Health professionals from St. Catherine of Siena Hospital will be available at Sunken Meadow State Park’s boardwalk in Kings Park on Tuesdays, May 14, 21 and 28 from 5 to 7 p.m. to discuss heart health, healthy eating, weight management, breast health, stroke prevention, skin cancer and Lyme disease prevention tips. Free blood pressure screenings and free giveaways. To learn more, call 631-870-3444.
The Long Island Museum (LIM), a Smithsonian Affiliate, has announced that it has been awarded the prestigious Engaging Communities Award of Distinction for its groundbreaking exhibition SOMOS/WE ARE: Latinx Artists of Long Island.
The LIM was part of a group of selected museums, museum professionals, industry partners, and legislative leaders that were recognized for their exceptional achievements at MANY’s 2024 annual conference “Giving Voice to Value” in Albany on April 8. The fifteen awards celebrated unique leadership, dedicated community service, transformational visitor experiences, community engagement, and innovative programs that use collections and resources to support museums and to tell stories of everyone who calls New York home.
The Engaging Communities Award of Distinction recognizes organizations that demonstrate exceptional and resourceful methods in engaging their communities and cultivating new audiences. The LIM’s exhibition, SOMOS/WE ARE, stood out for its immersive approach in showcasing the rich cultural heritage and artistic contributions of the Latinx community on Long Island.
“This was such an important and institution-changing exhibition for us,” says Co-Executive Director, Joshua Ruff. “It helped us collaborate and connect with community partners such as the Latino Arts Council of Long Island. We were able to make some significant new accessions for our art collection from some of the artists involved. And this project confirmed that LIM is a museum dedicated to the history and culture of all people across our region, including the more than 20% of Nassau-Suffolk’s total population that has Hispanic heritage.”
On view during the fall of 2023, SOMOS/WE ARE was guest-curated by Mexican-American artist Kelynn Alder and curator Nina Sangimino of the LIM. This collaborative exhibition with associated programming focused on the rich cultural heritage and artistic contributions of the Latinx community on Long Island, featured 82 regional artists and explored their diverse styles, media, personal stories, and familial national origins.
In addition to bilingual exhibition text, the museum’s education staff published a bilingual Family Gallery Guide and offered Spanish language tours, including one for the Long Island Latino Teachers Association which contributed to an increase in school tours from school districts on Long Island with a high percentage of Latinx students, including Hempstead, Springs, Copiague, Tuckahoe, North Babylon, and Brentwood.
The museum also hosted a ¡ESTAMOS! symposium that featured an artist discussion and performances as well as a free Family Fun Day in October which set a record 600 person attendance for Día de los Muertos, many of whom were first-time visitors.
The LIM’s SOMOS/WE ARE: Latinx Artists of Long Island exhibition exemplifies the power of museums to connect, inspire, and celebrate diverse voices and communities. For more information, visit www.longislandmuseum.org.
For the second year in a row, the No. 14 Stony Brook women’s lacrosse team has won the CAA Championship after defeating the No. 2 seed Drexel, 9-6 on May 4. With the win, the Seawolves earn their 11th straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament, a streak that dates back to the 2013 season and they extended their season-long winning streak to 12 games in a row.
Stony Brook captured its 10th conference championship title in program history (two CAA, eight America East) and won its ninth at home inside Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium.
The Seawolves were fueled by a standout defensive effort en route to victory as they limited the Dragons to just six goals, 15 shots, and eight shots on goal. In addition, the Stony Brook defense forced 18 turnovers and held Drexel’s top scorer Corinne Bednarik to just one goal and a season-high seven turnovers.
After trailing 2-0 midway through the second quarter, Stony Brook senior defender Clare Levy charged towards goal with a full head of steam and found the back of the net for the Seawolves’ first goal of the game. The Stony Brook crowd erupted when Levy scored, and it gave the Seawolves the momentum that it needed to close out the first half.
Drexel took a narrow 3-2 lead into the halftime break after the teams traded goals to close out the second quarter. Stony Brook took control of the game in the second half and used a 6-0 run to take the lead and never looked back.
The run was fueled by five different goal scorers as Ellie Masera (scored twice), graduate attack Kailyn Hart, graduate midfielder Charlotte Verhulst, graduate midfielder Erin MacQuarrie, and graduate attack Morgan Mitchell all tallied goals over the run.
Masera led all players with a game-high three goals to pace the scoring for the Seawolves. Hart registered a pair of goals for her 15th multi-goal performance of the season and 11th in a row. The aforementioned Levy, Verhulst, Mitchell and MacQuarrie all tallied one goal apiece.
Verhulst helped the Seawolves win the battle for the draws as she recorded a season-high seven draw controls, which allowed Stony Brook to out-draw Drexel, 12-5. Masera added a pair of draw controls and set the Seawolves’ single-season record for most draw controls with 136. The senior moved past Kerri McCarthy, who previously held the record with 135 draw controls in 2018.
Defensively, Hines continued her dominance as she caused five more turnovers and she too set a Stony Brook single-season record. With her 60 caused turnovers, Hines moves past Brook Gubitosi (55 in 2017) for the most caused turnovers in a single season in program history.
Four Seawolves earned All-Championship Team honors for their standout play in the tournament. Masera, Verhulst, Hart, and Levy were named members of the All-Championship Team, with Masera taking home the Most Outstanding Performer honor.
Head coach Joe Spallina is now 21-1 in conference tournament games as Stony Brook head coach and the Seawolves have won 20 consecutive conference tournament games under him.
“What a crazy game, right? I’m really happy for our players,” said Coach Spallina postgame. “Drexel came in and played a hard game. … I’m proud of how our players responded. Defensively I thought we were phenomenal the entire game, and I thought we played really good offense. For the seniors to go out with a win at LaValle Stadium, that’s apropos,” he said.
Up next, the team is set to take on MAAC Champion Niagara in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament in Syracuse on May 10, at 2 p.m., as announced during the Selection Show on May 5. The winner of the first round matchup will face No. 3 seeded Syracuse on May 12.
The Stony Brook University softball team defeated North Carolina A&T, 2-1, on May 4 in the regular season finale. The Seawolves won their sixth consecutive series over a conference opponent and secured the No. 3 seed in the 2024 CAA Championships.
HOW IT HAPPENED
STATS AND NOTES
“It was great for us to win the game and the series, and to improve in several areas from Friday to Saturday,” head coach Megan T. Bryant said. “Mia and Ashton combined to give us a chance to win, and our defense was outstanding. We are proud of our regular season and now look forward to the tournament next week.”
The Ward Melville Heritage Organization (WMHO) has announced the Summer Soirée fundraising gala will return with a cocktail hour, dinner and silent and live auction at 6 p.m. on June 27 at the historic Three Village Inn in Stony Brook. The primary purpose of the fundraising is to support the ongoing restoration of the beloved Stony Brook Grist Mill (c. 1751). Any additional funds raised will support WMHO education programs and invasive species projects sponsored by WMHO.
This year’s event will be honoring three exceptional individuals who are WMHO supporters and community leaders: Charlie Lefkowitz, Barbara Damianos and the Damianos Family, and Michele Miller.
Charlie Lefkowitz is Chairman of the Suffolk County Water Authority, President of the Three Village Chamber of Commerce and President of CALCO Development and Louis Lefkowitz Realty Inc. Despite this hectic work life, he remains very involved in community endeavors. He resides in Setauket with his family.
Barbara Damianos raised her five children in Head of the Harbor and now resides in Port Jefferson. She is known for her international charity work that has taken her to countries such as Guatemala, El Salvador, Ukraine, Peru, and Russia. The highlight of Barbara Damianos’s professional life was the establishment of her family’s wineries. The Damianos Family collectively runs three vineyards: Pindar Vineyards, Duck Walk Vineyards, and Jason’s Vineyard.
Michele Miller is an Educator at Selden Middle School. She has been integral to the success of the Ward Melville Heritage Organization’s (WMHO) Youth Corps. Her daughter Leslie, an attorney who worked for the Bloomberg Administration and now works for a non-profit, was one of its first members. The Youth Corps is now celebrating its 25th anniversary. Michele resides in Setauket.
“These honorees were selected because of their good works in the Long Island community and beyond”, said Dr. Richard Rugen, Chairman of WMHO.
For tickets and sponsorship information for the Summer Soirée, visit www.wmho.org or call 631-751-2244.
Carlos Orellana Mata was Intoxicated When He Crashed into Back of a Tractor- Trailer, Killing His Passenger
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on May 8 that Carlos Orellana Mata, 36, of East Northport, pleaded guilty to Aggravated Vehicular Homicide after driving while being intoxicated and speeding into the back of a tractor- trailer, killing his passenger, 22-year-old Lenel Umana Guitierrez Lopez, of East Northport.
“This defendant was operating a vehicle while being twice the legal limit of drinking and in the process, claimed the life of yet another young Suffolk County victim,” said District Attorney Tierney. “We see this far too often where people are losing their lives through the carelessness of others on the roadways and aggrieved families are left without a loved one because of someone else’s lapse in judgement. This has to stop.”
According to court documents and the defendant’s admissions during his guilty plea allocution, on March 18, 2023, at approximately 12:17 a.m., Orellana Mata was driving a 2015 Infiniti QX60 SUV eastbound on Jericho Turnpike in Elwood when he crashed into the rear of a tractor trailer, killing Guitierrez Lopez upon impact. When Police officers arrived, they observed Orellana Mata still in the driver’s seat of the vehicle with slurred speech and bloodshot glassy eyes. Orellana Mata was extricated from the vehicle and transported to Good Samaritan Hospital, where he consented to toxicology testing which subsequently revealed a .15% blood alcohol concentration.
A search warrant was also obtained to seize blood taken earlier by hospital staff upon the defendant’s admittance to the hospital, which revealed a .20% blood alcohol concentration. A search warrant executed on the defendant’s car revealed that he was traveling over 80 mph prior to the collision.
On May 8, 2024, Orellana Mata pleaded guilty before County Court Judge Stephen L. Braslow for the charges of Aggravated Vehicular Homicide, a Class B felony, Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a Class C felony, and Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated, an unclassified misdemeanor. Orellana Mata is due back in court for sentencing on August 7, 2024, and faces three to nine years in prison. He is being represented by Christopher Gioe, Esq.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Ray Varuolo of the Vehicular Crime Bureau, and the investigation was conducted by Suffolk County Police Department Detective Sean McQuaid of the Major Case Unit.
Jaquan Casserly Pleaded Guilty in April to Selling Chelsea Murray Illicit Drugs Which Resulted in Her Death
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced that Jaquan Casserly, 34, of Holbrook, was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by five years of post-release supervision after pleading guilty in April to Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, for selling fentanyl to Chelsey Murray, 31, of Lake Grove, that resulted in her fatal overdose in 2022.
“This defendant is responsible for cutting a 31-year-old woman’s life short by selling her a deadly mix of fentanyl and heroin,” said District Attorney Tierney. “His conviction and sentence remove a dangerous individual from the streets of Suffolk County, but there is more work to be done. I will continue to stand by Chelsey Murray’s heartbroken parents as I urge lawmakers to pass Chelsey’s Law, which provides additional penalties for causing overdose deaths.”
Chelsey’s parents, Gene and Sue Murray recently joined District Attorney Tierney in Albany in January 2024 to call for New York State lawmakers to pass Chelsey’s Law, which if passed, would allow prosecutors to charge a drug dealer with manslaughter or aggravated manslaughter, for knowingly selling a drug that causes a victim to fatally overdose. Click here to view the press release from the January 2024 Albany rally.
According to court documents and the defendant’s admissions during his guilty plea allocution, on August 18, 2022, Chelsey was found unresponsive in the bathroom by her mother, and police responded to the Murray’s residence. Chelsey was administered Narcan, which works to reverse the effects of fentanyl, and she regained a pulse. Chelsey was then transported to Stony Brook University Hospital where she ultimately passed away several days later as a result of a drug overdose.
Following Chelsey’s hospitalization, an undercover detective from the Suffolk County Police Department contacted Casserly and arranged for a sale of narcotics. Casserly then sold the undercover detective a combination of heroin and fentanyl contained in a red glassine envelope, which police were able to establish was similar to the one that Chelsey’s father Gene found in the bathroom where Chelsey overdosed.
On August 27, 2022, police executed a search warrant at Casserly’s Holbrook residence and recovered a combination of heroin and fentanyl, a digital scale used to weigh narcotics, red and black glassine/wax envelopes used to package narcotics, a pair of metal knuckles, and Casserly’s cell phone. The red envelopes were similar in appearance to the ones sold to the undercover detective. A search of Casserly’s phone showed that he arranged to meet Chelsey on August 17, 2022, offering to sell her “fetty mix,” a street term used to describe a mix of fentanyl and heroin.
Prior to this case, Casserly was previously convicted of Attempted Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree in 2018, and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fourth Degree in 2011.
On April 5, 2024, Casserly pleaded guilty to Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, a Class B felony, before Acting Supreme Court Justice Steven A. Pilewski. On May 8, 2024, Casserly was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by three years of post-release supervision. He was represented by Christopher Brocato, Esq.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Danielle Davis of the Narcotics Bureau, and the investigation was conducted by Michael DeMauro of the Suffolk County Police Department’s Narcotics Section.
Distinguished Professor has a long history of accomplishments in antiviral drug research
Carol A. Carter, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Stony Brook University Renaissance School of Medicine (RSOM), was elected as a member to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS), a society made up of the country’s leading researchers.
According to NAS, members are elected to the National Academy of Sciences in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. Election to the National Academy of Sciences is considered one of the highest honors that a scientist can receive.
Carter is the eighteenth faculty member at Stony Brook University elected to the NAS. She is only the second elected member from the RSOM. World-renowned virologist and Emeritus Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology Eckard Wimmer was elected in 2012.
“Carol has been active in translational research and has exploited her discoveries for the identification of new antiviral compounds,” says David Thanassi, PhD, Professor and Zhang Family Endowed Chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. “Her research illustrates the power of basic science to lead to unexpected insights and generate new avenues for therapeutic development.”
At the NAS Annual Meeting on April 30, 120 new members were elected. This brings the total number of NAS members to 2,617 since the society’s inception in 1863. Members are elected by their peers for their outstanding research. Approximately 500 NAS members have earned a Nobel Prize.
“Frankly speaking, I’m stunned, thrilled and honored to be joining the company of those I have admired throughout my career,” says Carter. “This recognition from the Academy opens the door to the possibility of shining more light on feasible ways to approach targeting non-traditional cellular systems for drug discovery, systems that have long been exploited by viral pathogens for their production,” adds Carter, also an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Physiology & Biophysics within the RSOM, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology.
Carter is best known as an early pioneer in HIV research. At the onset of the AIDS pandemic, she advanced understanding of the viral-encoded protease and purified the viral capsid protein for structural and biochemical studies. She has also conducted research on Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Virus-2 (SARS CoV-2), pathogens causing organ transplant rejection and COVID-19, respectively.
In 2001, her groundbreaking research, published in PNAS, identified an interaction between HIV and a host protein (Tsg101) that is essential for the assembly and budding of HIV viral particles from infected cells. Her findings opened a new field of research on host factors in microbial pathogenesis and suggested the possibility of targeting host proteins for developing antimicrobial therapeutics, with implications beyond HIV.
A resident of Stony Brook, Carter has also served as a member of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Advisory Council from 2007 to 2011. She received the Stony Brook University Presidential Award for Promoting Diversity and Academic Excellence in 2013, and the Suffolk County, N.Y., Martin Luther King Jr Commission Public Service Award in 2016.
Currently, she collaborates with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory DNA Learning Center staff and Stony Brook Faculty in the RSOM, the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, School of Health Professions, and the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, in efforts to mentor high school students interested in pursuing careers in health sciences professions.
She continues her research focus on several areas, including the role of cellular proteins in assembly of HIV and other members of the Retrovirus family; Tsg101 structure/function analysis; and antiviral drug development, to name a few.
Carol A. Carter received her PhD from Yale University in 1972. She has been a faculty member at Stony Brook University since 1975.
Suffolk County Legislator Steven Englebright (D-Setauket) has named Andrew Polan as the Fifth Legislative District’s Jewish American of Distinction for 2024.
“Andy is a steadfast figure in the Three Village Jewish American community and the surrounding area,” Englebright said. “He is a beacon of dedication and service.”
Last year, Suffolk County officials designated the first Wednesday of May as Jewish American Heritage Day in Suffolk. Elected county officials in conjunction with the American Jewish Committee held a ceremony on Wednesday, May 1, at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge. Each county legislator chose a Jewish American of Distinction to represent their district.
Polan, a former North Shore Jewish Center board president, continues to be an active member of the congregation. Rabbi Aaron Benson fondly describes him as “an all-around mensch and a sweetheart.” Polan’s reputation is one of quiet and humble giving, always ready to lend a helping hand.
The honoree is also an active member of Village Chabad in East Setauket and is the board president of Stony Brook Hillel, which strives to give Stony Brook University students a community where they can explore their relationship with Judaism, Israel and each other.
The owner of Stony Brook Vision World, Polan is a member of the Three Village Chamber of Commerce and one of its past presidents. Among his accomplishments, he has been credited with facilitating the installation of the chamber’s sign on Nicolls Road and Route 347. He was also an ardent volunteer and supporter of the Walk for Beauty, which was held annually at Stony Brook Village Center. Proceeds from the event were donated to a targeted Stony Brook Medicine breast cancer research fund.
Polan follows in the footsteps of his father, Sheldon, who was also an optician. His father was a World War II vet, and in addition to serving his Vision World customers, Andy Polan is the resident optician at the Long Island State Veterans Home at Stony Brook University. At the veterans home, he is known to go above and beyond to ensure the veterans’ eye care needs are met.
Polan said he was honored and flattered to be chosen by Englebright.
“At a time when unity is so important, I am honored to be recognized and included with others who have contributed so much to bringing others together,” Polan said.
Randy Woods and Dwayne Jones Allegedly Stripped the Vehicles at Night
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on May 8 a 190-count indictment charging Randy Woods, 37, of Wyandanch and Dwayne Jones, 45, of Central Islip, for allegedly stealing tires and rims from 114 vehicles during the course of more than a year.
“Quality of life crimes have been a priority since day one of our administration, and this indictment reaffirms our dedication to them,” said District Attorney Ray Tierney. “More than 100 vehicle operators in Suffolk County parked their cars here only to return to them without tires and rims. These more than 100 victims had to suffer collateral damages from these crimes such as missed appointments, missed work, a missed vacation or a planned vacation in the immediate aftermath of these crimes. My commitment to tackling these types of crimes remains. If you steal other people’s property, we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”
“The National Insurance Crime Bureau would like to applaud the staff of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and the investigators who tirelessly participated in this investigation. We are pleased that NICB had the opportunity to provide support,” said Kevin Gallagher, Regional Director of the Northeast Region of the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
“Individuals who prey on consumers by stealing tires and rims from vehicles, not only cause financial loss but disrupt every aspect of the consumer’s lives. These arrests demonstrate the commitment by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office to prosecute those responsible to the full extent of the law.”
According to the investigation, between July 1, 2022, and October 20, 2023, Woods and Jones allegedly targeted residents, car dealerships, and rental car companies across Suffolk County to steal tires and rims from several vehicles, with preference to vehicles from Honda, Toyota, Mercedes Benz, BMW, and black rims from SUVs. The total property damage in this case is estimated to be $500,000.
Woods was indicted on the following charges after stealing tires and rims from 52 automobiles:
Woods was arraigned on the indictment on May 7, 2024, before Supreme Court Justice John B. Collins who set bail in the amount of $100,000 cash, $1,000,000 bond, and $1,000,000 bond secured at ten percent. Woods is also being held in Suffolk County on previous charges of Strangulation in the Second Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree.
Jones, was indicted on the following charges after stealing tires and rims from 101 automobiles:
Jones is currently serving a jail sentence in Bergen County, New Jersey in a separate case involving the theft of tires and rims. He is being extradited back to Suffolk County to be arraigned on this indictment.
Woods is due back in court on June 14, 2024. As persistent felony offenders, Woods and Jones face a potential maximum sentence of 25 years to life of incarceration on these charges.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys James Bartens and Blythe Miller of the Financial Crimes Bureau, with assistance from Detective Michael Lavella of the Property Auto Crime Unit of the Suffolk County Police Department, Detective Michael Filippazzo of the Gun Crime Reduction Unit of the Suffolk County Police Department, and Research Technician Emily Kiersnowski of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Specialized assistance was also received from the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
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