The Whaling Museum & Education Center, 301 Main St.. Cold Spring Harbor has announced a spring series of NYS Certified Safe Boating Courses for individuals aged 10 and older. These courses provide essential knowledge about safe boat operation, regulations, and responsibilities of boat ownership. Upon successful completion of the course and exam, participants will earn a Safe Boating Certificate.
The course meets the New York State education requirement for the Personal Watercraft Operation Permit, Youth and Adult Boating Certificate. New York State certified instructors present the course in the Museum’s workshop. Participants may view the museum’s exhibits during short breaks throughout the 8-hour course.
Participants may bring a bagged lunch for the lunch break. Adults over the age of 18 have the option to walk into Cold Spring Harbor village to purchase lunch or coffee at any of the businesses or restaurants Main Street has to offer. Minors are not permitted to leave the museum during the course unless a parent or guardian is accompanying them.
Starting January 1, 2025, a safety certificate will be required of all operators, regardless of age.
Upcoming course dates are scheduled for Saturdays, April 5; May 3; June 21; and July 12. Each course will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 4:30 p.m.
“We’re thrilled to continue offering this important course to our community,” said Cristina Ainslie, Assistant Director of The Whaling Museum & Education Center. “Boating safety is paramount, and this course will provide participants with the knowledge and skills they need to stay safe on the water. Dozens of Long Island residents already have their certificates with us through this course at the museum, and we’re excited to offer more opportunities to get certified this spring!”
The program fee is $35, which includes access to exhibits at the museum for the day. Payment will be collected at the museum before the program begins, and both cash and credit card are accepted. Registration is required and can be completed online at cshwhalingmuseum.org/events.
Rendering of the Smith Haven Mall after intended renovations. Photo courtesy Simon Property Group
By Sabrina Artusa
The Smith Haven Mall will undergo “major redevelopment” this summer, including new stores, an outdoor green area and new flooring. The work is expected to be completed in 2026.
The process of renovating has already begun with the addition of stores like Primark and Ford’s Garage. Sur la Table, a former favorite that filed for bankruptcy in 2020, will return. The court between Barnes & Nobles and the mall entrance will be transformed to allow for more seating and open space.
“At Simon, we are committed to making significant investments across our portfolio to ensure that our centers continue to deliver exceptional customer experiences for today’s shoppers,” said Mark Silvestri, president of development at Simon, a property group that owns Smith Haven Mall.
Other shops to be added include fashion retailers Zara and Mango and a golf facility with a bar called Golf Lounge 18.
Smith Haven Mall management were unable to disclose additional information. More information can be found at https://www.simon.com/mall/smith-haven-mall
Vandermeulen High School played host for the S.C.M.E.A. Division One East All-County Festival
Vandermeulen High School played host for the S.C.M.E.A. Division One East All-County Festival
Vandermeulen High School played host for the S.C.M.E.A. Division One East All-County Festival
Port Jefferson students and staff volunteered to ensure the event ran smoothly.
Port Jefferson students and staff volunteered to ensure the event ran smoothly.
Port Jefferson students and staff volunteered to ensure the event ran smoothly.
Earl L. Vandermeulen High School, of the Port Jefferson School District, recently hosted the SCMEA (Suffolk County Music Educators’ Association) Division One East All-County Festival. On March 1, 7, and 8, more than 400 Suffolk County music students in grades 5 and 6 participated in the festival, performing in either band, chorus, or orchestra.
For the SCMEA Division One East All County Festival, Port Jefferson music faculty and student volunteers from the Tri-M Music Honor Society assisted with rehearsals, auditions, ticket and food sales, and guiding visitors through the building.
“We congratulate the Port Jeff students, music teachers, custodial, and security staff for helping to create a memorable music experience for so many of our county musicians and teachers,” said Dr. Michael Caravello, the district’s director of music and fine arts.
SCMEA consists of professional music educators and advocates of music education throughout Suffolk County that sponsors and organizes numerous All County Music Festivals (Band, Orchestra and Chorus) each year for students in grades five through ten.
A recent rally in Hauppauge. Photo by William Stieglitz
Almost every week this past month, crowds of people have congregated at street corners, politician’s buildings or on the side of highways. The sound of synchronized chants overlay the ambient whir of traffic and pithy signs face the street. Some of the rallies consist of hordes of people, with numbers nearing a thousand; others are smaller, with maybe a few dozen. We’ve covered these rallies, both small and large, in towns across our coverage area. This week, there were two rallies in Smithtown and one in Northport.
Protests can be divisive and political. They are arguments, meant to persuade. Protests have been used throughout history, and have created change of both national and local scales. We learn about them in school as representations of the public feeling.
Some, like the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in which Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I have a dream” speech that led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, have been the catalyst for action that changes the trajectory of our nation. They hold weight and signify unrest, and most of the time, ignite controversy. Most people have opinions that flare up, either in agreement or disagreement, in witnessing a protest.
This type of mobilization is a privilege. An organized display of protest is an essential facet of our freedom of speech, and the ability to voice dissent without fear of political retaliation or punishment is what forms a healthy democracy.
The protesters at these rallies are driven by care for their community and country. Furthermore, they encourage consideration for opposing or uncommon viewpoints. Projecting an opinion to the hundreds or thousands of passers-by promotes discourse. When multitudes of people protest, our elected officials gain a better sense of their constituents’ needs and concerns. It might help them lead. Further, it shows that people are paying attention–that what happens matters to them. Some may look upon the increased number of protests in our area as an annoyance. Others may be supportive. But the foundational concern behind these constitutionally-protected displays is care for the community.
The Wellness Committee at Ward Melville High School cuts ribbon on new Farmer’s Fridge. Photos courtesy of the Three Village Central School District
The Wellness Committee at Ward Melville High School has launched a new initiative to provide students and staff with greater access to nutritious food options. A Farmer’s Fridge vending machine has been installed in the gymnasium lobby, marking the first time the innovative vending solution has been introduced in a school setting.
The machine offers a variety of fresh, healthy selections, including salads, sandwiches, wraps, yogurts and vegetarian and vegan options. Available to staff throughout the day and to students after school, the vending machine provides a convenient way to enjoy balanced meals and snacks beyond traditional cafeteria hours. Designed for ease of use, the Farmer’s Fridge accepts cashless payments through credit cards and mobile apps. Additionally, users can take advantage of a preorder option to reserve their preferred items via the app. Strategically placed in a central location, the vending machine ensures accessibility for all members of the school community.
This initiative reflects a commitment to promoting healthier eating habits and enhancing the availability of nutritious choices at Ward Melville High School.
Suffolk County Police Sixth Squad detectives are investigating a motor vehicle crash that seriously
injured a woman in Yaphank on March 24.
Kenneth Zaleski was driving a 2003 Chevrolet Trail Blazer westbound in the right lane of the Long
Island Expressway, near exit 67, when he attempted to move to the center lane and struck a 2012 Dodge
Ram being driven in the same direction by Tafe Philip at 12:49 p.m. The impact forced the Chevrolet
into the guardrail.
A passenger in the Chevrolet, Jamie Nietupski, 33, of East Patchogue, was transported via ambulance to
Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Zaleski, 62,
of East Patchogue was transported to the same hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
Tafe, 30, of Bohemia, was not injured.
Both vehicles were impounded for safety checks. Anyone with information on this crash is asked to
contact Sixth Squad detectives at 631-854-8652.
These three police officers helped to deliver a baby in Shirley on March 24. Photo courtesy of Suffolk County Police
Three Suffolk County Police officers helped safely deliver a baby girl in a car on the side of Sunrise
Highway in Shirley on March 24.
Seventh Precinct Officers Joseph Lacey, Brendan Nappi, and Jonathan Verity responded to a 911 call of a woman in active labor inside a Honda Accord on the shoulder of Sunrise Highway, near William Floyd Parkway, during heavy rain at 6:11 p.m.
Upon police arrival, Officers Lacey, Nappi and Officer Verity—who graduated from the Suffolk County Police Academy on Friday—assisted the 37-year-old Mastic Beach woman to deliver the healthy baby girl and wrap her in a blanket. Shirley Community Ambulance arrived shortly after and transported the healthy mother and baby to Stony Brook University Hospital.
Vincent Iacono (second from left) with research and PhD. students in 1982. Photo courtesy of Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine
By Daniel Dunaief
When Dr. Vincent Iacono first starting teaching at the Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine, he was contemporaries with the students.
That was back in 1974, when Gerald Ford was president, when Post-It Notes were invented and when supermarkets first started scanning bar codes.
A great deal has changed since then. One of the constants over the next half century has been Iacono, who has taught every one of the students who has graduated from the Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine.
“When I started out, the students and I were about the same age,” said Iacono. “Now, I’m like a grandparent to some of the students.”
From left, Vincent Iacono, Jeanne Garant, Port Jefferson Mayor from 1999 to 2005 and Phil Garant, Dean of the School of Dental Medicine from 1979 to 1992. Photo courtesy of Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine.
Iacono, who is the chair of Periodontics and Endodontics and the Director of Postdoctoral Education at Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine, has served in a host of roles at the university as well as in professional societies, gathering appreciative admirers along the way and serving as a skilled local doctor, a leader and role model.
“It’s a remarkable achievement for someone to have touched so many lives as a part of their career,” said Dr. Ira Lamster, a consultant for Santa Fe Group, a think tank dedicated to oral health. Lamster was in the first class to graduate from the Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine in 1977 and served as Dean of the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine.
“I’m proud to have been taught by him,” said Dr. Wayne Aldredge, who works in private practice in Holmdel, New Jersey. Aldredge completed his postdoctoral program at Stony Brook in 1999. Aldredge described Iacono as a “great mentor” and an “encyclopedia of all things related to periodontics and dental implants.”
Indeed, Aldredge suggested that Iacono could “sit down tomorrow and write a paper overnight that would take me three weeks to get done.”
A long-time contributor to education at the dental school, Iacono has earned numerous honors, has served as a clinician and has held a host of leadership positions for national dental groups.
He led the American Academy of Periondotology as president, and was a past Periodontics Commissioner for the Commission on Dental Accreditation. He was also the chair of the Academy of Osseointegration.
Iacono has won numerous awards, including the Isadore Hirschfeld Award and Irwin Scopp Award from the Northeastern Society of Periodontists and the Oral Research Award and Fellowship from the Academy of Osseoointegration. He earned the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, where he graduated with his DMD in 1972 and earned his Certificate of Periodontology and Oral Medicine in 1974.
“It’s the selfless side of what you do outside school and teaching where he’s had a huge contribution,” said Aldredge.
Building from the beginning
Growing up in Brooklyn and with family who lived in the tri-state area, Iacono was pleased with the opportunity to join Stony Brook after graduating from Harvard.
He felt he was getting in on the “ground floor” and that the early years were an exciting time to build up the school.
“The opportunities continued to grow as I grew in age,” said Iacono.
The Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine is a highly competitive program.
In the class of 2028, the dental school had 1,484 applicants for 46 available spots. The periodontics residency program also had 86 applicants for three spots.
“They want to come here because our dental school’s reputation is phenomenal” and where students get considerable one-on-one interaction with educators, Iacono said.
A defining interaction
When Iacono first started teaching, he was also more involved in research.
Indeed, Dr. Steve Zove, Director of Predoctoral Periodontics at Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine, recalls walking into Rockland Hall before the start of the dental program. He was searching for a summer research position. When he introduced himself in the building, the first person he saw directed him to Iacono’s lab, where Iacono did microbiological and immunology research.
“Dr. Iacono is the reason I went into periodontics,” said Zove, who graduated from Stony Brok Dental School in 1983. The two are close friends, with Zove’s children referring to Iacono as “uncle.”
Among many other superlatives, Zove called Iacono one of the”best lecturers he’s ever come across.”
Iacono effectively gets students involved in lectures, sharing anecdotal information while bringing the class together, Zove said.
Educational changes
Indeed, education has changed considerably over the years.
In the earlier days, Iacono used a blackboard and chalk. Now, students can download lectures and presentations from the cloud and take exams electronically.
Iacono appreciates the opportunity to learn from and tap into the expertise of residents, who help him stay up-to-date technologically.
The change in student demographics means that he has sometimes struggled to find a common vocabulary outside the world of dentistry to communicate.
“If I’m lecturing on bone morphology and I’m describing the shape and pattern of bone resorption around a tooth” and he says the bone resorption is in the shape of a moat, some of his students “don’t know what the word ‘moat’ means. I have to explain a castle with a moat and alligators swimming around.”
He has to express terminology in a way that the class as a whole can understand.
Dental advancements
Iacono has seen numerous changes in periodontics, implant dentistry and general dentistry.
Zove recalled that Iacono was one of the first people to go to Sweden in the 1980’s to study dental implants with the late Per-Ingvar Brånemark, who is considered a pioneer in the field.
Dentists have also enhanced their use of technology to regenerate bone lost to disease and to enhance the esthetic outcomes of surgery.
The use of biologics has already increased exponentially in using growth factors and looking at chemical mediators.
Periodontists also classify the stages of gum disease into one, two and three, a system they didn’t have years ago.
Keeping on
Iacono has enjoyed his work and plans to continue with his teaching and clinical efforts.
He knows it’ll be time to consider retiring when residents don’t come to him for advice in their academic or clinical work.
“If I see that I’m not being asked by my colleagues, by residents for assistance, by students to teach, to provide clinical care, to administrators in developing educational tools to comply with the standards, then I’ll know it’s time to fade away,” he said.
After Iacono has spent more than 50 years and plenty of rinse-and-spit moments at Stony Brook, his colleagues say his help and views remain in high demand.
“He’s one of the most respected individuals within our profession,” said Zove. “He’s a go-to person” in numerous roles, including the accreditation process.
Shelley Germana. Photo courtesy of Stony Brook University
By Daniel Dunaief
Performance on tests, essays and presentations can often reflect as much, if not more, about what’s going on with a student outside the classroom as it does during a course.
A sociologist by training who earned her PhD from Rutgers, Shelley Germana, Senior Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education at Stony Brook University, recognized the impact and importance of health, family life, and financial strains when she taught a class of conditionally admitted students to Rutgers University.
“It’s the first time I realized [student performance] was largely about the non-academic stuff,” said Germana. “I was teaching as if it was just about academics, give them theory, give them concepts, break down the information for them. It wasn’t about that.”
Instead, mental health and social challenges, among others, affected how well they did in class.
That realization changed her career path from a plan to become an educator into one in which she dedicates herself to student success.
Indeed, fast forward to today, and Germana helped create the Summer Academic Resilience Program Stony Brook for students in 2024 who were struggling academically after their first year.
The five credit summer course, which was offered as part of a pilot program for 30 students, was given at no cost to the students. While living on campus and having access to dining facilities, the students not only received classroom support, but also had wrap around services.
This includes accessibility support, mental health aid, and employment. Students took a three-credit general education course and a two-credit academic success course for five weeks.
The students in this course had grade point averages that were close to or below 2.0, which could have led to a suspension.
The effort on the part of the students and the school paid dividends, with four students still below 2.0 in the fall and the remainder above that threshold. At the same time, 11 students earned a grade point average above a 3.0 this past fall.
“What this demonstrates is that this degree of structured, holistic support can be really transformative,” said Germana.
The university is preparing for the 2025 summer session and is hoping to increase the number of student participants to 50.
Embracing a bigger role
Provost Carl Lejuez applauded the work Germana has done with this pilot program and her overall efforts on behalf of student success.
Germana “was in the number two role for undergraduate education for many years and everyone was really aware of how hard she worked and how talented and strategic and student focused she was,” said Lejuez. “I was really excited about the possibility of her being in that role and it has worked out in every way I thought it would.”
Indeed, in academic year 2024-2025, Stony Brook had record enrollment, while the university has also managed to increase student retention to around 90 percent.
“That’s because of the holistic approach she takes,” said Lejuez.
Germana credits a number of other parts of the university for the increasing percentage of students who return for their second year of classes.
“Everybody has a hand in student success and retention, from student affairs to faculty,” said Germana. “It’s all part of the package.”
Germana added that student advisors have had a positive influence on success as well.
In a recent Boyer Commission report that looks ahead to 2030, the commission has specific recommendations for advising, including lowering case loads. This enables advisors to meet regularly with students.
The commission also urges advisors to move beyond academic support and into areas like the transition from high school to college.
“The recommended case loads were lower than what we had at Stony Brook,” said Germana. The administration, from the president to Lejuez supported the university’s investments in academic advisors.
Germana and Vice President for Student Affairs Rich Gatteau run a working group that meet regularly to discuss holistic success and have advocated for greater support for advisors.
Two years ago, Stony Brook invested about a million dollars in adding academic advisors.
The university plans to make a similar type of investment again this year.
“What I love about [Germana] is that she understands traditions and best practices and is always working with people to be innovative and think about new ways to do it.”
Flipping the script
Germana suggested that institutions of higher learning have sometimes approached struggling students by suggesting they have a learning deficit.
While she does not dismiss the fact that some students have preparation issues, she prefers to focus on the assets they bring to the classroom, despite the challenges they face in their lives.
“We should not be underestimating what the students bring” to the classroom, Germana said.
“They are clearly capable or they would not have been admitted,” said Germana.
Like some students at Stony Brook, Germana, who is a native of southern New Jersey, is the first member of her family to attend college.
Higher education is a “transformative experience” that has enriched her life.
She added that the college experience and the opportunities that follow are empowering.
Stony Brook can and should be a “place where they’re going to grow and transform and become citizens of the world,” Germana added.
The Marian B. and Jacob K. Javits Foundation recently gave $1 million to Stony Brook University Libraries, creating its largest-ever endowment. This endowment was established to help preserve, promote and make accessible the Senator Jacob K. Javits Collection at Stony Brook.
Additional funding for the Jacob K. Javits Collection Engagement Fund will be matched by the New York State endowment match program and the Simons Infinity Investment Match Challenge, tripling the impact of this endowment gift. This project also received institutional support to begin programming as the endowment builds.
The Javits family, 1956; left to right: Marian B. Javits, Carla Javits, Senator Jacob K. Javits, Joshua Javits, and Joy Javits. Photo from Special Collections, Stony Brook University Libraries
“We thought a high-caliber New York State academic institution, which already had a long and deep familiarity with our father’s papers, would be the perfect venue to maintain and disseminate his ideas and achievements,” said Senator Javits’ son, Joshua Javits.
“By making the collection more accessible, we hope the practical ideas and concepts that he worked on his whole life will inspire people and the future of policymaking,” said Carla Javits, Senator Javits’ daughter.
Senator Javits played a critical role in shaping national policies on civil rights, social justice, the arts and environmental protection during his more than three decades of service as an elected official from New York. He also had a long-standing relationship with former Stony Brook University President John H. Marburger III and spent time at the university, meeting with faculty and students and giving lectures on campus.
The collection was received in 1981, when Senator Javits contributed his life’s papers, highlighting resources over the senator’s 34-year career. The collection features almost 2 million items, containing speeches, bills and campaign literature, audio and film recordings, photographs, artifacts and memorabilia, cartoons and correspondence.
“This collection serves as a powerful educational resource,” said Kristen Nyitray, director of Special Collections and University Archives. “It is not only an archive of the past, but a source for informed citizenship and critical thinking about the present and future.”
“We are profoundly grateful for the generous endowment received to maintain the Sen. Jacob K. Javits Collection. As we navigate these challenging times, it’s more important than ever to ensure access to such invaluable resources,” said SBU Libraries Dean Karim Boughida. “By facilitating enhanced access to the collection, we honor Sen. Javits’ legacy and reaffirm our commitment to serving as a hub of knowledge and collaboration for all.”
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