Liliana M. Dávalos, PhD. Photo by Angelique Corthals
Animals losing their habitats, humans losing their homes, deforestation and land grabbing are all well-documented issues in the Amazon — but some of their drivers have yet to be investigated.
A newly established Fulbright Scholar Program called Fulbright Amazonia supports an international network of scientists who will carry out research dedicated to protecting the diverse wildlife and indigenous communities of the Amazon. Evolutionary biologist and Stony Brook University Professor Liliana M. Dávalos, PhD, will be part of this select group of international experts seeking to find solutions to some of the Amazon region’s ecological and environmental problems.
Dávalos, Professor of Conservation Biology in the Department of Ecology and Evolution in the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Fulbright Amazonia Scholar in Environmental Science, joins this first-ever cohort of scholars with research set to begin in July. Fulbright announced a total of 16 Fulbright Amazonia Scholars.
Under the fellowship, Dávalos will conduct research to study the dynamics of cocaine trafficking in the Amazon rainforest and assess the associated impact on land use.
The project will combine historical research with data analysis to measure the breadth of cocaine trafficking’s influence on long-standing environmental and humanitarian crises. The findings could have actionable impacts on regional policies throughout the Amazon. Dávalos believes the study will proved to be key to promoting sustainability within political and socioeconomic landscapes.
“Trafficking dynamics and their relationship to land use in the Amazon remain unexplored,” she said. “By providing the first quantitative analyses of this kind, my project will generate invaluable information on risks to protected areas and local communities and inform conservation and counterdrug policy.”
As a Stony Brook Professor, Dávalos has spearheaded leading ecological and biodiversity studies including work on biodiversity trends and changes in the Caribbean, how shrews shrink then regrow their brains, and the science behind sensory adaptations across mammals. Dávalos, an expert on the biodiversity of bat populations around the world, also co-directs the Global Union of Bat Diversity Networks (GBatNet), a position in which she brings research groups together worldwide to advance knowledge of ecological and evolutionary bat characteristics.
For more information about her research and collaborative work, visit the Dávalos Lab.
A Column Promoting a More Earth-friendly Lifestyle
By John L. Turner
John Turner
There’s an expression in lawn care “Cut it high and let it lie.” Leaving grass on the longer side is healthier for the grass as it dries out more slowly and there’s more grass blade to produce food as it photosynthesizes. And letting it lie is good for both your lawn and the planet. The clippings quickly break down, returning nutrients back to the grass and soil and the clippings do not, contrary to popular belief, add thatch to your lawn.
The second best option is to compost grass clippings with other yard waste and to apply the compost to your lawn and flower beds once it’s ready.
The worst option, which so many homeowners choose, is to bag the clippings and leave curbside for the town to pick up (or worse yet, dump it in a neighboring preserve or parkland). This waste is harder to recycle, inefficient to burn, and costs the town more to manage. So, for the sake of a healthier lawn and planet, let those grass clippings lie.
A resident of Setauket, John Turner is conservation chair of the Four Harbors Audubon Society, author of “Exploring the Other Island: A Seasonal Nature Guide to Long Island” and president of Alula Birding & Natural History Tours.
Chipotle Chicken Flatbread. Photo courtesy of Family Features
By Heidi Sutton
As the weather turns the corner and temperatures rise, opportunities for dining outdoors and soaking up the sunshine abound. Patio meals often mean fresh flavors, making spring a perfect time for heading outside with your favorite seasonal dishes.
Recipes for Chipotle Chicken Flatbread and Flatbread with Caramelized Onions, Bacon and Arugula make for a perfect al fresco meal. Prepared along with a fresh salad or simply enjoyed by itself, they are simple to make and let home chefs skip complicated kitchen duties without skimping on flavor.
Chipotle Chicken Flatbread
YIELD: Makes 2 servings
INGREDIENTS:
2 naan flatbreads
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 clove garlic, diced
4 chicken tenders, cooked and cubed
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1 1/2 teaspoons chipotle seasoning
2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, chopped
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 F. Place parchment paper on baking sheet and add flatbreads. Sprinkle cheese on flatbreads. Top with garlic, chicken and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bake 16 minutes until cheese is melted. In small bowl, mix ranch and chipotle seasoning.Drizzle ranch dressing on flatbread and sprinkle with cilantro leaves.
Flatbread with Caramelized Onions, Bacon and Arugula
YIELD: Makes 2 to 3 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 large sweet onion, sliced
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 naan flatbread (rectangular shape)
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup fontina cheese, shredded
4 slices bacon
arugula
olive oil
lemon juice
DIRECTIONS:
To make caramelized onions: In pan over medium-high heat, heat butter and olive oil. Add onions and let sit about 5 minutes. Once onions start sweating, turn heat to low and cover pan. Cook onions to deep golden brown, stirring every 10-15 minutes. With 10 minutes left, stir in balsamic vinegar.
To make flatbread: Preheat oven to 425 F. On flatbread, layer cheese, bacon and caramelized onions. Bake 13-15 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and edges are golden brown. Toss arugula with olive oil and lemon juice before placing on flatbread.
Board also addresses issues of racism in the district
By Mallie Kim
The Board of Education will welcome newcomers Karen Roughley and David McKinnon to the table in Three Village Central School District, alongside returning trustee Jeffrey Kerman. The school board announced and certified the results during a meeting on Tuesday night, May 16.
David McKinnon and Karen Roughley, above, along with incumbent Jeffrey Kerman, won seats on the board of education. Photo by Mallie Kim
Roughley and McKinnon are no strangers to the board room, as they often attend meetings to advocate for district issues they are passionate about. During a fraught two-week campaign, the two, who campaigned together, emphasized their status as independent candidates — that is, not endorsed or financially supported by any bargaining unit, something both candidates have said could be a conflict of interest.
“This was a good win for the community. We were community-backed,” said McKinnon, a professor of neurobiology and behavior at Stony Brook University, adding that his win comes after several years of building confidence within the community. McKinnon ran unsuccessfully for the board twice before, and during the campaign conveyed a strong interest in improving curriculum and instituting forward-looking financial planning. “I hope this paves the way for other independent candidates to run for the board.”
McKinnon received 2,101 votes, coming in second behind Roughley, who brought in 2,222 votes.
This was the second bid for Roughley, who has been a vocal advocate for the special education community over the years, and during the campaign she highlighted the budget and bullying as top issues she would want to address. She received the most votes, at 2,222.
“I’m very proud,” she said after the meeting. “I’m very honored to be representing all the community of Three Village.”
Rounding out the trio, Kerman, a dentist, received 1,777 votes and said he was very proud to have voter support again. “I have a lot of experience, and I can help the new [members],” said Kerman, referring to the fact that he has served 17 years on the board, including two years as board president. During the campaign, he expressed gratitude for all the district did to help his two children succeed. “This is pay back and pay forward,” he said. “I’m here to help the district and keep it good.”
The community also approved the 2023‒24 district budget with 2,332 yes votes over 1,559 no votes. The vast majority of registered voters in the district skipped the election, despite the fact that the district’s budget makes up a large portion of each resident’s tax bill. A total of 3,891 voters participated, out of 36,396 qualified voters in the district.
Assistant Superintendent Jeff Carlson congratulates incumbent Jeffrey Kerman on his win. Photo Mallie Kim
Superintendent addresses racism, district OKs book up for review
Also, during the May 16 meeting, Superintendent Kevin Scanlon presented a strongly worded message against incidents of racism in the district and said the administration has brought in consultants to help address it, including one member of the Little Rock Nine, the group of black students who desegregated their school in Arkansas in 1957.
Scanlon said he would soon share with district families more details about a specific incident under investigation, and he compared racism in schools to drugs and alcohol. “If anyone in a school district tells you that they don’t have an alcohol and drug problem, they’re lying,” he said. “Every district in this country has an alcohol and drug program, and we are no exception to that rule.”
The district has curriculum and counseling staff to specifically address alcohol and drugs, and Scanlon said the same needs to happen to quash racism and bigotry. He pointed to the work of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committees, but said the entire community also needs to act.
“Enough is enough,” he said. “We have to address this not only in our schools, but in our homes and throughout our community every single day. That’s the only way to stop it.”
The board also heard the results of a recent instructional materials review triggered by a parent complaint.
According to Assistant Superintendent Brian Biscari, the book “All the Colors We Are: The Story of How We Get Our Skin Color,” by Katie Kissinger, is used in second grade health classes districtwide. A concerned parent emailed a complaint, Biscari said, calling the material in the book “damaging and racist.”
A committee made up of an administrator, a second-grade teacher, a library media specialist and a parent convened and reviewed the book’s subject, themes and appropriateness for the age level. No committee members had objections to the book. “The content of the book was related to the science of skin color, including melanin, ancestors and family and exposure to the sun,” Biscari read from the committee’s recommendation to keep the book in the curriculum. “The themes represented in this book are appropriate topics for students in the second-grade health classes.”
Participants start the 5k with Jessica Baisley, winner in female category, right. Photo by Mallie Kim
10-year old Nassakeag students Loam Lapidus and Miko Alfredsson after finishing their first 5k. Photo by Mallie Kim
A family completes the 5k. Photo by Mallie Kim
Participants start the 5k with Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn, waving. Photo by Mallie Kim
By Mallie Kim
Runners and walkers wound through the hilly roads of Stony Brook for a Mother’s Day 5K race last Sunday, May 14, hosted by local advocacy group Sidewalks For Safety. At the event, a mix of athletes and local sidewalk fans numbering about 300 raised awareness in their bright “safety green” T-shirts as they made their way to the finish line at The Long Island Museum.
Sidewalks For Safety founder Annemarie Waugh was thrilled with the turnout, and said she looks forward to taking what she learned from this inaugural run to make it an annual event.
“There was such great energy, great cheer, and so many people in support of more sidewalks, especially around the schools,” she said. “I’m really hoping we can put children and pedestrian safety first.”
Long Island has fewer sidewalks because the suburban population expanded in an era when car was king. “Long Island’s sidewalks are here, there, everywhere and nowhere,” The New York Times noted back in 2004, adding, “The Island’s network of sidewalks is so haphazard.”
Waugh, a mother herself, makes the case to the public and to the Town of Brookhaven that sidewalks are a key part of keeping children safe as they walk to school and bus stops. She gathers volunteers as she goes — including this reporter, who proofreads the Sidewalks For Safety newsletter and helped check in participants at the race.
Waugh’s advocacy centers around connecting existing sidewalks in the Three Village area, particularly around the schools. She pointed out that secondary school track teams run on local roads. At Old Town Road in front of Ward Melville High School, that means students are running in the street alongside big construction trucks and heavy traffic.
Detractors fear sidewalks would give the Three Village Area a more “urban” feel.
At the finish line, Setauket mother Dr. Samone Zarabi said she would like more sidewalks so she and her young son can be safer while walking their dog around town.
Zarabi brought her family to the 5K also to celebrate Mother’s Day. “I just wanted to do something healthy and good for the entire family — no expectations, just being together,” she said.
First-time 5K participants Loam Lapidus and Miko Alfredsson, both 10-year-old Nassakeag Elementary School students, said they found the race “tiring.” But they care about sidewalks, they said, because they don’t want people or animals “to get run over.” Miko also had a particular reason for joining. “My mom wanted me to do it,” he said.
Local politicians also came to support Sidewalks For Safety, including town Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) and Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket), who said she grew up in the area and supports safe, walkable communities, especially for children. Sidewalks “they connect communities — people to each other, people to places like parks, downtowns,” she said. “All these things are important for a sense of place in a community.”
The top three men and women finishers went home with flowers in lieu of medals, on theme for Mother’s Day. First-place male was Keith Forlenza, of Stony Brook, who ran the 5K in 16 minutes, 55 seconds, and first-place female was Jessica Baisley, of Centereach, who finished at 21:45.
This week’s shelter pet is sweet Praline who was found as part of the Smithtown Animal Shelter’s TNR program. This little lady is timid and shy, but will warm up and enjoy getting petted once she gets to know you.
Praline loves other cats and seeks out their companionship. This little beauty would do best in a quiet home with other cats and someone that can give her time and patience.
If you would like to meet Praline, please call ahead to schedule an hour to properly interact with her in a domestic setting.
The Smithtown Animal & Adoption Shelter is located at 410 Middle Country Road, Smithtown. Visitor hours are currently Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Sundays and Wednesday evenings by appointment only).
For more information, call 631-360-7575 or visit www.townofsmithtownanimalshelter.com.
Town Supervisor Saladino with BOD Chair Ginny Ewe, Margaret Myhand President, and Emcee Alison Morris Roslyn '97
Honoree Richard L. O'Hara with Daughters and Granddaughters who are Mercy Grads
Honoree Eileen Magri, with Ginny Ewen BOD Chair, Margaret Myhand OLMA President, and Zully Petrucci Principal
Founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1928, Our Lady of Mercy Academy (OLMA) celebrated its 95th Anniversary on April 27 at the Mansion at Oyster Bay.As a Catholic, all-girls, college preparatory high school, the faculty and staff have inspired the hearts, minds, and spirits of over 8,500 young women to lead, serve and succeed in their colleges, careers, communities, and lives. The proceeds from this event funded scholarships and financial aid.
“Our 95th-anniversary milestone serves as a reminder of our beginning and, more importantly, the promise of our future rooted in faith and built upon the strength, wisdom, and commitment to providing an educational foundation for our young women based on values and integrity. We acknowledge with gratitude our “Spirit of Mercy” Honorees: The Dreams R US Foundation, The Georgia Hiden Charitable Foundation, Dr. Eileen Snyder Magri, PH.D (Farmingdale), Richard L. O’Hara (Roslyn), and Sister Dorothy Sagona, RSM, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award,” said OLMA President, Margaret Myhan.
Young women come from all over Long Island and Queens to attend this prestigious high school. 91% of the class of 2022 earned $24.8 million in scholarships. Some of the colleges and universities they attended include: Boston College, College of the Holy Cross, Cornell University, New York University, Notre Dame University, Parsons School of Design, and Villanova.
Our Lady of Mercy Academy is located at 815 Convent Road in Syosset. Visit www.olma.org or contact the Advancement Office at 516-921-1047 (ext. 117) for more information.
Grapevines at Pindar
Vineyards in Peconic.
File photo by Alex Petroski/TBR News Media
By Bob Lipinski
Bob Lipinski
Long Island stretches across the land mass of the same name, located east of New York City, and separated from Connecticut by the Long Island Sound.
The Atlantic Ocean, Long Island Sound, and the Great Peconic Bay moderate temperatures to ward off frost. It also cools the vines during the hotter summers and barricades against warm southerly currents. The climate is warmer than elsewhere in New York, allowing for the growing of many premium grape varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, and Riesling.
Long Island has over 2,500 acres of vineyards and more than 60 wineries. Most of the vineyards are concentrated on the island’s eastern half. Long Island wine country includes the North Fork, South Fork, Nassau County, and western Suffolk County. There are three distinct American Viticultural Areas or AVAs. The larger “Long Island” AVA (established 2001) covers Nassau and Suffolk Counties, and splits into two narrow forks (north and south). Each fork has its own sub-AVA: the “North Fork of Long Island” (1986) and “The Hamptons, Long Island” (1985) in the south.
Grapes were grown on Long Island in colonial times and “Moses the Frenchman” Fournier had extensive vineyards in Eastern Long Island in the eighteenth century and it is speculated that he grew Vitis vinifera grapevines.
In the early 1800s, William Robert Prince experimented extensively with many varieties of grapes in Flushing, Queens. Through his catalog, he even offered a Zinfandel that was known as “Black St. Peter.” Over the decades, small backyard vineyards flourished, but it wasn’t until the mid-1900s that commercial grape-growing began.
In the early 1970s, local farmer and grape-grower John Wickham, who had years earlier obtained and planted a selection of table grapes from Cornell University, met Alex and Louisa Hargrave. He is credited with introducing the Hargraves to the North Fork’s climate and soil, which was excellent for grape-growing.
The Hargraves purchased a 66-acre potato farm near Cutchogue and in 1973, they planted 17-acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Sauvignon Blanc grapevines and became Long Island’s first commercial winery. Hargrave Vineyards officially opened in 1976 for wine sales. Since then, dozens of vineyards have been planted and opened, each with a remarkable story and a multitude of wines to try.
Today, Long Island wineries offer many types of wine including red, white, rosé, sparkling, and dessert. Be certain to visit and try a sampling of each.
Bob Lipinski is the author of 10 books, including “101: Everything You Need To Know About Whiskey” and “Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple” (available on Amazon.com). He consults and conducts training seminars on Wine, Spirits, and Food and is available for speaking engagements. He can be reached at www.boblipinski.com OR [email protected].
Michael J. Fox in a scene from 'Still.' Photo courtesy of Apple TV
Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel
“A short kid from a Canadian army base becomes the international pop culture darling of the 1980s—only to find the course of his life altered by a stunning diagnosis. What happens when an incurable optimist confronts an incurable disease?”
— Tagline to Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie
Few people do not recognize Michael J. Fox. Fox (born 1961) launched into the public eye with the sitcom Family Ties (1982-89), in which he played Alex P. Keaton, the conservative son in a liberal family. From there, his star rose quickly with the Back to the Future trilogy (1985-1990), followed by Teen Wolf (1985), The Secret of My Success (1987), Doc Hollywood (1991), and others. Then, in 1996, he returned to the small screen with Spin City.
Fox combined a youthful sureness with the charm of a latter-day Jimmy Stewart, a genuine aw-shucks quality absent of artifice. Even in lesser vehicles, he offered strong, grounded performances.
During the run of Spin City, Fox went public with his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis. He became an advocate and spokesperson, establishing the Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2000, a not-for-profit focusing on research for a cure. Throughout the early 2000s, he continued to work—mostly guest spots and a few recurring roles. His last major undertaking was the semi-autobiographical The Michael J. Fox Show (2013-2013), an NBC comedy in which he played news anchor Mike Henry who gave up his career due to the same diagnosis. Following his official retirement in 2020, Fox published a memoir, No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality.
Michael J. Fox and his wife Tracy Pollan met on the set of ‘Family Ties’ in 1985. Photo courtesy of Apple TV
Fox received numerous nominations, and among his accolades are Golden Globes, Emmys, and People’s Choice Awards. He met his wife, Tracy Pollan, when she appeared as his girlfriend on Family Ties. The pair married in 1988 and have four children.
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie chronicles Fox’s life and career. It opens with Fox having spent a drunken night with Woody Harrelson. He finds the pinky of his left hand trembling, a harbinger of what is to come. The film embarks on a chronological telling of his story, with present-day Fox commenting on his rise to fame, stardom, diagnosis, and aftermath. First, he is shown as a child in constant movement, then as a reluctant student and “serial fender bender.” He dropped out of school and went to Hollywood with his father’s help. Given his diminutive stature, he landed a series of small guest spots as much younger characters. Finally, Family Ties changed his entire trajectory.
The film follows Fox through the highs and lows, medication, alcoholism (now thirty years sober), intense work schedules, critical successes, and box office disappointments. The actor is forthcoming about his courtship and marriage to Pollan, raising children, and realization of the importance of family, especially after his diagnosis. “I was the boy prince of Hollywood. But it was an illusion.”
Director DavisGuggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth, He Named Me Malala, Waiting for Superman) creates a hybrid of straight documentary and something akin to Behind the Music via True Crime Network. Most of the film is a series of interviews with Fox, sitting at a table, talking directly to the camera. In addition, he interacts with his family and physical therapists. The rest of the documentary comprises film clips from his movies and television shows, sometimes shown in context, other times coopted for emphasis.
In addition, Guggenheim filmsstand-ins for Fox and others over-the-shoulder shots, at a distance, or blurred, with music blaring during these peripatetic sections. Whether they are for contrast or effect is hard to discern.
Where Still succeeds is in the one-on-one conversations with Fox, which fortunately occupy at least fifty percent. The camera is placed straight on with no music or fanfare. The focus remains solely on Fox as he answers the most personal questions. Sometimes, he physically struggles. Other times, he reflects before coming back with a revelation or a quip.
Throughout his illness, he has fallen many times, shattering his cheek and breaking his hand. Philosophically, he retorts, “Gravity is real. Even when I’m falling from my height.” He is seen falling—but also getting back up. Fox appears open, raw, and completely honest.
From the very beginning, the documentary is unflinching. Fox reveals himself as he is: constantly off-balance, with uncontrollable spasms and involuntary movements, moments of freezing, and the sense of what is permanently lost. But his humor bubbles to the surface. “If I’m here twenty years from now, I’ll either be cured or a pickle.”
At one point, he is asked what it is like to be still. He takes a moment, then responds, “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been still.” And while true, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie captures not just the Hollywood icon but an intimate, bold, and uplifting portrait of an extraordinary human being.
The documentary is currently streaming on Apple TV.
A statue of Charles Darwin (and finch) created by sculptor Pablo Eduardo overlooks the harbor on the campus of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Photo courtesy of CSHL
By Tara Mae
Scientific study is a perpetual testimony to the feats and foibles of human nature, intricately intertwined in ways that continue to be excavated by inquiring minds bold enough to imagine.
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), which has largely been a titan in such innovative investigations, will offer a series of walking tours on select weekends from Saturday, May 20, through Sunday, August 27, starting at 10 a.m. The hour and a half long tours will traverse the past, present, and future of the complex and its work therein.
“We are most excited to get people to the Laboratory who have always wondered what goes on here. So many have heard about us, driven by us, read about us, but they have never dug deeper. This walking tour is the chance to learn who we are,” said Caroline Cosgrove, CSHL’s Community Engagement Manager.
Conducted by trained tour guides, including Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, the walks strive to bridge the gap between the physical realm and scientific theory.
“These tours encompass the stunning grounds, the Lab’s history, and our current facilities and work. Community members, whether they have a background and interest in science, can come and learn from current graduate students about the world-renowned work going on in their very backyard,” explained Cosgrove.
Probing CSHL’s ongoing research and program development for plant and quantitative biology, cancer, and neuroscience, the tours will encompass details about its historic and modern architecture, Nobel legacy, and identity evolution. Additionally, these scenic, scholarly strolls explore the practices and procedures of CSHL, with behind-the-scenes sneak peaks into the inner workings of scientific investigation.
“As long as the tour guide’s laboratory is open and available, folks get a walk through and see the student’s own lab station,” Cosgrove said. “Whether it’s a cancer research lab, a neuroscience lab, a plant research lab, you get to see where all the magic happens.”
Established in 1890, CSHL’s North Shore campus is a beacon of biology education, with 52 laboratories and more than 1100 staff from more than 60 countries. Eight scientists associated with CSHL have earned a Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine. This internationally recognized center of scientific research is also a local history and education site, where students of all ages and backgrounds come to study.
“History has been, and will continue to be, made here. Please come get to know us,” said Cosgrove.
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, One Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor offers walking tours on May 20 and 21, June 24 and 25, July 29 and 30 and Aug. 26 and 27 at 10 a.m. Tours begin in the lobby of the Grace Auditorium. Tickets are $5 per person. To order, visit www.cshl.edu/public-events/tour-cshl/. For more information, call 516-367-8800.