At the St. Charles Give Veterans a Smile Day, veteran Kevin Magrane is treated by Michelle Wah, DDS; and Renee Calasciabetta, dental assistant.
Catholic Health Service’s (CHS) St. Charles Hospital Stephen B. Gold Dental Clinic in Port Jefferson recently hosted its 5th annual Give Veterans a Smile Day. The event provides men and women who have served our country in the armed forces with quality dental care free of charge.
This year’s event was dedicated to Mark Cherches, DDS, who passed away on September 18th. A military veteran, Dr. Cherches served as director of the St. Charles Dental Residency Program for 40 years and was instrumental in founding Give Veterans a Smile Day.
“It is humbling and very uplifting to help these men and women who have done so much to protect our freedom,” said St. Charles Department of Dentistry Director Keri Logan, DMD. “Many of our military veterans no longer have dental insurance. A veteran must be 100% service-disabled to qualify for dental care from the Veterans Administration.”
This year’s November 4th event provided service members numerous much-needed dental procedures, including exams, oral cancer screenings, cleanings, extractions and fillings. Also, free flu shots were provided.
Beginning in 2021, the Give Veterans a Smile Day will be held twice a year thanks to a grant from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation.
For information about the Stephen B. Gold Dental Clinic, please call (631) 474-6332.
Nocturnal animals and human night owls may rejoice! On the winter solstice, people can witness the Earth’s longest night and shortest day of the year for their respective hemispheres. For individuals living in the northern hemisphere, the winter solstice generally occurs between December 20 and 23 each year. Those in the southern hemisphere experience the winter solstice between June 20 to June 23.
‘Stony Brook Harbor on a Winter Solstice Day’ by Susan Kerr/Dec. 21, 2020
1. Not only will the winter solstice occur on a specific date, it also occurs at a specific time when the Earth’s semi-axis tilts furthest from the sun. This corresponds to when the North Pole is aimed away from the sun on the 23.5 degree tilt of the Earth’s axis. At this point, the sun also shines directly over the Tropic of Capricorn. The information and trivia site Mental Floss says the solstice happens at the same moment for everyone on the plane. However, the hour it occurs depends on your time zone.
2. Areas of the Northern Hemisphere can have varying lengths of day and night on the solstice. For example, New York City may have nine hours and 15 minutes of sunlight on the winter solstice. If that upsets New Yorkers, they may be happy to be outside parts of Finland, some of which get less than six hours of sunlight on the solstice.
3. The word “solstice” is derived from Latin and means “sun stands still.” It was chosen to describe this cosmic phenomenon because the solstice sun seemingly appears in the same position at noontime for several days before and after the winter solstice – at its lowest point in the sky.
4. It is easy to mistake the solstices for the equinoxes, which also occur twice a year. However, the equinoxes occur in fall and spring and mark when the sun is directly above the equator and night and day are of equal length.
5. Despite the winter solstice indicating the beginning of the astrological winter, it may not be the coldest time of the season. Usually those temperatures are reserved for January and February.
6. The Farmer’s Almanac reports that many cultures marked the arrival of the solstice as a time of death and rebirth. Early man also kept track of the days by observing the sun’s position in the sky. In fact, historians believe Stonehenge was created to monitor the sun’s yearly “movement.”
7. Many traditions associated with Christmas originated during Pagan celebrations for the winter solstice. For example, Scandinavians would burn a juul (yule) log in the hearth in honor of the god Thor. Thor’s job was to bring the sun’s warmth back to the people.
While the winter solstice and the lack of sunlight synonymous with it may not be something everyone looks forward to, there is a silver lining. Following the winter solstice, the hours of sunlight gradually increase by the day, eventually paving the way for the spring equinox.
New York State Assemblyman Doug Smith, Brookhaven Town Councilman Kevin LaValle and Robert Martinez, Chief of Staff, 4th Legislative District attended the ribbon cutting for the new location for Ralph’s Rottens Candy & Nut Shoppe in Centereach. Owner Sally Speciale cut the ribbon surrounded by the Greater Middle Country Chamber of Commerce, family, friends and staff.
The new store, located at 115 Mark Tree Road, specializes in nuts, pretzels, candies, chocolates, gift baskets, specialty trays and more.
Hours are Monday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. For more information, call 631-981-3051 or visit www.thecandyshop.com.
This week’s shelter pets are, from top, Matty, Motor and Sid, 1-year-old cats at the Smithtown Animal Shelter that are overlooked time and again because they are shy.
All 3 grew up in the shelter and watched their more outgoing siblings get happy homes. They may take time to let you in, but when they do, they are loving, playful and sweet. These three boys are buds but not bonded. They’d love to be homed together, but will adjust if they aren’t.
Shy cats need quiet homes with patience and lots of love to give butthey are worth it! The trio come spayed, microchipped and is up to date on their vaccines.
If you are interested in meetingMatty, Motor and Sid, please call ahead to schedule an hour to properly interact with them.
The Smithtown Animal & Adoption Shelter is located at 410 Middle Country Road, Smithtown. Shelter operating hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the week, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the weekend. For more information, please call 631-360-7575 or visit www.smithtownanimalshelter.com.
In gratitude for the support shown to EXITRealty Island Elite by the local community, the real estate brokerage recently started collecting toys for the RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE and GIVE KIDS HOPE INC. charities for Jackson’s Toys Drive.
Before he lost his fight to cancer, Jackson asked his mother about whether the children spending their holidays in the hospital received gifts. He believed that no child should go without… that gift-giving was part of the healing process, a way to brighten up their stay and give them hope. Ever since, his mother has worked tirelessly to give throughout Long Island.
“We are proud to be partnered again with JACKSON’S TOY DRIVE, so that we can keep Jackson’s dream alive. The support of the local community has been phenonemal. This year we will have collected hundreds of toys! That will make a big difference during these challenging times ,” says Jason Furnari, Broker/Owner of EXITRealty Island Elite located at 4699 Nesconset Highway, Suite 2, in Port Jefferson Station. For more information, call 631-331-4000 or visit www.EXITRealtyIslandElite.com.
Statins may be overprescribed for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Stock photo
Do primary prevention benefits outweigh the risks?
By David Dunaief, M.D.
Dr. David Dunaief
Statins were first approved in the U.S. over 30 years ago. Today, they are one of the most commonly prescribed medications in the United States. Yet, many in the medical community still disagree about who should be taking a statin and for what purpose; some believe that more patients should be on this class of drugs, while others think it is overprescribed. This is one of the most polarizing issues in medicine — probably rightly so.
The biggest debate is over primary prevention with statins. Primary prevention is treating people with high cholesterol and/or inflammation who may be at risk for a cardiovascular event, such as a stroke or heart attack. Currently, recommendations of the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association do not align with those of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which is currently reviewing its own recommendations because of data updates.
Most physicians agree that statins have their place in secondary prevention — treating patients who have had a stroke or heart attack already or who have coronary artery disease.
We will examine benefits and risks for the patient population that could take statins for primary prevention. On one side are those who point to statins’ benefits: reduced cancer risk, improved quality of life and lowered glaucoma risk. On the other, we have those who note statins’ side effects: increased diabetes risk, fatigue and cataracts, to name a few. Let’s look at some of the evidence.
Effect on cancer
A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine involved 300,000 Danish participants and investigated 13 cancers. It showed that statin users may have a 15 percent decreased risk of death from cancer (1). As you can imagine, this news was greeted with excitement.
However, there were major limitations with the study. First, researchers did not control for smoking, which we know is a large contributor to cancer. Second, it was unknown which of the statin-using population might have received conventional cancer treatments, such as radiation and chemotherapy. Third, the dose of statins did not correlate to risk reduction. In fact, those who took 1 to 75 percent of prescribed statin levels showed more benefit in terms of cancer mortality risk than those who took more. We need a better-designed trial to determine whether there really is an effect.
Another study, a meta-analysis of 13 observational studies, showed that statins may play a role in reducing the risk of esophageal cancer. This is important, since esophageal cancer, especially adenocarcinoma that develops from Barrett’s esophagus, is on the rise. The results showed a 28 percent risk reduction in this type of cancer. The authors of the study surmise that statins may have a protective effect (2).
Although there is an association, these results need to be confirmed with randomized controlled trials. Aspirin has about the same 30 percent reduction in colorectal cancer, yet is not recommended solely for this use because of side effects.
Eye diseases: mixed results
In two common eye diseases, glaucoma and cataracts, statins have vastly different results. In one study, statins were shown to decrease the risk of glaucoma by five percent over one year and nine percent over two years (3). It is encouraging that the longer the duration of statin use, the greater the positive effect on preventing glaucoma.
Statins also help to slow glaucoma progression in patients suspected of having early-stage disease at about the same rate. This was a retrospective study analyzing statin use with patients at risk for open-angle glaucoma. We need prospective (forward-looking) studies. With cataracts, it is a completely different story. Statins increase the risk of cataracts by over 50 percent, as shown in the Waterloo Eye Study (4). Statins exacerbate the risk of cataracts in an already high-risk group, diabetes patients.
Quality of life and longevity:a mixed bag
In a meta-analysis involving 11 randomized controlled trials, statins did not reduce the risk of all-cause mortality in moderate to high-risk primary prevention participants (5). This study analysis involved over 65,000 participants with high cholesterol and at significant risk for heart disease.
However, in this same study, participants at high risk of coronary heart disease saw a substantial improvement in their quality of life with statins. In other words, the risk of a nonfatal heart attack was reduced by more than half and nonfatal strokes by almost half, avoiding the potentially disabling effects of these events.
Fatigue effect
Some of my patients who are on statins ask if statins can cause fatigue. A randomized controlled trial published in the Archives of Internal Medicine reinforces the idea that statins increase the possibility of fatigue (6).
Women, especially, complained of lower energy levels, both overall and on exertion, when they were blindly assigned to a statin-taking group. The trial had three groups: two that took statins, simvastatin 20 mg and pravastatin 40 mg; and a placebo group. The participants were at least 20 years old and had LDL (bad) cholesterol of 115 to 190 mg/dl, with less than 100 mg/dl considered ideal.
In conclusion, some individuals who are at high risk for cardiovascular disease may need a statin, but with the evidence presented, it is more likely that statins are overprescribed in primary prevention. Evidence of the best results points to lifestyle modification, with or without statins, and all patients with elevated LDL (bad) cholesterol should make changes that include a nutrient-dense diet and a reduction in fat intake, as well as exercise.
References:
(1) N Engl J Med 2012;367:1792-1802. (2) Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2013 Jun; 11(6):620–629. (3) Ophthalmology 2012;119(10):2074-2081. (4) Optom Vis Sci 2012;89:1165-1171. (5) Arch Intern Med 2010;170(12):1024-1031. (6) Arch Intern Med 2012;172(15):1180-1182.
Dr. David 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.
In the photo: Rebecca Tripoli (center front) and Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci (center back) with Rebecca’s mother (Sara), father (Frank), grandparents, aunt, uncle and two cousins. Photo from Town of Huntington
Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci honored Rebecca Tripoli, a 4th grader from Melville, on Monday, December 21, for raising $140 in donations to purchase supplies for families in local shelters.
“Rebecca represents the best of the greater Huntington community. Not only did she selflessly think of others during the holiday season, which can be a tough time for many, especially those in need, but she did something about it and made an impact at our shelters and in the hearts of many across our community,” said Sup. Lupinacci as he presented a proclamation from the Huntington Town Board to Rebecca outside her home on Monday evening.
9-year-old Rebecca Tripoli, a 4th grader from Melville, took up a collection to buy supplies for local shelters, raising $140. She researched local shelters’ websites, saw what they needed, made a list and went shopping.
“I felt grateful that my life was great, and I thought of the homeless people that had nothing. So I bought groceries to give them something,” said Rebecca, who purchased “fruit cups, ramen noodles, black beans, candy canes, pasta, canned vegetables, chicken soup, water and juice boxes, diapers, baby lotion, razors, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, and shaving cream,” all of which was donated to Family Service League.
Rebecca’s mother Sara added that Rebecca knew candy canes weren’t on the list but she wanted to do something to make the children smile around Christmas, “Rebecca’s father and I really are proud that she came up with the idea to help people less fortunate than her. We talk about this together a lot, that there are people right here in our community and in her school that don’t have enough food to eat, or even a place to live. She has a big heart and also a lot of ambition, and decided to do something about it. We were really surprised and honored that Mr. Lupinacci came to our home and recognized her for her work. It was an exciting day for us all!”
Organizers of the Stony Brook Film Festival hosted a virtual awards ceremony on Tuesday, Dec. 15. All of the festival winners were in attendance at the ceremony to accept their awards.
Jury Award for Best Feature
‘The Subject’
The Subject, directed by Lanie Zipoy and written by Chisa Hutchinson, won the Jury Award for Best Feature. The Subject tells the story of a successful documentary filmmaker haunted by his last film, which captured the murder of his subject, a black teen in Harlem. The timely film explores the relationship between an artist and their subject and addresses the harsh reality of race and class among the privileged. The film features Jason Biggs, Aunjanue Ellis, Anabelle Acosta, Carra Patterson, Nile Bullock, and Caleb Eberhardt.
Audience Award for Best Feature
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, directed by Caroline Link and written by Anna Brüggemann, Judith Kerr, and Caroline Link, won the Audience Award for Best Feature. The film features Riva Krymalowski, Marinus Hohmann, Carla Juri, Oliver Masucci, and Justus von Dohnányi. When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit is a German film based on the beloved semiautobiographical children’s book by Judith Kerr.
Anna is a nine-year-old living with her family in Berlin in 1933 when her life completely changes. To escape the Nazis, her father — a well-known Jewish journalist — quietly flees one night, and the rest of the family follows. Anna has to leave everything behind, including her beloved pink rabbit, and begins a new life full of challenges as a refugee abroad. A beautiful story for the whole family, filled with suspense, drama, sadness, and hope, with a timely message about being a refugee in a foreign land.
Jury Award for Best Short
They Won’t Last, a lighthearted short film written and directed by Portlynn Tagavi, won the Jury Award for Best Short. The film tells the story of a woman’s uncertain future when her hopeless boyfriend proposes after a friends’ perfect wedding.
Audience Award for Best Short
The Audience Award for Best Short was presented to Extra Innings. Written and directed by John Gray, the film tells the story of a reporter who interviewed the Boston Red Sox manager in an attempt to uncover secrets from his past.
Spirit of Independent Filmmaking
The final award presented was the Spirit of Independent Filmmaking, which is awarded to a filmmaker whose work exemplifies the spirit and breadth of filmmaking where the focus is on the art and most often produced with an extremely limited budget. This year’s recipient was Higher Love. Written and directed by Hasan Oswald, the film is a harrowing and unblinking documentary about lives affected by hard drugs, shown with honesty, compassion, desperation, and hope.
Like many other events around the country, this year’s Festival went virtual through a partnership with IndieFlix. Attendance soared with the virtual option as patrons across the country tuned in to watch the films with family and friends every weekend. Attendees sent regards from across the country, saying “what a relief to have this escape during this time,” and “these films are the only bright spot in our week.”
“We were thrilled to be able to offer this virtually during the Pandemic, and we were so happy to receive such positive and uplifting feedback from our patrons. The arts are needed now more than ever, and we can’t wait to get back to offering world-class programming in person as soon as it’s safe to do so. Until then, we’ll keep getting creative with virtual programming,” said Alan Inkles, Director of the Stony Brook Film Festival and the Staller Center for the Arts.
The Staller Center for the Arts also announced on Tuesday night that virtual films will continue. Patrons can purchase a Spring Movie Pass to view 14 films for only $40. Films will be offered virtually throughout the Spring using the IndieFlix app. Additionally, the center will continue to provide virtual arts and education outreach and other virtual programming options throughout the year. Visit stallercenter.com or stonybrookfilmfestival.com for more information.
A shooting in Commack during the early hours of Christmas morning left one man dead and another injured.
Stephan Harbison, 33, of Coram, entered 450 Moreland Road, at 12:45 a.m. confronted an employee, allegedly displayed a gun and demanded to see a resident. The employee brought him to the resident’s room. They entered the room, which was occupied by the resident, as well as a 17-year-old and a toddler.
Harbison allegedly moved the group into the lobby of the facility. A relative of the resident responded to the location and gunfire was exchanged inside and outside the facility between the suspect and the relative of the resident. Multiple people called 911 regarding the gunshots and 4th Precinct police officers responded to the location.
Harbison was pronounced dead at the scene by a physician assistant from the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner. Frenel Jean, 35, Dix Hills, a relative of a resident, was injured in the shooting and transported to an area hospital for treatment of serious injuries.
The Long Island Explorium, 101 E. Broadway, Port Jefferson has been selected by the Museum Association of New York (MANY) with 98 museums from across New York State to participate in “Building Capacity, Creating Sustainability, Growing Accessibility”, an IMLS CARES Act grant project designed to help museums impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic share their collections and reach audiences who cannot physically visit their museums. Staff will be trained to use new hardware and software to develop programs that will engage their communities and reach new audiences.
The grant is an in-depth partnership for two years designed to strengthen museum virtual programs. In addition to the training, museums will receive hardware and software equivalent to a $5,000 in-kind donation.
“We are honored to be awarded IMLS CARES act funding and excited to be able to make an impact on the work of our colleagues and their museums across New York State,” said Erika Sanger, MANY Executive Director. “We are living in an age of transition, experiencing a radical shift in our ways of learning and communicating. The group selected captures the diversity of our shared history in NY and our nation. The stories embodied in the museums’ collections and the storytelling talents of their interpretive staff are the heart of the project.”
In this two-year program, museums will identify a program to virtually deliver to their audiences, focusing on developing programs from stories found in their collections that reveal cultural and racial diversity in their communities.“We are ecstatic to receive this award to continue to be responsive and reflective of the diverse communities we aim to reach. We aim to build upon a current exhibit, “Rain Gardens: Linking Water, Wildlife, and Wisdom,” and use technology to develop a video/ audio series that focuses on the rich heritage of the indigenous peoples of Long Island and their contributions to Long Island”, said Angeline Judex, MPA, Executive Director, Long Island Explorium.
“The Long Island Explorium was selected due to our perseverance in the face of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic and our commitment to STEM and those in our communities on Long Island and in New York,” explained Lisa Collet Rodriguez, M.S. Director, Digital Media/Marketing, Long Island Explorium. “We are excited to begin working with the Museum Association of New York serving high need communities through this initiative. The program is geared to assist and successfully respond to one of the biggest challenges created by the pandemic: how we reach audiences that cannot visit the Long Island Explorium in person. The pandemic has provided the Explorium with an opportunity to re-imagine our program delivery methods and engage our online audiences through meaningful content on a much larger scale.”
All 3 grew up in the shelter and watched their more outgoing siblings get happy homes. They may take time to let you in, but when they do, they are loving, playful and sweet. These three boys are buds but not bonded. They’d love to be homed together, but will adjust if they aren’t.
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