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Photo from Councilwoman Bonner's office

On July 3, Councilwoman Jane Bonner (seated) donated blood during the New York Blood Center Blood Drive in memory of John Drews, Jr.at the Sound Beach Fire Department headquarters.

The event was co-sponsored by Councilwoman Bonner, Suffolk County Legislator Chad Lennon, New York State Senator Anthony Palumbo and New York State Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio. The blood drive collected 46 pints of blood, which could save 138 lives. Pictured with Councilwoman Bonner are John Drews (center), Ginny Drews (right) with a nurse from New York Blood Center (left). Each donor received a Mets T-shirt and a pair of New York Mets tickets.

Eighty percent of blood donations are collected at mobile blood drives set up at community organizations, companies, schools, places of worship or military installations. The remaining 20 percent are collected at Blood Donation Centers. For more information, or if you want to donate blood, go to the New York Blood Center website at www.nybc.org or call 800-933-BLOOD. 

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The Setalcott Nation's annual corn festival and powwow will be held at the Setauket Elementary School on July 13 and 14. Photo by Aidan Johnson
Ongoing

Huntington Summer Arts Festival

The 59th annual Huntington Summer Arts Festival returns to Heckscher Park, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington from June 21 to Aug. 24, Wednesdays to Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 7 p.m. The 10-week festival will feature over 40 live performances including dance, theater and music. Bring seating. Held rain or shine. Free. For a list of scheduled performers, visit www.huntingtonarts.org. 631-271-8423

Thursday July 11

Northport Fireman’s Fair

The Northport Volunteer Fire Department 98th annual Fireman’s Fair continues tonight and runs through July 13 from 7 to 11 p.m. at the fire department grounds on Steers Ave, off of Ocean Ave in Northport. The six day event will feature carnival rides by Blue Sky Amusements, festival food, carnival games and more. 631-261-7504

Dennis Cannataro Concert Series

The Dennis Cannataro Family Summer Concert Series returns to the Smithtown Library, 1 North Country Road, Smithtown beginning with The Gold Coast Orchestra (Motown) tonight at 7:30 p.m. No registration required. 631-360-2480 ext. 150

Harborside Concerts

Harborside concerts kick off at the Show Mobile at Harborfront Park, 101-A East Broadway, Port Jefferson tonight at 7 p.m. with Southbound. Bring seating. 631-473-4724, www.portjeff.com

Community Band Concert

The Northport Community Band will host concerts at the Robert W. Krueger Bandshell in Northport Village Park tonight, July 18, July 25 and Aug. 1 starting at 8:30 p.m. Free. Bring seating. Rain location is Northport High School. www.ncb59.org

Friday July 12

Northport Fireman’s Fair

See July 11 listing.

Concert on the Library Lawn 

Emma S. Clark Memorial Library, 120 Main St., Setauket hosts a concert on the library lawn from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Claudia Jacobs and the Say Hey Crew will play an eclectic performance of original, traditional, and deep covers, blended with blues, soul and jazz, served up with verve. Bring seating. Weather permitting. 631-941-4080.

Happenings on Main Street

Northport Arts Coalition presents Happenings on Main Street, free concerts at the Northport Village Park Gazebo at the harbor Friday evenings at 7 p.m. through Aug. 30. Tonight’s performance will feature Jack’s Waterfall. Bring seating. Weather permitting. 631-261-1872, www.northportarts.org

Owl Prowl Friday

Sweetbriar Nature Center, 62 Eckernkamp Drive, Smithtown hosts an Owl Prowl from 7:50 pm. to 9:50 p.m. Meet and learn about some of the Center’s resident owls and then embark on a walk into the darkness to enjoy the night and call some owls. Meet behind the main house and check in. Wear bug spray and bring a flashlight just in case. For families with children ages 5 and up. $15 per person. Advance registration required by visiting www.sweetbriarnc.org.

Beatles Tribute Concert

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson continues its summer concert series with Beatlemania at 8 p.m. Now is your ticket to ride through the 60s….with vintage musical equipment, impeccable vocals, authentic costumes, and brilliant musicianship. Join them in celebrating the music of the greatest band of all time. Tickets are $65. To order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

Saturday July 13

Northport Fireman’s Fair

See July 11 listing.

Antique Truck Show

The Long Island Chapter of the American Truck Historical Society presents its 22nd annual Antique, Classic & Working Truck Show today and July 14 at the LIAPA Show Grounds, 5951 Sound Ave., Riverhead from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Held in conjunction with the Long Island Antique Power Association’s 31st annual Antique Farm Tractor Show & Pull and Hit & Miss Engine Run with garden and large tractor pulls, truck and engine exhibits, kids corner and craft vendors. Admission is $10 adults, veterans and children under 12 free. 631-339-3065.

SBCA Car Show

Join the Stony Brook Christian Assembly, 400 Nicolls Road, East Setauket for its first annual Car Show from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with classic cars, bbq, live music, 50/50 and more. Donation requested. 631-689-1127

All Souls Poetry Reading

The Second Saturdays poetry series returns to All Souls Church in Stony Brook via Zoom from 11 a.m. to noon. The featured poet will be Deborah Hauser followed by an open-reading; all are welcome to read one of their own poems.  For more information, call 631-655-7798.  Participants can access the program through the All Souls website https://www.allsouls-stonybrook.org/

Corn Festival & Pow Wow

Join the Setalcott Nation for their annual Corn Festival & Pow Wow at the Setauket Elementary School, 134 Main St., Setauket today and July 14 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The weekend will feature Aztec, Setalcott and Taino Dancers; storytelling; traditional drums and audience participation. Grand Entry at noon. Bring seating. Free will donation. 917-415-5139, 631-698-5517

Elton John Tribute

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson welcomes Bennie and the Jets: A Tribute to Elton John to the Mainstage at 8 p.m. Enjoy the singer’s greatest hits including “Crocodile Rock,” “Bennie and the Jets” and “Candle In the Wind.” Tickets are $65. To order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

Sunday July 14

Corn Festival & Pow Wow

See July 13 listing.

Penn Fabricators Car Show

In collaboration with Wren Kitchens, Penn Fabricators will hold its annual car show at College Plaza, 15 Middle Country Road, Selden from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with cars, trucks, hot rods and customs plus raffles music and vendors. Rain date is July 21. $5 for spectators. Proceeds will benefit Alzheimer’s Association. 631-484-2807

Wind Down Sundays

The popular summer concert series returns to Hap’s historic Red Barn at Frank Melville Memorial Park, 1 Old Field Road, Setauket with a performance by Gene Casey and The Lone Sharks at 5:30 p.m. Bring seating. 631-689-6146, www.frankmelvillepark.org

Celebrate St. James Concert Series

Celebrate St. James continues its summer concert series at Celebrate Park, 369 Lake Ave., St. James with The Whiskey Crows from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The series continues every Sunday through Aug. 18. Free. Bring seating. 631-984-0201, www.celebratestjames.org

Village Green Summer Concert

Summer concerts return to the Stony Brook Village Center every Sunday at 7 p.m. in front of the Stony Brook Post Office, 111 Main Street, Stony Brook through Aug. 18. Tonight’s performance will feature Martini Garden. Bring seating. In the case of rain, the concerts will be cancelled. 631-751-2244, www.wmho.org

CAC Author Talk

Long Island LitFest presents author of Fleishman is in Trouble, Taffy Brodesser-Akner in person at the Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington at 7 p.m. Brodesser-Akner will discuss her new book, Long Island Compromise, with moderator Josh Radnor. $48 tickets include an author talk, audience Q&A, book signing, and a copy of Long Island Compromise. To register, visit www.cinemaartscentre.org.

Monday July 15

Outdoor Hula Hooping

Comsewogue Public Library, 170 Terryville Road, Port Jefferson Station hosts an evening of outdoor hula hooping from 6 to 7 p.m. Get a great workout while you hoop it up with instructor Jeannie Pendergrass on the library lawn. Open to all. To reserve your spot, call 631-928-1212 or visit www.cplib.org

Tuesday July 16

NSJC Social Club event

North Shore Jewish Center Social Club, 385 Old Town Road, Port Jefferson Station invites the community to a presentation by Henry Beder, PE, DEE on the making of paper and everything you wanted to know about one of the most taken for granted commodities in the Social Hall at 11 a.m. Bagels, cream cheese and coffee will be served. $5 per person, $4 members. 631-928-3737

Huntington Manor Fireman’s Fair

Long Island’s largest Fireman’s Fair kicks off at the Henry L. Stimson Middle School, 401 Oakwood Rd., Huntington Station, and adjoining Peter Nelson Park tonight through July 18 from 6 to 11 p.m., July 19 from 6 p.m. to midnight, and July 20 from 5 p.m. to midnight.  (Parade on July 17 at 7:30 p.m.) Featuring amusement rides, games,  live musical entertainment, food. Fireworks  on July 17, 19 and 20. P.O.P bracelets for the rides are $40. 631-427-1629, ext. 4.

Northport Family Fun Night

The Northport Chamber of Commerce hosts a Northport Family Fun Night from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The Village of Northport’s Main Street will be closed to traffic from Woodbine Avenue to Union Place. Enjoy live music, outdoor dining, vendor sidewalk sales and antique cars. 631-754-3905

Summer Concert in the Courtyard

Northport Public Library, 151 Laurel Ave., Northport continues its Summer Concerts in the Library Courtyard series with ‘Pure Joy’ with Paige Patterson at 7 p.m. Restore your faith in the timeless power of music as you listen to songs from Sinatra to Santana, Bon Jovi to Broadway, ’70’s rock, classic soul, and much more. Rain date is July 17. No registration required. 631-261-6930

Rocky Point Concert series

The North Shore Youth Council and Suffolk County Legislator Chad Lennon present a summer concert at St. Anthony of Padua Parish, 614 Route 25A, Rocky Point featuring 70s Rock Parade at 7 p.m. Bring seating. 631-854-1600

Concerts at The Gazebo 

Enjoy Tuesday night concerts at The Gazebo, 127 Smithtown Blvd., Nesconset through Aug. 27 continuing with Radio Flashback tonight at 7 p.m. Rain dates are the next day. 631-672-5197, www.nesconsetchamber.org

Smithtown Community Band

The Smithtown Historical Society hosts the 38th annual Smithtown Community Band concert series, Starry Nights, on the grounds of the Frank Brush Barn, 211 E. Main St., Smithtown tonight, July 23 and July 30. Concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. Free. Bring seating. 631-265-6768

Wednesday July 17

Huntington Manor Fireman’s Fair

See July 16 listing.

Vanderbilt Nature Walk

Join CEED wildlife biologist-ranger Eric Powers from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for an interpretive Nature Walk on the grounds of the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Please bring water and wear sturdy footwear. Bring binoculars if you have them, and your sense of adventure! Tickets are $12 per person at www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

Port Jefferson Sunset Concert

Port Jefferson Arts Council continues its Sunset Concerts at Harborfront Park, 101-A East Broadway, Port Jefferson with a performance by the Toby Tobias Ensemble from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Free. Bring seating. Held rain or shine. 631-473-5220, www.gpjac.org

Summer Concert Wednesdays – This event has been postponed to Aug. 17 due to the weather

Port Jefferson Station-Terryville Chamber of Commerce continues its Summer Concert Wednesdays at the Train Car Park, 1 Rose Ave. (corner of Route 112 and Nesconset Highway), Port Jefferson Station with a performance by Drive (Cars tribute band) and a car show from 7 to 9 p.m. The free series continues every Wednesday through July 31. Bring seating. 631-821-1313, www.pjstchamber.com

Thursday July 18

Community Band Concert

See July 11 listing.

Huntington Manor Fireman’s Fair

See July 16 listing.

Dennis Cannataro Concert Series

The Dennis Cannataro Family Summer Concert Series continues at the Smithtown Library, 1 North Country Road, Smithtown Radio Active (80s/90s/2000s) tonight at 7:30 p.m. No registration required. 631-360-2480 ext. 150

Harborside Concerts

Harborside concerts continue at the Show Mobile at Harborfront Park, 101-A East Broadway, Port Jefferson tonight at 7 p.m. with the Ed Travers Band (Jimmy Buffet Tribute). Bring seating. 631-473-4724, www.portjeff.com

Music in the Park

The Greater Middle Country Chamber of Commerce presents Music in the Park at Veterans Park, Boyle Road, Selden with live music by Foreign Journey (Foreigner/Journey tribute band) starting at 7 p.m. Bring seating. 631-681-8708

Film

‘Honorable But Broken’

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson hosts the Long Island premiere of the 2023 award-winning documentary Honorable But Broken: EMS in Crisis on July 11 at 6 p.m. Free. No tickets required. 631-928-9100

‘Top Gun Maverick’

Heritage Park, 633 Mount Sinai-Coram Road, Mount Sinai continues its Movies in the Moonlight series with a screening of Top Gun Maverick on July 12 at dusk. Bring seating. 631-403-4846

‘Pollock’ – This event has been canceled and will be rescheduled soon.

Join The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Ave., Stony Brook for a screening of the film Pollock starring and directed by Ed Harris, with a discussion of the works of Jackson Pollock by local artist Kevin McEvoy on July 16 at 6 p.m. Tickets are $20. To order, visit www.thejazzloft.org.

Stony Brook Film Festival

Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook  returns for its 29th year from July 18 to July 27.  This year’s lineup boasts 36 full-length feature films and shorts from 19 countries. Tickets are $15 adults, $13.50 seniors. For more information, call 631-632-2787 or visit www.stonybrookfilmfestival.com.

Theater

‘Newsies’

Stop the presses! This Disney film turned Tony-winning Broadway hit Newsies heads to the Smithtown Performing Arts Center, 2 E. Main St., Smithtown from July 13 to Aug. 18. Set in turn-of-the century New York City, Newsies is the rousing tale of Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy and leader of a band of teenaged “newsies.” When titans of publishing raise distribution prices at the newsboys’ expense, Jack rallies newsies from across the city to strike against the unfair conditions and fight for what’s right! Tickets are $35 adults, $32 seniors, $25 students. To order, visit www.smithtownpac.org. 

‘The Merry Wives of Windsor’

The Carriage House Players at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum in  Centerport continue their 35th annual Shakespeare in the Courtyard Festival with The Merry Wives of Windsor from July 12 to Aug. 9. Performances are held on the Vanderbilt mansion courtyard stage on Wednesdays and Fridays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 adults, $15 seniors and children under age 12 at www.vanderbiltmuseum.org. 

‘Legally Blonde The Musical’

The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport presents Legally Blonde The Musical from July 11 to Aug. 25. An award-winning musical based on the adored movie, the show follows the transformation of Elle Woods as she tackles stereotypes and scandal in pursuit of her dreams. Tickets range from $80 to  $95. To order, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.

‘Once Upon a Mattress’

Community Playhouse of Northport presents a Bucket List Production of  Once Upon A Mattress at Harborfields High School, 98 Taylor Avenue, Greenlawn on July 18 and 19 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 adults, $15 for children. To order, visit https://communityplayhousenorthport.org/. For more information, call 631-683-8444.

‘Boeing Boeing’

The Minstrel Players, Houghton Hall, Trinity Episcopal Church, 130 Main St., Northport presents Boeing Boeing by Marc Camoletti on July 20 and 27 at 8 p.m. and July 21 and 28 at 3 p.m. Set in the 1960s, the play centers on bachelor Bernard, who has a flat in Paris and three airline stewardesses all engaged to him without knowing about each other. Bernard’s life gets bumpy, though, when his friend Robert comes to stay, and complications such as weather and a new, speedier Boeing jet disrupt his careful planning. Tickets $20 adults, $15 seniors and adults. To order, call 516-361-723

CALENDAR DEADLINE  is Wednesday at noon, one week before publication. Items may be mailed to: Times Beacon Record News Media, P.O. Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733. Email your information about community events to [email protected]. Calendar listings are for not-for-profit organizations (nonsectarian, nonpartisan events) only, on a space-available basis. Please include a phone number that can be printed.

 

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A nurse communicates with a patient in the hyperbaric chamber at Mather Hospital. © Audrey C. Tiernan

Mather Hospital’s Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) unit was launched 30 years ago on June 14, the first such unit on Long Island and the only one in Suffolk County available for emergencies 24/7. 

The unit treats a wide range of conditions that respond to intense oxygenation, saving sight, limbs and lives. Staffed by critical care nurses, the unit has hyperbaric physicians representing family practice, internal medicine, emergency medicine, pulmonology and cardiology. 

“Thank you and congratulations to all of our current team and all of those who have helped to get us where we are today,’ said Joseph C. White, MD, Director of Hyperbaric Medicine at Mather. “We have changed medicine on Long Island by bringing a service that did not exist and may never have come to our Island…Hopefully, we will continue to serve the community for at least another 30 years!”

Long called upon to treat divers with decompression sickness or “the bends” HBOT is now used to treat a variety of medical conditions including carbon monoxide poisoning; non-healing wounds, especially in diabetics; and soft tissue injury or infection due to radiation. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy also helps to preserve skin grafts and flaps, and most recently has been shown to be effective in treating patients with sudden blindness due to retinal artery occlusion.

Find more information at www.matherhospital.org/care-treatment/hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy-unit 

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Sweetbriar Nature Center heads to Stony Brook Village for a Pop-Up Saturday event on July 13. File photo by Serena Carpino

The Ward Melville Heritage Organization (WMHO) has announced the return of Pop–Up Saturdays in Stony Brook Village! This six-part series of family-friendly events will take place every Saturday from July 13 to August 17, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Filled with animals, music, art, and magic, these events promise fun for all ages and will be held rain or shine. Pop–Up Saturdays are free to the public and will be located in Stony Brook Village’s Inner Court, near Crazy Beans and the Waterfall Garden.

2024 Pop–Up Saturdays Lineup:

•     July 13: Sweet Briar Nature Center – Enjoy interacting with a variety of animals.

•     July 20: Johnny Cuomo “Tales & Tunes” & the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons (ARF)– Johnny Cuomo is a musician and storyteller. ARF will be hosting an adoption event from 11am – 2pm.

•     July 27: Pixie Dust Storytellers – Delight in entertainment from fairytale characters.

•     August 3: Magic of Amore – Be amazed by a captivating magician show.

•     August 12: Caricatures by Marty – Receive a free caricature drawing from a professional artist.

•     August 17: Uncle Tony’s Reptile Shack – An interactive, fun, and educational presentation featuring snakes, lizards, tortoises, and more.

Sponsors: The 2024 Pop–Up Saturdays are generously sponsored by Apple Bank, Armor Pest Control, and NY Life Insurance.

Join WMHO for a summer filled with interactive and engaging activities for the whole family. For more information, visit wmho.org or contact 631-751-2244.

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Catch a screening of the award-winning documentary 'Honorable But Broken' at Theatre Three on July 11 at 6 p.m.

By Julianne Mosher

A new documentary created by a former producer for ABC News and 60 Minutes, and with the help of different EMS groups across New York State, is heading to Port Jefferson next week for a free viewing of a powerful film that will remind people how important rescue services are. 

Michael Presta, deputy chief at Port Jefferson EMS, said he received a LinkedIn message from the film’s director and producer, Bryony Gilbey, asking if her 2023 award-winning documentary, Honorable But Broken: EMS in Crisis, could be shown in the area.

Catch a screening of the award-winning documentary ‘Honorable But Broken’ at Theatre Three on July 11 at 6 p.m.

After connecting with the Greater Port Jefferson Arts Council and Theatre Three, Presta was able to help get the film to play on Thursday, July 11 at 6 p.m. — for free — and for the first time on Long Island.

Gilbey, whose three children are EMS workers, developed the film after hearing the stories about what it was like being in emergency services pre, during and post COVID-19, plus the lack of funding these operations receive from the state and federal governments. The documentary was shot on location with EMS crews in Ossining, New York, and Montclair, New Jersey.

“The film has been circling the state for about a year now and it shows the challenges of delivering EMS services to the public,” Presta said, adding that local elected officials have been invited to attend.

“It helps paint a picture to the public and our politicians on what delivering EMS services in 2024 is like,” Presta added.

He noted that the Port Jefferson EMS helps and protects all of Port Jefferson and its surrounding communities including Mount Sinai and the Village of Port Jefferson, while also lending support to other local areas. 

When Presta started his career in Port Jefferson almost two decades ago, on average there were less than 1,000 calls per year. Now, he said, they’re around 3,500.

“It’s getting harder with rising costs to deliver EMS, not just here, but everywhere. Funding is needed to support that number of calls,” he said. “This movie will give people insight.”

Narrated by Sarah Jessica Parker, the goal of the documentary is to, “raise awareness of the systemic collapse of EMS and to advocate for change. Shockingly, most states don’t mandate the provision of EMS, so funding is unpredictable and inadequate. There is a critical workforce shortage, particularly in rural areas, which in turn has led to much longer response times.”

The goal, the documentary’s official website says, is to eventually get the film onto a streaming service so everyone can see it. On the film’s official website, people can donate to help fund that endeavor, as well.

And while Honorable But Broken is not part of the Port Jefferson Documentary Series, Kelly DeVine, head programmer of the series, said that when Presta approached her and Allan Varela, president of the Greater Port Jefferson Arts Council, looking for help, both groups jumped to volunteer their resources. 

Working alongside Theatre Three, the arts council offered to lend the theatre their personal movie screen so that the film could be played at the venue.

“The Port Jefferson Documentary Series is focused on bringing high-quality films normally only seen at top festivals or art house screens to our audiences and curating those titles to support our community partners and create impactful communal experiences,” DeVine said. 

As for other films coming to Port Jefferson, the documentary series is moving to a new venue and day of the week. The Methodist Church on Main Street across from Theatre Three will now show its films on Thursdays starting in September.

Theatre Three is located at 412 Main Street in Port Jefferson. The screening is free and no reservations are required. For more information, call 631-928-9100. 

For more information on Honorable But Broken: EMS in Crisis, visit www.honorablebutbroken.org.

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Dr. Robert Prezant

Farmingdale State College has announced Dr. Robert S. Prezant has been appointed by the SUNY Board of Trustees to serve as the 10th President of the College, effective August 14. He will succeed President John S. Nader, PhD, who announced his retirement last year. 

“I am both humbled and honored to be joining Farmingdale State College as the next President. I extend my sincere appreciation to the SUNY Board of Trustees, Chancellor King, Farmingdale’s College Council and the presidential search committee for entrusting me with this outstanding opportunity,” said Robert Prezant, president-elect of Farmingdale State College. “The faculty, staff and students of Farmingdale State clearly stand poised to continue to excel, and to move an already exceptional college to the next level by growing additional exciting and important programs, enhancing external support, finding new corporate partners, and collaborating with the community. Farmingdale State College is fully focused on ensuring that students get a preeminent education with an emphasis on experiential opportunities, all to ensure they are fully prepared for tomorrow. It will be my pleasure and privilege to join this outstanding team.” 

Dr. Prezant joins FSC from Southern Connecticut State University where he is provost and vice president for academic affairs. As provost, he has led in strategic planning, served on New England Commission of Higher Education accreditation visitation committees, led a university-wide branding effort, serves as principal investigator on a $3.2 million NSF Alliance for Minority Participation grant, created the Southern Fellows-in-Residence program to help diversify the faculty, helped grow external funding, and has led on revamping the honors college.

As a biologist and administrator, he has been the lead or co-lead in generating over $20 million in external funding to support research and academic programs. His administrative efforts have resulted in creation and support of several centers and institutes, new degree programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, corporate partnerships, development and enhancement of online and on-ground continuing education programs, and several global affiliations. 

Dr. Prezant previously served as dean of the College of Science and Mathematics at Montclair State University, dean of the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at Queens College, City University of New York, and chair of the biology department at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He holds a PhD in marine biology from the University of Delaware, an MS in biology (marine science) from Northeastern University, and a BA in biology from Adelphi University.

“Dr. Prezant has a wealth of experience and a record of achievement in public higher education. He understands the college and is clearly well positioned to build on Farmingdale’s many achievements,” said John S. Nader, president of Farmingdale State College.  “I have no doubt that he will cultivate our growing partnerships with both businesses and philanthropies while advocating for our students and faculty. I congratulate Dr. Prezant on his appointment and look forward to working with him on a smooth transition.”

“Dr. Prezant’s track record of increasing funding to support student success during his career makes him well-suited to assume the presidency at Farmingdale State College,” said SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. “I would also like to thank Farmingdale State College President John Nader for his incredible career of service to the SUNY system. From his time as provost at SUNY Delhi, to his tenure serving as president of SUNY’s largest technology focused campus, President Nader has moved FSC forward in a positive direction and I strongly believe Dr. Prezant will build on the strong foundation laid by President Nader.”

Reflecting on Dr. Prezant’s appointment, Farmingdale State College Council Chair Patricia Hill Williams EdD, said, “On behalf of the Farmingdale State College Council, I’m both proud and honored to congratulate Robert S. Prezant, PhD on his appointment as the tenth President of this dynamic and thriving institution. After a thorough and exhaustive search, Dr. Prezant emerged as an exceptional choice to lead FSC. The entire Council looks forward to working with Dr. Prezant to build on Farmingdale’s strong foundation, enhance the student experience and foster connections in the College community and beyond.”

 

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An electric weed wacker. Stock photo
A Column Promoting a More Earth-Friendly Lifestyle

By John L. Turner

John Turner

With the warm weather upon us homeowners are revving up lawn mowers, weed whackers, leaf blowers and the like. If you find yourself in need of purchasing new equipment, now’s the time to go electric! Many types and models are available covering these tool choices (not to mention snow blowers) and more are coming on the market as we move away from a carbon-based economy. 

Electric yard tools have numerous advantages over gas powered tools. They require less maintenance, are quieter, and produce no pollution. As for this last benefit, according to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA for short) running a commercial gas powered lawn mower for one hour produces the same amount of pollution as driving a new gas powered car 300 miles and, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency, lawn mowers collectively create five percent of the total air pollution generated annually in the United States while burning about 800 million gallons of gas. 

Another major benefit of going with electric yard tools at your next purchase?  The State of New York is offering financial rebates! A homeowner  can receive a 50% rebate up to $125 when the old gas mower is turned in or a 50% rebate of up to $75 for new mower owners.   

So whether it’s for cleaner community air, a quieter neighbrohood, and more green in your wallet, electric yard equipment makes sense.

A resident of Setauket, author John L. Turner is conservation chair of the Four Harbors Audubon Society, author of “Exploring the Other Island: A Seasonal Nature Guide to Long Island” and president of Alula Birding & Natural History Tours.

 

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From left, Adrian Krainer and Danilo Segovia with the Breakthrough Prize, which Krainer won in 2018. Photo from Danilo Segovia

By Daniel Dunaief

For many young children, the ideal peanut butter and jelly sandwich doesn’t include any crust, as an accommodating parent will trim off the unwanted parts before packing a lunch for that day.

Similarly, the genetic machinery that takes an RNA blueprint and turns it into proteins includes a so-called “spliceosome,” which cuts out the unwanted bits of genetic material, called introns, and pulls together exons.

Adrian Krainer. Photo from CSHL

When the machinery works correctly, cells produce proteins important in routine metabolism and everyday function. When it doesn’t function correctly, people can contract diseases.

Danilo Segovia, a PhD student at Stony Brook University who has been working in the laboratory of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Professor Adrian Krainer for seven years, recently published a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences about an important partner, called DDX23, that works with the key protein SRSF1 in the spliceosome.

“We obtained new insights into the splicing process,” said Krainer, who is the co-leader of the Gene Regulation & Inheritance program in the Cancer Center at CSHL. “The spliceosome is clearly important for every gene that has introns and every cell type that can have mutations.”

Krainer’s lab has worked with the regulator protein SRSF1 since 1990. Building on the extensive work he and members of his lab performed, Krainer was able to develop an effective treatment for Spinal Muscular Atrophy, which is a progressive disease that impacts the muscles used for breathing, eating, crawling and walking.

In children with SMA, Krainer created an antisense oligonucleotide, which enables the production of a key protein at a back up gene through more efficient splicing. The treatment, which is one of three on the market, has changed the prognosis for people with SMA.

At this point, the way DDX23 and SRSF1 work together is unclear, but the connection is likely important to prepare the spliceosome to do the important work of reading RNA sequences and assembling proteins.

Needle in a protein haystack

Thanks to the work of Krainer and others, scientists knew that SRSF1 performed an important regulatory role in the spliceosome.

What they didn’t know, however, was how other protein worked together with this regulator to keep the machinery on track.

Danilo Segovia in the lab at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Photo by Constance Burkin/CSHL

Using a new screening technology developed in other labs that enabled Segovia to see proteins that come in proximity with or interact with SRSF1, he came up with a list of 190 potential candidates.

Through a lengthy and detailed set of experiments, Segovia screened around 30 potential proteins that might play a role in the spliceosome.

One experiment after another enabled him to check proteins off the list, the way prospective college students who visit a school that is too hilly, too close to a city, too far from a city, or too cold in the winter do amid an intense selection process.

Then, on Feb. 15 of last year, about six years after he started his work in Krainer’s lab, Segovia had a eureka moment.

“After doing the PhD for so long, you get that result you were waiting for,” Segovia recalled.

The PhD candidate didn’t tell anyone at first because he wanted to be sure the interaction between the proteins was relevant and real.

“Lucky for us, the story makes sense,” Segovia said.

Krainer appreciated Segovia’s perseverance and patience as well as his willingness to help other members of his lab with structural work.

Krainer described Segovia as the “resident structural expert who would help everybody else who needed to get that insight.”

Krainer suggested that each of these factors had been studied separately in the process, without the realization that they work together.

This is the beginning of the story, as numerous questions remain.

“We reported this interaction and now we have to try to understand its implications,” said Krainer. “How is it driving or contributing to splice assembly.”

Other factors also likely play an important role in this process as well.

Krainer explained that Segovia’s workflow allowed him to prioritize interacting proteins for further study. Krainer expects that many of the others on the list are worth further analysis.

At some point, Krainer’s lab or others will also work to crystallize the combination of these proteins as the structure of such units often reveals details about how these pieces function.

Segovia and Krainer worked together with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Professor Leemor Joshua-Tor, who does considerably more biochemistry work in her research than the members of Krainer’s lab.

When a cowboy met a witch

A native of Montevideo, Uruguay, Segovia came to Stony Brook in part because he was conducting research on the gene P53, which is often mutated in forms of human cancer.

Segovia had read the research of Ute Moll, Endowed Renaissance Professor of Cancer Biology at Stony Brook University, who had conducted important P53 research.

“I really liked the paper she did,” said Segovia. “When I was applying for college in the United States for my PhD, I decided I’m for sure going to apply to Stony Brook.”

Even though Segovia hasn’t met Moll, he has benefited from his journey to Long Island.

During rotations at CSHL, Segovia realized he wanted to work with RNA. He found a scientific connection as well as a cultural one when he discovered that Krainer is from the same city in Uruguay.

Krainer said his lab has had a wide range of international researchers, with as many as 25 countries represented. “The whole institution is like that. People who go into science are naturally curious about a lot of things, including cultures.”

Segovia not only found a productive setting in which to conduct his PhD research, but also met his wife Polona Šafarič Tepeš, a former researcher at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory who currently works at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research. Tepeš is originally from Slovenia.

The couple met at a Halloween party, where Segovia came as a cowboy and Tepeš dressed as a witch. They eloped on November 6, 2020 and were the first couple married after the Covid lockdown at the town hall in Portland, Maine.

Outside of the lab, Segovia enjoys playing the clarinet, which he has been doing since he was 11.

As for science, Segovia grew up enjoying superhero movies that involve mutations and had considered careers as a musician, scientist or detective.

“Science is universal,” he said. “You can work wherever you want in the world. I knew I wanted to travel, so it all worked out.”

As for the next steps, after Segovia defends his thesis in July, he is considering doing post doctoral research or joining a biotechnology company.

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Forest leaves in the canopy. Pixabay photo

By John L. Turner

John Turner

I had walked for 20 minutes before reaching the intended destination: Hunter’s Garden in Eastport, located in the eastern end of the Manorville Hills, an 8,000-acre section of the LI Pine Barrens. 

An opening in the forest, Hunter’s Garden is the spot of a longstanding tradition — where bay- and sportsmen, farmers, and others that live off the land, many bearded and sporting all patterns of flannel shirts, come together to share steaming bowls of chowder and camaraderie. The soup and socialization takes place each May in a secluded pocket in the Hills, reached via a sandy road coming off  County Route 51. An etched marker stone commemorates the event.   

I sat on the ground, leaned against the slanted marker stone, took a deep breath and began to listen. Birdsong soon surrounded me. A few seconds passed and I detected a robin singing in the distance followed by another song that sounded like a robin’s but richer — a Rose-breasted Grosbeak! Lucky for me the grosbeak came closer and I could see it moving around in a lower stretch of the tree canopy. 

Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Pixabay photo

I slowly raised my binoculars to enjoy one of the more beautiful songbirds found in eastern North America — a black and white plumage pattern with a bright red triangle in the middle of its breast which gave rise to its macabre common name of “Cut-throat”. (A bit of an apocryphal story told by Roger Tory Peterson, who more than anyone else popularized birding, is that he once was contacted by a woman in Texas wondering what she could do to help a bird in her yard that had been shot in the chest and was bleeding profusely; not to worry he reported, explaining it was just the bird’s natural plumage).  

As the minutes rolled by I heard and saw more birds — a Red-eyed Vireo sang incessantly from somewhere in the overhead canopy and much lower to my right came the “veer-veer-veer” of a Veery, a type of thrush. And then, as if almost on cue, its cousin the Wood Thrush began its ethereal song from deeper in the woodland. Scientists have learned that this species, as with many other birds, is actually capable of singing two songs simultaneously due to the complexity of its syrinx or voice box. Soon, the Veery came into view and I could see its distinctive plumage generally indicative of the thrushes — a spotted throat, white belly, and buckskin brown back.  These two thrush species are fairly common breeding birds in the Pine Barrens along with the less common Hermit Thrush. 

Other sights unfolded. A large glade of wood ferns with highly lacy fronds spilled away from me on the other side of the trail creating an interesting visual effect. It was if the ferns were always fuzzy and out of focus due to the highly dissected form of the fronds. No matter how I looked at them, even with squinted eyes, they appeared out-of-focus although, in reality, they weren’t. Being in the shade the tree canopy overhead formed another series of interesting textures and patterns and I appreciated the distinctive architecture of each tree species. The same held true for individual leaves. 

Tiger Swallowtail

Sitting still I began to more acutely pick up movement and soon came the butterflies. In quick succession I saw a mourning cloak fluttering through the understory and then a darker, more rapidly moving butterfly which I realized was a red-spotted purple. And then a tiger! as in Tiger Swallowtail, the largest butterfly found on Long Island, erratically dashing over shrubs in the understory.  

While sight and hearing were the two senses at first most triggered by the immersion in this extensive forest, smell and touch soon came into play. I began to feel the coolness of the earth I was sitting on and the texture of the slightly uneven ground. Scuffing a little of the leaves out of the way caused a pleasant earthy aroma to waft upward, an aroma very much like one experiences while planting vegetables in the spring garden. 

It also changed my focus from looking at trees and birds both distant and afar to immediate close-ups of soil creatures including a pill bug (which you may know by its more colorful name: a roly-poly). I was instantly transported back to my youth when I and friends routinely found roly-polys while turning over logs to investigate what creatures might be living beneath.  

I was practicing a version of what the Japanese refer to as Shinrin-yoku or “forest bathing,” an activity in which one immerses oneself in a forest and uses the full suite of senses — sight, sound, touch, smell and even taste — to take in the sights, sounds, odors, and textures of the forest, thereby achieving “sensory engagement.” 

Shinrin-yoku doesn’t have to  take place only in a forest although the practice is quite conducive there; it can be in a meadow or along the shoreline or other natural or mostly natural landscapes. And research, most conducted in Japan where the practice began in the early 1980’s and is widely practiced today, shows demonstrable mental and physical health benefits from regular episodes of forest bathing. 

Forest leaves in the canopy. Pixabay photo

These peer-reviewed, scientific papers indicate that practitioners are calmer and more relaxed, have lower stress hormones, and are generally happier from regularly “bathing” in the forest. According to the research “forest bathers” also sleep better and have an enhanced ability to focus.  The benefits also accrue to those who experience nature indoors — a study of hospital patients with a wall in their room displaying a forest scene, or who could visually see the outdoors through a window, spend less time in the hospital than patients with no visual connection to nature. 

To practice forest bathing you don’t have to sit still as I did. You also can gain benefits from a leisurely to mid-paced stroll through a forest. The key is to open your “sensory self” to the living landscape happening all around you.   

After an hour or so I arose from my stationary ground-level seat, stretched some lightly aching muscles and slowly walked the mile back to the car, feeling physically and mentally  relaxed yet with my senses quite alert to the surrounding forest landscape.  I wondered: Is this state what a wild animal like a deer, fox, or box turtle always experiences?  

I hope you take a bath soon.

A resident of Setauket, author John L. Turner is conservation chair of the Four Harbors Audubon Society, author of “Exploring the Other Island: A Seasonal Nature Guide to Long Island” and president of Alula Birding & Natural History Tours.

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La Buena Vida Restaurant, 714 Montauk Highway, Moriches will host the 7th annual Pig Roast fundraiser to benefit Hope House Ministries in Port Jefferson on Wednesday, July 10 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. $30 donation per person includes dinner and soft drinks with a special musical performance by Tommy Mulvihill. Reservations suggested by calling 631-909-1985.

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