The Village Times Herald - June 15, 2023

Poquott trustee challenges justice in June election

BY RITA J. EGAN AND DANIEL FEBRIZIO RITA@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

VILLAGE

This June 20, Village of Poquott trustee Darlene Mercieca is challenging current justice

Paul Jay Edelson, who is completing his second four-year term.

Paul Jay Edelson

Edelson and his wife, Leta, have lived in Poquott for 37 years. For more than 30 years, he was dean of the School of Professional Development at Stony Brook University. In addition to serving as village justice, he is a former trustee, a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals and a Poquott Civic Association board member. His wife is a former village mayor and trustee.

The village justice is an attorney, who graduated from Hofstra University Law School, while working full time at SBU.

“Like many people in our community, I learned to juggle family, work and school,” he said in an email. “My understanding of the many challenges confronting working adults is an asset in the courtroom and helps me better understand the lives of those who come before me.”

Edelson added he has performed pro bono legal work through the Nassau Suffolk Law Services. He is a New York State mediator for Small Claims Court and a member of the New York State Surrogate Decision-Making Committee.

“The SDMC exists to provide protection for the rights of severely intellectually disabled persons if there are major medical and end-oflife decisions to be made, when there are no other persons available and willing to take these responsibilities,” he added.

Edelson reflected on his tenure as justice so far.

“As judge, I am impartial, unbiased, fair and experienced,” he said. “I am fiercely independent and do not report to the village mayor, trustees or other village officials, including Code Enforcement. I do not make or amend our village laws. My sole job is to ensure that Poquott’s laws comport with both the NY and US Constitutions and that they are fairly and correctly administered without favoritism, outside influence or prejudice. Residents can be assured that I am independent of any and all political pressures.”

Darlene Mercieca

Mercieca is a five-year resident of Poquott. Due to her sister Dee Parrish being a former mayor

and current trustee, Mercieca has been volunteering in the village for fundraisers and events for more than 20 years.

Mercieca is a health care professional with 30 years of experience. She has been a director of multiple departments within Brookdale University Hospital in Brooklyn, including working with vendor and employer contracts, according to her biography on the candidates’ campaign website, www.yourpoquott.com.

In addition to holding an MBA in finance and a master’s degree in health care administration, she has continued her education at the School of Law at Pace University in White Plains.

She is currently a chief operating officer with the Central Orthopedic Group in Plainview “overseeing over 200 staff members and budgets of $75 million. My professional experience focuses on daily operations, human resources and patient satisfaction.”

In an email, she said she has a law degree and LL.M, masters of law degree, with a focus on family law. Mercieca added she also has experience with contracts and vendor and employment agreements.

“The job of justice is to interpret and enforce the laws set by our board of trustees,” she said. “As a current trustee, a lot of work goes into developing a law for the betterment of the village. As justice I want to see these laws carried out to the community’s intention.”

Mercieca said she feels her health care background will be an asset to the position.

“I feel my career experience has shaped me to have empathy for individuals while ensuring our laws are enforced so that everyone can enjoy where they live,” she said.

During her tenure as trustee, she developed an interest in running for village justice.

“As a trustee, I worked on the short-term rental issues within the village and the board of trustees have worked hard on balancing this topic,” she said. “I want to ensure our laws are upheld while providing fairness to our residents and guests.”

Voting information

In addition to voting for village justice, voters will choose from three trustee candidates running for two seats, see the June 8 The Village Herald Times article, “Three candidates vie for two trustee seats in Village of Poquott.”

The Village of Poquott will hold its annual election on Tuesday, June 20, at Village Hall, 45 Birchwood Av. Polling will be open from noon to 9 p.m.

Suffolk County celebrates landmark housing legislation for veterans, people with disabilities

BY RAYMOND JANIS EDITOR1@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

A countywide housing initiative recently got a bit sweeter for veterans and people with disabilities.

Public officials, veterans and disability advocates together with community members gathered Friday, June 9, at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge, where Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) ceremonially signed two landmark pieces of legislation.

U.S. Census Bureau data indicates Suffolk County is home to over 56,000 veterans, the highest concentration of any county across New York state and among the highest in the nation. The census also indicates that 6.1% of the county’s 1.5 million residents are with a disability under 65.

Under the new local laws passed unanimously by the Suffolk County Legislature last December and signed officially by Bellone in January, funds and housing units will now be set aside to accommodate veterans and those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“We are committed to, in this county, making sure that everyone in our community is included,” Bellone said during the recent ceremony.

The two bipartisan legislative packages were introduced by Majority Leader Nick Caracappa (C-Selden) and Legislators

Leslie Kennedy (R-Nesconset), Kara Hahn (D-Setauket), Stephanie Bontempi (R-Centerport) and Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai), among others.

Caracappa, who chairs the county’s Veterans & Consumer Affairs Committee, noted the sizable veteran and disabled populations, suggesting the county is pursuing a proper course for these historically underserved communities.

“We have far too many veterans on our streets [who are] homeless,” he said. “We have far too many individuals, family members, neighbors, friends with disabilities who are willing, able, ready for a life of independence and dignity.”

Kennedy decried the lack of initiative across all levels of government in supporting these demographics. “We would be nowhere without our veterans, and we have done so little to assist them as life goes on,” she said. “This is us moving forward.”

The county legislator added, “For those with impaired abilities, they deserve to live on their own.”

Trish Calandra of Wading River, in an emotional address, shared the story of her two children with autism, who are both now living on their own.

“To see them living this great life was something I really needed to help others achieve,” she said. “There’s still more to do.

We need to get this across this state. We need to get this across this country. We have so many people who need assistance and need help.”

Tom Ronayne, director of Suffolk County Veterans Service Agency, celebrated the legislation, noting that Suffolk County has “set the bar high.”

“For the people who are most directly affected by what is happening here today, their lives are changed profoundly,” he said. “They can lay down and go to sleep knowing that they have a safe, affordable place to live and that tomorrow will not challenge them in the ways that yesterday may have.”

He concluded, “Welcome to Suffolk County because this is how we do it here.”

Above, at podium, Tom Ronayne, director of Suffolk County Veterans Service Agency. Left, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and Legislator Nick Caracappa shake hands during signing ceremony. Photos from Steve Bellone’s Flickr page

Last week’s wildfires posed physical, mental health risks

BY DANIEL DUNAIEF DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

Brian Colle saw it coming, but the word didn’t get out quickly enough to capture the extent of the incoming smoke.

that a sudden and lasting orange glow, which blocked the sun and brought an acrid and unpleasant smell of fire, can lead to anxiety, which patients likely dealt with in interactions with therapists.

HEALTH

The smoke from raging wildfires in Quebec, Canada, last week looked like a “blob out of a movie” coming down from the north, said Colle, head of the atmospheric sciences division at Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences. As the morning progressed, Colle estimated the chance of the smoke arriving in New York and Long Island was “80 to 90 percent.”

Colle, among other scientists, saw the event unfolding and was disappointed at the speed with which the public learned information about the smoke, which contained particulate matter that could affect human health.

“There’s a false expectation in my personal view that social media is the savior in all this,” Colle said. The Stony Brook scientist urged developing a faster and more effective mechanism to create a more aggressive communication channel for air quality threats.

Scientists and doctors suggested smoke from wildfires, which could become more commonplace amid a warming climate, could create physical and mental health problems.

Physical risks

People in “some of the extremes of ages” are at risk when smoke filled with particulates enters an area, said Dr. Jeffrey Wheeler, director of the emergency room at St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson. People with cardiac conditions or chronic or advanced lung disease are “very much at risk.”

Dr. Robert Schwaner, medical director of the Department of Emergency Medicine and chief of the Division of Toxicology at Stony Brook University Hospital, believed the health effects of wildfire smoke could “trickle down for about a week” after the smoke was so thick that it reduced the amount of sunlight reaching the ground.

Amid smoky conditions, people who take medicine for their heart or lungs need to be “very adherent to their medication regimen,” Schwaner said.

Physical symptoms that can crop up after such an event could include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness or breathing difficulties, particularly for people who struggle with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

When patients come to Schwaner with these breathing problems, he asks them if what they are experiencing is “typical of previous exacerbations.” He follows up with questions about what has helped them in the past.

Schwaner is concerned about patients who have had lung damage from COVIDrelated illness.

The level of vulnerability of those patients, particularly amid future wildfires or air quality events, will “play out over the next couple of years,” he said. Should those who had lung damage from COVID develop symptoms, that population might “need to stay in contact with their physicians.”

It’s unclear whether vulnerabilities from COVID could cause problems for a few years or longer, doctors suggested, although it was worth monitoring to protect the population’s health amid threats from wildfire smoke.

Local doctors were also concerned about symptoms related to eye irritations.

Schwaner doesn’t believe HEPA filters or other air cleansing measures are necessary for the entire population.

People with chronic respiratory illness, however, would benefit from removing particulates from the air, he added.

Wildfire particulates

Area physicians suggested the particulates from wildfires could be even more problematic than those generated from industrial sources.

Burning biomass releases a range of toxic species into the air, said Dr. Mahdieh Danesh Yazdi, an air pollution expert and environmental epidemiologist from Stony Brook University’s Program in Public Health.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has done a “fairly decent job” of regulating industrial pollution over the last few decades “whereas wildfires have been increasing” amid drier conditions, Yazdi added.

In her research, Yazdi studies the specific particulate matter and gaseous pollutants that constitute air pollution, looking at the rates of cardiovascular and respiratory disease in

response to these pollutants.

Mental health effects

Local health care providers recognized

As for activity in the hospital, Dr. Poonam Gill, director of the Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program at Stony Brook Hospital, said smoke from the wildfires did not cause any change or increase in the inpatient psychiatric patient population.

In addition to the eerie scene, which some suggested appeared apocalyptic, people contended with canceled outdoor events and, for some, the return of masks they thought they had jettisoned at the end of the pandemic.

“We had masks leftover” from the pandemic, and “we made the decision” to use them for an event for his son, said Schwaner.

When Schwaner contracted the delta variant of COVID-19, he was coughing for three to four months, which encouraged him to err on the side of caution with potential exposure to smoke and the suspended particulates that could irritate his lungs.

LaLota blasts federal, NYC immigration policies during town hall

BY RAYMOND JANIS EDITOR1@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

Continuing the contentious immigration debate in Suffolk County, U.S. Congressman Nick LaLota (R-NY1) denounced federal and city “sanctuary” policies during a telephone town hall Monday night, June 12.

Mayor Eric Adams (D) has publicly called for counties across New York state to assist his city in a statewide immigration “decompression strategy.”

POLITICS

LaLota, who serves on the House Homeland Security Committee, reported that the southwest sector of the U.S.-Mexico border has become the focus of the committee’s public safety and drug prevention efforts.

“More than one million undocumented, unvetted people have illegally crossed our border since President [Joe] Biden [D] took office,” LaLota said. “Drugs are coming across that border every day. China’s making the fentanyl being smuggled across the southwest border.”

“Fentanyl is killing so many of our young people,” he added. “And while counties like Suffolk are dealing with that fentanyl problem, a migrant crisis is brewing, too.”

Title 42, a pandemic-era immigration policy allowing swift expulsion of asylum seekers on public health grounds, ended May 11. Since then, New York City has already cared for over 46,000 new migrants, according to a mayor’s office report published June 5.

LaLota sharply criticized New York’s sanctuary city status, saying Adams and the city council have opted to “not enforce federal immigration law on those who are in our country illegally.”

“The result of the city’s policy, coupled with Biden’s open border, is that New York City has now become overrun with illegal migrants and those claiming asylum,” LaLota said, adding, “Like, 70 percent of those asylum claims are not legitimate — they don’t meet the traditional criteria for asylum.”

As NYC grapples with the logistical constraints of handling the migrant surge, LaLota said the city’s public services are “becoming overrun.”

“Veterans, the homeless, the mentally impaired and other Americans are now being put to the back of the line or rejected services because folks who are not in this country legally are taking those services,” the congressman said. “That, to me, is un-American.”

He added, “We Long Islanders should not have to bear the weight of the mess at the border and the [problems] exacerbated by those sanctuary city policies.”

Canadian wildfire smoke reduced the amount of sunlight reaching the ground over Long Island.

Photo by Terry Ballard from Wikimedia Commons

Obituaries

Memorial service to honor Coastal Steward founder

A memorial service for Coastal Steward Long Island founder David Johnson will be held at the Caroline Church in Setauket on Saturday, June 24, at 11 a.m.

The longtime Port Jefferson resident was born on August 30, 1958, in Duluth, Minnesota and lived most of his life on Long Island before moving nine years ago to Florida, where he died on October 16, 2022. Dave graduated from Kings Park High School in 1976 and studied Marine Biology at Southampton College.

Based in Port Jefferson, Coastal Steward Long Island is a nonprofit group dedicated to preserving and restoring Long Island’s coastal environment.

“Dave envisioned the reversal of the decline of the oyster population as a result of manmade pollution, disease and overfishing,” according to the organization’s tribute to its founder.

Twenty years ago, David spearheaded a shellfish restoration project in Mount Sinai

Harbor, which continues today. The group has been responsible for seeding more than one million oysters to date, with each mature oyster filtering 50 gallons of seawater daily.

Coastal Stewards is also dedicated to educating students on marine ecology, organizing beach clean-ups and other pollution control projects with thousands of local volunteers.

David is the son of the late Mary and LeRoy Johnson of Fort Salonga. He is survived by two daughters, Zuriah Johnson and Amanda Arden (Richard), and a son David Johnson, Jr.; siblings Julie Johnson, Susan Curtis (Scott), and Steven Johnson; seven nieces and nephews; and longtime former partner, Ana Padilla-Perez. David’s first grandchild Vivian Rose Arden was born weeks after his passing.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Coastal Steward Long Island at www.coastalsteward.org/donate.

Nancy Erhorn former Old Field resident dies at 83

Nancy Darlene Erhorn, 83, passed away March 8 in Glendale, Arizona. She was born in Longview, Washington, and raised in Phoenix; she moved to Old Field as an adult. “Mrs. Erhorn” was a math teacher for many years at Harborfields High School in Greenlawn.

She was married to Philip Erhorn for 33 years until his passing in 2006. They retired to Phoenix, Arizona, in 1997. Nancy was a lifelong Christian Scientist, most recently a member of the First Church of Christ, Scientist,

Carefree-Cave Creek, Arizona. She loved teaching Sunday School and being a Reader. She also loved being a sister in the Philanthropic Educational Organization.

She was devoted to her family, friends and students and was so proud of their accomplishments. Nancy will be laid to rest with her husband on Long Island. A ceremony will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 24, at the St. James Episcopal Church Cemetery at 490 North Country Road, St James. All are welcome.

The following incidents have been reported by Suffolk County Police: Man killed on the LIE when vehicle strikes tractor trailer

Suffolk County Police Fourth Squad detectives are investigating a motor vehicle crash that killed a man in Hauppauge on June 12.

Brian Nieves was driving a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee in the middle lane of the westbound LIE at approximately 3:15 a.m. when the Jeep struck the rear of a 2012 Peterbilt tractor trailer, driven by Rafael Mercado. Nieves, 38, of Bay Shore, who was alone in his vehicle, was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. Mercado, 55, of Medford, who was also alone in his vehicle, was not injured.

The Jeep was impounded for a safety check. Suffolk County Police Motor Carrier Section officers conducted a safety check on the tractor trailer at the scene. The collision caused all westbound lanes near Exit 56 of the expressway to close for several hours.

Detectives are asking anyone with information on this crash to call 631-854-8452. Drug manufacturing lab busted

Suffolk County Police on June 8 arrested a man who allegedly owned and operated a functioning drug manufacturing laboratory in Ronkonkoma. Fifth Precinct Patrol officers and Canine Section officers responded to a report of a burglary at Quantitative Laboratories, located on Pond Road, at approximately 3:30 a.m. While searching the premises for the burglars, officers discovered equipment and chemicals consistent with the manufacturing of methamphetamine.

Following an investigation by Fifth Squad detectives, Arson Section detectives and Narcotics Section detectives, with the assistance of members of the New York State Police and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Matthew Leshinsky, the owner and operator of Quantitative Laboratories, was arrested. Significant quantities of solid and liquid methamphetamine, ketamine and cocaine were confiscated from the premises, along with approximately $40,000 in cash.

Leshinsky, 23, of 132 Sunrise Lane, Levittown, was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 1st Degree, two counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 2nd Degree, five counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd Degree and Unlawful Manufacture of Methamphetamine 3rd Degree.

Visit www.tbrnewsmedia.com/police for more press releases from the Suffolk County Police.

CAUGHT ON CAMERA

Do you recognize this woman? Photo from SCPD

Wanted for Petit Larceny

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Sixth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate a woman who allegedly stole assorted merchandise from Stop & Shop, located at 2350 North Ocean Ave. in Farmingville, at approximately 1:35 p.m. on June 8.

Do you recognize this man? Photo from SCPD

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Fourth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate a man who allegedly stole a Kitchenaid mixer from Macy’s, located at the Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove, at 5:40 p.m. on May 27. The merchandise was valued at approximately $450.

— COMPILED BY HEIDI SUTTON

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.

Long Island hip-hop artists celebrate the genre’s 50th anniversary

BY RITA J. EGAN RITA@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

Blasts from the past

VILLAGE

Many who visited the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame in Stony Brook Sunday, June 11, may have thought they stumbled upon a family reunion. In a way they did, as Long Island hip-hop artists were on hand to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the genre at an event hosted by the museum and venue.

The Sunday afternoon event started with a “knock out” presentation as the museum unveiled a statue of LL Cool J, born James Todd Smith in Bay Shore. The actor, rapper, songwriter and music producer’s successes include the hit “Mama Said Knock You Out” (1990) and his role on “NCIS: Los Angeles.”

The statue, known as The G.O.A.T. Monument, is officially titled “Going Back to The Meadows, A Tribute to LL COOL J and Performance at FMCP” and was created in 2021 by artist Sherwin Banfield. During the unveiling ceremony, Banfield pointed out different accents he included on the 8 1/2-feet tall, 600-pound statue, including a boom box with a cassette tape of the rapper’s debut album “Radio” (1985). Banfield also played homage on the piece to what he called “the determination pin.” The rapper’s right arm was paralyzed when he was younger, and his mother would pin his right sleeve to the mattress to inspire movement.

Composed of bronze, stainless steel, steel, winter stone, resin, cement and wood, the statue was displayed in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park for a year. It includes a solar panel that powers an audio system.

Visitors were treated to performances as well as a Q&A panel where the artists shared stories from the early days of their careers, many of them knowing each other since they were younger.

Before the performances featuring DJ Jazzy Jay (John Bayas), DJ Johnny Juice Rosado, AJ Rok (AJ Woodson) of JVC Force, MC Glamorous (Chaplain Jamillah), Dinco D (James Jackson) of Leaders of the New School and the group Son of Bazerk, the artists participated in the Q&A panel along with Keith Shocklee of the producing team The Bomb Squad and an original member of Public Enemy as well as video jockey and director Ralph McDaniels. The panel members were happy to share the history of hip-hop on Long Island stories with attendees.

Shocklee, who was born in Roosevelt, said he, along with his brother and friends, started DJing by playing in his family’s basement in the 1970s. They then began to play at local youth centers around the Island and throw parties in friends’ basements and backyards. Soon they were DJing at the local parks. While others would go to Centennial Park in Roosevelt to play basketball, other young people would go to play music, Shocklee said.

“It’s something we did to stay off the streets of Long Island,” he said. “It wasn’t as dangerous as the Bronx or Brooklyn, but you had your stick-up kids.”

MC Glamorous, originally from Freeport, said events such as Roosevelt Day, Freeport Day and Wyandanch Day gave the communities something to look forward to and the artists a

chance to perform.

“It brought people together, and we got a day to shine also with those jams,” she said.

Shocklee said Long Island hip-hop artists in the 1970s were aware the Bronx was the epicenter of hip-hop, where he said the DJ technique scratch, MCs, hip-hop culture and breakdancing were born and developed.

McDaniels said the hip-hop culture on Long Island was different from what was happening in the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and parts of New Jersey. He said when he hosted “Video Music Box” he was able to compare music scenes.

“There was something going on in Long Island that was different,” he said. “When I heard Public Enemy, when I heard EPMD [from Brentwood], I was like, ‘This is different.’ This is not what the rest of the city or the rest of the country sounds like, and I think that’s what makes Long Island its own — or Strong Island — its own unique sound, because we weren’t as thirsty. We had homes. Some of us had parents. Some of us went to college. We were relaxed.”

McDaniels reference to “Strong Island” was a song recorded in 1988 by JVC Force sampling a phrase that Public Enemy’s Chuck D used while working as a DJ at Adelphi University’s radio station, WBAU.

Woodson, who spent several of his younger years in Central Islip, said the reason the group recorded the song “Strong Island” was because “you literally had to be from the five boroughs to get respect.”

Bayas, who was part of the development of Def Jam Recordings, remembered when he would come down from the Bronx to play in Amityville, and the first time he said, “We’re going out to the country.”

During those visits to the Island, he said he met hip-hop artists Biz Markie, Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith — the latter two from EPMD

— when they were children. Bayas said before hip-hop, if someone didn’t know how to play an instrument, they weren’t considered a musician. For that reason, he learned to play the drums and, as a DJ, he said he and others were always searching for the rare group to play at the parties.

“Hip-hop allowed us to be musicians because we have something to offer, because we know what music to play,” Bayas said.

The LIMEHOF received a surprise visit toward the end of the event from rapper Keith Murray who grew up in Central Islip. The venue had to postpone its induction of The Fat Boys, from Brooklyn, as surviving member Kool Rock-Ski (Damon Wimbley) was unable to attend at the last minute.

Clockwise from above, Dinco D from Leaders of the New School, right, and DJ Johnny Juice on stage at the 50th anniversary event in Stony Brook; artist Sherwin Banfield explains the details on the statue honoring LL Cool J; and AJ Rok from JVC Force and DJ Wildman Steve talk about the early days of hip-hop. Photos by Rita J. Egan

Obituary Charles J. Reina, sculptor and art educator, dies at 93

SUBMITTED BY THE REINA FAMILY

Long Island sculptor and art educator Charles J. Reina died on March 31 in Setauket. He was 93.

Born Aug. 12, 1929, in Brooklyn, Charles was interested in pursuing a life in art from a young age. He was a student at St. John’s Preparatory School in Astoria before

attending Queens College where he earned a bachelor’s degree in art education in 1952. A few months after graduation, Charles married his classmate and fellow art student Cornelia Palermo. The following year, he was drafted into the U.S. Army Signal Corp. during the Korean War. He served for two years. Upon his return, he earned a master’s degree in art from New York University.

An art educator for 36 years, Charles began his teaching career in a junior then a senior high school, but he spent the last 20 years of his teaching career as a professor of art at Nassau Community College.

In addition to teaching, Charles was an active, working sculptor. He is known for his large-scale welded bronze sculptures for public and private sites. Notably, he can be credited with producing the 40-foot bronze sculpture on the facade on the Half Hollow Hills High School and the 27-foot bronze of the exterior of the West Hollow Middle School, both in Dix Hills. He is also represented by four pod-like bronze sculptures for the Schnormeier Public Gardens in Gambier, Ohio, as well as numerous works on sites on Long Island, around the New York area and other parts of the country.

Charles maintained a studio in an old

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carriage house in Lloyd Harbor, where he lived with his family for 40 years, and where he completed all his large-scale sculptures. Primarily abstract, his work in bronze, steel and other materials explored forms, movement, rhythm and flowing line. A 1995 New York Times review noted of his work: “The space around the forms is made to play an active role as the artist bids it to enter and inhabit the solid structure of the work.”

Charles was proud of a 12-foot bronze sculpture based on the DNA double-helix that he was commissioned to create in 1993 to honor Dr. James Watson on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the discovery of DNA. It currently stands in the lobby of the Grace Auditorium at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, in Cold Spring Harbor.

In the last decade of his life, Charles embarked on a series of works in steel — bent, pierced and painted in bright colors using automobile paint — a playful and colorful foray among his body of work. He exhibited these in the Hamptons and Florida.

In addition to his working life, Charles was an avid sailor. He sailed in Long Island waters for years before bringing his boat to Sanibel, Florida, where he and his wife had a winter

residence. He sailed almost every day after retiring from teaching in 1990. He reluctantly sold his boat at age 90.

Charles is survived by Cornelia, his wife of 70 years, and two sons David (Donna), industrial designer, of Brooklyn; and Douglas (Susan), artist, of Stony Brook. He also leaves five grandchildren Elizabeth, Charles, James, Devon and Monel, as well as three greatgrandchildren.

Anyone wishing to honor his memory may make a donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or to Long Island Cares: The Harry Chapin Food Bank.

A private memorial service will be held at a future date to be announced.

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Charles J, Reina on his boat, above. Below, the artist working on a sculpture based on the DNA double-helix Photos from the Reina family

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Administrative Opening Monticello Central School

High School Principal

The Monticello CSD is seeking forward thinking and dynamic School Building Principal who can lead MCSD’s highly engaged faculty, staff, parents, students, and community. The successful candidate will have a vision of educational excellence, be highly motivated, and demonstrates an ability to impact student learning.

Starting Salary: $150,000

NYS SDA/SAS/SBL Certification Required plus 2 yrs. of previous administrative leadership and 3 yrs. exp as a classroom teacher preferred. Please apply online by June 15th at https://monticelloschools.tedk12.com/hire or OLAS EOE

Administrative Opening Monticello Central School

Assistant Elementary Principal

The successful candidate should possess: Knowledge of research-based instructional programs & practices; exp. w/ teacher supervision & evaluation; a record of successfully improving learning experiences and enhancing school to home communication; and can provide a supportive environment with knowledge of social-emotional competencies, restorative practices, and promote a culturally responsive educational climate.

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Salary Range: $95,000 to $105,000

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Assistant Elementary Principal

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“It is a pleasure working with Times 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.“

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Letters to the Editor Editorial

Election Day is only the beginning

Port Jefferson village residents will go to the polls this Tuesday, June 20, to select their new mayor, and endorse uncontested seats for two trustees and village justice.

Voting in a local election is a sacred act, empowering everyday citizens to shape the complexion of their community. Elections remind those in power that they are subordinate to the sovereign public. We encourage all to exercise their vote, making their presence felt and their voices heard at the ballot box.

But after Tuesday, the work remains unfinished. Elections are merely the starting point, not the destination.

In the coming term, the village board of trustees will enact laws and advance projects. Only after a long interim period will the voters have another bite at the apple. How many transformations may soon take place in the days between elections?

Money and influence can go a long way. Powerful, wealthy actors often use their clout for influence.

And yet, in the face of much uncertainty, there is one vital institution to safeguard the voting public. It is the interest group of and for the people: the Port Jefferson Civic Association.

Less than a year ago, villagers resurrected the civic association after over a decade in dormancy. Its members rose in opposition to a perceived lack of public input on pressing local matters.

In a short time, the civic has made substantial contributions on behalf of residents.

Its members successfully resisted the village board’s unilateral decision to extend the terms of service for village offices. The civic opened important communications channels around Maryhaven Center of Hope and future density. It even fought for and helped form a tree committee, among several other initiatives.

PJCA is setting the tone for what stable democracy looks like. The organization is giving a welcome voice to the people, and their government is now listening.

Regardless of Tuesday’s outcome, we believe the village is on the right track. A vibrant civic culture is blossoming before our eyes. We are confident PJCA will remain a forceful check on power, advancing resident interests fearlessly between Tuesday and the next election.

The moment is ripe for the people to take charge of their democracy. On Tuesday, we ask that you vote. On Wednesday and thereafter, we ask that you get in touch with your new mayor, village trustees and civic association in order to stay engaged in the political process.

This community belongs to the people.

WRITE TO US … AND KEEP IT LOCAL

We welcome your letters, especially those responding to our local coverage, replying to other letter writers’ comments and speaking mainly to local themes. Letters should be no longer than 400 words and may be edited for length, libel, style, good taste and uncivil language. They will also be published on our website. We do not publish anonymous letters. Please include an address and phone number for confirmation. Email letters to: editor1@tbrnewsmedia.com or mail them to TBR News Media, P.O. Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733

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We are open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. After hours, leave a message 24/7 at 631-751-7744.

AHEPA upholds American ideals

Almost exactly 100 years ago, in the summer of 1922, the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association was established.

The organization was formed in response to attacks on Greek immigrants by the Ku Klux Klan and other racist and anti-immigrant groups operating across the country. Although now, several generations later, Greeks are successful and well established in American society, to this day AHEPA remains active and continues to promote the best qualities of Ancient Greek society, including philanthropy, education, civic responsibility, integrity, family and individual excellence through community service and volunteerism.

Always faithful to its history, AHEPA was instrumental in the restoration of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, through which millions of immigrants flowed, often with little more than one or two pieces of hand luggage and a dream.

Recently, I was invited by AHEPA and the local Greek-American community to be recognized for public service. To receive an award from an organization of this quality was truly humbling, and I am very thankful to the community for its kindness.

Reflecting on the history of AHEPA, I was reminded that although Greek immigrants ultimately overcame their challenges, successive groups of immigrants continue to face the same fears, the same attacks and the same bigotry.

People rarely leave their native countries and immigrate to the United States because things are going great for them at home. The choice to leave behind their food, language and culture is a painful decision, never taken lightly, and very often in desperation.

But Lady Liberty doesn’t just open her arms to the wealthy, the gainfully employed and the highly educated. Her invitation extends to “your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest tossed to me” [Emma Lazarus’ famous 1883 sonnet, “The New Colossus”].

Fortunately, throughout history there have been those with compassion and courage who have stood up to defend true American ideals. Our nation is a nation of immigrants, and although immigrants sometimes arrive with empty pockets, they have that hustle which helped build America into the amazing land of opportunity it is today.

I am so proud to know the good people of AHEPA and my many friends within the Greek community who have been a beacon of moral courage, compassionate

leadership and democracy not just for 100 years, but for thousands.

Jonathan Kornreich

Councilmember, Town of Brookhaven Stony Brook

Brain drain and the housing crisis

In contradiction to the June 1 editorial, “Plug Long Island’s ‘brain drain,’” it is not much of a puzzle how to get more of our youth to stay on Long Island. One need look no further than the housing crisis for causes and solutions.

I recently noticed upcoming property development near Bennetts Road and Route 25A in East Setauket that is exactly the opposite of what is needed to solve a problem everyone says they acknowledge: Four more expensive single-family houses, on 1-acre lots, all within walking distance of the post office, the Greenway, stores and restaurants, an LIRR station and Stony Brook University. If we cannot muster the will to require higherdensity housing near transportation hubs and universities, then where?

The problem is hyper-local zoning decisions driven by existing homeowners so wealthy they don’t worry about their kids being priced out of the area, and a tribal political environment that makes it useful to scare homeowners about their property values. But what good are high property values if the brain — and youth — drain hollows out all other areas of life and the local economy?

Since we can’t seem to deal with new development sanely, can we at least make accessory dwelling units (basement and garage apartments, tiny houses, guest cottages) uniformly legal throughout Suffolk County? Even conservatives should support the right of homeowners to use their own property as they see fit. Reasonable limits on minimum lot size, maximum unit square footage, owner occupancy and rental agreement terms can address all the typical concerns.

The benefits of ADUs are myriad, and rapid increases in affordable, small housing have been demonstrated in Connecticut, New Hampshire and California. Homeowners can rent to young professionals to help pay the mortgage. Empty nesters can reside in ADUs while renting out the main house. Middleaged homeowners can accommodate aging parents or adult children without sacrificing privacy and autonomy. And every occupied ADU takes someone out of the local rental market, lowering price pressures across the board.

ADUs require no tax money or impact studies, adding housing rapidly. Technically, most areas of Suffolk County already allow ADUs and thousands of units already exist, but a patchwork of complex restrictions and daunting permitting discourage homeowners from building new or renting existing units. What is needed is a clear, countywide set of

legal policies that provide homeowners with consistency, clarity and certainty.

John Hover East Setauket

Republicans inflame rather than inform immigration debate

This letter is a response to Charles Tramontana’s recent letter [“Yes, words do matter,” June 8] in answer to mine [“Words matter in immigration dialogue,” May 25]. I’ll reiterate that seeking asylum is legal, and that no human being is an “alien.” I believe that language needs to be based in truth, and must be used deliberately and accurately.

The truth is that Suffolk County is facing a lawsuit for the Republican legislators’ recent political stunt. We will now spend taxpayer dollars on lawsuits, dollars that could go to services and resources residents desperately need in this county. We have no idea how many asylum seekers are coming to the county. No asylum seekers have been relocated to our county to date. This reaffirms that this is a political ploy propagated by local politicians to activate their right-wing base in a low turnout election year. Those fearmongering tactics have long been a part of their well-worn playbook.

Mr. Tramontana’s letter blames recent immigration policy as the cause for this issue. To understand the root causes of immigration, it’s crucial to look beyond the past two years. This is a decades-long issue, going back to the civil unrest in Central America in the early 1970s. In 1986, then-President Ronald Reagan [R] signed a bipartisan bill known as the Reagan Amnesty Act, offering a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

We had the opportunity to again address immigration in 2013 when the U.S. Senate passed a sweeping bipartisan bill with a 6832 vote, the most comprehensive since the Reagan Amnesty Act. Unfortunately, it was killed by the Tea Party House Republicans. We are still suffering the consequences of that squandered opportunity a decade later. Sadly, I do not believe that today’s House Republican majority has the willingness to solve this problem, which means we will continue to struggle with a lack of solutions due to political posturing and inaction.

Immigration, like many of the issues we’re contending with in this country, is a serious issue that requires leaders who engage in seeking solutions. The Republican members of the Suffolk County Legislature do not possess those qualities, and their rhetoric and actions on this issue inflame rather than inform. We can address this issue in a pragmatic and humane manner, but only if we engage in a good faith effort to do so. And to get there, we must choose our rhetoric carefully and thoughtfully, because words matter.

Shoshana Hershkowitz South Setauket

Opinion

Anticipating more wildfire smoke, local scientists urge climate change measures

The wildfires last week in Quebec, Canada, that brought an orange haze, smoke and record pollution to New York were not only disconcerting, but also were something of a reality check.

These raging fires occurred earlier than normal and, with a so-called cutoff low in Maine acting like a bumper in a pinball game driving the smoke down along the eastern seaboard, created hazardous air quality conditions from New York through Virginia.

size this early in the season and it continues, [there will be] much more of an impact on people in terms of air quality, health, and well being.”

Dry conditions caused by climate change intensified the severity of these fires, making them more difficult to extinguish and increasing the amount of particulates that can cause lung and other health problems thrown into the air.

wildfires.

“This is like our Hurricane Sandy from an air quality perspective,” said Brian Colle, division head in Atmospheric Sciences at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University.

Scientists urged a multi-level approach to tackle a wildfire problem that they believe will become increasingly dangerous for human health.

predictive models about what these fires will mean for human health and the climate.

The heavy smoke that descended on New York, which some health officials described as creating conditions for those who spent hours outdoors that are akin to smoking several cigarettes, is “a wake up call that we need policies” to deal with the conditions that create these fires, McComiskey said.

BY DANIEL DUNAIEF

“There’s a real concern about this intensity, the size of the fire, happening this early in the season,” said Allison McComiskey, chair of the Environmental & Climate Sciences Department at Brookhaven National Laboratory. “Typically, wildfire season starts later in the summer and extends through the fall. If we’re going to be having wildfires of this

“Wildfire season is getting longer,” said Dr. Mahdieh Danesh Yazdi, an air pollution expert and environmental epidemiologist from Stony Brook’s University’s program in Public Health. These fires are “spread because we have drier conditions, the vegetation is dry, we have droughts. Those require long-term solutions of trying to tackle climate change on a fundamental level.”

The intensity of the smoke and the cancelation of events like the Yankees and Phillies games has raised awareness of the downwind dangers from

Forest management, including controlled burns, would reduce the available fuel for fires started by natural causes such as lightning.

“Forest management may be one approach,” said Dr. Danesh Yazdi. That alone, however, won’t solve the threat from wildfires amid higher temperatures and more frequent droughts, she added.

McComiskey added that researchers are “certain” that wildfires are going to increase in the future due to climate change and suggested that these events ratchet up the need for getting better

The increase by a “fraction of a degree in temperature is really not the point,” McComiskey added. “We need to decarbonize our economy and we need to move toward addressing the bigger causes of climate change.”

A wildfire occurring earlier in the year with smoke filled with particulates could raise awareness and attention to the dangers from such events.

“Having this kind of thing happen in the East Coast through New York and [Washington] DC, as opposed to where we typically think of bad wildfire happening out west, in Washington State and the Rocky Mountains, might help in terms of the awareness and urgency to take some action,” McComiskey added.

The lawyer who got his tail caught in the door, and other AI stories

You’ve heard of ChatGPT, yes? So had a lawyer in Brooklyn from his collegeaged children. While the lawyer has been in practice for 30 years, he had no prior experience with the Open AI chatbot. But when he was hired in a lawsuit against the airline Avianca and went into Federal District Court with his legal brief filled with judicial opinions and citations, poor guy, he made history.

All the evidence he was bringing to the case was generated by ChatGPT. All of it was false: creative writing generated by the bot.

the aisle in 2019 on a flight from El Salvador to New York, was advised that the lawsuit should be dismissed because the statute of limitations had expired. His lawyer, however, responded with the infamous 10-page brief offering more than half a dozen court decisions supporting their argument that the case should be allowed to proceed. There was only one problem: None of the cases cited in the brief could be found.

The decisions, although they named previous lawsuits against Delta Airlines, Korean Airlines and China Southern Airlines, and offered realistic names of supposedly injured passengers, were not real.

“I heard about this new site, which I falsely assumed was, like, a super search engine,” lamely offered the embarrassed attorney.

Now the lawyer stands in peril of being sanctioned by the court. He declared that he had asked questions of the bot and had gotten in response genuine case citations, which he had included in his brief. He also printed out and included his dialogue with ChatGPT, which ultimately at the end, offered him the words, “I hope that helps.”

But the lawyer had done nothing further to ensure that those cases existed. They seemed professional enough to fool the professional.

Now the tech world, lawyers and judges are fixated on this threat to their profession. And warnings exist of that threat being carried over to all of humanity with erroneous generative AI.

But this is not an entirely ominous story.

By using AI as an assistant, humans can focus on the judgment aspect of data-driven decision-making, checking and interpreting the information provided by the bot. Humans provide judgment over what is provided by a bot.

Ironically, the lawyer’s children probably passed their ChatGPT-fueled courses with good grades. Part of that is the way we teach students, offering them tons of details to memorize and regurgitate on tests or in term papers. The lawyer should have judged his ChatGPT-supplied data. Future lawyers now know they must.

Between

BY LEAH S. DUNAIEF

Here is the story, as told in The New York Times Business Section on June 9. A passenger, who had sued the airline for injury to his knee by a metal serving cart as it was rolled down

“Programs like ChatGPT and other large language models in fact produce realistic responses by analyzing which fragments of text should follow other sequences, based on a statistical model that has ingested billions of examples pulled from all over the internet,” explained The NYT.

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Heidi Sutton

Researchers at Open AI and the University of Pennsylvania have concluded that 80% of the U.S. workforce could see an effect on at least 10% of their tasks, according to The NYT. That means that some 300 million fulltime jobs could be affected by AI. But is that all bad? Could AI become a helpful tool?

As for education, emphasis should go beyond “what” and even “so what” to “what’s next.” Learning should be about once having facts or history, then how to think, to analyze, how to interpret and take the next steps. Can chatbots do that? Perhaps in an elementary way they now can. Someday they will in a larger context. And that poses a threat to the survival of humanity, because machines will no longer need us.

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D. None of the above

Allison McComiskey, chair of the Environmental & Climate Sciences Department at Brookhaven National Laboratory