Yearly Archives: 2022

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A Protein-Packed Dessert

(Family Features) Adding better-for-you recipes to your family’s menu can be as simple as incorporating protein with ingredients that enhance flavor and nutrition. For example, this Peanut Butter Crunch is powered by peanuts, a nutrient-rich superfood that delivers 19 vitamins and minerals plus 7 grams of protein per serving. It’s a simple, sweet way to enjoy an at-home dessert without ditching health goals. Visit gapeanuts.com to find more recipes that pack a protein punch.

Peanut Butter Crunch

Yield: 2 dozen squares

Ingredients:

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup granulated sugar

1 jar (12 ounces) crunchy peanut butter

6 cups crisp rice cereal

coconut flakes, for topping (optional)

chocolate chips, for topping (optional)

melted chocolate, for topping (optional)

sprinkles, for topping (optional)

Directions: 

In 2-quart microwave-safe container, stir syrup and sugar. Microwave 1 1/2-2 minutes on high, or until sugar is dissolved. Stir in peanut butter until well blended. Mix in cereal. Pour into 8-by-12-inch buttered pan. When cooled, cut into squares and top with coconut flakes, chocolate chips, melted chocolate or sprinkles, if desired.

A paper published this week in Immunity, a leading research journal highlighting discoveries in immunology by Cell Press, lays the groundwork to better understand and treat Crohn’s disease, a type of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Beneficial interactions among intestinal cell types limit the harmful effects of a dysregulated gut microbiota, which is comprised of trillions of bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms. These cell-cell interactions are essential to maintain a healthy gut and dysregulation of this cellular “crosstalk” can predispose the development of IBD.

Pawan Kumar

Led by Pawan Kumar, BVSc, PhD, of the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, the research identified a new role for Interleukin-17A (IL-17A), an immune cell-derived cytokine, in promoting selective epithelial cell development as well as limiting inflammation during colitis.Although drugs that target IL-17A are highly effective against psoriasis, an autoimmune condition, the same drugs result in adverse effects when used to treat the inflammatory responses of Crohn’s. While targeting IL-17A may reduce the pathogenesis of certain inflammatory responses, it is unclear why these treatments had opposing effects in Crohn’s patients. The research team has addressed this underlying question.

“We identified a new role for IL-17A in the intestinal inflammatory process by regulating a type of stem cell (Lgr5+) and progenitor cell function,” said Kumar, Senior Author and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. “We found that IL-17A acts on intestinal stem cells to promote secretory cell lineage commitment. In addition, impaired IL-17A signaling to secretory cells (ATOH1+) exacerbates colitis.

The research team tested their findings in different murine models. Upon collaborating with Ken Cadwell of New York University, they confirmed their results in human organoids. They found that IL-17A stimulated secretory cell differentiation in cystic human intestinal organoids.“Our data suggest that there is a ‘cross talk’ between immune cells and stem cells that regulates secretory cell lineage commitment and the integrity of the mucosa,” summarizes Kumar.

The authors believe their findings will help further research and lay the groundwork for future clinical studies that investigate the therapeutic potential of IL-17A and/or its downstream effector proteins.This research is supported in part by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, the SUNY Research Foundation and a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.

 

The Section XI Boys Swimming Championships took place at Stony Brook University Feb. 12.

Team Huntington/Harborfields/Whitman won the Suffolk Championship 200-yard medley relay in 1 minute and 37.23 seconds.

Miller Place junior Liam Preston won both the 200 yard-freestyle in 1:41.79 and the 500 freestyle in 4:37.58.

Middle Country’s Hunter Emerson place second in the 200-individual medley with a 1:55.94 to qualify for the state championships at Ithaca College March 4 through 5.

Ward Melville wins the 200-freestyle relay event with Muhtar Konar, Thomas Miele, Richie Richard Hall and Vincent Vinciguerra in 1:29.47. Vinciguerra placed third in the 50-freestyle event in 21.66 and the 100-yard free in 47.22.

Comsewogue’s Noah Giunta placed first in the 100-yard butterfly event with a 50.67 and second in the 100-yard backstroke with 51.59.

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A winning lottery ticket was purchased last week at the Village Grocery. Photo from Pixabay

The New York Lottery recently announced a second prize-winning ticket for the Feb. 9.

New York LOTTO drawing was sold at the Village Grocery on Main Street in Port Jefferson. The prize-winning ticket is worth $68,895.

The winning numbers for the Feb. 9 New York LOTTO drawing are 13 – 18 – 29 – 32 – 39 – 47 and Bonus Number 42. 

The winning ticket matched five of the six numbers and the bonus number. The jackpot for the drawing to be held on Feb. 12 is $4.2 million.  

To win the New York LOTTO jackpot, players must match six numbers drawn from a field of one to 59. New York LOTTO drawings are televised every Wednesday and Saturday at approximately 11:21 p.m.

A New York LOTTO prize of any amount may be claimed up to one year from the date of the drawing.

The Town of Smithtown successfully distributed over 2000 at-home Covid test kits to the most vulnerable population within the township. On Wednesday, Feb. 9, Town staff picked up 2,552 test kits from Suffolk County at the Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services. On Thursday, Feb. 10, Smithtown Officials delivered approximately 2000 tests to seniors and at-risk individuals within the community, and at the Senior Center. On Monday morning, Feb. 14, the Department of Public Safety orchestrated a distribution event, where residents could collect their at-home tests outside of the Maple Avenue building.

“I’m extremely grateful to our partners in government at Suffolk County for arranging the much needed supply to be distributed to our residents, especially those who need it most. Our community members who are retired or living on a fixed income have certainly felt the cost of inflation, and this pandemic, in ways that have severely reduced quality of life. No one should have to sacrifice nutrition or grocery budgets to purchase PPE like face masks and covid tests. We owe it to our most vulnerable to provide the resources necessary to keep everyone healthy. While I hope the latest wave of the omicron variant was the last peak of Covid-19; these test kits will go a long way towards keeping people safe while cases are on the decline,” said Supervisor Ed Wehrheim.

The At-Home Covid-19 Antigen test kit (made in the USA) which includes two tests per box, were delivered to senior living communities throughout the township, at the Senior Center and at Public Safety. Supervisor Wehrheim’s office worked alongside Legislators Kennedy and Trotta to ensure locations were not replicated with the Legislators drop off locations and distribution events, to maximize the reach. When supplies ran out late on Monday morning at Public Safety, Legislator Robert Trotta generously allotted additional kits for the remaining residents.

Suffolk County will continue to work with the Town of Smithtown to provide additional Covid-19 related resources & PPE supplies for anyone in need. Residents who may be homebound, or are unable to obtain at-home test kits may email the Supervisors office at [email protected] with requests. For additional information on future at-home test kit distribution events within the township, residents can download the Town of Smithtown Mobile App, available for free on Google Play and the App Store.

Did You Know?

Residential households in the U.S. can order one set of four (4) free at-home tests through the US Postal Service. You can obtain a free at-home test kit by visiting covidtests.gov or by calling 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489).

Photo by Tom Caruso

WAITING FOR CUPID

Tom Caruso spied this female cardinal on a Bittersweet vine during a recent visit to Arthur Kunz County Park in his hometown of Smithtown. He writes, ‘I found the bird sitting on a branch looking at the barren trees around her as if she was reluctantly resigned to the cold, unforgiving months of winter to come. Although the park is small, it has a lot to offer as far as wildlife and scenery.

Send your Photo of the Week to [email protected]

 

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Hallie Berry and Patrick Wilson in a scene from the film. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate

By Jeffrey Sanzel

Did you ever stop to think that the “disaster” in “disaster movie” could have two meanings? You’ll have plenty of time to contemplate this during the two-hour running time (one hundred and twenty minutes (twelve thousand seconds)) that Moonfall takes to grind through its machinations.

Roland Emmerich directed, co-wrote, and produced Moonfall. His other science-fiction films include Stargate (1994), Independence Day (1996), Godzilla (1998), The Day After Tomorrow (2004), and Independence Day: Resurgence (2016). So, Emmerich is the guilty party.

On a 2011 Space Shuttle mission, a mysterious black swarm kills an astronaut. A fellow crewmember, Brian Harper (Patrick Wilson), is accused of negligence, blamed for the death, and fired. The other crewmember, Jo Fowler (Halle Berry), was unconscious when the attack occurred. 

Fast forward ten years. Harper, now divorced, is on the verge of eviction from his seedy apartment. Fowler (also divorced) holds the position of NASA’s Deputy Director. Conspiracy theorist K.C. Houseman (John Bradley) discovers that the moon’s orbit has shifted, bringing it closer to the earth. Failing to get Harper to listen, he goes public on social media. “Moon panic” and looting ensue. A failed attempt to investigate the moon situation leads to the exposure of the black swarms that attacked ten years earlier.

A scene from ‘Moonfall.’ Photo courtesy of Lionsgate

An hour into the film, Harper, Fowler, and Houseman venture out on a space shuttle taken from a museum; they are off to save the world. Spoiler Alert. In a convoluted explanation, everything comes back to rogue Artificial Intelligence destroying a civilization that colonized earth. The moon is a megastructure built by the aliens. (A fun drinking game would involve imbibing on this oft-repeated word. If you don’t want to wait for the myriad recurrences, say it to yourself ten times before going to the movie and take a nap instead.)

Meanwhile, on earth, a subplot involves Harper’s semi-delinquent son, Sonny (Charlie Plummer), rescuing his mother (Carolina Bartczak) and her new family, as well as Fowler’s son. They are trying to get to a Colorado bunker where Fowler’s ex-husband (Eme Ikwuakor), an Air Force four-star general, is holed up with the keys to the about-to-be-released nuclear weapons. Sonny outdrives a tsunami in an amazing feat of auto-heroics, possibly the greatest plug in Lexus history. He is also involved with a preposterous rescue involving the moon’s gravity saving the day.

Science fiction movies have been built on less but have triumphed in style, special effects, and an appeal to a sense of wonder. Moonfall manages to tick no boxes. What is not CGI looks like cardboard models. The same is true for most of the performances. 

Academy Award-winner Halle Berry is truly an exceptional actor and rarely disappoints; here, the headline should be “Halle Berry Cashes a Paycheck.” Patrick Wilson usually does not lack charm, but he comes across as a low-rent Captain Kirk meets Hans Solo. 

John Bradley (best known for his role as Samwell Tarly in Game of Thrones)gives the most interesting performance as the backward Houseman (attached to his mother and his cat Fuzz Aldrin). But, today, something is disturbing in the conspiracy theorist as the voice of reason. Donald Sutherland’s minute-and-a-half of screen time is a minute-and-a-half of screen time. (Beneath Berry’s headline should be “So does Donald Sutherland.”) Often, the performances seem one beat away from Airplane. We wait for Wilson to turn to the other two and say, “And don’t call me Shirley.” Alas, he does not.

Movies like this can be entertaining. Unfortunately, Moonfall is not so much fun as unintentionally funny. With lines as painful as “I work for the American people,” “The sand on the hourglass is dropping quickly for all of us,” “I hope the moon holds together at least for a little while,” “I didn’t come this far to fail,” “I hate to tell you this, but we’re running out of time,” and (multiple times) “I’ve got a plan,” the script is cobbled together from The Big Book of Movie Cliches. A personal favorite is “If the earth gets a second chance, I think we deserve one too.” The pseudo-scientific jargon does not help the situation. 

Moonfall makes us yearn for the integrity of Georges Méliès’ A Trip to the Moon (1902), in which a cannon propelled capsule lands in the eye of an annoyed moon. 

No words can truly describe the Moonfall’s final moments. They must be seen to be believed. Or better, not. Among the film’s promotional taglines is “Earth … We have a problem.” Yup. With deep gravitas, Harper says, “Save the moon. Save the earth.” Perhaps it should have been, “Save your money.”

Rated PG-13, Moonfall is now playing in local theaters.

The following incidents have been reported by the Suffolk County Police:

Centereach

■ Harbor Freight on Middle Country Road in Centereach reported the theft of two Predator 1400 generators from the store on Feb. 1. The value of the items was $450 each.

Commack

■ A resident on Huntsman Lane in Commack reported that a catalytic converter was stolen from a 2004 Honda on Feb. 2.

■ A resident on Atlas Way in Commack reported that his car was broken into on Feb. 1 and a ski jacket, ski goggles and speakers were stolen. The value of the items was approximately $850.

■ A resident on Tamarack Street in Commack called police on Feb. 1 to report that his 2020 Acura MDX valued at approximately $40,000 was stolen from the driveway.

■ Three men entered Home Depot on Crooked Hill Road in Commack on Feb. 3 and allegedly stole spools of yellow Rolex wire and white Rolex wire valued at approximately $2350.

■ A resident on Tamarack Street in Commack reported that his 2019 Acura ILX was stolen from his property on Feb. 1. The vehicle was valued at $30,000.

■ A resident on Buhl Lane in Commack reported that a pocketbook was stolen from an unlocked vehicle parked in front of their home on Feb. 1. An unidentified man was seen running away from the driveway.

■ Ulta Beauty on Veterans Highway in Commack reported a shoplifter on Feb. 4. A man allegedly stole women’s perfume valued at approximately $1200.

■ A woman shopping at Shoprite on Garet Place in Commack reported that a man allegedly stole a wallet out of her purse on Jan. 31.

■ A resident on Essex Place in Commack called police on Feb. 2 to report that someone had stolen both license plates off of his car.

■ Walmart on Crooked Hill Road in Commack reported a shoplifter on Jan. 31. A man allegedly stole a Nintendo Switch and a set of earbuds. The total value of the items was $550.

■ Home Depot on Jericho Turnpike in Commack reported that a man allegedly stole approximately $945 worth of electrical wire on Feb. 4.

Dix Hills

■ A resident on Wildwood Drive in Dix Hills reported that various items including clothing and toys were stolen from an unlocked vehicle on Feb. 1.

■ A resident on Truxton Road in Dix Hills called police on Jan. 28 to report a wallet stolen from an unlocked vehicle on their property.

Elwood

Suffolk County Police Major Case Unit detectives are investigating a robbery that occurred at an Elwood bank on Feb. 4. A man entered TD Bank, located at 1941 Jericho Turnpike, at approximately 3:55 p.m., and verbally demanded money from the teller. The teller complied and the man fled the bank on foot. The man was described as white, wearing a knit cap, dark jacket, light pants and a face covering.

Greenlawn

■ A resident on Jamaica Avenue in Greenlawn called police on Feb. 2 to report that a catalytic converter had been stolen from his 2005 Honda Accord.

Huntington Station

■ Macy’s at the Walt Whitman Mall in Huntington Station called police on Feb. 2 to report that a man allegedly stole a necklace valued at approximately $4100.

■ Management at Walt Whitman Mall reported a man allegedly stole a Caterpillar Skid Steer from the parking lot in the back of the mall on Jan. 31. The loader was valued at approximately $60,000.

■ Target on East Jericho Turnpike in Huntington Station called police on Jan. 31 to report that a man allegedly stole two KitchenAid stand mixers valued at approximately $860.

■ Home Depot on New York Ave. in Huntington Station reported a petit larceny on Jan. 29. Two men allegedly stole $965 worth of electrical wire. 

Port Jefferson Station

■ Two snowblowers were stolen from the back of a truck parked on South Columbia Street in Port Jefferson Station on Jan. 31. Total value of the items was $600.

■ A petit larceny was reported at Markay’s Wine & Liquor on Nesconset Highway in Port Jefferson Station on Feb. 3. A man allegedly stole a bottle of whiskey valued at $35.

Selden

■ Bob’s Stores on Middle Country Road in Selden called police to report a shoplifter on Feb. 4. A man allegedly loaded a shopping cart with items of clothing, stuffed the items into a backpack in a dressing room and walked out of the store. The value of the items was approximately $250.

St. James

■ A resident on Northern Blvd. in St. James reported the theft of tools from his property on Jan. 30. Assorted tools, including a screw gun, drills, and a sawzall were taken with a value of approximately $2500.

Smithtown

■ Two pair of sunglasses valued at $400 were stolen from an unlocked vehicle parked on Hallock Avenue in Smithtown on Jan. 31.

West Hills

■ A resident on Sparrow Lane in West Hills reported that a car pulled up in front of their home at approximately 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 2 and the driver stole assorted mail from their mailbox. A resident on Sheridan Street in West Hills called police at 3:45 p.m. on Feb. 2 to report the same crime.

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS.

— Compiled by HEIDI SUTTON

 

METRO photo

When people look back to spring 2020, they remember how the COVID-19 pandemic shut things down. Zoom became a regular form of communication, visits to grandparents were done in a drive-thru fashion and many people anxiously awaited their stimulus checks.

While those checks from the U.S. government were sent, some people needed the money more than others. 

Many people lost their jobs, their businesses and their livelihoods. In fact, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in February 2020 — just before the pandemic hit the States — unemployment was at 3.5%. Just two months later, as the virus began to spread rapidly, unemployment rates skyrocketed to nearly 15%.

But what many people might not realize is how impacted the local arts were during this time. 

We as a society leaned on our first responders out in the trenches. We listened to our elected officials on the news every day hoping to hear something good. We shopped locally to help our business-owning neighbors. 

However, something that we all enjoy one way or another — the arts — was shattered and not much was being done to help our local artists, performers and creators. 

According to Johns Hopkins University research, as of December 2021, the percentage of job losses at nonprofit arts organizations remained more than three times worse than the average of all nonprofits. 

Artists/creatives were — and remain — among the most severely affected segment of the nation’s workforce. The arts are a formidable industry in the U.S. — $919.7 billion (pre-COVID) that supported 5.2 million jobs and represented 4.3% of the nation’s economy.

And now, nearing two years since the 2020 shutdowns, artists on Long Island are voicing how it felt. Many believe that significant relief funding was not given to the arts and related nonprofits despite the impact they have on Long Island’s economy.

Think about it. How many of us love to see a show at the local theater? How many of us hang artwork from nearby artists on our walls? How many of us enjoy live music as we dine at our favorite eateries? 

Those people had jobs, too. 

Sometimes we forget that the people working after a typical 9-to-5 shift are working, too. What some may call a hobby is a way of life for thousands of people.

We still have a way to go, and unfortunately COVID will haunt us for a very long time in more ways than one. But the next time you’re out to dinner with a friend, drop a tip in the guitar player’s case. Splurge on a drawing from a local artist and support your neighborhood theater. 

The arts helped us during the pandemic. We found solace in other people’s creations. Now it’s time to pay back the artists and show them how much they are needed, wanted and loved.

Every year Hoover the Goat at Sweetbriar Nature Center in Smithtown picks the winner of the Super Bowl and for the last 4 years he has predicted correctly! This year Hoover chose the  Los Angeles Rams — Lets see if he gets it right again! Place your bets!

See video here.

*This video has been reposted with permission from Sweetbriar Nature Center.