After an extensive investigation, Suffolk County SPCA detectives charged a Manorville woman with several counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty on Nov. 1.
Suffolk County SPCA Detectives, with the assistance of Suffolk County Police Department, Brookhaven Town Code Enforcement Officers, Brookhaven Fire Marshal, Brookhaven Animal Control, District Attorney’s Office B.E.A.S.T. Unit, Adult Protective Services and a veterinarian, executed a search warrant on the residence of Judith Seeman, 70, of Manorville.
Pine, Seeman’s three year old black and white female shepherd type dog and Cody, her 4 year brown male shepherd type dog, were confined in a small room with noxious air and the overwhelming odor of urine, rot, ammonia, and feces. The floor had wet and dry urine and feces stains covering it. The floor and walls were covered with dirt, grime, filth, feces, urine, spiderwebs and fly excrement. The air was stagnant and all windows and doors were tightly shut confining the noxious odors inside the small area. There was no food or water nor food or water bowls present in the side room, the walls were broken with wooden studs, exposed, rusty, filthy broken metal cages with strewn about the room with sharp edges, exposed, contrary to the health and well-being of the animals.
Photo courtesy of Suffolk County SPCA
Dokota, the horse, had severely neglected feet that were atrophied, necrotic and emitted a malodorous odor. The stall Dakota was confined to was wet, had little shavings and had wet and dry feces strewn about contrary to required conditions to promote the health and healing of the thrush previously diagnosed to his feet. The available water in Dakota stall was dirty with a film over the top and was murky in color with debris on the bottom of the bucket. The subject was unable to provide the proper care to these animals.
The animals were voluntarily surrendered with the help of 13 Hands Equine Rescue and the Town of Brookhaven Animal Control.
Seeman is scheduled to appear in First District Court In Central Islip on November 21.
The Suffolk County SPCA remains committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all animals in the county. If you witness any incident of animal cruelty or neglect in Suffolk County, please contact the Suffolk County SPCA at 631-382-7722.
Daylight saving time ended on Sunday, Nov. 3, giving Americans an extra hour to enjoy — except in Hawaii and most of Arizona.
On Long Island, this meant an earlier sunrise and saying goodbye to sunsets after 6 p.m. The next day in Port Jefferson, people enjoyed quintessential fall weather on the ferry to Connecticut. TBR News Media asked these passengers: How did you enjoy your extra hour?
Mary Rose and Alan Goldberg,East Setauket
Mary Rose and her husband Alan were in Massachusetts when the “fall back” happened. The pair were visiting their daughter. Even though the two had a “very long conversation the night about falling back and getting that extra hour,” they forgot the day off until they were about to leave their hotel. For them, the extra hour meant time to “sit around and chat, visit our daughter, hang out and be together.”
Monica Landivar, Stamford, Conn.
Monica Landivar, on left, from Stamford, Connecticut, on a day trip to Port Jefferson, shared the practical benefits she enjoyed from daylight saving time: “To be totally and completely honest, it was relaxing. And also, the good thing was that I had extra time to do some work around the house.”
Alenna Lin
Alenna Lin,Stony Brook University
Alenna Lin, a freshman at Stony Brook University, enjoyed the extra hour to reorientate her schedule. “I spend many hours studying for all my classes, so my sleep schedule naturally gets destroyed, especially after two back-to-back midterms last week,” she said. She could “go to bed an hour early, wake up at a reasonable time and be more awake during lectures.”
Amal Sani,South Setauket
A senior at Ward Melville High School, Amal Sani shared details of her three-day weekend, saying, “I had Monday off for senior skip day, so I had an extra hour and an extra day to do work.” She was sitting in Local’s Cafe in Port Jefferson doing college applications and school work, which she said she has been very occupied with. “Daylight savings was much needed,” she added.
Ward Melville field hockey vs. Northport 11/02/24. Photo by Steve Zaitz
Ward Melville field hockey vs. Northport 11/02/24. Photo by Steve Zaitz
Ward Melville field hockey vs. Northport 11/02/24. Photo by Steve Zaitz
Ward Melville field hockey vs. Northport 11/02/24. Photo by Steve Zaitz
Ward Melville field hockey vs. Northport 11/02/24. Photo by Steve Zaitz
Ward Melville field hockey vs. Northport 11/02/24. Photo by Steve Zaitz
Ward Melville field hockey vs. Northport 11/02/24. Photo by Steve Zaitz
Ward Melville field hockey vs. Northport 11/02/24. Photo by Steve Zaitz
Ward Melville field hockey vs. Northport 11/02/24. Photo by Steve Zaitz
Caeley Monez battles Ward Melville’s Ava Simonton. Photo by Steve Zaitz
By Steven Zaitz
The Ward Melville field hockey team defeated Northport 1-0 on Saturday in the Suffolk County semifinals, ending the storied career of Lady Tigers coach Gina Walling.
Peyton Phillips scored on a rare penalty stroke with two and a half minutes remaining in the game, securing the game’s only goal and sending the Lady Patriots to the county final against Sachem East on Tuesday.
Ward Melville goalkeeper Olivia Zummo held Northport scoreless, making four saves and extending her 2024 shutout streak against the Tigers to seven consecutive quarters. The teams previously met on Oct. 22, with the game ending in a 0-0 tie as officials called it due to darkness midway through the fourth quarter.
This time, bright skies lit the field on Saturday afternoon. Both teams struggled to generate scoring chances despite a healthy number of penalty corners awarded, with much of the game contested at midfield.
With 2:34 remaining in the fourth quarter, Phillips was brought down in front of Northport goalkeeper Mariselle Camillone, earning the rare penalty stroke. The two had been in this situation before: on Oct. 16, 2023, Phillips attempted a penalty stroke but was denied by Camillone. That game marked the end of Northport’s 68-game winning streak, which lasted nearly 1,000 days.
Ward Melville won that matchup 3-0, despite Camillone’s save.
This time, Phillips placed the shot — taken from only seven yards out — between Camillone’s leg pad and left blocker glove, sending it into the net. She was immediately mobbed by her teammates, a celebration that would repeat two and a half minutes later when the final whistle secured Ward Melville’s playoff victory. The Patriots had finally overcome Northport, which had eliminated them the past four years.
The game marked the final regular-season contest for longtime Northport Coach Walling, who has led the Lady Tigers for 17 years, winning multiple Coach of the Year awards, Suffolk County titles, and New York state championships in 2021 and 2022.
Ward Melville lost to Sachem East 1-0 on Tuesday, Nov. 5 in the Suffolk County Championship game. Sachem East completed their undefeated season in Section XI play with a 17-0 record.They will play the winner of Massapequa and East Meadow for the Long Island championship game on Sunday.
Trees, bushes and grass are dying from lack of rainfall on Long Island including this dogwood tree in a Farmingville backyard. Photo by Heidi Sutton
A fall drought has driven Suffolk County water demand to record-breaking levels, typically seen only during peak summer months. The Suffolk County Water Authority reports that it pumped approximately 7 billion gallons of water in October, about 1.5 billion gallons more than usual for the month, following one of the driest months of September and October on record.
While SCWA’s system is currently meeting demand, the prolonged high-water usage is complicating routine seasonal shutdowns of certain wells. These wells are typically taken offline in colder months to prevent freeze-related damage, as they lack winterized structures. If they must remain operational into the winter, this could present infrastructure risks and potential costs for repairs.
“This fall surge in water demand is certainly concerning,” said SCWA Chairman Charlie Lefkowitz in a press release. “It isn’t putting immediate strain on the system as a summer drought might, but it does complicate our winter preparations. Demand levels are resembling those seen in late spring and early summer.”
SCWA attributes the higher water usage to increased outdoor irrigation, with customers running sprinklers later into the season to maintain lawns during the dry spell. SCWA has long promoted an odd/even lawn watering schedule as an effective measure for managing demand. Under this schedule, homes with odd-numbered addresses water on odd-numbered days, while even-numbered addresses water on even days.
This conservation measure has successfully reduced strain on SCWA’s systems over the summer and is part of SCWA’s broader strategy to ensure the reliability of Suffolk County’s water infrastructure.
About SCWA:
The Suffolk County Water Authority is an independent public-benefit corporation operating under the authority of the Public Authorities Law of the State of New York. Serving approximately 1.2 million Suffolk County residents, the Authority operates without taxing power on a not-for-profit basis.
Joshua Gray may be the youngest rabbi at Temple Isaiah in Stony Brook, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t lived. Since joining the temple in July of 2023, he has brought his personal experiences and unique flairs to Isaiah’s congregants.
The 37-year-old grew up in Glens Falls, New York, and was raised Jewish, but didn’t feel a particularly strong connection to his faith. In fact, he grew up wanting to be a performer.
“It’s what I wanted to do when I graduated high school. I went to the Boston Conservatory of Music and then lived in New York City, pursuing that for many years,” Gray said.
“I did a lot of theater. I was trained in opera. So, it was not a direct path to becoming a rabbi, but it all made sense once everything came together,” he laughed.
After meeting his wife in the theater, Gray started thinking about other career options. He had been working in the mental health field, while acting, for years and felt he was being pulled in different directions.
“That was really in my family, that profession. My mom was a psychiatric nurse that ran an outpatient mental health clinic,” Gray said.
“So…I worked in inpatient behavioral units, starting when I was 18, being really into [that sort of thing] and got my psych degree from Penn State, eventually,” he continued.
When Gray and his wife were looking to start a family, he felt he should do something more community-based. Gray explained that he had been doing “independent rabbinical work, and serving on High Holy Days, in the Catskills, at a Reform temple, for about five years.”
“I didn’t want to travel anymore … and it was kind of like beshert, falling into this line of work,” Gray said, using the Yiddish word for fate. “I would peek into doing this full-time every once in a while, but I wasn’t necessarily looking for a pulpit.”
After fully committing himself to becoming a rabbi, Gray found an opening at Temple Isaiah, which he felt was “just a perfect fit for my background, values and family.”
“We had actually just bought a house upstate when I got hired here, and we had to sell it after living in it for only a year to move to Long Island,” he reminisced.
Gray said Temple Isaiah, a Reform Jewish temple, appealed to him because of its inclusivity, welcoming people of all races, sexualities, gender identities and faiths. He was also drawn to the temple’s embrace of modern practices, as a post-denominational rabbi.
When asked what he especially appreciates about Temple Isaiah, he said he values its “different viewpoints and ways of looking at Judaism.” The environment reminded him of his work in the private sector, where he supported people of various spiritual backgrounds, including those who identified as spiritual but not religious.
“I created an 18-week introduction to Judaism course at the temple, which saw people looking to convert, reconnect with the faith they may not have practiced for years, or have interfaith discussions, which I really enjoy.”
Gray is passionate about incorporating community elements into his work and unifying surrounding areas through increased programs. He has organized events with the Bethel AME Church of Setauket and other Christian churches. Gray has developed a mental health and wellness program for people of all ages and has utilized his musical talents to establish an expanded choir — in which his wife is heavily involved — as well. Additionally, he is proud of his work with Abraham’s Table of Long Island, where he has participated in two panels representing the Jewish perspective among a group of Christians and Muslims. During the discussions, each faith leader explains how God speaks to them “in today’s world.”
“I really want us to be the place where people feel like you can find your thing, you know? There’s no particular person you have to be here,” Gray said.
For more information about Temple Isaiah, its programs and upcoming events, visit www.tisbny.org. They will be holding their 2nd annual 3 Village Interfaith Thanksgiving service, at 7:00pm on Nov. 26.
Correction: Rabbi Gray was referred to as a non-denominational rabbi in print, when the correct term is post-denominational. He also was hired by a board at the temple.
Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad detectives are investigating a stabbing that killed a man in Rocky Point on Nov. 9.
Seventh Precinct officers responded to a residence on Quail Road at approximately 1:25 a.m. after a 911 caller reported a stabbing at the location. When officers arrived, they found that a man living at the home, Joseph Zoll, had been stabbed.
Zoll, 61, was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Detectives are asking anyone with information on this incident, to call the Homicide Squad at 631-852- 6392 or anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
A male mouse embryo surrounded by a group of female embryos during development in some cases is protected against developmental delays caused by a viral infection of their mother.
That’s one of a host of intriguing observations and findings from a recent set of experiments conducted by postdoctoral researcher Irene Sanchez Martin, who works in the lab of Assistant Professor Lucas Cheadle at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
Irene Sanchez Martin and Lucas Cheadle at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Photo by Justin Park
Sanchez Martin is studying how maternal exposure to viruses triggers immune responses, particularly inflammation, which can contribute to developmental delays characteristic of autism.
In mice as in humans, males are much more susceptible to the onset of the kinds of neurological developmental behaviors that are characteristic of autism than their female counterparts.
“The advantage of our model is that it helps us understand why this happens, providing insights into the underlying mechanisms driving this increased vulnerability in males,” Sanchez Martin explained.
Researchers have been studying viral exposure and developmental disorders for a while. The new element in Sanchez Martin’s research is that she can observe phenotypic changes as early as 24 hours after a pregnant mouse is exposed to a virus, providing a much earlier window into how maternal immune activation affects development.
At an early stage of gestation, when sensory organs, the head, spine and other organs are starting to develop, the male mice demonstrate disruptions in normal development, which affects these structures in different ways. Sanchez Martin hopes these kinds of studies help uncover the pathways through which environmental factors contribute to the development of some cases of autism.
Sanchez Martin’s work is part of a broader effort in Cheadle’s research.
“My lab is interested in understanding how interactions between the nervous system and the immune system shape the development and plasticity of the brain,” Cheadle explained. One goal is to understand how systemic inflammation during prenatal stages leads to heightened risk of autism in offspring.
To be sure, the genetic component suggests that inflammation is not necessary for the development of autism. Nevertheless, exposure to prenatal inflammation can increase autism risk by about three times, making inflammation a likely “key contributor to the development of autism in some, but not all, individuals,” said Cheadle.
Sanchez Martin found that female mice did not develop the same changes as males. She believes this is one of the most valuable applications of the model she’s working on with Cheadle, as it can reveal the biological and developmental differences that contribute to this gender disparity.
Timing
Sanchez Martin studied mice that were exposed to a virus between 12 to 13 days after fertilization, which is similar to the end of the first trimester in a human embryo. Mice develop more rapidly, so the process doesn’t track exactly the same as it would in humans.
About a day after the maternal exposure, some males looked different through ultrasound than they would during typical development. The differences are subtle and it is still too early to assume these changes could serve as a diagnostic marker for autism spectrum disorder.
A host of disruptions could affect the growth of the embryo. The placenta serves as a bridge between the mother and the developing embryo, allowing communication, filtering substances, and protecting the embryo during development. Each mouse embryo has its own placenta and its own amniotic fluid in its amniotic sac, creating a unique microenvironment.
In her lab work, Sanchez Martin is collaborating with Dr. Brian Kalish at Boston Children’s Hospital, who is helping to analyze molecular changes in the placentas of affected and unaffected embryos. Sanchez Martin has data indicating differences between the placentas of affected and healthy individuals, as well as in the amniotic fluid.
“This suggests a dysfunction in the placenta in affected cases” indicating it is not adequately performing its protective and filtering function, she explained.
Female mouse embryos may be more protected in part because of their more active immune response. Other studies have shown that female immune systems, as early as the developmental stage, express higher levels of interferon-stimulated genes and have stronger responses to infections, which may offer better protection than males.
While male mice in some cases benefit from the protection provided by their nearby sisters, Sanchez Martin and Cheadle are “still working to fully understand the underlying mechanism,” she explained.
Epidemiology
By looking at the prevalence of conditions such as autism in the aftermath of larger viral infections, researchers have demonstrated that these illnesses can and do have impacts on the incidence of autism and schizophrenia, among other conditions. It’s not only the pathogen that is responsible, but also the immune response triggered by the infection, as well as the timing of the infection during pregnancy.
Covid, which infected over 100 million Americans, may cause an increase in the number of children born with autism.
“There is precedent from studies of other viral infections during pregnancy, which suggest that maternal immune activation can contribute to altered neurodevelopment in offspring,” Sanchez Martin said. “There is some evidence that male children exposed to SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy might have a slightly elevated risk of other neurodevelopmental disorders.”
Additional research with longer-term follow up is necessary to confirm these findings. The timing and the immune response during pregnancy could be key factors in determining the outcomes.
Cheadle appreciated the effort and dedication of Sanchez Martin, whom he described as being “bright, talented, motivated and an excellent experimentalist. Her work is among the most important projects in the lab.”
From Madrid to CSHL
Born and raised in Madrid, Spain, Sanchez Martin has been a master of motion. During her final years of her Veterinary Medicine studies at Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio in Madrid, she moved to the University of Helsinki to complete her clinical rotations.
She later earned her PhD at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in Marseille, France and defended her thesis at the Aix- Marseille University. During her PhD, she was a visiting student at Biocenter Oulu in Finland.
Her first job was at Laboklin in Bad Kissingen, Germany, where she worked in a clinical laboratory.
She did her first postdoctoral research in the Microbiology Department at Mount Sinai. During the pandemic, she was involved in studying innate and adaptive immune responses in different in vitro models, focusing on vaccine candidates for Covid-19 and influenza.
A resident of Manhattan, Sanchez Martin has contributed to Cheadle’s lab for two years.
She enjoys listening to classical music, reading, and swimming, which she likes to do several times a week as she has some of her best ideas when she’s in the water.
As for her work, Sanchez Martin appreciates the opportunity to conduct her research as a part of Cheadle’s team that is hoping to identify the molecular mechanisms that contribute to autism in mice.
“It’s an ongoing effort and we hope that with time and collaboration, we can gain more insight,” she explained.
The Jazz Loft at Stony Brook will be presenting an illuminating doubleheader on Friday, Nov. 15.
The main event will be the “Louis Jordan Tribute” starting at 7 p.m. Danny Bacher, also a soprano saxophonist, will be singing many of Jordan’s hits of the 1940s including “Caledonia,” “Choo Choo Ch’Boogie,” “G.I. Jive” and “Let The Good Times Roll,” accompanied by an all-star group of musicians.
In effect, Jordan introduced the small swing combos which took over from the big bands, popularized the saxophone as a lead instrument and made music fun.
Initially, at 6 p.m., music author John Broven of East Setauket will give a presentation entitled “Who Is Louis Jordan?” Included will be a video outlining Jordan’s impactful history, featuring film clips and excerpts from the artist’s key recordings, prepared by Debbi Scott of Stony Brook.
The evening will bring into focus the influential music of Louis Jordan, an all-time American great and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer.
Tickets to the 6 p.m. event are $10 per person. Tickets to the 7 p.m. event are $30 adults, $25 seniors, $20 students, and $15 children ages 6 and up at www.thejazzloft.org.
The Jazz Loft, which features a Louis Jordan exhibit in its museum, is located at 275 Christian Ave., Stony Brook. For more information, call 631-751-1895.
Commack girls soccer vs. Northport on 10/31/24. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Commack girls soccer vs. Northport on 10/31/24. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Commack girls soccer vs. Northport on 10/31/24. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Commack girls soccer vs. Northport on 10/31/24. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Commack girls soccer vs. Northport on 10/31/24. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Commack girls soccer vs. Northport on 10/31/24. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Commack girls soccer vs. Northport on 10/31/24. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Ava DeMarco (left) battles Commack’s Melena Cerulli for possession. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Commack girls soccer vs. Northport on 10/31/24. Photo by Steven Zaitz
By Steven Zaitz
A tale of two halves ended with the CoA tale of two halves ended with the Commack girls soccer team having the best of times. For the Northport Lady Tigers, not so much.
With a start time of high noon on a blustery Halloween, the home Cougars scored against a strong westerly wind when striker Elena Dean put one past Northport keeper K.K. Howard with six minutes left in the second half.
The goal gave the third-seeded Cougars a 2-1 victory in the Suffolk AAA quarterfinal. Northport, the sixth seed, finished with an impressive 10-4-3 record, exiting in the quarterfinal round for the second consecutive year.
Each team dominated the half in which they had the wind advantage.
With the game scoreless as the first half wound down, Commack’s Breanna Mender launched a twisting, diagonal shot from 20 yards that eluded the outstretched glove of Northport goalkeeper Cara DeMarco. It found the top corner of the net, giving Commack a 1-0 lead at the half. DeMarco splits time in goal with Howard for Northport.
In the second half, Northport quickly pressured Commack keeper Olivia Bezmalinovic’s goal.
When the Tigers were awarded a corner kick in the 53rd minute, they capitalized. Northport striker Ava DeMarco took the corner from Finnley Wickard and fired a shot off the crossbar. Northport’s Brooke Heffernan and Bezmalinovic both went for the rebound, and as the Cougar keeper tried to secure the ball, Heffernan’s head, neck, and shoulder jostled it loose and powered it into the net.
As Heffernan and her teammates celebrated, Bezmalinovic lay briefly dazed near her net and had to leave the game. She returned minutes later, but Northport had secured its equalizer.
With the aid of Howard’s booming, wind-aided goal kicks, Northport maintained control for much of the second half but couldn’t get the go-ahead goal. With 5:19 left, Dean slipped behind the Tigers’ defense and fired a shot that Howard got a hand on but couldn’t stop. Commack had its game-winner.
After beating North Babylon on Nov. 2, the Lady Cougars played the mighty state champion and number one seed, Ward Melville on Tuesday, Nov. 5 for the Suffolk County AAA title. Ward Melville won by a score of 3-1 to win their second straight county title. Photo by Steven Zaitz.
SMM Advertising, a full-service advertising, branding, and lead generation agency in Smithtown, has won three Davey Awards for their website work for Applied Technologies of NY (ATI), a leading manufacturer’s representative in the commercial and industrial boiler industry.
The awards include General-Manufacturing, Silver 2024; Best Home Page, Silver 2024; and Best Visual Appeal — Aesthetic, Gold 2024.
“We’re beyond appreciative of the Davey Awards’ recognition of our work with ATI,” said SMM Managing Director Judy DeBiase. “This large, complex project was a welcome challenge for the agency, and the fact that it has become not only a source of substantial lead generation for ATI, but also an award winner, is very gratifying.”
The website, designed and developed by SMM’s web development team, includes custom and CMS programming, in addition to dynamic product pages. Its launch last year has resulted in better positioning in searches, more user-friendly content, a better experience for ATI’s customer base, and an increase in leads.
The Davey Awards is an international awards program tailored to recognize and honor “small shops” with big ideas and outstanding creative and marketing work.
Mary Rose and Alan Goldberg,
Monica Landivar, Stamford, Conn.
Prev
