Yearly Archives: 2016

Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin signs bestseller at Book Revue

by Elana Glowatz - April 6, 2016

0 466

Buzz-Aldrin-Book-Revue_02w — Buzz Aldrin signs a copy of "No Dream Is Too High" at the Book Revue on April 5. Photo by Victoria Espinoza

Buzz Aldrin, the second man to step on the Moon during NASA’s Apollo 11 mission in 1969, visited the Book Revue in Huntington on Tuesday evening to sign copies of his new bestseller, “No Dream Is Too High: Life Lessons from a Man Who Walked on the Moon.”

A large crowd gathered in the aisles of the bookstore on New York Avenue to get a glimpse of Aldrin, now 86, as well as his John Hancock.

Buzz Aldrin signs a copy of "No Dream Is Too High" at the Book Revue on April 5. Photo by Elana Glowatz — Buzz Aldrin signs a copy of “No Dream Is Too High” at the Book Revue on April 5. Photo by Elana Glowatz

Aldrin rose to prominence for his role in the first lunar landing, stepping out from the lunar module Eagle onto the Moon’s surface right after Commander Neil Armstrong, as command module pilot Michael Collins stayed behind in the spacecraft Columbia in orbit around the Moon. But Aldrin has more recently been noted for his statements and advocacy for reaching Mars, including authoring books on the subject.

In addition to signing copies of “No Dream Is Too High,” Aldrin signed copies of his children’s books.

Comsewogue baseball shuts out Westhampton

by TBR Staff - April 6, 2016

0 2940

Comsewogue-baseball-Dave-Heller-040516-Bill-Landon-WJL_9667w — The Warriors' Dave Heller dashes for first base. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

Comsewogue opened its League VI season with a 7-0 win against last year’s archrival Westhampton, at home Tuesday afternoon, letting their bats do the talking. Pitching ace Mike Stiles went the distance, shutting out the 1-2 Hurricanes.

Stiles, a senior, was as damaging from the plate as he was from the mound. He threw a four-hitter with one walk and struck out 13, and drove in senior John Braun from third base to give his team a 1-0 lead.

With two outs and two runners in scoring position, the Warriors threatened, but were unable to bring either runner home, settling for a one-run lead to open the second inning.

Stiles dished a three up, three down performance at the top of the inning, and Comsewogue went back to work in the bottom of the second.

Dave Heller’s bat spoke next, as he smacked a lead-off single and stole second base on the next pitch.

“Today we hit well,” Heller, a junior, said. “We usually struggle with that, but today we were able to hit the ball. We played solid defense like we usually do, and when you can do both, you win ball games.”

Senior Jake Sardinia found the gap in right field to drive Heller home, and the Warriors extended their lead, 2-0.

After a walk put runners on first and second, Justin Virga, Comsewogue’s junior catcher, did his job with a sacrifice fly to right field to advance both runners. With two outs and a full count, Comsewogue senior Jordan Lisco laid off a pitch for the walk and took first to load the bases. With the count 3-0, Stiles followed Lisco’s lead by taking a pitch for the walk, forcing in a run. With two outs, Comsewogue’s bats cracked again. This time, it was Comsewogue junior Vincent Velazquez, the designated hitter, who belted one deep to right field over the outfielder’s head, driving in Sardinia, Lisco and Stiles for a 6-0 advantage.

Vincent Velazquez connects with a pitch, driving in three runs for the Warriors. Photo by Bill Landon

“I kept thinking to keep my hands inside the ball and not to try to do too much with it,” Velazquez said. “He gave me a fast ball and I did what I could with it. It felt good and the ball came off the bat.”

Stiles made short work of the next three Westhampton batters, fanning all three for a quick inning.

The Hurricanes, with their first real threat of the game in the top of the fourth, put two runners on base with one out, but the Warriors turned a double play to escape the inning unharmed.

The Warriors couldn’t score in the bottom of the inning, but Stiles remained consistent from the mound and retired the side in the top of the fifth to keep the shutout intact. Stiles did it again in the top of the sixth inning.

“They’re a tough team,” Stiles said of Westhampton. “I had to pound the zone, throw strikes, but it was cold. The seventh inning was a little tough because my hands were cold, but I had a little left, so it was OK.”

Jake Sardinia makes a grab in the outfield for Comsewogue. Photo by Bill Landon

With Heller in scoring position, Sardinia drove a sacrifice fly to deep right field, plating Heller for the 7-0 lead.

Fresh off a nonleague win against League I’s Longwood, Comsewogue head coach Mike Bonura is pleased with what he’s seen from his players so far,

“It was a nice win for us — just the way we went about it,” he said. “With our pitching and our defense, that’s what our team does.”

With their last at bat, the Hurricanes would not go quietly and opened the seventh with a stand-up double with one out. A rare walk left Westhampton with runners on first and second, but Comsewogue’s defense came through in the clutch, turning a second double play to put the game away.

Bonura said the key to the victory was twofold.

“Today’s game started with Mike Stiles from the mound — he was just cruising,” the head coach said. “And we swung the bats well on a day that was tough to hit in very cold conditions with the wind blowing in our faces. That’s the type of team we have here and I’m happy with how we’re starting.”

Comsewogue traveled to Westhampton Wednesday, but results were not available by press time. The Warriors are back in action today, at 4 p.m., to host Westhampton in the third game of the series.

Kids rule the stage during Disney’s ‘The Little Mermaid Jr.’

by TBR Staff - April 6, 2016

0 3387

MERMAID-1w — From left, Ariel (Mackenzie Germain), Scuttle (Rachel Kowalsky) and Flounder (Amanda Swickle) admire a dinglehopper (a.k.a. a fork) in a scene from ‘The Little Mermaid Jr.’ Photo by Keith Kowalsky

By Rita J. Egan

The only thing better than hearing a beloved children’s story is having it performed by children themselves. This weekend the John W. Engeman Theater presented its first “by kids, for kids” production, Disney’s “The Little Mermaid Jr.,” to an excited young audience.

Ariel (Mackenzie Germain) is put under a spell by Ursula (Maeve Barth-Dwyer) in a scene from ‘The LIttle Mermaid Jr.’ Photo by Keith Kowalsky

The musical’s run in Northport will feature two separate casts, with a combined total of 37 children between the ages of 7 and 17, playing alternate performance dates of the production that was adapted from the Broadway musical written by Doug Wright.

First introduced in the Hans Christian Andersen classic fairy tale, “The Little Mermaid,” Ariel is the youngest of King Triton’s seven daughters. Living under the sea, she dreams of one day shedding her fins so she can walk and dance on land just as humans do. With the help of an evil sea witch, Ursula, her fantasies come true much to the dismay of her chaperone Sebastian, the crab. Soon Ariel finds herself meeting a handsome prince as she embarks on an onshore adventure with Sebastian as well as her colorful friends, a fish named Flounder and a seagull called Scuttle.

At this past Sunday’s performance, the young cast performed as if they were seasoned actors. Mackenzie Germaine was a sweet and lovely Ariel, who sang the mermaid’s signature song “Part of Your World” beautifully. As for her Prince Eric, Ben Hefter was endearing as well as charming.

Ariel (Mackenzie Germain) sings ‘Part of Your World’ in a scene from ‘The Little Mermaid Jr.’ Photo by Elise Johnson Linde Autz

Maeve Barth-Dwyer was poised and devilishly delightful as Ursula. She performed “Poor Unfortunate Souls” as if she was standing on a Broadway stage. In addition, Lizzie Dolce and Mia Goldstein, Ursula’s slippery spies Flotsam and Jetsam, flawlessly sang back-up on the show-stopping number.

Despite being a teenager, Matthew Fama portrayed King Triton with just the right amount of authority and tenderness needed for the parental role. Justin Autz (Sebastian), Rachel Kowalsky (Scuttle) and Chris Pappas (Chef Louis) added the right amount of humor.

Kowalsky had fun with the eccentric character and shined on “Human Stuff,” while the comedic abilities of Autz and Pappas were front and center during the number “Les Poissons,” which got huge laughs from the audience.

Amanda Swickle as Flounder was adorable, and when she joined Ariel’s sisters during the song “She’s in Love,” she skillfully showed off her excellent singing abilities.

Ella Benjamin, Eve Ascione, Katie Garthe, Keeley O’Malley, Katie Dolce and Alexandra Spelman shone as Ariel’s sisters and harmonized beautifully during their numbers, “Daughters of Triton” and “She’s in Love.”

Keith Gryski (Grimsby), Natalie Ryan (Carlotta) and James Tully (Pilot) rounded out the ensemble on Sunday, and just like their fellow castmates, have the potential for a bright future in acting.

Ariel (Mackenzie Germain) and Prince Eric (Ben Hefter) share a dance in ‘The Little Mermaid Jr.’ Photo by Keith Kowalsky

Musical director Ariana Valdes did an excellent job with the score, which features lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater and music by Alan Menken. As for the iconic numbers, “Under the Sea” and “Kiss the Girl,” the whole ensemble did a fabulous job.

Director Alyson Clancy has skillfully directed a talented young cast that delivers a show that is professional and at the same time light and fun for the whole family.

The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport, will present Disney’s “The Little Mermaid Jr.” until May 8. Tickets are $15 for all ages. For more information, visit www.engemantheater.com or call 631-261-2900.

Two Port communities pass library budgets

by Elana Glowatz - April 6, 2016

0 454

Chris-McCraryw — Above, Chris McCrary is running for a spot on the Comsewogue library board. His opponent, Richard Evans, did not provide a photo to the library. File photo

Local voters approved their libraries’ budgets on Tuesday night and elected a new community member to serve on one district’s board of trustees.

Comsewogue Public Library residents elected Chris McCrary to their board with 116 votes, as compared to challenger Richard Evans’ 45 votes, Library Director Debbie Engelhardt said in an email. Both men had been vying for the seat of library board President Ali Gordon, who declined to run for re-election.

Gordon is also a member of the Comsewogue Board of Education.

With his win, McCrary, a 49-year-old high school biology teacher and neighborhood soccer and lacrosse coach, will join the board in July for a five-year term.

Comsewogue voters also passed the library’s $5.4 million budget, 149-25. That 2016-17 budget will raise taxes almost $0.13 for every $100 of a home’s assessed value.

Over in Port Jefferson, voters also passed their own budget, 110-10, according to a message posted on the Port Jefferson Free Library’s website.

That $4.2 million spending plan will roughly keep taxes flat for library district residents.

Huntington area library budgets approved

by Victoria Espinoza - April 6, 2016

0 1733

East-Northport-Public-Library-Building_PHOTO-FROM-LIBRARYw — The Northport-East Northport Public Library’s budget was approved. File photo

The votes are in, and all library budgets in the Huntington area have passed.

The Harborfields Public Library $4.8 million budget passed with 244 votes in favor and 29 against, resulting in a 0 percent change from last year. Centerport resident David Clemens was also elected to the library’s board of trustees. Clemens is currently a trustee of the Suffolk County Historical Society and chairman of the library committee.

Huntington Public Library’ $8.8 million budget is also a 0 percent increase from the 2015-16 budget. There were 201 votes in favor to 34 against, and incumbent Trustee Charles Rosner was elected for another term.

Director Joanne Adam said the new fiscal year’s budget included expanding operating hours on Friday nights during the summer months so the library can be open until 9 p.m. on Friday nights yearlong. Another addition from the budget Adam touched upon is the library rejoining Partnership of Automated Library Systems.

“This will enable our patrons to pick up their hold items at any library in the county and will make the process of borrowing items from other libraries much easier,” Adam said.

Northport-East Northport had the highest vote count, with 408 votes in favor and 65 against for the nearly $9.8 million budget. The budget has a $21,100 overall increase in the tax levy.

Incumbent Margaret Hartough was re-elected as trustee there. She is currently the head of the teen services department at the Half Hollow Hills Community Library.

Finishing off the list is Cold Spring Harbor Library and Environmental Center, which passed the approximate $2 million budget, another budget with a 0 percent increase, with 143 votes in favor and 22 against.

Trustees Dana Lynch, Gayle Quaglia and George Schwertl were re-elected for another term.

“The residents of Cold Spring Harbor have continually demonstrated their commitment to the Library,” Director Roger Podell said in a letter posted on the library’s website.

SBU’s Trelewicz wins $500,000 NSF Early Career Award

Power of 3

by Daniel Dunaief - April 5, 2016

0 4838

trelewicz-stonybrooklabw — Above, from left, Jason Trelewicz, with Olivia Donaldson, a fourth-year Ph.D. student, and Jonathan Gentile, a two-year Ph.D. student. Photo from Stony Brook University

Jason Trelewicz has had a productive return to Stony Brook University. A graduate of Mount Sinai High School, Trelewicz received a bachelor’s degree in engineering from SBU in 2004. After that, he earned a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and then worked at St. James-based MesoScribe Technologies. He became an assistant professor of materials science and engineering at Stony Brook in 2012.

Recently, Trelewicz won a National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Award, which provides $500,000 over a five-year period. Trelewicz’s research focuses on transforming applications of high-strength metals.

Trelewicz is “tremendously talented. He goes after bold initiatives,” said Fotis Sotiropoulos, the dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences at SBU. “He is also actively involved in pushing forward some of the high-performance computing initiatives we have as a part of the Institute for Advanced Computational Science. He has a terrific career ahead of him.”

Trelewicz’s scientific efforts center around amorphous metals. He uses computational modeling and conducts experiments on metals that have a disordered atomic structure that is similar to glass and, as a result, are called metallic glasses.

The metals he works with are different from everyday metals because they do not have a regular atomic structure. The atoms that make up amorphous metals or metallic glasses are in a highly disordered state.

The amorphous metals “require a lot more force or stress to initiate permanent deformation,” Trelewicz said, which makes them higher strength. Instead of deforming like crystalline metals, they become brittle. The likelihood of these types of metals developing a brittle failure is one of two problems with amorphous metals, he said. The other is that it’s difficult to make these metals in large parts like a sheet.

In his work, Trelewicz hopes to overcome these difficulties. He said amorphous metals have applications in industries ranging from automotive to aerospace to consumer electronics.

As a part of this award, Trelewicz is expected to use these funds to further his teaching efforts. “I’m extremely passionate about introducing students to the vast field of materials science and engineering,” he explained.

Jeff Brogan, the CEO of MesoScribe, hired Trelewicz and witnessed his work habits. In a recent email, he described Trelewicz as “very organized and an excellent project manager.” Brogan called Trelewicz a “valuable member of [the] proposal writing team” and suggested he “helped secure a number” of government contracts.

While he was at MesoScribe, Trelewicz was involved in developing new sensors to measure temperature, strain and other properties of interest to MesoScribe’s customers, Brogan said. “His efforts on ice detection and ice mitigation led to a patent application which was approved and is soon to be issued,” Brogan said.

Jason Trelewicz with his wife Lauren and their daughter Meika on a day trip to Roanoke Vineyards in Riverhead. Photo from Trelewicz

Trelewicz initially became interested in amorphous metals through golf. An enthusiast of the sport, Trelewicz remembers reading about how the golf club industry used these types of metals on the face of golf clubs. Their elastic properties enabled more energy to be transferred to the ball rather than be absorbed as elastic strain energy.

Trelewicz wants to develop new high-strength materials that resist permanent deformation and that are not brittle. He will use simulations that model atomic interactions in a material to build an understanding of deformation physics, which he plans to use to design a more resilient alloy. He hopes to distribute defection initiation and propagation to inhibit crack formation.

Trelewicz said he has been told by a number of people that he respects that it is going to be difficult to make these materials with the proposed manufacturing process. He is encouraged by his understanding of the deformation of metallic glasses and believes the process is capable of creating structural inhomogeneities that will help him achieve his goals.

When he was looking to return to academia, Trelewicz set his sights on Stony Brook, where he was pleased with all the changes the university has gone through since he left in 2004.

“It’s astounding how the campus has evolved,” Trelewicz said. He appreciates the investment the university has made in its faculty members and in students adding, “I feel like I’m part of something huge.”

Trelewicz and his wife Lauren, who teaches global studies at Earl L. Vandermeulen High School in Port Jefferson, live in Miller Place and are expecting their second daughter in May. The couple, who went to the junior and senior prom when they were in high school, appreciate being close to both sets of parents and to the Long Island coastline, where they enjoy summer power boat trips to Orient Point and across the Long Island Sound. “Our family is a very big part of our lives, as is boating in the summers,” Trelewicz said.

As for his work, he relishes interactions with his colleagues. “Passionate discussions are what make being a scientist so exciting. I particularly enjoy collaborating with colleagues across academic, national labs and industry as I think it adds new dimensions to the thought process and promotes innovative ideas.”

Lasagna dinner fundraiser honors veterans

by Heidi Sutton - April 5, 2016

0 363

Lasagna-dinnerw — Ann Moran, left, and Ernestine Franco, right, receive a Certificate of Appreciation from Councilwoman Jane Bonner, center. Photo by Heidi Sutton

The Sound Beach Civic Association hosted its third Lasagna Dinner fundraiser last Friday night at the Sound Beach Firehouse. The event drew about 90 people and raised over $900 for the Sound Beach Civic Veterans Memorial Park. According to Civic Association President Bea Ruberto, the funds are used to buy replacement flags and maintain the plantings at the park.

Councilwoman Jane Bonner (C-Rocky Point) made a special appearance to support the wonderful cause. “I came here to eat because I can never get enough lasagna and enough meatballs,” she quipped before presenting a Certificate of Appreciation to Ann Moran and Ernestine Franco of the Sound Beach Civic Association for their many hours of volunteerism.

Bonner commented that every time she drives past the memorial, which is located on New York Avenue across from the post office, “it’s always very, very beautiful, and the flags are always in great shape.”

Bonner thanked the civic for hosting this fundraiser “because honoring our veterans is not something we do often enough and this community is on the map because of what you’ve done,” adding “There is such a heart in Sound Beach and such a spirit of volunteerism in this community … You all go above and beyond and are shining examples.”

If you would like more information on upcoming events of the Sound Beach Civic Association, visit www.soundbeachcivic.org.

Why do we care about inflammation?

Medical Compass

by David Dunaief - April 5, 2016

0 1201

The-DASH-Dietw — Do your body a favor and follow the DASH diet. Stock photo

Many of us have inflammation in our bodies, inflammation that is a potential underlying cause for a great number of diseases. Can we demonstrate the level of inflammation by measuring it? The answer is yes, otherwise I would not be writing this article.

One of the most widely studied biomarkers for inflammation is high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), also referred to as CRP. High sensitivity means that we can measure levels as low as 0.3 mg/L more accurately.

What is the significance of the different levels? In heart disease, individuals who have levels less than 1.0 mg/L are in the optimal range for low risk of inflammation. Levels of 1-3 mg/L is the average risk range and greater than 3.0 mg/L is the higher risk profile. Above 10.0 mg/L is less specific to heart disease, although still related, but more likely associated with other causes, such as infection and autoimmune diseases (1, 2). This biomarker is derived from the liver.

CRP is not specific to heart disease, nor is it definitive for risk of the disease. However, the upside is that it may be helpful with risk stratification, which helps us understand where we sit on a heart disease risk spectrum and with progression in other diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, depression and autoimmune diseases.

Let’s look at the evidence.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)

AMD is the leading cause of blindness in patients over the age of 65 (3). Therefore, it is very important to help define risk stratification for this disease. In a prospective study, the results showed that hsCRP levels were inversely associated with the risk of developing AMD. The group with an hsCRP more than 3.0 mg/L had a 50 percent increased risk of developing overall AMD compared to the optimal group with less than 1.0 mg/L. But even more interestingly, the risk of developing neovascular, or wet, AMD increased to 89 percent in this high-risk group.

The significance of wet AMD is that it is one type of advanced-stage AMD that results in blindness. This study involved five studies where the researchers thawed baseline blood samples from middle-aged participants who had hsCRP levels measured. There were more than 2,000 participants with a follow-up as long as 20 years. According to the study’s authors, annual eye exams and lifestyle modifications, including supplements, may be able to stem this risk by reducing hsCRP.

These results reinforce those of a previous prospective study that showed that elevated hsCRP increased the risk of AMD threefold (4). This study utilized data from the Women’s Health Study, which involved over 27,000 participants. Like the study mentioned above, this one also defrosted blood samples from baseline and looked at follow-up incidence of developing AMD in initially healthy women.

The highest group had hsCRP levels over 5.2 mg/L. Additionally, when analyzing similar cutoffs for high- and low-level hsCRP, as the above trial used, those with hsCRP over 3.0 had an 82 percent increased risk of AMD compared to those with an hsCRP of less than 1.0 mg/L.

Diabetic retinopathy — a complication of diabetes

We know that diabetes affects significantly more than 10 percent of the population and is continuing to rise at a rapid rate. One of the complications of diabetes affects the retina (back of the eye) and is called diabetic retinopathy. This is a leading cause of vision loss (5). One of the reasons for the vision loss is macular edema, or swelling, usually due to rupture of tiny blood vessels below the macula, a portion of the back of the eye responsible for central vision.

The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT), a prospective study involving over 1,400 type-1 diabetes patients, showed an 83 percent increased risk of developing clinically significant macular edema in the group with the highest hsCRP levels compared to those with the lowest (6). Although these results were with type-1 diabetes, patients with type-2 diabetes are at equal risk of diabetic retinopathy if glucose levels, or sugars, are not well controlled.

Depression

Depression is a very difficult disease to control and is a tremendous cause of disability. If we can minimize the risk of complications and hospitalizations, this is probably the most effective approach.

Well, it turns out that inflammation is associated with depression. Specifically, in a recent prospective observational trial, rising levels of CRP had a linear relationship with increased risk of hospitalization due to psychological distress and depression (7).

In other words, compared to levels of less than 1 mg/L, those who were 1 to 3 mg/L, 3 to 10 mg/L and greater than 10 mg/L had increased risk from 30 percent to 84 percent to 127 percent, respectively. This study involved over 70,000 patients.

What can be done to reduce inflammation?

This is the key question, since we now know that hsCRP is associated with systemic inflammation. In the Nurses’ Health Study, a very large, prospective observational study, the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet decreased the risk of both heart disease and stroke, which is impressive. The DASH diet also decreases the levels of hsCRP significantly, which was associated with a decrease in clinically meaningful endpoints of stroke and heart disease (8).

The DASH diet is nutrient-dense with an emphasis on fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains and de-emphasis on processed foods, red meats, sodium and sweet beverages.

Conclusion

As the evidence shows with multiple diseases, hsCRP is a very valuable nonspecific biomarker for inflammation in the body.

To stem the effects of inflammation, reducing hsCRP through lifestyle modifications and drug therapy may be a productive way of reducing risk, slowing progression and even potentially reversing some disease processes.

The DASH diet is a very powerful approach to achieving optimal levels of hsCRP without incurring potential side effects. This is a call to arms to have your levels measured, especially if you are at high risk or have chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, depression and autoimmune diseases. HsCRP is a simple blood test with easy-to-obtain results.

References:

(1) uptodate.com. (2) Diabetes Technol Ther. 2006;8(1):28-36. (3) Prog Retin Eye Res. 2007 Nov;26(6):649-673. (4) Arch Ophthalmol. 2007;125(3):300-305. (5) Am J Ophthalmol. 2003;136(1):122-135. (6) JAMA Ophthalmol. 2013 Feb 7;131:1-8. (7) JAMA Psychiatry. 2013;70(2):176-184. (8) Arch Intern Med. 2008;168(7):713-720.

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.

The national health crisis we call heroin

Lifestyles

by Father Francis Pizzarelli - April 5, 2016

0 994

narcan-demo-120715-04_glowatzw — People at an anti-drug forum stay afterward to learn how to use the anti-overdose medication Narcan. Above, someone practices spraying into a dummy’s nostrils. Photo by Elana Glowatz

By Fr. Francis Pizzarelli

The heroin epidemic continues to be out of control. More and more young people are losing their way and becoming paralyzed by this lethal epidemic.

The rhetoric from people in power is circular. It is going nowhere. We don’t need to wait another six months, another week or another day. We need action now!

We need more detox beds, but they don’t make money for health care institutions. Our 28-day programs have long waiting lists and are not long enough for the opiate/heroin addicts, but unfortunately insurance companies won’t pay for longer treatment. They barely pay for 28 days. If the truth be told, usually that 28 days is cut in half.

Some insurance companies continue to tell parents “have your son or daughter try an intensive outpatient program first; if they fail we will pay for a 28-day residential program.” Well, they are failing — they are dying, and no one seems to care!

We need more long-term residential programs to accommodate the tremendous need in our larger community. The recidivism rate in regards to this epidemic is off the page. Obviously, we are failing and not doing something right.

The level of denial among parents continues to be deeply disturbing. We live in a community where dealers will now deliver heroin to your house. The AA and NA fellowships, which are a vital lifeline and network in our community for those working on recovery and wellness, have to worry that drug dealers are now waiting outside these meetings to prey on men and women in early recovery.

NARCAN, which some say is a miracle drug because it has brought people who have overdosed back to life, is now being used by heroin addicts who want to continue to party but have a safety net to keep them alive. So more and more people are getting trained on how to use this life-saving antidote; it’s no longer being administered by needle but now is a nasal spray.

Some are legitimately concerned that this new resource, which is supposed to save lives, may be perversely used to continue reckless and dangerous behavior.

Sadly, we are distracted from the serious health crisis because it is an election year that seems more fixated on hateful, demeaning attacks on individuals rather than offering us a comprehensive blueprint for reclaiming America — an America that once stood for respect for everyone’s human rights and was committed to social justice for all.

When you think about it, all the money that is being painfully wasted on political propaganda that literally says nothing about our future could be better spent feeding the hungry and creating and funding long-term residential treatment centers across the country that could genuinely begin to arrest this horrific epidemic.

What has happened to the idealism of our young and the energy they once had to make a difference in our world? Recently in one of my sociology classes at Suffolk County Community College we were discussing the state of our nation. I was shocked at how little these bright college coeds knew about American social policy. I was even more disturbed when one articulate student stood up and said he would not waste his time on voting in the November election because he believed it would not make a difference!

Needless to say, I pointed out countless examples where one vote and one voice changed the course of American history for the better. We need to lead by example and demand that those who are in power do something now about the senseless loss of life that is occurring every day in Suffolk County because of this national health crisis we call heroin.

Fr. Pizzarelli is the director of Hope House Ministries in Port Jefferson.

School board backs budget as aid comes through

by Alex Petroski - April 5, 2016

0 1440

Comsewogue officials have finalized a budget for the next school year, days after the state came through for school districts in a big way.

The school board adopted Superintendent Joe Rella’s proposal for the 2016-17 school year during its meeting Monday night, supporting a $87.2 million budget that maintains all existing programs, thanks in large part to the state axing its Gap Elimination Adjustment.

The adjustment was enacted six years ago in an effort to close a state budget deficit, and deducted funds from each school district’s state aid allotment. Since its inception, it has cumulatively cost Comsewogue about $23 million in state aid, according to Susan Casali, the district’s assistant superintendent for business.

But the new state budget, upon which lawmakers agreed last week, eliminated that deduction, netting Comsewogue roughly an additional $1.3 million in revenue.

“I think it’s great,” Rella said. “I’m glad we got it back. It means we don’t have to make any big cuts. We’re happy about it — it’s significant.”

Rella’s initial budget proposal in January banked on a full aid restoration, despite the fact that, while state legislators had been pushing for it, the restoration was far from a done deal. Other North Shore school districts, such as Huntington and Miller Place, planned for little to no restoration of the funding during their own budget processes.

Had the state budget fallen short in restoring the funding, Comsewogue would have been faced with some difficult decisions on program cuts.

“If that doesn’t happen, then it’s a whole different world,” Rella said in an interview in March. “We’re anticipating it will happen. Albany’s been very quiet about it, and I’m taking that as ‘no news is good news.’”

Casali said the district administration’s faith in state Sen. John Flanagan (R-East Northport), the majority leader who previously called the aid restoration a “top priority” this year, paid off during the budget process.

“From the very beginning we’ve done the budget assuming that Flanagan and everybody [else who] promised us this GEA, that they were going to make good on their promise, so we didn’t make any cuts in the budget,” Casali said.

School board President John Swenning expressed appreciation for the additional funds because the district can avoid cuts without presenting a budget to residents that would pierce the state-mandated tax levy increase cap.

The district will receive about $30 million in total state aid next year and will collect about $53.5 million from taxpayers.

“We appreciate what we get,” Swenning said on Monday. “Do we want more? Yes. Do we think we deserve more? … Yes, but we’re not going to be greedy and we’ll say thank you for all that we get.”

Residents will vote on the adopted budget on May 17. Polls at Comsewogue High School will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Prev 1...150151152...205 Next

Page 151 of 205