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By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief

Inside this issue is a treasure trove of first-hand information about the candidates and the issues in the coming election. How do I know? Because we, the different members of the editorial board of Times Beacon Record Newspapers, personally interviewed 25 people running for office across the three towns that we serve: Brookhaven, Smithtown and Huntington. The offices the candidates are running for are all local, which means that these are the officials who will have the most direct effect on our lives. 

The positions range this year from county legislators to town supervisors, town council, and town clerk. We asked them questions without bias, seeking only to understand who they were, what they believed and what we could expect from each of them, should they be elected — or re-elected, as the case might be. The setting in our conference room was relaxed, and we hoped comfortable, with opponents for each office seated together around the table responding to questions put to them by our editors and reporters. 

Sometimes there were four candidates, sometimes only one who might be running unopposed or against a shadow opponent, but mostly there were two during each session. Most of the time, the hour goes by calmly, but occasionally the opponents get testy with each other — they may even become openly hostile.

At one such session some years ago, one of the candidates invited the other out to the back parking lot “to settle things.” When the other began to take off his jacket, we quickly intervened. But there were no such flare-ups this year. 

The answers were timed in an attempt to get to the main ideas without running on too long. There was ample time at the end for each visitor to tell us anything more that perhaps we hadn’t elicited with our questioning. 

We have written up the details of each interview in a separate article for the election section. And we discuss the candidates at the end of each hour and come to a conclusion for the endorsement. 

Most of the time, the editorial group was unanimous because the choices were fairly direct. But for a couple of races, we talked over the pros and cons of each candidate at length before making the selection. These endorsements are based on both the in-depth interviews and the considerable information we know about the incumbents since we have been covering them closely throughout their terms in office. Of course, after reading the stories, you may or may not agree with our conclusions. Our job is to get you thinking.

The many hours that are given to this task, throughout the month of October, are a service for our readers. We are privileged to enjoy an extended face-to-face time with those standing for election, and we feel an obligation to pass along whatever information, facts and impressions we gather during these sessions. We sincerely hope we help in the sometimes-difficult job of casting a responsible vote.

Each year we include in the election section a sample ballot that we are able to procure from the Suffolk County Board of Elections because readers have told us that it is a great advantage for them to receive the ballot at the voting poll already knowing how it is laid out.

Our editorial board is made up of staffers with different political leanings, but when we put our journalists’ hats on, we try to judge each race strictly on the merits of the opposing candidates. And while it is technically possible for me to be tyrannical about the final selections, that is almost never the case. We decide by majority rule.

Sincere thanks to the talented staff who join in this extra work each year. We truly believe that we are watchdogs for the people, and nowhere is that more necessary than in reporting about government and its office holders. We hope we have helped you, whether you read by newspaper and/or online. Now please vote.  

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Getting an annual eye exam is crucial

By David Dunaief, M.D.

Dr. David Dunaief

If you have diabetes, you are at high risk of vascular complications that can be life-altering. Among these are macrovascular complications, like coronary artery disease and stroke, and microvascular effects, such as diabetic nephropathy and retinopathy.

Here, we will talk about diabetic retinopathy (DR), the number one cause of blindness among U.S. adults, ages 20 to 74 years old (1). Diabetic retinopathy is when the blood vessels that feed the light-sensitive tissue at the back of your eye are damaged, and it can progress to blurred vision and blindness.

As of 2019, only about 60 percent of people with diabetes had a recommended annual screening for DR (2). Why does this matter? Because the earlier you catch it, the more likely you will be able to prevent or limit permanent vision loss.

Over time, DR can lead to diabetic macular edema (DME). Its signature is swelling caused by fluid accumulating in the macula (3). An oval spot in the central portion of the retina, the macula is sensitive to light. When fluid builds up from leaking blood vessels, it can cause significant vision loss.

Those with the longest duration of diabetes have the greatest risk of DME. Unfortunately, many patients are diagnosed with DME after it has already caused vision loss. If not treated early, patients can experience permanent damage (2).

In a cross-sectional study using NHANES data, among patients with DME, only 45 percent were told by a physician that diabetes had affected their eyes (4). Approximately 46 percent of patients reported that they had not been to a diabetic nurse educator, nutritionist or dietician in more than a year — or never.

Unfortunately, the symptoms of vision loss don’t necessarily occur until the latter stages of the disorder, often after it’s too late to reverse the damage.

What are treatment options for Diabetic Macular Edema?

While DME has traditionally been treated with lasers, injections of anti-VEGF medications may be more effective. These eye injections work by inhibiting overproduction of a protein called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which contributes to DR and DME (5). The results from a randomized controlled trial showed that eye injections with ranibizumab (Lucentis) in conjunction with laser treatments, whether laser treatments were given promptly or delayed for at least 24 weeks, were equally effective in treating DME (6). Other anti-VEGF drugs include aflibercept (Eylea) and bevacizumab (Avastin).

Do diabetes treatments reduce risk of Diabetic Macular Edema?

You would think that using medications to treat type 2 diabetes would prevent DME from occurring as well. However, in the THIN trial, a retrospective study, a class of diabetes drugs, thiazolidinediones, which includes Avandia and Actos, actually increased the occurrence of DME compared to those who did not use these oral medications (7). Those receiving these drugs had a 1.3 percent incidence of DME at year one, whereas those who did not had a 0.2 percent incidence. This incidence was persistent through the 10 years of follow-up. Note that DME is not the only side effect of these drugs. There are important FDA warnings for other significant issues.

To make matters worse, those who received both thiazolidinediones and insulin had an even greater incidence of DME. There were 103,000 diabetes patients reviewed in this trial. It was unclear whether the drugs, because they were second-line treatments, or the severity of the diabetes itself may have caused these findings.

This contradicts a previous ACCORD eye sub-study, a cross-sectional analysis, which did not show an association between thiazolidinediones and DME (8). This study involved review of 3,473 participants who had photographs taken of the fundus (the back of the eye).

What does this ultimately mean? Both studies had weaknesses. It was not clear how long the patients had been using the thiazolidinediones in either study or whether their sugars were controlled and to what degree. The researchers were also unable to control for all other possible confounding factors (9). There are additional studies underway to clarify these results.

Can glucose control and diet improve outcomes?

The risk of progression of diabetic retinopathy was significantly lower with intensive blood sugar controls using medications, one of the few positive highlights of the ACCORD trial (10). Unfortunately, medication-induced intensive blood sugar control also resulted in increased mortality and no significant change in cardiovascular events. However, an inference can be made: a nutrient-dense, plant-based diet that intensively controls blood sugar is likely to decrease the risk of diabetic retinopathy and further vision complications (11, 12).

If you have diabetes, the best way to avoid diabetic retinopathy and DME is to maintain good control of your sugars. Also, it is imperative that you have a yearly eye exam by an ophthalmologist, so that diabetic retinopathy is detected as early as possible, before permanent vision loss occurs. If you are taking the oral diabetes class thiazolidinediones, this is especially important.

References:

(1) cdc.gov. (2) www.aao.org/ppp. (3) www.uptodate.com. (4) JAMA Ophthalmol. 2014;132:168-173. (5) Community Eye Health. 2014; 27(87): 44–46. (6) ASRS. Presented 2014 Aug. 11. (7) Arch Intern Med. 2012;172:1005-1011. (8) Arch Ophthalmol. 2010 March;128:312-318. (9) Arch Intern Med. 2012;172:1011-1013. (10) www.nei.nih.gov. (11) OJPM. 2012;2:364-371. (12) Am J Clin Nutr. 2009;89:1588S-1596S.

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 or consult your personal physician.

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While every election is important, we take special care in informing our readers ahead of local races. With Election Day — Nov. 7 — fast approaching, we remind our readers why voting in local town and county elections is critical.

Unfortunately, many Americans today are losing faith in our democratic norms. Everywhere we look, we see partisanship, tribalism and polarization undermining our political process. National media sources often feed into and inflame these divisions for monetary and partisan gain.

Lower levels of government can offer a powerful counterbalance to all of this noise. Both literally and figuratively, local officials are closer to the people — their seats of government are located within our communities, and their decisions more immediately influence our day-to-day lives.

The issues debated by local legislatures are often far removed from the political theater observed in Washington and Albany. Local elections are not about the national debt ceiling, universal free health care or American foreign policy — remote if important issues in our ordinary lives.

Local elections are about us and the complexion of our community. They determine land use and zoning policies within our neighborhoods and commercial districts, drainage and related wastewater infrastructure investments, waste management services, park access, street paving and much more. Local elections determine the granular matters which shape our relationships to our surrounding area.

We remind our readers to be especially wary of candidates and commentators who inject national issues into our local dialogue. Those who do so are often ideologically driven, engaged in illicit political posturing.

We advise prospective voters to begin researching their ballots thoroughly. A functional local democracy requires a well-informed, enlightened electorate. And the more informed we are collectively, the better our elected officeholders will be.

When considering a candidate for local office, we should never decide based on party affiliation alone. This one-dimensional voting strategy cheapens our votes, outsourcing our decisions to the party bosses who handpick the nominees on our ballots.

We must ask ourselves whether a candidate possesses the requisite professional experience and knowledge to advance our interests. We must ask whether their values align with our own. And we must determine whether a candidate is running to promote the public good or to serve their self-interest.

Next week, TBR News Media will release its annual election supplement. Through interviews with various local candidates across our coverage area, we hope our readers will enter the voting booth better equipped to make informed judgments. We will also offer endorsements for candidates who best reflect our staff’s values.

With less than two weeks to go, we must get serious about our votes — because local elections matter.

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Preserving Long Island’s water starts with your vote

A recent article in Newsday described how the tourist industry is booming on Long Island and particularly in Suffolk County.

We have our farms, beaches, vineyards, state and national parks, museums, fishing and other water activities, theaters, music venues and, of course, a diversity of people. What underpins all of these things is the quality of our environment, especially water. Water that we drink, bathe in, cook in, swim, harvest and play in.

If we do not protect this resource, we will become known as the island surrounded by filthy water with contaminated drinking and bathing water that makes residents and visitors alike sick. All of this would not make for good tourism slogans.

If you want a healthy life and healthy economy, then be sure to vote, and vote for the candidates that pledge to protect this life-giving resource. Vote the Democratic line A and protect our beautiful island.

Deirdre Hensen

Miller Place

Democratic policies wrong for Suffolk

Suffolk County went red last year because Democrats running New York State have given us policies local voters found wholly unacceptable.

Incumbents, even long-serving ones, lost races because they didn’t grasp the sea change in priorities for county residents.

It began with a disgraced Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s [D] deadly mishandling of the COVID-19 public health emergency. In addition, the real-time results of Dem-endorsed cashless bail hit home when Suffolk suffered 399 fentanyl overdose deaths in 2022, and Officer Michael LaFauci miraculously survived a shooting from an alleged assailant, whose prior arrests should have kept him off the streets.

Proudly proclaiming New York state and its five boroughs “sanctuaries” has been a humanitarian disaster, a security risk and fiscal nightmare. The latter is sure to cost already-overburdened taxpayers a ton of money.

Even hardworking, productive people fleeing NYS in record numbers have not been a wakeup call for Democrats. None of these crises have been critical enough for Gov. Kathy Hochul [D] to call her one-party rule Legislature back to Albany. There remains no serious attempt to reverse their poor decisions regarding our high taxes, growing crime and flood of unvetted migrants.

On the contrary, they have candidates running on platforms pretty similar to the ones costing them elections less than a year ago.

Long-serving, former Assemblyman Steve Englebright [D-Setauket] has voted for cashless bail, remained mum on our sanctuary status and been part of the Dem bloc that got NYS rated as having the highest overall tax burden in the U.S.

As someone who’s had cordial, respectful conversations with Steve, this is not meant to be a personal attack. But, his endorsement by the Working Families Party is a clear indication they believe he remains in step with many of their far-left positions, which puts him out of step with the changing concerns of Suffolk voters.

Jim Soviero

East Setauket

School literature at Three Village school district and America’s legacy

Upon reading the letter about the book “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” [“Challenging the assigned literature at Three Village school district,” The Village Times Herald, Oct. 19] I was wondering if the letter was written tongue in cheek. Our record of how we have treated Native Americans is absolutely horrendous.

To say, “With a few exceptions, we have been nothing but kind to the so-called Native Americans,” is a gross and inexcusable perversion of American history. Native Americans have been murdered, forced off their land, moved across the country, forced to live on reservations and assigned to the horrors of poverty and alcoholism.

The Massachusetts Bay Colony paid a bounty for Indian scalps. These are the same people who supposedly “broke bread” with Native Americans. The book referred to in the letter is a story of the life of one teenager and how being a Native American affected that life.

The book’s discussion is of the life of a teenager, similar in age to the juniors in our high school. Those juniors are 16 to 17 years old. This is not a manual for decadent behavior, but rather a story of what one Native American has lived through. These stories are known to our teenagers in their lives growing up in 21st century America.

Unfortunately, this letter distorts American history and shows little faith and understanding of America’s teenage population.

Stuart Bernstein

Setauket

Distinguishing between opinions and prejudice

Regarding the letter, “Challenging the assigned literature at Three Village school district” [The Village Times Herald, Oct. 19], I am astonished that you would publish such an ignorant and bigoted letter, which was so off the wall I thought at first it was a joke.

We have a long, rich tradition of free speech in our country, which says that everyone is entitled to their opinion. But an opinion unsupported by evidence is a prejudice. And while people are entitled to their prejudices, you do not have to lend them legitimacy by printing unsupportable claims about how the Europeans treated the Native populace with mercy and kindness (Google the “Trail of Tears” sometime), or that 16- and 17-year-old high school juniors need to be protected from literature that might lead them to perform “decadent acts on themselves,” presumably meaning masturbation.

I’ve got a feeling the horse has long since left the barn on that one, which recalls the old joke: “99 out of 100 teenage boys admit to masturbating — and the other one is lying.”

People are allowed to believe all kinds of nonsense, but you are under no obligation to amplify and legitimize it.

Kenneth Wishnia

East Setauket

The case for transitioning Long Island’s homes from gas to electricity

The Oct. 19 article on Long Island’s opposition to the NYS natural gas ban [“NYS natural gas ban meets intense local opposition on Long Island,” TBR News Media website] details some potential issues predictably raised by those concerned about change or invested in the status quo, but some of these concerns don’t stand up and others are addressed in legislation passed by the Senate last year and which proponents are now urging Gov. Kathy Hochul [D] to include in her budget this year.

Breathing clean air inside our homes will be a significant benefit to everyone currently using gas, most especially our children.

Both LIPA and PSEG Long Island state that the present electrical system is quite adequate to handle minor additional loads from stoves and heat pumps, especially since winter loads are lower than summer loads.

Only about 1,100 new homes are built on all of Long Island each year, limiting the impact on job elimination. While plumbing demand will decrease when electricity replaces gas, the demand for electricians will rise.

Affordability is a critical consideration as we move forward in the energy transition, and the proposed NY Heat Act directly addresses the issue in two ways. The bill will cap energy bills at 6% of income for low- and middle-income families. In addition, the legislation would do away with the “100-foot rule,” which requires customers to pay for the extension of gas lines to buildings within 100 feet, regardless of need. Estimates state that the 100-foot rule could result in a savings of up to $75 per month on energy bills for low- and middle-income families.

Most importantly, the switch from gas to electric will dramatically improve indoor air quality, leading to improved health for NY residents. In the U.S., children living in a home with a gas stove have an increased risk of asthma by 42%. Chronic exposure is linked to cancer and heart disease.

“The levels of [indoor] air pollution can easily exceed health guidelines and would be considered illegal if they occurred outside,” Sandra Steingraber, co-founder of Concerned Health Professionals of New York, said. “These vapors quickly spread throughout our homes and in some cases raise bedroom benzene concentrations above acceptable health benchmarks for hours after the gas stove has been turned off.”

Both the American Medical Association and the American Public Health Association have recognized the links among gas stoves, nitrogen dioxide pollution and increased respiratory illnesses in children, and have called for a transition away from gas stoves and toward electrification of home appliances.

Stuart Braman

Port Washington

Editor’s note: The writer is an adjunct research scientist at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University.

The importance of local restaurants

Why not patronize your neighborhood restaurants during Long Island Restaurant Week Oct. 25-Nov. 5 with a wide variety of lunch and dinner specials all year long.

My wife and I don’t mind occasionally paying a little more to help our favorite restaurants survive. Don’t forget your cook and server. We try to tip 20-25% against the total bill, including taxes. If it is an odd amount, we round up to the next dollar.

If we can afford to eat out, we can afford an extra dollar tip. When ordering take out, we always leave a dollar or two for the waiter or cook. It is appreciated.

The restaurant industry employs hosts, bartenders, waiters, busboys, cooks, cashiers and parking valets, wholesale food sellers, distributors and linen suppliers. There are also construction contractors who renovate or build new restaurants.

Our local entrepreneurs work long hours, pay taxes and provide local employment especially to students during the summer. 

If we don’t patronize our local restaurants, they don’t eat either. Why travel into Manhattan when we have so many great neighborhood restaurants in Centereach, Cold Spring Harbor, Commack, Hauppauge, Northport, Mount Sinai, Port Jefferson, Smithtown, Stony Brook and other nearby communities in Suffolk County from which to select.

Larry Penner

Great Neck

Supporting Chad Lennon for Suffolk

As a Vietnam War combat veteran with a Combat Infantry Badge, Bronze Star V Device and Air Medal, I am asking not only all veterans but all to vote for Chad Lennon for Suffolk County’s 6th Legislative District. 

Chad is a major in the U.S. Marine Corps and a proven leader. While serving in Afghanistan, he was wounded and received a Purple Heart. I can tell you firsthand that Chad is always assisting veterans and their families. He stands with our men and women in blue and will always back them.

He will be active in stopping drugs that are decimating our young generation as well as keeping environmental issues top of mind. Chad has proven himself as a leader and will bring that learned experience to the 6th Legislative District. Vote Chad Lennon.

Joe Cognitore

Sgt. 2/8th First Cav Air Mobile Recon

Rocky Point

Two incumbent Suffolk County legislators stifle democracy

As we approach Election Day, some incumbent Suffolk County legislators are counting on voters to have short memories. Three months ago, they voted against allowing you to vote on the Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act.

This act was passed by the New York State Legislature earlier this year as part of the state budget. It’s the product of many years of delicate negotiations. It has overwhelming bipartisan support from Suffolk County state and congressional representatives, earmarking millions of dollars of New York State money for the benefit of Suffolk.

It also would mean additional millions of federal infrastructure dollars for Suffolk. It addresses, after decades of inaction, the underlying causes of the serious and worsening problems with water quality in our county, producing extensive algal blooms and fishkills in our lakes, harbors and estuaries, and growing nitrogen pollution of our aquifers.

In spite of all this, county Legislators Leslie Kennedy [R-Nesconset] and Trish Bergin [R-East Islip] voted to not allow this act to be put to the voters on the November ballot. Doing so, they effectively stymied it, since it requires voter approval to take effect.

They offered lame excuses for this, such as proposing to “fix” the act. They know this is bogus. The act, which allocates state money to our county, is state, not county legislation. There was griping about the 1/8 of 1% increase in the sales tax, which amounts to $50 on $40,000 of nonfood or clothing purchases in one year. Is that too much to finally deal with our water pollution problem?

Most likely, the real reason for blocking voters from approving or rejecting this act was to protect their own political fortunes, hoping that with it off the ballot voters who care about water quality won’t show up.

Which brings up the real issue: The flagrant arrogance of putting themselves above the people who elected them. If you oppose the Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act, fine. You should be able to vote to reject it. If it’s rejected by the voters, that’s the way democracy works. The way democracy doesn’t work is by having politicians use their power to disallow voting.

Whatever your views on the act itself, you should vote for Denis Graziano or Derek Stein, who oppose Kennedy and Bergin, respectively, to send the message that politicians who use their power to block voters have no business representing them.

David Friedman

St. James

 

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Chocolate Fudge Pie

By Heidi Sutton

Everyone knows that Halloween dishes up sweets galore. Trick-or-treaters come home with bounties of chocolate bars, candy, gum, licorice, and much more inside of their bags.

Even though trick-or-treat treasures are the stars of the show, when hosting Halloween parties, desserts also can be top notch, and guests often look forward to chocolate treats on the dessert table. 

This year, Halloween hosts can serve up a slice of Chocolate Fudge Pie from “Real Simple: Dinner Tonight Done!” from the editors of Real Simple and ghosts will rise from the dead for the chocolaty Monster Mash Mudslide courtesy of Culinary.net.

Chocolate Fudge Pie

Chocolate Fudge Pie

YIELD: Makes 8 servings

INGREDIENTS:

1 pie crust (store-bought or homemade), fitted into a 9-inch pie plate

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped, plus more shaved, for topping

1⁄2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

3 large eggs

1⁄8 teaspoon kosher salt

1⁄2 cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

11⁄2 cups heavy cream

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 375 F. Place the pie plate on a baking sheet. Prick the crust with a fork and line with foil. Fill to the top with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the edges are firm, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and bake until just golden, 8 to 10 minutes more. Reduce oven temperature to 325 F.

Meanwhile, in a large heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter, stirring often, until smooth; set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs, salt, and 1⁄2 cup of the sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Fold one-third of the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the remainder.

Pour the mixture into the crust and bake until puffed and beginning to crack, 20 to 25 minutes. Cook for 1 hour, then chill until firm, at least 2 hours.

Beat the cream with the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar on medium high-speed until soft peaks form. Spread over the pie and sprinkle with the shaved chocolate.

Monster Mash Mudslide

YIELD: Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups lowfat chocolate milk

10 chocolate wafer cookies, coarsely broken

1/2 cup frozen non-dairy whipped topping, thawed

8 mini chocolate chips or mini chocolate candies (orange/brown color recommended)

DIRECTIONS:

In blender, blend chocolate milk and chocolate wafer cookies until smooth. Heat mixture in saucepan or microwave until just heated through.

To serve, pour chocolate milk mixture into 4 glasses. For each serving, spoon a large, upright dollop of whipped topping to resemble a ghost. Insert chocolate chips or chocolate candies into dollop for eyes.

Note: To enjoy a cold mudslide, do not heat in saucepan or microwave.

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By A. Craig Purcell, Esq.

A. Craig Purcell, Esq.

So many Long Islanders, both young and old, ride motorcycles these days that we are constantly being asked about insurance coverage available for this exceedingly common means of transportation and recreation.

The first thing you need to know is that you can obtain motorcycle insurance, and more importantly, liability insurance for motorcycles is mandatory in the State of New York. This means you must insure your motorcycle in order to register it here.

What type of insurance is mandated for motorcycles? The motorcycle must have liability insurance in the minimum amount of $25,000, as is the minimum for all New York automobiles. The standard minimum coverage for both is as follows:

— $ 25,000 in bodily injury per person

— $ 50,000 in total bodily injury per accident

— $ 10,000 in property damage per accident while operating your motorcycle

This requirement means that if you are at fault for someone else’s injury, these are the minimum protections for your liability. Remember, these are only the state required minimum coverages, and higher coverage amounts are strongly recommended to protect your assets.

It is important to understand that no-fault insurance coverage (personal injury protection) is unavailable for motorcycles. This means that your medical bills will not be paid by your own insurance company. This differs from the policy covering your own automobile, which insurance coverage requires that your reasonable medical bills be paid by your own company even if the accident was your fault. 

As our first article in this series, “Only pay for what you need. The question then becomes: What do you need?” explained supplemental underinsured coverage is extremely important and mandatory for motorcycles, as well as automobiles. 

As emphasized in that article and throughout this series, obtaining more than the minimum amount of coverage available (as outlined above) is highly recommended and should be discussed with your insurance broker or insurance company.

In concluding our discussion concerning motorcycle coverage, we wish to emphasize our strong advice to resist the temptation to purchase the minimum coverage allowable in the state, and obtain more than the minimum coverage mandated. Do not let the additional costs persuade you from paying for what you and your family really need to protect your assets and give you peace of mind.

Please see our March and April columns explaining what No-Fault Insurance coverage means for you and your family in addition to our June column discussing the MVAIC and its applicability to motorcyclist’s claims.

A. Craig Purcell, Esq. is a partner at the law firm of Glynn Mercep Purcell and Morrison LLP in Setauket and is a former President of the Suffolk County Bar Association and Vice President of the New York State Bar Association.

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The free event will be held on Oct. 30 at 4 p.m. at Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts, Theater Two, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook.

By Daniel Dunaief

Want to hear characters from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein discussing artificial intelligence? Or, perhaps, get an inside look at an interaction between a scientist studying penguins and a potential donor? Maybe you’d like something more abstract, like a thought piece on aspects of memory?

You can get all three at an upcoming Science on Stage performance of three one-act plays written by award-winning playwrights that feature the themes of cutting edge research from Stony Brook University.

Ken Weitzman Photo courtesy of SBU

On October 30th at 4 p.m. at Staller Center for the Arts’ Theater Two, which holds up to 130 people, professional actors will read three 10-minute scripts. Directed by Jackson Gay, topics will include research about artificial intelligence, climate change in Antarctica and collective memory. Audience members can then listen to a discussion hosted by Program Founder and Associate Professor of Theater Ken Weitzman that includes the scientists and the playwrights. The event is free and open to the public.

Funded by a grant from the Office of the Provost at Stony Brook University and supported by the College of Arts and Sciences and the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science, the performances are an “amuse-bouche,” or an appetizer, about some of the diverse and compelling science that occurs at Stony Brook University, said Weitzman. 

“The hope is that [the plays] generate interest and get people to want to ask the next question or that [the plays] stick with audience members emotionally or intellectually and makes them want to discover more.”

The upcoming performance features the writing of two-time Tony Award winning playwright Greg Kotis, who wrote Urinetown; Michele Lowe, whose first play made it to Broadway and around the world; and Rogelio Martinez, whose plays have been produced around the U.S. and internationally.

The short plays will feature the scientific work of Nilanjan Chakraborty, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering; Heather Lynch, Professor of Ecology and Evolution, and Suparna Rajaram, Distinguished Professor of Cognitive Science in the Psychology Department.

“It’s a good example of what we are doing and the opportunities for us as we continue to put funding in the arts and the humanities and also in the intersection of that from an interdisciplinary perspective,” said Carl Lejuez, Stony Brook Provost, in an interview. This kind of collaborative effort works best “when it’s truly bi-directional. Both sides benefit.”

Lejuez credits President Maurie McInnis with setting the tone about the importance of learning the humanities and the sciences. Lejuez said McInnis talks during her convocation speech about how she had intended to become a physician when she attended college, but took an art history course that was part of a general education curriculum that changed her life. The sixth president of Stony Brook, McInnis earned her PhD in the History of Art from Yale University.

Lejuez highlighted a number of interdisciplinary efforts at Stony Brook University. Stephanie Dinkins, Professor in the Department of Art, bridges visual art and Artificial Intelligence. She has focused her work on addressing the shortcomings of AI in understanding and depicting black women.

The Simons Center for Geometry and Physics has an arts and culture program, while the Collaborative for the Earth has faculty from numerous disciplines. They are starting a new Tiger Teams to develop key areas of study and will offer seed funding for interdisciplinary work to tackle climate change.

Lejuez plans to attend Science on Stage on October 30th.

“I feel an almost desperation to learn as much as I can about all the aspects of the university,” he said. Not only is he there to “show respect for the work and give it gravitas, but it’s the only way [he and others] can do [their job] of representing and supporting faculty and staff” in science and the humanities.

An enjoyable experience

The participants in Science on Stage appreciate the opportunity to collaborate outside their typical working world.

Heather Lynch, who conducts research on penguins in Antarctica and worked with Lowe, described the experience as “immensely enjoyable” and suggested that the “arts can help scientists step out of their own comfort zone to think about where their own work fits into society at large.”

Lynch explained that while the specific conversation in the play is fictionalized, the story reflects “my aggregate angst about our Antarctic field work and, in that sense, is probably more literally true than any conversation or interaction with any real life traveling guest.”

Lynch believes the play on her work is thought provoking. “Science is a tool, what matters is what you do” with that science, she said.

Lynch was thrilled to work with someone new and believes Lowe probably learned about Antarctica and the challenges it faces.

Bringing talent together

The first iteration of Science on Stage occurred in 2020 and was available remotely in the midst of the pandemic. Weitzman had reached out to scientists at Stony Brook to see who might be willing to partner up with playwrights.

He  is eager to share the diverse combination of topics in a live setting from this year’s trio of scientists. “I did some nudging to make sure there were a variety” of grand challenge topics, he said.

Weitzman explained that bringing the humanities and arts together in such an effort generated considerable enthusiasm. “There’s such incredible research being done here,” he said. “I want to engage for this community.”

He hopes such a performance can intrigue people at Stony Brook or in the broader community about science, theater writing or science communication.

While the plays are each 10 minutes long and include actors reading scripts, Weitzman said the experience would feel like it’s being performed and not read, particularly because professional actors are participating. 

He also hopes one or more of the playwrights sees this interaction as an opportunity to create a longer piece.

“I would love it if [this experience] encourages a playwright to think it justifies a full length” script, Weitzman said.

Lynch wrote a pilot screenplay herself called “Forecast Horizon” that she describes as an intellectual exercise. If Netflix calls, however, she’s “definitely interested in having it live on,” she said. Writing the screenplay gave her a “better appreciation for how much more similar science is to the arts than I would have thought. Both involve solving puzzles.”

As for future funding, Lejuez suggested that the University was still figuring out how to allocate available funds for next year and in future years.

He would like to see how this first time in person goes. Depending on the interest and enthusiasm, he could envision a regular source of funds to support such future similar collaborations.

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Some of the ways SBU combines arts and humanities with science

By Daniel Dunaief

The southern flagship State University of New York facility, Stony Brook University seeks ways to bring the best from the arts and humanities together with science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Provost Carl Lejuez. Photo from SBU

Indeed, the school provides a home for the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science, where researchers tap into famed actor Alda’s improvisational acting skills, among other techniques, to connect with their audiences and share their cutting-edge work and discoveries.

In addition to the October 30th Science on Stage production at Staller Theater 2, Provost Carl Lejuez recently highlighted numerous additional interdisciplinary efforts.

This past spring, the Simons Center for Geometry and Physics presented artwork by Professor of Mathematics Moira Chas. Chas created artwork that combines yarn and wire, clot and zippers to illustrate mathematical objects, questions or theorems.

The Office of the Provost has also provided several grants to support interdisciplinary work. This includes two $25,000 grants that promote the development of new research teams to explore interdisciplinary areas of scholarly work and address challenges such as Digital Futures/ Ethical Artificial Intelligence, Sustainability, Critical health Studies/ Health Disparities, Global Migration, and other areas.

Additionally, the Collaborative for the Earth brings together faculty from the arts, humanities and social sciences with behavioral science and STEM faculty. The university is starting a new Tiger Teams that will develop key areas of study and offer seed funding to tackle climate change. The funding will explore ways to create solutions that policy makers and the public can adopt, as well as ways to address disparities in the impact of climate change and ways to support people who are disproportionately affected by this threat.

SBU added interdisciplinary faculty. Susannah Glickman, Assistant Professor in the Department of History, has interests such as computing, political economy, 20th century US and world history and the history of science.

Matthew Salzano, IDEA Fellow in Ethical AI, Information Systems and Data Science and Literacy, meanwhile, has a joint appointment with the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Communication. He studies rhetoric and digital culture, emphasizing how digital technology, including artificial intelligence, impacts and interacts with social justice.

Through course work, members of the university community can also address interdisciplinary questions. Associate Professor in the Department of Art Karen Lloyd teaches an Art and Medicine course, while  Adjunct Lecturer Patricia Maudies, also in the Art Department, teaches Art + The Brain. Both of these courses bring in guest lecturers from STEM and medicine.

Stony Brook also hosts centers aimed at interdisciplinary research, such as the Institute for Advanced Computational Science (IACS).

One of the current goals and objectives of the IACS strategic plan is to advance the intellectual foundations of computation and data, with high-impact applications in engineering, in the physical, environmental, life, health and social sciences, and in the arts and humanities.

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President Barack Obama said he wanted even more funding for treatment. File photo

By Daniel Dunaief

Daniel Dunaief

Years before he was the 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama gave me a call.

I was working at Bloomberg News as a banking reporter and was covering some financial services issue. A source of mine suggested that I chat with this state senator from Illinois, whom he insisted was going places. My source clearly recognized Obama’s potential.

What I recall about a conversation that was akin to getting a rookie card for Derek Jeter was that Obama was erudite, eloquent and halting in his response to my questions. Attuned to the rapid pace of New York conversation, I was unaccustomed to the cadence of his conversation.

When Obama ran for office, I recognized not only his name but also his speech pattern.

I have had brushes with a wide range of people of varying levels of fame, often times in the context of my work as a journalist. Please find below a brief compendium of such interactions.

— Jim Lovell. The commander of Apollo 13, Lovell and his wife Marilyn attended an event in Florida where I was their point of contact. When the cool night breeze gave Marilyn a chill, Lovell jumped up to get her sweater and asked when they could leave. I asked my bosses, who wanted Lovell, who was the honored guest, to stay until after dinner. He was greatly appreciative when I told him he could finally lift off.

— Yogi Berra. I attended an event at Tavern on the Green event, where Berra was a client of the host. Even though I was only five foot, seven inches tall at the time (I’m probably a bit shorter now), I towered over the older and thin former Yankees catcher. When I told him it was an honor to meet him, he took my hand in his and offered a polite smile.

— Eliot Spitzer. Before he was a governor and client 9, Spitzer was a hard-charging New York Attorney General who went after investment banks for inflating stocks to help their business at the potential expense of investors. I spoke regularly with Spitzer, whose energy and intellect made it hard for my fingers to keep up while I was typing notes. I expected the impressive and ambitious Spitzer to ascend to national office.

— Scott Kelly. I interviewed Astronaut Scott Kelly after he set an American record for continuous time in space of 340 days aboard the International Space Station. With his then girlfriend, now wife, Amika Kauderer, in the room, the two of them described his book. She also recounted the second class treatment she received from some of the wives who weren’t impressed with her status as a girlfriend.

— Ed Koch. The former New York mayor was a staple at Bloomberg News, where I worked for several years. At 6 feet, two inches tall, Koch towered over me as he regularly filled his plate with some of the free snacks and sugary treats at the newsroom.

— Hank Paulson. I interviewed the former Chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs at an International Monetary Fund meeting in Hong Kong. After I asked the first question, Paulson, who would become Treasury Secretary, yanked the microphone out of my hands and spent the rest of the interview holding it up to his mouth. I tried to project my voice into the microphone and above the chatter in a crowded restaurant.

— Goldie Hawn. At a lunch at Shun Lee Palace near Lincoln Center with a former banker from the now defunct Lehman Brothers, I spotted the famous actress as I approached her crowded table. Dressed in a sleeveless black dress, she could tell I recognized her. Rather than look away, she gave me a warm and welcoming smile. I wished, even moments later, that I had given her a thumbs up or an appreciative grin. 

— Earl “The Pearl” Monroe. When I was at the New York Daily News, I spoke regularly with the Knicks legend for a rookie (Channing Frye) vs. veteran stock picking contest. While he lost the contest, he couldn’t have been friendlier and more receptive during our weekly calls, updating me on his life and sharing his weekly stock picks.

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METRO photo

By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief

A woman I know is now a widow. She has two adult children but lives many miles from them. In order to visit her home and her town, which are located in a beautiful part of the country, they are required to take two flights, then drive a couple of hours to reach her.

The relationship she had with her late husband was not so different from many couples: she took care of the shopping and cooking, and he paid the bills and balanced the checking account. They both loved their house and how they lived.

But life for her has taken a turn.

Not only is she now alone, she is approaching 80 and has trouble walking. She manages the aisles of the supermarket with difficulty, and so hasn’t had any fresh produce or other perishables in a month. As a result, she is not eating well. Her son is coming shortly to manage her finances and fix whatever might need repair in the home, but he has to leave his own children and his job to do that. As a result, the number of visits he can make is limited. Her daughter, who lives in a big city and has a demanding job, has yet to come. Another relative, who lives across the country, recently offered several days of help but cannot do that with any regularity.

Unsurprisingly, all are urging her to move closer to one of them.

“I want to stay in my own home!” is her adamant reply. She wants to age in place. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines aging in place as “the ability to live in one’s own home and community safely, independently and comfortably, regardless of age, income, or ability level.”

She is no different from 90 percent of adults over the age of 65 who say they prefer to stay in their current residence as they age.This is a major issue. Can this woman remain in her home? Can any of us, as we age, plan to remain in our homes?

Some considerations include home preparation. Can she avoid falling? Among the greatest threats to older people is falling, a leading cause of injurious death. That may be prevented by installing grab bars in the shower, railings on the stairs, avoiding loose throw rugs and obstructed pathways. Increased lighting, walk-in bathtubs, sliding shelves,  even walk-in showers can greatly aid all of us, whether we are aged or not yet there.

Technology can also be a help. This woman’s son can pay her bills remotely, if appropriate arrangements are made with her bank. He can also order various items she may need over the internet, including food from the local markets. The reaction to COVID-19 is to be thanked for the ease and wide-spread availability of remote purchasing plus delivery. And, with a little patience on the part of the younger generation, she might be taught to use the computer to order for herself.

To help her walking, she might get hiking poles or an electric wheelchair or even an electric scooter to ride to her friends in the neighborhood if she doesn’t want to use a cane or a walker. Some 32 percent of those over age 65 have difficulty walking, so this is not so strange.

Cognitive problems, which she doesn’t have but, according to statistics, 1 out of 5 people over 55 will experience, can be mitigated by some help from local social services. Research by her family would be required. But this presents a more severe need that may involve moving into an assisted living facility in the community.

Older adults should not have to leave the towns and school districts they have paid taxes to help maintain over the years and the familiarity and daily support system that has built up around them during their long residence.

We need to give more attention and planning to this segment of the people. And we need to follow their lead rather than demand they change their lives.

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Candyland

MEET CANDYLAND!

This week’s featured shelter pet is Candyland, currently up for adoption at the Smithtown Animal Shelter. This sweet little lady is just 6 months old. Candy was trapped as part of the shelter’s TNR program with the rest of her litter (all named after boardgames). The others have all since gone on to be adopted, but poor Candy is still waiting for the purrfect home.  

This black beauty has some vision impairment; she can see movement and shadows in good lighting, but is very limited in poor lighting and with fine detail. This makes her very untrusting of other animals and young children because they move erratically or sneak up on her. 

She is very playful and affectionate and would love a quiet, adult only home where she can be the only pet or live with pets that will not bother with her. Candy has tons of love to give and she loves to get attention.

If you would like to meet Candyland, please call ahead to schedule an hour to properly interact with her in a domestic setting. The Smithtown Animal & Adoption Shelter is located at 410 Middle Country Road, Smithtown. Visitor hours are Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Sundays and Wednesday evenings by appointment only). For more information, call 631-360-7575 or visit www.townofsmithtownanimalshelter.com.

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