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Yearly Archives: 2016

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Photo from HCFAS

Emergency medical workers rushed on Tuesday to rescue a young man who had been hit by a car just feet from their station.

The Huntington Community First Aid Squad said an “agitated young man” in front of its Huntington Station headquarters got the attention of the on-duty dispatcher at about 3:45 p.m. and pointed to the nearby intersection of Railroad Street and Lowndes Avenue. Several members at that point could see another person lying motionless in the street, and the squad dispatched an ambulance and a first-responder vehicle to the intersection.

The crew found an unconscious and unresponsive male around 18 years old who had been hit by a vehicle while trying to cross the street, the HCFAS said in a statement. “The crew members quickly immobilized the victim and performed a trauma examination.”

After being moved to the ambulance, the victim regained consciousness, the HCFAS said, and could communicate with the EMTs. According to the squad, he had possibly suffered a head injury.

The victim was transported to Huntington Hospital.

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The Port Jefferson Volunteer Ambulance Company serves Port Jefferson, Belle Terre and Mount Sinai. File photo

Village officials have blocked the local ambulance company from billing residents for service, three months after an explosive debate on the practice.

A few residents argued during a Port Jefferson Village Board of Trustees meeting in November that it was unfair, after paying ambulance district taxes, they received bills for ambulance rides when their insurance companies either denied a claim or left them with a hefty deductible to pay. But the board insisted such bills were not the intention of the plan enacted several years ago to help their emergency medical organization recoup expenses.

Faced with rising costs in the ambulance district — which includes Port Jefferson, Belle Terre and Mount Sinai — the board authorized the Port Jefferson Volunteer Ambulance Company to bill patients’ insurance companies for service within their jurisdiction, using the collected funds to offset ambulance taxes.

The bills being sent later on to patients, according to PJVAC Deputy Chief Rob Stoessel, originated because his group and its third-party billing company are obligated to ask for the balance if the insurance does not cover the entire cost. In November he described the requirement as a “good faith attempt.”

Before insurance, the fee on a call for emergency medical care is $900, with an additional $18 for each mile the ambulance transports a patient. Stoessel said that amount takes into consideration both medical and nonmedical expenses like gasoline.

Both he and Mayor Margot Garant agreed that when the billing program was created, the idea was for patients to receive three notices for bills, with no consequences for not paying — as the ambulance company does not have a mechanism for collections.

“The insurance companies, God bless them — collect every nickel from them,” Garant said in November. But “we didn’t want the resident to be pursued for any of the fees.”

Residents who received the bills complained that wasn’t common knowledge, and they were concerned about their credit ratings.

Monica Williams was denied Medicare coverage for her treatment.

“I don’t really think that any village resident … should be looking at a bill like that,” Williams said in November. “It’s surprising. It’s disappointing.”

She called it “being billed for the same thing twice.”

But Williams saw a solution on Monday night, when the Board of Trustees voted to ban the ambulance company from billing residents.

The previous law that allowed the company “to bill, directly, village residents for the use of its ambulance services … is hereby rescinded,” according to the measure members approved at their meeting. It also forgives all unpaid balances currently hanging against residents.

PJVAC will still be able to collect funds from the insurance companies.

Garant said there would be consequences “if we hear of any resident getting any more collection documents from the ambulance [district].”

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Leonardo DiCaprio in a scene from ‘The Revenant.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox

By Zachary Hank

Leonardo DiCaprio has already received much critical acclaim for his performance in “The Revenant.” After  winning the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, his sights are set on the upcoming Academy Awards on Feb. 28 where he may take home his first Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role. The film itself has experienced an outstanding response, receiving 12 nominations for the 2016 Oscars, including best picture, best director, cinematography and visual effects.

Based on actual events, “The Revenant” tells the story of fur trapper Hugh Glass. Set in 1823 in the early American territories of Montana and South Dakota, the film recounts Glass’ recovery from a bear mauling and retribution against his companions who killed his son and left him for dead.

It is undeniable the amount of preparation put into this film by each of the actors, but what also stands out is the fantastic camera work, directing and special effects in the film as well. Simply put, the film is gorgeous, absolutely beautiful in almost every shot. The film is directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, whose latest success was last year’s “Birdman.” As in that film, the camera work feels very clean and natural. There are also multiple times in both films when the shots of surroundings and setting occupy a few minutes of screen time, but in “The Revenant’s” case, these landscapes and scenery shots feel absolutely breathtaking.

The movie does a fantastic job at encasing the viewer within whatever setting is present. If it is a crowded, claustrophobic forest, then you’ll feel the same sense of paranoia and suspense as the characters do. Every shadow, every minimal sound and every minor detail is caught with remarkable precision. The bear mauling is very realistic and the special effects feel lifelike. Overall, “The Revenant” is hands down one of the most visually stunning films of the last few years. Now, with all these aesthetics praised, there comes a matter of addressing the film’s plot.

Although the film is based on actual events, it can’t be blamed for the screenwriters developing a weak plot. They did a lot with what they had, and that happens to be one of the film’s downfalls. Originally, there was a relatively simple story. However, it has been stretched to make an epic of two and a half hours; and the film really doesn’t have as much emotional depth or, truthfully, any real amount of depth to justify this amount of screen time.

While it may be more realistic to witness Glass’s recovery and journey in almost real time, it’s simply not worth watching the man struggle to learn to walk again for about half an hour.

Clearly, this is a very ambitious film of a story that did not warrant this scale of production, but that seemed to be the film Iñárritu wanted to  make. So while there’s not an overlying truth or revelation to be found within the actual story other than be careful not to be mauled by a bear, Iñárritu twists this plot to exploit the suffering and cruelty toward Native Americans by European settlers, especially the French.

Sure, Glass’ son was half Native American, but in reality the story does not have much to do with racial issues, and Iñárritu’s inclusion of multiple plot lines of the French and their interactions with local Native Americans doesn’t feel anything more than an attempt to make a statement on something that really didn’t have much relevance to the story’s plot. Yes, Glass does have these flashbacks to a Native American village being burned down and the death of his wife in the flames, but then again, the flashbacks themselves aren’t entirely necessary and sometimes just feel pointless. They’re overly sentimental and just feel forced.

Still, even needless flashbacks can have an impact if they’re brought on by dynamic performances. Everyone in this film does a pretty good job. Tom Hardy in the role of John Fitzgerald, an adversary of Glass, really delivers a fantastic performance and is probably the most deserving of being nominated for Best Supporting Actor this year.

Now for the lead. It’s impossible to critique DiCaprio’s preparation and dedication to this role. He’s clearly put the work in and it’s pretty much what you would expect. If you weren’t sold on him before, maybe you will be now, but in reality it still feels like DiCaprio up there — he has a personality that can’t be shaken and seems to follow him to each role.

Many people are rooting for DiCaprio to win an Academy Award for the first time, and chances are he’ll probably do so as “The Revenant,” which may be a bit overblown, is definitely one of the most stunning and well-acted films of the year. If you don’t mind sitting through stretches of time with nothing really happening, then chances are you’ll be rewarded by some fantastic elements.

“The Revenant” is rated R for strong frontier combat and violence including gory images, a sexual assault, language and brief nudity.

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Have you ever heard the paradox, the more I know, the more I realize how much I don’t know? I think this statement can be aptly applied to our knowledge of hypertension, better known as high blood pressure. When it comes to high blood pressure, it is not clear if it is a disease, in itself, or a condition that may contribute to diseases such as heart disease, heart attacks, stroke, kidney failure and even death (1). Or high blood pressure may be an indicator of blood vessel disease. And if this is not confusing enough, no matter how you want to classify high blood pressure, what is the best way to control it, and what levels are ideal?

Another frightening fact is that high blood pressure has a very high prevalence in the United States. The lifetime risk of having this disorder is 90 percent for those who are 55 and older. Thus, we need to be able to effectively reverse or prevent high blood pressure.

Upheaval among the ranks in terms of blood pressure levels

What are the goals for those patients with high blood pressure? The Joint National Committee is the most recognized organization to provide evidence-based guidelines to the medical community for blood pressure. This committee’s latest iteration, referred to as JNC 8, actually relaxed the levels to control blood pressure in those 60 years and older to less than 150/90 mmHg. For everyone below the age of 60, it should be less than 140/90, even for those who have diabetes (2). Interestingly, there is insufficient evidence on the systolic (top) number for those 30-59 years old and on the diastolic (bottom) number for those under 30 years old. Therefore, the recommendations for those under 60 are based on expert consensus. Of course, these levels are based on the assumption that we are treating with blood pressure medication.

The new evidence, but buyer beware

However, in a recent randomized controlled trial (SPRINT trial), results showed that when systolic blood pressure was reduced to below 120 mmHg, compared to the previous standard of 140 mmHg, there was a significant 30 percent reduction in the primary composite end point in the intensive vs. standard treatment groups (3). The composite end point involved nonfatal heart attack, nonfatal stroke, acute coronary syndrome, heart failure, or cardiovascular death. There was also a 25 percent reduction in all-cause mortality in the intensive treatment group. This trial involved 9,361 patients followed over 3.2 years. The trial was stopped early because of these positive results.

Does this mean we should treat aggressively with medication?

The caveats to this trial are several. One, the population was very specific. It involved patients who were at high risk of cardiovascular disease. The Framingham coronary heart disease risk score was at least 15 percent but with a mean of 20 percent. Two, the trial excluded diabetes patients and those with previous strokes. Considering these two factors, it means that one in six patients with high blood pressure would be appropriate for intensive blood pressure treatment with medication to a target systolic blood pressure of less than 120 mmHg.

Three, this study, does not take into account lifestyle modifications, which are very important to controlling and possibly reversing high blood pressure. Four, there was a significant increased risk of adverse events, such as hypotension (low blood pressure). If someone were to change their lifestyle, it might exacerbate this problem even more.

How can we better control blood pressure?

Office readings are not enough to know if blood pressure is controlled. Home readings are very important as well, although they are not always the most accurate. So, how do we determine what the home readings mean? A recent study tries to shed light on this issue. In the study of 286 patients, results showed that those who had at least three out of 10 systolic readings of >135 mmHg were likely to have uncontrolled high blood pressure confirmed using the gold standard of testing, 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (4). Those who had these elevated readings were at higher risk for end organ damage affecting the heart and surrounding blood vessels. This isn’t a perfect system, but it is better than using clinic blood pressures readings alone.

What about sodium?

The recommended levels for daily sodium vary from organization to organization and depending on whether or not you have high blood pressure. The most lenient recommendation, from the 2015 U.S. Dietary Guidelines, is 2300 mg per day (5), and the most stringent, by the American Heart Association, is 1500 mg per day for everyone, though there seems to be a general consensus for targeting less than 1500 mg per day for those with high blood pressure. Whatever level you may deem appropriate, a recent study shows that about 90 percent of adult Americans are consuming more than 2300 mg per day and 86 percent of high blood pressure patients are not maintaining appropriate levels (6).

So, should we lay off the salt shaker? Not necessarily. We are getting 75 percent of our intake from restaurants and from processed foods, those that come in a box (7). In fact, small amounts of iodized salt may be beneficial. However, fancy salts such as Himalayan Pink, sea salt, kosher and others may not be iodized.

These guidelines don’t seem to differentiate between added sodium and sodium that occurs naturally in foods. In fact, if you eat a diet rich in dark leafy green vegetables, there is about 700-800 mg of naturally occurring sodium in these foods. What is great about this is that these vegetables also contain nutrients that help counterbalance the effects of sodium, such as potassium and nitrates. They also have an anti-inflammatory effect that benefits the endothelial layer, or the inner lining, of your blood vessels.

My recommendation is to avoid salt from processed foods by reading labels, although meats such as chicken can be injected with sodium without labeling. And if you do eat out, request that the chef not salt the food. If you use salt at home, use only iodized salt.

Added sugar – not so sweet

Dentists are right when they say don’t eat sugar. Their reasons are to protect to protect your teeth from decay. Well, there are many other reasons not to eat sugar. The recent REGARDS study found that a high-sugar (Southern or sweets/fat) diet may be associated with the risk of high blood pressure, whereas a plant-based diet was not (8). The mechanisms for this effect may have to do with the fact that added sugar raises insulin levels, which may raise the levels of aldosterone, the hormone responsible for the reabsorption of sodium from the kidneys. Those with the highest amount of insulin were found to have a greater than three times increased risk of high blood pressure.

When treating high blood pressure with medications, we need to individualize treatment. However, lifestyle modifications can be applied to everyone, regardless of age or risk of heart disease. If you have high blood pressure, you should take home readings and show them to your doctor for review.

References:

(1) J of Hypertension 2011:29:896-905. (2) JAMA. 2014;311(5):507-520. (3) N Engl J Med 2015; 373:2103-2116. (4) Ann Fam Med. 2016;14:63-69. (5) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2015 – 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 8th Edition. December 2015. (6) Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2016;64:1393-1397. (7) cdc.org. (8) Obesity Week 2015 Abstract T-OR-2108.

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

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By Matthew Kearns, DVM

February is National Pet Dental Health Month and I thought this would be a good time to discuss pediatric dental health in pets. So, how young is too young to start evaluating the teeth? The evaluation actually starts on the first exam.

The first thing we veterinarians look for is occlusion. Occlusion refers to how the teeth contact each other. Proper occlusion is necessary not only for prehension (the chewing process where food is grabbed and brought into the mouth), but also mastication (the chewing process where food is crushed and ground by the teeth). If the teeth on the maxilla (upper portion of the jaw) and mandible (lower portion of the jaw) do not line up properly this not only makes the chewing process more difficult, but also leads to issues with your pet’s teeth later in life.

Why does it lead to problems? Well, just like us humans, dogs and cats plaque on their teeth. Plaque is a thin film of bacteria, saliva, and food will accumulate on the enamel of the tooth within 24 hours of last cleaning. If plaque is not removed it will mineralize within 10 days. (This is called tartar or calculus.)

Once tartar takes hold, a shift develops from aerobic bacteria (bacteria that need oxygen to survive) to nasty anaerobic bacteria (those that need little or no oxygen to survive). These anaerobic bacteria secrete toxins that inflame the gums and lead to small abscesses or pockets under the gums. If left unchecked, these bacteria start to destroy the periodontal ligament and perialveolar bone. This is very painful. I have seen many a pet where I could see that they were chewing on one side of their mouth by the amount of tartar and gingivitis on the other side. I have also had patients that go back to eating hard food after diseased teeth were extracted.

A mouth with normal or appropriate occlusion is like a self-cleaning oven. When your dog or cat is grabbing at food with the more rostral teeth (the teeth closer to the nose) it cleans the incisors, or front teeth, and canines, fang teeth; the friction removes plaque before it can develop into tartar and progress into more advanced periodontal disease. Ideally, the maxilla is slightly longer than the mandible. If the conformation of the jaw does not match this, there are options that can be discussed with your veterinarian.

The second thing we look at is proper eruption. Proper eruption of teeth refers to when the teeth first appear above the gumline. In puppies the deciduous, or temporary teeth, erupt between 4-6 weeks and kittens between 3-4 weeks. Adult teeth erupt in puppies between 4-7 months and, in kittens, between 4-6 months. The eruption of adult teeth triggers the resorption of the deciduous roots causing those teeth to spontaneously fall out. Unfortunately, in some cases that either does not happen in a timely manner, or at all.

Conditions such as delayed eruption, supernumerary (extra) teeth, or persistent deciduous teeth can occur for a variety of reasons but need to be diagnosed and treated early on. If not, these conditions not only lead to pain, but also lead to dental malocclusion and other problems (dental cysts, etc.).

Diagnosis of malocclusion, delayed eruption, and retained deciduous teeth early on (especially in severe cases) opens the discussion to early intervention, a key to preventing disease. So, get your pet to show their teeth (and hopefully not use them on the vet) at your next visit. SMILE!!

Dr. Kearns has been in practice for 16 years.

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Mount Sinai High School comes in a close second

From left, Farmingdale High School winners Clarisse Baes, Ramin Chowdhury, Hamza Malick, Suraj Muralidharan, Jake Chammas and coach Peter Macchia pose for a photo after winning the High School Science Bowl. Photo from Brookhaven National Laboratory

Farmingdale High School students have one contest down to a science.

For the second consecutive year the team won the Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Long Island Regional High School Science Bowl in Upton on Saturday, Jan. 30. Now the students and their coach will head to Washington, D.C., on April 28 for the National Science Bowl finals. The teams were comprised of five students whose science and math knowledge were put to the test with a fast-paced jeopardy-style contest.

Farmingdale seniors Clarisse Baes, Ramin Chowdhury, Suraj Muralidharan, Jake Chammas and junior Hamza Malick beat out 19 teams for the top spot, including their toughest competitors, the Mount Sinai High School team, which came in second place. Their coach, Peter Macchia, an earth science teacher, said the team tried something new to prepare for this year’s Science Bowl competition.

“Instead of trying to win a trophy, they were preparing for college,” Macchia said. “So, they benefitted from studying together almost every day, and win or lose, they can now be successful in college.”

Coach Gina Sing led the Mount Sinai High School team to second place. The team included Andrew Rodriguez, Nick Eberhard, Danny O’Mara, Alexander Mule and Patrick Hanaj. Great Neck South and Lynbrook High School took third and fourth place, respectively.

While these three teams won’t get an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., for the finals, the top 16 high school teams and top eight middle school teams in Nationals will win $1,000 to go toward their school’s science department. The National Finals in Washington, D.C., will be from April 28 to May 2.

BNL started hosting the LI Regional Competition for the National Science Bowl in 1991. U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz said the Science Bowl “continues to be one of the premier academic competitions across the country, and prepares [American] students for future success in some of the world’s fastest growing fields in research and engineering.”

For more information about BNL’s Science Bowl, call 631-344-2345.

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File photo

Two men were killed and one was seriously injured in the early hours of Tuesday morning, after police say one of them lost control of his car and slammed into a tree.

The Suffolk County Police Department said 26-year-old Hauppauge resident Leland Acampora crashed the Hyundai Sonata at about 4:30 a.m. while heading west on Fort Salonga Road near Makamah Road.

Both he and 26-year-old Commack resident Woody Zalman, who had been sitting in the back seat, were pronounced dead at the scene, police said. However, front seat passenger Paul Weingart, a 26-year-old from East Northport, was in serious condition at Stony Brook University Hospital, after being airlifted there by police helicopter.

Police impounded the Hyundai for a safety check.

Detectives from the SCPD’s 2nd Squad are investigating the single-car crash. Anyone with information is asked to call them at 631-854-8252.

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According to Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine, harmful chemicals are also found in telephone poles. Photo by Giselle Barkley

After four decades the government is finally updating the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 with partial thanks to Brookhaven Town officials.

President Gerald Ford signed the act decades ago to regulate the introduction of new chemicals into society, excluding those found in food, pesticides, tobacco, firearms, drugs and cosmetics. The act gave the United States Environmental Protection Agency the authority to require documentation of chemical substances to determine if the chemical is hazardous to humans. The 62,000 chemicals that existed before 1976 were grandfathered into the act and deemed safe for humans and the act wasn’t updated until last year.

The government amended the act with Toxic Substances Control Modernization Act of 2015. Its bill, the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act updates the act and requires the EPA to establish a risk-based screening process for new chemicals. Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) and his fellow town board officials proposed the bill, which states the EPA must determine if a certain amount of old or new chemicals are safe for humans by a certain deadline. The EPA will reprimand manufacturers who don’t comply with safety requirements by restricting or prohibiting the creation, processing, distribution and disposal of new chemicals.

The EPA did not return requests seeking comment by press time.

According to Romaine, the uptick in cancer cases, particularly breast cancer on the North Shore, over the years was troubling. With advancements in science and technology scientists have found that some of the chemicals previously deemed as safe actually pose potential health risks for humans. This includes development of cancers and endocrine and immune system-related complications among other issues.

“We have a concern about the high rates of cancer in children and we’re concerned because people are trying to get answers,” Romaine said.

There were around 142.7 cases of cancer in Suffolk County between 2000 and 2004 according to the National Cancer Institute. The cases increased to around 528 per 100,000 people between 2008 and 2012 according to the cancer institute’s State Cancer Profiles.

County Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai), who has focused on the environment and its health effects for more than a decade, said these chemicals could be particularly harmful to children and their health.

“When you’re exposed to something when you’re growing up … it stays in your body,” Anker said. “As you get older something may set off the cancer…It takes decades sometimes for cancer to evolve.”

In a 2008-2009 study from the United States Department of Health and Human Services, scientists found 300 pollutants in the umbilical cord blood of newborn babies. According to the study, children are more vulnerable to chemical pollutants in the environment because of their size and poorer immune systems.

According to Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) these chemicals are found in everyday products like soaps and toothpastes among other items used on a daily basis. There are around 85,000 chemicals that are currently in use. But Zeldin said “the flaws in TSCA have left many of these new chemicals untested and unregulated.”

While Zeldin said the government should update important bills like TSCA, it’s common for some acts to go untouched for several years while others are updated almost annually.

“There are certainly examples of both extremes,” Zeldin said. “TSCA happens to be an example of one of those bills that really should have been updated many years ago, if not decades ago.”

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Port Jefferson Trustee Larry LaPointe stands with code officers, from left, James Murdocco, John Vinicombe, Paul Barbato and Gina Savoie as they pose with their proclamations. Photo by Elana Glowatz

Port Jefferson Village honored five code enforcement officers on Monday night who officials say went above the call of duty to serve the community.

Two helped save an overdosing man’s life, one attempted to revive a car crash victim, another thwarted a burglary and a lieutenant protected the village during the recent heavy snowstorm. The board of trustees presented them with proclamations for their service to cheers from the audience at Village Hall.

Gina Savoie was commended for preventing a break-in at a home in the Harbor Hills area earlier this month after she saw suspicious activity and called for police assistance. According to code bureau Chief Wally Tomaszewski, two Coram residents were arrested for loitering as a result.

Paul Barbato, who received a proclamation last year for reviving a man in cardiac arrest at a Port Jefferson restaurant, was honored again Monday for attempting to save a Belle Terre man trapped inside a Lamborghini that had crashed into a pole on East Broadway. Barbato, the first on the scene of the mid-December crash near High Street, got inside the car and performed CPR.

Lt. John Borrero is honored. Photo by Elana Glowatz
Lt. John Borrero is honored. Photo by Elana Glowatz

Although his attempt ultimately proved unsuccessful, he “tried desperately to save his life,” Tomaszewski said in a previous interview. “Believe me, his boots were filled with blood.”

A couple of weeks later, James Murdocco and John Vinicombe responded to an opioid overdose at the Islandwide Taxi stand near the Port Jefferson Long Island Rail Road station. Mayor Margot Garant said Monday that the officers were told the young victim was dead, and they found no pulse or respiration. Murdocco and Vinicombe each administered the anti-overdose medication Narcan and Murdocco performed CPR.

The man regained consciousness and “became violent,” she said, and had to be restrained.

Garant added an unplanned honor to Monday night’s affair, commending Lt. John Borrero for his work during the blizzard, commonly dubbed Winter Storm Jonas, that hit Long Island hard on Jan. 23.

“I cannot tell you what this one gentleman did, on tour all day, making sure our streets are safe, shutting down roads, calling other code enforcement officers in during a massive blizzard — he’s out there helping employees get to work at St. Charles Hospital,” the mayor said. “Your service to this community is just invaluable, John. I cannot tell you the amount of respect you earned that night.”

She told the audience that there is more to the code enforcement bureau than meets the eye.

“These officers are not merely giving out tickets,” Garant said, “but they’re saving lives.”

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Holtsville Hal, his handler Greg Drossel and Master of Ceremonies Wayne Carrington make their way onstage to cheers and applause on Groundhog Day. Photo by Alex Petroski

To the delight of about 100 people in attendance on Tuesday, it was announced that famed Brookhaven groundhog Holtsville Hal did not see his shadow, indicating spring would come early this year.

Excited Holtsville Hal fans collected streamers as a keepsake from Groundhog Day. Photo by Alex Petroski
Excited Holtsville Hal fans collected streamers as a keepsake from Groundhog Day. Photo by Alex Petroski

Hal made his yearly Groundhog Day appearance at Brookhaven Town’s Holtsville Wildlife and Ecology center at about 7:30 a.m., before a crowd with fresh memories of being walloped with more than 2 feet of snow in a recent blizzard.

Tradition says that if Hal — or, as he’s known in the Town of Brookhaven as a throwback to the classic Bill Murray movie “Groundhog Day,” the Great Prognosticator of Prognosticators — sees his shadow when he wakes from hibernation on Groundhog Day, the community is in for six more weeks of winter.

“As I stood by my burrow and looked to the ground, there was no shadow for me to be found,” Brookhaven Town Highway Superintendent Dan Losquadro (R) read from a large scroll as Hal was presented to the mass of onlookers. “So kids and their families, put away your sleds and snow blowers.” There were raucous cheers.

Holtsville Hal is presented to a group of young onlookers on Groundhog Day. Photo by Alex Petroski
Holtsville Hal is presented to a group of young onlookers on Groundhog Day. Photo by Alex Petroski

Holtsville Hal was handled by Greg Drossel as he posed for photos with Master of Ceremonies Wayne Carrington, Councilmen Neil Foley (R) and Dan Panico (R) and Councilwoman Valerie Cartright (D), members of the Holtsville Fire Department and many others. He even posed for a selfie with one young admirer.

Last year, Hal also predicted an early spring. This year he might be right, if only just for Tuesday, as those who woke up early to attend the event were treated to a mild, sunny morning by the time the groundhog made his much-anticipated appearance.

With the viewers in good spirits, Carrington reminded the crowd to donate whatever they could to the ecology center to support its programs.

This version corrects the spelling of Councilwoman Valerie Cartright’s name.

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