CLOSE
Editorials

by -
0 76
Metro photo

As COVID-19 infection rates and deaths begin to decline, more attention to the pandemic’s effect on mental health is needed.

In “Amid declining COVID infections, worry about mental health remains” by Daniel Dunaief featured in the Feb. 24 TBR News Media newspapers and online, Dr. Gregson Pigott, commissioner of the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, cited two Centers of Disease Control and Prevention studies.

The research shows that the children’s mental health crisis alone has gotten worse during the pandemic. The CDC’s Household Pulse Survey also shows 39.2% of people nationally aged 18 to 29 had indicators of anxiety or depression between Jan. 26 and Feb. 7 of this year. As the group members increased in age, the percentage decreased, with 9.3% of those 80 years and above reporting mental health issues.

We have heard many times throughout the pandemic that the isolation and precautions needed to slow down the infection rate could increase anxiety and depression in people. At a press conference last week, held at the Smithtown Senior Center, elected officials discussed the importance of seniors returning to the activities they love and spending time with family and friends, which is vital for their overall well-being.

People need interactions with others to stay healthy and have someone to remind them that they are a good person and that the world is a better place with them in it. As we begin to remove our masks, it’s time to smile again and have conversations with those we encounter in our everyday lives.

Understandably, getting the virus under control during the height of the pandemic was a priority. Now, it’s more important than ever to talk about mental health and stop sweeping things under the carpet.

For most people, that could mean checking in with loved ones. Even if an in-person visit isn’t an option for some right now, a phone call or text message can make a difference.

While it was innovative and necessary to hold doctors’ visits, including those with psychiatrists and therapists, over Zoom during the pandemic, this is not the best option for everyone. Just as some students don’t do well with remote learning, many people don’t respond well to remote therapy.

Sometimes a person needs a one-on-one conversation face-to-face, not only with someone who isn’t judging them or doesn’t have an agenda, but also a professional who can see if they are making eye contact or fidgeting or not responding well to medication. Sometimes body language needs to be read to see if a patient is being truthful or just going through the motions.

While a conversation with a mental health professional is always a wise thing to do — whether in person or online — sometimes, for the real work to be done, it needs to be one-on-one in an office. So, if you need it, don’t hesitate to ask for an office visit. Most therapists are beginning to offer them again.

During the pandemic, people learned new ways of doing things to stay healthy, and some of those ways may be better. But meeting up with a friend and talking while eating or drinking coffee, or sitting on the couch in a therapist’s office — truly connecting — that can’t be beaten.

by -
0 142
Pixabay photo

Over the course of the last month, local elected officials were speaking out against Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) plan to allow, potentially, accessory apartments to every home throughout the state. 

Members of Congress across Long Island bashed the idea, state senators and assembly members did, too. It even got to the hyper local level when Brookhaven and Huntington towns both held press conferences asking Hochul to reconsider the plan, saying that it would not fit into the landscape of Long Island. The Town of Smithtown strongly objected, too.

It was bipartisan. Members from both parties said that it would impact the way we live here, parking would be terrible, property values could decrease and the already concerning sewage issues we have on Long Island would worsen. It simply wouldn’t work. 

And just this week, it looks like all that kicking and screaming had an impact. Hochul decided to pull the plan from the state budget. 

So, what does this mean? 

The events that led up to her decision were important. All of those press conferences hosted by our elected officials were worth the time and effort. The stories that the media reported on got other people talking, thinking and writing. 

This shows how important it is to reach out to our local representatives. Tell them what you want and ask them to help make a change. That’s their job. 

Reach out to us, your local media and write letters to the editor. Voice your concerns and demand action. 

Some things cannot be changed or might take longer than desired. But there are other opportunities that can be fixed before they take flight. 

If it wasn’t for our local elected officials looking over the state budget and noticing the line about the apartments, some of us might not have known about the issue until it was too far along to be stopped. 

That’s when people begin to complain, but sometimes not much can be done. 

Stay vigilant and be proactive instead of reactive. Use what resources are available to us now to make continuous changes that will benefit us and our families.

We’re all in this together and the more we communicate, the better. But we should remember to say “thank you” to those who made it possible when you finally get your way. 

by -
0 71
U.S. Congressman Tom Suozzi at a press conference on Feb. 10. Photo by Julianne Mosher

When Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) talked about increasing affordable housing options across New York during her recent State of the State address, it was something that most residents could agree with. Then the State of the State book came out with more details.

Local legislators paused when they saw that a proposed plan would allow residents to build an accessory dwelling unit without seeking approval from their local zoning board, essentially eliminating single-family zoning laws. While most Long Island elected officials believe that our area needs more affordable housing, the majority are not on board with Hochul’s proposed plan.

It seems as if she has good intentions. Such a plan would enable a homeowner to create an apartment. One hope is that grown children can live at home longer and have more time to save for their own house. Or, it could provide a space for aging parents who can’t afford the cost of living in New York or keep up with all the things that a household needs. Being able to transform a basement, attic or garage into an apartment sounds better than families flying back and forth to another state to see their parents or children.

As it becomes more and more challenging to buy a home, living with one’s parents longer sometimes is the more affordable option. And while there was a time that people lived at home longer simply by sleeping in their childhood bedrooms, now with more teenagers going away to college, when they come back home, they crave their own space and don’t want to explain to mom and dad why they are just leaving the house at 10 p.m. to meet up with friends. They would like to have company over and not worry about their parents coming into the living room and joining the conversation or embarrassing them.

And older parents crave their freedom, too. Gone are the days when grandma and grandpa would come to live with the family and sleep in the guest room. As houses have become larger in the last few decades, people have become accustomed to having a good amount of personal space.

It should also be noted that in Brookhaven and Huntington, the towns allow accessory apartments on premises with specific regulations, including that the owner of the lot upon which the accessory apartment is located must reside within the dwelling that contains the ADU, and only one accessory apartment is permitted on the premises. Smithtown has limited exceptions.

Of course, we understand why many elected officials are dubious. This proposed Hochul plan has to be thought out thoroughly. Many areas of Long Island are overpopulated or are becoming so. While keeping our parents and children close to us is nice, it can be aggravating when cars are parked all over our streets and roadways are congested. We know not everyone will build an apartment for family members to have more affordable living conditions, but many will. And some will add them to their homes, not to help out family members but to collect rent from strangers.

Our infrastructure is not able to attract or keep people on the Island even though we want our children and parents to stay here.

Our planning and zoning boards work together to decide on what’s best for our areas and allow residents to speak up and express their concerns. To increase affordable housing units along the North Shore, elected officials will need to come together to brainstorm and identify the best areas to create less expensive housing options, such as being near train stations and major roadways. Options like these can keep additional cars off our local streets, so a quick run to the grocery store doesn’t turn into an hour-long ordeal.

Change can be good, but putting the responsibility of increasing affordable housing in the hands of residents who may not be experts on density and infrastructure is not a wise decision. 

by -
0 162
METRO photo

When people look back to spring 2020, they remember how the COVID-19 pandemic shut things down. Zoom became a regular form of communication, visits to grandparents were done in a drive-thru fashion and many people anxiously awaited their stimulus checks.

While those checks from the U.S. government were sent, some people needed the money more than others. 

Many people lost their jobs, their businesses and their livelihoods. In fact, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in February 2020 — just before the pandemic hit the States — unemployment was at 3.5%. Just two months later, as the virus began to spread rapidly, unemployment rates skyrocketed to nearly 15%.

But what many people might not realize is how impacted the local arts were during this time. 

We as a society leaned on our first responders out in the trenches. We listened to our elected officials on the news every day hoping to hear something good. We shopped locally to help our business-owning neighbors. 

However, something that we all enjoy one way or another — the arts — was shattered and not much was being done to help our local artists, performers and creators. 

According to Johns Hopkins University research, as of December 2021, the percentage of job losses at nonprofit arts organizations remained more than three times worse than the average of all nonprofits. 

Artists/creatives were — and remain — among the most severely affected segment of the nation’s workforce. The arts are a formidable industry in the U.S. — $919.7 billion (pre-COVID) that supported 5.2 million jobs and represented 4.3% of the nation’s economy.

And now, nearing two years since the 2020 shutdowns, artists on Long Island are voicing how it felt. Many believe that significant relief funding was not given to the arts and related nonprofits despite the impact they have on Long Island’s economy.

Think about it. How many of us love to see a show at the local theater? How many of us hang artwork from nearby artists on our walls? How many of us enjoy live music as we dine at our favorite eateries? 

Those people had jobs, too. 

Sometimes we forget that the people working after a typical 9-to-5 shift are working, too. What some may call a hobby is a way of life for thousands of people.

We still have a way to go, and unfortunately COVID will haunt us for a very long time in more ways than one. But the next time you’re out to dinner with a friend, drop a tip in the guitar player’s case. Splurge on a drawing from a local artist and support your neighborhood theater. 

The arts helped us during the pandemic. We found solace in other people’s creations. Now it’s time to pay back the artists and show them how much they are needed, wanted and loved.

by -
0 69
Pixabay photo

With nearly 2 feet of snow covering the North Shore of Long Island, it’s important to remember that shoveling it can be a strenuous task for both the young and old. 

While freshly fallen snow looks pretty, it gets ugly fast when it piles up preventing us from getting to work, school or the supermarket. 

In order to get back to our daily tasks, the bottom line is we have to shovel. But shoveling can lead to not only minor aches and pains, but unfortunate situations such as heart attacks or death. 

This week alone with the most recent nor’easter, there were three blizzard-related deaths on Long Island — two in Syosset and one in Cutchogue. 

According to data analyzed in a 2019 Washington Post story, shoveling during snowstorms is responsible for about 11,500 injuries — 100 of which on average are fatal. 

However, Catholic Health Physician Partners cardiologist, Dr. Chong Park, gave his insight on how to prevent heading to the hospital while cleaning up your property. 

Park suggested doing a 10-minute warm-up before going outside.

“Light exercise and stretching allow your muscles and joints to loosen,” he said. “Also, avoid eating a heavy meal and consuming alcohol prior to clearing snow.”

Park added, “Should symptoms such as chest pain, chest heaviness, palpitations or shortness of breath occur as you shovel snow, stop immediately and seek medical attention.”

Other tips from Park include:

Dress properly: To stay warm when you’re outside, wear several loose layers of clothing. Additionally, don a water-resistant coat and boots along with a knit hat, scarf and gloves. It’s important to keep your gloves as dry as possible while shoveling. Wet gloves won’t keep your hands warm.

Set your pace: You may want to clear the snow as fast as possible, but that’s when injuries occur. Go slow and do it step-by-step. As much as possible, push snow along the ground. Use a smaller snow shovel to avoid lifting a load that is too heavy. 

Be sure to take frequent breaks, return inside to warm up and consume plenty of water. It’s also important to clear snow as quickly as possible before it begins to melt and gets too heavy.

Good form: When lifting snow, it’s important to use your legs. Bending at the waist can lead to an injury. Keep your back straight and squat with your knees wide. Avoid tossing snow. Instead, walk it to where you want to dump it.

Avoid falls: Wear boots with slip-resistant soles. Once you have cleared your driveway and walkway, throw down salt or sand to eliminate any remaining ice or snow and enhance traction.

So, please follow our motto, “Snow: Handle with care.”

by -
0 72
Pixabay photo

When reading a police blotter — such as the one on page A6 — some people may be surprised at some of the incidents that occur in our towns and villages.

Take, for example, cars being broken into and the purses and laptops that were on one of the seats being stolen. Or people going around checking to see if a car door is open and, if it is, going inside the vehicle to see if there is anything valuable. Sometimes these incidents even involve teenagers seeing if they can find some loose change in the cupholder.

Police officers can’t be everywhere so the odds of one being nearby while someone is breaking a car window are next to impossible. And if someone is checking to see if a door is open, how are officers supposed to know if the vehicle belongs to the person or not?

When they are called to the scene, think of all the more serious incidents they are being taken away from to fill out a report for one that could have been prevented.

People who have grown up in a city know the golden rule, which is to lock doors, whether to a house or a car. It doesn’t matter if people are outside or inside their homes or vehicles. It can be as simple as that to reduce minor incidents in our communities. Also, valuables should never be left in plain sight in the car. If there is no choice, they should be put in the trunk, out of view.

Of course, we live in an imperfect world and crimes are going to happen even when people are careful.

TBR News Media has always encouraged neighborhood watches. In the early days of our media organization, The Village Times started the Neighborhood Watch in Suffolk County. Our editor at the time, Ann Fossan, was familiar with the Neighborhood Watch program from her home state of California. The program is easy enough to institute. Neighbors looking out their windows or walking down their driveways might spy an unfamiliar car or unknown person engaged in some inexplicable activity. They would then be encouraged by the police to call the nonemergency number of the local precinct and report it. The police do not feel they would be unnecessarily bothered; they welcome the cooperation of the public in order to do their jobs.

To work together as a neighborhood, the residents need to know how to alert each other. That means inviting neighbors over to a block leader’s home for coffee and exchanging phone numbers. In this way, people get to know their neighbors and, if there is a problem, everyone is alerted. Each block needs a block captain.

The result of our project was the alliance of 70 neighborhood groups which included 700 local families. At the time, teenage boys were going around checking to see if sliding patio doors on homes were open and, when they were, they would enter and commit theft. After establishing the Neighborhood Watch, the incidents decreased significantly.

Retirees can be especially effective with their oversight of local houses and streets from their homes.

Just the simple act of people being aware and mindful can make a difference. Frequently, discussions surround the fact that we need to show more support for law enforcement. This is one way to do that. Don’t aid and abet would-be criminals with careless behavior. Lock your doors and watch over your neighbors.

by -
0 203
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Civil Rights March In Washington D.C. in 1963.

During a march on Washington, D.C., back in August 1963, civil rights activist and minister the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech that was heard around the world. 

“I have a dream,” he recited, “that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.”

Now, nearly 54 years after his assassination in Memphis, Tennessee, that speech still has clout, and its message is still being spread, but unfortunately King’s children and granddaughter still do not see what he had envisioned so long ago. 

The murders of Black men and women including George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain and David McAtee — just to name a few — still continue some five decades after King’s plea for our country to stop its racism, bigotry and hate. 

How can we as a society still continue to judge, harass and kill people based solely on the color of their skin? Have we not learned?

This week would have been MLK’s 93rd birthday, and he would be ashamed of what is going on in our country.

When he died in 1968, Black people in America were fighting for their basic human rights. Now it’s 2022 and people of color are still fighting. Fortunately, they’re being joined by many others in the fight. 

While the summer of 2020 was one of civil unrest, protests, anger and tears, it was a summer which again started the conversation that enough is enough. 

In 2022, we as a society need to continue moving forward — not backward. 

MLK’s dream was for children, Black or white, to play happily and peacefully together. 

Let us start this new year with his dream in mind. Let us show respect for our neighbors and support causes of conscience. Let us remember the injustices and work to make sure they are not repeated.

We have the ability to succeed better as a society but what it will take is an awareness of injustice and the resolve to root it out.

Let us continue to keep Dr. King’s dream alive.  

by -
0 95
Photo from Unsplash

With Christmas this weekend, families are looking to get together for some quality time.

Last Christmas, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, people quarantined with just those in their households. It was lonely for some, but they stayed safe, away from contact with other people.

Then 2021 came around and with the vaccines we saw some hope — we began slowly peeling off our masks and traveling again. Families became reunited.

But unfortunately, that was premature and now Suffolk County is at a 14% positivity rate as of Tuesday, Dec. 21.

To put it in perspective, municipalities across New York state were shut down at 5% in the spring of 2020. We have doubled the seven-day average compared to where we were at that time and have not shut down.

And there are reasons for that. Luckily more than a year-and-a-half later we have the vaccines, we have boosters and we know that masks work — we just need to continue using them and continue using common sense.

It’s sad to think that this is the second Christmas where some families might not be able to see their loved ones out of fear. It’s sad that we as a country were doing well and now have fallen back into old habits of not taking care of ourselves and of others.

If we continue not to listen to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, our health care providers and the science,

Politicians insist we won’t go into lockdown, but what will happen if the infection rate goes to 20%? What will we do if the hospitals are overfilled again?

With the comfort we felt during this past summer, newly vaccinated with restrictions lifted, some might have forgotten what early 2020 looked like. Visits to grandparents were through a window. Restaurants were not allowed to have inside dining. Disinfectants and masks were impossible to find, while bodies were kept in outside trailers because the morgue was filled to capacity.

We don’t want to head back in that direction, especially with all of the resources now available to us. We have the vaccine, we have the booster, we have masks and we know how to combat this virus. We just need to collectively do it and not treat it lightly.

So, for this holiday season, and throughout the rest of the winter, please take care of yourself, take care of others and be cautious.

by -
0 80
METRO photo

It’s no surprise that face mask use is mandated once again when visiting or working in a store or venue in the state of New York. Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said earlier this year if the COVID-19 infection rate kept climbing, the mandatory health protocol would be needed again.

Until Jan. 15, 2022, when the state will reassess, unless an establishment has a vaccine requirement, a mask must be worn by everyone 2 years old and up. The governor announced the statewide mandate that began Monday, Dec. 13, during a press conference last Friday. In addition, businesses that do not comply can face fines up
to $1,000.

According to a recent article in The New York Times, the state’s infection rate last Saturday reflected a 51% jump over 14 days. With more than a 7% seven-day infection rate in Suffolk County, Hochul’s new mandate seems more than appropriate for our communities.

While some people still have been wearing masks either because they aren’t vaccinated or as an extra precaution, many have not since former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) lifted the initial mask mandate in the state.

The news can be frustrating for those who are vaccinated and even received the booster shot. However, Americans have known since the virus first reached our shores that it would take a while to figure out how to lessen transmission, especially since a virus can mutate. With no practice 100% effective — and some people resisting not only wearing masks but getting the vaccine — the virus has continued infecting people and new variants have developed, such as Delta and Omicron. While medical researchers are still trying to understand the virus, why not take extra precautions? Even if they are not guaranteed to stop transmission, they can lessen the chances of spreading the virus.

While face masks can be uncomfortable at times, the protective gear acts as a barrier to protect the wearer from droplets released in the air when someone coughs or sneezes. It also traps the wearer’s respiratory droplets. If someone is sick and they are wearing a mask, they are less likely to give someone else the virus.

When Cuomo issued mandatory business shutdowns in the early days of the pandemic, New Yorkers debated if this was the right approach. A good percentage of people thought it would be the demise of many businesses. Fortunately, many business owners were able to swim with the tide and come up with innovative solutions such as curbside service and selling merchandise on social media if they didn’t have a website.

Now more than ever, local businesses need our support as many of them cannot make it through another round of shutdowns. So, let’s mask up before stepping inside a favorite store, restaurant or theater so that we can keep these places not only open but give them a chance to thrive.

After all, this is the season of goodwill.

by -
0 174
County Executive Steve Bellone during a press conference in Hauppauge. Photo from Suffolk County

Last week, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) announced the county’s comprehensive police reform and reinvention plan, which was approved by the Legislature back in March.

According to Bellone, the reform plan seeks cultural change in the Suffolk County Police Department, with enhanced civilian oversight, increased accountability and transparency through the use of body cameras, and an expanded mental health crisis response among many other initiatives and policy changes. 

The plan focuses on seven major points for reform: training and continuing education, recruitment and staffing, community policing, traffic stops, arrests and warrants, mental health response and police systems, accountability and body cameras. 

The body camera program has been a topic of debate not just locally, but nationally. While some believe that officers should not have to wear them, many think that it would be beneficial to not only those in uniform, but also to the county — it could save us money in terms of potential lawsuits or settlements.  

Right now, the county has a pilot program where a limited number of SCPD officers wear body cameras. In an effort to increase transparency and accountability, the police reform and reinvention plan proposed that body worn cameras be deployed as standard police worn equipment for all county police officers who engage with the public in the course of their professional duties. 

According to Bellone, starting in 2022, body-worn cameras will be deployed for approximately 1,600 SCPD officers with an incentive of $3,000 additional pay over the course of two years to wear them. Suffolk County has included, in its capital budget, $24 million over a five-year period for the purchase of the cameras, implementation of the program and maintenance of the body-worn cameras and data systems. 

Nassau County has implemented a similar program while other jurisdictions in the U.S. have already begun giving officers bonus pay, negotiated by the police unions, for wearing cameras.

While the financial incentive might seem unfair to some, it’s not the worst thing. 

If an officer gets a boost for wearing something that could help accountability and trust within the local police departments, then so be it. It would then create a domino effect, resulting in other officers jumping on board until each one is armed with a camera.

If all SCPD officers eventually sport a body cam, the bad apples will be weeded out and trust could come back to those who risk their lives on the job. 

Prev1...111213...39Next Page 12 of 39
TBR News Media is your local news and entertainment website.
We provide you with the latest breaking news and information for your community.
Contact us: [email protected]

Most Viewed

©