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Monthly Archives: December 2015

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Beryl Wood creates a centerpiece for the Sound View Garden Club’s Greens Sale. Photo by Ernestine Franco

By Ernestine Franco

Are you looking to add some natural elements to your holiday decorations? If your answer is yes, then the fourth annual Sound View Garden Club’s Greens Sale is the place to be. The Greens Sale will take place on Saturday, Dec. 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the second floor of the Sound Beach Firehouse.

Centerpieces, wreaths, swags and many other items all made from fresh, live natural materials will be available to adorn your homes. In addition there will be raffle items and a door prize. Light refreshments will be served.

All the arrangements have been made by the 30 club members, who meet monthly at the Sound Beach Fire House. Watching some of the members as they put together the arrangements is like watching artists at work. They take pieces of branches and bits of plants and dried flowers and create beautiful holiday pieces. The love and creative energy that goes into every piece is evident.

And their work is not done once the sale is over. As Ann Moran, president of the club and resident of Sound Beach, said, “The money we raise from the sale allows us to fund our other gardening projects, although like plants we go into a dormancy period until next spring.” The club may be only five years old, but it is very active in the surrounding communities.

Members maintain the garden at the Good Shepherd Hospice at St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson, a special place where hospice clients can sit and enjoy a peaceful natural corner filled with beautiful flowers and plants. “The landscapers did a great job when the hospice garden was first installed. But it is the continuing maintenance that we [the club members] are proud to provide that keeps it the inviting place it is and allows us to create a soothing garden,” said Ginny Drews, resident of Sound Beach. The annual flowers they plant at the hospice are purchased with the money raised at the Greens Sale.

Members also plant and maintain the flowers at the 9/11 Memorial of the Sound Beach Fire Department as well as the plantings at the Sound Beach Civic Association Veterans Memorial.

Beryl Wood, of Ridge, sees the garden club as a “lovely way for the members to get together and do some good for the community, and this club is one of the most cohesive clubs I have ever belonged to.” Wood is not only a club member —she also holds the position of accredited master judge with the National Federated Garden Clubs of America.

With some minimal care, all the plants in the sale will last well into the new year. So come to the Greens Sale and not only decorate your homes but support ongoing club projects. Admission is free and all are welcome.

The Sound Beach Firehouse is located at 152 Sound Beach Blvd., Sound Beach. If you have any questions, please call Ann Moran at 631-821-9650.

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Dr. Alison Stopeck photo from SBU

Birthdays, anniversaries, weddings and vacations are all important to her. She’s not talking about her own — she wants her patients, some of whom are locked in a battle with cancer, to make it to these landmark events.

Dr. Alison Stopeck, a professor of medicine and the chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology at Stony Brook University, treats a wide range of people with breast cancer, from those who don’t have cancer but are at high risk of developing it in the future to women and men with all stages of breast cancer diagnosis.

Stopeck said her approach is to treat the whole patient, because she recognizes that combatting cancer most effectively requires care for the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of her patients. Finding out what is important to a patient is “vital to developing the most impactful treatment plan.”

Around Thanksgiving and Christmas, she asks them about their holiday planning and tries to treat her patients around those plans so they can “live as normally as possible” while still receiving breast cancer treatment.

“I do like treating people with metastatic disease,” said Stopeck, who joined Stony Brook last September after a 20-year career at the University of Arizona Cancer Center. “If they come in with metastatic cancer, you can see [tumors] shrink.”

She can also tell patients they are in remission, that the Stony Brook Cancer Center is offering a clinical trial that may be more effective for them, or that there is a new therapy that might work for their particular cancer.

She sees patients with metastatic cancer more frequently because they receive treatment that Stopeck follows closely, so she “gets to know them and their families better,” she said. “It is an honor to develop deep relationships with my patients and their families.”

Dr. Yusuf Hannun, the director of the Cancer Center and Stopeck’s supervisor, praised Stopeck’s passion for her work.

“She is the model that we want to emulate in the development of our Cancer Center,” Hannun said. When Hannun hired Stopeck last year, he had high expectations and he said “she exceeded” those.

Stopeck said doctors can optimize therapy and side effects at the same time. When her patients qualify, Stopeck asks them to go on clinical trials to improve an understanding of the disease. She sometimes also asks for tissue, blood and urine samples so she can ask more questions about the disease and its progression.

While she’s spent years treating patients, she also conducts research.

Stopeck looks at predictive biomarkers, which may help in selecting the best therapy for a patient, while also offering her an early indication of how a treatment is going, so she can stop it if it’s not working.

She is also looking to bring patients into clinical trials.

At Stony Brook, she said, researchers are working on discovering a wide range of breast cancer challenges, including improving treatment for patients with triple negative, which is the most deadly and aggressive form. Studies are also exploring ways to reduce toxicities, including bone pains, of aromatase inhibitors while giving less chemotherapy to patients who don’t need it.

Hannun said the Cancer Center considers clinical trials as “state of the art practice as this is what pushes the envelope and allows patients to be ahead of the curve in their clinical care,” he said.

As a doctor, Stopeck wants her patients to help make informed decisions about their treatment. “Most people think they want to live to 100, but they don’t want to live to 100 when it feels like 1,000,” she said.

Stopeck described how vaccinations for pneumonia have reduced the numbers of deaths from a disease that used to be the leading cause of death in 1900. She wants to figure out how to prevent a person from going through the pain and trauma of breast cancer.

She also explores how some lifestyle decisions can help. At the moment, there is epidemiological data on the benefits of cruciferous vegetables, but no proven research to support their role in preventing breast cancer, she said, which is why she’s studying it. Eating a low-fat diet, high in vegetables along with consistent exercise and a healthy body weight are the best advice researchers have on decreasing breast cancer recurrences.

As for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, in October, she said the funds raised for research can help the scientific efforts. She used a $30,000 grant to develop an imaging protocol to measure breast density safely, easily and comfortably in women. She has used this technology to obtain larger grants from the National Cancer Institute and the National Institutes of Health. For every dollar of private donations invested, an additional $25 in funding can be obtained through the NIH, she said.

Stopeck grew up in Plainview in the same house where her parents still live. She moved to Farmingville from Arizona last September. She loves animals and enjoys traveling. The fact that her parents and sister live nearby make her feel as if she’s “coming back home.”

In her research and clinical practice, she has an ambitious and unambiguous focus. “My goal is simple: treat, cure and prevent breast cancer,” she said. “I live it and breathe it every day.”

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State Assemblyman Steve Englebright speaks about history at the Three Village Community Trust’s 11th annual celebration. Photo by Maria Hoffman

There used to be more to North Country Road than meets the eye.

State Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) discussed the history and importance of Long Island’s Main streets like North Country Road during the Three Village Community Trust’s 11th annual celebration Nov. 18. Around 80 residents attended the event, which helps raise awareness of various conservation or preservation topics.

Cynthia Barnes, president of the group, said the event also helps residents understand the community better. This year, highway and street preservation was the topic of the evening.

According to guest speaker Englebright, in the early 1600s the king of England ordered the construction of North Country Road otherwise known as Route 25A or Main Street. Christian Avenue was once part of Main Street before North Country Road was developed further. Englebright said North Country Road is the oldest road in the community and it is one of many structures that help define the area.

Speaking about the streets in the neighborhood, Englebright said, “They are also fragile and can be lost and in doing so we can lose part of who we are.”

While change is inevitable as time progresses, the goal is to remember and preserve the history of the locale. Englebright added that many roads residents use are some of the oldest roads in the area. He didn’t specify which roads in particular but said that those living in the community don’t always realize the small changes made to the area over time.

With development pressures and gentrification it’s easy for a community to lose its history. With the trust’s annual celebration, Englebright hoped to bring awareness to the history of local roadways, and help continue preservation efforts.

“We have a tradition in this community of preserving our heritage and trying to maintain that quality of our overall community through preservation and adaptive rescue of repurposed historic buildings,” Englebright said. “[Preservation efforts have] happened here more than almost anywhere else I could think of.”

For his past 32 years as an elected official, Englebright fought and continues to fight to preserve historic neighborhoodsincluding the roadways. In light of his preservation efforts over the years the trust not only invited Englebright to make a presentation at the event, but also honored him for his service and his support of the trust and its work.

The assemblyman has helped preserve many historic sites including the Davis Town Meeting House in Coram. The exterior of the house was renovated but the interior was left in shambles. Unused buildings are typically targeted. In order to preserve the 1750s-built house, Englebright supported a grant to help the Davis Town Meeting House Society cater to the building’s interior. The grant is one of many the assemblyman has advocated during his time in public office.

“We’re very lucky to have an assemblyman or an elected official with not just a vision for this community, but he’s actually able to implement [these visions] in various ways and inspire other people to help him,” Barnes said in a phone interview.

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File photo

A mother was delivering a baby on the side of the road when officers on patrol stepped in early Wednesday morning.

The Suffolk County Police Department said a car was stopped on the side of Deer Park Avenue, just south of Jericho Turnpike in Dix Hills, shortly after 2 a.m. and when patrol officer Joseph Ferro offered assistance, the driver said his wife was in active labor.

Officers Gerard Maxim and Jonathan Murray also responded, police said, and Murray helped the 32-year-old woman deliver a healthy baby girl.

Police said the Huntington Community First Aid Squad transported the Dix Hills couple and their new baby to Huntington Hospital.

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The entire cast of ‘Barnaby Saves Christmas’ at Theatre Three. Photo by Peter Lanscombe, Theatre Three Productions, Inc.

By Heidi Sutton

During the month of December, Santa Claus has taken up residence at Theatre Three in Port Jefferson with Mrs. Claus and the whole gang for the theater’s 12th annual original production of “Barnaby Saves Christmas.”

The entire cast of ‘Barnaby Saves Christmas’ at Theatre Three. Photo by Peter Lanscombe, Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
The entire cast of ‘Barnaby Saves Christmas’ at Theatre Three. Photo by Peter Lanscombe, Theatre Three Productions, Inc.

With the book by Douglas Quattrock and Jeffrey Sanzel and music and lyrics by Quattrock, this adorable children’s musical has become a yearly tradition for many local families.

Under the direction of Sanzel, an enthusiastic cast of nine adult actors whisk the audience away to the North Pole. It’s Christmas Day and Santa, his elves and reindeer are on their way to deliver presents to all the children. Realizing Santa has left behind one of the presents, a teddy bear, the littlest elf Barnaby convinces the littlest reindeer, Franklynne, to set off on an adventure “to save Christmas.” Along the way they meet a Jewish family and learn all about Hanukkah, and bump into an evil villain who’s trying to ruin Christmas — ultimately learning the true meaning of the holiday season.

Reprising his role as Barnaby, Hans Paul Hendrickson is delightful as an elf trying desperately to fit in. His solo, “Still with the Ribbon on Top,” is heartfelt and his duet with Sari Feldman as Franklynne, titled “I’m Gonna Fly Now,” is terrific. Feldman is wonderful, playing her character with the perfect level of spunkiness and determination. The audience connects with the two from the beginning.

Steven Uihlein and Phyllis March are Santa and Mrs. Claus and double as the Jewish aunt and nephew characters, Sarah and Andrew. Uihlein’s solo, “Within Our Hearts,” is superb and March’s rendition of “Miracles” is moving.

Although it is Santa the children look forward to seeing, it is S. B. (Spoiled Brat) Dombulbury who steals the show. The incomparable Brett Chizever tackles the role of the evil villain with utter glee. Just a big kid himself, Chizever is perfectly cast. This is a fun role and Chizever relishes in it. Dana Bush, as Irmagarde, his partner in crime, is also an audience favorite. The only original cast member in the show, Bush always gives a strong performance as the wannabe songwriter who follows her heart.

Marquez Catherine Stewart gives a superbly humorous performance as Sam, the head elf who is desperately trying to stay on schedule and keep everything running smoothly. Amanda Geraci and Jenna Kavaler in the roles of Blizzard and Crystal, respectively, are an amazing supporting cast.

Choreographed by Stewart, the dance numbers are fresh and exciting, incorporating the Whip and the Nae Nae as well as a tap-dancing number — “Like Me!” — that is top rate.

This sweet, cleverly written holiday musical is a perfectly wrapped package with a bow on top. The story line, the songs and the message are all timeless and wonderful. And the audience agreed, as the children — yes, the children — yelled, “Encore!” over and over at the end.

Stay after for photos with Santa Claus if you wish — the $5 fee will support the theater’s scholarship fund — and meet the rest of the cast in the lobby.

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson, will present “Barnaby Saves Christmas” on Dec. 5, 12, 19 and 26, with a special Christmas Eve performance on Dec. 24. All shows begin at 11 a.m. Tickets are $10 per person. For more information, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

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By Dr. Matthew Kearns

Nothing makes a better gift for the family than a little bundle of barking fur. The expectation is that this is not only the perfect surprise, but also a relationship and responsibility builder for your children. How do we choose a puppy that is friendly and safe?

As with human development, a puppy’s temperament (personality) is determined by both genetics and environment. Purebred dogs will generally have different temperaments: retrieving, herding, hunting/guarding, etc, and come in different sizes. The type of dog chosen should match with your family’s activity levels, number and age of children, etc.

If you have younger children it is good to choose a breed that is big enough to not be injured by your child, but not too big as to knock your child into next Tuesday as the puppy develops into an adult dog. Also take into account that certain breeds may be very good with you and your children but may see your children’s friends as unwanted intruders. This not only becomes dangerous to guests, but also a potential financial liability for you.

Good breeders will match their dogs to appropriate families but poor breeding (puppy mills) can be dangerous. When purchasing a puppy from a breeder, the puppy is usually somewhere between 8-10 weeks old. This is a key time for the puppy to bond with your family (including younger family members) and quickly consider everyone part of their new “pack.”

Adopting from a shelter or rescue group is a noble but uncertain endeavor. The actual genetics is somewhat of a guessing game, and many of these puppies have traveled great distances with other dogs under stressful circumstances. When first introduced these puppies may appear calm (even timid) but it can take many days to weeks for their true personality to emerge. That does not mean that every dog from a shelter has a “Jekyll and Hyde” personality. However, make sure that the shelter or rescue has a clear (and timely) return policy if things aren’t working out.

Your own family dynamic plays a role. Children younger than school age can pose a problem. Toddlers are curious, but also are grabby and impulsive. What seems harmless (pulling at hair, stealing toys/food) could become a potentially dangerous point of conflict. This is very true as the puppy matures into a young adult dog.

What was once tolerable a few months ago as a puppy is now taken as an act of aggression or challenge. Therefore, many experts that recommend only adopting adult dogs with a proven temperament from a shelter if you have children or children under school age (6-7 years). An added benefit of an adult dog is that many times they are already housebroken (especially if spayed or neutered) and far less destructive than a puppy.

I hope this information is helpful in choosing the right dog for your home this holiday season. I want to wish all of the readers of this column both a safe and joyous holiday season and happy 2016. I also want to thank both Heidi Sutton, editor of the Arts and Lifestyles section, as well as all the staff of the Times Beacon Record and affiliates for another great year.

Dr. Kearns has been in practice for 16 years.

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By Dr. L. Reuven Pasternak

This holiday season, imagine giving a priceless gift that costs nothing. A gift that not only can change lives but can also save them.

That’s the gift of organ donation registration. A simple act of kindness and generosity that can let one live on in others. From heart donations that allow young children to reach adulthood, to kidney transplants that enable recipients to avoid the difficulty of dialysis, to skin grafts that save the lives of burn victims, organ donations have changed the future for many in the most important of ways.

On Oct. 6, Stony Brook Hospital’s Department of Transplantation partnered with LiveOnNY, enlisting a team of volunteers from Stony Brook Medicine and Stony Brook University for a regional organ registration drive event involving close to 100 participating organizations. Our goal that day was to enroll 250 new organ donors. I’m delighted to say we literally quadrupled that number with 1,000 new registrants and earned recognition as the leading transplant center and university for enrollees that day for our region — which includes Long Island, New York City, and towns as far north as Poughkeepsie.

But we’re not stopping there. Stony Brook is committed to continuing to spread the word throughout our community about the importance of organ donation registration. New York still ranks 50th out of 50 states in the percentage of residents enrolled as organ donors. That’s a number that must change. And I know we can change it together.

Just one organ donor can save up to eight lives. Yet, right now, there are more than 10,000 people in New York awaiting an organ donation. Not all of them will get one. In fact, every 15 hours, a New Yorker dies waiting for a lifesaving transplant. And one of the reasons for this is that only 25 percent of the residents of our state are registered organ donors. Nationwide, the average is 47 percent. I know we New Yorkers can do better than this.

Unfortunately, there are many beliefs about organ donation that are simply untrue but that may prevent people from registering. If you are a registered organ donor and end up in a hospital, doctors will do whatever they can to save you. There is no cost associated with being an organ donor. And if you’re concerned that donating organs is not allowed by your faith, you should know that most major religions support organ donation, considering it a profound act of kindness.

With the holidays upon us, why not consider giving the most important and meaningful gift there is? The gift of life. You can find instructions for registering and get answers to questions about organ donation at www.livelongny.org or download a registration form at www.stonybrookmedicine.edu/patientcare/organdonation.

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

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Americans are very health conscious. Awareness of diet and nutrition is an important step. But does this awareness result in better health? This is the question we will attempt to answer.

We tend to focus on macronutrients commonly known as “the big three,” fat, protein and carbohydrates. You would think there could only be a finite number of diets and nutrition plans. In fact, it may be more complex than we think.

Let’s look at some recent developments and see how they impact our health.

Carbohydrates: Where are we with sugar?

Sugar is a major component of our diet, especially added sugar. Added sugar involves refined and unrefined types. The obvious ones are white and brown sugar, high fructose corn syrup, cane sugar and raw sugar. Less obvious ones are honey, agave and maple syrup. Then there is extracted sugar, which includes fruit juice and juice concentrate.

The good news is that per capita soda consumption has decreased by roughly one-quarter over the last 15 years, from 40 to 30 gallons per year. The best part is that water seems to be the substitute (1). Orange juice consumption has decreased even more by a whopping 45 percent over a similar time frame (2). Sales of sugary cereals have also seen a significant drop, according to the NPD group, a consumer research organization (3).

These are all encouraging sugar
consumption statistics, but what do they really mean?

According to a recent study, when
researchers reduced the amount of sugar consumed by obese children for 10 days, they saw dramatic, positive effects (4). There were decreases in both cholesterol and blood pressure readings, with the most substantial drops in triglyceride and blood sugar levels.

The study design was clever.
Researchers replaced substantial amounts of added sugar in their diet with other carbohydrates, so that no more than 10 percent of their diet was from added sugar. Calorie intake remained roughly the same. As a result, the children did not lose much weight, therefore reducing the influence of weight on the results.

There were 43 children who were 9 to 18 years old involved in this study, with a mean at the beginning of the study of 27 percent added sugar in their diets. These children were at high risk for diabetes and were considered initially to have metabolic syndrome, a compilation of increased waist circumference from visceral (belly) fat and borderline blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure levels. These are encouraging results, though this was a very short study. It is amazing what dietary changes can do in a very short time period.

Committee recommendations

Interestingly, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC), which influences USDA recommendations, suggested that Americans garner no more than 10 percent of our diet from added sugars. This would equal roughly 12 teaspoons of added sugar a day, as opposed to our current 22-30 teaspoons daily (5). Whole fruit does not count as an added sugar. Note that this was the same standard used in the study above with adolescents and teenagers. They also recommended cutting down on saturated fats and salt. We should be eating more fruit, vegetables, fish, nuts and whole grains.

With the influence from research findings of the DGAC, the FDA has proposed a similar recommendation of no more than 10 percent of the diet from added sugars (6). It also wants to update nutrition labels to differentiate between added sugars and naturally occurring sugars.

The American Heart Association and the World Health Organization recommend even stricter guidelines of less than half of the DGAC’s.

The more obvious foods with added sugar are sweets, while the less obvious are whole grain breads, low-fat yogurts, granola, salad dressings and sauces including pasta sauces and condiments.

Fats: Does it matter which type?

Saturated fat has been hotly debated as to whether it is harmful or neutral. In a recent meta-analysis involving two large observation studies, the Nurses’ Health Study and the Professional Follow-up Study, results show that by consuming 5 percent less calories from saturated fat and replacing them with unsaturated fats, there was a significant reduction in heart disease risk (7). If polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) were used, there was a 25 percent reduction; if monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) were used, there was a 15 percent reduction. And if whole grains were used, there was a 9 percent reduction. Refined grains had no different effect than saturated fats. In fact, those who consumed the most refined grains, when compared to those who consumed the least, had a 10 percent increase in heart disease. There were 127,000 participants in this analysis who were not at high risk for heart disease at the study’s start. There was good duration of between 24 and 30 years.

Does the same benefit hold true for a low-fat diet?

In a meta-analysis involving 53 randomized controlled trials, including weight loss, weight maintenance and non-weight loss trials, results showed that low-fat diets do not help patients lose weight more than low-carbohydrate diets nor moderate- to high-fat diets (8). However, there are several weaknesses with this meta-analysis. For one, there was great variability among the trials, making it difficult to compare and combine results. The definition of low-fat was very broad. Also, most people have difficulty maintaining a low-fat diet, especially one with less than 20 percent of daily intake from fats.

I don’t think you can reduce one macronutrient in isolation and expect to see results for the population at large for the long term. This doesn’t mean that a low-fat diet may not work for you. But, of course, more studies and better studies with longer duration are needed.

Where are we with red meat?

The International Agency for
Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer agency of the World Health Organization, has classified processed meats such as bacon, cold cuts and sausage as carcinogenic and red meat as possibly carcinogenic as it relates to colorectal cancer (9). The overall sentiment was to reduce the amount of consumption of processed and red meats. The research was based on mainly large observational studies of 20 years’ duration or longer.

Overall food study index

Finally, the really good news. By using the Alternate Healthy Eating Index 2010, researchers are able to evaluate how we are doing with our diets. We have reduced premature deaths from chronic disease, such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer, by approximately 1.1 million over roughly the last 15 years (10).

The reason, the researchers hypothesize, is mainly the removal of trans-fats, sugary beverages and red meat from our diets and the addition of fruits, vegetables, polyunsaturated fatty acids and whole grains. Our diet index has improved from 39.9 to 48.2. However, the top score is 110. There still is a long way to go to reach ideal levels.

Consequences

Though we have improved our diets, according to the index study, it is not enough. There is still a rise in the rate of obesity but for the first time diabetes rates have declined. For most of us, we need a dietary overhaul, not just to reduce one component or add another. Remember, not all calories are created equal, nor are all bodies created equal. So let’s stop trying to find one diet for every body.

References:

(1) cspinet.org. (2) https://store.mintel.com. (3) NPD.com. (4) Obesity (Silver Spring). Online Oct. 26, 2015. (5) health.gov. (6) FDA.gov. (7) J Am Coll Cardiol 2015; 66:1538-1548. (8) Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2015;3(12):968-79. (9) Lancet Oncol.online Oct. 23, 2015. (10) Health Aff (Millwood). 2015;34(11):1916-1922.

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.

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Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine listens to residents’ concerns before adopting the 2016 operating budget. Photo by Giselle Barkley

Town of Brookhaven officials and residents have one less thing to worry about next year, now that the 2016 budget has been finalized.

On Nov. 19, the town board approved Supervisor Ed Romaine’s nearly $281 million proposed operating budget, which complies with the New York State cap on tax levy increases — in fact holding it, and thus residents’ property taxes, steady next year.

According to a previous interview with Finance Commissioner Tamara Wright, who helped Romaine (R) craft the budget, the town accomplished this by properly managing its capital projects and by satisfying debts.

Earlier this year, the town finished paying off an $8.4 million debt connected to the New York State employees’ retirement system, allowing the town to save about $1 million annually. But its efforts to reduce debt will not end there — going forward, Romaine said, the town will continue addressing that issue and prioritizing expenditures.

“You should not spend money you do not have,” he said. “We’re very much aware of that, and we’re monitoring all of our expenses very carefully.”

Some funds that would have gone toward the completed debt payments will instead be used to fund other parts of the budget in 2016.

The budget also allocates $5.2 million for the highway department’s snow removal budget, a number that has been incrementally increasing since Long Island communities had to dig out of dense snow in the February 2013 blizzard commonly dubbed Winter Storm Nemo, which shut down some roads for days. Brookhaven’s snow removal funding has doubled in the last few years.

If there is leftover money in that account after the winter, the goal is to deposit it into a reserve account that would be used in an emergency winter weather situation.

While roadway upkeep is important, Romaine said designating money to fund all maintenance issues is difficult, because spending is limited.

“It’s hard to do that when you have a tax cap,” Romaine said. “I believe the budget is as good as it’s going to get, considering the constraints we live under.”

In addition to raising the snow removal budget, the town is putting money toward traffic safety, park improvements, open space preservation and land acquisition. The spending plan also increases funding for public safety staff, code enforcement and internal auditors, among others.

Romaine touted the budget’s relying less on fund balance to get by, which adds to financial stability. Without including its debt reserves, Brookhaven’s 2016 budget will only use $2.35 million in reserves, a substantial decrease from the 2015 spending plan, which used about $8 million.

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A county police car sits outside the Smithtown Planned Parenthood. Photo by Jared Cantor

A deadly shooting at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado has spurred Suffolk County into action with a growing police presence surrounding similar clinics in Huntington and Smithtown.

Robert Lewis, 57, allegedly opened fire at a Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood clinic on Nov. 27, killing three and injuring nine, according to published reports in the Associated Press. And while the horrific scene may have occurred more than 1,000 miles away, the Suffolk County Police Department said it was taking no chances when it comes to protecting clinics on the Island.

In a statement, the department said it would be increasing patrols near the five Planned Parenthood clinics throughout Suffolk, including those at 755 New York Ave. in Huntington and 70 Maple Ave. in Smithtown. Police vehicles were stationed at both buildings for much of the week so far, but the department said there were not any credible threats targeting any county clinics.

“While no specific threats have been made toward Planned Parenthood locations in Suffolk County, the department will enhance patrols and remain in contact with other law enforcement agencies for the most up-to-date information regarding the potential for similar attacks,” the department said in a statement.

Planned Parenthood clinics also reside in Patchogue, Riverhead and West Islip.

When reached for comment, both the Huntington and Smithtown Planned Parenthood clinics deferred to a statement from Reina Schiffrin, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic, who spoke of grief for those affected by the horrific shooting.

“The hearts of the staff at Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic are with the families of the victims of this senseless tragedy, as well as our colleagues across the country and particularly PP of the Rocky Mountains,” she said. “The safety and security of our patients and staff has always been our top priority, and we are very grateful to the Suffolk County Police for their response to this event and for expanding their presence at our five health centers in Suffolk County. Our doors remain open and we will continue to provide high quality health care to the women, men and teens of Suffolk County.”

Suffolk County cops also teamed up with Planned Parenthood administrators this week to offer crime prevention training, the department said in a statement. The goal of the crime prevention program, the department said, is to reduce opportunities for crime at sensitive locations while also combatting fear.

“Suffolk Police officers will assess the locations and provide information on how building design and environmental influences can affect human and criminal behavior,” the department said in a statement. “Officers will speak to Planned Parenthood officials about the importance of camera systems, target hardening, natural surveillance, facility access control, and territorial reinforcement which may be used to decrease crime.”

Planned Parenthood has roughly 700 health centers across the country, with each clinic serving as a hub for affordable health care and sex education. Its practices have been an ongoing source of controversy, mostly relating to its work in providing abortion and greater contraception services for women.

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