The Village Times Herald - October 6, 2022

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Publisher Leah Dunaief

PHOTO BY CHRIS PARADYSZ

Running

gathers on

blustery Day to celebrate All Souls

BY DAN KERR OF ALL SOULS CHURCH

As state Assemblyman Steve Englebright and Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich addressed the assembled crowd in front of the historic Stanford White designed chapel at 61 Main Street in Stony Brook on Sunday morning, the runners and the walkers “had the wind at their backs.”

VILLAGE

The crowd gathered at All Souls Church included serious runners competing for medals, senior citizens walking through the beautiful streets of Stony Brook, young parents pushing baby carriages and children anticipating their first competitive race.

Kornreich described how he had been admiring the beautiful stained glass “Charity” window in back of the altar of the church before the race/walk began and said it “reminded him of all the many ways All Souls serves the Three Village Community and visitors to Stony Brook Village.” Local youngsters Hadleigh Pistell from All Souls Church and Avery Timm from Caroline Church of Brookhaven sang the National Anthem on the church steps just before the starting gun went off.

Adam Lindsey, from East Patchogue, was the overall race winner with a time of 22 minutes 16 seconds, and Christa Denmon from Endwell, New York, was the overall female winner with a time of 22 minutes and 22 seconds. Gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded in an Olympicstyle ceremony to various age groups from 13 and under to 80 years old. Father Tom Reese, the church’s vicar, lower left photo wearing hat, was on hand to give out the awards.

Local musician Bill Clark serenaded the crowd before and after the awards ceremony at the Reboli Center for Arts and History.

The annual SOLES for All Souls 5K Race/2K Walk celebrates the role of All Souls in the community and raises funds to make the historic chapel available to all. The event also collects food for St. Gerard Majella in Port Jefferson Station. The day before the race, Jennifer Donnellon, office manager at St. Gerard Majella sent an email to race director Dan Kerr: “We are praying that the rain clears up for you; your church has been a huge blessing in helping us feed families!” Their prayers were answered, the rain held off until the event was over.

— Photos by Chris Paradysz

Ward Melville Patriots tackle heart issues head-on

BY RITA J. EGAN RITA@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

Three Village student-athletes got serious about heart health last weekend.

Saturday,” a statement from Heart Screen New York read. “We know how tiring your job was and we are so proud of how many students received this training.”

HEALTH

Nearly 400 teenagers attended a cardiovascular screening at Ward Melville High School on Oct. 1, according to Kevin Finnerty, executive director of health, physical education, recreation and athletics.

“Our fall athletic coaches encouraged their teams to attend, and we even had opportunities for all students in our district, ages 12-18, to sign up for this free service,” he said.

Heart Screen New York headed up the program, a joint initiative of Louis J. Acompora Memorial Foundation and Dominic A. Murray 21 Memorial Foundation. Both Acompora and Murray died of sudden cardiac arrest during games.

Acompora was 14 when he received a blunt trauma to his chest while a goalie on the Northport field hockey team. The trauma caused commotio cordis, a syndrome that leads to cardiac arrest. His death inspired Louis’ Law, which, since 2001, requires all New York state public schools to be equipped with automatic external defibrillators, known as AEDs, in buildings and sporting events.

Murray was 17 when he collapsed and died on the Farmingdale State College basketball court in 2009. While he received medical clearance to play college sports, a congenital heart defect had gone undetected. The foundation in his honor is committed to expanding CPR/AED training, AED access and heart screenings.

The Oct. 1 cardiovascular screening included a resting 12-lead electrocardiogram that measures the heart’s electrical function. The test is not usually included in children’s and teenagers’ annual physicals. The event also included checking blood pressure and an education table with CPR/AED demonstration.

Volunteering at the high school were 120 cardiologists, medical staff, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and nursing students.

“Our CPR/AED education station trained 395 potential life-saving heroes on

Finnerty said the event, and the possibility of the high school hosting it, was brought to his attention last spring by Karen Acompora, Louis’ mother, and Ward Melville student and girls volleyball player Bailee Williams. The studentathlete and her parents, Denise and Billy, helped promote the event and secure sponsors.

“Given the fact that other school districts have unfortunately lost student-athletes to sudden cardiac arrest while playing sports in the past, I knew this was something important and very valuable to our student-athletes and school community,” Finnerty said.

Billy Williams said his daughter knew someone who was involved in the program. She reached out to the foundation last year, but there was only one date available that wouldn’t work out for the high school. He said no games can be scheduled on the day of a screening to allow all student-athletes the opportunity to take part. Last spring, when another school notified Heart Screen New York that it had to cancel their Oct. 1 event, Bailee Williams was advised and she approached Finnerty.

Her father said Three Village school district Superintendent Kevin Scanlon and Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook), with Finnerty, were helpful in making the event a reality. Williams added his daughter raised $7,500 for the Acompora foundation by reaching out to local businesses for sponsorships, and then selling T-shirts featuring the company’s names for $15 each.

Bailee Williams was pleased with how successful the event turned out.

“I am so grateful I had the support of my friends, the 3V community and school district administrators to bring the heart-screening program to Ward Melville,” she said. “I am thrilled hundreds of students were able to be screened in just one day, and that we raised awareness of sudden cardiac arrest in the student-athlete community.”

From left to right, Three Village school district Superintendent Kevin Scanlon; Three Village parent Denise Williams; Melinda Murray-Nyack, of Dominic A. Murray 21 Memorial Foundation; Ward Melville volleyball player Bailee Williams; Karen Acompora, of Louis J. Acompora Memorial Foundation; and Kevin Finnerty, executive director of health, physical education, recreation and athletics, were on hand for the Oct. 1 heart screening. Photo from Three Village Central School District

Brookhaven town board unanimously adopts new map, concludes redistricting process

BY RAYMOND JANIS EDITOR1@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

The Town of Brookhaven’s controversial redistricting process concluded on Thursday, Sept. 29, after the Town Board

unanimously to approve the latest proposed map.

The Town Board, which has a 6-1 Republican majority, took over the redistricting process after an appointed redistricting committee failed to find agreement on a draft proposal. Days after the committee formally disbanded, Town Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) presented his own map. For more on this story, see “Brookhaven officials react to latest redistricting proposal” (TBR News Media website).

Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) kicked off the public hearing with a forceful line of questioning of the town’s designated mapmaker, David Schaefer of Schenectady-based firm Skyline Consulting.

Kornreich pressed Schaefer on a range of subjects, such as his familiarity with the hamlets throughout the town. He also inquired about how Schaefer arrived at an original determination to split Port Jefferson Station and Terryville between Council Districts 1 and 2, and why he decided to move nearly all of Ridge into CD4.

Responding, Schaefer said that he created the initial maps solely to bring the six council

districts into roughly equal populations. “The first draft that I submitted is all population driven,” he said.

Following Kornreich’s line of questioning, residents pressed their representatives on the Town Board repeatedly over concerns that arose throughout the redistricting process and the alleged inequities in drawing the district lines.

Ira Costell, a resident of Port Jefferson Station, argued Schaefer’s approach was unproductive, reducing redistricting to an analytic method while ignoring its impact on communities of interest.

“There’s more than just standard deviations

and numbers at play here,” Costell said. “There’s people, there’s communities, there’s interests, and there’s fairness at stake here, and I don’t see a lot of it in what the mapmaker initially did.”

Costell further railed against the committee process, saying, “The hearings were poorly advertised, they were chaotic, they were confusing, they were marked by a lack of support information from the town, which resulted in maps that just appeared out of thin air.” He continued, “What does seem transparent, however, is the majority on this board seems poised to ignore the clear will and desires of the voters who did speak out.”

Terryville resident Lou Antoniello suggested Schaefer was not being truthful during his remarks. He added that tampering with district boundaries may affect future redistricting procedures.

“While the map that this board put together is light-years better than the original map, which cut out a huge chunk [of Terryville from CD1], it’s still cutting — cracking — Council District 1,” he said. “That sets a dangerous precedent for the future.”

Members of the redistricting committee also attended the public hearing. Among them was Gail Lynch-Bailey, who had served this year and in 2012. She referred to the two initial maps which split Port Jefferson Station and Terryville as a ploy to divert the public’s

attention away from alleged gerrymandering in Council District 4. This district includes the racially and ethnically diverse communities of Coram, Gordon Heights and North Bellport.

“Once the public realized the commission had had no input into them, the maps were readily recognized by many for what they were: diversions, bait-and-switch tactics, ‘pay-noattention-to-the-man-behind-the-curtain’ maps intended to focus attention on the northern CDs instead of what was going on for CD4,” she said. “This ruse was, and still is, unconscionable.”

Also making an appearance was Ali Nazir, the Republican co-chair on the redistricting committee. He defended the movement of mostly white Ridge into CD4, citing the hamlet’s longstanding ties to the Longwood community.

“Despite rhetoric of the contrary, Ridge has always been in Council District 4,” Nazir said. “Ridge has a long history with the Longwood community, and to arbitrarily excommunicate them from the Longwood community is quite frankly wrong.”

Port Jefferson Station and Terryville, however, remain mostly united within the boundaries of Council District 1. Kornreich, who voted with the majority, justified his vote, saying this map would not split minority communities or dilute their votes.

“We negotiated in good faith, and the

Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) questions the town’s mapmaker during a public hearing on Thursday, Sept. 29. Screenshot from the town website

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Suffolk County website remains down after cyberattack

BY RITA J. EGAN RITA@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

should be reported to the credit reporting agency and law enforcement authorities.

COUNTY

The Suffolk County website is still not up and running after a cyberattack early September. A landing page is all that appears at www. suffolkcountyny.gov to provide residents with pertinent information.

The county determined its systems had been affected by a cyberattack on or about Sept. 8, according to the website.

“While the cyber assessment remains ongoing, we believe that the threat actors accessed and/or acquired certain personal information from one or more county agency servers,” the website post read.

The county hired “multiple” cybersecurity firms to assess the issue that may have exposed employees and residents information. The firms will also work to restore online services.

“The county will notify any affected individuals as required by law, and all of those affected individuals will be offered free identity theft protection services,” the notice read. “However, because the assessment is ongoing, Suffolk County wants to ensure that employees, residents and stakeholders are informed about precautionary measures they can take to help them protect themselves from becoming victims of fraud or identity theft.”

County officials advise residents to review account statements and periodically obtain credit reports from one or more of the national credit reporting companies. Fraudulent or suspicious activity such as accounts not opened by the person, personal information that differs from a person’s address or social security number

“Even if you do not find signs of fraud on your credit reports, we recommend that you remain vigilant in reviewing your credit reports from the three major credit reporting agencies,” the notice read.

County civil service exams that were scheduled for Oct. 1 were postponed, while residents and real estate agents were having trouble searching for titles and deeds.

Suffolk County Police Department public information officers soon after the cyberattack were able to send and receive emails. However, the department doesn’t not have access to its database to search for information to assist journalists with questions for news articles or police blotters.

County Executive Steve Bellone (D) provided an update Sept. 30: “The real estate industry is critical to our economy, and last week, I met with various stakeholder groups to discuss contingency plans as the county continues to assess the cyber intrusion,” he said in a statement. “In line with our rolling restoration of services, [on Saturday, Oct. 1] the Suffolk County Clerk’s office will be open for in-person title searches to allow real estate transactions to proceed.”

Bellone thanked Judy Pascale (R), county clerk, for her help “to ensure services that our residents rely on are restored in a safe and secure way.” He added Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) helped to “provide the necessary equipment to make all this possible.”

After allowing limited access on Saturday, beginning Monday, title companies were able to resume searching titles in the building, according to the county clerk’s office.

County officials recommend residents review credit reports after cyberattack. Stock photo

Setauket resident qualifies for Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii

BY RITA J. EGAN RITA@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

While many Three Village residents will be reading The Village Times Herald soon after it hits newsstands on Oct. 6, one familiar face in the area will be in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, competing in the Ironman World Championship.

MOVER AND SHAKER

Elite endurance athlete Leah Jantzen has qualified for this year’s competition. The Ironman Triathlon includes a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile marathon. To qualify for the event, triathletes must be in the top 2% in the world. Jantzen has competed in two triathlons before, but the competition in Hawaii is the longest.

In a phone interview, Jantzen said she is excited about qualifying and competing in Hawaii, where husband Michael has joined her to cheer her on.

Jantzen is a guidance counselor at Ward Melville High School and a 1991 graduate. The mother of four children, ranging in age from 10 to 19, was the Ward Melville girls volleyball team coach, but she put coaching on hold so she could train more rigorously.

A typical weekend for the Three Village elite athlete has included 6-hour bike rides on Saturdays and 20-mile runs the next day.

During the week, she is engaged in one or two of the three triathlon activities every day.

“I’m that lady who is running and biking all over town,” she said, adding she swims at West Meadow Beach.

Jantzen balances her training schedule with caring for her family and working by setting goals and establishing boundaries.

“I’m really good with boundaries for myself,” she said. “I take care of myself as best as I can. I don’t do a lot of shopping. I don’t do a lot of decorating. I don’t drink a lot of wine. I don’t go out with the girls.”

The guidance counselor and coach said she follows the same self-care advice she gives her student-athletes regarding staying in top form. She said getting a good night’s sleep, eating healthy, especially before a competition, and surrounding yourself with good people is key.

Jantzen has her own private performance coaching business and is a motivational speaker; however, like coaching, has had to put these pursuits aside to train. Recently though, she became involved with The Hidden Opponent, a nonprofit organization. She is raising funds for the nonprofit and is a mentor for its campus captain program. Jantzen said she believes in its cause of raising awareness of mental health for student-athletes and addressing the stigma within the sports culture where many teens are hesitant to ask for help.

“There are times when you’re OK and there are times when you’re not OK,” she said, “I want to try to empower our athletes on the high school level to be equipped to handle this. The kids that are struggling, I want to be one of those resources for these kids.”

In her role as coach and counselor, she tries to ensure student-athletes know the importance of mental wellness when they come to her to discuss issues. She said young athletes go through issues such as suffering an injury in their senior year when colleges may be scouting games, while others may want to quit a team but feel they will let down their families or friends.

“Adults don’t get it sometimes that they are really wrapped up in it, and it’s normal for a 17-year-old to see themselves as this athlete,” she said. “That’s their identity and that just gets sort of taken away from them without any notice, and they don’t know how to cope with it.”

Among the Three Village residents who know Jantzen and are excited about her entering the triathlon are Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) and Billy Williams, father of four children who through the years have had Jantzen as a coach or guidance counselor. His youngest child Bailee has

been on varsity volleyball for the past three years and has been coached by Jantzen in the past. He described the coach and guidance counselor as a positive role model for the students.

“Everything she does is at the highest quality,” he said, adding that she is a hard worker and organized. “It’s like knowing a professional athlete or rock star, someone who is at the pinnacle of their sport.”

Hahn, who is also a Ward Melville graduate, grew up with Jantzen. She described her as strong, determined and an inspiration.

“She’s doing it, and she’s just inspiring to everybody because you see her, you see her on the streets when you’re driving,” Hahn said. “She’s so dedicated and an incredible

athlete and incredibly dedicated individual. It’s a huge commitment.”

As Jantzen prepared for the big race, she followed mental health advice she shares with students when it comes to dealing with pressure, which includes setting goals and practicing visualization. While athletes can get lost in anxiety, Jantzen suggests embracing the excitement.

“Excitement and nervousness are the same thing,” she said.

“Like butterflies in your stomach, that means you’re nervous. That means you care about what you’re doing, and it also means you’re excited. It’s OK to try and change it a little bit to be more excited — and less about it being nerveracking and anxiety producing.”

Elite endurance athlete Leah Jantzen, left, with her husband, Michael, right, and children Phoebe, 19, Luke, 14, Audrey, 10, and Charlie, 12. Below, Jantzen in a previous race. Photos from Leah Jantzen

‘She’s doing it, and she’s just inspiring to everybody because you see her, you see her on the streets when you’re driving.’

—Kara Hahn

History of early schools, Stony Brook teacher and students recorded in local records, journal

BY BEVERLY C. TYLER DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

Part one of a two-part history of early schools in the Three Village area.

HISTORY CLOSE AT HAND

Town of Brookhaven records for 1681 state, “teacher Edward French hired and a school is to be built.” The following year, 1682, the first schoolhouse was built in Setauket. In 1687, the town hired Francis Williamson as teacher. In 1678, Robert Rider was hired as a teacher and given a home lot and salary of 30 pounds per year, to be paid by the parents of the students and payable in pork, wheat, Indian corn and a load of firewood for each pupil. We do not know exactly where the 1682 schoolhouse was located, but in all probability it was in the general vicinity of the Setauket Village Green.

Whatever structure was used for that early school, it did not last more than 20 years, for in 1704 the town record states, “June 12, John Gray has alsoe liberty granted him to keep schoole in the meeting house provided that hee take care to cleane the meeting house every satterday and to make good all damage that the scollars shall doe to the same.” The meeting house mentioned was at the Village Green where the Presbyterian church now stands. In 1718, a town-owned school was built, the only school in Northern Brookhaven, at a cost of 38 pounds. That schoolhouse, which was used until 1859, was built where the Caroline Episcopal Church carriage shed stands today.

The first school in Stony Brook began in 1743. It was in a converted barn located on Main Street, near the Mill Pond and the grist mill, the center of activity in Stony Brook at the turn of the century. About 1801, it was replaced by the second Stony Brook schoolhouse which was constructed south of the earlier barn schoolhouse. In 1813, the town divided the area into school districts. Stony Brook was District Number 1, Western Setauket (the school at the Village Green)

was District Number 2, and Eastern Setauket was District Number 3.

In Stony Brook, there continued to be only one schoolhouse until the area was divided into two districts in 1823, with the north and east part of Stony Brook labeled as District Number 30. That new schoolhouse was located across from what is now the Stony Brook Community Church, along Christian Avenue. In 1859, this building was moved, and a new school was built to replace it. The design of this second District 30 schoolhouse was so good that when the West Setauket School, on the Village Green, was built in 1869, its designer copied many of the features of the Stony Brook school.

Henry Hudson was the schoolmaster for Stony Brook for a number of years. He was a farmer and a schoolteacher. His life was ordinary in many ways, and he was never financially secure. What makes him special is that he kept a daily journal for more than 50 years. His words help us to understand a little more about life on 19th century Long Island.

Hudson was born on May 1, 1791, at “Long Pond” (Lake Panamoka). It was the year the states ratified the Bill of Rights, which then became the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution. It was also the year Samuel F.B. Morse was born, one year after Benjamin Franklin died and just two years after George Washington was inaugurated as President of the United States.

Hudson grew up on a farm as did his father and grandfather. He was educated and, starting in 1817 at the age of 25, began keeping the daily journal of his thoughts and activities. In April of that year he taught school at Wading River. In 1818 and 1819 he taught school in Stony Brook. To get to Stony Brook for the quarter, Henry walked

from Wading River. If he had a horse at all, it was needed on the farm, so walking was the only available way for him to travel.

In Stony Brook he stayed a few days with each of the families of the students he taught, including “the widow Mount” whose children William Sidney, Shepard and Ruth were in his school. During 1819, he ended school for one quarter on May 4. From July 5, 1819, through Sept. 23 he taught school in Moriches. Then from Nov. 1, 1819, through April 15, 1820, he was back in Stony Brook. On May 2, 1820, he began to teach in East Setauket.

His journal entry for February 1819 says, ”The Rev Zachariah Green tends a Bible class at my schoolhouse on every other Thursday afternoon. At school we have forty steady to about fifty schollars, from ten to twelve studying the English grammar, about as many studying Arithmetic.” During the middle of February,

Henry Hudson stayed a number of days boarding at the home of “Widow Mount.” A school list for 1819 contains a total of 73 students from 35 families. Six of the families were named Smith and five were named Hawkins.

In Stony Brook on Aug. 1, 1820, Henry “commenced the second quarter today, forty four scholars. Study some today on writing.

On Friday, Sept. 8, he writes, “Tend school — thirty six scholars. Hot and dry. Sickly sickness spreads daily, [Dysentery was one problem that summer]. unwholesome dry weather … Sept. 11th. South wind blows fresh, but very hot — I stop the school on count of the sickness ...”

Beverly C. Tyler is a Three Village Historical Society historian and author of books available from the society at 93 North Country Road, Setauket. For more information, call 631-7513730. or visit www.tvhs.org.

Stony Brook students, above, in front of second Stony Brook schoolhouse, circa 1890. Teacher Miss Libbie Hallock stands in the back row, far left. Below right, a view of the school house along Main Street looking north. Below left, the first Stony Brook schoolhouse, circa 1743, was a converted barn.

Join us for Paint Port Pink during October. Bringing the community together in the fight against breast cancer. Learn more at paintportpink.org

Where you go matters

When you go for a mammogram, you want a highly experienced breast radiologist, the latest technology and the most caring staff.

The Fortunato Breast Health Center’s board certified breast radiologists review more than 12,000 breast studies each year and compare your latest scans to multiple prior year scans to identify the smallest changes.

Our advanced 3D mammography system is designed to make screening more comfortable. It offers sharper, clearer images for improved diagnostic accuracy and delivers the lowest radiation dose of all FDA approved 3D mammography systems.

Our compassionate nurse navigators assist diagnosed patients through treatment and recovery, explaining every step of the journey while providing emotional support. Our center is warm and serene, and we even have heated robes.

If you’re uninsured or underinsured, resources are available for free or discounted screenings through the Suffolk County Cancer Services Program. Call (631) 548-6320.

Make your appointment for your annual mammogram, call (631) 476-2771.

Patriots shutout William Floyd

BY BILL LANDON DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

Ward Melville forward Peyton Costello broke the ice for the Patriots girls soccer team four minutes in when her shot found its mark for the early lead in a home game against William Floyd Sept. 29.

Teammate Pearl Kenny buried her shot off an assist with 23 minutes left in the opening period to lead, 2-0, at the halftime break. The Patriots stretched their legs in the second half spreading the wealth when Ale Victoriano and Samantha Ruffino both scored, and teammates

Courtney Gains, Julia Alu and Maddy Costello each stretched the net for the 7-0 shutout. Senior goal keeper Elyse Munoz had five saves on the day and has allowed only four goals in 11 games this season.

With the win, the Patriots remain undefeated at 6-0-2 in league, 8-0-3 overall, and will host Riverhead Oct. 12. Game time is 4:15 p.m.

Pictured clockwise from above, Ward Melville forward Marisa Tonic heads the ball; Patriots forward Emilia Retzlaff battles for possession; and Ward Melville forward Pearl Kenny maneuvers midfield.

— Photos by Bill Landon

We

School News

W.S. Mount Elementary School

Top musicians

Five Ward Melville High School students were selected by the New York State School Music Association to perform in the 2022 All-State Music Conference.

An additional 13 students were chosen as alternates.

Congratulations to the following:

All-State

• Adam Bear – Mixed Chorus

• John Gallagher – Symphony Orchestra

• Theresa Jiao – Symphony Orchestra

• Hayden Pepe – Symphonic Band

• Mikaeel Zohair – Mixed Chorus

Alternates

• Juliet Abramson

• Ava Della Pietra

• Alexandra Duan

• Philip Gatti

• Emre Goral

Ward Melville High School

• Sahana Gupta

• Acadia Kunkel

• Kira Manganas

• Evan Meinsen

• Matthew Cole Platt

• Rachel Rose

• Peter Sloniewsky

• Brianna Zenaty

Of the thousands who auditioned, only the top musicians from school music departments across New York are selected. They auditioned by participating in solo and ensemble festivals last spring.

“This is a result of not only the students’ hard work and dedication, but a direct reflection of our music teachers’ commitment and perseverance towards excellence,” said Anthony Pollera , director of music.

The All-State Conference will take place in Rochester from Dec. 1 to 4.

Start with hello

W.S. Mount Elementary School participated in Start With Hello Week from Sept. 19-23. The week is a nationwide initiative that kicks off the school year by teaching students the skills they need to create a culture of inclusion and connectedness.

During the course of the week, students were encouraged to reach out and include others through a number of activities. Each morning, the school social worker announced what spirit day it was. For each spirit day, students were challenged

to complete a task – ranging from eating lunch with a new person to making a friend during recess. In addition, students who speak different languages taught the school community new words during the morning announcements.

The week culminated with a school spirit day where students and staff wore green and yellow. Additionally, students and teachers created a tree made of paper hands to be displayed in the main hallway as a symbol of unity.

Regional recognition

Ward Melville High School’s Math Team recently placed third in New York and first in Suffolk County at the New York State Math League Competition.

The competition gives students at the elementary, middle and high school levels an opportunity to participate in an

academically engaging activity while gaining recognition for achievement. Students are challenged to solve age-appropriate math questions that cover a variety of difficulty ranges.

The district congratulates Ward Melville High School’s Math Team and wishes them success in future competitions.

Perfect score

Ward Melville High School student Michael Melikyan earned a perfect score on the Advanced Placement Computer Science Principles Exam in spring 2022.

Not only did Melikyan receive the top score of 5, he was one of only 196 students in the world to earn every point possible.

The college-level course introduces students to computer science. The AP program helps students stand out on college applications while earning college credit or placement.

The district applauds Melikyan on this outstanding and rare accomplishment.

Photo from Three Village Central School District

Ward Melville High School

Photo from Three Village Central School District

Photo from Three Village Central School District

Photo from Three Village Central School District

Redistricting

Continued from A5

supervisor fulfilled his promise to keep Gordon Heights and North Bellport together, not to dilute the minority vote, and in good faith, I will support the agreement we made,” Kornreich said. “Is it an ideal map?

No. Is it a map that I were to draw? Of course not. But when you’ve got one Democrat and a row of Republicans, you tell me what level of political power you have.”

In concluding his remarks, the CD1 councilmember said the final map reflects a

series of compromises.

“Despite the hideously flawed process that led here, I think in the end we’ve created a map that’s got some compromises, and it’s got a little something for everyone to be unhappy about,” he said, adding, “I hope that we can get to work and solve the real problems that face our town.”

No other board member spoke during the hearing. Following the vote, a droning cry rained from some in the audience, the dissidents shouting, “Shame on you, shame on you.”

It remains unclear whether the map will face challenges in court or whether those challenges could hold up given the bipartisan outcome.

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Editorial Letters to the editor

‘Tis the season of precaution

Once again, Suffolk County residents find themselves in the midst of hurricane season.

Hurricanes Fiona and Ian recently reared their ugly heads. While Long Island was spared, the headlines featuring the wreckage left behind in places such as Puerto Rico and Florida remind us of how devastating these storms can be.

In the Atlantic and Caribbean, hurricane season officially begins June 1 and lasts until Nov. 30. The height of the season is typically August, September and October.

Many Long Island residents remember the wrath of Gloria in 1985, and while it was downgraded to a superstorm once it hit our shores nearly 10 years ago, Sandy started as a hurricane, leaving damage and death behind, from the Caribbean to Canada.

Though we are well into hurricane season, it’s never too late to take precautionary measures.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends preparing before a storm hits by programming all emergency phone numbers into cellphones, writing down the numbers and placing them on the refrigerator or near home phones. CDC officials also advise locating the nearest shelter and researching different routes to get there. Pet owners should also find petfriendly shelters and hotels or an out-of-town friend or relative who can take in pets during the case of an evacuation.

The CDC suggests having emergency supplies handy in case of a weather emergency. People should keep in mind that water and electricity could be cut off, and it’s imperative to have a supply of items such as batteries, bottled water, flashlights, medications and important documents that are easily accessible.

All family members should know where the fire extinguishers are in the home and how to use them. And, most importantly, families should go over their emergency plan regularly.

When a storm is predicted, the CDC says to clean up any items outside of the house that could potentially blow around and cause damage. Installing storm shutters or putting plywood on windows can prevent shattered glass coming into a home. Carbon monoxide detectors should be checked to prevent CO poisoning.

The most important tip various agencies give is to follow the advice of government officials and first responders regarding evacuating or sheltering in place at home. When evacuating, take only what you need as well as your emergency kit. Drivers should travel on roads they are instructed to use even if there is traffic, and avoid any downed wires.

Those staying at home need to remember not to go outside, even if it seems calm, until news that the hurricane has finally passed. Also, stay away from windows and, of course, always be prepared to leave if responders tell you that it’s necessary.

For those who have a trip planned, AAA cautions travelers to be proactive when a storm is predicted to hit by monitoring weather conditions of one’s departure city and destination before leaving. When traveling after a weather event such as a hurricane, it’s imperative to call hotels to get an update on the storm’s impact and to confirm if flights are scheduled to leave on time. Remember that even if an area wasn’t directly hit by a storm, it could still be negatively impacted.

A bit of preparation and caution can help a person and families navigate most storms. Hopefully, Long Islanders won’t need the advice this season.

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

Politicians must unite to fight our deadly drug epidemic

Last year, the number of people dying from drug overdoses in the United States reached a staggering estimated 107,622, according to provisional data from CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. It was a nearly 15% jump from the prior 12 months. That’s almost 300 fatalities every day. If that many lives were being lost daily because jets were falling from the sky, there would be a national uproar, followed by quick action.

One of the biggest reasons for much of this deadly mayhem is fentanyl. Its lethal potency is unmatched by anything on the illegal drug market and our nation has been flooded with it.

While we’ve suffered with supply chain issues, dealers pedaling this poison have not. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, precursor chemicals go from China to Mexico, where two notorious cartels produce the bulk of fentanyl consumed in the U.S. From Mexico, the drugs are smuggled over our wide-open southern border, eventually, reaching every state in the union.

The New York Post recently reported that fentanyl was being shipped into Hunts Point produce market in the Bronx. “It comes in with the produce,” said Bridget Brennan, who heads the city’s Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor.

Next, traffickers move it to nearby apartments where the drug gets chopped up and packaged into small glassine envelopes. The drugs are then sold on the streets of the city, and perhaps in a neighborhood much like yours. If all this wasn’t bad enough, the cartels have added a new, unholy, sinister wrinkle by marketing candycolored fentanyl to preteens.

Given this terrifying information, where are our politicians? If the causes of those aforementioned ill-fated jets were as clear as the causes of our deadly drug epidemic, and almost half our pols did virtually nothing, they’d be outcasts.

While some Democratic officials living in border towns and cities being overrun do complain, their party leaders stay mum.

In New York, where gang violence is systemic, we have laws that free suspected smugglers and pushers without bail. José “Cataño” Jorge, charged with supplying a killer dose of fentanyl to a young man was sprung. Facing 96 years in jail if convicted on that and other charges, he failed to return to court.

A few months ago, two suspected cartel drug smugglers from California were busted in New York City with 165 pounds of crystal meth worth $1.2 million. They walked because clueless state lawmakers failed “to include methamphetamine crimes among bail-eligible offenses.”

For months, NYS Republicans, have urged Gov. Kathy Hochul [D] to call a special

legislative session aimed at fixing this kind of madness. At the end of July, NYC Mayor Eric Adams [D] joined the GOP chorus saying, “We’re talking about someone that has repeatedly used violence in our city.”

Adams joining Republicans on tightening the state’s bail laws is a welcome sign. Sadly, pols like Hochul, President Joe Biden [D], and Vice President Kamala Harris [D], seeing no personal political advantage, remain mute. That’s even as those metaphorical passenger jets continue to crash in communities all around us — every 24 hours.

Jim Soviero Setauket

County 5th Legislative District kept intact by reapportionment commission

In a refreshing and much-needed show of bipartisan compromise, the previously deadlocked Suffolk County Reapportionment Commission on Sept. 28 unanimously approved a new county legislative district map that keeps the 5th Legislative District intact and creates four majority-minority districts in Suffolk County.

The eight-member Reapportionment Commission was previously deadlocked on party lines over two competing map proposals and had until Sept. 30 to adopt a map to submit to the county Legislature for approval. The Republican map would have split the 5th Legislative District and the Three Village school district into three different county legislative districts, diminishing our votes and undermining the influence our communities have in the Legislature. The Democratic map did not split the 5th District but instead kept intact its shared historic, economic, social, policy, legislative, scientific, educational and environmental values and interests — better ensuring effective and fair representation.

Two days before the deadline, the Reap portionment Commission approved a new “Map C” compromise map which maintains an average population of about 85,000 for all 18 county legislative districts. The new map creates four majority-minority districts, where minority groups comprise a majority of the district’s total population, thus giving them an opportunity to have their voices heard, and their communities represented.

With a nation divided over so many issues, it is promising to see that the county Reapportionment Commission, both Democratic and Republican members, were willing to work together to come up with maps that are fair to both sides. Although there are new state mandates that require counties and localities to comply with redistricting standards to avoid gerrymandering, this commission could have stubbornly maintained partisan positions which would have likely ended in a courtroom battle. Voters win when the people we vote into office are willing to employ a bipartisan

approach to problem-solving that benefits the communities they represent and serve.

The recommended Map C will be assigned to a legislative committee and a hearing date or dates set for public comment. If all goes well, Map C will be approved by the Legislature. The hearing date will be made available on the Suffolk County Legislature’s website accessible at www. scnylegislature.us/. Thank you to all who sent in comments and participated in the process — working together we can and did make a difference.

Laura Ahearn Port Jefferson

Flood’s dangerous rhetoric on prescription drugs

Thank you for the coverage of the Meet the Candidates Night held on Sept. 20 at the Port Jeff Station/Terryville Civic Association [The Village Times Herald, Sept. 29]. The evening was marked by a wide-ranging discussion about issues facing the 4th Assembly District, served presently by Steve Englebright [D-Setauket]. In particular, the conversation touched on issues of mental health and addiction services, a policy area of deep concern and involvement to me personally which impacts the lives of many families around Suffolk County.

At one point, Republican challenger Ed Flood proposed dealing with the high cost of prescription drugs by advancing ideas I found extremely distressing and at odds with the values and beliefs which would represent us well in Albany. First, he proposed capping judgments awarded in lawsuits by those seeking redress from the harms inflicted on them by dangerous drugs, and compounded this by advocating a reduction in the regulatory oversight Big Pharma goes through to bring drugs to market. Costs of medications have more to do with the enormous expenditures funding the largest lobbying entity in the entire country as well as the ubiquitous advertising found on TV.

The insensitivity and ignorance of this position adds to the pain and suffering many Suffolk families and society endured at the hands of Purdue Pharma which pushed OxyContin (heroin in a pill) on an unsuspecting public. The hundreds of millions of dollars Big Pharma is paying in judgments and settlements obtained by New York Attorney General Letitia James [D] and others is of little solace to those who lost loved ones like my family, but at least will go to education, prevention and treatment programs to fight back the tide of this scourge.

Were it up to Mr. Flood, these companies would not be accountable for their egregious actions and would unleash more drugs with less oversight, ravaging more families across our state. I, for one, plan on saying a big “no thank you” to him on Nov. 8.

Ira Costell

Port Jefferson Station

The 10 commandments of cellphone usage and etiquette for our kids

You’re

meeting with your boss, and you can feel your phone vibrating in your pocket with a new text message, an incoming email or a good old-fashioned phone call.

What do you do?

You’d be on pins and needles if someone you knew, your spouse or partner, perhaps, were expecting a baby. Or, perhaps, someone was traveling a great distance through a storm and you were eager to hear that your friend or family member had arrived safely.

So, when we are talking to our boss, we generally realize that responding to our demanding electronics probably isn’t a great idea.

But what about when we are talking to a parent, a friend, a child or a neighbor?

Given the frequency with which I have seen the tops of people’s heads as they look down at their phones instead of in their eyes, it seems people have concluded that eye contact is so 20th century.

Since when did people outside the room become so much more important and demanding than the ones with whom we are interacting? If we can’t find people who are as interesting in person as the ones far away, perhaps it is time to move to interact with some of those fascinating folks.

first phone.

We can address not only how to handle an incoming text while in the middle of a conversation, but also how to unplug ourselves and our lives from endless messages, games, movies and TV shows.

If I could go back to the time when we handed phones to our children, ensuring that the phone would eventually replace bedtime stories, dinnertime conversation and eye contact, I would consider establishing our own “Ten Commandments” of phone ownership and usage.

These might be:

you can’t use your name or stand behind what you write, you shouldn’t have written it in the first place.

6. Don’t take embarrassing pictures of your parents and share them with your friends. Older people don’t tend to look as glamorous in digital pictures as younger people, so be kind.

5. Internet fame is not a life goal.

4. When you become better at using your phone than your parents (which occurs in a surprisingly short time), share your wisdom and skills with them. Think of it as familial community service.

D. None of the above

BY DANIEL DUNAIEF

But most of the time, the stakes aren’t quite as high with incoming information. In fact, some of the time, we’re getting spam that seeks our attention.

I understand that people online don’t have bad breath and messy hair and aren’t wearing the same clashing outfit that they wore last week, and that continues to threaten to give us a migraine.

Maybe we ought to consider classes in electronic etiquette that teachers can share with students or with people who are receiving their

10. Limit the time each day when you use your phone, with only extraordinarily limited exceptions. If you need to use your phone for schoolwork for two or three hours, that still counts as phone usage.

9. Leave the phone in another room when you’re not using it.

8. If you can’t say something supportive or pleasant on social media, don’t say anything.

7. No anonymous messages or criticism. If

3. Don’t assume everything you find online is true. In fact, at least once a week, or even once a day, find something on the internet that you think is false. Use trusted sources to contradict what you think an internet provider got wrong.

2. If it looks like everyone else is having a better time than you, put your phone down. They aren’t.

1. If you can tell your parents to wait while you respond to a text or call from a friend, make sure you tell your friends the same thing when your parents reach out to you.

Let’s share disturbing thoughts in the night. We’ll both feel better

Haveyou been waking up thinking at night? There is so much to think about, even to be deeply concerned about. There is COVID-19, of course. No one wants to get the disease, and if you already had it, you don’t want to get it again, as some people reportedly have. You also don’t want any of the long-hauler symptoms to afflict you: fatigue, brain fog, aches and pains, trouble breathing, dizziness, headache, and at least nine more on a reported list. In fact, the list is so comprehensive, it’s enough to give you anxiety, especially if you already have had the illness. Oh yes, and anxiety is also one of the symptoms. Then there is the Ukraine. Normally

a country that was somewhere in Eastern Europe, in the same general area as “Fiddler on the Roof,” now its whereabouts as Russia’s western neighbor are known around the world.

We watched as Putin sent more than 100,000 soldiers to overrun its borders. Poor little Ukraine, horrid bully Russia. We are sending them an unprecedented amount of money and military aid, and we have lowered our national oil and gas supplies. Will we have enough resources if we are attacked? Even as we cheer the valiant resistance and success of the victims of naked aggression, we worry about Putin’s possible use of nuclear arms. He has over 2000 small such weapons, apparently, and it’s the Cold War all over again.

as well as a challenge for areas in need of Help Wanted. Indeed, I am now reading that some of the immigrants are put to work cleaning up the devastation wrought by hurricane Ian in Florida. They are even being sent back down there to help. Who knows what to believe?

hurricanes, some with even legendary force, the prospect of more and stronger blasts due to climate change has prompted scary instruction about emergency bags and escape routes.

BY LEAH S. DUNAIEF

The problem of immigration was brought right to our door with the arrival of immigrants sent by southern governors of border states. They have been literally deposited here by the thousands via buses, and they have been humanely received, if we are to accept what we are told by the media. As I have written in this column before, they can represent an opportunity

If you are going into New York City, how likely are you to ride the subway? The reports of incidents underground are frightening. So are horrible, unprovoked attacks on the streets. Now, I grew up in the city, and I am used to all sorts of miserable statistics concerning crime there, but I somehow never felt fearful. With some eight million people, crime is unfortunately inevitable. And NYC isn’t even statistically the worst. New Orleans is. But somehow, these recent incidents seem more violent.

Climate change has finally penetrated national conversation. The destruction and deaths in Puerto Rico and now in Florida and the Carolinas caused by the last two hurricanes have made those of us who live on islands and along the shores more conscious of future threats. While there have always been

Inflation and its direction are also of grave concern. Going to the supermarket now seems to net about half as many bags of groceries for the usual food budget. Restaurants have decidedly become more expensive, as they have to pay more to function. And home values seem to have stopped rising and begun to cool. The stock market, while it is not the economy, has dropped like a rock. That negates the “wealth effect” homeowners and investors feel that encourages them to spend more freely.

Heck, I even worry about the New York Yankees. Yes, they have won their division, and you might say, “handily.” That’s exactly the problem. The last time they won by a big margin, they lost their competitive edge, along with the series, remember? It even happened this year right after the All-Star break. Teams do better when they have to fight until the last minute.

Awww, forgeddaboutit! Go back to sleep.