immersive experience offered through the fair.

“You can read about it in a book, look it up on Facebook and Google it, but there is nothing like coming here and seeing it in person,” she said.

— Photos by Raymond Janis

Anker, Kornreich host educational forum on substance misuse

BY RAYMOND JANIS EDITOR1@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

Despite the pouring rain outside, dozens of locals gathered at Mount Sinai High School on Thursday, Oct. 13, for an educational forum on substance misuse prevention.

Hosted by Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai), who chairs the county’s addiction prevention and support advisory panel, the event brought together various entities. In her presentation, Anker emphasized the outsized rate of drug-related fatalities in the area.

“Right now, the town of Brookhaven has the highest number of opioid deaths in Suffolk County — one of the highest in the state — and we have to do more,” she said. The legislator added, referring to the county government, “We’re trying, but it’s really up to the community. It’s up to the parents, kids and peers to do more and get us in a better place.”

Anker highlighted the need for drug addiction and prevention workshops, stating that these provide an outlet for community members to better prepare themselves in case of an emergency. She also noted that drug education has evolved in recent years, addressing victims’

needs rather than creating stigma.

The county’s DASH [diagnostic, assessment and stabilization hub] program was cited by her as a model for responsible drug intervention.

“When people overdose, they go to an emergency [room] at Stony Brook or Mather or St. Charles or one of the hospitals here in Suffolk County, but what do you do after?”

Anker said. “Before, they would just go home or go somewhere. There would be no support, no direction. Now there is.” She added, “New

Stony Brook’s Hercules gets renewed vigor

BY RITA J. EGAN RITA@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

A Long Island landmark is looking more vibrant.

The Ward Melville Heritage Organization debuted the restored Hercules figurehead at a press conference on Oct. 14. Recently, philanthropists Harlan and Olivia Fischer, of Head of the Harbor, noticed the figurehead needed restoration and decided to sponsor its renovation.

WMHO board members thanked the Fischers and the work crew from ART of NYC & Long Island who restored the piece located in the Hercules Pavilion overlooking Stony Brook Harbor, across from the Village Center. The Holbrook-based company was retained for the restoration, which included cleaning, sanding and replastering before repairing, painting and varnishing the landmark.

Richard Rugen, WMHO chairman, said, “It’s a work in progress, but [the Fischers] are actually going to take care of the rest of the pavilion as well.”

Additional work will be done on the weatherbeaten pavilion in the near future, including roof work and painting.

Harlan Fischer, president of Branch Financial Services, moved his offices from Smithtown to Setauket in 2020. Every day he passes through the village on his way to work and back, he said, and appreciates how lovely Stony Brook village is. He asked WMHO president Gloria Rocchio if

she thought the renovation would be a worthwhile project, and she agreed.

“When we make contributions to places, we like to see the results of it,” he said. The Fischers are also donors to The Jazz Loft and sponsor a monthly concert series at the music venue and museum.

The full-color Hercules carving, located in Stony Brook since 1951, features the head and shoulders of the Greek demigod — known for his exceptional strength — draped in a lion’s skin. The bust was once the USS Ohio’s figurehead. The ship was the first to be launched from the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 1820.

Rugen said the figurehead was saved when the ship was decommissioned, destroyed and sunk in Greenport Harbor in 1884. It was bought by the Aldrich family of Aquebogue for $10 at the time, and from the late 1800s until the early 1950s it sat at the Canoe Place Inn in Hampton Bays after the owner, Miles Carpenter, purchased it for $15. Ward Melville bought it from the inn to be placed in Stony Brook.

Brenda Sinclair Berntson, president of Hampton Bays Historical Society, said when Hercules was located at the inn, it was popular for young women to kiss his forehead, believing that the person would be married within the year.

She said the figurehead wasn’t in the best condition, rotting and termite-ridden when it was brought to Stony Brook.

“We’re very glad that Ward Melville had the foresight and saved it,” she said.

York State is taking that example and making more throughout the state.”

Also present at this community forum was Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook), chair of the town’s Drug Prevention Coalition. He considered the coalition a valuable public resource for Brookhaven residents.

“That’s a model of getting the school districts involved, of all kinds of community organizations from a grassroots level, so that we can really get down to that family level,” he said. For Kornreich, the goal of the coalition is to “be accessible and get people connected to the services they need and bring prevention programs to schools ... so that we can break that cycle of use and abuse before it starts.”

Another essential component of the forum was its presentations on drug awareness. Among the speakers throughout the night was Mark Murray, chief of the narcotics bureau for the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.

Murray delivered a detailed presentation on the dangers of fentanyl, which he said has become increasingly problematic for county communities.

“Since 2016 here in Suffolk, fentanyl has viciously made its mark,” he said. “We have easily averaged over 300 fatal overdoses a year here in Suffolk, due primarily to the presence

of fentanyl.”

Murray characterized fentanyl as a highly potent substance, requiring just “a grain or two” to deliver a lethal dose. According to the narcotics chief, fentanyl is found in nearly every drug on the black market.

“Fentanyl is popular, it’s addictive — and there’s no such thing as a scrupulous drug dealer,” he said.

Given the frequency of fentanyl-related overdoses in Suffolk, Murray stressed the importance of the Good Samaritan Law. This New York State statute protects victims and witnesses of overdose events.

“It covers a witness or a victim of any medical episode — but more specifically a drug or alcohol overdose — who decides to call 911 either for themselves or that third person,” he said. “It’s not a trick. It’s statutory. It was codified by the state because they wanted to encourage people to realize the importance of the situation and to pick up the phone, call and get help.”

Following the presentations from Murray and other speakers, attendees were given training instructions in naloxone.

To learn more about the addiction resources, including emergency hotline numbers, visit the Long Island Addiction Resource Center website: longislandaddictionresourcecenter.org.

Danielle Parisi, business development manager of ART of NYC & Long Island, said as someone who grew up and still lives in Stony Brook, it was an honor to work on the project. Parisi’s co-worker, art restorer Jessie Kefalas, said in walking by the figurehead in the past it was obvious something needed to be done. There was significant damage including the rotting of the chest of Hercules, which is constructed of plaster and wood.

Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) was also in attendance and commented on the efforts.

“We’ve seen projects like this before, and so often it’s because of the community spirit

of ordinary residents who love where they live or business people who reinvest in their community,” he said.

State Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) called WMHO “one of the custodians of our heritage.”

He added that places such as the pavilion are in danger due to rising sea levels brought on by climate change, and the spot around the structure has experienced flooding after significant rain events. In the future, he said, the Hercules Pavilion could possibly be raised to protect it further, and when such a plan comes to fruition he pledged a $125,000 matching state grant to help with the costs.

Above: Mark Murray, chief of the narcotics bureau for the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.

Photo by Raymond Janis

Elected officials, Ward Melville Heritage Organization board members and philanthropists Harlan and Olivia Fischer announced the restoration of Stony Brook’s Hercules. Photo from WMHO

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Pictured clockwise from top-left: Shoreham-Wading River junior Liam Kershis fields the kickoff; Wildcats take the field; Sam Palmer splits the uprights for the Wildcats; and just off the fingertips.

Wildcats come up short during Homecoming game

BY BILL LANDON DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

Leading 27-15 after three quarters of play, the Shoreham-Wading River Wildcats looked for a win in their homecoming football game on Saturday, Oct. 15, against Kings Park, but the Kingsmen had other ideas.

Kings Park quarterback Kyles Weeks was the offensive spark in the final 12 minutes of play, orchestrating a 29-point fourth quarter explosion that rained on the Wildcats homecoming parade to win it, 44-33.

Weeks hit wide receiver Declan O’Melia on an 89-yard pass play for the score with 7:22 left in regulation. Then, Weeks, on a keeper, punched his way in for the score to retake the lead with four minutes left.

Shoreham Wading River quarterback Dylan Zahn answered with a touchdown strike to Liam Kershis. With Sam Palmer’s foot, the Wildcats retook the lead, 33-30, with two minutes left.

From there it was all Weeks, who aired

one out for a 40-yard pass completion, then found the endzone on a keeper where the Kingsmen edged ahead, 37-33.

A Kings Park cornerback then intercepted a Wildcat pass and ran it back 56 yards for the score, and Alex Squillacioti’s successful point after attempt put the Kingsmen out front 44-33 for the final score of the game.

Zahn threw for three touchdowns and rushed for another, and sophomore cornerback Michael Casey had two interceptions for the Wildcats.

The win lifts Kings Park to 5-1 in the division, and the loss drops the Wildcats to 3-3 with one game remaining before postseason play begins.

Shoreham-Wading River retakes the field Friday, Oct. 21, in their final game of the regular season where they’ll host Mount Sinai in a must-win game. Kickoff is 6 p.m.

Kings Park will also be back in action Friday, Oct. 21, solidly positioned in the playoff picture, and will host Babylon. Game time is slated for 6:30 p.m.

— Photos by Bill Landon

Pictured clockwise from top-left: Wildcats cheer; Shoreham-Wading River quarterback Dylan Zahn rifles one over the middle; and SWR calls a timeout.

New leaders on campus: SBU trio shares their hopes and perspective

BY DANIEL DUNAIEF DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

Stony Brook University has welcomed a trio of new leaders to its campus over the last several months. Provost Carl Lejuez, Vice President for Marketing and Communications William Warren, and Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration Jed Shivers recently shared their goals for Stony Brook and their excitement at joining a flagship university for the State University of New York educational system.

Provost Lejuez

As provost, Carl Lejuez is responsible for the faculty, staff and students at Stony Brook University.

Lejuez, who has asked that people call him by his first name instead of trying to pronounce his last name — which, by the way, is Lejh way— makes a concerted effort to forge connections on campus.

“Whenever I introduce myself, I don’t say, ‘Provost,’” he said. “I say, ‘Professor in the Department of Psychology.’ I don’t believe I can be a credible leader of the faculty if there’s not a sense of sitting in their shoes and understanding the implications of the strategic and practical decisions we make.”

Lejuez, who grew up in Secaucus, New Jersey, earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Emory University and his Master of Arts and PhD in clinical psychology from the University of West Virginia.

As a first-generation college student, Lejuez feels inspired by the opportunity for students to come through a place with world-class research in an environment that cares about student success.

For first-generation students, in particular, he recognizes the need to forge connections with professors.

These close bonds help “take what’s happening in the classroom, which may be esoteric knowledge, and turn it into a passion and understanding,” providing students with the opportunity to see how what they’re learning in a textbook applies to the world.

He wants to expand the scope and reach of these hands-on experiences for students, while recognizing “how much goes into it from faculty and staff,” he said.

Lejuez believes the ability of professors to conduct extraordinary and groundbreaking research should dovetail with their commitment to being accomplished educators.

“We are setting the expectation from the start,” he said. “When you are tenured here, when you are progressing and doing well, you are excellent in both research and teaching.”

Stony Brook has a Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching that provides support for professors who may need polishing or improvement in inspiring and educating students.

Stony Brook looks closely at student evaluations, while also examining other data in assessing its teachers.

Lejuez, who recently served as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at the University of Connecticut, supports strong and growing areas for the university, including clinical psychology, quantum information systems, and climate science, among others.

“These are areas that Stony Brook has a real opportunity to develop and part of my role has been thinking about how do we identify incredibly strong areas and areas that are able to emerge that way and fuse it with growing fields,” he said.

Lejuez believes in academic excellence and in diversity and equity.

He hopes to broaden the range of countries and regions from which the university is recruiting students and faculty.

Lejuez describes Stony Brook as “one of the best kept secrets of public universities,” ranking first in the state in public schools, according to the 2022-2023 US News and World Report ranking.

“Our goal is now to remove the best kept secret part,” Lejuez said.

Raising SB’s profile

This is where William Warren, vice president for Marketing and Communications, comes in. Warren has worked in numerous corporate and academic jobs, including most recently as the chief marketing and communications officer at the University of Utah.

Warren hopes to raise “the profile of Stony Brook and really claim the sort of credit and attention this institution deserves,” he said.

Previously at Coca Cola, among others, Warren welcomes the opportunity to support Stony Brook.

“You want a challenge that’s exciting and doable,” he said. “That means having a fabulous thing to market that is possibly undervalued.”

Warren divides marketing into earned and paid media. For the former, he hopes to do the hard work of building relationships with national reporters, who can spread the word about the achievements and experts available at Stony Brook.

Warner plans to continue to work with regional and local reporters, while engaging in an ongoing effort to share the Stony Brook story, including publicizing initiatives such as the Simons Stem Scholars Program that supports minority students entering the scientific fields.

As for the paid piece, Warren sees opportunities in several dimensions.

“The great thing about the paid marketing campaign is that it’s adaptable to all kinds of purposes,” he said. “Student recruitment can use the campaign to get the right students. We can use the campaign to help us recruit great faculty.” It can also be adapted to “attract more donor support.”

Any marketing effort, however, needs to remain grounded in truth.

“You want to go out there with a message that resonates and that faculty will see and say, ‘That’s what we offer,’” Warren said. “We are not blowing smoke.”

A marketing campaign includes a host of elements, such as the best execution and photography that supports the message.

An evolved campaign could include a new slogan for the school.

The “Coke is it” campaign reinforces the idea of authenticity, as consumers can be sure it is “exactly what you think it is,” Warren said. “It never disappoints. It’s always consistent and is part of the American culture.”

In developing a slogan for Stony Brook, which Warren said is less important than the message behind it, he wants to hone in on the handful of characteristics that capture the personality of the university.

In reflecting on the differences between commercial and academic marketing, Warren noticed that academics tend to be more skeptical.

“You have to work to make them allies,” he said.

Outside of his marketing role, Warren, who had initially pursued a PhD in history at Rice University, shared an interest in teaching. At the University of Utah, he taught an American economic history class and, at some point, would also consider teaching at Stony Brook.

Since arriving on Long Island, Warren has enjoyed kayaking. He is also a former violinist and enjoys the opportunity to relax with music. A return to the Northeast

After over four years as vice president for finance and operations/ chief operating officer at the University of North Dakota, Jed Shivers is returning to the Northeast, which is similar to the cultural and environmental feel of his childhood home in Storrs, Connecticut.

Shivers, who is senior vice president for finance and administration at Stony Brook, enjoys walking through the quad and in wooded areas around campus.

After living in the plains, which has “its own beauty,” Shivers appreciates the SB campus, which has “more trees,” and includes a view of the fall foliage outside his office window in the Administration Building.

Ready to embrace the opportunities and challenges of his job, Shivers said the university community is preparing a strategic plan for the next five years or so, which he will follow with a campus master plan.

In preparing for that plan, he is working with a firm that will survey all research space on campus and determine its current functional use, occupants and intensity of use.

He is also focusing on facilities that assist with the delivery of education and is hoping to conduct a similar survey of educational spaces.

To provide managers and executives with actionable financial information, the university is also engaged in a process to improve its business systems in human resources, budgeting, accounting and financial management.

With a “ high rate of system failures around campus” creating a “significant problem” for the university, the building and infrastructure at Stony Brook are all aging at the same time, Shivers said.

Campus Planning, Design and Construction and Campus Operations and Maintenance work constantly to deal with these issues and fix problems as quickly as they can, Shivers added.

The immediate need for deferred maintenance issues is over $1.5 billion, which dwarfs any campus close to comparable size in the SUNY system.

The SUNY Construction Fund and SUNY leadership has provided funds to alleviate a small but substantial part of those critical issues, he said. The university is also engaged in conversations with the Construction Fund and the Division of Budget on ways to use funds for optimal results.

Shivers was delighted for the chance to “get into a place where president [Maurie Mcinnis] was forming her team,” he said. He saw this opportunity as a chance to be a part of leadership “on a ground floor-ish kind of a way.”

He embraces the challenge of working through the SUNY system.

Consistent with mandates from McInnis since her arrival, Shivers would like to create a consolidated financial statement for Stony Brook and all its affiliated entities.

In addition to enjoying his strolls through the quad, Shivers has appreciated the opportunity to join other sports and school enthusiasts in supporting college teams and cultural life on campus. He and his wife Sandee have been married for almost 30 years.

Outside of work, Shivers said he does “everything badly,” but is enthusiastic about it. That includes golf, tennis, skiing and bike riding. To get in shape for the 100-mile North Fork ride, which he’s never done, he has started riding his indoor bike close to five days per week.

Carl Lejuez, William Warren and Jed Shivers recently joined the Stony Brook University team. Warren’s photo from Stony Brook University marketing; others from SBU

Garage Sales

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Career Services

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Employment

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PJ Chamber of Commerce

Administrative Aide

15 hours a week

Tuesday-Thursday • 11-4pm

Description job responsibilities: Assist Director of Operations in daily operations. Duties include: daily banking, member relations (updating member records, billing, new member intake); answering phones, social media updates; interacting with visitors to the Chamber. Qualifications: Computer literate; Word, Excel, Quickbook, Word Press, Can work UNSUPERVISED, Detail-oriented Understand the operations of a non-profit organization or similar operation. Good communication skills and multi-tasker.

Contact by email: info@portjeffchamber.com or call 631-473-1414

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The

Huntington

JOS. M TROFFA MATERIALS

“We have had the privilege of advertising in The Village Times since the newspaper was first published in 1976!

After all those years, 45 to be exact, we have had amazing results thanks to their dedication and professionalism. Minnie and Joann are wonderful and are sure to come up with valuable ideas for your individual advertising needs. Every week, Leah Dunaief & The Village Times staff provide an outstanding paper with factual and relevant information for the communities we all cherish. It is only natural to choose to advertise in their papers!

We love you Times Beacon Record!”

EXTRA! EXTRA!

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“I am a lifetime resident of Saint James who has been advertising in the Times Beacon Record Newspaper for the last 5 years. Through advertising with this local publication, I have been able to extend my exterior cleaning services to many local Long Island homes. It has been a pleasure working with such a professional advertising team, helping to keep our neighborhood houses looking Squeaky Clean!”

STRATHMORE EAST EQUITIES

“For decades, the Village Times has been our paper to attract people who would appreciate our lifestyles in Port Jefferson and local towns. Efficient, affordable and reliable is the trademark of the Village Times. Thank You!”

BOB’S PAINTING SERVICE

“Times Beacon Record is a great paper in every way, especially if you are a community oriented individual. Fun facts are here, as well as information on hiring business people that take pride in their workmanship. A great success story!”

SUFFOLK TRANSPORTATION

“It is

RCJ

pleasure working

Beacon News Media. Sheila always keeps me informed of deadlines and is aware of what I am looking for pertaining to advertisement locations. With our hectic schedule it is nice to know she is my safety net . I am happy to advertise in the publication. I know my message is getting to my audience.“

“We have been an advertiser for many years with the Times Beacon news for our home improvement company. The response of customers answering our advertisements has been very high steady. The representative we have been dealing with (Shelia) has been very helpful and is always there to advise me of the best advertising strategies. The cost is very affordable too.

I will continue to use this paper as we feel it’s been the best way along with the social media ads they run to reach our customers.”

REAL ESTATE

Real Estate Services

PUBLISHERS’NOTICE

AllrealestateadvertisedhereinissubjecttotheFederalFair HousingAct,whichmakesit illegaltoadvertise“anypreference,limitation,ordiscriminationbecauseofrace,color,religion,sex,handicap,familial status,ornationalorigin,orintentiontomakeanysuchpreference,limitation,ordiscrimination.”

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Editorial

Drive with care or pay the price

The last few days marked National School Bus Safety and National Teen Driver Safety weeks. The lessons and tips organizations shared during these respective periods are vital to remember all year.

School bus laws seem easy for drivers to understand when they are behind the easy-to-spot, yellow vehicle. However, confusion seems to ensue when it is situated elsewhere on the road. If a driver is in the vicinity of a school bus with its red lights flashing and its “stop” sign extended, it means to stop and wait. This applies not only when a driver is behind the school bus but also when it’s on the opposite side of the road, whether it be on a two-way street, divided highway or multiple-lane roadway. The rules also apply in parking lots and school grounds.

In New York, respecting the law can mean saving anywhere from $250 to $1,000 in fines, avoiding jail time, having points on a license or its being revoked. Most important of all, stopping when seeing a school bus saves children’s lives.

When those children grow up and are ready to learn how to drive, there is a lot to take in, and safe driving behaviors should be of the utmost importance. Parents need to have meaningful conversations with their children about making sure seat belts are used and traffic laws are followed.

The repercussions of distracted driving, such as loud music, goofing around with friends and checking text messages, must also be brought up. Parents can lead by example by ensuring when their teens are behind the wheel, they avoid bad driving habits, especially when other young people are in the car.

One of the most important conversations parents can have with their children is that if using alcohol or drugs at a party, make sure to have a designated driver, sleep over or use Uber or Lyft. While the use of these apps has increased, providing rides when needed, some still insist on getting behind the wheel after drinking. With the holidays around the corner, incidents of people too impaired to drive will inevitably increase. A car can always be retrieved from where it was left the night before, but a life can never be replaced.

With the cooler weather here, there is another traffic safety reminder for people of all ages to heed. It’s the beginning of mating season for deer, also known as rutting season. The animals can run out on the road without warning. Usually when a driver sees one, there may be another or a few right behind the first, especially around dusk. When one is spotted, proceed with caution — and respect deer-crossing warning signs.

Dangers on our roadways seem to be increasing every day, but with a little bit of education and care, we can make our roads safer for all.

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

Broader discussion necessary for Long Island’s energy policies

I may agree with your conclusion in the Oct. 13 editorial, “Say ‘no’ to nuclear energy, Long Island,” that without easy exit from Long Island nuclear power is out of the question. So what is the solution? Long Island already pays some of the highest electricity rates in the nation.

First, convert the decommissioned Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant to natural gas, wind and solar. We already have the transmission lines and rights of way in place.

Next, encourage fracking everywhere, in a responsible, environmentally friendly manner. Our neighbors in Pennsylvania encourage responsible fracking, mostly for American Natural Gas, and their economy is booming with excellent, highpaying jobs and phenomenal tax revenue to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Now, encourage on Long Island conservation and retrofitting to LED lights, newer appliances, focusing on air conditioning and refrigeration which are the No. 1 users of energy on the Island. In the water area, mandate steep fines for watering in the rain and require a rain sensor on all irrigation systems — a very cheap item. All toilets must be dual flush, one for “lighter,” one for “heavier.” These are in use throughout Europe and will save substantial fresh water.

Now encourage every homeowner to install solar and wind power. There are vertical wind turbines that make little noise and generate energy. Wind, plus solar, plus natural gas are Long Island’s future as we lessen our dependence on oil and gasoline.

Alan Cohn Nesconset

Additional national debt clocks are needed

Our national debt has now reached more than $31.1 trillion and is on a path to grow by trillions more for years to come. Today’s ever-moving tab averages some $93,000 per citizen or about $247,000 for every taxpayer

(source: National Debt Clock).

It is time to install national debt clocks with daily updates in both Congress and the White House. They can see how much they are adding to long-term debt every time they pass spending bills dependent upon borrowing to pay the tab.

Who is going to bail out Uncle Sam to pay for this? Government, the private sector and citizens must make difficult financial decisions on how to use existing resources. Americans prioritize their own family budgets. They make the hard choices in how existing household financial resources will be spent. The President and Congress should do likewise.

The world’s favored currency is our dollar. This could end if Washington will not control annual increases in spending and debt. If things continue the way they are, China may surpass us and the yuan becomes the world’s favored currency. Our reign as the No. 1 superpower will come to an end like all empires.

Larry Penner Great Neck

American leaders are suffocating the nation

We are living in a time of “information overload” and being bombarded with many lies, deceit, corruption and the orphan of “truth” has been attacked. This present administration is attacking every principle, tradition, institution and virtue that has made America historically exceptional. U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin [RNY1] is being “borked” … lies, lies, lies from this radical Democratic Party that effectively implements “Rules for Radicals” (Saul Alinsky) and are “master distractors.”

Here are questions we all need to ponder:

•Why is this administration inviting “illegal” immigration resulting in a government-made humanitarian crisis? (Mass invasion of a country is an “act of war” and a government failing to protect a country is an “act of treason.”)

•Why is there a hiring of 87,000 IRS

agents to go after the American citizen and not hiring of border agents to protect the American citizen?

•Why are we allowing the castration and mutilation of our children?

•Why are we letting men who say they are women compete in women’s sports and then give them a medal when they win?

•Why are we tolerating a dystopian delusional world? (Finally, Jamie Dimon, chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase stood up stating, “You are destroying the country” when in Congress Rep. Rashib Tlaib [D-MI] challenged Dimon over ceasing funding to fossil fuels.)

•Why are cars called “gas guzzlers” and electric cars not called “electric guzzlers”? Electricity has to be created. What creates it? Coal, oil, nuclear power. And what would they do to the batteries that weigh 1,000 pounds and are very toxic to the environment after 10 years?

•Why are we allowing President Joe Biden [D] to deplete our oil reserves that are supposed to be used for the military and emergency crisis that President Donald Trump [R] found “empty” and filled them when cost was low. Why has Biden given our reserves to China? (Be prepared for the fictitious gas prices to go sky high after the election.)

•Why was the president of the USA begging an enemy — Saudi Arabia — for “dirty” oil, when God has blessed our nation with plentiful resources. (Biden had placed a “lockdown” and has created an act of war on our coal and oil industry.)

•Why are all the government agencies arming their untrained staff members with ammunition, guns, etc. Why does social security need weaponry? (Remember, the first thing that Hitler did to control the people was to take away the guns. By the way, Hitler was a “left-wing socialist,” according to “Mein Kampf.”)

•Why is this administration spending, spending, spending, continually weakening the dollar? We do not hear mention of “posterity” anymore.

•Why is this administration doing everything opposite to prevent a recession? (JFK quote: “Now is the time.”)

•Why are parents being labeled and targeted as terrorists for speaking out at school board meetings?

America is not being conquered by a foreign enemy — yet it seems it is being strangled to death by its own leaders. This election has nothing to do with whether you are a Democrat, Republican, Libertarian or Independent but everything to do with “American Marxism.“ We need to vote out those politicians that are pushing for “anti-American” policies in our local, state and federal government. God help America.

Lisa Pius Old Field

File photo by Erika Karp

COVID woes reduced the level of climate change concerns, SBU study says

My grandmother was a worrier. Even she, however, would have had a hard time worrying about other major challenges, problems and threats during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. That, it turns out, was also true for the world during COVID when it came to discussions about the threat from climate change.

developed, environmental and climate concerns decline amid worries about other major threats.

Smirnov found that the total number of tweets that mention climate change dropped to 5.6 million in 2020 and 5.3 million in 2021, from 8 million in 2019. This, Smirnov points out, occurred despite an increase in Twitter users, more climate disasters and more climate news in 2021.

While Smirnov understood the need to focus on the pandemic, he suggested a lack of concern about climate change could disrupt efforts to protect the planet

“This has profound implications,” Smirnov said. “Without a focus on climate change, without an emphasis on its importance, there is less urgency and less pressure on politicians to do something about it.”

course of days, such an approach provides “no substantial improvement in your health” longer term, he said.

So, what about now, as concerns about the pandemic abate, people have stopped wearing masks and schools and stadiums are full?

“The psychological foundation tell us that people may only really respond to one threat at a time,” Smirnov said in an interview. The anxiety and the reaction to that threat may be limited because it requires major energy.

“Maybe, for biological reasons, [people] put all their energy into responding to the most immediate threat,” Smirnov added.

Even in better times, climate change efforts are “fragile,” he said, which adds to the uncertainty about the ability to address the challenge adequately.

Smirnov plans to continue to collect Twitter data for the remainder of this year, to see whether a return to normalcy brings the focus back to the threat from climate change.

As for his own experience, Smirnov recognized that climate change took a back burner amid the worst of the pandemic.

BY DANIEL DUNAIEF

In a recent study published in the prestigious journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Oleg Smirnov, associate professor in the Department of Political Science at Stony Brook University, examined the level of concern on Twitter about climate change during 2020 and 2021 and compared those numbers to 2019, the last year before COVID.

According to the pool of finite worry, which Princeton professor of Psychology Elke Weber

By tracking daily tweets and various measures of COVID cases, Smirnov found on a finer scale as well that discussions of climate change diminished amid higher infections and mortality.

For every thousand new COVID-19 cases in the United States, climate change tweets decreased by about 40.5 tweets per day. Every thousand new deaths resulted in 3,308 fewer climate tweets.

Indeed, even the sentiment analysis, in which Smirnov reviewed the emotional content of words used to describe climate change and the threat to the planet and humanity, became less negative during the worst of the pandemic.

When asked about the possibility that climate change concerns might have declined during COVID in part because the carbon footprint declined amid travel restrictions and slowdowns in industrial production, Smirnov likened such an approach to short-term fasting or extreme dieting.

While spending a few days on these extreme diets can reduce a person’s weight over the

“My attention certainly was hijacked by COVID-19, despite the fact that climate change is part of my work,” Smirnov said. In April of 2020, Smirnov recalled worrying about where his family would find food instead of thinking about greenhouse gases and rising sea levels.

In the present, Smirnov remains concerned about the kind of tipping points and climate inertia that threatens the future.

Ever the worrier, my grandmother might be relieved enough by the less virulent form of the virus and the availability of vaccines and treatment to return to worrying about the threat climate change poses.

When you have the urge to get away, here’s a possible destination

Itwas time to get away, even for a day, and when better than on foliage weekend! So Saturday, we took the ferry to Connecticut and started up Route 8 to get to the Berkshires and the seasonal colors.

BY LEAH S. DUNAIEF

Were we too late in the fall? Shortly after we left Bridgeport, our choice of time and place were confirmed. It was a perfect autumn day, sunny, bright, soft breeze, balmy even, and the colors burst upon us, the reds, oranges, yellows mixed with a still significant amount of green as we began to drive through the hills. No, we were not too late.

We had been concerned, too, about the effects of the summer’s drought on the leaves.

We needn’t have worried. Perhaps, it wasn’t the most dramatic foliage we had ever witnessed, some trees were already bare, but it was brilliant enough to excite our eyes. We whooped around every bend in the road that presented us with a new palette of hills and color.

The timing of foliage season has altered somewhat over the past few years. Climate change has impacted peak leaf peeping by extending the warmer weather that keeps trees green. Hence the optimal viewing time has also been delayed. This year, according to records, seems like it will clock in as the fifth warmest. So it turned out that our urge for an outing was right on.

Where to go?

While it was possible just to drive slowly, drinking in the scenery, it was also fun to have a destination in mind. We left the highway, or rather it left us as it ended in Winsted, incidentally, my dad’s birthplace, and we started on a local road that eventually led us to Southfield, the home of a long-ago college

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roommate with whom we had lost contact. She, and her family, as we discovered, no longer lived there, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying the tiny town. Yes, it was one of those “blink and you will miss it” villages, but we didn’t blink. We parked and had lunch at The Store, a delightful coffee, pastry and sandwich shop with tables inside as well as out front. Happily installed in one corner of the patio with a turkey and avocado sandwich and a generous slice of chocolate-banana bread, to be washed down with ambrosial coffee, we chatted up the couple at the adjoining table, who were smiling at us.

In fact, it was the kind of day that prompted everyone to smile. There we were, amid glorious leafage, basking in ideal temperature and bright sunlight in the peaceful countryside. They told us their names, Paul and Julia, and that they were from Westchester County and celebrating their anniversary. For the first time, they were at leisure to do that because their two children, a son and a daughter, were at college. She was a psychologist, he worked in finance,

and they had left their responsibilities behind to stay at the historic inn in the next village for the weekend.

They were fun to talk to, as was every other person who went by, walking their dogs. We asked each one if they knew the roommate’s family, but just about each one apologized and explained that they had only moved there 20 years ago. What a coincidence, we thought. They had all come more or less at the same time. It wasn’t until the next day that we realized what had happened those two decades ago: 9/11 happened. If one wanted to escape from a city to a safe and bucolic place, here was one such location. Perhaps that was what brought them there.

We stayed in the area, driving around, enjoying the typical New England white clapboard church with its distinctive steeple, the inn and the village common along with glorious Nature. Then, as night fell, we had dinner at the inn before returning home.

The next day, I felt as if I had been aired out.

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D. None of the above