Yearly Archives: 2024

Medical Compass: It’s not really about the salt shaker

by David Dunaief - May 4, 2024

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Sodium’s effects are insidious

By David Dunaief, M.D.

Most of us consume far too much sodium. Americans consume an average of 3400 mg per day, well over the recommended 2300 mg per day recommended upper limit for those who are 14 and over (1). These consumption numbers are even higher for some demographics. It’s become such a health problem that the FDA is getting involved, working with food manufacturers and restaurants to drive these numbers down (2).

Why all the concern? Because even if we don’t have hypertension, sodium can have a dramatic impact on our health.

Sodium is everywhere, including in foods that don’t taste salty. Bread products are among the worst offenders. Other foods with substantial amounts of sodium include cold cuts and cured meats, cheeses, pizza, poultry, soups, pastas, sauces and, of course, snack foods. Packaged foods and those prepared by restaurants are where most of our consumption occurs.

On the flip side, only about two percent of people get enough potassium from their diets (3). According to the National Institutes of Health, adequate intake of potassium is between 2600 mg and 3400 mg for adult women and men, respectively.

What is the relationship between sodium and potassium?

A high sodium-to-potassium ratio increases our risk of cardiovascular disease by 46 percent, according to a 15-year study of more than 12,000 (4). To improve our overall health, we need to shift the sodium-to-potassium balance so that we consume more potassium and less sodium. And if you struggle with – or are at risk for – high blood pressure, this approach could help you win the battle.

Why lower your sodium consumption?

Two studies illustrate the benefits of reducing sodium in high blood pressure and normotensive (normal blood pressure) patients, ultimately preventing cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke.

The first was a meta-analysis that evaluated data from 34 randomized clinical trials, totaling more than 3,200 participants. It demonstrated that salt reduction from 9-to-12 grams per day to 5-to-6 grams per day had a dramatic effect. Blood pressure was reduced by a significant mean of −4.18 mm Hg systolic (top number) and −2.06 mm Hg diastolic (bottom number) involving both normotensive and hypertensive participants (5).

When looking solely at hypertensive patients, the reduction was even greater, with a systolic blood pressure reduction of −5.39 mm Hg and a diastolic reduction of −2.82 mm Hg. The researchers believe that the more we reduce the salt intake, the greater the effect of reducing blood pressure. The authors recommend further reduction to 3 grams per day as a long-term target for the population and concluded that the effects on blood pressure will most likely result in a decrease in cardiovascular disease.

In the second study, a meta-analysis of 42 clinical trials including both adults and children, there was a similarly significant reduction in both systolic and diastolic blood pressures (6). Both demographics saw a blood pressure reduction, although the effect was greater in adults. Interestingly, an increase in sodium caused a 24 percent increased risk of stroke incidence but, more importantly, a 63 percent increased risk of stroke mortality. The risk of mortality from heart disease was increased alongside an increase in sodium, as well, by 32 percent.

Can you consume too little sodium?

Some experts warn that too-low sodium levels can be a problem. While this is true, it’s very rare, unless you take medication or have a health condition that depletes sodium. We hide sodium everywhere, so even if you don’t use a salt shaker, you’re probably consuming more than the recommended amount of sodium.

Why is potassium consumption important?

In a meta-analysis involving 32 studies, results showed that as the amount of potassium was increased, systolic blood pressure decreased significantly (7). When foods containing 3.5 to 4.7 grams of potassium were consumed, there was an impressive −7.16 mm Hg reduction in systolic blood pressure with high blood pressure patients. Anything more than this amount of potassium did not provide additional benefit. Increased potassium intake also reduced the risk of stroke by 24 percent.

Blood pressure reduction was greater with increased potassium consumption than with sodium restriction, although this was not a head-to-head comparison. The good news is that it’s easy to increase your potassium intake; it’s found in many whole foods and is richest in fruits, vegetables, beans and legumes.

The bottom line: decrease your sodium intake and increase potassium intake from foods. First, consume less sodium, and give yourself a brief period to adapt — it takes about six weeks to retrain your taste buds. You can also improve your odds by increasing your dietary potassium intake, striking a better sodium-to-potassium balance.

References:

(1) Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2019 Mar. (2) fda.gov. (3) nih.gov. (4) Arch Intern Med. 2011;171(13):1183-1191. (5) BMJ. 2013 Apr 3;346:f1325. (6) BMJ. 2013 Apr 3;346:f1326. (7) BMJ. 2013; 346:f1378.

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 or consult your personal physician.

Shoreham-Wading River Wildcats wipe out Westhampton Beach Hurricanes

by Samantha Rutt - May 4, 2024

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By Bill Landon

The Wildcats of Shoreham-Wading River paid a visit to Westhampton Beach for a Division II lacrosse matchup Thursday, April 25. On paper it looked as if it should have been a close game. The Hurricanes scored first in the first 45 seconds to take the early lead, but the Wildcats rattled off six unanswered goals before Westhampton could arrest the Wildcats scoring frenzy to trail 7-2 at the halftime break.

Alex Kershis dished the ball to his brother Liam Kershis who split the pipes to put the Wildcats out front 8-2 in the opening minute of the third quarter. Sophomore attack Andrew Cimino stretched the net for his hat trick to put the Wildcats ahead 9-3 at the seven-minute mark of the third quarter. Liam Kershis struck again for his fourth goal of the game, then made it five to give the Wildcats an 11-4 lead.

First-year varsity player Noah Gregorek, an eighth grader, rattled off back-to-back goals as the Wildcats throttled the game clock for the 16-6 victory.

Liam Kershis led the way for the Wildcats with five goals and five assists, Gregorek notched three goals and two assists, and Cimino netted three with one assist.

Senior goalie and Fairfield commit, Jaden Galfano, had 11 saves in net.

Perspective: Be a neighbor helping neighbor through your local fire or ambulance department

by wpengine - May 4, 2024

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By Ed Romaine

Suffolk County has 109 volunteer fire departments and 28 EMS agencies with more than 13,000 active men and women firefighters and EMS personnel. Each year they respond to thousands of calls, never knowing what they will face as they leave their homes — saving countless lives and protecting homes and businesses in our communities.

But these departments need help. Suffolk County is currently part of an aggressive recruitment and retention drive for new volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel. It is easy to take for granted that someone will swiftly come when you dial 911. Over the past two decades, our region’s recruitment has fallen behind, leaving those that remain burdened with extra responsibilities to shoulder.

The government has been working to provide more incentives to those who are interested in becoming a part of their local fire or ambulance department.

Despite what may appear as a difficult endeavor, it has never been a better time to be a volunteer firefighter or EMS personnel. Through a combination of local, state and county programs, volunteers receive property tax reduction, New York State income tax benefits, free health care checkups, free insurance, college tuition reimbursement and service pensions as well as free equipment and training.

Recently, the state income tax benefit was expanded, and the service pension was enhanced for EMTs. With rising medical costs, the value of health care and routine checkups has only increased. We will continue to work with state and local governments to expand these benefits wherever possible.

Firefighters are the heart of our communities. Whether it is in the scope of their official duties or through the many ways they charitably enhance our communities, the fire department is never out of the beat with the community.

Volunteers point to the camaraderie, lifelong friendships and professional development as reasons for joining and staying.

It has never been easier to join your local fire department. A visit to the website suffolksbravest.com will provide all the information you need to start your journey. If you have a passion for serving your community and are willing and able, now is the time to heed the call.

Ed Romaine (R) is the Suffolk County executive.

SBU’s Ellen Pikitch wins Freudenthal Research Award

by Daniel Dunaief - May 4, 2024

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Elllen Pikitch — Ellen Pikitch. Photo by Tyler Mooney

By Daniel Dunaief

Five decades after graduating from John Dewey High School in Coney Island, Ellen Pikitch recently received an award from a group founded by one of her high school teachers.

Lou Siegel, one of the founders and Nassau County Director of the New York State Marine Education Association (NYSMEA), helped present the Hugo and Anita Freudenthal Award for contributions to furthering scientists’ understanding of the marine environment to his former student by zoom on April 20th.

“It’s wonderful when you have students that follow the same interests that you’ve had,” said Siegel. “Not only has she done excellent work in the field, but she worked to popularize it and to get it out to the general public.”

Endowed Professor of Ocean Conservation Science in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University, Pikitch, who grew up in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, a short train ride from the New York Aquarium, and who said she knew she wanted to be a marine biologist “from the time I was born,” has tackled marine conservation issues from several perspectives.

Anita Freudenthal and the late Hugo Freudenthal, who died in 2021. Photo courtesy of NYSMEA

Pikitch, Distinguished Professor Christopher Gobler and Associate Professor Bradley Peterson worked to restore Shinnecock Bay by planting filter feeders such as hard clams and oysters and reseeding seagrass beds, which have cleaned the waters and prevented the appearance of brown tides. For at least five years, Shinnecock Bay hasn’t had any brown tides, breaking a decades-long cycle.

Indeed, Mission Blue named Shinnecock Bay, which is home to a range of biodiversity including dolphins, a wide variety of fish and birds and, occasionally, sharks, as the first Hope Spot in the state of New York. Other Hope Spots include global attractions such as The Galapagos Islands, the Sargasso Sea and the Ross Sea in Antarctica.

At the same time, Pikitch has been involved in numerous efforts on a global scale to conserve ocean regions through Marine Protected Areas. Working with a group of 42 scientists, she helped develop a framework to understand, plan, establish, evaluate and monitor marine protected areas.

Pikitch is following in the footsteps of the Freudenthals for whom the award and recognition is named, as the married couple were involved in a range of local, national and global projects.

Hugo Freudenthal was “the first person to recognize the symbiotic relationship between algae and corals,” said Pikitch. He was also involved in the creation of the first space toilet, designed in the 1970’s for the Skylab, which was America’s first space station and the first crewed research lab in space.

In an amusing presentation called “Turds in Space” at the Experimental Aircraft Association three years ago that is available online at Turds In Space by Hugo D Freudenthal, PhD, Freudenthal explained how he helped design a toilet that would work in zero gravity, which, he said, “was one of the few things on Skylab that worked perfectly.”

The toilet had a soft seat, which was like a saddle, that was lined with holes on the outside and had vectored air coming in from the sides, which brought the feces down into a collection device, the late Hugo Freudenthal described in the video.

Anita Freudenthal, meanwhile, was the first female marine biologist in Nassau County. She also taught and did research at C.W. Post.

“Both of them were accomplished,” said Pikitch. “I’m excited and honored to have received [the award].”

Humble origins

The granddaughter of immigrants who didn’t speak English, Pikitch came from humble origins, as her parents had high school educations.

Pikitch volunteered at the New York Aquarium during high school, where her job was to stand in front of the shark tank and talk about sand tiger sharks.

Living near the aquarium, which is on the beach in Coney Island, strengthened her interest in marine biology. During summer in her childhood, Pikitch and her family took day trips near and in the water, which cultivated her love of the ocean.

Despite her passion for marine biology, Pikitch came from limited means. She credits her high school teachers, including Siegel and math teacher David Hankin for directing her to pursue degrees in higher education.

Ongoing work

For five years, Pikitch has been using eDNA to study biodiversity in various aquatic habitats.

With eDNA, scientists take environmental DNA from water samples that contain the genetic material shed from scales, fins, tissues, secretions and oils of the organisms living in the water. The genetic material generally lasts about 12 to 24 hours in shallow, warm water.

Environmental DNA has numerous benefits, including that it doesn’t disrupt the ecosystem by removing or harming individuals and it collects DNA from fish and other aquatic organisms that might otherwise be too small, too large or too quick for a trawling net to capture them.

Hugo & Anita Freudenthal Research Award. Photo courtesy of NYSMEA

Through an eDNA sample, Pikitch was surprised to find DNA from a basking shark, which is the second largest living shark after the whale shark.

She and other scientists saw a picture in a local newspaper of a basking shark soon after the eDNA sample revealed its presence.

To be sure, an eDNA sample, could, theoretically, include DNA from species outside the range of a sampled environment. Pikitch uses multiple survey methods besides eDNA.

Indeed, she plans to submit a few manuscripts that are in the works later this year that will compare the range of biodiversity from eDNA samples with the species collected from trawling.

This fall, she’s planning to use high tech equipment that has never been used together before, deploying an uncrewed surface vehicle (or USV) to collect and analyze samples.

Powered by solar energy, the USV doesn’t emit any greenhouse gases and is self-righting, which means that a hurricane could knock it over and, like a Weebles Wobble, it would adjust back to a vertical position in the water.

Pikitch hopes to collect samples off the waters of the Shinnecock Nation. She is involved in consultations with the Shinnecock Nation and is optimistic about a fall collaboration.

Pikitch hopes the eDNA sensor expedition will provide a proof of concept that will encourage other scientists to bring this technology out to remote areas of the ocean, which could help address questions of where to create and monitor the biodiversity of other marine protected areas.

As for the award, Siegel, who helped found the NYSMEA in the same year Pikitch graduated from high school 50 years ago, understands the excitement of the student-teacher connection from the student side as well. Anita and Hugo Freudenthal were his professors at C.W. Post when he earned a master’s in Marine Science.

“It’s like a family tree,” Siegel explained.

Port Jeff school budget and village parking take spotlight at trustees meeting

by Lynn Hallarman - May 4, 2024

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Trustees meeting 4-24-24 — Photo by Lynn Hallarman

By Lynn Hallarman

During the April 24 Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees meeting, discussions surrounding the Port Jefferson school district budget for the year 2024-25 and the new village parking initiative took center stage.

School budget

Deputy Superintendent Sean Leister provided a detailed overview of the school district’s financial landscape, emphasizing ongoing challenges. These challenges include an uncertain timeline for resolving the Child Victims Act litigation and decreases in revenue due to the LIPA glide path agreement.

Leister reported that the Board of Education deliberated extensively on budget allocations for the upcoming year, focusing on necessary construction projects. Due to budget constraints, the school board approved four projects totaling $1 million. These projects relate to demolishing a no-longer-habitable high school portable classroom, renovating the high school orchestra room, renovating the elementary school pool and continuing a roofing project.

Reduced enrollment prompted reductions in staff positions, amounting to 3.6 full-time equivalent positions.

“I don’t say this lightheartedly for any reduction for a staff member is tough, but someone may be reduced from 100% to 80% meaning going from five classes to four,” Leister said.

The budget breakdown highlighted that 77% of the district’s funding goes to salaries and benefits.

“Once you take into account collective bargaining agreements, state regulations and state mandates, of this whole budget probably only about 4% is controllable,” he said.

Leister noted increases for the coming year in medical insurance (10%), liability insurance (4%), teacher retirement insurance (9.76%-10.25%) and utilities (4%).

Mayor Lauren Sheprow sought clarity on the reserve funds in the budget presentation. Leister indicated that the presentation did not explicitly state the details of the reserve funds. However, residents can find information about the funds on the district’s website. Leister summarized for the mayor a general breakdown of the reserve into six parts that comprise a fund for workers compensation, unemployment insurance, spikes in the retirement system, the teachers and civil service unions, and capital projects.

“Right now, our capital reserve fund is $3.1 million. We use that to do different capital projects. The way we fund it is when we have a surplus at the end of a given year — the board will pass a motion to fund that reserve up to no more than $1.5 million each year,” Leister said.

Trustee Drew Biondo asked, “Is there any working group going on to bring the community in and talk about what we are doing as a district as our enrollment drops and how we maintain our services?”

Sheprow responded, “In fact, the village created a school district interactive working group in response to taxpayer feedback about this issue. My perspective is that it is about building trust with community members to show that you are listening to them and being fiscally responsible.”

The 2024-25 second draft budget is projected at $48,018,335 ($47,066,099 in 2023-24), an increase of 2.02%.

The total amount of taxes levied by the school district for the 2024-25 academic year is estimated at $39.8 million ($39.3 million), a 1.24% increase.

The vote for or against the 2024-25 budget will be held at the Earl L. Vandermeulen High School cafeteria on Tuesday, May 21.

Managed parking

Andrew Freleng, director of the Building & Planning Department, reported on the progress of the newly-implemented parking management system. His presentation reviewed the village’s recent effort to streamline its parking infrastructure and improve user experience. The new system departs from previous practices, informed by operational recommendations from the parking committee.

The initiative kicked off with the removal of redundant signage and simplified messaging. The new system also retooled pay stations to emphasize functionality and user experience.

Freleng emphasized the use of empirical data to inform operational decision-making. The overall approach is to refine the parking management strategy over time in response to data-driven outcomes such as revenue generated and community feedback.

Managed parking in the village began April 15. Homeowners must each renew their virtual permit to park for free in village lots every two years. Renters renew every year.

Photo of the Week

by TBR Staff - May 4, 2024

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QUINTESSENTIAL LONG ISLAND

John Dielman of East Setauket snapped this beautiful photo at sunset on April 24 at West Meadow Beach in Stony Brook.

Send your Photo of the Week to [email protected]

Shelter Pet of the Week: Sugar

by Heidi Sutton - May 4, 2024

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MEET SUGAR!

She’s Sugar, spice and everything nice! Sugar is a delightfully sweet, and petite, chocolate-colored Min-Pin (Miniature Pinscher and Boston Terrier) Mix. This six year old girl’s journey began under some very unfortunate circumstances, originally rescued by the Smithtown Animal Shelter from a terrible breeding situation where she was used, neglected, and discarded. After medical care for being malnourished and dehydrated, this tiny survivor was later adopted… only to be returned to the shelter two years later due to her fears when it comes to meeting new people. This poor girl has been failed by humans her entire life… and we are determined to find her a real happy furr-ever EVER happy ending!

As a result of all Sugar has endured, it takes her some time and understanding to warm up to people. The key to earning Sugar’s trust is simple; a little compassion, patience and understanding. She appreciates receiving doggy treats, which helps her to learn that there are good humans out there who are loving and want to care for her. This Sugar-Pie is highly intelligent and loves to learn. She is also energetic and eager to please.

Sugar can become protective of her people, however she will listen when corrected. She would be best suited in a quiet home with no other pets or children. Let’s get her story out to the world far and wide… if you’re not the right person for this sweetheart, you can still help by sharing her story on Social Media and with friends, neighbors and family.

If you are interested in meeting Sugar, please fill out an application and schedule a date/time to properly interact in a domestic setting, which includes a Meet and Greet Room, the dog runs, and a Dog Walk trail.

The Town of Smithtown Animal & Adoption Shelter is located at 410 Middle Country Road, Smithtown. Visitor hours are 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.

Northport Lady Tigers lax team keeps foot on the gas

by Steven Zaitz - May 3, 2024

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By Steven Zaitz

The unstoppable Northport Lady Tigers lacrosse express rolled over its most recent opponent, the Walt Whitman Wildcats, 17-4 on Monday, April 29.

Under twilight skies and a small spit of raindrops, Northport stormed out to an 8-0 lead after the first quarter as sophomore attacker Kate Atkinson had two goals and three assists. Senior offensive machine Julia Huxtable, lurking around her office behind the net, benefited from Atkinson’s generosity with two goals, as did fellow senior Christina Lauro, who had two goals in the first 12 minutes — Atkinson assisted on one of those as well.

Senior midfielder Kennedy Radziul won 84% of her faceoffs and was blazing up and down the center of the field, controlling the ball and the tempo of the game. Northport dominated in the time of possession by an almost 2:1 margin.

Radziul had two goals from in close, the first of which came with just one second remaining in the first half, giving the Tigers an 11-1 lead.

Atkinson had four goals and four assists for the game, her teammate Huxtable had three goals and freshman phenom Riley Cash also had three for the game. Legendary coach Carol Rainson-Rose substituted liberally in the second half. Senior Kayleen Mulry came off the bench to net a pair and freshman Meg Florio got one with three minutes left in the game to finish out the scoring.

Northport, the reigning county champion, is now 10-0 in league play. Its last loss to a division opponent was almost a year ago, on May 5, 2023, to Commack. The Tigers faced those same Lady Cougars on May 1, but the results of that match were not available at press time.

Northport and Commack are both 10-0 and leading Suffolk Division I with William Floyd and Ward Melville a game behind at 9-1, as these four superpowers careen toward the playoffs. After their Tiger-Cougar catfight, only three games remain in the regular season.

Obituary: Jacqueline Ann Haggerty

Obituaries

by TBR Staff - May 3, 2024

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PREPARED BY TIMOTHY HAGGERTY

Jacqueline Ann Haggerty, 89, passed away Saturday, April 6, in Simsbury, Connecticut.

Jackie was born in Flushing, Queens, to Mathilda and John Brown in 1934. She attended the School of Nursing at St. Luke’s Hospital in New York City, where she met Denis Haggerty, who was attending Columbia University.

Jackie later received her bachelor’s degree in public and community health from St. Joseph’s University. She enjoyed a second career as a Girl Scout camp nurse in New York, Massachusetts and Wyoming. She sang at a Papal Mass in Rome with her church choir. An avid member of the League of Women Voters, she also helped found a nursery school and volunteered for a variety of community groups.

Jacqueline is predeceased by her husband, Denis; her son, Christopher; and daughter, Mary Lynn King. She is survived by her sons, Peter and Timothy, as well as her granddaughters, Caroline and Kathleen King and Gina and Jessie DeMarco, and her great-grandson, Enzo Penna.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. James R.C. Church in Setauket on May 17 at 10:45 a.m. followed by a burial. Donations may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation at www.jdrf.org.

Letters to the Editor: May 2, 2024

by TBR Staff - May 3, 2024

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letters_page-scaled-1-700x467-1-1 — File photo by Raymond Janis

Stony Brook, world-class medicine

There are many benefits to living in the Three Village area, and access to world-class medicine is one of them. I learned that when I made an unplanned trip to Stony Brook University Hospital via the emergency room. Being in the hospital is no picnic but what I encountered at Stony Brook was overwhelming and mind-boggling, in a very good way.

From the moment I arrived in ER, I knew I was in right place. Comprehensive care was administered immediately, and this continued throughout my stay. Every member of the health care team, from doctors, nurses, nursing supervisors, aides, technicians and staff who performed diagnostic tests, treated me with the utmost kindness and compassion, even though I may have been a train wreck at times.

Stony Brook’s advanced infrastructure and specialized capabilities are legendary, and I experienced firsthand that the level of expertise of their doctors and staff is on par with those standards of excellence. Specifically, I must commend the physicians of the Stony Brook Heart Institute and North Suffolk Cardiology, who worked collaboratively to deliver cutting-edge medicine.

The entire operation at Stony Brook was first rate and reached the heights of optimal patient care. Everyone I encountered was exceptionally polite, and even the food was good. We are certainly fortunate to have several excellent area hospitals to choose from. In this case, I’m glad I headed to Stony Brook.

Alan Golnick

Stony Brook

Please don’t be late to the East Beach bluff ball again

I have been privy to the changes of Port Jefferson’s East Beach bluff health over four-and-a-half decades that have not previously received emphasis. Initially, the bluff was stable with healthy vegetation to absorb storm runoff from the blacktop, tennis courts and clubhouse. The western jetty entering Mount Sinai Harbor prevented beach sand from washing into the harbor.

After a number of storms 15-20 years ago, the jetty was destroyed and we watched the beach sand progressively wash into the harbor, taking the bluff with it. It took until 2020 to reconstruct part of the jetty. This delay led to the loss of much of our beach, an undermining of the bluff at its base and loss of its erosion-protecting vegetation. This was caused more by negligence than the 15 years (0.27 inches) of tide rise.

To make matters worse, deforestation for future pickleball courts at the west end of the parking lot destroyed the vegetation that gave protection from parking runoff during storms and led to additional bluff erosion. Since the jetty’s reconstruction — and after subsequent replacement of beach sand from inlet dredging — our beach is continually restoring itself with accumulation of new sand.

Phase 1 constructed a seawall on half of the eroding bluff and was highly successful in preventing undermining, but it can’t prevent ongoing undermining along the now-unvegetated bluff where no seawall was constructed, nor prevent unprotected drainage erosion from above.

I believe insufficient attention has been given to the latter, which was responsible for the recent storm damage in two areas. It is apparent that we need to quickly remediate the huge nonabsorbent parking lots and tennis court surfaces that surround the clubhouse. With neither huge grants nor the need for extensive approvals, I wonder why we cannot emergently mitigate by converting blacktop parking to absorbent gravel surfaces, redirecting stormwater inland into storm drains, vegetating where tennis courts now exist, and giving serious thought to the village trustee Stan Loucks’ “retreat plan.”

Let there be no doubt, this problem was initiated by not tending to prompt reconstruction of the fallen jetty and subsequent loss of bluff protection from poorly-managed storm drainage above. Now that the ongoing loss of the beach has been reversed with jetty reconstruction, we need to save the bluff with completion of the seawall below, mitigate the nonabsorbent surfaces above — and stop ignoring reality.

Al Cossari

Port Jefferson

Advocating local Recycle and Save programs

As we look at our high rates of waste generation — close to 5 pounds per day per person on Long Island — it is good to explore ways to bring this number down. One of the alternatives that many communities have adopted is Recycle and Save programs which used to be called Pay As You Throw. The advantage of this approach is that it has greatly reduced the rate of individual waste disposal.

Since this would be a radical change in our area, it is best for us to plan over a three-year period in multiple stages.

First stage is training: This would involve training for the waste management staffs, the various town councils, and committees that would be established in each town and village.

Second stage is special topics and challenges: This would involve research on specific issues of concern to our communities, such as which items can be recycled and how and where they are to be recycled.

Third stage is data collection: This would involve surveys of our citizens to reveal their attitudes, behaviors and acceptability.

Fourth stage is behavior change: This is accomplished through publicity and the creation of a comprehensive and explicit website. I would recommend the one that was created by the Alameda County Department of Waste Management in California. The county has decreased its rate to 1.6 pounds of waste per day per person.

This approach moves us in the direction of zero waste and is long overdue in our area. Many communities in the United States have been embracing this policy since the 1980s.

John J. McNamara

Rocky Point

RIP

It’s time “Lady Justice” removes her blindfold, as our nation perishes. “God bless America,” from a veteran of World War 2 and the Greatest Generation.

Leonard J. Henderson

Port Jefferson

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