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Port Jefferson wants more police on patrol

by Elana Glowatz - August 5, 2015

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Debate focuses on bar fights downtown, narcotics uptown

Residents and village officials butted heads with a police lieutenant on Monday night, debating the level of coverage officers provide in Port Jefferson.

The downtown commercial district, with its numerous bars and restaurants, is busy on summer nights, particularly on the weekend. Village officials have lobbied over the years to increase Suffolk County police presence downtown during those peak times, and to have more bodies in the uptown area, which sees criminal activity such as drug sales and has a consistent homeless population.

Lt. Donato Mignone said at the village board meeting Monday that there are additional officers patrolling Port Jefferson on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, pointing out that the village gets more police coverage relative to its number of police incidents. Mignone said of the 7,800 incidents the Suffolk County Police Department’s 6th Precinct handled in July, 385 of them were in Port Jefferson.

While he agreed the village deserves more attention than it gets, the department is working with limited resources and “you want to be wise with your manpower.”

But Trustee Larry LaPointe argued, “If you’re not here, there is no incident to report. If a tree falls in the woods and nobody’s there to hear it, the tree didn’t fall. That’s what’s happening in this village.”

The trustee called for more police coverage.

“There’s too much violence downtown,” LaPointe said.

The lieutenant said he would pass on the village’s concerns to his superiors. He added, “I absolutely understand, I agree, I commiserate.”

Later in the meeting, after Mignone left, LaPointe said the village might take its fight to a higher level, like the county executive’s office, if things don’t change.

“It’s their job to keep our community safe,” the trustee said. “We will exhaust every possible avenue that we can think of to bring our needs and our concerns to their attention and to push our case as hard as we can.”

Parks employee enters town highway race

by Erika Karp - August 5, 2015

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Jason Kontzamanys takes on Dan Losquadro on Nov. 3

Roads_potholes_KARP1w — Road paving is just one of the issues highway superintendent candidates will debate. File photo by Erika Karp

Jason Kontzamanys has been working in the Town of Brookhaven parks department for a decade, but the Democrat said he is looking for a new challenge, which prompted his decision to face off against Republican incumbent Highway Superintendent Dan Losquadro in November.

Jason Kontzamanys is running on the democratic ticket against incumbent Republican Dan Losquadro. Photo from the candidate

In a recent interview, Kontzamanys, 45, of Port Jefferson Station, spoke about his plans for his campaign and what he would do if elected to the position. He said his years of experience working as a maintenance mechanic in the parks department and with blue-collar workers makes him the man for the job.

This is Kontzamanys’ first time running for office and the Comsewogue High School alumnus recently went back to school to earn his master’s degree in social studies education from Dowling College. He plans to obtain his doctorate in education administration and become a school administrator.

“I knew I could make a difference,” he said about accepting the nomination.

Kontzamanys said he believed the biggest issue plaguing the department is the overuse of subcontracting.

“The taxpayers should be upset as well,” he said. “The taxpayer is paying for a unionized workforce and they’re not being worked to their full potential.”

Kontzamanys began working for Brookhaven at the landfill and currently works out of the parks department’s base in Holtsville, where he helps with “all aspects of construction and maintenance,” he said. This has given him the opportunity to be versatile and get to know the whole town, he said.

He also has his Class A Commercial License to operate heavy equipment.

Bringing the subcontracted work in house is one of the first steps Kontzamanys would take to help boost the department’s morale, which he alleged is almost non-existent. He said keeping an open-door policy would also help boost spirits.

“You have to keep an open mind, because everybody has the right to be heard, whether it’s a taxpayer or an in-house union member,” he said.

Kontzamanys also said he has a vision to modernize the department and reduce the department’s debt service.

Jason Kontzamanys is running on the democratic ticket against incumbent Republican Dan Losquadro, above. File photo by Erika Karp

Losquadro, who was elected as superintendent in 2013, said in a phone interview that he disagreed with Kontzamanys’ notion that subcontracting was bad for the department and the workers aren’t being used. Losquadro said there was a tremendous backlog of work that needed to be done when he took office.

“We needed to go out and contract for that work to keep up with the volume,” he said.

He added that department crews are still responsible for responding to day-to-day complaints and completing routine work. He said the response time for services performed has greatly improved and the fixed-cost contracts gave the department the ability to attend to a high volume of work.

“I think it has been a great boon for the taxpayer,” Losquadro said.

Losquadro also responded to Kontzamanys’ claim that morale was down in the department, stating it is “exactly the opposite,” as he as tried to maintain a direct and open line to his employees.

Making the department more environmentally friendly is also crucial to Kontzamanys, he said, and he spoke about going after federal grants for solar sidewalks and solar panels on highway department land.

Looking at the big picture, Kontzamanys wants to explore additional shared services between municipalities in order to create a synergy between them. For example, collectively bidding on asphalt could help drive down the price.

“I don’t want to just manage, I want to completely transform,” he said.

Election Day is Nov. 3.

‘South Pacific,’ always a hit, comes ashore at Oakdale’s CMPAC

by TBR Staff - August 5, 2015

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SouthPacific_CM_1w — Kristen Digilio and Jon Rivera in a scene from ‘South Pacific.’ Photo by Lisa Schindlar

By Charles J. Morgan

The antics and other distracting, diversionary activities stationed on a backwater island during World War II form the structure of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s great hit “South Pacific” which opened on Oakdale’s CM Performing Arts Center’s Noel S. Ruiz Theatre’s massive stage last Saturday.

Wonderfully directed by Ed Brennan, the story takes place during World War II, following the love story between a U.S. Navy nurse from Arkansas, Nellie, and French planter, Emile, a widower raising his two children. A second love story develops between Liat, a local girl living on the island of Bali Ha’i, and Lt. Joseph Cable, who is conflicted with the duty he owes to his country and the love he feels for Liat.

With book by Hammerstein and Josh Logan, it guaranteed a smash hit at CMPAC … and so it was with Kristen Digilio as Nurse Nellie Forbush and Jon Rivera as Emile de Becque.

Digilio showed extraordinary range in both acting, singing and even dancing. Rivera was a baritone with some depth into basso and a lyricism especially in “Some Enchanted Evening,” the lyrical note on the last word alone culminating the depth of lower register of the baritone for a truly enhanced, musically aesthetic experience.

Digilio’s “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair” was a rollicking ensemble with a bevy of swimsuit-clad Navy nurses. She revealed a range of talent reaching from this signature number as well as the slapstick “Honey Bun,” to a totally plaintive solo in “Some Enchanted Evening.”

In the sassy, wise-guy role of Seaman Luther Billis, Marc Slomowitz leads the Seabees in “There is Nothing Like a Dame” which unlocks the rather libidinous leitmotif of the show. Brodie Centauro plays Lt. Cable. He is in love with Liat, a Polynesian girl played by Kate Apostolico. He sings “Younger Than Springtime” in a melodious tenor with Apostolico in his arms, coupled with a handsome stage presence and a powerful tenor.

Then there is the inevitable “Bloody Mary,” handled expertly by Angela Garofalo. A derivative of Little Buttercup in “H.M.S. Pinafore” she is earthy, but when she sings “Bali Ha’i” and “Happy Talk” one simply wants to give her a hug. The island’s commanding officer, Capt. Brackett, is played by Michael Sherwood; Comdr. Harbison is played by John J. Steele Jr. These two non-singing roles lend a fairly good sense of realism to the show.

Choreography is by the indomitable M.E. Junge. “There is Nothing Like a Dame,” “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair” and “Honey Bun” exhibited her best work. Music was under the baton of the indispensable Matthew W. Surico leading faultlessly a live 17-piece pit band with cleverly comic uses of dissonances in a well-rehearsed series of numbers.

Costume design fell to Ronald Green III, a veteran designer at CMPAC. His expertise in the native inhabitants’ costuming and the nurses’ swimsuits was faultless. The uniforms not so: Lt. Cable would have been written up if he actually appeared in a four-button open jacket, sunglasses hung out of pocket, hat on back of head, iniquitous boots and a leather flight jacket suitable for B-17 crews over Berlin. Only one sailor wore a regulation hat while the others wore what looked like the pope’s zucchetto; missing also were the U.S. Navy hat devices for Brackett and Harbison.

Anyway, the excellence of this production calls for maximum attendance by all who want top musical entertainment.

The Noel S. Ruiz Theatre at the CM Performing Arts Center, 931 Montauk Highway, Oakdale, will present “South Pacific” through Aug. 23. Tickets range from $20 to $29. For more information, call 631-218-2810 or visit www.cmpac.com.

Taking the next step to provide excellence

by TBR Staff - August 5, 2015

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By L. Reuven Pasternak, M.D.

To keep health care strong across Suffolk County and Eastern Long Island, Stony Brook University Hospital and Eastern Long Island Hospital will move forward with next steps toward an affiliation — following a unanimous vote by ELIH’s board of trustees at a meeting held on July 9.

This affiliation will help both hospitals provide excellence in health care for the communities we serve. It would allow both hospitals to continue to bring new and strengthened clinical services to the North Fork of Eastern Long Island, including Shelter Island.

The best affiliations allow hospitals to make sure that each patient receives the right level of care in the right facility to match the right level of services needed. We believe this affiliation will do just that.

Our relationship with ELIH is a longstanding one with a history of the two hospitals working closely together to improve health care access and quality. Stony Brook Medicine clinicians have staffed and assisted in the development of ELIH inpatient behavioral health programs, cared for patients who needed specialty services not available at ELIH, and provided support and patient transport services during times of emergency. For example, following damage from Hurricane Sandy, Eastern Long Island patients were transferred to Stony Brook Medicine for care until the Greenport facility was restored.

The next step is for Stony Brook Medicine and ELIH to develop an integration and affiliation agreement. Then, the State University of New York board of trustees will need to approve the transaction. And finally, multiple regulatory steps must be approved through various New York State agencies.

We are grateful to SUNY’s support and visionary leadership for our continued work to establish affiliations with community hospitals in Suffolk County for the care of Long Island residents. On behalf of all of Stony Brook, we especially want to thank Thomas Murray Jr., chairman of the ELIH board of trustees, and the board for choosing Stony Brook as their strategic partner.

We look forward to strengthening our relationship with ELIH and working with Paul Connor III, president and CEO of ELIH, to fulfill our shared promise to meet the health care needs of the community for years to come.

L. Reuven Pasternak, M.D., is chief executive officer at Stony Brook University Hospital and vice president for Health Systems, Stony Brook Medicine.

Chimpanzees could give humans an evolutionary hand

Power of 3

by Daniel Dunaief - August 5, 2015

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almecija-stony-brook-hands-w — Above, Sergio Almécija sandwiches his own hand between skeletons of a chimpanzee and a human. The chimpanzee hand has evolved more than the human hand from a bone structure that predates human’s use of tools, altering the story about the evolution of the human hand. Photo by Ashley Hammond

He’s at it again.

Sergio Almécija ruffled feathers in 2013 when he looked at the femur bone of an ape that lived six million years ago and suggested that this leg bone might have been like that of a fossil ape, which upset the usual human evolution story. Almécija, who left his post as research instructor at Stony Brook University this summer and joined George Washington University in Washington D.C. as an assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology, recently compared the hands of humans with chimps and apes. His findings and possible conclusions have, once again, challenged some conventional wisdom.

In looking at hand bones, Almécija, working with Jeroen Smaers and William Jungers at Stony Brook, analyzed the length of thumbs compared with fingers. He discovered that human hands haven’t changed that dramatically over the last several million years, while those of chimpanzees have shown considerably more variation, with the length of their fingers getting longer relative to their thumbs. He published this research recently in the journal Nature Communications.

“The generally accepted hypothesis is that our hand proportions went through dramatic changes, starting from a chimp-like hand with long digits and relatively short thumb by means of selective pressure,” Almécija explained. This process would have started about three million years ago, when humans produced stone tools in a systematic way. Almécija’s analysis, however, suggests the most likely scenario is one in which humans changed little, with our fingers slightly shorter and thumbs slightly longer, than our ancestors, while chimps have had elongated digits to help them move around in trees.

“Humans are very good at using their hands to manipulate things and little hand evolution was necessary to allow this” because the likely starting point was “already pretty good,” he said.

This process is at odds with the usual evolutionary story of humans — who use their longer thumbs to build tools to conduct research, write about their findings and grasp and manipulate fine objects like an iPhone.

“It appears from our work that the human hand, not unlike that of a gorilla’s, is actually preserving many aspects of primitive, ancient hominoid proportions,” said Jungers, a distinguished teaching professor in the Department of Anatomical Sciences at Stony Brook.

The critical evolutionary process may not have been the development of a hand that could already create tools but rather the cognitive machinery that made it possible for early humans to create these tools.

“Rethinking the details of human evolution happens frequently when new fossils and new analytical methods appear,” Jungers explained. “It’s one of the exciting aspects of paleoanthropology and the hallmark of good science.”

In some respects, chimps have evolved more in their hands than humans.

Jungers, however, cautions that “more” doesn’t mean better. “The chimpanzee hand departs more from the primitive condition than does that of humans in overall proportions,” Jungers said. “Other details of the hand, for example, some of the wrist bones, are similar in chimpanzees and the earliest human relatives and it’s modern humans who have changed ‘more’ from the primitive carpal condition.”

To do this kind of analysis, Almécija said he collected and measured bones from existing fossils. He has also gone out on digs, where he hopes to unearth new fossils that will continue to help clarify the story of human evolution.

Indeed, years ago, Almécija had some success on a dig that helped fuel his interest in the field.

When Almécija was in college in Spain, in his first day at a site, he and his colleagues found an entire fossil ape face from a species previously unknown to science. The next year, he recalls, he spent 10 hours a day in a hot sun looking for fossils but wasn’t able to match the exciting find from that first excavation. By then, however, he was already hooked on anthropology.

Almécija and his wife Ashley Hammond, who also worked at Stony Brook, recently made the move to George Washington University together.

“We really loved being at Stony Brook,” he said. The faculty in Anatomical Sciences are “great scholars and better people.”

Almécija said he plans to continue to collaborate with those same staff members.

Jungers and Almécija are co-principal investigators on an active National Science Foundation grant. “I look forward to many more years of fruitful collaboration,” Jungers said.

Do we hydrate enough?

Medical Compass

by David Dunaief - August 5, 2015

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Dehydration is a topic that is often overlooked or given only cursory thought, but it’s very important. Dehydration is simple to avoid, right? Not necessarily. The problem is that we may be dehydrated prior to experiencing symptoms of thirst. In the heat of summer or while exercising, you’re more likely to think about hydration, though you may not actually hydrate enough; however, it’s relevant year-round. Complications and symptoms of dehydration can be mild to severe, ranging from constipation, mood changes, headaches and heart palpitations to heat stroke, migraines and heart attacks.

Effect on headaches and migraines

Temperature is a potential trigger for headaches and migraines. As the temperature rises by intervals of nine degrees, the risk for headaches and migraines increases by 8 percent (1). This study involved 7,054 participants from one emergency room site. Warmer temperatures can potentially reduce blood volume in the body, causing dilation of the arteries, resulting in higher risk of headaches and migraines.

In another study, those who drank four cups more water per day had significantly fewer hours of migraine pain than those who drank less (2). Headache intensity decreased as well. Anecdotally, I had a patient who experienced a potentially dehydration-induced migraine after playing sports in the sweltering heat. He had the classic aura and was treated with hydration, acetaminophen and caffeine, which helped avoid much of the suffering.

Impact on heart palpitations

Heart palpitations are very common. They are broadly felt as a racing heart rate, skipped beat, pounding sensation or fluttering. Dehydration and exercise are contributing factors (3). They occur mainly when we don’t hydrate prior to exercise. All we need to do is drink one glass of water prior to exercise and then drink during exercise to avoid palpitations. Though these are not usually life-threatening, they are anxiety-producing for patients.

Heart attacks

The Adventist Health Study, an observational study, showed a dose-response curve for men (4). In other words, group 1, which drank >five glasses of water daily, had the least risk of death from heart disease than group 2, which drank >three glasses of water daily. Those in group 3, which drank <two glasses per day, saw the least amount of benefit, comparatively. For women, there was no difference between groups 1 and 2; however, both fared better than group 3. The reason for this effect, according to the authors, may relate to blood or plasma viscosity (thickness) and fibrogen, a substance that helps clots form.

Stroke outcomes

Researchers at Johns Hopkins presented findings at the International Stroke Conference 2015 that suggest dehydrated stroke patients have a four times increased risk of having more severe outcomes between hospital admission and discharge than those without dehydration.

Dehydrated patients who presented to the emergency room within 12 hours of an ischemic (low blood flow caused usually by a clot) stroke had poorer outcomes four days later than those who were not dehydrated (5). Stroke severity was similar between the two groups, and none of these patients had kidney failure. The researchers used National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) to assess daily stroke severity and used magnetic resonance imaging to calculate the number of resulting brain lesions.

The authors suggest that additional research is necessary to determine appropriate methods for rehydration that will avoid exacerbating some underlying medical conditions, like congestive heart failure.

There were some limitations of this study, including its small size, 126 patients, use of indirect markers to measure dehydration and varied MRI timing. It was also not clear whether the dehydration may have caused the strokes, or whether they were a result of medications that negatively affect the kidneys (6).

In an editorial response Dr. Jeffrey Berns, the editor-in-chief of Medscape Nephrology, noted that the above study was not one of dehydration but rather one of volume depletion (7). This is important because you can treat with the wrong substance and cause a negative effect. Dehydration results in elevated sodium in the blood and increased serum osmolarity, turning it a dark color — not to be confused with certain foods or medications that can color your urine.

However, volume depletion is a clinical diagnosis that might affect kidneys by raising the BUN/creatine ratio. If you treat the latter with water, you may cause low blood levels of sodium, which can be dangerous. Interestingly, in my clinical practice, I treat volume depletion and dehydration similarly with smoothies that predominantly contain fruits and vegetables. Regardless of which diagnosis, you may be able to treat with fluids that contain electrolytes, particulates and that are nutrient-dense.

Mood and energy levels

One small study found that mild dehydration resulted in decreased concentration, subdued mood, fatigue and headaches in women (8). In this small study, the mean age of participants was 23, and they were neither athletes nor highly sedentary. Dehydration was caused by walking on a treadmill with or without taking a diuretic (water pill) prior to the exercise. The authors concluded that adequate hydration was needed, especially during and after exercise. I would also suggest, from my practice experience, hydration prior to exercise.

Different ways to remain hydrated

Now we realize we need to stay hydrated, but how do we go about this? How much water we need to drink depends on circumstances, such as diet, activity levels, environment and other factors. It is not true necessarily that we all should be drinking eight glasses of water a day. In a review article, the authors analyzed the data but did not find adequate studies to suggest that eight glasses is supported in the literature (9). It may actually be too much for some patients.

You may also get a significant amount of water from the foods in your diet. A nutrient-dense diet, like the Mediterranean or DASH diets, has a plant-rich focus. A study mentions that diets with a focus on fruits and vegetables increases water consumption (10). As you may know, up to 95 percent of fruit and vegetable weight can be attributed to water. An added benefit is an increased satiety level without eating calorically dense foods.

The myth: Coffee is dehydrating

In one review, it was suggested that caffeinated coffee and tea don’t increase the risk of dehydration, even though caffeine is a mild diuretic (11). With moderate amounts of caffeine, the beverage has a more hydrating effect than the diuretic effect.

Thus, it is important to stay hydrated to avoid complications — some are serious, but all are uncomfortable. Diet is a great way to ensure that you get the triple effect of high amounts of nutrients, increased hydration and sense of feeling satiated without calorie-dense foods. However, don’t go overboard with water consumption, especially if you have congestive heart failure or open-angle glaucoma (12).

References:

(1) Neurology 2009 Mar 10;72(10):922-927. (2) Handb Clin Neurol 2010;97:161-172. (3) Clevelandclinic.org. (4) Am J Epidemiol 2002 May 1; 155:827-833. (5) International Stroke Conference (ISC) 2015. Abstract T MP86. Presented Feb. 12, 2015. (6) Medscape Feb. 19, 2015. (7) Medscape Mar. 27, 2015. (8) J. Nutr. Feb. 2012 142:382-388. (9) AJP -Regu Physiol 2002;283(3):R993-R1004. (10) Am J Lifestyle Med 2011;5(4):316-319. (11) Exerc Sport Sci Rev 2007;35(3):135-140. (12) Br J Ophthalmol 2005:89:1298-1301.

Dr. Dunaief is a speaker, author and local lifestyle medicine physician focusing on the integration of medicine, nutrition, fitness and stress management. For further information, go to the website www.medicalcompassmd.com or consult your personal physician.

Detectives want help identifying skeletal remains

by Elana Glowatz - August 4, 2015

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female-greenway-remains — Sketch from SCPD

Police have released a sketch of the woman whose skeletal remains were found near a stretch of the Greenway Trail earlier this year, and are asking for the public’s help to identify her.

The human remains were found on March 22 around 4 p.m., near a stretch of the 3.5-mile hiking and biking trail — which connects Setauket and Port Jefferson Station — off of Gnarled Hollow Road. At the time, police could not confirm whether the person was a male or female and had not determined a cause of death. But the Suffolk County Police Department said Aug. 4 that the deceased was a woman, believed to have been white or Hispanic and between 30 and 50 years old. She was between 5 feet 3 inches and 5 feet 9 inches tall and had poor dental work, police said.

Police, asking for help to identify her, said her remains are believed to have been at the location for about a year.

Anyone with information is asked to call homicide detectives at 631-852-6392, or to anonymously call Crime Stoppers at 800-220-TIPS.

Early morning storm rocks North Shore

by Phil Corso - August 4, 2015

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Severe weather toppled trees and downed power lines across the North Shore on Tuesday morning, leaving roads unnavigable and residents without electricity in areas including Port Jefferson, Setauket, Smithtown and Stony Brook.

The National Weather Service sent out three separate thunderstorm warnings in the early morning hours between 4 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. citing reports of hail, thunderstorms and wind damage with trees falling onto homes and power lines down throughout the Port Jefferson area. By daybreak, intense winds and rain made way for a sunny morning that revealed the aftermath of the storm. Trees were in the streets and traffic lights had gone black.

By 11 a.m. on Tuesday, utility PSEG Long Island reported more than 20,000 customers in Brookhaven Town without power and more than 8,000 in Smithtown. Over 42,000 customers were affected in total and as of 10:30 a.m. 38,027 are without power throughout Long Island and the Rockaways, PSEG said.

Route 25A in East Setauket was a hotbed of activity on Tuesday morning, and the Suffolk County Police Department urged drivers to treat outed traffic lights as stop signs in lieu of electricity. In fact, SCPD requested all drivers to completely avoid Route 25A all together on Tuesday morning in Port Jefferson, Setauket and Stony Brook as various road closures were underway to remove trees from the streets. By 10:30 a.m., SCPD announced that Route 25A was closed in both directions between Franklin Street and Stony Hill Road in Port Jefferson.

Lights along Nicolls Road in Stony Brook, and all lights from Nicolls Road on Route 25A stretching to Main Street in Setauket were out this morning. Tree and leaves were strewn across Route 25A, and traffic moved slowly along the thoroughfare in the Setauket and Stony Brook areas. SCPD cars were a common sight. The lights were out at many businesses along Main Street in Stony Brook.

In a statement, Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine said he was working with Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office to coordinate resources to respond to hard-hit areas.

“The storm that hit this morning caused extensive damage and power outages throughout the North Shore, and I have authorized all resources from Parks and Waste Management Departments to assist the Highway Department in the clean-up effort,” he said. “Our Emergency Operations Center was activated at 6:30 a.m. and currently, a PSEG representative is coordinating efforts to restore power to more than 21,000 Brookhaven residents.”

The Smithtown Fire Department responded to a call of the first of many downed power lines at 5:01 a.m., according to spokesman Jeff Bressler. The alarms were the result of a quick-moving powerful storm that made its way through the Smithtown area. As of 8:43 a.m., eight calls were dispatched for wires in addition to a CO activation and a mutual aid to a structural fire in St. James, Bressler said.

The National Weather Service also issued a coastal hazard message as the storm battered the North Shore, warning residents to watch out for strong rip currents flowing away from the shorelines.

Rohma Abbas contributed to this report.

Tweet us your updates on the aftermath of the storm @TBRNewspapers.

Send us your storm photos to [email protected].

Woman convicted of stealing $30K from handicapped teen

by Rohma Abbas - August 3, 2015

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DA to recommend maximum prison term

Maureen Myles mug — Maureen Myles. Photo from Suffolk DA's office

An East Northport woman has been convicted of stealing $30,000 meant to fund a van with a wheelchair lift for a Huntington teen with cerebral palsy.

Maureen Myles, 62, was convicted on Friday of grand larceny, scheme to defraud and petit larceny following a seven-day trial in Central Islip, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Tom Spota’s office. DA detective-investigators arrested Myles in December 2013 for making off with the money, which donors raised at a benefit dinner in Northport.

The DA’s office said State Supreme Court Justice Fernando Camacho found Myles guilty of one count of third-degree grand larceny, two counts of fourth-degree grand larceny, scheme to defraud and petit larceny.

Myles was previously convicted of a felony — in 2004, a jury found her guilty of grand larceny and scheme to defraud, for buying $40,000 worth of Bermuda cruise tickets using credit card numbers she stole from her employer, according to the DA.

Spota said the office will recommend the maximum prison term of three and a half to seven years when Myles is sentenced on Sept. 2.

Myles’ attorney, Garden City-based Richard Benson, didn’t immediately return a call seeking comment on Monday.

U.S. senator supports microbead ban

by Elana Glowatz - August 3, 2015

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A local effort to ban a popular ingredient in beauty products has support on the federal level.

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman visited Long Island recently to announce the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015, a bipartisan federal bill that would ban cosmetics containing plastic pellets called microbeads, which are frequently smaller than 1 millimeter in diameter and are found in face washes, shampoos, beauty products and other soaps.

Because of their size, most wastewater treatment systems are unable to filter out the microbeads, so they are released into local waterways like the Long Island Sound. But microbeads accumulate toxins in the water, and fish and birds ingest them. Public health could be at risk if the fish are reeled in and eaten.

Schneiderman reported that about 19 tons of the small pellets pass through New York wastewater treatment plants each year.

Gillibrand’s bill has sponsors and co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle, most of them from the Midwest, according to a press release from the senator’s office. It is similar to a New York state-level bill of the same name, which is Schneiderman’s effort to prohibit the sale and distribution of products containing microbeads.

“These tiny pieces of plastic have already caused significant ecological damage to New York’s waterways,” Gillibrand said, “and they will continue to do so until they are removed from the marketplace.”

The state bill passed the Assembly in the last session but was not put up for a vote in the Senate, despite having more co-sponsors than the number of votes it would have needed to pass.

New York is not alone in pushing to ban microbeads — Illinois has already given them the axe, and other states are considering similar legislation.

Many local residents first heard about the issue when Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) led her colleagues to passing a law that required the county to study how a microbead ban would affect health and the economy.

She commended officials for their anti-microbead effort on the national stage.

“The threat posed by microbead waste is of national consequence,” Hahn said in the press release. “The cumbersome task of tackling this issue [from] municipality to municipality and state to state will never prove as effective as a federal approach.”

Adrienne Esposito, the executive director of the local Citizens Campaign for the Environment, said there are other effective alternatives to microbeads, such as apricot shells, salt and oatmeal.

“The public expects facial soaps and toothpaste to clean our face and teeth, not pollute our waters,” Esposito said. “Plastic microbeads pollute our waters, contaminate our fish and shellfish, and could end up back on our dinner plates. They are completely unnecessary.”

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