Yearly Archives: 2023

Cannabis inspection conducted on Main Street in Port Jeff

by Press Release - January 19, 2023

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PJWebsiteFeatureLogo-700x467 — Graphic from the Village of Port Jefferson website

The New York State Office of Cannabis Management, Suffolk County Police Department and Port Jefferson Village Division of Code Enforcement jointly conducted an inspection on Wednesday, Jan. 18, of a business known as Organically Connected, located at 202 Main Street in Port Jefferson.

The inspection was performed pursuant to OCM regulations. It resulted in the seizure of illicit cannabis products and unauthorized hemp products that are not allowed to be sold in New York state.

OCM advised the business operator to discontinue sales of all nonconforming products or face additional action. Port Jeff Village issued appearance tickets for multiple zoning code violations, which will be prosecuted in Port Jefferson Village Court, officials say.

Deputy Mayor Kathianne Snaden, trustee liaison to the code department, reacted to the incident. “With the advent of new laws regarding cannabis, the [Village of Port Jefferson] Board of Trustees deliberately chose to not allow retail sales within our borders for multiple reasons, not the least of which is to protect our children from the potential harms of the use of marijuana,” Snaden said.

She added, “A store owner choosing to sell such illegal products right on Main Street shows a disregard for our laws and for our residents. We will continue to work with state and county authorities to keep Port Jefferson a safe and enjoyable village, free from illegal sales of marijuana products.”

Mayor Margot Garant thanked Suffolk PD’s 6th Precinct for its assistance and OCM for organizing and executing this joint operation.

Commack’s Gitz gets Smithtown West

by Steven Zaitz - January 19, 2023

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The mighty have officially fallen.

The Commack Boys Basketball team did something nobody had been able to do so far this season – beat the Bulls of Smithtown High School West.

Led by senior guard Mike Gitz, the Cougars dominated the 4th quarter outscoring the Bulls 24-15, in what had been a tight game through three. The final was 68-57.

Gitz had 12 points in that final period, and it was the second time in two games that Commack dominated a 4th quarter to prevail against a quality league opponent. The Cougars beat the Northport Tigers 62-55 last Saturday in what was also a tight game until late.

With the win, Commack pulls into a tie for first place with Smithtown West, widely regarded as one of the top teams on Long Island, both with records of 10-1 in Conference I play. After dropping their opener to Bay Shore six weeks ago, the Cats have now won 10 in a row.

“The kids really executed the game plan tonight and hit some big shots,” said Commack Head Coach Peter Smith. “This was the first of four road games for us in what will be a tough stretch and I’m glad we started it with a huge win.”

Huge was the theme of the night, and herculean the task of containing Smithtown West Center Patrick Burke, who is 6 feet, 8 inches tall. Burke averages 20 points a game. Commack played a defense by committee against Burke with Cougar power forward Ethan Meisel in the role of committee chair.

“I went out there expecting a battle,” Meisel said. “I just kept focusing on keeping him (Burke) out of the paint. I watched a lot of film leading up to this game to learn what moves he would be looking to make and that helped me in stopping him.”

Burke had 19 points but only three in the 4th quarter.

“Ethan did a great job on Patrick,” Smith said. “But I think we played great help defense tonight, bringing over an off guard to try and keep him bottled up.”

Also bottled up, at least in the 1st half, was Cougar junior guard Nick Waga. Not because of great defense by the Bulls, but because he picked up two early fouls and Smith decided to let him sit.

But the fiery Waga started the 2nd half with a bang. With West leading 26-23, he came off a backdoor curl to hit a corner three and tie the game just 10 seconds into the 3rd quarter. That hoop was his first points of the game.

Waga would finish with 12 points in the quarter, the last three of which coming on a buzzer-beating three pointer to give Commack a 44-42 lead heading into the deciding fourth. He started and ended the period the same way — with long range bombs.

“I had fresh legs and wanted to bring a bunch of energy,” said the 6 foot, 1 inch tall Waga, whose black and blonde wavy coif make him easy to spot on the court. “My teammates motivated me not to put my head down when I was sitting in the first half and we all kept pushing each other to get this win.”

As it was Waga who had fresh legs in the third, it was Gitz who caught fire in the fourth. He hit a runner in the lane to start the period and on the next possession faked out his defender Lorenzo Rappa so badly that Rappa flew in the opposite direction and was absorbed by pick-setting Cougar Chris McHugh, as Gitz casually hit a wide-open three.

It gave the Cougars a seven-point lead and this move, that drew “oohs” and “aahs” from both Cougar and Bull fans alike, might have been the death blow to Smithtown West’s dreams of an undefeated season. With six and a half minutes remaining, the Bulls called a timeout as the buzz of the crowd was still loud enough to drown out West’s pep band.

“I work on that move a lot,” said Gitz, who led all scorers with 21. “I try to use jabs and pump fakes to get the defenders off balance. It was great to hear the crowd after making that play and both the basket and the crowd was a big swing of momentum for us.”

The momentum would stay with Commack, as West would never recover. The Cougar lead ballooned to 14 with three minutes remaining in the game when Gitz drove past Rappa in the lane for a layup.

The rest of the game rendered a formality, Commack gladly went to the free throw line to seal it, and for the second straight game, they closed out a quality conference foe and arch enemy.

“We stay true to our game plan and execute down the stretch,” said Gitz on his team’s ability finish off opponents. “Plus, I think we want it more.”

Now the Cougars truly have what they wanted – a victory over the number one ranked team in Suffolk County and first place in the league with six games to go. Is he thinking about meeting the Bulls in playoffs next month?

“We are going to enjoy this win tonight and focus on West Islip on Thursday,” Smith said. “The ship keeps on going forward and you hope for the best.”

On this night, Smith and his Cougars not only beat the best, but now find themselves in a position to merit consideration as the best.

Feinstein drops 32 points, leads Mount Sinai Mustangs to victory over Comsewogue

by Bill Landon - January 19, 2023

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It was a battle between two talented scorers Wednesday, Jan. 18, when the Mount Sinai Mustangs came knocking on Comsewogue’s door for a League IV divisional matchup.

Mount Sinai’s Drew Feinstein went head-to-head with Comsewogue’s Hayden Morris-Gray. Feinstein, averaging 26.9 points per game, led the Mustangs with 32 points, lifting his team to a 71-58 road victory.

Dominic Pennzello followed Feinstein with 19 points for the Mustangs, and Derrek Shechter notched another eight.

Morris-Gray topped the scoring chart for the Warriors with 25 points, hitting five triples and five field goals on the day. Teammates Colin Strohm netted 16, and Austin Nesbitt banked 10.

The win lifts Mount Sinai to 7-1, clinching a postseason playoff berth. The loss drops Comsewogue to 7-2, with six games remaining in regular season play.

— Photos by Bill Landon

5 personalized ways to celebrate Galentine’s Day

by TBR Staff - January 19, 2023

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Are you ready to celebrate Galentine’s Day on February 13? Originating from a 2010 episode of the popular TV show, “Parks and Recreation,” Galentine’s Day celebrates some of the most important relationships in our lives: our girlfriends. Over a decade later, the now-official holiday has skyrocketed in popularity. Here are tips on celebrating your gal pals with personalized touches.

1. Batch of Baked Goods. Food is the way to most anyone’s heart, especially when its homemade. Test a new recipe of your gal pal’s favorite dessert; or decorate cakes, cookies or cupcakes with icing in her favorite colors. No matter what you make, the extra effort will show just how much you care.

2. Creative Customized Cards. Everyone knows that gals love a sappy, pull-on-your-heartstrings letter or card. And you can up your card-sending game with a more personalized approach that resonates with the recipient. With the continued evolution of digital greetings, SmashUps and Creatacard from American Greetings have made it easier than ever to create a card just as special and unique as your individual friendships.

Specific friendship-themed ecards include creative options like talking animals or tacos, messages from celebrities, animated folded digital greetings celebrating your “girl gang” and more! They’re sure to entertain, surprise and delight your friends.

SmashUps are smile-inducing, shareable videos that can be highly personalized in a variety of ways, including adding their name or a message into the audio and graphics. With Creatacard, users can replicate the best parts of the offline card-sending experience without the hassle of printing, addressing and postage. In a few easy steps, you can create, personalize and sign your favorite digital cards, then send them to your girlfriends in their preferred way of receiving messages, such as email, text, through a messaging app or social post. Or, print your card from home if the moment calls for that. For that little extra something special, you can even add a gift card.

3. BYOB – Build Your Own Brunch. Brunch is all about spending time together, catching up on life, laughing until your stomach hurts…and of course the plentiful food and drinks. Hosting your Galentine’s Day brunch at home can make for a more cost-effective and customized experience—no reservations required! Make it interesting (and easier for the host) by asking each gal to bring her favorite brunch dish or drink to share, or by prepping and cooking dishes together, all while toasting with a festive mimosa, Bloody Mary or unique mocktail.

4. Mixology with a Twist. If your group of gals is more of an evening crowd, request that each friend brings her own batch of cocktails or mocktails and a snack that follow a given theme. Whether it’s an era (Roaring 20s), a hit movie, a popular show, or one that draws from personal experience, like the “represent your ex” trend on TikTok, the more festive the theme, the more fun the party. You can even tie it all together with an activity, like spa treatments or game night, or dress the part as well.

5. Get Posh with Polaroids. Whatever you choose for you Galentine’s get-together, be sure to capture the moment. And while we love selfies and Insta pics, Polaroids can make cute and creative keepsakes. Whether you’re at home or out on the town, the charming aesthetic and instant gratification of seeing your photo masterpiece is bound to make everyone smile.

While Galentine’s Day started with fictional characters eating waffles at brunch, there are so many personal, intimate ways to celebrate the very real friendships in your life and create long-lasting memories.

— Statepoint

Commack Cougars claw Northport Tigers

by Steven Zaitz - January 19, 2023

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The first three quarters of the Northport Tiger Boys basketball game, Commack had three completely distinct personalities.

The first quarter was essentially a standoff, as the Cougars won it by two. Commack dominated the second quarter, winning it by nine to take a commanding 32-21 lead into halftime.

But Northport made a huge third quarter charge, outscoring Commack 23-11 to take a skinny one-point lead into the fourth quarter.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, the final quarter was all too similar to the second, as Commack — propelled by a strong finish that was led by junior guard Nick Waga — improves to 9-1 in the conference by beating Northport 62-55. They have won nine straight conference games and move into second place behind the undefeated Smithtown West Bulls.

Northport drops to 7-3 in the conference which is good for fourth place in League I. Coupled with last Thursday’s loss to Bay Shore, it was the first time the Tigers have lost back-to-back league games since February of 2019.

Waga led the Cougars 28 points including a huge three pointer with two and half minutes remaining in the game which broke a 52-52 tie. Senior guard Chris McHugh had 14 points and was two rebounds short of a double-double.

Senior swingman Brendan Carr led the Tigers with 22 points, hitting four shots from long range. Junior forward Owen Boylan had all 12 of his points on three pointers.

The Tigers had a non-league game on Sunday against Nassau County’s Sewanhaka, which they won 42-38 and resumed their league schedule against Lindenhurst on Tuesday, Jan 17, and won, 70-25.

Mather Hospital named one of America’s 250 best hospitals for 2023 by Healthgrades

by Press Release - January 19, 2023

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Port Jefferson’s Mather Hospital is one of America’s 250 Best Hospitals for 2023, according to new research released by Healthgrades, the leading marketplace connecting doctors and patients. This achievement puts Mather Hospital in the top five percent of hospitals nationwide for overall clinical performance across the most common conditions and procedures.

“We are honored by this major recognition by Healthgrades of Mather Hospital’s record of clinical excellence” said Mather Hospital Executive Director Kevin McGeachy. “Given the challenges of the last few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, distinctions such as these demonstrate our ongoing commitment to quality patient care.”

Mather Hospital also received the 2023 America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Gastrointestinal Surgery Award™, the 2023 Gastrointestinal Care Excellence Award™, the 2023 Gastrointestinal Surgery Excellence Award™, the 2023 Critical Care Excellence Award™. Mather Hospital also received the Pulmonary Care Excellence Award™ for an 8^th consecutive year (2016-2023) and the Bariatric Surgery Excellence Award™ for a fifth year in a row (2019-2023). In 2022, Mather Hospital was also recognized with the Outstanding Patient Experience Award™ and was among the Top 5 percent of hospitals in the nation for patient experience.

Healthgrades evaluated patient mortality and complication rates for 31 of the most common conditions and procedures at nearly 4,500 hospitals across the country to identify the top-performing hospitals. This year’s analysis revealed significant variation between America’s Best 250 Hospitals and hospitals that did not receive the distinction. In fact, if all hospitals performed similarly to America’s 250 Best, over 160,000 lives could have been saved.* Patients treated at one of the 2023 America’s 250 Best Hospitals have, on average, a 28.7 percent lower risk of dying than if they were treated at a hospital that did not receive the America’s 250 Best Hospitals award.*

Mather Hospital also ranks third in gastrointestinal surgery and fourth for critical care in New York according to a new analysis released by Healthgrades. Mather also received the 2023 America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Gastrointestinal Surgery Award™ and the Critical Care Excellence Award™. To determine this year’s State Ranking recipients, Healthgrades evaluated clinical performance for nearly 4,500 hospitals nationwide focusing on 18 key specialties across a mix of chronic, urgent, and surgical specialty areas.

“Excellence in health care and patient safety are built into the culture at Mather Hospital,” said Chief Medical Officer and Senior VP Joan Faro, MD. “All team members are focused on supporting the practices of a highly reliable organization to achieve our goals. I congratulate our physicians, nurses and all our team members for this prestigious award.”

Mather in 2022 received its third Magnet® Recognition for quality patient care and nursing excellence and was one of only 29 hospitals nationwide to receive the Emergency Nurses Association Lantern Award for demonstrating exceptional and innovative performance in leadership, practice, education, advocacy, and research. Mather also received a gold-level Beacon Award for Excellence for its Critical Care team from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

“We’re proud to recognize Mather Hospital as one of America’s 250 Best Hospitals for 2023,” said Brad Bowman MD, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Data Science at Healthgrades. “As one of America’s 250 Best Hospitals, Mather Hospital consistently delivers better-than-expected outcomes for the patients in their community and is setting a high national standard for clinical excellence.”

Visit Healthgrades.com/quality/americas-best-hospitals for an in-depth look at Mather Hospital’s performance and profile to explore the highest quality care in Port Jefferson today. Consumers can also visit Healthgrades.com for more information on how Healthgrades measures hospital quality, and access the complete methodology here. A patient-friendly overview of the complete methodology is available here.

*Statistics are based on Healthgrades analysis of MedPAR data for years 2019 through 2021 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients only.

# # #

About Mather Hospital

Mather Hospital is an accredited 248-bed, non-profit community teaching hospital dedicated to providing a wide spectrum of high-quality health care services to Suffolk County residents, showing compassion, respect and treating each patient in the manner we would wish for our loved ones. Mather has earned the prestigious Magnet® recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, which recognizes healthcare organizations for quality patient care, nursing excellence and innovations in professional nursing practice. Our Graduate Medical Education program prepares physicians for future careers through Internal Medicine, Transitional Year, Diagnostic Radiology, Interventional Radiology, and Psychiatry residency programs and gastroenterology and hematology/oncology fellowships. Mather was

rated high performing by U.S. News & World Report hospital rankings in heart failure, geriatrics, kidney failure, orthopedics, hip fracture, COPD, and urology. For information about Mather Hospital, visit matherhospital.org or follow us @MatherHospital on Facebook.

About Northwell Health
Northwell Health is New York State’s largest health care provider and private employer, with 21 hospitals, about 900 outpatient facilities and more than 12,000 affiliated physicians. We care for over two million people annually in the New York metro area and beyond, thanks to philanthropic support from our communities. Our 83,000 employees – 18,900 nurses and 4,900 employed doctors, including members of Northwell Health Physician Partners – are working to change health care for the better. We’re making breakthroughs in medicine at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. We’re training the next generation of medical professionals at the visionary Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. For information on our more than 100 medical specialties, visit Northwell.edu and follow us @NorthwellHealth on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

About Healthgrades

Healthgrades is dedicated to empowering stronger and more meaningful connections between patients and their healthcare providers. As the #1 platform for finding a doctor and a leader in healthcare transparency, we help millions of consumers each month find and schedule appointments with their healthcare professional of choice and prepare for their appointments with best-in-class, treatment-focused content.

Our health system, large group practice, and life sciences marketing solutions have been helping our partners reach and engage consumers who are on their way to the doctor for over 20 years.

Healthgrades is part of RVO Health, a partnership between Red Ventures and Optum, part of UnitedHealth Group. RVO Health has the largest consumer health and wellness audience online across its brand portfolio including Healthgrades, Healthline, Medical News Today, Greatist, Psych Central, Bezzy and Platejoy which touch every part of the health and wellness journey. Each month, RVO Health helps more than 100 million unique visitors live their strongest and healthiest lives.

New York State Dept. of Labor receives $9.1 million grant

by Press Release - January 19, 2023

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laptop-g4e0e47b40_1920 — Photo from Pixabay

The New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) announced on Jan. 18 that it was awarded a $9.1 million grant from the U.S Department of Labor (USDOL) to promote equitable access to New York’s Unemployment Insurance (UI) program. The equity grant, part of the American Rescue Plan Act, will fund projects designed to break down barriers to UI services. Potential barriers to be addressed specifically include those related to race, ethnicity, language proficiency, literacy, disability status, socioeconomic status, geographic location, or other systemic barriers. The funding will help NYSDOL continue its ongoing effort to make sure all New Yorkers, especially those in underserved communities, are able to tap into critical support and have access to UI benefits.

“I thank the Biden Administration for providing this equity grant to help us ensure that every New Yorker is able to access the services they need during tough economic times,” said New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon. “This grant will provide critical funding to advance our ongoing efforts to modernize our Unemployment Insurance system and enhance the customer experience to ensure we break down potential barriers to benefits.”

NYSDOL will use the funding to build on its ongoing equity and accessibility projects to make it easier for New Yorkers to discover, learn about, and access UI services. NYSDOL will also review application instructions and simplify language to reduce confusion and prevent improper payments. There will also be a focus on improving access for those who are hearing and visually impaired. NYSDOL continuously strives to be inclusive and accessible for all New Yorkers.

This grant was administered by USDOL’s Employment and Training Administration and corresponds with USDOL’s August 2021 announcement of the availability of up to $260 million in grants for states to promote equitable access to unemployment insurance benefits. To date, USDOL has announced $166 million in funds awarded to 32 states and the District of Columbia.

For more information, visit USDOL’s Employment and Training Administration webpage.

Wanted for Commack Petit Larceny

Police & Fire

by Press Release - January 19, 2023

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0-4 — Do you recognize this woman? Photo from SCPD

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Fourth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate a woman who allegedly stole from a Commack store in December.

A woman allegedly stole assorted merchandise from Target, located at 98 Veterans Memorial Highway, at 10 a.m. on Dec. 1.

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, utilizing a mobile app which can be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play by searching P3 Tips, or online at www.P3Tips.com. All calls, text messages and emails will be kept confidential.

Wanted for Commack Petit Larceny

Police & Fire

by Press Release - January 19, 2023

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0-3 — Do you recognize this man? Photo from SCPD

Just released! Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Fourth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate a man who allegedly stole from a Commack store in November.

A man allegedly stole appliances, formula and clothing from Target, located at 98 Veterans Memorial Highway, at 7:58 p.m. on November 18. The merchandise was valued at approximately $590.

Father, son arrested for animal cruelty; 26 cats seized in Islip

by Press Release - January 19, 2023

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Suffolk County Police arrested a father and son for multiple counts of animal cruelty after
more than two dozen cats were found in hoarding conditions at their residence in Islip on Jan. 17.

Suffolk County Police Third Precinct Crime Section officers responded to the home on Lake St. in Islip
following reports of animal cruelty. Officers observed several loose cats outside the residence and
noticed a strong ammonia odor coming from inside the residence.

The cats inside the residence were overcrowded, with sparse food and no water. Investigators seized five
cages and two containers containing 26 cats. The cats were brought to the Islip Animal Shelter for
evaluation.

Following an investigation, Gary Verga, 72, and Daniel Verga, 39, were arrested on January 17 at
approximately 7:20 p.m. They were each charged with ten counts of Failing to Provide Proper
Sustenance to an Animal and ten counts of Failing to Provide Proper Food and Drink to an Impounded
Animal, under the Agriculture and Markets Law. They were issued Desk Appearance Tickets and are
scheduled for arraignment at First District Court in Central Islip on January 19.

Third Precinct Crime Section officers were assisted by the Biological Environmental Animal Safety
Team (BEAST), the Islip Town Fire Marshal, Islip Town Building Inspector, Islip Town HAZMAT and
the Islip Fire Department.

A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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Yearly Archives: 2023

Cannabis inspection conducted on Main Street in Port Jeff

Commack’s Gitz gets Smithtown West

Feinstein drops 32 points, leads Mount Sinai Mustangs to victory over Comsewogue

5 personalized ways to celebrate Galentine’s Day

Commack Cougars claw Northport Tigers

Mather Hospital named one of America’s 250 best hospitals for 2023 by Healthgrades

New York State Dept. of Labor receives $9.1 million grant

Wanted for Commack Petit Larceny

Wanted for Commack Petit Larceny

Father, son arrested for animal cruelty; 26 cats seized in Islip

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