PORT JEFF IN BLOOM
In celebration of the 5,000 daffodil bulbs planted this past fall (and currently in bloom) for ‘Plant Port Yellow’ through a beautification grant received from PSEG, the Greater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce will host a food crawl, Blooms and Bites, featuring a selection of small dessert bites and beverages on April 30 from 1 to 4 p.m. Photo by Heidi Sutton/TBR News Medi
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By Matthew Kearns, DVM
You can’t log onto the internet without finding some sort of clickbait story about a dog attack. It is estimated that approximately 370,000 people are bitten by dogs every year. Although I believe that aggression is never appropriate and should not be condoned, recognizing aggression and problem situations is the key to avoiding bites. Here is a list of the different types of dog aggression:
Territorial Aggression — the need to protect its territory is hardwired in dogs long before they were domesticated. If a dog senses (or perceives) that someone or something has violated its territory, it will feel the need to defend itself. This could refer to the dog that is barking and snarling at the fence. Dogs do not differentiate property lines and will soon consider any portion of the block their territory.
Fear Related Aggression — this is where a normally friendly dog becomes so fearful that any type of interaction is taken as a threat and they respond with aggression to “defend themselves.” This very commonly happens at the veterinarian’s office.
Food Aggression — growling and snapping if a person comes near the dog when they have a treat, near the food bowl, etc, is inappropriate and intervention is needed.
Dominance Aggression — this type of aggression can be directed against other pets in the household or family members and will manifest itself when the dominant dog is challenged.
Here are a few tips on avoiding potentially dangerous situations:
■ Always approach a dog you have never met before with your palm up below their muzzle. This is an act of deference or neutrality, whereas approaching a dog with your palm down and above the head (as if to pet the dog) is an act of dominance or aggression.
Also, if a dog is growling, barking, or snarling but still is wagging its tail; believe the growl/bark/snarl. I have seen many a dog attack another dog (or person) while still wagging its tail.
■ Beware of dogs roaming the neighborhood. Although most have just escaped the yard and are no threat, approach with caution and have an escape route for yourself.
■ If a dog is growling and hiding in a corner do not try to engage them, but rather ignore the behavior and let them come to you.
■ If you notice any signs of aggression as a puppy bring them to the attention of your veterinarian and consider one on one training with a behaviorist.
I hope this helps to recognize aggressive behavior to either avoid dangerous situations or intervene early on so that we can all enjoy our barking, furry family members safely.
Dr. Kearns practices veterinary medicine from his Port Jefferson office and is pictured with his son Matthew and his dog Jasmine.
Wegmans Food Markets, a supermarket chain with 106 stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts, and North Carolina, announced in a press release April 25 that it will open it first location on Long Island in Lake Grove.
The business, which started in Rochester in 1916, offers a variety of fresh produce, frozen foods, seafood, baked goods, deli items, prepared meals, Wegmans-branded food items, a pharmacy, floral shop and more. One of the largest private companies in the U.S., it boasted annual sales in 2021 of $11.2 billion.
The 100,000 square foot store will be located in the DSW plaza at the corner of Middle Country Road and Moriches Road. Wegmans has entered into an agreement to purchase 8.5 acres of the existing 28-acre plaza. Prestige Properties and Development will continue to own and operate the remainder of the plaza.
“We are delighted and proud Wegmans has chosen our DSW Plaza Shopping Center for their first location on Long Island,” said Sam Shalem, Chairman and CEO of Prestige Properties & Development. “Wegmans is a first-class asset and will be an incredible addition to Lake Grove and the surrounding communities. We look forward to partnering with Wegmans on this landmark location.”
A timeline for construction and opening has not yet been determined.
For its 52,000 employees, the business offers an extensive array of benefits, including competitive pay and benefits packages, premium pay on Sundays and holidays, tuition assistance through the company’s employee scholarship program, and flexible scheduling. In addition the company is also committed to making a difference in the local community, giving back through food donations, sponsoring community events, and more.
The supermakert chain has been named one of the ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’ by Fortune magazine for 25 consecutive years, ranking #3 in 2022. The company also ranked #1 on People’s 2021 ‘Companies That Care’ list.
“Wegmans will be such a positive addition to our village, as it will help rejuvenate all of the retail in the area. The company has a reputation that will bring folks near and far into Lake Grove to do their shopping,” said Mayor Robert Scottaline. “We are so excited to welcome Wegmans to our beautiful village. We look forward to working together to make a positive impact in the community.”
The closest Wegmans location is currently in Brooklyn. Another location is opening in Manhattan in 2023. The company has announced plans for additional stores in Virginia, and Delaware, all scheduled to open over the next two years.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone has announced that the Suffolk County Veterans Service Agency will host its third annual Drive-thru Resource and Stand Down Event on Saturday, April 30 in the north parking lot of the H. Lee Dennison Building located at 100 Veterans Memorial Highway in Hauppauge from 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
This year, 22 organizations and county agencies will participate, offering a variety of resources free-of-charge.
“Suffolk County is home to the largest veterans’ population in New York State and we must do all that we can to support our nations heroes,” said County Executive Bellone. “As part of the event, our local veterans will have access to critical information about services currently available to them, along with a host of supplies, including COVID-19 test kits.”
Attending veterans and their families will have an opportunity to receive clothing, fresh produce, personal hygiene items, cleaning supplies, gift cards, blankets, and much more. Information on various nonprofit veteran services, including for physical and mental health, will also be available. Registration is encouraged, but not required. To register, click here.
Over the last two years, more than 200 veteran attendees have received resources from the various organizations and county agencies at the Drive-thru Resource and Stand Down Event. The County anticipates 200 to 300 veterans will attend this year.
Organizations participating in this year’s event include:
o Suffolk County Veteran’s Services Agency
o Suffolk County Traffic & Parking Violations Agency
o Suffolk County Department of Labor
o Suffolk County Community College
o American Legion Greenlawn Post 1244
o Catholic Health Services
o Covanta
o Dominican Village
o Economic Opportunity Council of Suffolk, Inc.
o General Needs
o Here to Help Veterans and Families
o Home Depot
o Joseph P. Dwyer Veterans Peer Support Project
o Long Island Cares, Inc.
o New Ground
o Phoenix House LI/NY
o Project9line
o St. Joseph’s College NY
o Treehouse Group
o United Veterans Beacon House
o United Way of Long Island
o US Dept. of Veterans Affairs
For more information, call 631-853-4000.
By David Dunaief, M.D.
Last week, I wrote that the CDC estimates as many as 15 percent of U.S. adults have chronic kidney disease (CKD) and that roughly 90 percent of them don’t know they have it (1). This includes about 50 percent of people with a high risk of kidney failure in the next five years.
How is this possible? CKD is tricky because it tends to be asymptomatic, initially. Only in the advanced stages do symptoms become distinct, although there can be vague symptoms in moderate stages such as fatigue, malaise and loss of appetite. Those at highest risk for CKD include patients with diabetes, high blood pressure and those with first-degree relatives who have advanced disease. But those are only the ones at highest risk.
Why does CKD matter?
Your kidneys function as efficient little blood filters. They remove wastes, toxins and excess fluid from the body. In addition, they play roles in controlling blood pressure, producing red blood cells, maintaining bone health, and regulating natural chemicals in the blood. When they’re not operating at full capacity, the consequences can be heart disease, stroke, anemia, infection and depression — among others. According to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the American College of Physicians, those who are at highest risk should be screened including patients with diabetes or hypertension (2)(3).
Slowing CKD progression
Fortunately, there are several options available, ranging from preventing CKD with specific exercise to slowing the progression with lifestyle changes and medications.
Exercise helps – even walking
The results of a study show that walking reduces the risk of death and the need for dialysis by 33 percent and 21 percent respectively (4). Even more intriguing, those who walked more often saw greater results. So, the participants who walked one-to-two times a week had a significant 17 percent reduction in death and a 19 percent reduction in kidney replacement therapy, while those who walked at least seven times per week experienced a more impressive 59 percent reduction in death and a 44 percent reduction in the risk of dialysis. There were 6,363 participants with an average age of 70, and they were followed for an average of 1.3 years.
How much protein to consume?
When it comes to CKD, more protein is not necessarily better, and it may even be harmful. In a meta-analysis of 17 Cochrane database studies of non-diabetic CKD patients who were not on dialysis, results showed that the risk of progression to end-stage kidney disease, including the need for dialysis or a kidney transplant, was reduced 36 percent in those who consumed a very low-protein diet, rather than a low-protein or normal protein diet (5).
Reducing sodium consumption
Good news! In a study, results showed that a modest sodium reduction in our diet may be sufficient to help prevent proteinuria (protein in the urine) (6). Here, less than 2000 mg was shown to be beneficial, something all of us can achieve.
Medications have a place
We routinely give certain medications, ACE inhibitors or ARBs, to patients who have diabetes to protect their kidneys. What about patients who do not have diabetes? ACEs and ARBs are two classes of anti-hypertensives — high blood pressure medications — that work on the kidney systems responsible for blood pressure and water balance (7). Results of a study show that these medications reduced the risk of death significantly in patients with moderate CKD. Most of the patients were considered hypertensive.
However, there was a high discontinuation rate among those taking the medication. If you include the discontinuations and regard them as failures, then all who participated showed a 19 percent reduction in risk of death, which was significant. However, if you exclude discontinuations, the results are much more robust with a 63 percent reduction. To get a more realistic picture, this result, including both participants and dropouts, is probably close to what will occur in clinical practice unless the physician is a really good motivator or has very highly motivated patients.
Should you be taking NSAIDs?
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which include ibuprofen and naproxen, have been associated with CKD progression and with kidney injury in those without CKD (1). For those on ACE inhibitors or ARBs, NSAIDs can also interfere with their effectiveness. Talk to your doctor about your prescription NSAIDs and any other over-the-counter medications you are taking.
Takeaways
You don’t necessarily have to rely on drug therapies to protect your kidneys, and there is no down-side to lifestyle modifications. Lowering sodium modestly, walking frequently, and lowering your protein consumption may all be viable options, with or without medication. Discuss with your physician whether you need regular screening. High-risk patients with hypertension and diabetes should definitely be screened; however, those with vague symptoms of lethargy, aches and pains might benefit from screening, as well.
References: (1) cdc.gov/kidneydisease (2) uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org (3) aafp.org. (4) Clin J Am Soc Neph-rol. 2014;9(7):1183-9. (5) Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020;(10):CD001892. (6) Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens. 2014;23(6):533-540. (7) J Am Coll Cardiol. 2014;63(7):650-658.
Dr. David Dunaief is a speaker, author and local lifestyle medicine physician focusing on the integration of medicine, nutrition, fitness and stress management. For further information, visit www.medicalcompassmd.com.
By Barbara Beltrami
Much as we enjoy those heavy long-simmered sauces that satisfy and comfort us during the long winter season, those of us who love pasta also love to inject some spring flavors and colors into our warm weather sauces. Of course, pasta primavera with its combination of seasonal veggies is high on the list but there’s also pasta with lemon and fresh herbs with its bright citrusy flavor or pasta with prosciutto and peas. Just think spring, more delicate pasta shapes and not a lot of cooking and it all comes together.
Pasta with Lemon and Fresh Herbs
YIELD: Makes 4 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound thin spaghetti
2/3 cup fresh herbs such as parsley, dill, tarragon, basil, or chives, chopped
Grated zest of one lemon
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced blanched asparagus
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS: Cook spaghetti according to package directions. While it is cooking, in a large bowl combine the herbs, lemon zest, garlic, lemon juice, oil, asparagus and salt and pepper. When the pasta is ready, drain it and add half a cup of its cooking water to the lemon mixture; immediately add hot pasta and cheese to the skillet and toss to combine; transfer to a large bowl. Serve hot with a cherry tomato salad.
Fettuccine with Prosciutto and Peas
YIELD: Makes 4 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound fettuccine
1 stick unsalted butter
Leaves from one large sprig of fresh sage
8 ounces thin sliced prosciutto, torn into bite-size pieces
2 cups cooked fresh or frozen peas
Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
DIRECTIONS: Cook pasta according to package directions; reserve about 12 ounces of the cooking liquid. In a large skillet or pot, melt butter until frothy; add sage and prosciutto and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until prosciutto begins to brown and get crispy, about 4 minutes. Drain pasta, then add reserved cooking water to prosciutto and sage mixture; over medium heat stir, then add pasta, peas, salt and pepper and cheese and toss until heated through and liquid is absorbed by pasta. Serve hot with an arugula, radicchio and Belgian endive salad.
Linguine Primavera
YIELD: Makes 4 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound linguine
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bunch broccolini, washed, trimmed, chopped and cooked
4 baby zucchini, cut into 1” discs and cooked
4 asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 2” pieces and cooked
1 1/2 cups wax beans, trimmed, cut into 1” pieces and cooked
2/3 cup fresh or frozen peas, cooked
1 cup canned or frozen (not marinated) artichoke hearts, quartered (and cooked, if frozen)
1 cup thinly sliced baby Bella mushrooms, cooked
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
3 cups diced fresh tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese
DIRECTIONS: Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, add the hot pepper flakes, scallions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, about one minute, until they release their aroma. Immediately add the broccolini, zucchini, asparagus, wax beans, peas, artichokes, mushrooms, parsley, tomatoes, basil, and salt and pepper and stir until veggies are heated through but not browned. Add butter, chicken broth, cream and cheese, and a little of the pasta cooking water; stir vigorously. Transfer linguine to a large bowl and toss with veggie mixture. Serve hot with a chilled dry white wine and bread sticks.
On April 21, Suffolk County Community College’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously to freeze tuition at the State University of New York’s largest community college for the third consecutive year, citing the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and financial strain inflation is putting on students and their families.
The Board adopted an operating College budget of approximately $208 million for the 2022-23 academic year at its monthly meeting that includes no tuition increase. Additionally, student fees will remain flat.
“Our students are our number one priority,” said Suffolk County Community College Board of Trustees Chair E. Christopher Murray, “and despite the challenges of the waning pandemic, holding down tuition cost ensures we remain an affordable, high quality, accessible resource for Suffolk residents.”
“Even as our economy recovers, we know that many Suffolk County residents need our help starting, or re-starting, their education or a career, and we are here to help them do just that,” said Suffolk County Community President Edward Bonahue. “Our Board has ensured that the door to opportunity remains open for thousands of students.”
Both College Board Chair Murray and College President Bonahue thanked the State and County for their generous, continued support of the College and its students.
Suffolk County Community College’s full-time tuition is $2,735 per semester for Suffolk County residents. In addition, the board kept tuition for its Beacon and Early College programs’ tuition flat at $57 per credit. “Suffolk remains the most affordable college tuition on Long Island,” said Bonahue, “and we believe a Suffolk education also delivers the highest value to the working families in our region.”
Suffolk’s Beacon Program is a concurrent enrollment program that allows high school juniors and seniors to take the College courses at their high school campus during regular school hours. College credits earned through the Beacon Program can be applied toward high school graduation and accepted at the College or transferred to other colleges and universities.
The Early College Program (ECP) is for high school juniors and seniors who attend our partner school districts to earn college credits while experiencing college life. Students enroll in college classes and interact with college faculty, staff and other students. ECP students can earn college-level credits while continuing to complete high school.
The Northport Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Richard Hyman, has announced that it will resume its presentation of live concerts at Northport High School, 154 Laurel Hill Road, Northport on Friday, April 29 at 8 p.m. The announcement was made in a press release on April 11. The concert will feature guest artist Oda Voltersvik, who will perform the Piano Concerto in A Minor by Edvard Grieg. The program will also include Symphony No. 6 (the Pastoral), by Ludwig van Beethoven and Song of the Waters by James Cohn.
Oda Hjertine Voltersvik is a Norwegian concert pianist, regularly performing solo and chamber music recitals in Norway and abroad. She is a member of the Volt & Potenza duo and a member and project leader of the Volt Ensemble. Ms. Voltersvik is a first prize winner of the Buono & Bradshaw International Piano Competition in 2017, and has performed worldwide, including such venues as Wigmore Hall, St Martin in the Fields, Carnegie Hall, and the Palermo Classica International Festival. She holds a Master in Performance Degree from the Royal College of Music and an Artist Diploma from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance (with distinction), London. For 2021 & 2022, she has received the Norwegian Arts Councils grant for younger newly established artists.
“We are eager to present the repertoire of wonderful classical music again and invite you to join us! These concerts are made possible by ticket sales and by donations from our generous advertisers, donors, and audience members,” read the press release.
Tickets are $10 per person at the door.
For more information, visit www.northportsymphony.org.
By Daniel Dunaief
Rain, rain go away, come again some other day.
The days of wishing rain away have long since passed, amid the reality of a wetter world, particularly during hurricanes in the North Atlantic.
In a recent study published in the journal Nature Communications, Kevin Reed, Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Research at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University, compared how wet the hurricanes that tore through the North Atlantic in 2020 would have been prior to the Industrial Revolution and global warming.
Reed determined that these storms had 10 percent more rain than they would have if they occurred in 1850, before the release of fossil fuels and greenhouse gases that have increased the average temperature on the planet by one degree Celsius.
The study is a “wake up call to the fact that hurricane seasons have changed and will continue to change,” said Reed. More warming means more rainfall. That, he added, is important when planners consider making improvements to infrastructure and providing natural barriers to flooding.
While 10 percent may not seem like an enormous amount of rain on a day of light drizzle and small puddles, it represents significant rain amid torrential downpours. That much additional rain can be half an inch or more of rain, said Reed. Much of the year, Long Island may not get half an inch a day, on top of an already extreme event, he added.
“It could be the difference between certain infrastructure failing, a basement flooding” and other water-generated problems, he said. The range of increased rain during hurricanes in 2020 due to global warming were as low as 5 percent and as high as 15 percent.
While policy makers have been urging countries to reach the Paris Climate Accord’s goal of limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius above the temperature from 1850, the pre-Industrial Revolution, studies like this suggest that the world such as it is today has already experienced the effects of warming.
“This is another data point for understanding that climate change is a not only a challenge for the future,” Reed said. It’s not this “end of the century problem that we have time to figure out. The Earth has already warmed by over 1 degrees” which is changing the hurricane season and is also impacting other severe weather events, like the heatwave in the Pacific Northwest in 2021. That heatwave killed over 100 people in the state of Washington.
Even being successful in limiting the increase to 2 degrees will create further increases in rainfall from hurricanes, Reed added. As with any global warming research, this study may also get pushback from groups skeptical of the impact of fossil fuel use and more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Reed contends that this research is one of numerous studies that have come to similar conclusions about the impact of climate change on weather patterns, including hurricanes.
“Researchers from around the world are finding similar signals,” Reed said. “This is one example that is consistent with dozens of other work that has found similar results.”
Amid more warming, hurricane seasons have already changed, which is a trend that will continue, he predicted.
Even on a shorter-term scale, Hurricane Sandy, which devastated the Northeast with heavy rain, wind and flooding, would likely have had more rainfall if the same conditions existed just eight years later, Reed added.
Reed was pleased that Nature Communications shared the paper with its diverse scientific and public policy audience.
“The general community feels like this type of research is important enough to a broad set of [society]” to appear in a high-profile journal, he said. “This shows, to some extent, the fact that the community and society at large [appreciates] that trying to understand the impact of climate change on our weather is important well beyond the domain of scientists like myself, who focus on hurricanes.”
Indeed, this kind of analysis and modeling could and should inform public policy that affects planning for the growth and resilience of infrastructure.
Study origins
The researchers involved in this study decided to compare how the 2020 season would have looked during cooler temperatures fairly quickly after the season ended.
The 2020 season was the most active on record, with 30 named storms generating heavy rains, storm surges and winds. The total damage from those storms was estimated at about $40 billion.
While the global surface temperature has increased 1 degree Celsius since 1850, sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic basin have risen 0.4 to 0.9 degrees Celsius during the 2020 season.
Reed and his co-authors took some time to discuss the best analysis to use. It took them about four months to put the data together and run over 2,500 model simulations.
“This is a much more computationally intensive project than previous work,” Reed said. The most important variables that the scientists altered were temperature and moisture.
As for the next steps, Reed said he would continue to refine the methodology to explore other impacts of climate change on the intensity of storms, their trajectory, and their speed.
Reed suggested considering the 10 percent increase in rain caused by global warming during hurricanes through another perspective. “If you walked into your boss’s office tomorrow and your boss said, ‘I want to give you a 10 percent raise,’ you’d be ecstatic,” he said. “That’s a significant amount.”
Ecstatic, however, isn’t how commuters, homeowners, and business leaders feel when more even more rain comes amid a soaking storm.
At the April 12th general meeting of the Suffolk County Legislature, Legislator Stephanie Bontempi (Centerport) formally recognized Robert Schwartz, founder of the Bald Eagles of Centerport Facebook group. In addition to Bontempi sharing a little bit about Mr. Schwartz’s contributions to the community, he was presented with a proclamation to commemorate such.
Schwartz’s group has an enormous following and has become an important advocacy platform for the protection of the local bald eagles and the environment in general. The group’s presence on social media also provides an opportunity for bald eagle admirers to share their photos and stories associated with their unique encounters with the national bird.
“In Huntington, when one thinks of its bald eagles, Mr. Schwartz’s group will likely come to mind. The ever-growing following of the Bald Eagles of Centerport is proof of its ability to communicate how special these birds are,” said Bontempi. On top of his interest and advocacy work associated with the bald eagles, Schwartz is also a thriving beekeeper. Whenever there is an opportunity to share his knowledge in these two arenas, he does so with great enthusiasm and has likely inspired many individuals of all ages.
“Whenever Mr. Schwartz talks about the bald eagles or his beekeeping activities, you cannot help but listen intently as his passion is contagious. As a former teacher, it is fantastic to see someone with such a thirst for knowledge and the ability to motivate others to broaden their horizons in constructive and unique ways,” added Bontempi.
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