When the Wright brothers invented man-made flight more than a century ago, I can’t imagine they thought it’d be a good idea for airlines to charge for meals when more than 200 people are stuck in the same plane for over four hours. Then again, they may not have imagined just how common and popular planes would be.
Almost anywhere in the country, we can look toward the heaven and see a plane bathed in sunlight at the end of the day.
Then again, someone on that plane might have just closed the blind, keeping that annoying light off the screen to watch a fictional character stuck on Mars, colonizing a planet with potatoes.
Speaking of uncomfortable situations, maybe the guy or girl stuck in the last row near the bathroom is rooted near someone who insists on sharing his life story, his experience with his neighbors, or his laundry list of gripes. If the Long Island Rail Road can make quiet cars, can airlines designate quiet sections? Maybe they can add a quiet button, with a picture of a flight attendant with a finger over her pursed lips on the bulkhead?
The flight attendant might whisper, “As you can see, the captain has turned on the ‘No-sharing terrible stories, petty frustrations, or things you might find funny with the person next to you button.’ Please, zip it! While you’re at it, please stop tapping that person on the shoulder to get him to look at you. He doesn’t want to look at you. He’s trying to close his eyes.”
We are a culture that marinates in our frustrations, anger and judgments.
“Can you believe the food cart only had chicken or fish and didn’t have a vegan/vegetarian/dairy-free option?” someone might ask.
“Would you have bought something from the cart?” we might reply.
“Heavens, no. Did you see the prices? I’m just saying they ought to offer it.”
Each flight starts with informative details. “We’ll be flying at 34,000 feet,” the captain might share in his best “The Right Stuff” voice.
“Excuse me, miss? Can we fly at 33,000 feet? My doctor suggested I stay below 33,000 feet because anything higher triggers the side effects from the drug I’m taking because of that ad on TV.”
Then there’s all the beeps. Bing! “You can move about the cabin now but keep your seat belt fastened when you’re in your seat.” Bing! “The restroom in the front is just for the first-class passengers, regardless of how badly you have to go to the bathroom because you ate nine hours of food so you wouldn’t be hungry and have to buy a meal on the plane.”
How about putting the people who want to invent new, safe and potentially delicious food options together with the airlines, giving people a chance to sample new foods? We’re a captive audience, watching movies, playing cards, reading and wondering whether we should be eating breakfast or dinner, depending on whether we’re trying to keep our stomachs on the local time in the place we left or the local time in the place we’re going to. While we’re sitting there, let’s watch independent films we can’t see in the suburbs and eat food that comes from the land we’re flying over.
I love those images of our plane that indicate where we are located. Too bad for Rhode Island and Delaware that the image is often bigger than the entire state. That could exacerbate a small state’s inferiority complex. The Wright brothers may have gotten us started, but we seem to have flown off course on our commercial flight conveniences. Bing!
Steve Sacco’s character Matthew Moon captures a ghost in a scene from ‘Distiller.’ Photo from Andy Schroeder
There’s no genie in the Distiller’s bottles — only ghosts. The community can catch a glimpse of these ghosts in H.A.M. Studio’s spooky film “Distiller” at a free Long Island premiere screening at Emma S. Clark Memorial Library in Setauket this Friday evening.
Filmed partially on Long Island, “Distiller” includes scenes shot locally along the North Shore and was produced by the husband and wife filmmaking team of Andy and Erin Schroeder, residents of Port Jefferson Station.
The film follows renowned ghost hunter Matthew Moon, who hunts and captures menacing ghosts in liquor bottles until his disappearance. Twenty years later, Moon’s niece Blue inherits his belongings and estate along with Moon’s collection of ghostly bottles. Moon’s niece and nephew Charlie discover what gives their uncle’s liquor bottles their kick when they open the bottles during their Fourth of July party.
Above, actress Amy Ciupek, left, and Andy Schroeder finalize audio for the film Distiller. Photo from Andy Schroeder
Andy Schroeder, who also directs the film, came up with the idea for the film in the summer of 2012 with the help of Steve Sacco, who plays the part of Matthew Moon in the film.
Sacco and Schroeder teamed up to write the script, which took four months to complete. Filming followed shortly after and extended into 2013. Although less than two weeks was spent filming the actors’ scenes, Schroeder said more than 280 days was devoted to filming the movie’s numerous effect shots.
Schroeder wanted to take an “old school” approach to the film when it came to props and special effects. Puppets, real animals and other tangible props were used to add depth and authenticity to the film. This approach to special effects allowed the film to attract adults and kids alike. “We felt like there’s really not a lot of movies you can watch with kids that are under 13,” said Schroeder. “It’s definitely a movie for adults but we made it to be a family-friendly film … We didn’t want it to be a blood and guts kind of movie.”
Actor Dan Noonan, 31, who plays Charlie Moon, said people should look beyond the old school effects. “I think in this day and age in regards to just the tone of the movie, go in with an open mind expecting to have a good time,” Noonan said. “People get way too involved in how effects should look.”
Noonan lives in Albany but he met Schroeder in college more than 10 years ago. He said Schroeder reached out to him about playing Charlie for the film. Noonan added that filming was an eye-opening experience that left him wanting to make more movies. Noonan is waiting to pursue acting opportunities until after the film’s official release.
The film may not have many big name actors, but it does includes local actors and actresses like Ward Melville High School graduate Kerry Logan. Logan also appeared in the CW’s “Carrie Diaries” and played Piper’s cousin in “Orange Is the New Black.”
Members of the cast and crew of ‘Distiller,’ from left, Ritch Harrigan; Amy Ciupek; Erin and Andy Schroeder; Dan Noonan; and Steve Sacco. Photo from Andy Schroeder
While the “Distiller” cast tackles their ghosts, the community can catch glimpses of Emma S. Clark Memorial Library in Setauket, Port Jefferson Village and the Berkshires in the film. Schroeder and his cast and crew utilized Emma S. Clark’s historic periodical reading room in several scenes, which was the original library building in 1892 according to Andy’s wife Erin who helped produce the film alongside her husband.
“It looks very rich and regal,” saidErin, about the older section of the library. The couple thought filming scenes in these areas of the library would improve the look of the film and save money at the same time. As a library assistant at Emma S. Clark, Erin helped secure the location for the film.
While her husband majored in music engineering and producing at SUNY Oneonta, Erin wasn’t as familiar with producing a film. She chose to help the film behind the scenes by designing props and helping her husband with effects, saying, “It was the two of us, Andy and I, doing all the editing, music production, doing all the sound effects.”
Andy Schroeder once worked at the Setauket library as a page while he was attending Ward Melville High School. Now he produces the Town of Brookhaven’s TV Channel 18 on Cablevision as an audio-video production specialist and is also the artist of a weekly comic strip based on “Distiller,” which follows “Uncle Matt,” the film’s ghost hunter, on his supernatural misadventures. While he has produced other short films and music videos in the past, this is Schroeder’s first feature film.
While Schroeder doesn’t plan on creating a sequel to “Distiller,” the money earned from this production will go toward creating more films in the future. While he grew up in Setauket, Schroeder and his wife currently reside in Port Jefferson Station with their parakeets Doc, Cuddles, Quattro and Baby.
Residents can find out what happened to Moon and his ghosts at the film’s free screening on Friday, Jan. 8, at 7 p.m. at the Emma S. Clark Library, 120 Main St., Setauket. Andy and Erin Schroeder will be in attendance to answer questions and the film crew will distribute free “Distiller” posters and comics based on the film’s characters during the premiere. The film will be available nationally on digital Video-On-Demand on iTunes, Amazon Prime and Google Play this Friday.
For more information on the film, to view the trailer or to see behind the scenes footage, visit www.distillerthemovie.com.
The Facts:I created an irrevocable trust a number of years ago. However, my circumstances have changed dramatically, and the trust no longer suits my needs. I want to revoke the trust and sell the assets that are in the trust.
The Question: Although the trust is irrevocable, is there a way it can be revoked?
The Answer: Good news! Fortunately, there are circumstances when an irrevocable trust can, in fact, be revoked. If your needs and goals have changed to the point that the trust no longer serves a useful purpose, you may want to amend or revoke the trust. Whether you are able to do so will depend on the language of the trust document itself and the cooperation of the beneficiaries.
Generally, if all of the beneficiaries are of legal age and competent, they can sign a document giving their consent to the amendment or the revocation of the trust. The beneficiaries’ signatures must be notarized for the amendment/revocation to be effective. If any of the beneficiaries are minors, you will not be able to amend or revoke the trust since minors cannot legally give consent.
Assuming that you are able to revoke your trust, you will also have to change the title on any trust assets such as real property or motor vehicles that have recorded titles. Accounts held by the trust will also need to be retitled if the trust is revoked. This may or may not need to be done if you simply amend the terms of the trust without removing trust assets.
When amending or revoking a trust, it is very important that the document setting forth the changes to be made to the trust properly identify the trust and the beneficiaries. It is also important that all trust assets be accounted for and properly retitled when appropriate.
To avoid mistakes and problems down the road either with an unhappy beneficiary or with assets that are still held by a trust that no longer exists, it is best to retain the services of an attorney with experience creating and revoking trusts.
Linda M. Toga, Esq. provides legal services in the areas of litigation, estate planning and real estate from her East Setauket office.
Mummenschanz is headed to Stony Brook’s Staller Center in 2016. Photo from Staller Center
After a brief hiatus, Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts is gearing up for its second half of the 2015-2016 season with an exciting lineup filled with dance, music, film, comedy, theater and much more.
“The Staller Center season here at Stony Brook goes into full swing with the family-friendly mime theater troupe, Mummenschanz, on Sunday evening, Jan. 31. The humorous and whimsical sketches will surely entertain all ages. The season continues with variety in mind, from the actor, comedian and author Paul Reiser in a stand-up comedy show to a wonderful cirque theater, Company Finzi Pasca, in a surrealistic, Salvador Dali-inspired performance entitled ‘La Verita,’” said Alan Inkles director of the Staller Center. “We also have Philadelphia’s Walnut Theatre performing ‘A Moon for the Misbegotten,’ Eugene O’Neill’s romantic drama, which will give our patrons an unforgettable theater experience,” he added.
A scene from ‘A Moon for the Misbegotten.’ Photo from Staller Center
The lineup will be as follows:
Musical Performances
The Aulos Ensemble, featuring cellist Myron Lutzke; oboist Marc Schachman; violinist Linda Quan; harpsichordist Arthur Haas; and flutist Christopher Krueger will present a concert titled The Bach Connection on Sunday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m. in the Recital Hall. Tickets are $38.
Starry Nights returns on Tuesday, March 8, at 8 p.m. in the Recital Hall with Carol Wincenc on flute; Nancy Allen on harp; Nicholas Cords on violin; Gilbert Kalish on piano; and Colin Carr on cello. Theprogram will include works by Bach, Ibert, Debussy, Ravel and Fauré. Tickets are $36.
Enjoy the sounds of Louisiana Creole dance music as celebrated accordion player and zydeco musician Stanley “Buckwheat Zydeco” Dural takes the stage in the Staller Center’s Recital Hall with his band, on Saturday, March 12, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $42.
Featuring current and former stars of Broadway’s smash hits “Jersey Boys” and “Motown: The Musical,” The Doo Wop Project will take the audience on a musical journey with tunes from Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse and more on the Main Stage on Saturday, March 19, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $42.
The center’s Gala 2016will be held on March 5 at 8 p.m. on the Main Stage. Natalie Cole, who passed away on Dec. 31 from congestive heart failure, was originally scheduled to appear in concert. Peabo Bryson and Vanessa Williams have graciously stepped in as replacements. The two celebrated singers will entertain with solos and duets. Tickets are $75 each.
The award-winning Emerson String Quartet returns to the Recital Hall on April 5 at 8 p.m. for the third concert in their series, Passing the Torch, featuring works by Haydn and Beethoven. Tickets are $48.
A Judy Garland tribute featuring Hilary Kole will grace the Recital Hall stage on Saturday, April 9, at 8 p.m. Titled Over the Rainbow, the evening will feature songs made famous by Garland including “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” “The Trolley Song,” “Look for the Silver Lining” and more. Tickets are $42.
Berenstain Bears Live! is headed to Stony Brook’s Staller Center in 2016. Photo from Staller Center
Artists-in-residence The Calidore String Quartet will return in concert to the Staller Center on Wednesday, May 4, in the Recital Hall at 8 p.m. With special guests The Emerson String Quartet, the program will include works by Bach and Mendelssohn. Tickets are $36.
Dance
Without uttering a word, the famous Swiss mime theater troupe Mummenschanz will entertain the Staller audiences with their masks, shadow, light and endless creativity “turning the ordinary into the extraordinary” on the Main Stage on Sunday, Jan. 31, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $42.
Company Finzi Pasca’s “La Verita” will transport the audience to another world as performers pay a theatrical homage to the life and work of artist Salvador Dali on Saturday, April 16, on the Main Stage at 8 p.m. Tickets are $42.
The season will close with the Paul Taylor Dance Company and an evening of modern dance on Saturday, May 7, at 8 p.m. on the Main Stage. Tickets are $42.
Comedy
Comedian, actor and author Paul Reiser will bring his stand-up show to the Main Stage on Saturday, Feb. 6, at 8 p.m. as part of his national comedy tour highlighting the funny things about life, love and relationships. Tickets are $48.
Theater
The Walnut Street Theatre will present Eugene O’Neill’s final play, “A Moon for the Misbegotten,” on the Main Stage on Saturday, Feb. 13, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $36.
Buckwheat Zydeco is headed to Stony Brook’s Staller Center in 2016. Photo from Staller Center
Not Just for Kids
As part of the Not Just for Kids family entertainment series, the center will present An Afternoon with the Bach Family featuring The Aulos Ensemble on Sunday, Feb. 21, at 4 p.m. in the Recital Hall. The one-hour program is designed specifically for school-age musicians and their families. Tickets are $20 each.
Adapted from the classic children’s book series by Stan and Jan Berenstain, Berenstain Bears Live! will take to the Main Stage with “Family Matters The Musical” on Sunday, March 13, at 4 p.m. Tickets are $20 each.
Films
The Staller Center’s spring semester films are all scheduled for Friday evenings. The lineup includes the latestaward-winning documentaries and star-studded feature films.
The series begins on Feb. 5 with the screening of the documentary “The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution,” at 7 p.m. followed by the thriller “Shanghai” starring John Cusack at 9:30 p.m. “A Ballerina’s Tale,” a documentary on the American Ballet Theater’s first African American Principal Ballerina Misty Copeland will be screened on Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. followed by “Suffragette” at 8:45 p.m. “Harry and the Snowman” will be screened on Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. followed by “Freeheld” at 9 p.m.
After a short break, the series returns with a screening of “Brooklyn” on April 1 at 7 p.m. and “The Danish Girl” at 9:15 p.m. The final films will be screened on April 8 and include “Youth” at 7 p.m. and “Macbeth” at 9:15 p.m. Tickets are $9 adults, $7 seniors, students and children. A film pass may be purchased for $25.
The Met: Live in HD
As part of The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD series, the center will present live performances of “Les Pecheurs de Perles” (Bizet) on Jan. 16 at 1 p.m. and “Turandot” (Puccini) on Jan. 30 at 1 p.m.; and encore presentations of “Manon Lescaut” (Puccini) on March 6 at 1 p.m., “Madama Butterfly” (Puccini) on April 3 at 1 p.m., “Roberto Devereux” (Donizetti) on April 17 at 6 p.m. and “Elektra” (Strauss) on May 14 at 7 p.m.
All operas are screened in the Main Stage theater. Tickets are $22 adults, $20 seniors, $15 children 12 and under.
Music Department
The Stony Brook University Music Department will also present a number of concerts and recitals, including performances by the Stony Brook Opera, Stony Brook Symphony Orchestra, the Contemporary Chamber Players, the Stony Brook Composers and choral ensembles.
For tickets and further information, visit www.stallercenter.com or call 631- 632-ARTS (2787).
Solutions involve three pillars of lifestyle modification
Obesity is a disease that nobody wants and everyone tries to avoid, yet it affects more people than almost any other disease. It is complicated, for there are a multitude of contributors. Lifestyle modifications are of the utmost importance when it comes to a solution. These include diet, fitness and stress reduction.
There is a foundation of components to almost every diet. At the base of every good food pyramid should be a vegetable‐rich, nutrient‐dense diet. In other words, people should aim to consume these elements because they have been shown to help with weight loss, treat chronic disease and improve overall health (1). Diets such as the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet and the Mediterranean‐type diet have shown beneficial effects for not only weight loss but also other diseases such as hypertension, chronic kidney disease, diabetes and heart disease.
A New York Times article published on Jan. 3, 2016, entitled “A Healthy Diet’s Main Ingredients? Best Guesses,” notes that we don’t know all the science behind what makes a good diet. I would agree with this, since research is an evolving process.
However, one element in the article that I strongly disagree with is that the principal investigator for a 2006 study on whether a low‐fat diet reverses disease concluded that diet composition has no effect in reversing chronic disease (2). Of course, she was making this statement in 2006, when there was less evidence of potential reversal of disease with diet. Low‐fat diets in isolation are hard to perform; most of the participants can’t stick to the regimen and/or they replace fat with refined grains.
Also, while this may have been the case for this one specific low‐fat diet study, we have seen time and again that a vegetable‐rich, nutrient‐dense diet does have effects that may reverse diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease and a host of others. Caldwell Esselstyn, M.D., showed the effect of a vegetable‐rich, nutrient‐dense diet on cardiovascular disease in 1995 (3). Dean Ornish, M.D., showed the effect of a similar diet on prostate cancer reversal in 2008 (4). I see reversal of chronic diseases, such as those mentioned above, regularly in my practice. Diet composition, therefore, does matter when it comes to reversing disease.
I would agree, as the New York Times article alludes, that we can’t reduce one macronutrient in isolation and expect great results. For example, the dietary guidelines have been obsessed for many years with low fat. Unfortunately, this has not resulted in better health and less obesity as mentioned above. The most recent statistics show an increase in the prevalence of obesity for adults in the United States. In fact, the obesity rate has increased by 17 percent over the last 10 years as recently documented by the CDC (5). Now 38 percent of Americans are obese [body mass index (BMI) >30 kg/m2), more are overweight (BMI 25‐29.9 kg/m2) or normal weight (BMI 18.5‐24.9 kg/m2). The greatest prevalence is among those who are middle aged, 40‐59 years, followed by those 60 years and older. The good news is that the obesity rate has not increased for children. However, for adults, this epidemic continues to grow. And the expense to the U.S. health care system is enormous, with $147 billion spent in 2008 (6).
Why is obesity good? The answer is not necessarily what you think! Obesity is beneficial because it is the body’s cry for help. The solution is multifactorial, including diet, exercise and stress management.
Can you be obese and fit?
Exercise always seems to be beneficial. While it may not garner tremendous weight loss, it is helpful in maintaining weight loss, and it may reduce the risk of premature death. A recent observational study in Sweden found that those in the highest quintile of aerobic exercise reduced their risk of premature death by 51 percent (7). Those who were normal weight, regardless of fitness, had a greater reduction in premature death — 30‐48 percent — than even those who were in the highest aerobic activity level, but obese.
However, within the obese cohort, those who were in the highest quintile of fitness did see a 29 percent reduction in premature death. The moral of the story is that those who are obese are not fit compared to those who are normal weight, regardless of activity level.
Yet, among obese patients, there is a gradation with premature death: Those who are most aerobically active benefit over their obese counterparts who are not. This Swedish study began with a population of 18‐year‐old men and followed them for almost 30 years.
What is a TOFI and why is it dangerous?
A TOFI is an acronym meaning thin on the outside, fat on the inside. For example, patients who have central obesity can have normal BMIs. How do you measure central obesity? It involves the waist‐to‐hip ratio (WHR). When the WHR is over a certain level, then there is central obesity. For men it is >0.90 WHR and for women it is a >0.85 WHR. A recent observational study showed that patients who had central obesity but normal BMIs had a greatly increased risk for mortality (8).
In men, there was an 87 percent increased risk of death. But even more interesting was the fact that normal weight, centrally obese men had two times the risk of mortality compared to those who were obese without central obesity. For women there was a 48 percent increased risk compared to those with normal weight without central obesity. Patients were followed for 14 years. Therefore, just because someone has normal BMI does not mean they are healthy or fit. The researchers recommended weight training to help with central obesity beyond just diet.
Stress and weight gain, really?
Yes, really! Psychosocial or emotional stress may be significant with weight. In a meta‐analysis (a group of 14 observational studies), results showed the effects of psychosocial stress were related to weight gain (9). The researchers hypothesized that it may have to do with the hypothalamus‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis, which raises the level of cortisol release in the blood. The weight gain occurs most commonly around the waist.
There is a blood test that measures morning cortisol levels, which is when cortisol is highest. If cortisol is above normal, then supplements such as l‐theanine, valerian root or fish oil, as well as dietary changes, exercise, meditation, yoga and some medications can help. We also tend to eat when given stressful tasks to perform, especially when presented with food (10).
To reiterate, a positive way to think about obesity is that the body is screaming for change. Also, central obesity can occur in normal weight individuals and go undetected. Its impacts are as great as, if not greater than, high BMI. But, fortunately, most contributors to obesity are modifiable.
References:
(1) Altern Ther Health Med. 2008 May‐Jun;14(3):48‐53. (2) JAMA. 2006 Jan 4;295(1):39‐49. (3) J Fam Pract. 1995 Dec;41(6):560‐568. (4) Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Jun 17;105(24):8369‐8374. (5) cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db219.htm. (6) Health Aff (Millwood). 2009 Sep‐Oct;28(5):w822‐831. (7) Int J Epidemiol. online Dec 20, 2015. (8) Ann Intern Med. online Nov. 9, 2015. (9) Obesity (Silver Spring). 2011;19(4):771‐778. (10) Stress. 2015;18:507‐551.
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.
Deer rutting season means more of the animals running out on local roads. Photo by Rohma Abbas
With the first deer-hunting season in Eaton’s Neck coming to a close, Huntington residents and town board officials are evaluating if the new bow hunting rules are a success.
Huntington Town spokesperson A.J. Carter said in a phone interview that the board plans to gather different viewpoints and “assess what to do going forward,” to see if the town achieved its stated goal of cutting down the deer population.
The board voted to allow bow hunting of deer in early September, amending the town code to allow it in Eaton’s Neck under the direction of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation during the state’s deer hunting season, between Oct. 1 to Jan. 31.
Joe DeRosa, an Eaton’s Neck resident and president of the civic group Eaton’s Neck Corporation, said he thinks this season has gone well.
A petition on Change.org calls for an end to deer hunting in Eaton’s Neck. Screen capture
According to DeRosa, the community has hunted and removed more than 60 deer — and residents have noticed a difference.
“During the day, you don’t see too many deer at all,” DeRosa said in a phone interview. “The number of sightings has drastically declined since this time last year.”
DeRosa said his expectations for the town measure have been met.
Some residents do not share that sentiment.
A petition on activism website Change.org, created in November, now has more than 500 supporters who want the Huntington Town Board to stop allowing hunting in residential areas. The petition expressed safety concerns from neighbors who have hunters on adjacent lots acting close to their own properties.
“These deer slayers now roam freely in the Town of Huntington with no enforced restrictions, regulations or policing of any kind,” the petition states. “They come and go, killing and wounding at will.”
When the law passed in September, Supervisor Frank Petrone (D) said measures would be taken so “it’s not just ‘Joe the hunter’ coming in.”
According to the resolution, anyone with a DEC permit can hunt on their own Eaton’s Neck property or on such a property where they have the owner’s consent.
DeRosa said residents were advised to call the Suffolk County Police Department with any complaints or concerns they had after the law was enacted, but neither a police spokesperson nor a DEC spokesperson could immediately confirm whether their departments received any complaints.
Many of the people who signed the petition are not actually from the Huntington area, with some living as far as Delaware and Pennsylvania.
DeRosa said the petition does not reflect the overall consensus of the community.
The Eaton’s Neck Corporation conducted a resident survey earlier this year, before the town took action, and more than 85 percent wanted something done about the perceived overpopulation of deer in their area, according to DeRosa.
“The community asked for help and they got what they wanted,” he said. “This is a community effort.”
The issue was a hot debate in the summer and fall, with many people concerned about the traffic danger deer posed as well as the threat of spreading Lyme disease.
In addition to the bow hunting law, the town board created a deer management program to research alternative methods of lowering the deer population, such as contraceptives or herding programs. Carter said that program is still in the early stages of development.
Danielle Stenzel and David Delligatti Jr. welcome Jaxon Abel Delligatti at St. Charles Hospital. Photo from the hospital
Danielle Stenzel and David Delligatti Jr. rang in the new year with a bundle of joy when the mama delivered baby boy Jaxon Abel Delligatti at 6:20 a.m. on Jan. 1, the first baby born at St. Charles Hospital in 2016.
The Port Jefferson hospital presented Stenzel and Delligatti with a gift basket to celebrate the birth.
The couple is from Lake Grove and they are first-time parents.
Jessica Tollkuhn. Photo from the lab of Michael G. Rosenfeld
Mickey Mouse, if he were a real mouse, would engage in typical male behavior: He’d be aggressive toward other males, he’d look for a mate, presumably Minnie, and he’d mark his territory.
Jessica Tollkuhn, an assistant professor at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, would like to uncover how and when signals from hormones trigger a series of genetic steps that lead to characteristic sex-specific behaviors. A molecular biologist by training, Tollkuhn joined CSHL last September.
Ultimately, understanding these steps may help with treatments for human conditions that have different outcomes, depending on the sex of the individual. “There are a lot of sex differences in mental health disorders,” Tollkuhn said. “Autism, ADHD and dyslexia are all more common in men and boys while mood disorders are more common in girls and women.”
While the steps from exploring sex differences in mice to extrapolations to humans are large, the types of experiments Tollkuhn conducts can provide a potential window into the molecular pathways that lead to these mental health challenges.
Tollkuhn’s studies exploring differences in the development of the male and female brain may “give us insights into how these circuits are different,” said Stephen Shea, an associate professor at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Her work could “bring us closer to treatment” and to “understanding” the causes of the disparity in these mental health diseases between the sexes.
Shea is interested in species typical natural behaviors, including sexual behaviors in mice, he said. He studies those from a behavioral and circuit perspective, while Tollkuhn works on tools to understand how those are regulated at the genetic level. He said that has created “a natural collaboration for us.”
Tollkuhn works with neuroscientists at CSHL to connect behavior and development with the genetic steps that lead to those behaviors. She provides “a bridge between areas,” Shea said. “She has a multidisciplinary aspect that fits well with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, which unites people and draws links between separate areas.”
For Tollkuhn, mice present a model system that allows her to explore key moments in development. Researchers have shown that exposure to testosterone at birth, which is gone within 24 hours, leads to male mouse behaviors later in life.
Mice are born with almost all their neurons. The wiring occurs during their first two weeks of life, she said.
In the brain, an enzyme called aromatase turns that hormone into estrogen. The bump in the hormones in the brain “are necessary and sufficient to masculinize brain development,” in mice and other rodents, Tollkuhn said. “You can see changes in gene expression, in brain wiring patterns, and in behaviors” all from that narrow window of time.
Indeed, female mice that have estrogen in their brains during this critical early period become masculinized and will fight with other males when they get older. “Transient events in development have long-lasting effects on the brain and behavior,” Tollkuhn said. The cells in the brain that respond to the presence of hormone during development are located in the hypothalamus and the amygdala.
Tollkuhn said her long-standing interest is in understanding how genes define cell identity and function. In the brain, exploring how cells lead to behavior is a challenging question because scientists are just beginning to understand what each cell type does and how they are connected.
The sex differences are a model system Tollkuhn uses to understand the relationship between genes and behavior. She is studying how genes are turned on and off during development. The sex-specific behaviors of mice present opportunities to explore innate behaviors that don’t have to be trained.
In her work, Tollkuhn is profiling gene expression — looking at what genes are on or off — and chromatin — a combination of DNA and protein — in the brain. She’s doing this specifically in the neurons that have the receptor for estrogen.
Tollkuhn “has tools to assess chromatin,” Shea said. Tollkuhn has been “canny in developing or incorporating new techniques for sequencing DNA and understanding chromatin structure and she’s positioned herself at the forefront of those technologies.” Her greatest strength, he continued, is that she’s “put the pieces of these two worlds — the neuroscience of sex in the brain with these cutting edge techniques” together.
A resident of Huntington, Tollkuhn and her husband Joe Mulvaney, who writes software for scientists, have two sons. Franklin is four and a half and Linus is one.
Tollkuhn said she appreciates the family friendly environment at CSHL. “It’s nice to be somewhere where it’s not just okay, but it’s a positive to have family around at the lab and campus,” she said. She described her colleagues in the community at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory as “fantastic.”
As for her work, Tollkuhn said she hopes to find new molecular targets for therapies and medications to treat mental health diseases.
Steven Matz talks with Stony Brook Children’s patient Rachel Dennis. Photo from Greg Filiano
Three Village baseball star Steven Matz of the New York Mets brought holiday cheer and big smiles to the faces of dozens of Long Island’s youngest Mets fans: pediatric patients at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital.
Steven Matz poses with Stony Brook Children’s patients Nicholas Reinoso, left, and Anmol Jaswal, both displaying their Mets-themed colored drawings, which Matz autographed. Photo from Greg Filiano
The Mets pitcher spent time talking to the children and encouraged them to keep getting better and to finish all their treatments. Patients like Nicholas Reinoso, 9, of Bellport, shared artwork with Matz – colored drawings of Mr. Met and other Mets-themed images.
“It’s great to see these kids at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital and take time to learn about them,” said Matz. “That’s what it is all about this time of year.”
He signed their drawings and chatted with patients in the pediatric floor playroom and in some of their hospital rooms in the acute care and intensive care units.
“It was cool to meet him,” said Anmol Jaswal, 21, of Blue Point, a college student who attends Long Island University.
Zachary Cottrell gets a bedside visit from Steven Matz at Stony Brook University Hospital. Photo from Greg Filiano
Decked out in her tennis sweat suit, Anmol mentioned to Matz that it was her birthday the day before and talked about her tennis game and hopes to play for Long Island University. He wished her a happy birthday and said he would root for her.
Matz also visited the hematology and oncology clinic at the Stony Brook University Cancer Center, signing autographs and visiting with children undergoing chemotherapy.
Two drivers have been charged with driving while impaired after an early Sunday morning crash that sent both of them to the hospital.
The allegedly drunken drivers collided on Smithtown Avenue in Ronkonkoma at about 3 a.m. According to the Suffolk County Police Department, 22-year-old Bohemia resident Thomas Boyer, who had been driving south on the road, crossed into the northbound lane in his 1997 Toyota and struck a 2001 Dodge.
Boyer was charged with driving while impaired by drugs and alcohol, police said, while the driver of the Dodge, 46-year-old Selden resident Timothy Miller, was charged with driving while intoxicated.
Police said both men were treated for serious, but non-life-threatening, injuries at Stony Brook University Hospital after the crash, which occurred between Marconi Avenue and Lakeland Avenue, adjacent to MacArthur Airport. They were to be arraigned at a later date.
Police impounded both the Toyota and the Dodge. The 5th Squad is investigating the two-car crash.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the squad at 631-854-8552.
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