Communities are held together by norms of civility and an overriding spirit of goodwill.
Right now those norms are withering away, supplanted by foul behavior and disrespect. In communities throughout this area, there has been an observable decline in civility, a dangerous trend that jeopardizes the community’s long-term prospects.
At Stony Brook University, members of the campus community have expressed growing concerns about the frequency of hostile encounters taking place in nearby communities. Students and staff members have become targets of scorn and prejudice, a phenomenon that should disturb our residents deeply.
In addition, elected officials and business owners are dismayed by the recent spike in vandalism and destruction of public and private property. Perhaps most alarmingly, police have investigated the July 5 burning of a sign at a Ronkonkoma mosque as a possible hate crime.
While destroying property and desecrating houses of worship surely violates several of our laws, these actions also tear at the fabric of our community. After two years of lockdowns and separation, community members now seem more estranged from one another than ever before.
The immediate consequence of all of this is that our community is less safe and less congenial than it once was. People will be less likely to spend their time and money in our local downtown areas, creating more vacant storefronts. But in the long run, people may soon flee this area in search of that community feeling that they couldn’t find here.
Since ancient antiquity, scholars have understood that people of a community cannot be held together by laws alone. Laws create a system of rules and keep communities orderly and regulated, but they cannot inspire neighborliness or tolerance. Aristotle contended that “friendship” was the necessary ingredient for a community to thrive.
We must cultivate the bonds of friendship that once existed among our community members. As citizens of this area, we must recognize that each person is entitled to our respect, regardless of religion, race, ethnic background or politics.
The people of Long Island are fortunate to have a superb public research institution right in their backyard, a place that offers jobs to our residents and a talented pool of students and staff who are eager to change the world for the better. We must welcome them as our own, deserving of our friendship and respect. We want them to stay right here on Long Island, where they can help us build upon and strengthen this community.
In a similar vein, we cannot tolerate the destruction of public or private property. Budgets are tight enough in our county, towns and villages, and taxpayers should not be forced to absorb these preventable costs. Moreover, small businesses are struggling enough amid nationwide economic challenges and the ongoing public health emergency. We should not compound their hardships and expenses either.
Progress requires a reassessment and realignment of our system of values. Let’s rediscover what it means to be civil and respectful to one another. Let’s foster that sense of civic friendliness and community cohesion that existed before. We must learn to respect our neighbors again, for without respect this community will not endure. As Aretha Franklin sang, “Just a little bit, a little respect.”
The last day of school has passed and summer is here. What better time to take advantage of travel with the family? And family for many of us includes four legged members.
Nowadays more and more hotels and rentals are pet friendly and, with a quick search on the internet, it can be easy to find establishments that accept pets. Camping is also a popular vacation choice and many campgrounds will accept pets.
Check with your veterinarian that your dog or cat is up to date on their vaccines, as well as discuss any additional vaccines against diseases that your pet may be at risk for when traveling (especially at campsites). Make sure you know where the nearest local veterinary emergency clinic or, in more rural areas, which veterinary clinic may offer emergency services.
What about travel itself? Some pets make excellent travel companions, while others don’t and become agitated in the car. Dogs or cats that become just mildly agitated in the car can get by with a more holistic approach.
One way to soothe our pet’s anxiety is to use scents. Lavender is an excellent way to calm dogs during travel induced excitement (one study used a lavender scented oil that could be sprayed on a blanket), whereas for cats a synthetic facial pheromone (scent hormone) is more effective.
Some pets are just too wound up to use any aromatherapy or pheromones and need medication. Certain sedatives or tranquilizers can be used for short to medium length trips, whereas medications such as selected serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or antidepressants are needed for really high-strung pets to take both during travel and a stay in an unfamiliar environment.
If you feel something like an SSRI or an antidepressant is warranted make sure to start well enough before leaving on vacation. Most of these medications have a four week induction period (meaning they are not truly at therapeutic levels for at least four weeks) and need to be weaned off after returning from vacation. Some pets also require pre medication bloodwork (to make sure our pet’s organs can safely tolerate the medication long term) so make an appointment well in advance of your vacation to see your veterinarian.
Antihistamines can be used for motion sickness but have been proven to make terrible sedatives for travel so check with your veterinarian before considering “self-medicating.” In conclusion, making our pets traveling guests can really enhance a vacation.Just travel safe.
Dr. Kearns practices veterinary medicine from his Port Jefferson office and is pictured with his son Matthew and his dog Jasmine.
Stony Brook Breast Cancer Screening mobile truck. (8/24/18)
By Daniel Dunaief
Some groups of people on Long Island have a much higher incidence of a particular type of cancer than others.
On an age adjusted rate, African American men, for example, were almost twice as likely to develop prostate cancer from 2014 to 2018 as Caucasians. Out of 100,000 African American men, 216.6 had prostate cancer compared with 123.9 out of 100,000 white men, according to data from the National Cancer Institute.
Dr. Linda Mermelstein. Photo from Stony Brook Medicine
Dr. Linda Mermelstein, Associate Director of Stony Brook Cancer Center’s Office for Community Outreach and Engagement, is working with her team to address those stark differences and to empower members of the community to protect their health and make informed decisions.
“A lot of our focus is on addressing disparities” in cancer care in various communities throughout Long Island, Dr. Mermelstein said.
The Cancer Center Outreach and Engagement office has taken numerous steps to inform the public about research and care. The center has a Mobile Mammography Unit, which travels into communities to provide access to screening for breast cancer.
On June 5, at the Latina Sisters Support Inc. Spanish Fair in Brentwood, the Cancer Center’s Community Outreach and Engagement staff provided mobile mammography screening and cancer prevention and screening education.
At that event, the Suffolk County Department of Health Services provided human papillomavirus and Covid-19 vaccines and Stony Brook School of Health Professionals offered blood pressure screening.
An information chasm
Dr. Jedan Phillips. Photo from Stony Brook Medicine
Dr. Jedan Phillips, Medical Director for Stony Brook Health Outreach and Medical Education and Associate Professor of Family, Population and Preventive Medicine at the Renaissance School of Medicine, explained that Covid-19 exposed the “chasm” between what the health care profession believed and the reality of what works and what doesn’t.
During the pandemic, Stony Brook University brought a vaccination pod to Uniondale in Nassau County, which is a predominantly African American community. “Because we had no relationship there, we might have wasted over 200 doses of the vaccine” as residents were reluctant to get vaccinated, he said. “Even though [Stony Brook] offered something that would help, people chose against it. It’s not about the vaccine. It’s something deeper.”
Dr. Phillips said East Elmhurst, Queens, where he grew up, was “ravaged by Covid. I know at least 10 people in my community who were regular figures in my life that died. I saw how vulnerable of a position we were in as a group and I felt I needed to get involved.”
Dr. Phillips, who has a family medical practice in East Patchogue, together with Dr. Yuri Jadotte, Assistant Professor and Associate Program Director for the Preventive Medicine Residency in the Department of Family, Population and Preventive Medicine at Stony Brook, created three focus groups to survey the views and understanding of African American men on prostate cancer.
Many African American men don’t get screened for prostate cancer, even though such screenings could lead to earlier treatment and better outcomes.
By listening to what inspires African American men throughout Long Island to take action, Dr. Phillips hopes to tailor information to that type of delivery.
“It’s important to listen and understand,” Dr. Phillips said. Understanding what motivates people and seeking to provide the formats in which they prefer to access information can help establish a community connection and demonstrate cultural compassion.
Part of Dr. Phillips’s focus on preventive medicine comes from his experience with his father, who died from complications related to diabetes. His father, who was an inspiration for him, “didn’t live life in a preventive way,” which made managing his health more difficult, Dr. Phillips said.
With the numerous programs offered by the Office for Community Outreach and Engagement, Dr. Mermelstein said the group has four primary goals.
Dr. Jedan Phillips provides medical care.
“We want to monitor and understand what is the cancer burden in our catchment area” which includes Nassau and Suffolk County, she said. “Much of our activities are identifying the issues in terms of cancer” and understanding any barriers towards cancer care, like education, screening, diagnosis and treatment.
Secondly, she wants to provide cancer prevention services, screening, education and community navigation. Third, the group has a bi-directional engagement, with researchers getting to know the community and community advocates and the community learning about the research process.
Finally, the group seeks to catalyze the research by focusing on disparities, providing research services to the entire community based on specific needs.
One of Dr. Mermelstein’s first actions after heading up this team in 2019 was to create a community advisory council for the Stony Brook Cancer Center.
Janine Logan, Vice President of Communications and Population Health with the Long Island Health Collaborative, serves on that advisory council.“What I’m most excited about is that the committee understands the importance of knowing what your community thinks and needs,” Logan said.
Logan is pleased with the work the Stony Brook Cancer Center has done to educate residents about the lifestyle behaviors that can contribute to cancer, such as smoking, inactivity, and nutrition.
“They’ve done a lot of work in reaching out and educating communities to help them understand that these simple, modifiable behaviors can reduce their risk” of developing cancer, Logan said.
The effort at the Cancer Center to educate the public about the danger’s of the sun dovetails with some of the work she has done at the Long Island Health Collaborative.
Indeed, the Cancer Center Community Outreach and Engagement hosted a “Block the sun, not the fun” gathering on May 7 at the Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove.
The Stony Brook Cancer Center is also working with the Suffolk County Department of Health Services Cancer Prevention and Health Promotion Coalition to provide information about sunscreen safety.
In addition to the disparity among African American men who develop prostate cancer, the outreach effort also addressed the difference among hispanic women who have a higher incidence of cervical cancer than the non-hispanic Caucasian population.
In Suffolk County, about 10.2 Hispanic and Latino women out of 100,000 Hispanic and Latino women develop cervical cancer, which is higher than the 5.9 per 100,000 for white, non-Hispanic women, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Human papillomarvirus is estimated to cause about 36,500 cases of cancer in men and women every year in the United States. The HPV vaccination, which works best before exposure to the virus, can prevent 33,700 of those cancers. Because the vaccine doesn’t prevent all cancers, women still need screening to protect themselves.
Previously employed for 22 years with the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, Dr. Mermelstein, who has a medical degree and a master’s in public health, briefly retired, before taking this job at Stony Brook.
“I wanted to do something to help address cancer after I retired, and so I contacted Stony Brook Cancer Center and began in this position about four months after I retired,” she explained.
Those interested in reaching out to the Office for Community Outreach and Engagement can call 631-444-4263 or email [email protected].
In last month’s column, I wrote about how the real estate market experiences its ups and downs. A few current trends are an example of how true that is.
Mortgage rates
While mortgage rates dropped half a percent the week ending July 7, they shifted slightly back up the following week to 5.51% for a 30-year fixed mortgage.
Keep in mind that the rates we have been seeing are still historically low, even with experts forecasting that the Federal Reserve will boost rates by ¾ of a percentage point at its next meeting.
Some financial experts believe we are headed toward a recession, and you may wonder what happens to interest rates in that scenario. Due to fewer people taking out loans, banks may offer interest rate programs to incentivize people. Currently, interest rates are still very low and can be locked in.
Inventory trend
After an extended seller’s market, there still isn’t enough inventory to keep up with the demand. Keep an eye on mortgage rates, though. Some may decide not to buy or sell, thinking they’ll get a better deal by waiting. This may not be the best decision for buyers or sellers and may also lead to an inventory increase.
Experts are now forecasting that the increase will be more than 9% by the end of 2022, which means more competition. This increase will not occur instantaneously; it will take some time. Get that For Sale sign up before your neighbor does.
Foreclosures may play a factor in inventory increases, too. The COVID-19 Eviction and Foreclosures Act of 2020 enacted a moratorium until Jan.15, 2022.
While experts are seeing a steady climb in foreclosures throughout the country, the ATTOM U.S. Foreclosure Market Report shows New York’s foreclosures are 13.3% less than the same period in 2020. It’s a trend to keep an eye on as the more houses foreclosed on, the more properties are available to buyers.
Another factor is the federal act helped slow down foreclosures during a time when homes were appreciating. For some who were about to default on their mortgages before the moratorium, they can now sell their homes for more money and pay off what they owed.
To touch on appreciation, according to a One Key MLS report, median sales prices in Suffolk County showed a nearly 11% increase from June 2021 to June 2022.
Here’s more good news for Suffolk County. In the last few months, the majority of homes were still selling in less than a month and about 23% quicker than they did last year during the same period.
Pricing
It’s all about pricing. When talking to a real estate professional, they should discuss current market factors, as well as details of your home, and help you price it accordingly. Also, proper pricing will enable you to sell your home to your timing and pricing expectations.
Takeaway
There are many moving pieces regarding how well a person will do when selling or buying a home. Considering buying your first home, downsizing, moving into a bigger place or to another state before the end of the year, now is the time to discuss your plans with a real estate professional. So … let’s talk.
Michael Ardolino is the Founder/Owner-Broker of Realty Connect USA.
It is very important to stay hydrated and drink plenty of fluids, especially if you have a history of stone formation. METRO photo
Once you’ve had one stone, your risk for others increases
By David Dunaief, M.D.
Dr. David Dunaief
Kidney stones can have no symptoms, but more often they present with the classic symptoms of blood in the urine and colicky pain. This pain can be intermittent or constant, and it can range from dull to extremely painful, described by some as being worse than giving birth, shot or burned. The pain may radiate from the kidneys to the bladder and even to the groin in males, depending on the obstruction (1).
Stones are usually diagnosed through the symptoms and either abdominal x-rays or non-contrast CT scans.
Unfortunately, the first line treatment for passing kidney stones — at least small ones — involves supportive care. This means that patients are given pain medications and plenty of fluids until the stone(s) pass. Usually stones that are <4mm pass spontaneously. Location is an important factor as well, with stones closest to the opening of the urethra more likely to pass (2).
Generally, if you’ve passed a kidney stone, you know it. In the case of a stone too large to pass naturally, a urologist may use surgery, ultrasound, or a combination of methods to break it into smaller pieces, so it can be passed.
Unfortunately, once a patient forms one stone, the incidence of others increases significantly over time. The good news is that there are several lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your risk.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
First, it is very important to stay hydrated and drink plenty of fluids, especially if you have a history of stone formation (3). You don’t have to rely on drinking lots of water to accomplish this. Increasing your consumption of fruits and vegetables that are moisture-filled can help, as well.
Calcium from diet vs. supplements
One of the simplest methods is to reduce your intake of calcium supplements, including foods fortified with calcium. There are two types of stones. Calcium oxalate is the dominant one, occurring approximately 80 percent of the time (4). Calcium supplements, therefore, increase the risk of kidney stones. When physicians started treating women for osteoporosis with calcium supplements, the rate of kidney stones increased by 37 percent (5). According to findings from the Nurses’ Health Study, those who consumed highest amount of supplemental calcium were 20 percent more likely to have kidney stones than those who consumed the lowest amount (6). It did not matter whether participants were taking calcium citrate or calcium carbonate supplements.
Interestingly, calcium from dietary sources actually has the opposite effect, decreasing risk. In the same study, those participants who consumed the highest amount of dietary calcium had a 35 percent reduction in risk, compared to those who were in the lowest group. Calcium intake should not be too low, for that also increases kidney stone risk. Changing your source of calcium is an important key to preventing kidney stones.
Watch your sodium intake
It’s important to reduce sodium for many reasons, but we’ll provide one more here. Again, in the Nurses’ Health Study, participants who consumed 4.5 g sodium per day had a 30 percent higher risk of kidney stones than those who consumed 1.5 g per day (6). The reason is that increased sodium causes increased urinary excretion of calcium. When there is more calcium going through the kidneys, there is a higher chance of stones.
Limit animal protein
Animal protein also may play a role. In a five-year, randomized clinical trial, men who reduced their consumption of animal protein to approximately two ounces per day, as well as lowering their sodium, were 51 percent less likely to experience a kidney stone than those who consumed a low-calcium diet (7). These were men who had a history of stone formation. The reason animal protein may increase the risk of calcium oxalate stones more than vegetable protein is that animal protein’s higher sulfur content produces more acid. This acid is neutralized by release of calcium from the bone (8). That calcium can then promote kidney stones.
Reverse blood pressure naturally
Some medical conditions may increase the likelihood of stone formation. For example, in a cross-sectional study with Italian men, those with high blood pressure had a two times greater risk of kidney stones than those who had a normal blood pressure (9). Amazingly, it did not matter whether or not the patients were treated for high blood pressure with medications; the risk remained. This is just one more reason to treat the underlying cause of blood pressure, not just the symptoms.
The most productive way to avoid the potentially excruciating experience of kidney stones is to make these relatively simple lifestyle changes. The more changes that you implement, the lower your likelihood of stones.
References:
(1) emedicine January 1, 2008. (2) J Urol. 2006;175(2):575. (3) J Urol. 1996;155(3):839. (4) N Engl J Med. 2004;350(7):684. (5) Kidney Int 2003;63:1817–23. (6) Ann Intern Med. 1997;126(7):497-504. (7) N Engl J Med. 2002 Jan 10;346(2):77-84. (8) J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1988;66(1):140. (9) BMJ. 1990;300(6734):1234.
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.
This week’s featured shelter pets are Rosie (tortoise shell) and Tabitha (calico), who ended up at the Smithtown Animal Shelter after their mom passed away.
Tabitha
These beauties are 12-13 years young sisters. While they enjoy each other, they are not bonded. The shelter would love to see them go together but won’t require it.
Rosie is outgoing and affectionate with absolutely anyone she meets.Tabitha is still a bit shell shocked at the transition from her quiet home to the shelter and has been a bit withdrawn. They have never lived with dogs, but have lived with threeother cats. Rosie would do well in any home while Tabitha would do best in a quieter home.
The Smithtown Animal & Adoption Shelter is located at 410 Middle Country Road, Smithtown. Visitor hours are currently Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Sundays and Wednesday evenings by appointment only). For more information, call 631-360-7575 or visit www.townofsmithtownanimalshelter.com.
Ava Stecker was in the right place at the right time when she snapped this cool photo of storm clouds rolling in over Port Jefferson Harbor on July 16.
I was born in March, so, of course, I wished I were born in the summer.
My brothers were both born in the heat of the summer, which means they could go to a warm beach on their birthdays, sail across some waterway around Long Island, and celebrate the passage of another year without a midterm on their big day or, even worse, the day after their birthday.
But, the real reason I wished my birthday came during the summer was so that I could attend a Yankees game.
When my birthday rolled around, pitchers and catchers were often reporting to spring training, getting ready for the marathon of each baseball season.
When my son was born in July, sandwiched between a host of other family birthdays on both sides of the family, I figured he would have the chance to pursue the kind of unfulfilled baseball fantasy that I could only imagine as I was memorizing facts, figures and formulas for another set of tests before, during and immediately after my annual rite of passage.
Recently, we celebrated his birthday by going to one of the last few Yankees games before the All-Star break.
We had the privilege of attending a weekend game, when neither of us felt the need to work or meet a deadline.
My son is taking a summer course for which he was supposed to have a virtual test the day before we went to a game. The computer system crashed that day, and the professor suggested everyone take it the next day.
The system, however, continued not to work, perhaps obeying a secret wish my son made over his customized birthday cake, giving him the opportunity to enjoy the entire day with little to no responsibility other than to reply to all the well wishers and to compliment them on their melodic singing.
The game itself became a blowout early, as the Yankees scored run after run, and the Red Sox seemed to retreat to the safety of the dugout soon after coming up to bat.
Both of us ate more than we normally do in a day, celebrating the outing and reveling in the moment, high-fiving each other and the reveling strangers in Yankees jerseys in front of us.
While the packed stadium started to clear out when the game seemed out of reach for the visitors, we remained in our seats until the last pitch, soaking up the sun, predicting the outcomes of each pitcher-hitter match up and observing the small games-within-a-game that comes from watching the defense change its positioning for each hitter.
It still confounds me that a team could leave the third base line completely open, shift all the infielders towards right field, and still, the hitter won’t push the ball in a place where he could get a single or double. After all, if they heeded the advice of Hall of Famer Willie Keeler who suggested they “hit it where they ain’t,” these batters could get a hit, raise their batting average and contribute to a rally just by pushing the ball to a huge expanse of open and unprotected grass in fair territory.
Amid the many relaxing and enjoyable moments of connection with my son, he shared that he kind of wished he had born in the winter. After all, he said, he loves hockey and always imagined going to an NHL game on his birthday.
I suppose the grass is always greener, even on your birthday.
To be fair, though, he did add that wasn’t a genuine wish, as he was thrilled to attend baseball games on his actual birthday, and he was pleased that, in every other year, he didn’t have to worry about exams.
On Feb. 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin directed his troops into neighboring Ukraine, and the killing began. Ukrainians, Russian soldiers, mercenaries, sympathetic foreign fighters, civilians — all shot each other. Eastern Ukrainians were deported into Russia by the thousands, cities throughout Ukraine were destroyed, families were ripped apart, millions of Ukrainians fled to other countries, schools stopped, medical services halted, commerce and cultural activities were squelched, random bombings put lives in a lottery. Those are just some of the horrific consequences of Putin’s order against one country.
But the repercussions of that one act are being felt around the globe. Countries that depended on wheat and other agricultural supplies grown and shipped from Ukraine and Russia, are now frantically seeking alternate sources, if they can afford them. Oil and gas, primarily piped from Russia and Ukraine, have been cut off. Exports of hundreds of other products from these two countries have stopped. Oil and gas prices have skyrocketed, leading the way to global inflation. Nations have realigned geopolitically and militarily or strengthened their defense pacts by sending troops and weapons to allies. And other campaigns, to control climate change and suppress the coronavirus, have diminished as national budgets are modified.
What does Putin want?
There has been much speculation about his goals and his fears. They may have crystalized during these ensuing months, or Kremlin watchers may have caught on. One such scholar, who writes about Russia’s politics, foreign policy and, for a score of years, has studied Putin’s behavior, has put forth a cogent scenario in this past Tuesday’s The New York Times. Tatiana Stanovaya believes that Putin has a grand scheme whose goals are threefold.
The first is the most pragmatic: the securing of a land bridge through the Donbas region of the southeast to Crimea. Russian troops seem to have already captured Luhansk, which is part of the Donbas. Apparently, Putin believes the West will accept that Russian troops cannot be dislodged from there and will not cross any red lines to directly engage in such a military effort, eventually abandoning the idea and the territory to Russia.
The second goal is to force Kyiv and the Zelensky government to capitulate from exhaustion and demoralization after one or two years. Russia would then launch a “Russification” of the country, erasing Ukrainian culture and nationhood and imposing Russian language, culture and education. Thus Russia would have expanded its territory and stopped NATO from reaching Russia’s current borders.
The third goal is the most ambitious: Putin wants to build a new world order. “We are used to thinking that Mr. Putin views the West as a hostile force that aims to destroy Russia,” according to writer Stanovaya. “But I believe that for Mr. Putin there are two Wests: a bad one and a good one.”
The “bad” one is the one currently in power and led by elites who are “narrow-minded slaves of their electoral cycles who overlook genuine national interests and are incapable of strategic thinking.” And the “good West”? He believes that “these are ordinary Europeans and Americans who want to have normal relations with Russia and businesses who are eager to profit from close cooperation with their Russian counterparts.”
Today, Putin is convinced, the bad West is declining while the good West is challenging the status quo with nationally oriented leaders like Viktor Orban in Hungary, Marine Le Pen in France, and Donald Trump, “ready to break with the old order and fashion a new one.”
The war against Ukraine, with its undesirable consequences like high inflation and soaring energy prices, “will encourage the people to rise up and overthrow the traditional political establishment.” This fundamental shift will then bring about a more-friendly West that will meet the security demands of Russia.
If that has a familiar echo, it is not so different from the Communist expectation that the proletariat will rise up and embrace Marx and Lenin. We know how that turned out.
The following incidents have been reported by Suffolk County Police:
Centereach
■ A resident on Debron Court in Centereach reported that an unknown man was captured on camera stealing his Ancheer 350W electric bike from his backyard on July 7.
■ F.W. Webb Plumbing Supply on Middle Country Road in Centereach reported that two unknown men entered the property and stole a copper pipe worth $3,000 on July 8.
Commack
■ Guitar Center on Garet Place in Commack reported a grand larceny on July 7. A man allegedly stole a Gibson Les Paul custom guitar valued at $6,499.
■ A woman putting items in her car in the Walmart parking lot on Crooked Hill Road in Commack on July 6 forgot to take her pocketbook out of the shopping cart before driving away. When she returned, the pocketbook containing cash and credit cards was gone. Surveillance video captured a man walking up to the cart and taking it.
East Northport
■ A car was reported stolen from a resident’s driveway on Glenridge Lane on July 8. The keys had been left inside along with a wallet and cash. The vehicle, a 2017 Infiniti QX60, was valued at $40,000.
Huntington Station
■ A 2017 white Ford Escape was reported stolen from the driveway of a resident on Crombie Street in Huntington Station on July 4. The keys had been left inside the vehicle which was valued at $8,000.
■ Saks Fifth Avenue on Walt Whitman Road in Huntington Station reported a grand larceny on July 9. A man allegedly stole various designer belts valued at $1,500.
■ Best Buy on Walt Whitman Road in Huntington Station reported on July 7 that two men allegedly took a ATX Mid Tower computer case off the shelf and fled the store. The item was valued at $155.
■ Saks Fifth Avenue on Walt Whitman Road in Huntington Station called the police to report at grand larceny on July 6. Three men allegedly entered a dressing room with eight men’s Versace clothing items, concealed them under their own clothing, and exited the store. The merchandise was valued at $2,675.
Kings Park
■ A shoplifter was reported at Key Food on Indian Head Road in Kings Park on July 6. A woman allegedly stole assorted food items worth $80.
Lake Grove
■ Bed Bath & Beyond on Nesconset Highway in Lake Grove reported a shoplifter on July 6. A man allegedly stole multiple knife sets valued at $650.
Melville
■ Conoco gas station on Walt Whitman Road in Melville called the police on July 7 to report that a man in a white BMW pumped $53 worth of gas and drove away without paying.
Mount Sinai
■ A resident on Ross Street in Mount Sinai reported that two men entered his unlocked vehicle on July 7 and stole cash.
■ A person who parked their car at Ralph’s Fishing Station on Harbor Beach Road in Mount Sinai on July 6 reported that someone entered their vehicle and stole a large amount of cash.
Port Jefferson
■ Fetch Doggy Boutique & Bakery on East Main Street in Port Jefferson reported on July 7 that two women allegedly stole miscellaneous dog toys and clothing valued at $930.
Port Jefferson Station
■ Kunz Greenhouses on Hallock Avenue in Port Jefferson Station reported that a man allegedly attempted to steal assorted flowers valued at $50. Most of the merchandise was recovered.
St. James
■ Expedition Imports on Middle Country Road in St. James called the police on July 4. Someone stole four rims valued at $6,000 and four tires valued at $1,000 from a custom 2014 Mercedes B.
Selden
■ A shoplifter was reported at Pets Warehouse on Middle Country Road in Selden on July 7. A woman allegedly stole cat food and cat toys valued at $70.
■ Target on Middle Country Road in Selden reported a petit larceny on July 2. A man and a woman allegedly stole a Dyson vacuum valued at $430 and one Ninja air fryer valued at $170.
■ Home Depot on Middle Country Road in Selden reported that three shoplifters allegedly stole 100 copper elbows and concealed them in a garbage can before fleeing. That same day two shoplifters allegedly filled two garbage cans with copper wire valued at $1263.
Shoreham
■ Long Island Sound Sharks Football & Cheerleading on Defense Hill Road in Shoreham reported that someone broke two padlocks and a steel mount to a storage container on July 8 and stole assorted football equipment valued at $900. The damaged material was valued at $200.
Sound Beach
■ A resident on Dering Road in Sound Beach reported that someone entered her unlocked vehicle on July 7 and assorted personal items.
— 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.
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