February is National Pet Dental Health Month so I figured an article on dentistry is appropriate. A quick tooth anatomy reference: Everything below the gumline is considered the “root,” and everything above the gumline is considered the “crown.”
Feline odontoclastic resorptive lesions, or FORLs for short, is a strange pathology of the feline tooth, essentially a “hiccup” in the tooth loss cycle. Normal deciduous (baby) tooth loss involves the root and the structures around the root below the gumline. The destruction of the dentin is achieved by a type of cell called odontoclasts.
Odontoclasts are specialized cells whose sole job is to absorb the bone of the tooth root and the weakening of the structures around it. This process is critical in the loss of deciduous, or baby teeth, to make room for adult teeth to erupt.
I previously described FORLs as a hiccup in this normal tooth loss cycle because these same odontoclasts destroy the dentin, or layer of the tooth just below the enamel. The FORLs pathology progresses to invade the pulp below the dentin, and this is where the blood supply for the entire tooth lies. Once the blood supply is compromised, the enamel on the crown of the tooth starts to resorb, exposing the dentin underneath. This is above the gumline and can be painful as H-E-“double hockey stick.”
FORLs differ from a cavity where bacteria adhere to the surface of the crown of the tooth (the portion of the tooth above the gumline). Bacteria in the mouth produce acid that eats away the enamel until the root of the tooth is exposed.
Cavities are very unusual in dogs and cats for multiple reasons: the shape of the tooth, diet, type of bacteria in oral cavity compared to humans, and dogs and cats live shorter lives than humans. Dogs and cats suffer more from periodontal disease, or problems associated with structures around the tooth.
What triggers FORLs in cats? There are theories that include previous trauma, accumulation of plaque and tartar, impacted teeth around the affected tooth, etc. Bottom line, we as a veterinary community, do not yet know what triggers this pathology (to try to come up with a way to prevent it).
Treatment of FORLs requires removing the damaged portion of the tooth. This is a far less complicated and painful process compared to extraction, but the only way to determine if there is damage to the tooth is to perform dental X-rays. If the root is not involved, then it is FORLs (no extraction, just remove the damaged portion of the tooth); and if the root is involved, it is periodontal disease (extraction).
As more information becomes available about FORLs, I will give an update. Until then, make sure to get your cat (or dog) in for a dental checkup. SMILE!!!!!
Dr. Kearns practices veterinary medicine from his Port Jefferson office and is pictured with his son Matthew and his dog Jasmine.
Follow a nutrient-dense, plant-rich diet for best results. kale/Stock photo
Diet changes and exercise can reduce risk
By David Dunaief, M.D.
Dr. David Dunaief
When we think of the most prevalent chronic diseases, heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and others come to mind. However, there is also a chronic liver disease — nonalcoholic fatty liver disease — a conglomeration of fats, including triglycerides.
The problem with this disease is that it could lead to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (fatty liver hepatitis), fibrosis (too much connective tissue, due to repair) and eventually cirrhosis, which might ultimately result in cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma).
Fortunately, the risk of going down this dangerous path is relatively small. Most of the time, it remains a mild fatty liver disease.
Although it is rare, a study presentation in 2012 at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases suggested that NAFLD was the third most common risk for hepatocellular carcinoma behind infection and alcohol abuse (1).
Some study patients with hepatocellular carcinoma progressed to this level without first having cirrhosis. Those patients who developed liver cancer but did not have cirrhosis were more likely to have diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and/or a high cholesterol profile. NAFLD occurs more frequently in males than females, and it needs to be taken very seriously.
The prevalence of NAFLD, which is benign in most cases, is relatively high, with incidences rising in the U.S. from 15 to 25 percent in the five-year period between 2005 and 2010 (2). In fact, a study shows that adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18 have seen a threefold increase in NAFLD, from 3.3 percent to almost 10 percent, in the last 20 years, according to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (3). This correlated primarily with obesity, but the rise outstrips the rate of increase in obesity in this adolescent population.
How is it diagnosed?
When liver enzymes are elevated, usually two to five times normal, then it tends to be more commonly diagnosed (4). These liver enzymes include aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase. What makes this disease diagnosis more difficult is that patients without elevated liver enzymes may have the disease and, in most cases, they have no symptoms.
The gold standard of diagnosis is through a liver biopsy, though this is invasive and thus has its dangers. Another method is through ultrasound, a first-line diagnosis method. Ultrasound is 60 to 94 percent sensitive and 66 to 95 percent specific (5). Though it is not the most accurate, it has the fewest side effects. Ultrasound is also technician dependent in terms of grading the amount of fatty infiltrates in the liver — mild, moderate and severe. Unfortunately, the milder the amount of fatty infiltrates, the less accurate the reading. Other methods for diagnosis include transient elastography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance.
What might be the cause?
Follow a nutrient-dense, plant-rich diet for best results.
One theory is that intraperitoneal fat (visceral fat or central obesity) infiltrates the liver through the portal vein, resulting in insulin resistance and fatty liver (6). Therefore, it is not surprising that, along with insulin resistance, there is glucose intolerance. High triglycerides and low HDL (“good”) cholesterol are also commonly associated with the disease (7).
How can we alter this disease?
The good news is that NAFLD is potentially reversible through lifestyle modifications, including changes in diet and an increase in exercise. With exercise, the premise is that the more activity a patient gets, the higher the probability of metabolizing the liver fat.
In an epidemiologic study of over 3,000 patients using data from NHANES, results showed that those with NAFLD are significantly less active than those without the disease. It did not matter the type of activity; NAFLD patients did less of it. In fact, patients who had both diabetes and NAFLD were found to do the least amount of physical activity (8). The scary aspect is that patients with NAFLD have a significant eight times increased risk of cardiovascular death between the ages of 45 and 54 (9). And we know activity improves cardiovascular results.
In a meta-analysis (a group of 23 studies ranging from one to six months in duration) that used the Cochrane database, the results showed a significant reduction in fat content in the liver and a decrease in liver enzymes when lifestyle modifications were employed (10). Reduction in weight had the most substantial correlation with the results. Of the 23 studies, five that looked at liver cells on a microscopic level showed a reduction in inflammation that occurred with lifestyle changes. In addition, there were also improved glucose levels and sensitivity to insulin after the modifications.
In my practice, I have seen several patients with liver enzymes elevated to at least twice normal levels. After following a nutrient-dense, plant-rich diet, they saw their liver enzymes significantly reduced or returned to normal levels within a few months. One patient’s liver enzymes had been raised for 20 years without a known cause, and a first-line relative had recently been diagnosed with liver cancer.
If you have risk factors for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, I recommend having your liver enzymes checked on a regular basis. Those with family histories of elevated liver enzymes and hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer) may also want to get a scan, at least with ultrasound.
The best way to treat NAFLD is with lifestyle modifications, and while it is never too late to treat NAFLD, it is better to discover the disease earlier to reduce your risk of complications. If you are obese, NAFLD is one more important reason to transform your body composition by reducing fat mass.
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, visit www.medicalcompassmd.com or consult your personal physician.
Dr. David Fiorella and Eric Niegelberg. Photo from Stony Brook Medicine
As American Heart Month kicks off in February, Stony Brook Medicine is finalizing plans to provide speedy help to stroke victims in Suffolk County.
“When a blood vessel supplying the brain is blocked, it is estimated that nearly two million brain cells are lost for each minute that passes, making stroke the most time sensitive diagnosis we have in medicine.”
— Dr. David Fiorella
The Stony Brook Cerebrovascular and Comprehensive Stroke Center and the Stony Brook Renaissance School of Medicine’s Department of Emergency Medicine will launch Long Island’s first mobile stroke unit program in March. The program will include specially equipped ambulances that will be strategically based along the length of the Long Island Expressway, taking calls within 10 miles of their bases.
The hope is to ensure response times of 20 minutes or less.
“When a blood vessel supplying the brain is blocked, it is estimated that nearly two million brain cells are lost for each minute that passes, making stroke the most time sensitive diagnosis we have in medicine,” said Dr. David Fiorella, director of the stroke center and professor of neurological surgery and radiology at the Renaissance School of Medicine. “The faster we can restore blood flow to the brain the more likely that the patient will have a full recovery.”
The units will be available seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., which is the window of time when most stroke calls are received.
Eric Niegelberg, associate director of Operations for Emergency Services and Internal Medicine, said an evaluation was completed to choose what time frame the mobile units would be available.
“We evaluated 911 ambulance call volume by area in the county and combined that data with what we felt was a reasonable response distance and time.”
— Eric Niegelberg,
“We looked at actual data for five years and historically the highest percentage of stroke calls come in during that time frame,” he said, adding once the program begins Stony Brook Medicine will continue to evaluate data and modify the hours based upon current call volume.
While the first unit will be deployed at Exit 57 on the LIE sometime between mid-to-late March, the second will not be in use until April and will be set up at Exit 68.
“The locations were chosen based upon call volume,” Niegelberg said. “We evaluated 911 ambulance call volume by area in the county and combined that data with what we felt was a reasonable response distance and time. Based upon this analysis the two locations were chosen. We did want locations that would provide easy North-South and East-West access.”
The units will include an in-ambulance care team, telemedicine system that enables emergency physicians and neurologists to see the patient via audio/visual conferencing, CT scanner for a standard scan and CT scan angiogram, which allows doctors to check for bleeding in the brain immediately.
Robert Simpson, district manager of Medford Volunteer Ambulance, said the mobile stroke units would be valuable to emergency response workers.
“As an EMS provider, we are always looking for ways to enhance treatment to patients,” Simpson said. “I think that it will definitely be an asset to us, especially for patients with strokes. As they say, ‘Saving time, saves the brain.’ Minutes count when someone is having a stroke as far as being able to enhance their chances of survival.”
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States, killing about 140,000 Americans each year.
A power of attorney is a legal document that gives someone you choose the power to act in your place. Stock photo
By Linda M. Toga, Esq.
Linda Toga, Esq.
THE FACTS: My elderly aunt, Mary, has no spouse or children and is getting to the point where her health is failing and she is forgetting to pay her bills. Mary has a will and a health care proxy, but she has not appointed anyone to handle her financial affairs or assets.
THE QUESTION: What do you suggest?
THE ANSWER: Mary should make an appointment with an experienced estate planning/elder law attorney to discuss the benefits of having a power of attorney prepared.
HOW IT WORKS: A power of attorney is a legal document whereby a person can delegate to another person authority to carry out specific types of transactions on their behalf.
The person who delegates authority under a power of attorney is the principal. The people to whom authority is delegated are called agents. A principal can name a single agent or co-agents. When a single agent is named, it is important to name a successor agent in case the person who is named as the sole agent is unable to serve. If co-agents are named, the principal must decide whether the agents must act together or may act alone.
The New York State Legislature created a basic power of attorney form that was most recently revised in 2010. This statutory form allows the principal to delegate authority to carry out banking transactions, sell real and personal property, deal with insurance carriers and address health care billing and payment matters, among other things.
Although the basic power of attorney may be sufficient for some people, due to her age and her situation, Mary should sign what I refer to as an enhanced power of attorney. An enhanced power of attorney allows people to delegate authority to another person to perform transactions that are not covered in a basic power of attorney and that may be needed in the context of estate and Medicaid planning.
These transactions include, but are not limited to, creating and/or revoking trusts, changing beneficiaries on accounts, life insurance policies and pension plans, accessing online accounts, entering into care giver agreements, borrowing money, making loans, making arrangements for pet care, waiving attorney/client privilege and signing intent to return home letters for Medicaid purposes.
As mentioned above, the basic power of attorney is not adequate to address the countless types of transactions that may be needed in the context of estate and/or Medicaid planning. That is why it is important for Mary to speak with an attorney who concentrates in the areas of estate planning and elder law.
In addition to being able to provide Mary with a power of attorney that meets her needs, the attorney will be able to discuss with Mary the importance of signing the Statutory Gifts Rider that is part of the New York statutory form. By signing the rider, Mary will be able to give her agent gifting authority to make gifts in excess of $500 per year to individuals or charitable organizations. This gifting authority is essential if Mary will be applying for Medicaid and has assets that must be moved out of her name in order to qualify for benefits.
Without the rider, the power of attorney will not allow Mary’s agent to engage in last minute Medicaid planning that could mean the difference between being eligible for benefits and being forced to spend down her assets before receiving Medicaid.
Linda M. Toga provides legal services in the areas of estate planning/elder law, probate and estate administration, real estate, small business service and litigation from her East Setauket office.
Kings Park students are asking their community to come dine together to help raise funds to help a classmate in the fight of her life.
Kings Park High School will be hosting a pasta fundraiser Jan. 31 for junior Julia Witzke, who has been diagnosed with leukemia. The event will feature karaoke, games and raffles in addition to food with all proceeds going to the Witzke family.
“When someone in Kings Park is in need of help people come out in droves,” Judy Bishop-Hart, a retired executive assistant of the district said. “We want them to know we are with them.”
“This means everything, words can’t describe how happy we are with the love Julia is receiving.”
— Denise Witzke
Bishop-Hart said fellow classmates of Witzke came up with the idea of hosting a fundraiser. They approached Bishop-Harts’s son, Jack Bishop, who currently works as a 12th-grade history teacher and others for help.
“The students went to him to see if they could plan something for Julia,” Bishop-Hart said. “They’ve put it upon themselves to make this happen.”
Witzke’s mother, Denise, said what the students and the community are doing warms her heart.
“This means everything, words can’t describe how happy we are with the love Julia is receiving,” she said.
Her mother said Witzke is currently unable to attend classes at the high school while receiving treatment. The Kings Park junior has also been disappointed about being unable to take part in typical coming-of-age events with her classmates.
“It has been hard for Julia since the diagnosis,” Denise Witzke said. “She misses being in school. — It is her junior year and she felt bad missing out on her junior prom. She was looking forward to getting her learners permit and taking drivers education classes with her friends.”
Bishop-Hart wants the Witzke family to know that they have the support of the community.
“We are with them every step of the way,” she said.
In addition to the event, students and school staff members are signing a poster with personal messages for Witzke to let her know that she is in their thoughts.
The fundraiser will be held Jan. 31 from 5 to 8 p.m. in the cafeteria of Kings Park High School, which is located at 200 Route 25A in Kings Park. The cost is $10 per person with children under age 5 free.
Volunteers are still being sought to help ensure the event runs smoothly. Anyone with questions or who is willing to offer time or services can contact Bishop-Hart at 631-896-9597.
The Thompson House in Setauket on North Country Road was once the home of Dr. Samuel Thompson who documented the winter of 1800 to 1801. Photo by Beverly C. Tyler
By Beverly C. Tyler
Our winter weather has been mostly mild so far this year, and we don’t expect any significant snowfall until later in the season. Nowadays we are also 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 to 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 diary, “Thursday, November 13, 1800. Wind [from the] west, cloudy and very thick air with smoke and so dark at nine or ten o’clock as to light a candle to eat breakfast by. Some rain — but breaks away and the weather is cool.”
“Thursday, November 13, 1800. Wind [from the] west, cloudy and very thick air with smoke and so dark at 9 or 10 o’clock as to light a candle to eat breakfast by.”
— Samuel Thompson
Later in the month the weather changed, and Thompson continued, “Friday, November 21, … [It] begins to snow long before day [light and] 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 of the Three Villages 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. The weather moderated after that early snow and the remainder of 1800 brought only occasional days of snow and rain.
Heat for the family homes in 1800 consisted of a wood fire in the fireplace. Large amounts of wood were cut and stacked each fall but had to be supplemented by trips into the woods to gather more firewood. 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 as the doctor wrote Dec. 30, 1800. “… kill my cow and ten sheep. George Davis’ wife came here and bought eight pounds of flax. Mr. Green [Rev. Zachariah Green, pastor of the Setauket Presbyterian Church] came here [and] said [that] 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.
On Dec. 31, 1800, Thompson wrote, “… Robbin and Franklin [his oldest son Benjamin Franklin] cut up the cow and the sheep. Sharper salts them. Salla (Sarah) Smith works here at taloring [sic]. Makes a coat and jacket for Killis [Robbin, Sharper and Killis were black slave farmhands], made 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 [a medicine containing antimony].”
The daily routine of life at the Thompson farm continued much the same through the winter. Friends were entertained at tea or dinner, neighbors and relatives arrived to buy farm produce, and Thompson prescribed for the relief of the residents. Life in the wintertime was hard for these early residents, the cold was a constant companion, and the wood fireplaces could not provide the warmth that we consider to be regular part of our lives now.
“Tuesday 16th. West wind — pleasant sleighing — gone warm.”
— Henry Hudson
Winter weather did not prevent residents from maintaining their regular activities in spite of cold or snow. In 1819, Henry Hudson was teaching school in Stony Brook in the “Upper School” located on Main Street south of the mill pond. On Friday, Feb. 12, he wrote in his journal, “… I tend school [about 40 students] … snow at 4 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. Saturday, February 13th 1819 … Snow storm — cold. I tend school — continues to storm. At 4 [in the] afternoon I go to Joseph Hawkins’ and stay. Sunday, February 14, 1819. Clears off, snow about 10 inches deep — drifted very much. I go to Mr. Green’s meeting [Rev. Zachariah Green, pastor of the Setauket Presbyterian Church] — 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.
“Tuesday 16th. West wind — pleasant sleighing — gone warm. I tend school — 42 schollars [sic] — I leave Nath. Smith’s, make 3 days board … I make a beginning to the Wido(w) Mount’s to board on the second quarter. Wedn. 17th … Comes on to snow at 9 this evening — sharp night — some sleighing though poor in the road, considerable snow. Thursday, February 18th … I tend school — 41 schollars [sic]. This cold day. This is the appointment for the bible class. Mr. Green (Zachariah) comes here at 5 O’clock with a missionary priest. I return to Mount’s.”
Hudson taught three of the Mount children, Robert Nelson, William Sidney and Ruth Hawkins. He 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, known as the Hawkins-Mount house on Route 25A and Stony Brook Road, to the Setauket Presbyterian Church. As a school teacher on a limited income, Hudson did not have a horse and would often walk great distances. His home at the time, until 1846 when he moved to East Setauket, was at the family’s farm in Long Pond in the Wading River area. After the quarter 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 or Riverhead and back in the same day.
Beverly C. Tyler is Three Village Historical Society historian and author of books available from the society at 93 North Country Road, Setauket. For more information, call 631-751-3730 or visit www.tvhs.org.
Scott Reh, right, was sworn back into the Rocky Point board of education Jan. 14. Photo from RPSD
A familiar face has returned to the Rocky Point school district’s board of education.
Scott Reh was officially sworn in to the board Jan. 14 and will serve in the role until the conclusion of the trustee term come May. Reh was appointed to fill the trustee seat vacated by Joseph Coniglione earlier this school year.
To be on the board of education you must reside in the school district. Coniglione recently bought a home in Shoreham so he had to step down.
“Rather than trying to find someone new, we went with Scott — we know him, he’s a stand-up guy,” Coniglione said. “He’ll do what’s best for the kids and the district.”
Reh has served on the board of education before. He served as a trustee and vice president for eight years up until June 2018, when he initially decided to step down.
Reh said instead of going through a trustee election, the board asked him to come back in his old position.
“They wanted me to fill the spot left by [Coniglione] until the end of school year,” Reh said.
The trustee election will take place May 21.The trustee elected as a result of community vote will be sworn in as normal.
Reh said he has no plans on securing re-election in May and will let other candidates run for his seat.
Malagasy women break up granite stones to be used as gravel in the construction of the IUCN research center. Photo from Ali Yapicioglu
By Daniel Dunaief
After considerable planning, fundraising and coordinating, Patricia Wright welcomed a star-studded group of scientists, government officials and conservationists recently for the roof raising of the new IUCN Saving Our Species Biodiversity Research Center in Madagascar.
The building, which cost about $1 million, is a part of Centre ValBio, which is a conservation and research center Wright, a Distinguished Service Professor and award-winning researcherat Stony Brook University, founded in 2003. CVB is near Ranomafana National Park in the southeastern part of the African island nation.
Above, a sketch of the IUCN Saving Our Species Biodiversity Research Center/Image courtesy of InSite Architecture
When it is completed this summer, the new building, which includes a green roof balcony and a central staircase and breezeway, is expected to provide research facilities for about ten scientists. They will study insects and plants, frogs and lemurs, the primates Wright has observed, researched, and shared with the public for over 30 years. Visiting scientists can apply to work at the center starting in September.
Russell Mittermeier, the Chief Conservation Officer at Global Wildlife Conservation and a research professor in the Department of Anatomical Sciences at Stony Brook, suggested that these types of efforts pay dividends.
It’s “hard to predict what will be found but history has shown us that there are endless benefits to conserving biodiversity and maintaining healthy ecosystems,” Mittermeier, the Chair of the IUCN/ SSC Primate Specialist Group, explained in an email from Madagascar.
Conservationists credit Wright with adding the new Biodiversity Centre to the larger research and conservation presence in Madagascar.“Wright was instrumental” in developing the facility, said Christoph Schwitzer, the Director of Conservation at Bristol Zoological Society and the Deputy Chair and Red List Authority Coordinator of the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group. “Without her, it wouldn’t be there. She started this whole project.”
The IUCN expressed its appreciation for the work Wright put in to continue to build on her track record of conservation.
At IUCN, “we highly value our collaboration with [Wright] and we understand she has established a good relationship with the Park Manager of Ranomafana National Park,” Remco Van Merm, the Coordinator of IUCN’s Saving Our Species initiative, explained in an email.
Save Our Species funds projects that “enhance the conservation of threatened species,” Van Merm added. “In the case of the new SOS Biodiversity Research Centre at Centre ValBio in Madagascar, the research that will be carried out will contribute greatly to the conservation of lemurs and other threatened biodiversity” in the national park.
Wright insisted that the new biodiversity center use local materials and workers, as she did with the construction of Namanabe Hall, its much larger sister building on the CVB campus.
Wright “wants to have the local villagers be involved in the process,” said Ali Yapicioglu, a partner at InSite, an architectural firm in Perry, New York who worked on both buildings. The sand is from the river, while the gravel comes from granite pieces that local women break down into smaller pieces.
In addition to local labor and materials, Wright ensured that InSite provided education to Malagasy residents, which included classes at the construction site. Through the building process, InSite also trained electricians.
While CVB, which is the largest biodiversity research center in the country, is well-established, it took considerable work on the Stony Brook scientist’s part to create it.
Schwitzer said Wright “fought against various forces trying to set this center up and she succeeded. She’s an excellent fundraiser.”
Madagascar has presented numerous challenges for conservation, in large part because of the changes in governments.Mittermeier recently had a “good discussion” with Andry Rajoelina about biodiversity just before Rajoelina was inaugurated as president of Madagascar last week. “Let’s see what he does” on biodiversity, Mittermeier explained. The Stony Brook professor plans to recommend that Rajoelina visit Ranomafana.
For visitors, the CVB site offers ecotourists a firsthand opportunity to observe the charismatic lemur species, which are a part of the “Madagascar” animated films and were also the subject of an Imax movie about Wright’s work called “Island of Lemurs: Madagascar.”
“People who go there can see quite a few interesting lemur species in the wild,” Schwitzer said, adding that the station also gives Schwitzer “hope for lemur conservation,” he said.
The SOS lemur program originated with a 2013 published report, which included permanently managed field stations as a critical element. Research and field stations deter logging and lemur hunting, while also contributing scientific information that the government can use to set policies and make informed decisions, he added.
The lemur action plan includes the construction of this building. Schwitzer indicated that these types of initiatives, spread throughout the country, are critical to protecting species under various pressures, including habitat destruction.
“If we don’t keep up the effort, we could very well lose one,” Schwitzer said. He hastened to add that no lemurs have gone extinct in modern times, but “we can’t become complacent.” Indeed, the rarest of lemurs, the Northern Sportive Lemur, is down to 60 individuals in the world.
In the future, Schwtizer hopes Malagasy leaders and institutions will apply for international funding for themselves, as they drive the conservation goal forward.
This September, Wright will also finish an Education Center on the lower campus. On the upper campus, which is just across the road, she is building a wildlife center that will include a vet clinic, a frog breeding center, a mouse lemur facility, and a climate and drone center. The facility will also include bungalows for long-term researchers.
In addition to providing a field station for researchers, the site will also provide information accessible to the public.
“We are producing online identification systems like iNaturalist and also putting vocalizations and videos of the wildlife online,” Wright explained in an email.
Schwitzer said he has attended meetings where Wright has shared her vision for CVB with scientists and conservationists.
“Everybody looks at this and says, ‘This is cool. I want to do something like that,’” Schwitzer said.
It was another 1-2 finish for at the 600-meter mark when Northport’s Thomas Fodor was again first across the line at 1:26.51 followed by teammate, senior Kiernan Weaver, (pictured) stopping the clock at 1:28.09 Jan. 19. Photo by Bill Landon
Northport sophomore Kyle Hawkins covers 34’-10” in the triple jump event. Photo by Bill Landon
Northport junior Luke Cacic finished first in the League 2 shot put eclipsing his personal best by 3 feet throwing 44’-5” Jan. 19. Photo by Bill Landon
Northport freshman Michael Perrino competes in the long jump event covering a distance of 15'-6" Jan. 19. Photo by Bill Landon
Northport senior Sean Ryan was the class of the field at 1600 tripping the timer at 4 minutes, 28.89 seconds almost 2 seconds ahead of the second place finisher. Photo by Bill Landon
Northport junior Thomas Fodor was first across the line in both the 600 and 1,000 events Jan 19. Photo by Bill Landon
Northport sophomore Travis Roux matched his previous best of 31’7” in the League II finals Jan. 19. Photo by Bill Landon
By Bill Landon
A Northport junior raced to the head of his class in the League II boys track and field finals, and he never looked back.
Thomas Fodor was the first to cross the line in both the 600 and 1,000-meter events Jan. 19 at Suffolk County Community College’s Brentwood campus. Fodor’s winning times were 1 minute 26.51 seconds, and 2:37.57, respectively.
Finishing behind Fodor for a one-two finish in the 600 race was senior Kiernan Weaver, who clocked in at 1:28.09.
Northport senior Sean Ryan tripped the clock at 2:38.48 for second place in the 1,000 race. He also rose to the top of the field at the 1,600 distance with a time of 4:28.89.
In the grueling 3,200 distance, Northport Tigers claimed two top spots on the podium. Senior Jason Gibbons placed second, clocking in at 10:13.41. A bright spot in the freshman-sophomore class (Section 2) was Northport ninth-grader Wyeth Semo who won 1,600 race with a time of 4:54.65.
Pictured, clockwise from top left: Freshman Michael Perrino competes in the long jump event covering a distance of 15-6; Weaver races second place in the 600; Ryan leads the way winning the 1,600 race followed by teammate Aidar Matthews in bib no. 4641 who finished in fifth; junior Luke Cacic finished first in the League 2 shot put eclipsing his personal best by 3 feet throwing 44-5; and Semo took first in the 1,600 for Section 2 (freshman-sophomore division).
The Tigers will be back at the Brentwood campus Feb. 11 for the state qualifiers.
New York State lawmakers are moving forward with a number of progressive changes to our election laws. Democrats are to be commended for keeping the promise they made to New Yorkers to make it easier for all of us to exercise our right to vote.
Vivian Viloria-Fisher was a Suffolk County legislator from 1999-2011. Photo from Suffolk County Democratic Committee
But Albany has not yet addressed fusion voting. New York state is only one of eight states where fusion voting occurs. Voters come across fusion voting or cross endorsements when they enter the ballot box and see a candidate’s name on several lines on the ballot. This occurs most often in judicial races: candidate Jane Doe is on the Republican, Democratic, Conservative, Independence, Working Family and possibly other lines. The voter might ask herself, “What difference will my vote make?” Good question, since cross endorsements generally take the choice out of the hands of the voter and into the hands of party leaders.
In 2010 Suffolk County Clerk Judith Pascale (R) and county Comptroller Joseph Sawicki (R) both won their re-elections with 100 percent of the vote. In 2013, Sheriff Vincent DeMarco (C), county Treasurer Angie Carpenter (R) and Suffolk’s District Attorney Thomas Spota (D)all achieved remarkable victories by garnering 100 percent of the public’s support. Of course, the support came from the backroom deals that agreed to put the officials’ names on the Republican, Democratic, Conservative and Independence party lines. Pascale repeated this feat in 2014.
Fusion voting created a Suffolk County government in which five of the six countywide positions were held for eight years by individuals who had been selected, not elected. This begs the question as to who was watching the proverbial store when both the treasurer and comptroller were beholden to party bosses or whether justice was being served when both the sheriff and district attorney — who later left office under a cloud — were ordained in backroom deals.
Minor parties gain a disproportionate amount of power by doling out their lines for patronage jobs or other political favors. Most egregious among these is the Independence Party that has no identifiable platform, and whose ranks are filled with people who believe that they have registered as Independent — unaffiliated voters only to later discover that they are part of a party.
Voters are often perplexed as to some discordant alliances reflected on the ballot. How is a Democrat endorsed by the Democratic and Conservative parties? Candidates waffle on important issues that define the basic values of the party in which they are registered in order to get on the line of a third party.
We focus our attention on the corruption and disenfranchisement on the national level, but we should not forget that all politics is local. Because of fusion voting, there is a disproportionate number of Conservative judges in Suffolk County, relative to the number of Conservative party members in the general public. In the 2018 Supreme Court 10th Judicial District race, all seven victors names appeared on the Democratic line: the top three vote getters on the Democratic and Republican lines, the next four on the Democratic, Conservative and Independence lines. Given the challenges to democratic values that our nation faces in the nominations of even more conservative judges to the U.S. Supreme Court, it is mind boggling to know that local party leaders align the Democratic and Conservative parties on the ballot of the 10th Judicial District.
I have voiced my concerns about cross endorsements for many years, but now is the moment that leaders and elected officials must be held accountable and must be pressured to put an end to this deceptive practice. Let your members on the New York State Assembly and Senate and Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) know that fusion voting is contrary to our democracy’s basic tenet of a citizen’s right to vote.
Vivian Viloria-Fisher was a Suffolk County legislator 1999-2011. She ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2018 in the Democratic primary for the 1st District.
February is National Pet Dental Health Month so I figured an article on dentistry is appropriate. A quick tooth anatomy reference: Everything below the gumline is considered the “root,” and everything above the gumline is considered the “crown.”
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