TAKING A REST ON A HOT DAY
Bill Pollack of East Setauket took this lovely photo of a cabbage white butterfly sitting on a cucumber leaf in his garden on Aug. 12 with a Samsung Galaxy S7. He writes, ‘I followed it for several minutes while it was deciding which leaf to land on.’
Send your Photo of the Week to [email protected].
By Fr. Francis Pizzarelli
Recently District Attorney Tim Sini (D) announced a new initiative to combat the drug epidemic ravaging Suffolk County. The Comprehensive Addiction Recovery and Education Program, or CARE Program, allows nonviolent defendants with substance abuse disorders a full dismissal of chargers if the person successfully completes a 90-day treatment program. It was designed by prosecutors, defense attorneys and court officials.
This initiative is definitely a positive step in the right direction. As someone who has provided outpatient and residential treatment for addictions for more than 25 years, I am deeply concerned that this effort lacks substance and appropriate resources for those struggling with substance abuse and mental health issues.
Many of our judges have already been open to alternative sentencing for nonviolent drug offenders.
There are some important facts that seem to always get buried when this important issue is raised. These are facts that the public should know.
First and foremost, we do not have nearly enough detox and/or residential treatment beds.
And insurance no longer covers a full 28-day stay in a residential treatment program. At best, most will only cover 7 to 11 days. That is unconscionable. More tragically, many insurance companies tell those battling chronic addiction “try outpatient treatment first — fail at this then we will pay for residential care.”
A growing number of young men and women are trying outpatient treatment first and are failing in record numbers. They are dying! What is very disturbing is that few to no voices are crying out about this horrific human atrocity.
Evidence-based treatment grounded in competent research states that the chronic opioid and heroin addict needs long-term residential treatment if long-term recovery is the hope for outcome.
Presently in Suffolk County we have two programs that provide more than three months of care. Only one program is not insurance based.
So the CARE initiative is a great step forward. Let’s not set those struggling with addictions within the criminal justice system up for failure because we lack the comprehensive and competent resources to make the CARE Program an effective tool on one’s road to recovery and wellness.
Unfortunately, outpatient programs have very limited success with chronic drug abusers. Do some enter and sustain health recovery? Yes, but a growing number fail.
As one local religious leader, I have presided at way too many funerals for young people who have died senselessly around addiction. In the past three weeks, I have had three young adults with tremendous potential lose their lives because of overdosing on heroin. I have talked with many of my colleagues in religion who are burying a record number of young people within their own faith traditions.
Actions speak louder than words. The violence of our silence is contributing to this national health crisis. Change and transformation is possible. I live among these miracles everyday.
Fr. Pizzarelli, SMM, LCSW-R, ACSW, DCSW, is the director of Hope House Ministries in Port Jefferson.
Suffolk County police have arrested a Northport-East Northport school district employee who allegedly while driving hit a student on his way to athletic practice at the high school Tuesday morning.
A 14-year-old Northport boy was walking westbound on Laurel Hill Road, when he was struck by a 2005 Honda sedan traveling eastbound at 8:06 a.m. Sept. 4, according to police. The teen was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital with serious injuries.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the student and we will support him and his family in any way needed,” Superintendent Robert Banzer said in message posted on the district’s website. “We will also cooperate with the Suffolk County Police Department as they conduct their investigation of the accident.”
The alleged driver of the Honda, Janet Aliperti, 57, of East Norwich, was not injured in the crash. Aliperti is an employee of the Northport school district, and a LinkedIn profile listed under the same name notes her position as a food service worker.
Suffolk police arrested Aliperti and charged her with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, operation while registration is suspended, and having an uninsured vehicle. The car has been impounded for a safety check, according to police.
Northport students’ first day of classes for the 2018-19 school year is Sept 6.
“As school begins for our students on Thursday, September 6, the district reminds all residents to please drive carefully as our buses and student-pedestrians will be back on the roads” Banzer wrote. “Keeping our students safe as they travel to/from school and school-related events is a top priority of the district. Let us work together as a community to ensure the safety of all of our students throughout the year ahead.”
The investigation into the crash is ongoing and police are asking anyone with information to contact the 2nd Squad at 631-854-8252.
Superintendents in Suffolk County are trying to get their schools all on the same page when it comes to safety.
Following the particularly deadly school shooting — though just the latest in a long line of similar occurrences — that took place in Parkland, Florida at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February, which resulted in 17 casualties, discussions about concrete steps to enhance safety for students and staff in buildings from coast to coast have been seemingly unending. In Suffolk County, school officials have teamed up to release a five-point blueprint of actionable steps, officially recommended by the Suffolk County School Superintendents Association Aug. 27 to local, state and federal lawmakers.
The superintendents are calling on lawmakers to invest in the School Resource Officer program, providing additional officers in Suffolk County schools; adopt legislation that enhances campus safety, including amending the New York State Criminal Procedure Law dealing with setting bail; make the New York State SAFE Act the law of the land; support the social, emotional and mental health of children through screening programs and education initiatives; and provide institutional support to finance school safety, calling for the state to initiate School Security Aid and to exempt school safety expenditures from the tax levy limitation.
“While school safety has always been a top priority, following the horrific massacre at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado, and the tragic events that followed, the importance of a strong working relationship between the police, mental health providers and public-school officials has become more important than ever,” the association said in a press release. “The SCSSA plans to continue to work together with Suffolk County law enforcement and local, state and federal legislators to turn these plans into actions that will improve school safety and the safety and wellness of all students in Suffolk County.”
In August, representatives from Sandy Hook Promise, a national nonprofit organization that was founded by parents from the Connecticut elementary school to carry out its mission of preventing all gun-related deaths, held a forum for the association and law enforcement officials. The purpose of the meeting was to share details about four programs they’ve created aimed at preventing violence in schools.
The four strategies, which fall under the nonprofit’s Know the Signs program, are taught to youth and adults free of charge in the hopes of fostering an environment that empowers everyone in the community to help identify and intervene when someone is at risk free of charge. Superintendents who were in attendance from several local districts pledged to further examine Sandy Hook Promise’s programs and to take steps toward implementing them.
During an exclusive interview with TBR News Media in July, Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. said creating countywide standards for school security is a priority for his department.
Suffolk County police arrested two men Sept. 3 for allegedly committing a series of more than 15 burglaries at Suffolk County stores over the last month.
Police arrested Rocky Point resident Richard Ambrose, 41, and Riverhead resident Travis James, and both have been charged with third-degree burglary for the three burglaries that occurred Sept. 3 in the early morning:
• Speedway Gas Station, located on Jericho Turnpike in Commack, at approximately 1:23 a.m.
• Conoco Gas Station located on Medford Avenue in Patchogue at approximately 2:30 a.m.
• Speedway Gas Station located on Route 112 in Port Jeff Station, at approximately 3 a.m.
Ambrose was also charged with multiple counts of third-degree burglary for allegedly robbing more than 10 stores throughout the month, according to police, including:
• Aug. 8, Tease Salon Off Broadway, located on Route 25A in Rocky Point
• Aug. 10, Broadway Market, located on Broadway in Rocky Point
• Aug. 15, The Wine Authority, located on Nesconset Highway in Mount Sinai
• Aug. 17, Speedway Gas Station, located on Middle Country Road in Lake Grove
• Aug. 19, Speedway Gas Station, located on Route 347/Nesconset Highway in Smithtown
• Aug. 21, Moody Mart/ Mobil Gas Station, located on West Jericho Turnpike in Smithtown
• Aug. 26, Pit Stop Pantry, located on Montauk Highway in East Moriches
• Aug. 26, Speedway Gas Station, located on Montauk Highway in Bayport
• Aug. 27, Onsen Sushi, located on 597 Montauk Highway in Oakdale
• Aug. 27, The Fortune Cookie Chinese Food Restaurant, located on Montauk Highway in Oakdale
• Aug. 31, BP Gas Station, located on Nesconset Highway in Port Jeff Station
Ambrose was also charged with multiple counts of third-degree burglary by the Riverhead, Quogue and Southold police departments for his alleged participation in four gas station robberies that took place over a two-week span on the East End between Aug. 12 and Aug. 25.
Ambrose and James were held overnight at the 6th Precinct, and were scheduled to be arraigned at 1st District Court in Central Islip Sept. 4.
A local artist is using an image of the past to illustrate a brighter future.
A newly finished mural on Broadway in Rocky Point highlights the historic nature of the old hamlet while serving to continue efforts to beautify the downtown.
Retired Miller Place High School art teacher Julia Vogelle spearheaded the project and painted the mural, located just outside Rocky Point Ship and Pack, alongside Edith Mahler, a trustee of the Rocky Point Historical Society. It is painted on the side of Belladonna Hair Design, located at 45 Broadway, and faces the entrance of Rocky Point Ship and Pack next door. Vogelle said several local community members, even those just passing by, came to help with the project. She said she even got several of her ex-students involved, including Geraldine Luglio, Max Braun and Natalie Rash, all recent graduates from Miller Place High School.
“It’s been a wonderful experience working with them,” Vogelle said. “It’s really been an effort of love for Rocky Point.”
The mural depicts several historic elements and landmarks of Rocky Point, such as the Noah Hallock Homestead, Indian Rock, The Hallock Landing shipwreck, the RCA Radio Central station, Tilda’s Clock and the Rocky Point train station. Natalie Stiefel, the President of the Rocky Point Historical Society, gave Vogelle a few suggestions on what to include.
“It would take a mural the entire size of the town to represent all the history of Rocky Point, but they did a really good job,” Stiefel said. “Rocky Point is really such a magical place.”
Vogelle said the mural was in planning since spring 2017, and after many months of work it was finally completed in mid-August.
The former art teacher is one of the people heading up plans for The Brick Studio in St. James after a successful crowdfunding campaign in 2017. The original plan was to locate the studio in Rocky Point in a brick building near the Rocky Point Farmers Market at the corner of Prince and Broadway, but the group was unable to land the deal. Vogelle said this mural project is a way of giving back to the community that originally supported her and the rest of her team.
Steven Badalamenti, who works at Joe’s General Contracting and Masonry, watched as the mural went up over time. He marveled at just how much history there is in the hamlet where he grew up.
“It really did capture the essence of Rocky Point,” Badalamenti said.
The mural was painted with supplies provided by Rocky Point Civic Association in continued efforts to continue to beautify downtown Rocky Point, according to President Charles Bevington.
“Hopefully Rocky Point grows slowly with some dynamic but still within the spirit of the local culture,” Bevington said.
Larry Heinz sent a throwback photo from 1956 in honor of the first day of school.
Heinz, pictured with cap sitting next to the door, and other students were headed to Setauket Elementary School with bus driver Jess Eikov.
Eikov was the owner and operator of the bus company that serviced the Setauket Union Free School for many years, according to Three Village Historical Society historian Beverly C. Tyler.
By Nancy Burner, Esq.
We have seen many clients considered “snowbirds,” those who maintain a residence in New York but travel down south during our harsh winters. For our snowbird clients who want to create estate planning documents and plan for possible care needed in the future, it is important to determine if you should see an attorney in New York or elsewhere.
The first question that must be answered is whether you are determined a resident of New York or of the other state you are visiting. Some factors to determine residency include the amount of time spent in each state, your mailing address, which state your driver’s license is held, where your car is registered, where you are registered to vote and where you file your income taxes.
Once you determine which state is your primary residence, there are other considerations to be examined regarding your estate plan. Snowbirds should consider where they plan on living in the future and where they think they will likely receive care. There may be a possibility that you move down south upon retirement but you plan to move back to New York to be with family members when you are in need of assistance. Since most clients do not have a plan set in stone, they should have estate planning documents, which may include Medicaid asset protection, that would cover them in either state.
Because the laws governing estate planning and Medicaid benefits differ from state to state, it is advisable that you have your documents reviewed by an attorney in both states to ensure that they comply with the laws in both places. For example, there is an additional signature required on a last will and testament in Florida that is not required in New York. Complying with Florida law when executing a last will and testament will not invalidate the document if it is probated in New York. This will avoid any issues or delay in administration if your will is probated in Florida.
Additional examples of differences in the law are for powers of attorney and advance directives, including health care proxy and living will documents. Since these are state-specific laws, they often have different terminology that can be confusing when moving between locations.
For a health care proxy in New York the person named to make your medical decisions is called your “agent.” In Florida the term for the agent acting as your health care proxy is a “surrogate.” In Florida the term used under the law to name the default agent appointed is “proxy.” This could cause unnecessary confusion and should be addressed by your estate planning attorney.
The language and powers listed in your power of attorney will also differ by state. This becomes especially important when your agent is assisting in long-term care planning. You should make sure that your power of attorney includes all of the possible powers your agent may need should you need long-term care whether it is by privately paying or applying for Medicaid to cover your care costs. This may include: the power to prepare, sign and amend a trust agreement; allow for transfers of assets to your agent; and enter into contracts for caregivers or home health care services.
For our snowbird clients it is important to consider where you are likely to receive care in the future. We recommend that you have your estate planning documents reviewed by an elder law and estate planning attorney in New York and your warm winter destination.
Nancy Burner, Esq. practices elder law and estate planning from her East Setauket office.
By Barbara Beltrami
One of the nice things about the influx of immigrants in recent years is that they’ve brought with them cultures that we were formerly unfamiliar with and have added a whole new dimension to our own culture and cuisine.
For years, we’ve accepted and taken for granted the cuisines that western European and British immigrants brought with them and actually integrated them into what we now think of as basic American cuisine. But now dishes from regions in the Far and Near East as well as the Caribbean, Mexico and Central and South America have also assumed dynamic roles in our basic American cuisine.
A good example is flatbread. Acting as the base for a limitless number of toppings, it makes a great light meal, tasty appetizer and healthful snack.
Basic Flatbread
YIELD: Makes approximately 20 pieces
INGREDIENTS:
2¼ ounces active dry yeast
1¾ cup flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt
¾ cup warm (100 F) water
2 teaspoons olive oil
DIRECTIONS:
In a large mixing bowl, combine yeast, flour and salt. Slowly add water and mix until dough starts to form a ball. Coat hands and a flat surface with flour and knead dough until it feels smooth and elastic. Place dough in oil-coated large bowl; cover with a clean damp linen or cotton towel; and let sit in a warm place about one hour or until doubled in size. Remove from bowl to floured surface and punch and knead gently. Separate dough into golf ball size pieces. With a rolling pin flatten each piece into a ⅛-inch-thick disk. Heat an ungreased skillet over medium setting and cook disk until dough begins to bubble, about one minute, flip it and cook other side. Serve warm with olives, olive oil, hummus, tzatziki or baba ghanoush or top with other ingredients in this column and broil.
Tomato, Feta, Chickpea and Kalamata Olive Topping
YIELD: Makes approximately 6 to 8 servings
INGREDIENTS:
One 15½-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed, drained and lightly mashed
2 large garden tomatoes, sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup pitted chopped Kalamata olives
¹/₃ cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
Freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat broiler. Arrange first five ingredients on flatbread; drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice; sprinkle with black pepper; and place on a broiler pan rack and broil until topping starts to bubble, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve hot or warm with hard or soft cold drinks and spinach salad.
Ricotta, Swiss Chard and Scallion Topping
YIELD: Makes approximately 6 to 8 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch Swiss chard, cleaned, washed and chopped
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch scallions, cleaned, washed and sliced thin
1 cup fresh ricotta
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Grated zest of half a lemon
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
In a large covered skillet over medium heat, cook Swiss chard with salt, pepper and one cup water until limp and tender. When cool enough to handle, squeeze or press out all liquid and divide and spread evenly on flatbreads. Top with scallions and ricotta. Broil until bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes, remove, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with lemon zest and salt and pepper. Serve hot or warm with tomato and onion salad and cold drinks.
By Irene Ruddock
Rick Mundy is an award-winning watercolor artist who specializes in realistic paintings of Long Island, the Adirondacks, the Caribbean Islands, New York City, Africa and Alaska. He is noted as being one of the top art businesses on Long Island and has been published in Art Business News, The New York Times, Boater’s Digest and the Encyclopedia of Living Artists.
I recently visited Mundy’s Setauket studio to get a sneak peak of the artist’s upcoming exhibit featuring 60 watercolor paintings at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Great River. An artist reception is scheduled for Sept. 2 and again on Sept. 23 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
I am amazed by the vast variety and creativity of your portfolio. How do you think of all these ideas?
Painting is a celebration of the creative spirit and all that is beautiful in nature. As a teacher of biology, I learned more about nature, which is a recurring theme in my paintings. It is fun and exciting and I can’t stop myself once I get an idea! I like to paint in themes and in a series, and I most often do a diptych or a triptych.
When did you first decide to become an artist and was there an artist who encouraged you?
I enjoyed art since I was a child being inspired by John Nagy and winning a few contests, but later I apprenticed with the watercolorist Andrew Stasky who encouraged me to paint in transparent watercolor — where the light travels through many layers of paint to the viewer creating a fresh, clean painting.
Your new exhibit sounds stunning with a 360º view of the Adirondacks that includes a series of eight paintings. What is it about the mountains that attracts you so?
I was an outdoor guide licensed by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation for decades. The Adirondacks possess the calm of a woodland pond, the roar of a gorge in the spring and have ever-changing personalities from season to season. I know practically every trail in the mountains — its waterfalls, rocks and special ledges to stop for lunch! I enjoy going higher and deeper into the mountain where, in my mind, I compose the essence of the scene I want to paint — moving water, rocks, wildlife. I don’t photograph or sketch much; instead I develop the ideas in my mind so that these paintings are not actual places —they are created in my painting.
How has your extensive mountain climbing influenced your philosophy of life in other ways?
I feel that nature feeds the soul. Being at one with nature, not fearful, but calm with the knowledge of the beauty that nature can deliver. Knowing Mother Nature is in charge and respecting her vastness. She will show you great things, but she is in charge.
You are showing three rooms of paintings — Long Island, Adirondacks and the third titled ‘Well, … certainly different.’ Can you give us a hint about that?
The Long Island paintings are all about the special beauty of the island’s beaches, boatyards, barrier islands, etc. In the last room, I exhibit my African collection including royal hair combs, animal skins and beading; my tropical mosaics, which look like Tiffany glass; my floral Gingko paintings; and some cityscapes.
What kind of presentation are you planning at your art receptions?
I am going to show examples of sketches and notes that I worked from, even the ones that didn’t deliver the look I wanted. It will show how the Adirondack paintings, which took two and a half years to complete, finally evolved.
What would you like the viewer to take away from this exhibit?
I would like people to see in my paintings something in nature that they may have missed or wish to experience. I especially want to share with the viewers all the beauty I have witnessed.
View Rick Mundy’s exhibit at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum, 440 Montauk Highway, Great River from Aug. 30 to Sept. 30. The arboretum is open Thursday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For parking fees and restaurant information visit www.BayardCuttingArboretum.com. Visit Rick Mundy’s website at www.rickmundywatercolors.com.
All images courtesy of Rick Mundy
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