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Pictured: Ken Kutner (standing left) of the Suffolk County Office of Emergency Management; Legislator Stephanie Bontempi (standing center) and Legislator Rob Trotta (standing right) during the presentation’s opening remarks.

Legislators Stephanie Bontempi (Centerport) and Rob Trotta (Fort Salonga) recently held an emergency preparedness program that was open to the community at the Northport Public Library.  The training was led by Ken Kutner of the Suffolk County Office of Emergency Management.  Kutner has an extensive background in the field, most notably via his decades of service in the East Northport Fire Department in addition to his work with the County.

Some of the topics covered were the weather outlook for the region in 2022, putting together basic preparedness lists for homes and automobiles, ways to stay informed during emergencies and how to volunteer with emergency organizations.  Some people in attendance were unaware of what it takes to be prepared for a variety of potential emergencies.  Similarly, others were happy to learn that so many free resources are available to stay informed, such as handy emergency-related cell phone apps.

“This training is really a must for everybody, even for those who think they are already sufficiently prepared for what life throws our way.  I was surprised to learn that I need to take some steps to improve my family’s ability to be ready and have more peace of mind.  It’s never too early to get these things in order,” said Bontempi.  “If someone has not attended a program like this, seeking one out in the near future is highly recommended,” added Bontempi.

Those who are interested in learning more about the resources and opportunities mentioned above should visit: https://suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/FRES.

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Stock photo
Police Officer Glen Ciano

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney K. Harrison and Commack Fire District Commissioner Pat Fazio joined Susan Ciano, widow of Suffolk County Police Officer Glen Ciano, and representatives from New York Blood Center during a press conference on February 10 at the Commack Fire Department to announce the 12th annual blood drive named in memory of Police Officer Glen Ciano on Saturday, Feb. 12.

There has been a chronic shortage of blood supplies in New York since the start of the pandemic and the recent blizzard resulted in 1000 fewer donations due to blood drive cancellations and low donor turnout. Blood supplies remain below the ideal five-day safety level, and types O-, O+ B- and A- continue to hover at less than two-day levels.

The annual event is held in honor of Officer Ciano, who was responding to a call when he was killed by a drunk driver in Commack on February 22, 2009.

The 12th annual Glen Ciano Blood Drive will be held at the Commack Fire Department, located at 6309 Jericho Turnpike in Commack, on February 12 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 631-499-6690.

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Red Velvet Heart Pancakes

The Perfect Pancake for Your Valentine

(Culinary.net) Finding something unique and special to do on Valentine’s Day for your significant other can be a challenge. Every year, the day to celebrate love rolls around and every year it may seem like you’re out of ideas. Many people feel the same way. However, with just a couple bowls, a cookie cutter and a skillet, your Valentine’s Day could start off a lot sweeter.

Try these Red Velvet Heart Pancakes, which are one of a kind and a delicious way to spend your morning with your loved one. Celebrating the day of love has never been easier.

Add your favorite pancake toppings like butter, syrup, powdered sugar or raspberries. In the end, you will have yourself a scrumptious breakfast, made with love and as sweet as can be.

Kids also love the fun shape and color of this breakfast. It’s a neat way to have them help in the kitchen and make a meal for the whole family.

Valentine’s Day is a big reason to celebrate. You don’t have to stick to the same flowers and chocolates as last year. Mix it up with this delectable recipe meant to spread some love on a significant day.

Find more breakfast recipes and sweet treat ideas at Culinary.net.

Red Velvet Heart Pancakes

Yield: Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus additional for garnish

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

30-40 drops red food coloring

nonstick cooking spray

syrup, for garnish

powdered sugar, for garnish

raspberries, for garnish

Directions:

In large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In medium bowl, whisk egg. Add buttermilk, 2 tablespoons butter, vanilla extract and food coloring; whisk until combined.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Spray heart-shaped cookie cutter with nonstick cooking spray and place in skillet. Add enough batter to fill heart. Cook 2 minutes. Remove heart cutter. Flip pancake and cook 1 minute.

Serve with butter, syrup, powdered sugar and raspberries.

Note: If mixture is too thick, add water until desired consistency is reached.

See video here.

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An image from the Oct. 21, 2022 Animal Planet Puppy Bowl. Texans Pup, Kirby, participated.
An image from the Oct. 21, 2022 Animal Planet Puppy Bowl. Texans Pup, Kirby, participated.
An image from the Oct. 21, 2022 Animal Planet Puppy Bowl. Texans Pup, Kirby, participated.
An image from the Oct. 21, 2022 Animal Planet Puppy Bowl. Texans Pup, Kirby, participated.
Kirby
Long Island based nonprofit’s service dog In training to play on Team Fluff In Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl XVIII

America’s VetDogs, a Long Island based national non-profit that trains and places guide and service dogs with veterans and first responders with disabilities, is thrilled to announce future service dog in training “Kirby” will be competing in this year’s Puppy Bowl XVIII on Animal Planet on Super Bowl Sunday, February 13th at 2 p.m. Kirby will be one of more than 100 adoptable puppies running around and scoring touchdowns for a chance to win the “Lombarky” Trophy. The Puppy Bowl pre-game show begins at 1 p.m. with the game to follow at 2 p.m. They will air on Animal Planet and stream on Discovery+.

On Saturday, February 12, Kirby will be taking over Animal Planet’s Instagram for a “day in the life” feature of what it’s like to be puppy co-raised by NFL team Houston Texans and what training goes into raising a future service dog for a disabled veteran or first responder.

Kirby, a male Labrador retriever, joined the Houston Texans last July at 10 weeks old and was named by Texans fans through a voting contest. He is currently training to be a service dog in a partnership with America’s Vet Dogs. Once his training is complete, Kirby will be placed with a veteran or a first responder with disabilities. You can follow Kirby’s puppy raising journey but visiting his Instagram page at @Texanspup or @americasvetdogs.

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'Rock of Ages' is currently playing at the Engeman Theater in Northport.
Ongoing

Vanderbilt Museum reopens

Starting Feb. 11, the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport  will be open Friday through Sunday, noon to 4 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday nights for Planetarium shows at 8, 9, and 10 p.m. For more information, visit www.vanderbiltmuseum.org

Thursday 10

Atelier lecture

Join the Atelier at Flowerfield for an online lecture titled A Triumphant Triad: Sargent, Sorolla and Zorn via Zoom from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Guest speaker Neill Slaughter will discuss  

John Singer Sargent, Joaquín Sorolla, and Anders Zorn became internationally renowned during their lifetimes, primarily as artists who painted portraits, thereby preserving for posterity a wide array of individuals ranging from fellow artists to the aristocracy of Great Britain and Europe; from lords and ladies to kings and queens, as well as the robber barons of America and even U.S. presidents. Free. To register, visit www.theatelieratflowerfield.org.

An evening of jazz

The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Ave., Stony Brook will present a concert by the Interplay Jazz Orchestra at 7 p.m. The 17-member orchestra, directed by Joe Devassy, trombonist and Gary Henderson, trumpet, performs original compositions and arrangements written by band members. Tickets are $30 adults,$25 seniors, $20 students, $15 children, children under 5 free. To order, visit www.thejazzloft.org.

Author Talk

Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum in Centerport will present a free Zoom event with author Sara Dykman at 7 p.m. Dykman made history when she became the first person to bicycle alongside monarch butterflies on their storied annual migration – a round-trip adventure that included three countries and more than 10,000 miles. Dykman will discuss the chronicle of that journey and her book, Bicycling with Butterflies, at 7 p.m. Registration is required by visiting www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

Friday 11

Friday Night Coffee House 

You’re invited! Celebrate St. James hosts a Friday Night Coffee House at the St. James Community Cultural Arts Center, 176 Second St., St. James at 7 p.m. The first in a series of Friday night entertainment, the evening will feature the music of acoustic duo “Sweet Tea.” Special coffee beverages & tea will be available, along with sweet treats! Admission is $20 adults, $15 seniors. To register, call 984-0201 or visit www.celebratestjames.org.

Saturday 12

Second Saturdays Poetry

All Souls Church in Stony Brook continues its Second Saturday Poetry Reading series via Zoom from 11 a.m. to noon. The readings will be hosted by Suffolk County Poet Laureate Richard Bronson.  The featured poet will be Tom Stock. An open-reading will follow the featured poet; all are welcome to read one of their own poems.  For more information, call 655-7798. Participants can access the program through the All Souls website https://www.allsouls-stonybrook.org/

Fish Hatchery lecture

The Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery, 1660 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor kicks off a new adult lecture series with The Birds and Bees (And Everything In Between) at 6 p.m. Flirtatious frogs, debaucherous ducks and other amorous animals! Learn more about the wacky world of animal breeding than you ever wanted to know. Fee is $20, $10 members. Registration is required by visiting www.cshfishhatchery.org.

Valentine’s Jazz

The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Ave., Stony Brook presents a concert titled Here’s to the Ladies featuring The Jazz Loft All Stars: Ray Anderson on trombone, Tom Manuel on cornet, Mike Hall on bass, Steve Salerno on guitar, and Ellis Holmes on drums from 7 to 9 p.m. $40 adults, $35 seniors, $30 students includes a glass of champagne and chocolate. To buy tickets, call 751-1895 or visit www.thejazzloft.org.

Sunday 13

Huntington Winter Farmers Market

Get your farm fix in the off-season at the Huntington Winter Farmers Market every Sunday through March 27 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Located behind the senior center at 423 Park Ave., Huntington, visitors will find items ranging from hydroponic greens to artisan breads and vegan treats and everything in between. Call 944-2661.

Theatre Three Food Drive

Theatre Three in Port Jefferson will host a food and personal care items drive to benefit the Open Cupboard Pantry at Infant Jesus Church on Sunday, Feb. 13 from 9 a.m. to noon. Items will be collected at the Infant Jesus convent building at 110 Hawkins St. (off Myrtle Ave), in Port Jefferson. Donations needed include juice, mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, sugar, Maseca corn flour, cooking oil, coffee, pancake mix (complete), pancake syrup, healthy snacks as well as shampoo, conditioner, soap, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, toilet paper, baby shampoo, baby wash, baby wipes, baby powder, Desitin and lotion. Grocery store gift cards and cash also accepted. For more information, call 631-938-6464.

Port Jeff Winter Farmers Market 

The Port Jefferson Winter Farmers Market will be held every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Port Jefferson Village Center, 101-A E. Broadway, Port Jefferson through April 25. This year’s vendors include Brownies N’ Stuff, Joann’s Desserts, Farm Fresh Potions, Mello Munch Awesome Granola, O Honey Bee Farm, Sweet Melissa Dip, Mr. B’s Hot Sauce, Speedy Kiwi Bakery, Knot of this World Pretzels, Springbrook Hollow Farm Distillery, Spilt Milk Macarons and many more. For more information, call 802-2160.

Heckscher docent tour

Learn more about the latest exhibitions at the Heckscher Museum, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington with a docent volunteer! From 1 to 2 p.m., a docent will be in the galleries to bring the artwork to life, answering visitors’ questions and providing further insight into works on view. Sign up for the 1 p.m. or 1:30 p.m. tour at www.heckscher.org. For more information, call 380-3230.

Galentine’s Craft Evening

Sweetbriar Nature Center, 62 Eckernkamp Drive, Smithtown presents Galentine’s Craft Evening at the Barn from 6 to 8 p.m. Get the gals together for a craft evening in Sweetbriar’s barn. You’ll be making feather/leaf macrame hangers, homemade anti-bacterial hand spray and more. Chocolates and drinks will be served. Facemasks must be worn indoors. This event is for adults and teens (accompanied by an adult). $20 per person. To register, visit www.sweetbriarnc.org.

Monday 14
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Tuesday 15

Jupiter Hammon Project lecture

Northport-East Northport Public Library will host a virtual lecture, The Jupiter Hammon Project and Joseph Lloyd Manor, via Zoom from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.  Preservation Long Island Director, Sarah Kautz, will discuss the life of author Jupiter Hammon who lived as an enslaved person at Lloyd Manor and whose work was the first to be published by an African American born in North America. Free but registration required by visiting www.preservationlongisland.org.

Wednesday 16

CAC Sky Room Talk

Join the Cinema Arts Centre for a virtual lecture via Zoom titled Women and Monsters at 7 p.m. Costume designer Jolene Marie Richardson will take a deeper look at the women and monsters of Universal Classic Horror and how costuming shapes our perception of these women and their status in 1930’s Hollywood through Frankenstein (31), Dracula (31), The Mummy (32), and The Bride of Frankenstein (35). Fee is $10, $7 members. To register, visit www.cinemaartscentre.org.

Thursday 17

No events listed for this day.

Film

‘Invisible Threads’

The Tesla Science Center will present a one-night screening of ‘Invisible Threads – From Wireless to War’ at Stony Brook University’s Wang Center, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook on Feb. 11 from 7 to 9:45 p.m. Narrated by Tony Todd (Candy Man, The Rock), the documentary explores the early innovation of wireless technology on the eve of WWI that connected Nikola Tesla and Guglielmo Marconi to a shadowy wireless station in West Sayville called Telefunken. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Joseph Sikorski. Tickets are $25 adults, $20 TSCW members, $15 SBU students/staff, seniors and veterans. Reception and exhibits at 6 p.m. To order, visit www.teslasciencenter.org.

‘Cry Macho’

Join Comsewogue Public Library, 170 Terryville Road, Port Jefferson Station for a screening of “Cry Macho” starring Clint Eastwood on Feb. 16 at 2 p.m. To register, call 928-1212, option 3 or visit www.cplib.org.

Theater

‘Punk Rock Girl!’

The Argyle Theatre, 34 West Main St., Babylon kicks off the new year with the world premiere of PUNK ROCK GIRL! from Jan. 20 to Feb. 27. With book and arrangements by Tony-nominated Long Island composer Joe Iconis, arrangements and orchestrations by Rob Rokicki and directed and choreographed by Jennifer Werner, the new musical features a score of popular songs written and made famous by female artists and female-fronted bands including Blondie, Pat Benatar, Avril Lavigne, Joan Jett, P!nk, Gwen Stefani, and more. Tickets range from $49 to $77 and may be purchased online at www.argyletheatre.com or by calling 230-3500.

‘Rock of Ages’

The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport presents Rock of Ages from Jan. 27 to March 13. The five-time Tony Award®-nominated Broadway musical smash tells the story of a small-town girl, a city boy, and a rock ‘n’ roll romance on the Sunset Strip. But when the bar where rock reigns supreme is set to be demolished, it’s up to these wannabe rockers and their band of friends to save the day — and the music. Rock of Ages’ electric score features all your favorite ’80s rock anthems and power ballads, including “Every Rose has its Thorn,” “I Wanna Know What Love is,” Here I Go Again,” “Don’t Stop Believin’,” and more! Tickets range from $75 to $80 with free valet parking. To order, call 261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com. 

‘The Marvelous Wonderettes’

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson presents The Marvelous Wonderettes from Feb. 19 to March 26. This blast-from-the-past musical takes you to the 1958 Springfield High School prom, where we meet Betty Jean, Cindy Lou, Missy, and Suzy, four girls with hopes and dreams as big as their crinoline skirts! Featuring over two dozen classic ’50’s and ’60’s hits including “Lollipop,” “Dream Lover,” “Wedding Bell Blues,” and “Son of a Preacher Man.” Tickets are $35 adults, $28 seniors and students, $20 children ages 5 and older. To order, call 928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

‘The Diary of Anne Frank’

Star Playhouse at the Suffolk Y JCCC, 74 Hauppauge Road, Commack presents The Diary of Anne Frank on March 12 and 19 at 8 p.m. and March 13 and 20 at 2 p.m. In this transcendently powerful adaptation, Anne Frank emerges from history a living, lyrical, intensely gifted young girl, who confronts her rapidly changing life and the increasing horror of her time with astonishing honesty, wit, and determination. Tickets are $25 adults, $20 seniors and students. To order, call 462-9800, ext. 136 or visit www.starplayhouse.com.

Festival of One-Act Plays

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson presents the 23rd annual Festival of One-Act Plays, featuring the world premiere of six new works, at The Ronald F. Peierls Theatre, on the Second Stage from Feb. 27 to April. 2. Featuring Steve Ayle, Antoine Jones, Tamralynn Dorsa, Brittany Lacey, Steven Uihlein, Steve Wangner, Bradlee Bing, Sari Feldman, Eric J. Hughes, and Evan Teich. Adult content and language. Parental discretion is advised. Tickets are $20. To order, call 928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com. 

All phone numbers are in (631) area code unless noted.

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Metro photo

Theatre Three in Port Jefferson will host a food and personal care items drive to benefit the Open Cupboard Pantry at Infant Jesus Church on Sunday, Feb. 13 from 9 a.m. to noon. Items will be collected at the Infant Jesus convent building at 110 Hawkins St. (off Myrtle Ave) in Port Jefferson.

Donations needed include juice, mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, sugar, Maseca corn flour, cooking oil, coffee, pancake mix (complete), pancake syrup, healthy snacks as well as shampoo, conditioner, soap, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, toilet paper, baby shampoo, baby wash, baby wipes, baby powder, Desitin and lotion. Grocery store gift cards and cash also accepted. For more information, call 631-938-6464.

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The Long Island Museum recently acquired 'Fellowship Night' by Cyril Arthur Lewis for its permanent collection. Photo from LIM

The Long Island Museum (LIM) in Stony Brook has announced a long-range plan to improve diversity and equity in the museum’s permanent collection.

In December 2021, the LIM’s Board of Trustees and Collections Committee approved an initiative to enhance the multi-ethnic and multicultural representation of all Long Island residents in its permanent collections. In a Collections Development Initiative to improve diversity in its collections, LIM will work towards a five-year goal to build a much more inclusive holding of art and historical objects from Long Island’s diverse communities. In an initial move in this effort, the Museum purchased the oil painting Fellowship Night, c. 1940, a work depicting a Long Island Black church, by Cyril Arthur Lewis (1903-1994).

LIM is beginning this focused institutional priority to better connect with, represent and share the stories, histories, and art of all of Long Island’s residents. By 2027, LIM is aiming to have made significant strides towards building a more inclusive collection that has much stronger, deeper representation of Long Island’s diverse populations of Latinx, Black, Native American, and Asian American communities (sometimes referred to as “BIPOC,” which stands for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, referring to Black, Native, Latinx, and Asian Americans).

“We are making large strides to have our collections meet our programming efforts,” said Deputy Director Joshua Ruff, citing such recent exhibitions as Long Road to Freedom: Surviving Slavery on Long Island (2019) and education programs like Vehicles for Change, a popular LIM Education program (grades 4-8) which explores the life and activism of 19th century Civil Rights pioneer Elizabeth Jennings Graham, using a streetcar from its Carriage Collection. 

“This is vital to the Museum’s future. It is crucial for us to ensure that our collection properly reflects and shares the history of all diverse communities that have lived, worked hard, struggled, and celebrated here on Long Island throughout our collective history,” said Ruff.

The Museum has well-regarded permanent collections in its Art, History, and Carriage Museums, highlighted by an important and large costume and textile collection of 10,000 artifacts, from the 1780s to the 1990s; the paintings, drawings, and archives of significant American genre painter William Sidney Mount (1807-1868); and nearly 200 horse-drawn vehicles of every description, which help to tell the story of American transportation in the age before automobiles. This initiative will add to these strengths by adding the inclusion of artists or historical objects that help to document Long Island’s resident communities of color.

The acquisition of Fellowship Night, which LIM purchased from South Bay Auctions in December, aids in this process. 

Born in Birmingham, England, Cyril Arthur Lewis emigrated to the U.S. in 1927, settling in Brooklyn. In 1937 he moved to East Williston and began painting and sketching local landmarks. Depicting an African American church during a nighttime event in this painting, he spotlights a building that was an important social center for the Black communities that developed on Long Island in the decades following the end of slavery in 1827.

In order to improve LIM’s collections diversity, the Museum will develop a collections advisory panel composed of external subject matter experts to periodically counsel and work with LIM’s curatorial department and Collections Committee. The Museum will also develop future exhibitions about Long Island’s diverse populations, such as a project next year that details the history of Sag Harbor’s historic Black Arts community, and make specific targeted appeals through Social Media and other community outreach efforts to help promote new donations to the collection.

“This is a long-term effort,” said Joshua Ruff. “But it is one we believe in down to our bones, one that we are fully committed to.”

ABOUT THE LONG ISLAND MUSEUM:

Located at 1200 Route 25A in Stony Brook, the Long Island Museum is a Smithsonian Affiliate dedicated to enhancing the lives of adults and children with an understanding of Long Island’s rich history and diverse cultures. The LIM will reopen for the spring season with new exhibitions on Thursday, March 3, 2022. Hours are Thursday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.longislandmuseum.org.

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Do the benefits outweigh the risks?

By David Dunaief, M.D.

Dr. David Dunaief

Statins are one of the most commonly prescribed medications in the United States. First approved in the U.S. in 1987, they are still the “unpredictable uncle” at the pharmaceutical family table nearly 35 years later. 

Many in the medical community still disagree about who should be taking a statin and for what purpose; some believe that more patients should be on this class of drugs, while others think it is overprescribed. This is one of the most polarizing issues in medicine — probably rightly so.

The biggest debate is over primary prevention with statins. Primary prevention is treating people with high cholesterol and/or inflammation who may be at risk for a first cardiovascular event, such as a stroke or heart attack. Currently, recommendations of the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association do not align with those of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which is currently reviewing its own recommendations because of data updates.

Most physicians agree that statins have their place in secondary prevention — treating patients who have had a stroke or heart attack already or who have coronary artery disease.

We will examine benefits and risks for the patient population that could take statins for primary prevention. On one side are those who point to statins’ benefits: reduced cancer risk, improved quality of life and lowered glaucoma risk. On the other, we have those who note statins’ side effects: increased diabetes risk, fatigue and cataracts, to name a few. Let’s look at some of the evidence.

Cancer studies

A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine involved 300,000 Danish participants and investigated 13 cancers. It showed that statin users may have a 15 percent decreased risk of death from cancer (1). As you can imagine, this news was greeted with excitement.

However, there were major limitations with the study. First, researchers did not control for smoking, which we know is a large contributor to cancer. Second, it was unknown which of the statin-using population might have received conventional cancer treatments, such as radiation and chemotherapy. Third, the dose of statins did not correlate to risk reduction. In fact, those who took 1 to 75 percent of prescribed statin levels showed more benefit in terms of cancer mortality risk than those who took more. We need a better-designed trial to determine whether there is really an effect.

Another study, a meta-analysis of 13 observational studies, showed that statins may play a role in reducing the risk of esophageal cancer. This is important, since esophageal cancer, especially adenocarcinoma that develops from Barrett’s esophagus, is on the rise. The results showed a 28 percent risk reduction in this type of cancer. The authors of the study surmise that statins may have a protective effect (2).

Although there is an association, these results need to be confirmed with randomized controlled trials. Aspirin has about the same 30 percent reduction in colorectal cancer, yet is not recommended solely for this use because of side effects.

Eye disease studies: mixed results

In two common eye diseases, glaucoma and cataracts, statins have vastly different results. In one study, statins were shown to decrease the risk of glaucoma by five percent over one year and nine percent over two years (3). It is encouraging that the longer the duration of statin use, the greater the positive effect on preventing glaucoma.

Statins also help to slow glaucoma progression in patients suspected of having early-stage disease at about the same rate. This was a retrospective study analyzing statin use with patients at risk for open-angle glaucoma. We need prospective (forward-looking) studies. With cataracts, it is a completely different story. Statins increase the risk of cataracts by over 50 percent, as shown in the Waterloo Eye Study (4). Statins exacerbate the risk of cataracts in an already high-risk group, diabetes patients.

Quality of life and longevity studies: a mixed bag

In a meta-analysis involving 11 randomized controlled trials, statins did not reduce the risk of all-cause mortality in moderate to high-risk primary prevention participants (5). This study analysis involved over 65,000 participants with high cholesterol and at significant risk for heart disease.

However, in this same study, participants at high risk for coronary heart disease saw a substantial improvement in their quality of life with statins. In other words, the risk of a nonfatal heart attack was reduced by more than half and nonfatal strokes by almost half, avoiding the potentially disabling effects of these events.

Fatigue side-effect study

Some of my patients who are on statins complain of fatigue. A randomized controlled trial published in the Archives of Internal Medicine reinforces the idea that statins increase the possibility of fatigue (6).

Women, especially, complained of lower energy levels, both overall and on exertion, when they were blindly assigned to a statin-taking group. The trial had three groups: two that took statins, simvastatin 20 mg and pravastatin 40 mg; and a placebo group. The participants were at least 20 years old and had LDL (bad) cholesterol of 115 to 190 mg/dl, with less than 100 mg/dl considered ideal.

In conclusion, some individuals who are at high risk for cardiovascular disease may need a statin, but it is likely that statins are overprescribed in primary prevention. Evidence of the best results points to lifestyle modifications, including diet and exercise shifts, with or without statins.

References: 

(1) N Engl J Med 2012;367:1792-1802. (2) Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2013 Jun; 11(6):620–629. (3) Ophthalmology 2012;119(10):2074-2081. (4) Optom Vis Sci 2012;89:1165-1171. (5) Arch Intern Med 2010;170(12):1024-1031. (6) Arch Intern Med 2012;172(15):1180-1182.

Dr. David Dunaief is a speaker, author and local lifestyle medicine physician focusing on the integration of medicine, nutrition, fitness and stress management. For further information, visit www.medicalcompassmd.com. 

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From left, Matt McGorry, Mamoudou Athie and Dina Shihabi star in Archive 81. Photo from Netflix

By Jeffrey Sanzel

One of Netflix’s top ten most popular shows is the first season of the supernatural Archive 81. The twisty thriller runs parallel timelines that eventually entangle. Smart and well-plotted, the eight one-hour episodes deliver intriguing concepts in a literate, engaging storyline.

Based on the podcast of the same name, Archive 81 focuses on Daniel Turner (Mamoudou Athie, understated and riveting), an expert archivist for the Museum of the Moving Image in New York City, who is hired to restore fire-damaged twenty-five-year-old videos. The head of the shadowy LMG corporation, Virgil Davenport (folksy malevolence as played by Martin Donovan), ensconces Daniel in a remote compound to do the work. 

Mamoudou Athie as Daniel Turner in a scene from the series. Photo from Netflix

The found-footage video belonged to documentarian Melody Pendras (Dina Shihabi), who was writing her Ph.D. dissertation about an apartment building, The Visser. However, Melody’s prime goal was locating her birth mother, who had left her in a church as an infant. 

While Melody lived in the building and investigated, The Visser burned down, leaving thirteen people missing. As Daniel watches the tapes, he becomes obsessed with Melody. Additionally, he is suspicious of the coincidence of his own tragic childhood loss of his entire family in a fire. 

The expansive construction of Archive 81 allows for full portraits of the isolated Daniel and the determined Melody. Their pain and struggles are palpable and are a study in contrast. Melody ferociously seeks the truth, even if it puts her in danger. On the other hand, the damaged Daniel spends his life on the sidelines, not as a creator. Asked if he is a filmmaker, he responds, “No, I restore … films, tapes, photographs … things that have been damaged, lost, or forgotten … I bring them back.”

When Melody begins speaking to him in the tapes and then appearing in person, he questions his sanity. But gradually, both realize they are connecting across time and space, with the lines not so much dissolved as tangled. Time is out of joint in both minutes and years, conceptually playing into the commentary of lost spirits who do not know where to go. Ultimately, this poses the question: “Can the present haunt the past?”

Creator Rebecca Sonnenshine (with four other writers and four directors) has crafted inventive mythology, well-developed characters, and clear and differing styles for 1994 and 2019. The driving force is the building and its occupants. 

Harkening to Rosemary’s Baby, the denizens of the Visser are a strange bunch, harboring secrets and holding clandestine meetings in the community room. But this is to be expected in a story that deals with covens, satanic cults, human sacrifices, and a god-demon named Kalego. 

Add to this spirit receivers, lost television tapes, a Hollywood connection, and drug addiction, Archive 81 boasts a complicated but not convoluted plot. The emotional investment is appropriately life-and-death, with the revelations smartly unveiled. 

The acting is solid, with Athie and Shihabi anchoring the narrative. Matt McGorry is excellent as Daniel’s friend and confidant Mark who runs the paranormal podcast Mystery Signals. McGorry mines the role for dimension, raising it above the stereotypical sidekick. Julia Chan just avoids caricature as Melody’s aggressive artist roommate, Anabelle. Ariana Neal’s Jessica is a likable, off-beat teen groomed for darker purposes. Evan Jonigkeit is wholly believable as Samuel, the most welcoming of The Visser’s residents. If Kristin Griffith and Kate Eastman are two of the more over-the-top tenants, Sol Miranda’s fortuneteller/medium makes a difficult scene soar.

There is little gore, and the handful of jump-out scares are well-earned. Unfortunately, the special effects are not as high-end as the series warrants, landing more functional than impressive.

Oddly, in the penultimate episode, Archive 81 loses tension as it is filled predominantly with straightforward flashbacks of the 1924 origin of the cult. The explanations deflate the existential dread, and its linear style is far less interesting than the early, more peripatetic entries. Clarification seems to diffuse the energy. The final moment sets up for at least a future season, if not seasons.

Archive 81 is an enigmatic fast-paced story grounded in riddles and played for high stakes. And what more could you ask for in a binge-watch? The series is now streaming on Netflix.

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New Webster Bank corporate signage unveiled at a Long Island-based Webster branch.

It’s official. The Connecticut-based Webster Financial Corp. has completed its $10.3-billion acquisition of Sterling Bancorp, creating one of the largest commercial banks in the Northeast. The merger was initially announced in April 2021, and federal regulators gave the deal final approval in December of that year.

John R. Ciulla, President and Chief Executive Officer, Webster Bank and Webster Financial Corporation

With the merger, Webster Bank acquired Sterling National Bank’s 33 branches on Long Island, from Wading River in Suffolk County to Valley Stream on the border of Queens. The bank signs were changed this week.

“Today marks a transformative moment in Webster’s history that will greatly benefit our colleagues, clients, communities and shareholders,” said John R. Ciulla, President and CEO of Webster in a Feb. 1 press release. “Our bank will have enhanced scale, significant loan growth potential, best-in-class deposit franchises and a longstanding commitment to community development and corporate citizenship.”

The combined company has approximately $65 billion in assets, $44 billion in loans, and $53 billion in deposits based on balances as of December 31, 2021 and operates 202 financial centers in the Northeast region. 

The new headquarters of Webster is in Stamford, Connecticut, and Webster will have a continued multi-campus presence in the greater New York City area and Waterbury, Connecticut.

“The completion of the merger with Webster brings the best of our banks together, promising an elevated experience for our clients and colleagues as the financial services industry evolves,” said Executive Chairman Jack L. Kopnisky of the newly combined bank. 

Both Webster and Sterling clients will continue to bank as they normally do at their existing banking centers and through Webster’s and Sterling’s websites and mobile applications. For more information, visit www.websterbank.com.

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