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Yearly Archives: 2016

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Back row, from left, coach Steven Nielsen, Anav Sandhala and Aiden Markowitz; front row, from left, Arav Sandhala, Sean Davis, Udithi Kothapalli, Ryan Anderson, Amani Hafeez and Alyssa Morturano; sitting, from left, Trisha Sandhala and Seth Osman. Photo from Jyothi Kothapalli

By Steven Nielsen

The crowd erupted in a roar as a large group of supporters could not contain their excitement at the announcement that John F. Kennedy Middle School’s Robotic Raccoons would advance to the finals. It was an exciting afternoon as team members also received the judges award for their overall combined high scores at this year’s FIRST LEGO Robotics Competition held on Superbowl Sunday at Central Islip High School. It is the second year in a row this team of 10 has qualified for the finals, which will be held Feb. 28 at Longwood High School.

This year’s tournament theme was called Trash Trek. While the students attended several field trips to the Town of Brookhaven, Maggio Sanitation, Covanta Energy Facility and the Caithness energy generation plant, they learned the ins and outs of trash to prepare for their competition presentation. In addition the team created an online survey that analyzed the recycling habits of the Comsewogue school community, which is being used to improve the recycling habits of the students at the Middle School.  Oh yeah, they had to build and program a robot too!

That’s right, in addition to field trips, research and presentation preparation, these students have been meeting in and out of school for the past several months working on the construction and programming of a LEGO robot to perform tasks relating to trash. The missions, as the programs are called, are completed on a 4-foot by 8-foot playing field, which was part of the competition. Missions such as TFM, salvage, clean-up and demolition required the team to program the robot to rescue LEGO sea animals, move a LEGO garbage truck and retrieve methane loops to name a few. The team had a blast and will be working toward improving its performance at the finals. Go JFK! More information about the competition can be found at https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/fll.

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Above, local politicians come together in support of the PFC Joseph P. Dwyer peer program. Dwyer, from Mount Sinai, served in Iraq and received nationwide recognition for a photograph that went viral of him cradling a wounded Iraqi boy. Photo from Jennifer DiSiena

By Lee Zeldin

The images that flash across our TVs of war-torn countries and populations in strife are rampant and inescapable in today’s society. Whether it is ISIS, al-Qaida, or any other foreign enemy that seeks to kill innocent people, it takes a well-equipped and strong-willed force to fight back. Our nation has always been blessed with brave men and women who have answered the call to service; willingly and selflessly putting their lives on the line while defending our great country.

However, while overseas, our service members are exposed to unimaginable horror and suffering, sometimes leaving them both physically and mentally scarred. While we can determine many of the appropriate remedies, utilizing modern medicine and science to treat their physical wounds, it is the mental damage that leaves us often ill-prepared and without a proper plan of action to effectively deal with their suffering.

For many of our service members returning from overseas, their hardships and trauma corrupt their psyches and follow them from the battlegrounds to the safety and comfort of their homes. The months and years of training they received to fight the enemy on the front lines is not sufficient to help them deal with their problems on the home front. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury are ravaging our veterans and their loved ones at a truly staggering rate. It is estimated that 11-20 out of every 100 veterans who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom, have PTSD. In addition, the research and studies available now to help understand these problems were non-existent in previous decades; leaving generations of veterans from conflicts like Vietnam and the Gulf War continually discovering that they may be experiencing symptoms of PTSD or TBI.

Perhaps the single most alarming statistic is the suicide rate amongst our veterans. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, it is estimated that 22 veterans a day commit suicide. Without the proper resources or care of mental health professionals, they simply cannot cope with the horrific flashbacks or relentless anxiety that plagues and quashes any sort of normalcy they would hope to experience upon return. Seemingly routine, everyday occurrences can serve as triggers that cripple these veterans’ lives and leave them without any sort of relief in sight.

One of the most difficult obstacles in trying to help treat our veterans is the trouble they have opening up to strangers or people who have not endured the same tribulations as them. While there is no uniform prescription or exact methodology of how to solve the various crises our veterans live through, peer-to-peer support programs are vital to ensuring our veterans have not only an outlet to express their sentiments, but the encouragement of those who have experienced similar struggles standing with them, every step of the way. These support programs create a safe place for veterans to share what they’re going through and learn about ways they can help cope with their debilitating symptoms.

Army Pfc. Joseph P. Dwyer, from Mount Sinai, was one of the countless brave and courageous veterans who served overseas to protect our great nation. Dwyer served as an Army medic during the Iraq War and received nationwide recognition for a photograph that went viral—showing him cradling a wounded Iraqi boy, while his unit was fighting its way up to the capital city of Baghdad. Sadly, PFC Dwyer passed away from complications due to his struggles with PTSD, leaving behind a young widow, Matina, and two-year-old daughter, Meagan. Not even the unconditional love and support of his family and members of his community were enough to save PFC Dwyer.

Created and dedicated in his honor, the PFC Joseph P. Dwyer veterans peer project is a peer-to-peer support program that I created in the New York State Senate as part of the 2012-13 New York State budget. The program provides a safe, confidential, and educational platform where all veterans are welcome to meet with other veterans in support of each other’s successful transition to post-service life. The Dwyer program seeks to build vet-to-vet relationships that enhance positive change through common experiences, learning and personal growth. According to the Suffolk County Veterans Service Agency, there are 83,254 veterans in Suffolk County. With the highest population of veterans by county in New York State, and one of the highest in the entire country, the need for a program like the Dwyer project was long overdue. Suffolk County served as one of four test counties in New York in 2013, the first year of the program. Remarkably, we were able to conduct 148 group sessions, serving 450 veterans within Suffolk that first year. Since 2013, the program has successfully expanded to over a dozen counties across New York, assisting over 1,500 veterans battling PTSD and TBI. The staff and volunteers who work here in Suffolk County to keep the services of this program running are growing every year. We are continually expanding our counselors and mental health professionals to combat the hardships of veterans all over New York.

As a proud United States veteran who served in Iraq, I know firsthand the horror and chaos that one experiences while protecting their country. While I am pleased with what we’ve managed to achieve in New York with regard to the Dwyer project, we can and should still be doing more to help the brave men and women who put everything on the line for us. That is why I am introducing legislation in Congress that will expand the PFC Joseph Dwyer veteran peer program on a national level. I want to ensure all veterans across this great nation receive the proper treatment and care they deserve. We must take what we’ve accomplished here in New York and build from it so that someday we can have a peer-to-peer support group help veterans in every county across America. I know the Dwyer program will help bring much-needed support and assistance to thousands, and someday millions, of veterans and their families across the United States. No longer should a veteran feel shame or guilt in seeking help for him or herself. He or she should be able to utilize the services of their local vet-to-vet support group to help them effectively deal with whatever stress is bothering them.

That is the goal and it is time we come together as citizens of the United States to fulfill our obligations and do more to help our veterans lead happy and meaningful lives. It is a long and arduous road to recovery for some, but I am convinced that the willpower and solidarity of this nation behind a common cause can help ameliorate the transition to post-service life for our veterans. It is vital we keep ever-present that our veterans have been willing to make the greatest sacrifice any one individual can give to another — their life. The Dwyer program is an important way for Americans to give back and say thank you.

Congressman Lee Zeldin, an Army veteran who continues to serve today as a major in the Army Reserves, represents the 1st Congressional District of New York. In Congress, two of Zeldin’s committee assignments are Veterans’ Affairs and Foreign Affairs.

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Tree hibiscus do well in a planter in full sun. Photo by Ellen Barcel

By Ellen Barcel

 

Last week we took a look at some specific plants that can grow in small spaces. Since there are many options, we’ll take a look at a few more this week.

Tree hibiscus do well in a planter in full sun. Photo by Ellen Barcel
Tree hibiscus do well in a planter in full sun. Photo by Ellen Barcel

A wide variety of vegetables can be grown in pots or tubs including string beans, cucumbers (with a trellis) and squash. Remember to replant for a second crop when the plants cease bearing. String beans, for example, can continue to grow well into the fall.

Roses can also be grown in tubs (medium-sized plants) or window boxes (for tiny rose plants). Like herbs, roses need sun; so select a location for your pots, rock garden etc. that gets at least six hours of sun a day. Miniature roses come in a wide variety of colors: ‘Sun Sprinkles’ is a bright yellow, ‘Hot Tamale’ is a gorgeous mix of deep pink and yellow, ‘Cinnamon Girl’ is a burgundy and ‘Innocence’ is the palest shade of pink, almost white.

Remember to check your rose plants for thorns. If the one you select has a lot of them, make sure you locate it where someone won’t trip and hurt themselves. Miniature roses are prone to the same problems that medium and large rose bushes are, namely black spot (a fungal disease) and aphids. So, you need to take the same care that you would if growing a full-sized plant, that is, use a rose spray unless the variety you select specifically says disease resistant. Also, avoid watering the leaves — aim the hose at the soil. Keeping the leaves dry helps to prevent fungal diseases. If you have a deer problem, make sure that the rose bushes are planted where the deer can’t reach them.

Since roses prefer soil that is only slightly acidic (6.5) to neutral (7), growing roses in pots works well from the soil pH since most potting soil is closer to neutral. If you decide to plant your small roses in your garden soil, test it first. If it is very acidic, you need to add lime.

String beans do well in a planter in full sun. Photo by Ellen Barcel
String beans do well in a planter in full sun. Photo by Ellen Barcel

In addition to shrub roses, consider a tree rose — a wide variety of colors are available — which can be grown in a large tub. Tree hibiscus also does well in tubs.

If you have enough space on an open porch, deck or patio, you can grow dwarf evergreen trees. Dwarf Alberta spruce (Picea clauca) is a sturdy evergreen that grows well in USDA hardiness zones 2 through 8. This dense, slow growing tree prefers full sun and because of its small size fits into small spaces as well as large tubs. Putting a pair on either side of an entrance way gives a formal appearance. You can even decorate with small Christmas lights and ornaments come the holidays. It can be pruned into a topiary if you wish. While the tree can reach 10 feet tall, it’s such a slow grower that it will not usually be a problem for 25 to 30 years.

Squash plants do well in a planter in full sun. Photo by Ellen Barcel
Squash plants do well in a planter in full sun. Photo by Ellen Barcel

Dwarf deciduous trees grow well in tubs. Dwarf fruit trees provide flowers in the spring and fruit in summer or fall. ‘Juliet Dwarf Cherry,’ for example, grows just five to eight feet tall, is self-pollinating and does well in USDA hardiness zones 2 through 7 (Long Island is zone 7). Because of their small size, it’s easy to prune them and easy to put netting to protect the fruit from hungry birds. Other dwarf trees include dwarf apple, pear and fig. Dwarf lime, lemon and orange can be grown outdoors in summer but must be moved indoors in the colder weather.

Bonsai: If you’re really into gardening as a hobby, consider bonsai, plants deliberately kept miniature by root and branch pruning. Bonsai are grown in small containers, but, a warning, this hobby is for the dedicated gardener as it requires a fair amount of work and knowledge. Deciduous plants such as Japanese red maple make for beautiful bonsai but must also be wintered outdoors, in a protected area, as the bonsai version needs a period of rest just like the full-sized plant.

Ellen Barcel is a freelance writer and master gardener. Send your gardening questions and/or comments to [email protected]. To reach Cornell Cooperative Extension and its Master Gardener program, call 631-727-7850.

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Matt English makes his way to the rim in a previous game against Riverhead. File photo by Desirée Keegan

After topping No. 13-seeded North Baylon, 70-57, in the first round of the Suffolk County Class AA playoffs, the No. 4-seeded Smithtown West boys’ basketball team edged ahead of No. 12 Commack, 49-45, to advance to the Large School Champion semifinals on Sunday.

In the game against Commack on Tuesday, senior Matt English led the way with 19 points, followed by senior Doug Levy with 10. Senior Nick Grande tacked on seven points in the win, and juniors Jake Torres and Kyle LaGuardia rounded out the scoring with six points apiece, while junior Greg Giordano added a free-throw point.

The Bulls will take on No. 1 Brentwood at Stony Brook University on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. Admission is $6. If Smithtown West wins, the team will take on the Small School Champion next Friday, Feb. 26, at Stony Brook University, for the Section XI crown. Tipoff for that game is tentatively scheduled for 8 p.m.

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Circa 1750 Hawkins-Mount House in Stony Brook at Stony Brook Road and Route 25A. Photo by Beverly Tyler

By Beverly C. Tyler

Our winter weather seems to have as much effect on us today as it did in the 19th century, even though we are well- protected from the effects of the weather in our homes and in our cars as we travel from place to place.

During the winter of 1800-1801, Dr. Samuel Thompson noted the changes in the weather as he ran the operation of his extensive farm in Setauket and cared for the sick. He wrote in his journal, “Thursday, Nov. 13, 1800. Wind [from the] west, cloudy and very thick air with smoke and so dark at nine or 10 o’clock as to light a candle to eat breakfast by – Some rain – but breaks away and the weather is cool.”

Later in the month the weather changed, “Nov. 21, wind northeast (blowing) very hard. Begins to snow long before day continues to snow all day – very cold storm.” On Saturday, the northeast wind continued to blow and on Sunday he wrote that the snow fell all day.

The life of the farmer and other residents in Setauket and Stony Brook continued to be busy through the winter months. There were no crops to tend, as in the summer, but the animals had to be taken care of and the weather seemed to make little difference in the routine.

Heat for the family home in 1800 consisted of a wood fire in the fireplace. Large amounts of wood were cut and stacked each fall, but this usually had to be supplemented by trips into the woods to gather more firewood during the winter.

Thompson’s house — the restored Thompson house on North Country Road in Setauket — has a great central chimney with four fireplaces that provided the only heat for the large saltbox-style farmhouse.

The activity at the Thompson farm continued despite the weather.

“Dec. 30 … Cloudy – snows some – weather cool – kill my cow and ten sheep. George Davis’ wife came here and bought eight pounds of flax. Mr. Green [Rev. Zachariah Green, Setauket Presbyterian Church pastor] came here said Mrs. Akerly was better … Snow this night.”

It was a normal part of the farm routine for local residents to come to the Thompson farm to buy flax, to spin and weave into cloth, or to buy hay for their animals or meat and other farm produce. Thompson and his wife would often have visitors who would spend the night at the farm and leave the next day.

“Dec. 31 … Robbin [indentured farmhand] and Franklin [his oldest son, Benjamin Franklin] cut up the cow and the sheep. Sharper [a black slave farmhand who lived on the Thompson farm] salts them. Salla [Sarah] Smith works here at taloring (sic). Makes a coat and jacket for Killis [farmhand] and a pair of trowsers (sic) for Franklin. Miss Lidda Mount and Miss Sissa Mount come here for a visit, dined here and drank tea here. Mrs. Akerly remains much [sick] so I make her the third phial of antimonial solution.”

The daily routine of life at the Thompson farm continued much the same through the winter. Friends were entertained at tea or at dinner, neighbors and relatives arrived to buy farm produce, and Thompson prescribed for the sick.

Winter weather through the 19th century did not prevent local residents from maintaining their regular activities. In 1819, Henry Hudson was teaching school in Stony Brook in the “Upper School” located on Main Street south of the millpond.

On Feb. 12, he wrote, “ South East wind, I tend school [about 40 students.] Clouds come up to snow at four this afternoon – grows cold – storms hard. I spend the evening at Benah Petty’s with company of young people. Go to Nath. Smith’s to lodge – severe storm. Feb. 13. Snowstorm – cold. I tend school – continues to storm. At four … I go to Joseph Hawkins’ and stay. Feb. 14. Clears off, snow about 10 inches deep – drifted very much. I go to Mr. Green’s meeting [Rev. Zachariah Green] – return to Nath. Smith’s then go to Charles Hallock’s. He tends the meeting and [we were] much engaged [talking about the meeting] and time pleasingly spent. Go to Jedidiah Mills’ this evening. Feb. 15. I tend school, 45 schollars (sic) – continues stormy or more hard [snow or rain] at 4 p.m. – snow goes fast – warm and wet. The company takes a sleigh ride to Setauket. I make out my school bill this evening. Return to Nath. Smith’s at eight to supper. Sloppy uncommon bad walk. Feb. 16. Pleasant sleighing – gone warm. I tend school – 42 schollars – I leave Nath. Smith’s, make three days board. I collect some school money. I make a beginning to the Wido(w) Mount’s to board on the second quarter. Feb. 17. Grows colder – blustering. I tend school. I go to the Wido(w) Mount’s. Comes on to snow at nine this evening – sharp night – some sleighing though poor in the road, considerable snow. Feb. 18. Severe cold, bluster. I tend school – 41 schollars. This cold day. This is the appointment for the bible class. Mr. Green [Rev. Zachariah] comes here at five o’clock with a missionary priest. I return to Mount’s.”

Henry boarded about three days with each family of his students while he taught in Stony Brook. His travels during the week included going, usually on foot, from the Widow Mount’s — the Hawkins-Mount house in Stony Brook — to the Setauket Presbyterian Church. As a schoolteacher on a limited income, Henry did not have a horse and would often walk great distances.

His home, until 1846 when he moved to East Setauket, was at the family’s farm in Long Pond of the Wading River area. After the quarter or half year was over, he walked back to his home, and during the following years, he taught school in South Setauket, Nassakeag, Moriches, and East Setauket often walking from home to school each week. In some years he would walk to Patchogue and back in the same day, or to Riverhead.

Life in the wintertime was hard. The cold was a constant companion and the wood fireplaces could not provide the warmth that we consider to be a normal part of our lives now.

Beverly Tyler is the Three Village Historical Society historian and author of books available from the Three Village Historical Society.

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Head coach Andrew D’Eloia speaks to his team during a timeout. File photo by Bill Landon

Head coach Andrew D’Eloia has brought the Northport boy’s basketball team to its first undefeated season.

D’Eloia is in his fourth year as head coach, but he is no stranger to the halls and basketball courts at Northport High School. He graduated from Northport in 1991 and played as point guard for the boy’s basketball team.

“I’m extremely familiar with the district,” D’Eloia said in a phone interview. “I wanted to be able to give back to the community. The Northport High School basketball team did a lot for me, to help me develop — it taught me discipline, teamwork and investing in a common goal.”

D’Eloia now lives in Huntington with his family and owns AD Hoops Training, a basketball training business in Brooklyn.

Before coming back to Northport, he worked as an assistant coach at various institutions including Hunter College in Manhattan and Bishop Ford Central Catholic High School in Brooklyn. He was then offered the assistant coach job at Northport High School and D’Eloia jumped at the opportunity.

Head coach Andrew D’Eloia speaks to his team during a game. File photo by Bill Landon
Head coach Andrew D’Eloia speaks to his team during a game. File photo by Bill Landon

After a year as assistant coach, D’Eloia became head coach, and while he said he didn’t want to bring any major changes to the team, he did want to implement some new focus points.

Among his ideas, he said he wanted to encourage the boys to set up a plan for the off-season, to stay in the best shape they could. He said he believes this helped the team’s bond become even stronger.

“The team chemistry is phenomenal,” he said. “This is one of the best teams I’ve been around in terms of the element of camaraderie, and it’s one of the most unselfish groups as well.”

Since taking over as head coach in 2012, the boy’s record is 72-14, they have won 18 playoff games and made it to the Suffolk County final four all four years. In 2013, the boy’s made it all the way to the state semifinals but fell to New Rochelle.

This was the first year since 1995 that the team has gone undefeated in the league, and D’Eloia credited that to the work of the entire team.

“They are coachable and they do right both on and off the court,” he said. “This is a team in every sense of the word.”

The head coach said that not only are the starting players key to the success of this season but also the supporting players, who have worked well to “conserve small minutes.”

Looking forward, D’Eloia said he hopes his team will continue to play at the highest level possible at every game and go as far as they can in the playoffs.

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By Alex Petroski

“The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley,” directed by Kristen Digilio, began a nine-show run in early February at the Noel S. Ruiz Theatre at CM Performing Arts Center in Oakdale, starring Luke Rosario as Stanley.

Above, Luke Rosario stars in ‘The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley.’ Photo by Kristen Digilio
Above, Luke Rosario stars in ‘The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley.’ Photo by Kristen Digilio

For those who are unfamiliar with the series, Flat Stanley celebrated his 50th anniversary in 2014. The hero of children’s books was created in 1964 by author Jeff Brown and is now the subject of an exchange program that allows children to mail paper cutouts of Flat Stanley to other participants around the world. The cast and crew of the live action show for kids bring the two-dimensional fan favorite to colorful, musical and three-dimensional light.

In the Flat Stanley books, Stanley Lambchop becomes flat when a large bulletin board falls on him in his sleep. In the musical, Stanley and his younger brother Arthur Lambchop, played by Matthew Surico, dream of doing something amazing that the world has never seen before as they sit in bed prior to falling asleep. During the first act the two sing “I Wish I Were,” a song about aspiring to be great like Luke Skywalker and Harry Potter. Dreaming big and reaching for the stars is the constant theme of the musical, though others are introduced along the way as well.

The show features 13 musical numbers, performed by the cast of just five. Katie Ferretti, Ronald R. Green III and Jessica Ader-Ferretti fill out the small cast. Only Rosario is restricted to just one role. Costume changes along with strategic wigs and stick-on facial hair allows the other four cast members to introduce additional characters. The group displays an undeniable chemistry with dance steps and song lyrics meant to dole out life lessons to the young theatergoers. 

Ferretti plays Mrs. Lambchop, Arthur and Stanley’s bright red-haired mother. Green, who plays Mr. Lambchop, joins her to perform “The Funny Sunny Side,” a song about embracing the things that make someone unique, a message directed at Stanley when he is faced with the reality of going to school as flat as a piece of paper.

To make Rosario appear flat, he wears an orange-topped, purple-bottomed prop over the front of his clothes that resembles a yoga mat. Green was also the costume designer. He did as fine a job as Mr. Lambchop as he did designing Flat Stanley’s appearance and delivering his diagnosis as Dr. Dan, the mustache-clad pediatrician who sadly has no answers for the Lambchops about unflattening their son.

Eventually Stanley embraces being flat, and at the end of Act One he is convinced by mail carrier Mrs. Cartero, played by Ader-Ferretti, that he could travel the world by mail for just the price of postage. When Act Two begins, Stanley has arrived in Hollywood where he is met by a talent agent who sees potential in the flat kid.

Also played by Surico, the talent agent convinces Stanley to do some more traveling and gain life experiences before he pursues a career in show business. Surico, Ferretti and Ader-Ferretti team up for an impressive number called “Talent,” where they show off vocal range and choreographed tap dance steps to convince Stanley that Hollywood is for him.

Encouraged by his friend Samantha, who lives in California, Stanley travels to the Louvre in Paris, France, where he helps thwart an art thief. After that, Stanley travels, again by mail, to Honolulu, Hawaii, for his movie debut as a surfboard. Despite his success, Stanley realizes that he is homesick, and traveling the world and doing amazing things isn’t quite as special without family and friends around to share it.

Rosario’s performance carries the show. His singing ability and enthusiasm draws eyes like a magnet, though he is definitely not alone. Green and Ferretti serve as perfect compliments to Surico during the musical numbers. Surico is at his best delivering one-liners as Stanley’s talent agent. Ader-Ferretti is the “glue” to the production and shows versatility in filling a handful of different roles.

The show is a feel-good hour with a brief intermission between the two acts. Music, dancing and smiles make the delivery of important messages for kids of all ages very easy to absorb. The young minds in attendance are instructed to step out of their comfort zone to achieve fulfillment and reach potential, while remembering what success is all about: enjoying it with loved ones and taking pride in being unique. 

The Noel S. Ruiz Theatre at the CM Performing Arts Center, 931 Montauk Highway, Oakdale, will present “The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley” through March 5. Tickets are $12. To order, call 631-218-2810 or visit www.cmpac.com.

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Artist Gary Staab begins the process of replicating Ötzi the Iceman mummy. Photo by Bonnie Brennan
Artist Gary Staab (right) and Dr. Albert Zink inspect a replica of Ötzi the Iceman Mummy for NOVA special. Photo by Bonnie Brennan
Artist Gary Staab takes reference photos in the freezer with Ötzi. Photo by Robert Visty
Gary Staab and studio assistants Jeff Compton and Meg Schwend begin the paint process and add dark stain to resin print of Ötzi. Photo by Bonnie Brennan
Gary Staab and studio assistants Jeff Compton and Meg Schwend begin the paint process and add dark stain to resin print of Ötzi. Photo by Bonnie Brennan

A murder mystery thousands of years old and a continent away is coming to Long Island, where middle school and high school students can look at a rare face from human history.

During the ice age, an arrow went through a man’s shoulder blade, nicked an artery that leaves the aorta and caused him to bleed to death. Some time after he died, weather conditions effectively freeze dried him, preserving him in a remarkably pristine state until German hikers found his five-foot, five-inch body protruding from a melting glacier in 1991. He was found in the Ötztal Alps (on the border between Austria and Italy) — hence the name Ötzi.

David Micklos, executive director of the DNA Learning Center, stands next to the only authorized replica of Ötzi outside of the South Tyrol Museum in Italy. Photo by Daniel Dunaief
Dave Micklos, executive director of the DNA Learning Center, stands next to the only authorized replica of Ötzi outside of the South Tyrol Museum in Italy. Photo by Daniel Dunaief

While Ötzi, as he is now called, remains preserved carefully in a special facility in Italy, a master craftsman and artist has created a painstaking replica of a 45-year-old man killed at over 10,000 feet that is now on display at the DNA Learning Center at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

“Kids are fascinated by it,” said Dave Micklos, the executive director of the DNA Learning Center, who has shared the newest mummified celebrity with students for several weeks in advance of the official exhibit opening in the middle of February. “The story is quite fascinating: it’s an ancient murder mystery. We take it from the forensic slant: what is the biological evidence we can see on Ötzi’s body that tells us who he was and how he died.”

Ötzi, or the Iceman as he is also known, has become the subject of extensive investigation by scientists around the world, who have explored everything from the over 60 tattoos on his body, to the copper axe found next to him, to the contents of his stomach and intestines, which have helped tell the story about the last day of Ötzi’s life.

“It’s a story that’s been assembled, bit by bit,” Micklos said. “Each scientific investigation adds new twists to the story.”

The Learning Center came up with the idea to create a replica and proposed it to the South Tyrol Museum of Archeology in Bolzano, Italy. Eventually, the museum granted the center the rights to use the CT scans, which provide detailed anatomical features. Ultimately, artist and paleo-sculptor Gary Staab used the images and studied the Iceman himself.

Staab, who has recreated copies of extinct animals for museums around the world, used a three-dimensional printer and sculpting and painting techniques to create an exact replica of a man who probably didn’t know he was in immediate danger when he was hit, because he seemed to be taking a break, Micklos said. Staab built one layer at a time of a resin-based prototype, then worked on the skin through sculpting, molding and painting.

A close-up of Ötzi the Iceman mummy’s replica at the DNA Learning Center. Photo by Daniel Dunaief
A close-up of Ötzi the Iceman mummy’s replica at the DNA Learning Center. Photo by Daniel Dunaief

Nova produced a television feature called “Nova’s Iceman Reborn” on PBS that captures the process of combining art and science to make a replica of the rare and highly valued fossil, which viewers can stream online through the link https://www.pbs.org/nova.

Long Islanders can see the replica at the Learning Center, where they can ask a host of questions about a man born during the copper age — hence the copper axe — and about 2,500 years before Rome was founded. Visitors interested in seeing Ötzi need to purchase tickets, which cost $10, ahead of time through the Learning Center’s website at www.dnalc.org.

Ötzi’s entire genetic sequence is available online. The Learning Center is the first science center worldwide to focus on DNA and genetics.

The center is especially interested in helping students understand what DNA says about human evolution. In one experiment, students can compare their own DNA to Ötzi, a Neanderthal and another ancient hominid group, called the Denisovans. Students can see how similar modern DNA is to Ötzi and how different it is from the Neanderthals and Denisovans. The 5,200 year differences with Ötzi is “no time in DNA time,” Micklos said.

Ötzi’s genes reveal that he had atherosclerosis and the deposition of plaques on the inner walls of the arteries. Ötzi was a healthy, active, relatively long-lived man in the Paleolithic era, who ate a diet of natural, unprocessed foods, and yet he had heart disease. His heart condition came as a surprise to scientists.

A 3-D resin model of Ötzi’s head before being painted. Photo by Daniel Dunaief
A 3-D resin model of Ötzi’s head before being painted. Photo by Daniel Dunaief

In addition to his genes, Ötzi’s body left clues about his life, where he’d spent his last day and what he’d eaten. Scientists have explored the contents of each part of his digestive tract, which, remarkably, remained well preserved during those thousands of years.

Ötzi had eaten different kinds of ibex meat, which is a goat found in the mountains. The pollen that was in his system, which came from the air he inhaled and from the food he ate, were pieces of a puzzle that showed where he’d been. The pollen near the top of his digestive track came from coniferous trees, including relatives of spruces and pines, which came from higher altitudes. Stored deeper in his system was pollen from deciduous trees, like birch and hazel, which grew lower in the valleys.

In addition to the Ötzi replica, the Learning Center also has reproductions of the clothes he was wearing and the artifacts he was carrying, which included a couple of containers of birch bark sewn together with fibers.

The Learning Center is developing a program to help students from the age of 10 to 18 explore Ötzi, so students can ask what the artifacts tell them about neolithic time.

Micklos said students have shown a strong interest in this old replica.

“It’s a little bit morbid, but not too much, and it’s a little gruesome, but not too much,” he said. “Everybody loves a mummy,” he continued, citing the popularity of the mummy exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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Unfair fight
On Feb. 9 police arrested a woman from Port Jefferson for assault after they said the 40-year-old attempted to enter her victim’s bedroom at the Fairfield Falls apartment complex on President’s Drive. The victim tried to prevent the suspect from entering the room and was holding a steak knife to protect herself. During the struggle to open the bedroom door, the suspect allegedly took the knife and cut the victim. Police arrested the woman at the scene at 9:37 a.m.

Not so bright
A 40-year-old woman from Miller Place was arrested for driving while ability impaired in a 2012 Hyundai Tuscon on Feb. 8 after crashing into a light pole near the corner of Route 25A and Miller Place Road. Police arrested her at the scene.

Underage and over the limit
Police arrested a 16-year-old boy for driving while ability impaired on Feb. 8. The Selden teen was driving a gray 2005 Acura west on Jericho Turnpike when he failed to maintain his lane. Police arrested him at the corner of Dawn Drive in Centereach around 2 p.m.

On the road again
On Feb. 14, a 21-year-old man from Coram was arrested for leaving the scene of an accident, after police said he crashed his 2004 Mercedes-Benz into a parked 2015 Jeep Wrangler on Barone Drive on Feb. 5 and fled the scene.

Cruisin’ over the rules
Police arrested a man from Smithtown on Feb. 10 for driving with a suspended license and false impersonation. According to police, the 29-year-old had been driving a Nissan Altima on Norwood Avenue in Port Jefferson Station and when pulled over had allegedly given police a different person’s name.

Caught at knifepoint
On Feb. 10, a Rocky Point resident was arrested for assault. Police said the 43-year-old man cut someone with a knife at a residence on Teepee Road. The victim was taken to John T. Mather Memorial Hospital in Port Jefferson.

Suspect was uber upset
An unknown person punched and broke a window of the Islandwide taxi on Main Street in Port Jefferson. Police said the incident happened on Feb. 11 around 9:56 p.m.

I spy an iPhone
Between 3 and 11:15 a.m. on Feb. 13, someone stole an iPhone from another person at Junior’s Spycoast bar on Main Street in Port Jefferson.

Roll out
According to police, on Feb. 13 between 1 and 9:30 a.m., an unidentified person stole an all-terrain vehicle from a residence on Tyler Avenue in Miller Place.

Big larceny
On Feb. 9, someone stole a wallet from a locked office in Big Lots at the Centereach Mall.

Going on Holiday
Someone stole a 1996 Acura from a residence on Holiday Park Drive in Centereach on Feb. 12 around 1 a.m.

Morning mischief
Between midnight and 9:40 a.m. on Feb. 14, an unknown person stole money and a key from an unlocked Jeep parked on Cedarhurst Avenue in Selden.

Pocketed
On Feb. 12 around 2:30 a.m., an unidentified person stole a pocketbook from a residence on Krispin Lane in Setauket-East Setauket. The pocketbook contained a wallet, credit cards and a phone. Police didn’t say how the suspect entered the home.

Copping some pipes
Police said an unidentified person entered a residence on Annandale Road in Stony Brook through an unlocked garage door and stole copper piping on Feb. 11.

Hibachi heist
A 50-year-old woman from Kings Park was arrested on Feb. 14 for stealing money from someone’s wallet at K60 Japanese Steakhouse in Lake Grove on Jan. 15, police said. She was charged with grand larceny.

Matinee street fight
On Feb. 13, at about 1 p.m., a 21-year-old man from Port Jefferson was arrested for punching another man in the face following an argument at a location near the Islandia Shopping Center, police said. The victim was treated for injuries at Southside Hospital in Bay Shore, according to police. The man was charged with third-degree assault.

Fight night
At a home on Elder Drive in Smithtown just before 9 p.m. on Feb. 13, an 18-year-old woman from Commack was arrested for pulling a woman out of a car and shoving her into the side of the car following an argument, police said. The victim was taken to St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center in Smithtown and treated for minor injuries. The suspect was charged with third-degree assault.

Rush hour road rage
At the intersection of the Northern State Parkway and Commack Road, a 62-year-old man from Commack drove his 1998 Nissan Pathfinder into a 2014 Volkswagen GTI just after 5 p.m. on Feb. 12, police said. He was charged with second-degree reckless endangerment.

Miller’s marijuana house
A 22-year-old man from Dix Hills was arrested for smoking marijuana in the parking lot of Miller’s Ale House on Veterans Memorial Highway in Commack at about 10:30 p.m. on Feb. 12, police said. He was in the driver’s seat of a 2014 Honda. He was charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of marijuana.

Bagged with stolen goods
Sometime between Feb. 1 and Feb. 11, a 27-year-old man from Babylon stole jewelry, DVDs and an Amazon Kindle from a home on Arjay Lane in Commack, police said. He was arrested while trying to sell the jewelry at Best Auto Express Inc. in Selden, according to police. He was charged with possession of a hypodermic needle, criminal possession of stolen property and third-degree burglary.

Blackjack bust
On Middle Country Road in Smithtown on Feb. 11, a 26-year-old man from East Northport seated in a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee was found to have a blackjack, which is a small, easy to conceal club-type weapon, police said. He was charged with fourth-degree possession of a weapon.

Interlocked
A 29-year-old man from Patchogue was pulled over by police near exit 59 heading west on the Long Island Expressway at about 7 p.m. on Feb. 11. He was found to be driving his 2006 Ford Explorer without an interlock device, police said. He was charged with use of a vehicle without interlock.

Sonata spree
At a home on Calvert Avenue in Ronkonkoma at about 11 p.m. on Feb. 13, an unknown person caused damage to tires on a 2011 Hyundai Sonata and a 2005 Hyundai Sonata, police said.

Storm door smashed
At about 2 p.m. on Feb. 13, an unknown person damaged the storm door of a home on Lake Shore Road in Lake Ronkonkoma, according to police.

That stinks
A 27-year-old man from Commack was arrested on Feb. 14 after police said he stole cologne from Saks Fifth Avenue on Walt Whitman Road in Huntington at 10:15 a.m. He was charged with petit larceny.

Why did the chickens cross the road
On Feb. 14, a 25-year-old woman from Wheatley Heights was arrested for stealing 34 packs of chicken breasts from Stop&Shop on Wall Street in Huntington on Jan. 3 at about 1:15 p.m., according to police. She was charged with petit larceny.

Lots of drugs
Police said a 22-year-old man from Huntington Station had marijuana and Xanax in his possession on East Pulaski Road in Huntington Station on Feb. 14 at 2:30 p.m. He was arrested and charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of marijuana.

Crash into me
Police said a 24-year-old woman from Greenlawn failed to maintain her lane while driving a 2007 Chevy on Feb. 13 at 3:45 a.m., and crashed into a 2015 Honda parked on Oakwood Road in Huntington. She was charged with driving while intoxicated.

Weed on waterside
On Feb. 12 a 21-year-old man from Selden was arrested after police said he had marijuana on him during a traffic stop on Waterside Avenue in East Northport at noon. He was charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of marijuana.

Oh Lord! (& Taylors)
A 28-year-old man from Port Washington was arrested on Feb. 12 at 7:45 p.m. after police said he tried to return eight shirts to Lord & Taylor in Huntington that he had stolen. He was charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property.

Fleeing footwear
Police said an unknown person stole three pairs of shoes from Famous Footwear on New York Avenue in Huntington Station just after noon on Feb. 13.

Tree takes the hit
On Feb. 14, a 37-year-old woman from Glen Cove was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated. According to police, she drove a 2003 Honda into a tree on 25A and North Lawrence Hill Road in Cold Spring Harbor at 12:30 a.m.

Interview gone wrong
A 22-year-old woman from Hauppauge was arrested on Feb. 14 on Kendrick Lane in Huntington at 11 p.m. after police said she became belligerent while a police officer was interviewing her and pushed the officer. She was charged with second-degree harassment with physical contact.

No gloves no love
A 27-year-old man from Bay Shore was arrested on Feb. 12 at 5:40 p.m. after police said he stole three pairs of gloves and multiple scarves from Bloomingdales on Walt Whitman Road in Huntington. He was charged with petit larceny.

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The Smithtown Library. File photo by Rachel Shapiro

Join the Smithtown Library for its bus trip to the Philadelphia Flower Show on Monday, March 7.

This year’s theme, Explore America, honors the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service and the century’s most scenic landscapes and historic sites.

The Philadelphia Flower Show is the longest-running and largest indoor flower show in the world. Visitors will be treated to fabulous design and events including live entertainment, culinary demonstrations, gardening how-to workshops and lectures by experts.

A staff member will greet everybody in the Kings Park branch parking lot to board the bus at 6:45 a.m. The branch is located at 1 Church St.

Attendees can enjoy lunch at the flower show or visit Reading Terminal Market located across the street.

The bus will depart the flower show at approximately 4:30 p.m. to return home.

Registration is required. The nonrefundable fee for this program is $79 per person, which includes all expenses and gratuities. For more information, please call 631-360-2480, ext. 235.

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