CLOSE

Yearly Archives: 2024

by -
0 1306
Stock photo

Suffolk County Police arrested the former employee of a Dix Hills residential facility on Jan. 20 for allegedly having sex with a teenage resident.

Hayden Daley, who was an employee of WellLife Network, located at 43 Arista Drive, allegedly began a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old resident at the facility on July 3. Daley, who is no longer employed at the facility, continued the sexual relationship with the teen.

Second Squad Detectives arrested Daley, 27, of Deer Park, and charged him with two counts of Rape 2nd Degree, two counts of Criminal Sex Act 2nd Degree, and two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child. He is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip today.

Detectives are asking anyone with information on this case or believes they may be a victim of Daley to contact the Second Squad at 631-854-8252.

by -
0 983
1 of 2
Photo courtesy Frank Acosta
Photo courtesy Frank Acosta

By Aramis Khorso

Six years ago, Navy veteran Fred Acosta created a children’s card game called Red Light Green Light. His invention would, in the following years, go on to sell on an international scale. 

The 76-year-old game inventor claimed that the secret to creating successful children’s games is “to have a good sense of humor.” He has been inventing all sorts of innovations for roughly 40 years with his brother, Nick Acosta. Both of the brothers were born in Brooklyn where they were raised. They eventually both served in the U.S. Army in the Vietnam War — Fred in the Navy and his brother in the Marines. 

Fred Acosta shared how tight-knit he and his brother are. Acosta explained how he and his brother are “partners” in almost everything. 

It seems that being an inventor runs through Fred Acosta’s blood. His father and both his brothers all share the common passion of innovating creations. According to Acosta, this familial talent hadn’t manifested itself until after he and his brother served in the Vietnam War. “When you’re an inventor, you’re an inventor 24/7,” Acosta said. “You’re always looking for something to improve upon.” 

When Acosta returned home from the war, he got married, had a family and in 1981 moved to Port Jefferson. Acosta didn’t start making games officially until he was 36. “When you’ve got a family, you have to support them,” he said. Acosta outlined the various struggles he faced in pursuit of his passion: “An inventor can’t make money unless he sells an idea — it’s very hard, you’d be surprised.”

In respect to his game Red Light Green Light, Acosta admitted that he thought the key to the success of his game was because of its design carefully catered toward children. “It’s very popular because it’s extremely simple,” he said. “It’s also quick, so kids don’t get bored playing it.” The inspiration for the impressively rated game “just came” to Acosta who explained his spark of inspiration by saying “I’m a natural inventor.” Red Light Green Light has stunning reviews on Amazon and can be found at Kohl’s and Walmart. 

While making a nice profit, it seems the success of Acosta’s creation carries a more sentimental reward for him. After many years of inventing games and dealing with the struggles a profession such as his brings, success is something heavy with importance for him. 

“We’re in our 70s and we’re selling card games, you know?” said Acosta, referring to his brother and himself. “You’re never too old to create something successful.” Acosta is not only a game creator but he has also invented all sorts of different gadgets, some artwork and even done graphic designing. 

Now, Acosta lives with his large family of three children and nine grandchildren in Port Jefferson. Even after his big success, Acosta is pursuing his passion and intends on creating more games in the future. He said he still previews his game inventions with his grandchildren before the games are sent out into the market. 

by -
0 2481
Dan Panico, alongside his family, being sworn in on Jan. 8. Photo by Aidan Johnson

By Aidan Johnson

Dan Panico (R) was sworn in as Town of Brookhaven’s supervisor Jan. 8, marking the first time in over a decade that the town has a new supervisor. He takes over from Ed Romaine (R), now Suffolk County executive. 

Panico had served as councilman for the town’s 6th District since 2010 and as deputy supervisor since 2012. He was elected to the role of town supervisor in last November’s election with 62% of the votes, beating Democratic challenger Lillian Clayman.

“The Town of Brookhaven — I, as the supervisor, and the Town Board — stand ready to meet the needs of the people we represent,” Panico said in his speech during the swearing-in ceremony. “Anyone here who knows anything about me knows two things: I’m not going to let grass grow under my feet, and I’m not here simply clocking time.”

Panico described the issues the town faces that he plans on tackling, citing one of the biggest hurdles as being “how long it takes to get things done in a municipality.” To combat this, he plans on introducing legislation that would shorten the time for necessary projects in Brookhaven to be completed. 

“We are going to shorten the period where a developer with a good project can come before the Town Board, get a change of zone, then site plan approval in the same night, cutting out almost a year on the back end,” Panico said.

Additionally, he announced that the Accessory Apartment Board will no longer exist, and the applications will now be administratively approved by the Building Division, if the application meets the requirements.

The supervisor also said that a partnership is necessary with higher levels of government, citing the need for federal infrastructure money in order to “sewer out our communities” and the environmental bonds from the state government to use for issues such as clean water and the environment.

Panico addressed the lack of access that the residents of North Bellport — which he called “one of the most de facto segregated communities on Long Island” — have to Ho-Hum Beach, that is open only to residents of Bellport, saying that the residents of North Bellport “deserve a means by which to enjoy this Island and go to the beach.” 

“I want to be partners with the village to make this happen, but by no means will I allow this to go,” Panico said. “Even if it means contracting to run our own ferry so that the people of North Bellport can get over to the beach, a community where at times you don’t have two vehicles per household.”

Panico also criticized Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) proposals to build housing across Long Island. 

Panico further said that Albany lacks respect for local government because local elections have been moved to even-numbered years starting in 2026, calling it “a mentality of winning by any means, and it is a mentality that is tearing apart this country.”

Along with Panico, Brookhaven Highway Superintendent Dan Losquadro (R), Receiver of Taxes Louis Marcoccia (R) and councilmembers were sworn in. 

District 1 Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook), who serves as the sole Democrat on the Town Council, said that he had total confidence in Panico that “he’s here for the right reasons.”

“I think he’s a guy that once he comes into work in the morning, he leaves the partisan affiliation at the door,” Kornreich said in an interview. 

by -
0 930
The Smithtown Library. File photo by Rachel Shapiro

By Sabrina Artusa

President Annette Galarza of the Smithtown Library held the first regular meeting of the new year Jan. 16. Former president Brianna Baker-Stines is now a trustee.

Among items discussed was the development of a new committee, the Strategic Planning Committee, which will consist of Baker-Stines, Galarza and vice president Mildred Bernstein.

The Building and Grounds Committee approved plans to renovate the audio and visual elements of the Community Room on the lower level of the Smithtown building.

The library received 10 donations in memorial of Frances Kelley, who was a resident of St. James. 

Robert Lusak, library director, discussed his intention to strengthen the relationship to the Commack community by partnering the Rotary clubs of Smithtown and Commack. One of the objectives of the partnership is to organize a beach cleanup in the summer. 

“So we are going to be partnering with the Commack-Kings Park Rotary Club in the summertime to do an extensive cleanup not only of the Kings Park bluffs but of the Sunken Meadow bluffs as well. It is our way of reaching out to the Commack community,” Lusak said.

The next regular meeting of the library board will be Feb. 20.

by -
0 1230
1 of 5
Freshman guard Ava DeMarco of Northport goes in for a layup against Lindenhurst in the second half of action. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Captain Brooke Kershow, who led the Lady Tigers with 18 points, shoots over Lady Bulldog Leanna Kwarta. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Junior guard for Northport Isabella Bica dives for a loose ball with Emma Burmeister of Lindenhurst also trying to gain control of it, in Northport’s 47-31 win over the Lady Bulldogs on Saturday, Jan. 13. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Northport Lady Tigers battled it out with Lindenhurst on Jan. 11. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Northport Lady Tigers battled it out with Lindenhurst on Jan. 11. Photo by Steven Zaitz

By Steven Zaitz

The Northport Lady Tigers basketball team took a road trip to Orlando, Florida, over the Christmas break.

While there, they got to play against schools from other parts of the country, bond as teammates during long bus rides, and even enjoy a bit of what Disney World has to offer.

Freshman point guard Ava DeMarco, who may have had trouble with the height requirements of some of the rides at Disney, played a huge role coming off the bench in Northport’s 47-31 win over Lindenhurst last Saturday morning, Jan. 13.

DeMarco is barely five feet tall, depending upon how she is wearing her hair. But what she lacks in size, she more than makes up for in quickness, grit, tenacity, and determination. She scored seven points and added four assists against the Lady Bulldogs, but those numbers tell only a fraction of the story.

Lindenhurst sophomore sensation Emma Burmeister ranks fifth in Suffolk County, averaging over 20 points per game. Burmeister did not disappoint on Saturday against Northport as she exploded for 16 points in the first half. That was when longtime Northport head coach Richard Castellano came up with a new plan.

“We had a bunch of different girls trying to defend her [Burmeister] in the first half. At halftime, I told Ava to shadow her, go wherever she goes, and faceguard her,” said Castellano, who recorded his 743rd career win as Lady Tiger coach. “Ava played Emma really well and made her work for everything. She doesn’t back down from any challenge.”

“I take a lot of pride in my defense, and I feel really good that Coach Castellano has the confidence in me to guard the other team’s best player,” DeMarco said.

Burmeister was held to only nine points in the third and fourth quarters. The rest of her team had only six for the entire game.

But it wasn’t as if the Lady Tigers were lighting up the scoreboard like Magic Kingdom fireworks either. There was a prolonged stretch in the third quarter when the score seemed frozen at 32-27 in favor of the Tigers. Turnovers and held balls detained the basketball inside the middle third of the court, as both teams struggled to shake off the early morning start time.

“It got sloppy,” Castellano said. “Both teams were still sleeping a little bit but were able to wake up in the fourth quarter.

Tiger senior forward and captain Brooke Kershow, who led the team with 18 points, hit a running one-hander and DeMarco followed by driving the lane for two, giving the Tigers a 38-31 lead with under five minutes remaining in the game.

“Brooke carried us offensively in the fourth quarter,” Castellano said. “She hit a few shots that were able to turn the momentum in our favor.”

Senior captain Kennedy Radziul, who was not feeling her best, still found winning ways to contribute. In the third quarter, as Lindenhurst had cut the Northport lead to four and was looking to slice into even further, Radziul stepped into the passing lane and deflected a ball that went out of bounds off of Bulldog Nina Tantillo. Radziul capitalized moments later with a spinner in the lane. She scored 10 points in the game.

“Kennedy is a gamer. She will never tell me that she’s not feeling 100%, but I can see it in her face,” Castellano said. “I coached her mom, and I coached her aunt, so I can tell pretty easily. I told her to give me as much as you can for as long as you can, and that’s exactly what she did.”

Radziul’s mother is Northport basketball legend Kimberly Ruck Radziul, who, in the early 1990’s, was a member of six consecutive Suffolk County championship teams at Northport. Kimberly’s sister, Cami, Kennedy’s aunt, was a member of four of those teams.

Northport is 4-1 in conference play, and Lindenhurst is 2-3. Both teams, along with the rest of the league, are staring up in wonderment at Commack, who at the time of this writing, is 6-0 in conference play and 12-0 overall. The Lady Cougars beat the Tigers in Commack earlier this season, 39-32 and they will meet again in the beginning of February.

“We are coming together as a team now, and going down to Florida really gave us time to gel,” Castellano said. “We were already very tight as a team, but I think we still really grew during that trip.”

“I loved the experience of going down there, and I think it was really great for team chemistry,” DeMarco said. “And yes, I was able to go on the rides.”

by -
0 1206
Our genes are not destiny. METRO photo

By David Dunaief, M.D.

Heart disease risk is influenced by family history and by lifestyle, including diet. But what if we could tackle genetic issues with diet?

A study involving the Paleo-type diet and other ancient diets suggests that there is a significant genetic component to cardiovascular disease, while another study looking at the Mediterranean-type diet implies that we may be able to reduce our risk factors with lifestyle adjustments. Most of the risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sedentary lifestyle, diabetes, smoking and obesity are modifiable (1). Let’s look at the evidence.

The role of genes in heart disease

Researchers used computed tomography scans to look at 137 mummies from ancient times across the world, including Egypt, Peru, the Aleutian Islands and Southwestern America (2). The cultures were diverse, including hunter-gatherers (consumers of a Paleo-type diet), farmer-gatherers and solely farmers. Their diets were not vegetarian; they involved significant amounts of animal protein, such as fish and cattle.

Researchers found that one-third of these mummies had atherosclerosis (plaques in the arteries), which is a precursor to heart disease. The ratio should sound familiar. It aligns with what we see in modern times.

The authors concluded that atherosclerosis could be part of the aging process in humans. In other words, it may be a result of our genes. Being human, we all have a genetic propensity toward atherosclerosis and heart disease, some more than others, but many of us can reduce our risk factors significantly.

However, other studies demonstrate that we can reduce our chances of getting heart disease with lifestyle changes, such as with a plant-rich diet, such as a Mediterranean-type diet.

Does diet affect our genetic response?

A New England Journal of Medicine study explores the Mediterranean-type diet and its potential impact on cardiovascular disease risk (3). Here, two variations on the Mediterranean-type diet were compared to a low-fat diet, with participants randomly assigned to three different groups. The two Mediterranean-type diet groups both showed about a 30 percent reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease, compared to the low-fat diet. Study end points included heart attacks, strokes and mortality. Interestingly, risk improvement in the Mediterranean-type diet arms occurred even though there was no significant weight loss.

The study included three groups: a Mediterranean diet supplemented with mixed nuts (almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts), a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil (at least four tablespoons a day), and a low-fat control diet. The patient population included over 7,000 participants in Spain at high risk for cardiovascular disease.

The Mediterranean-type diet arms both included significant amounts of fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, fish, olive oil and wine. I call them “Mediterranean diets with opulence,” because both groups consuming this diet had either significant amounts of nuts or olive oil and/or wine. If the participants in the Mediterranean diet groups drank wine, they were encouraged to drink at least one glass a day.

The strength of this study, beyond its high-risk population and its large size, was that it was a randomized clinical trial, the gold standard of trials. However, there was a significant flaw, and the results need to be tempered. The group assigned to the low-fat diet was not, in fact, able to maintain this diet throughout the study. Therefore, it really became a comparison between variations on the Mediterranean diet and a standard diet.

What do the leaders in the field of cardiovascular disease and integrative medicine think of the Mediterranean diet study? Interestingly there are two opposing opinions, split by field. You may be surprised by which group liked it and which did not.

Cardiologists, including well-known physicians Henry Black, M.D., who specializes in high blood pressure, and Eric Topol, M.D., former chairman of cardiovascular medicine at Cleveland Clinic, hailed the study as a great achievement. This group of physicians emphasized that now there is a large, randomized trial measuring meaningful clinical outcomes, such as heart attacks, stroke and death. 

On the other hand, the integrative medicine physicians, Caldwell Esselstyn, M.D., and Dean Ornish, M.D., both of whom stress a plant-rich diet that may be significantly more nutrient dense than the Mediterranean diet in the study, expressed disappointment with the results. They feel that heart disease and its risk factors can be reversed, not just reduced. Both clinicians have published small, well-designed studies showing significant benefits from plant-based diets (4, 5). Ornish showed a reversal of atherosclerosis in one of his studies (6).

So, who is correct about the Mediterranean diet? Each opinion has its merits. The cardiologists’ enthusiasm is warranted, because a Mediterranean diet, even one of “opulence,” will appeal to more people, who will then realize the benefits. However, those who follow a more focused diet, with greater amounts of nutrient-dense foods, will potentially see a reversal in heart disease, minimizing risk — and not just reducing it.

So, what have we learned? Even with a genetic propensity for cardiovascular disease, we can alter our cardiovascular destinies with diet.

References:

(1)www.uptodate.com (2) BMJ 2013;346:f1591. (3) N Engl J Med 2018; 378:e34. (4) J Fam Pract. 1995;41(6):560-568. (5) Am J Cardiol. 2011;108:498-507. (6) JAMA. 1998 Dec 16;280(23):2001-2007.

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.

by -
0 1583
1 of 6
Shoreham-Wading River’s Wes Hodun pins Devin Champaine at 285 lbs. Photo by Bill Landon
Mt. Sinai’s Shane Wells pinned Brady Kitchen at 116 lbs. Photo by Bill Landon
Shoreham-Wading River’s Chris Colon slams Quintin Bausenwein to the mat at 124 lbs. Photo by Bill Landon
Shoreham-Wading River’s Gavin Mangano pins Tristan Bausenwein at 131 lbs. Photo by Bill Landon
Mt. Sinai’s Nick Reilly (L) battles Nate Spuhler at 170lbs. Photo by Bill Landon
Shoreham-Wading River’s Zack Wilson pins John Bracken at 215 lbs. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

The Shoreham Wading River wrestling team continued their winning ways with a 47-24 win over visiting Mt. Sinai to clinch the league VII title going undefeated (5-0) Wednesday, Jan. 10 at home.

The Wildcats advantage comes at 124lbs and 131lbs with Chris Colon and Gavin Mangano where Colon pinned his opponent in 31 seconds. Mangano took a little longer to pin his challenger at 131lbs at the 2:40 mark of the second period. According to head coach Joe Condon the pair have only lost one match between them this season.

Mt. Sinai’s Brayden Fahrbach at 145lbs. had the shortest match of the night when he pinned his opponent in just 19 seconds.

The Wildcats will look to use their momentum when the Suffolk County Dual Championship competition begins Wednesday, Jan. 17. 

— Photos by Bill Landon

by -
0 1624
Skyler Johnson (left) and Rebecca Kassay (far right) at the Three Village Democratic Club meet the candidates event. Photo courtesy Serena Carpino

By Serena Carpino

Three Village Democratic Club held a meet-the-candidates night at the Setauket Neighborhood House Jan. 11. The two candidates, Skyler Johnson (D-Port Jefferson Station) and Rebecca Kassay (D-Port Jefferson), hope to represent New York State Assembly District 4, a seat currently occupied by Ed Flood (R-Port Jefferson). At the campaign event, Johnson and Kassay discussed pressing issues facing Long Island. 

Johnson, 23, has served in multiple leadership roles. He is on the board of the directors of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund and the chair of the Suffolk County Young Democrats. He is also on the board of Temple Beth Emeth of Mount Sinai, the synagogue in which he was raised and is currently working for the Sound Justice Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to educating incarcerated individuals. 

Johnson has spent much of his political career in Albany and helped pass the Fair Access to Victim Compensation Act. He has been endorsed by former Port Jefferson Mayor Margot Garant as well as several members of the New York State Assembly and Suffolk County Legislature.

Johnson’s opponent, Rebecca Kassay, possesses both political and entrepreneurship experience. The 34-year-old is currently deputy mayor in the Village of Port Jefferson and a village trustee. Kassay is also a member of the Port Jefferson Rotary Club and owns with her husband The Fox and Owl Inn, a bed-and-breakfast in Port Jefferson. 

In 2013, Kassay was involved in creating a teen environmental program at Avalon Nature Preserve, as she hoped to “​​get them off their phones, get their hands dirty and build their confidence about [being] the future environmental stewards of this area.” During the COVID-19 pandemic Kassay contacted local community members who had been handmaking masks helping them to create a legitimate organization. With Kassay’s intervention, the group was able to donate over 40,000 homemade masks. 

The candidates discussed many issues, but two topics dominated the night: affordable housing and the climate crisis. 

When asked about the biggest issue currently facing New York state, both Johnson and Kassay agreed that it is the high cost of living. “We have a crisis on housing on our hands – of affordable housing,” Johnson said. He further explained that, for him, affordable housing is defined as that which is accessible to families who make between 60% and 120% of the area median income. Here, that would equate to an apartment rent of $1,700 per month. “I checked [how many apartments would be available] — about three. And I’m sure one of them is an illegal basement apartment,” he joked. 

The candidates also talked about recent environmental problems on Long Island. They addressed the latest extreme weather events including the severe rainstorms and flooding. 

Kassay reassured the audience that she wanted, “in no uncertain terms, for voters to know that the Democratic Party is the party that’s going to lead the way to make an economically and environmentally sustainable Long Island.”

The candidates were then asked about New York’s immigration crisis. 

Both Johnson and Kassay pointed out that immigrants are an important part of this country and pay a significant amount of taxes. They agreed that they would both like to see comprehensive immigration reform and a change in the attitude of how America views immigrants. 

Johnson further said, “Those who say that immigrants are not welcome are almost never on the right side of history,” and explained that much of the negative commentary about immigrants is “a fake narrative to throw immigrants under the bus.”

Finally, the candidates called out Flood’s voting record and criticized his stance on certain legislation. 

Flood’s consistent support for anti-vaccination movements is most embarrassing to Kassay. She disagrees with Flood’s position, especially given the presence of Stony Brook University in the district. She explained, “As an assemblywoman here I would be looking to the university for help instead of embarrassing them and embarrassing the entire district by going forth with anti-vax legislation and having that be a mark on the community.”

Johnson agreed and said that Flood has “taken some really egregious stances in his short tenure in Albany.” In particular, he pointed out Flood’s opposition to abortion care, LGBTQ+ rights and other bills “simply because Democrats proposed [them].”

He encouraged the audience to go on votesmart.org and further look into Flood’s voting records. 

 In their closing remarks, the candidates left the stage with powerful statements. 

“We really can’t afford to lose this race. Our community has been suffering under the leadership or lack thereof of Ed Flood.” Kassay said. “This campaign is about reconnecting people to the government that was built to serve and protect them — it’s about Long Island’s overwhelming cost of living and the climate crisis. It’s about defending women’s choice regarding their own bodies and then going up to that legislative body and doing a little more to make it more representative of our population.”

In his closing remarks, Johnson said, “I announced that I was running on Nov. 18. On Nov. 19, Jesse Garcia, the chair of the Suffolk GOP, had a quote in the paper attacking me.” He further explained that other Republicans attacked him on Twitter, and GOP members across the state liked those tweets. “So,” he said, “if you are not sure who will beat Ed Flood, just remember: The Republicans are worried about what would happen should I become the nominee.”

by -
0 1374
Pixabay photo
Technology revolutionizes emergency preparedness

By Emma Gutmann

On Dec. 29, Steve Bellone (D) capped off his 12-year run as Suffolk County executive with an announcement about the advent of a technology that promises to revolutionize emergency preparedness and response across the county. 

Through Tableau — a data visualization and business intelligence tool — several dashboards with unique specialties were launched simultaneously. The Fleet Management Dashboard, Emergency Operations Dashboard and Snow Fleet Readiness Dashboard will work together to provide immediate and comprehensive data to the county’s Department of Public Works and the Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services. 

Rather than muddling through manual data entry and slow-moving communication, DPW and FRES staff will now have a constant stream of accurate statistics at their fingertips. This operational efficiency will not only save valuable time during emergencies but also boost cost savings and informed decision-making. 

The Fleet Management Dashboard will be an asset to several departments from Public Works to Highway & Grounds Maintenance for its insights into vehicle readiness, maintenance schedules and the operational status of the county fleet. With a countywide view of fleet activity, management can monitor trends over time and optimize operations.

Increased access to fleet availability through the Emergency Operations Dashboard will allow the Emergency Operation Center staff at FRES to view fleet readiness during urgent situations. The dashboard aims to enhance resource allocation and, thus, response efficiency for daily operations as well as Office of Emergency Management activation.

According to an infographic from New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, the OEM activates the State Emergency Operations Center “based upon the scope and magnitude of an incident, and the level of capability needed to effectively respond to the event.” There are four levels of activation that can be called if state-level monitoring or response is required: Enhanced Monitoring, Partial Activation, Full Activation and Full State/Federal Response. The Emergency Operations Dashboard is designed to bring about the quickest and most efficient response in these statewide matters and local matters alike.

Amid winter months, county personnel will benefit from the Snow Fleet Readiness Dashboard as well. This trailblazing technology is slated to save fleet staff approximately four hours per week by streamlining winter readiness reporting.

“In snow or other major weather events, we are able to see the in-service fleet status — fuel and salt levels — in real time,” FRES Commissioner Patrick Beckley said. “We can direct plows to areas in need and we can verify that roads have been plowed when in question.” 

Since their launch less than a month ago, the dashboards have already proven valuable to the Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services and Department of Public Works. 

“During the recent trench rescue in St. James, we were able to quickly identify the closest vacuum truck in the sanitation fleet and contact that division supervisor quickly,” FRES Commissioner Beckley said. “We are looking forward to the development and buildout of other fleet related dashboards.”

“Before the launch of the dashboards, our reporting process was manual, time-consuming, and reliant on multiple channels of communication such as emails, texts and calls, as well as various excel spreadsheets,” DPW Deputy Commissioner Leslie Mitchel said. “While we had the capability to generate reports, the process involved coordination between various DPW divisions and extensive manual data entry, consuming valuable time and carrying the risk of data inconsistencies due to basic human error and less user-friendly reporting tools previously utilized.”

Department heads are pleased with the new additions’ efficiency and are optimistic about the future of fleet and emergency management. The dashboard’s comprehensive view of previously scattered data, which is refreshed nightly, allows the workforce to focus more on strategic planning than tedious data entry.

With this innovative update to emergency procedure, Suffolk County is moving toward more data-driven decision-making for the convenience and safety of the public and personnel. It is the hope of the government that more dashboards will be added to this series to save time and provide guidance in other specialized areas.

by -
0 893
Domenico 'Dom' Parillo. Photo courtesy Bryant Funeral home

Domenico “Dom” Parillo, age 57, of Port Jefferson, passed away on Jan. 3. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Dom loved life to its absolute limits. Dom loved traveling to Atlantic City and Las Vegas where the atmosphere was as full of life as he was. Dom also cherished spending time with family, making memories and making people laugh with his quick wit and hilarious comments.

Moving to Port Jefferson in 1993, Dom immediately made his presence known by committing himself to the betterment of Port Jefferson. Either by assisting tenants or lending a hand to community sponsors, his goal was simple, to improve Port Jefferson for everyone. After 30 years of making a positive impact, it was easy to see why “everyone knows Dom.” He is survived by his sons Ralph Joseph and Dominick Anthony; ex-spouse Maria McCauley; father Raffaele; brother Pietro and his wife Lori; niece Victoria; nephew Peter; and longtime girlfriend Debra Pennell.

Prev1...343344345...360Next Page 344 of 360
TBR News Media is your local news and entertainment website.
We provide you with the latest breaking news and information for your community.
Contact us: [email protected]

Most Viewed

©