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Project Action Committee member Beth Watson, trustee-elect Kyle Hill, Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kassay, Andy Freleng, director of Planning & Building Department, PAC members Bob Laravie, Mary Ann Bernero, Frances Campani and Michael Schwarting. Photo by Lynn Hallarman

By Lynn Hallarman

Increasing intense storms and rising sea levels compound the risk of damaging and costly flooding in the Village of Port Jefferson. 

On June 20, village officials hosted the second of two interactive community workshops to explore project proposals for addressing flood risk in the downtown area. The initial workshop was held in April 2023. 

Climate Resilience Plan

In 2021, the village secured grant funding from the New York State Regional Economic Development Councils to tackle the longstanding flooding problem in Port’s downtown watershed. The total project is budgeted at $110,000, for which the state funding covers 75% ($82,500) and the village is responsible for 25% ($27,500), according to village Treasurer Stephen Gaffga.

Village officials formed the Project Action Committee, composed of expert consultants, to collect and analyze data related to flood risk and use it to create the Climate Resilience Plan. The plan currently outlines five potential projects focused on innovative flood and storm surge prevention as part of the village’s strategic planning. The purpose of the June workshop was for PAC leadership to receive community input on several of their proposals and to inform the public about the committee’s progress. 

The initiative, led by outgoing Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kassay who is the village’s sustainability commissioner, includes PAC members such as architectural experts from Campani and Schwarting; Amani Hosein, legislative aide to Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook); village residents and other local experts. 

Mayor Lauren Sheprow, Kassay, trustee-elect Kyle Hill, Andrew Freleng the village’s director of Planning and Building Department, Kornreich, several PAC members and members of the public attended the workshop. 

“Our village is experiencing issues related to stormwater runoff, a high-water table and tidal flooding that all impact downtown Port simultaneously,” Kassay said. “Tonight’s workshop is part of the village’s ongoing efforts to explore all angles of the problem and to find solutions that will truly make a difference.” 

Project proposals

Michael Schwarting, partner of Campani and Schwarting Architects, presented updated committee findings and outlined five potential projects. A breakout session allowed the public to learn about individual projects from PAC experts. 

“The village watershed is a bowl, collecting water from the south, east and west, all going to one place — down into the commercial district of Port Jefferson,” Schwarting said. “Then there is the harbor from the north, whose sea level is rising and having increasing storm surges.”

According to data from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the Long Island region is predicted to experience a sea rise of up to 12 to 25 inches by around 2050.

Blue line represents downtown watershed area in the village of Port Jefferson. Maps courtesy of CASA.

Overview of the projects: 

1.  Develop designs for reducing stormwater flowing from the numerous steep streets upland of the village into the downtown area. 

2.  Assess the flooding problems of the culvert (underground drainpipe) that collects stormwater from Main Street and Barnum Avenue to Old Mill Creek at Village Hall. Convert portions of the culvert into a series of cased ponds for flood mitigation. The water is naturally cleaned when exposed to light. 

3. Complete the 2011 Old Mill Creek restoration plan from Brook Road to the harbor, restoring Old Mill Pond and daylighting the creek culvert — removing obstructions covering the creek — from West Broadway to the harbor.  

4. Update the 2013 village-approved Harbor Front Revitalization Plan in the 2030 Comprehensive Plan, incorporating storm flood mitigation and rising tides solutions as well as creating a green Harborfront Park. This plan would require relocating the harborfront marina parking. 

5.  Research ways to contain stormwater on-site in public off-street parking lots and mitigate these heat islands with trees. 

Water table levels below the surface of the village of Port Jefferson. Courtesy of CASA

Public concerns, official responses

Most concerns voiced at the meeting focused on project feasibility and potential costs to the village. One resident questioned the impacts on village parking if the Harborfront area, currently used to park up to 300 cars, is converted into a green space. 

To date, Campani and Schwarting Architects has billed the village $33,200 for its work studying the flooding problem as PAC members. According to Gaffga, the village has been reimbursed $17,850 of this cost by the state as part of the grant funding. The state grant will ultimately cover 75% of the total costs of the PAC initiative studying flooding risk in downtown Port.  

This reporter asked PAC members if the impacts of the recent uptick in housing development projects and installation of impervious surfaces, such as the Mather Hospital parking lot and asphalt repaving of the walkway at Harborfront Park, have been accounted for in the data analysis and project proposals.  

“That is a good question,” Frances Campani of CASA responded. “We can consider overlaying those impacts in our next mapping update.” 

“This is a step-by-step process,” Sheprow told TBR in a post-workshop interview. “The village has to put together many preliminary studies like the PAC initiative to garner support from the state to win big funding opportunities for major infrastructure projects. Without the studies, we’ll never get those large state and federal grants.”    

Rendering of the proposed Harborfront Park. Courtesy of CASA

New funding

Kassay informed the public at the workshop about the recent attainment of a $300,888 grant, including $270,799 from FEMA with the difference covered by the village, for an engineering study of flood mitigation at especially vulnerable sights in the downtown watershed. Kassay hopes this new funding for an expert engineering study will create synergy with the PAC initiative to set up the village to receive funding from New York State to implement the proposed projects and other innovations. 

The full workshop and slideshow can be viewed on the Port Jefferson YouTube channel. Comments about the project proposals are open until July 15. 

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By  Aidan Johnson and Samantha Rutt

Former CNN anchor John Avlon will face off against incumbent Congressman Nick LaLota (R) on Election Day, Nov. 5, after winning the Democratic primary for New York’s 1st Congressional District on June 25. Avlon garnered over 70% of the vote, with 19,026 votes in a landslide victory against opponent Nancy Goroff, former chair of the Department of Chemistry at Stony Brook University, who received 8,053 votes. There were 58 write-in votes.

The race saw its fair share of contentious moments, with Avlon and political action committees supporting him attacking Goroff on her loss in the 2020 congressional election against Rep. Lee Zeldin (R). Meanwhile, Goroff and PACs supporting her criticized Avlon on his past work for Republicans, including with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

In a speech after the results, Avlon thanked his supporters and said the next stage of the campaign has started “right now.”

He also stated that it was important to reach out to independent and center-right voters, saying most Americans want “reasoning together over a common set of facts to solve the common problems we face.”

“I’ve always believed that politics is history in the present tense, and that this is our chance to write a new chapter of the American story,” he said.

In a statement, Goroff congratulated Avlon and called for Democrats to “come together to defeat Nick LaLota and flip this seat in November,” adding that Avlon will be “a commonsense voice for the people of Suffolk in Washington and a vast improvement over LaLota, who has proven to be far too extreme for this district.”

“The people of Suffolk deserve a representative who will work hard and find solutions to the major problems facing our community, and that is John Avlon,” she said.

Kassay triumphs

In the race for the state 4th Assembly District, Rebecca Kassay, business owner, environmentalist and former deputy mayor of Port Jefferson Village, garnered nearly 64% of the vote with 3,395, outpacing opponent Skyler Johnson, who received 1,909 votes. There were 11 write-in votes.

“In this pivotal moment for our communities and our government, I am grateful to have earned the trust of voters here in Assembly District 4,” Kassay said in a statement following the election announcement. “I am entirely committed to the tireless work required to lead our district and our state through unprecedented challenges. In the thousands of conversations at the doors of district residents, one thing was clear: People want their government to focus on delivering for their communities instead of being distracted by divisive politics-as-usual.”

Kassay congratulated opponent Johnson on his campaign.

“I commend Skyler Johnson and his team for their work energizing voters and engaging more residents in the important issues facing our communities. Primary elections can be divisive, and we are grateful to have shared a positive, message-based primary here in Assembly District 4.”

Johnson congratulated Kassay on her win and has since offered his support for her continued campaign. 

“I’d like to congratulate Rebecca Kassay on her win. There is a lot at stake in New York – and all that matters is defeating anti-choice, anti-Democracy politicians in November. Rebecca has my full support in this mission,” Johnson said in a statement following the election results.

The primary elections have set the stage for a dynamic and competitive general election. Avlon’s decisive victory in the Democratic primary for the 1st Congressional District demonstrates a strong mandate from his party, positioning him to challenge LaLota in November. Avlon’s call for unity and outreach to a broad spectrum of voters highlights his strategy for the upcoming campaign. 

Meanwhile, Kassay’s success in the 4th Assembly District primary reflects her commitment to addressing community concerns and fostering positive political engagement as she attempts to unseat incumbent Assemblyman Ed Flood (R-Port Jefferson).

As both Avlon and Kassay prepare for the next phase of their campaigns, their focus on commonsense solutions and effective leadership will be critical in their bids to represent the people of Suffolk County.

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Setauket High School seventh-grade class as pictured in the 1951 Sachem Setauket School yearbook.
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Setauket High School yearbook,1951 Sachem, which includes grades one through 12. The school opened in 1911 and closed in 1951.
The new Setauket Junior High School as pictured in the 1953 students autograph book.
Setauket High School seventh-grade class as pictured in the 1951 Sachem Setauket School yearbook.

By Beverly C. Tyler

My neighbor, whose brother-in-law graduated from Setauket High School 73 years ago this month, gave me his copy of the “1951 Sachem,” the yearbook of that class — the last class to graduate from Setauket High School. There were just 12 in the class of ‘51, four girls and eight boys. The junior class of ‘51, set to graduate in ‘52 with 12 students, five girls and seven boys, would have to go elsewhere to complete their senior year, most likely to Port Jefferson.

The yearbook shows individual pictures of each member of the senior class and group pictures of sixth grade through the junior class. After pages dedicated to the graduating seniors, the booklet includes photos of the sports teams and seven other school activities, followed by advertisements from local businesses supporting the publication of the yearbook.

However, this isn’t a story about the class of ‘51 or ‘52. This is a story about my class, the seventh grade in 1951, destined to graduate in June 1953 from the new Setauket Junior High School. The picture shows 20 of 21 students, with only Patricia Hart absent. My class photo included

and our teacher, Mr. Good.

I don’t remember if Mr. Good taught the seventh grade the year before, but I believe he was gone the next year. In the 1951-52 school year, we spent most of the year at the old school, located on the south side of Route 25A, on the hill above where the stores, including the Village Chemist, are today. My class was on the second floor of the old wooden school building in the northeast corner room.

Mr. Good was a very no-nonsense teacher who had a humorous side that almost none of us appreciated. He told us, very proudly, that his foot was exactly twelve inches in length and intimated that if he had any troubles in the classroom, he could put his foot where it would do the most good. Mr. Good could also throw an eraser with pinpoint accuracy and did so with some frequency before the majority of students got to know him better.

One of the classmates I got along well with was Abigail Pope. She was a budding artist and loved to draw, which she often did during classes that didn’t interest her. Paying strict attention to the lesson at hand was absolutely necessary in Mr. Good’s classroom, and Abby had been presented with an eraser at least once before she was called to the front of the classroom.

I don’t know what she did that drew Mr. Good’s ire, but it could easily have been one of her very artistic nude drawings, which she often did. In front of the entire class, Mr. Good had Abby put out her right hand, palm up, and struck it with a ruler more than once. I remember that Abby never made a sound in response.

The best students in my class were Naida Hutchinson, Sarah Sells, Linda Schnee, and Everett Hart. Everett, who we called Bub, was also the best athlete. Margaret Jarvis was the cutest girl. All of this is, of course, subject to the passage of time and memory. Phyllis Schmeelk lived on a farm at the intersection of Bennett Road and North Country Road. What made it special for me were the horses in her side yard, right along the road. Katherine Bossey was a friend who often told me things I needed to hear. Her father ran a variety store in East Setauket. I once stole a baseball from the store, and Kathy set me straight. I always appreciated that from her.

John Emma’s father, Joe, was a barber. His shop was along East Setauket’s Main Street. I think at the time the family lived upstairs — I believe I got my first haircut there. My father took me, and when it was my turn, Mr. Emma put on a special seat that went across the arms of the barber chair to raise me to the proper level. It was a special day a few years later when I sat up in the chair as tall as I could and was told I didn’t need the booster chair anymore.

Larry Payne and I talked a lot about people in the community, and I remember Larry taking me down the hill from the old school to the small house just behind the stores at the corner of Main Street and Station Road — currently Gnarled Hollow Road. This was the home of Sarah Ann Sells. Mrs. Sells always offered us a peanut butter sandwich. She really seemed to enjoy being visited by kids from the school. When we moved to the new Setauket School and away from downtown East Setauket, some friendships seemed to change, and I don’t remember visiting Mrs. Sells or walking downtown at lunchtime or after school.

Jean Lewis lived on her family farm on Hub Road in South Setauket. The special feature of the area was Lewis’s Pond, where we would often ice skate in the winter, as it froze much earlier than the mill ponds in Setauket. Jean often invited some of her classmates to her home after skating, and I remember going as often as I could.

Jerry Gerlach was my best friend from the class, but the ones I hung out with most of the time after school and on weekends were all living on my street or close by, including Don Macauley, Paul Acker, Jackie Bennett, and Gene Cockshutt. We explored the woods around our houses, played stickball on Main Street at a time when few cars disturbed our games, rode our bikes all over the area, and spent a lot of time on and in the two mill ponds.

Moving to the new Setauket School was a pleasure for us. Everything was new and colorful and all on one floor. Each classroom had a door that opened directly to the outdoors. The students even helped by carrying books to the new library and classrooms. We were not just moving; we were helping. There were probably things we missed about the old school, but we said goodbye and embraced the new with enthusiasm.

Beverly Tyler is Three Village Historical Society historian and author of books available from the Three Village Historical Society, 93 North Country Rd., Setauket, NY 11733. Tel: 631-751-3730. http://WWW.TVHS.org

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By Samantha Rutt

Although your backyard pool or local beach may seem like the perfect oasis, they can also pose significant safety risks. Following decades of decline, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports drowning deaths are on the rise in the United States. Based on a study released on May 14, from 2020-22, over 4,500 people died from drowning each year — 500 more per year compared to 2019. 

In all of New York State, Suffolk County holds the third highest rate of drownings at county regulated facilities, sitting only behind New York City and Nassau County, according to data from the New York State Department of Health.

“There was a rescue almost everyday,” former facility manager at the Centereach Pool, Shannon Ryan said. “It is important that everyone knows how to swim, after all, we live on an island surrounded by water.” 

Who is most at risk?

Statistics reveal that children and teenagers are most at risk of drowning. The CDC reports that drowning is the leading cause of unintentional injury death for children ages 1-4 and the second leading cause for children ages 5-14. 

Young children are particularly vulnerable around residential pools, while older children and teenagers face risks in larger bodies of water such as the ocean or lakes.

Additionally, African American children ages 10-14 are 7.6 times more likely to drown in swimming pools compared to their White peers. 

“You may be surprised as to how many people do not know how to swim,” Ryan shared in an interview. “Either not knowing how to swim or oftentimes a parent not paying close attention to their children I’d say is the most common reason we make rescues,” the facility manager said of her experience.

Almost 40 million adults in the United States do not know how to swim and over half have never taken a swimming lesson, according to CDC compiled data. 

What to do in an emergent situation

Though not daily, emergent situations at the pool are frequent. If you or someone near you witnesses a swimmer in distress, it is important to notify a lifeguard immediately. 

“In an emergency situation it is first that the lifeguard or facility staff activates EAP [emergency action protocol] which involves making necessary whistle codes and assessing the victim for any further medical attention,” Ryan said. “Usually, thankfully, additional care like CPR or rescue breathing is avoided thanks to the in-depth training our guards practice.” 

Advice from a lifeguard

Ryan, who has also spent a handful of summers as a senior lifeguard at Cedar West Beach in Mount Sinai, shared some helpful tips for those looking to the waters this season. 

“It is important to know how to swim and if you don’t, to take the right precautions by wearing a floatation device or having parental supervision or assistance,” Ryan said.

She emphasized the need to stay hydrated, sunblocked and knowing where help can be found, if needed.

“Especially in the dense heat of the summer, is it important to stay hydrated. We have seen people who are in the sun all day without proper fuel or shade and these are the situations to look out for,” Ryan said. “Wearing sunblock for UV protection and knowing where first aid and all the guard towers can be found are great ways to help protect yourself when you are by the water.”

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File photo

By Mallie Jane Kim

Three Village Central School District is on track to restructure its schools as planned in fall 2025, according to superintendent of schools Kevin Scanlon.

The district has been planning to move sixth grade up into the junior high schools to form middle schools and move ninth grade up to form a four-year high school.

Staff teams responsible for planning the changes have been working to prepare what will be needed as far as staffing, facilities, grading and curriculum to accommodate the changes and support kids’ mental health needs during the transition, Scanlon shared at a June 12 Board of Education meeting.

“We’re not done yet,” he said. “Next year is still going to be busy, but I think we’re way ahead of our schedule and on target to move forward.”

The district has already taken into account planning moving-up ceremonies and related activities for both fifth and sixth grades at the elementary schools, as well as eighth and ninth grades at the junior high schools, for the 2024-25 school year since all four grades will be changing schools at once.

One thing still under consideration is the possibility of repurposing one of the five elementary schools in tandem with the change, to address ongoing financial concerns, especially as the schools will no longer house sixth grade. Though the possibility has come up multiple times, the board has not made any substantive moves toward such a decision.

The district also must decide whether to change the names of any of the schools — for example, changing the junior high schools to middle schools.

Some parents and at least one staff member have tried to convince the district to hit pause on the restructuring plan, expressing worry that a change could risk losing what is good about the district. 

“Three Village school district has distinguished itself by providing top-notch opportunities for our students across diverse areas, while also fostering nurturing environments during pivotal transitional years,” wrote Gelinas Junior High guidance counselor Anthony Dattero in a March perspective piece in The Village Times Herald. “Our district has maintained its uniqueness for over 40 years, resisting the trend toward common middle school models adopted by other districts.”

District administrators have argued the new structure will bring Three Village into line with the way New York State standards are written and will provide sixth and ninth graders the benefits of the curriculum available in the upper schools.

“We are ready to move forward,” Scanlon said. “This is happening.”

Scanlon indicated the teams will continue to work over the summer and into the fall to make ready the transition. 

Start time complications

Secondary school start times after the restructuring are still up in the air, as there is no solution yet for making start times later, something parent advocates have been pushing for over several years, citing mental health and academic costs of having adolescents start school at such early hours. 

Ward Melville High School currently starts at 7:05 a.m. and the junior high schools start at 7:40.

“We have to do our very best to make sure we’re not moving grade nine up to an earlier start time, if we possibly can avoid it,” said trustee David McKinnon, referring to the fact that restructuring will bring ninth and sixth grade up to schools that start earlier than the schools that currently house them.

At issue is the tiered bussing system, which allows the district to get by on fewer buses than they would need if all the schools started at the same time. 

Each additional full-sized school bus added to the fleet would cost about $105,000, according to estimates by a transportation consultant, called in to help the district figure out the most efficient way to make a change with the lowest price tag. 

The consultant shared the results of his assessment at the meeting, but the board did not see an immediately clear solution. Some of the proposed scenarios had elementary schools starting as early as 7:20 a.m. or as late as 10:00 a.m., which would mean dismissal wouldn’t begin until 4:15 p.m.

“Any elementary school that ends later than it is now, is a problem,” said Karen Roughley, who is a longtime advocate of later secondary start times. She added that the early start times would also be a problem. 

“The whole point of us moving our high school kids is that we don’t want them there so early and waiting for the school bus when it’s dark,” she said. “I’m not going to have my elementary kindergarteners standing in the dark waiting to get on a bus.” 

Some of the proposed scenarios would require adding six new buses to the fleet.

Board members indicated they would continue to work with the consultant to fine-tune his results into realistic proposals they can lay out for the community, possibly in September to make a decision by October.

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Future students may see Regents exams decoupled from their diploma

By Mallie Jane Kim

In the heat of finals season anxiety on June 10, New York State Education Department shared a vision for future updates as to how students earn a high school diploma, including decoupling Regents exams from graduation requirements. 

But these changes are not happening just yet.

“A lot of people got very excited on Monday when the Regents met to discuss what their vision is going to be for the new graduation measures,” said Karen Roughley, Three Village Central School District board member, at a meeting June 12. “But right now it is still a vision.”

In addition to removing Regents as a graduation requirement, the education department’s vision sets out a “Portrait of a Graduate,” which would require New York students show proficiency in critical thinking, problem solving, literacy across content areas, cultural and social-emotional competency, effective communication and global citizenship. Under the vision, credits would be based on demonstrating proficiency rather than time spent in class and students could demonstrate proficiency through various pathways, not limited to assessments like Regents exams.

Roughley, who sat as a parent member on the Blue Ribbon Commission which initially gave the recommendations that inspired this new vision, emphasized that the state Department of Education still needs to work out details before implementing any changes.

“It looks beautiful on their presentation,” she said. “It’s something I think that we need to aspire to, but there’s a lot of questions that need to be answered.”

The Board of Regents plans to hold forums through October to gather feedback from stakeholders and will continue to fine-tune the vision into a full plan, which should be ready by November.

Regents exam scores in final grade

Those Regents exams were front of mind for some worried parents and students, who in Three Village will see their exam scores count as 10% of their final grade for the first time since a COVID-era “Do No Harm” policy allowed the scores to be left out if they would negatively impact a final mark.

Despite emails requesting a return of “Do No Harm,” the Three Village board opted to stay the course they charted in a 4-2 vote last November to end the policy, but left open the possibility of reexamining the issue in the fall.

 “A vote is a vote, and it has to matter unless the circumstances have changed,” said board president Susan Rosenzweig. “They really haven’t right now.”

 New York does not provide a recommendation on whether or how much to count Regents exams in final course grades, but rather leaves it up to each individual district. 

Three Village administrators say Regents scores shouldn’t be a major worry for students. District data presented at the meeting showed even if a student exam score is 20 percentage points less than their average grade per quarter, the overall grade would only drop by two points. For example, a student who has a 95 in the four quarters of classwork but scores 75% on the Regents, the overall grade would drop to 93.

“It wouldn’t have a significant impact,” said Brian Biscari, assistant superintendent for educational services, who previously shared the rationale for including the scores was partly out of concern students take the exams less seriously when they don’t count toward their GPA.

Though to some, even two points may be extremely valuable. 

“Oftentimes a single point can be the difference between being accepted or rejected from your dream school,” wrote an unnamed student in an email to the Three Village board. “As someone who strives for excellence in the classroom, I work diligently to ensure that my GPA is the highest it can possibly be.”

The student’s email, read aloud during the public comment section of the board meeting, added that lower scores could also disadvantage Three Village students looking to earn scholarships. 

Biscari pointed to the fact that teachers are the ultimate authority on each student’s grade and can adjust a final grade if a student underperforms on a test, relative to their demonstrated proficiency. 

“A two-point discrepancy is well within our teachers’ purview to change,” he said.

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World Trade Center worker. Photo courtesy Steven Spak

By Daniel Dunaief 

First responders who raced to the World Trade Center site on 9/11 or who helped with the massive clean up effort did so at risk to themselves.

That was as true during those days and weeks after the attack as it is now, with many of the first responders experiencing a range of diseases and conditions linked to the difficult work they did in 2001.

In a study released recently in the journal JAMA Network Open, Sean Clouston, Professor in the Program in Public Health and in the Department of Family, Population and Preventive Medicine in the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, showed that 4.6 percent of the responders in a study developed dementia. That compares with 0.5 percent for the general population of people who would develop cognitive declines in a similar age group.

Between November of 2014 and January of 2023, 228 responders without dementia and under 60 years old at the start of the study developed dementia over the next five years.

“It’s stunning to see these kinds of symptoms in such young people,” said Clouston.

Through the Stony Brook WTC Health and Wellness Program, Clouston and other researchers have documented some of the cognitive declines in this population, who likely inhaled the kinds of fine particulate matter that can enter the brain and cause damage even as the immune system fights to try to target the unwelcome contaminants.

“We assume this made it in the brain, but in such a way that it wasn’t overwhelming immediately,” said Clouston. “Once you get into a neurodegenerative space, most of these diseases take a long time to develop” with neurodegenerative processes sometimes taking decades to occur.

The exposure could have caused an immune reaction. They are not sure whether symptoms emerged because the reaction was stronger or if the symptoms developed because higher exposure triggered a stronger reaction.

“It’s like trying to fight a fire, and the truck rolls over a garden to do it,” said Clouston.

Fortunately, the brain has considerable redundancy, which makes it possible to reroute brain signals to compensate for problems. Over time, however, that ability might be damaged by that work or by the exposure.

Determining which particular chemical or chemicals causes the greatest damage is difficult, particularly because the collapse and burning of the buildings caused a heterogeneous mixture of so many industrial products to enter the air. It may not matter much, as any material in the brain could be a problem. The type of exposure may also affect the severity of the immune reaction or which parts of the brain are damaged.

Scientists suggest that some of the contaminants that have contributed to health defects may come from the various tools in offices, such as computers and air conditioners.

“As we go forward [with other studies], that will be a focus of ours, to see if we can’t isolate at least one or maybe a couple” of chemicals that could exacerbate the cognitive decline, Clouston said.

Different exposures

Clouston and his collaborators used surveys to find out exposure at the site.

Some of the first responders, for example, used face masks and wore personal protective equipment, including hazmat suits. The incidence of dementia among that group was considerably lower than it was for those who didn’t wear masks.

Five or six out of every 1,000 workers who wore PPE developed dementia, while those without protection developed cognitive decline at the much higher rate of 42 out of 1,000.

The researchers tried to address the possibility that those people who were masks lived a healthier lifestyle prior to 9/11 and may have already been less likely to develop diseases or health conditions.

“We tried to account for that,” Clouston said. In most cases, people aren’t avoiding the kinds of activities or decisions that likely contribute to dementia, such as diet and exercise, which, the general population “widely ignores already,” he said.

Additionally, while a family history of dementia or other medical conditions mattered to some degree for the reported cases, they weren’t sufficient to invalidate the statistically significant result.

To be sure, Clouston acknowledged that the study could have a screening bias, as cognitive evaluations every 18 months likely far exceeds how often most people in the same age group receive testing for their mental acuity.

This is one reason they developed a minimally exposed group that could account for that bias. In that group, dementia was close to, but still higher than the expected rates for the general population.

The number of first responders with dementia far exceeded this group.

Other health threats

Medical professionals have been studying the impacts of other events that release aerosolized particles that could be hazardous to people’s health and could damage the environment.

Burn pits, which the military used in Iraq and Afghanistan, among other locations, contributed to cancers and other diseases among members of the military serving overseas.

Natural disasters, such as the Maui fire last August that not only burned through forests but also destroyed commercial buildings, also create a hazard.

People fled the fire quickly and then returned to search for their loved ones, Clouston said, which exposed them to aerosolized dust.

It would be “good to think about studies to consider risk of dementia” from these events, he added. 

“These studies would probably take a while to complete as the risk grows with time and with age.”

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By Emma Gutmann

To address the insidious, costly scams disproportionately affecting Americans over 60, state Sen Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk) and state Assemblyman Ed Flood (R-Port Jefferson) will be collaborating to host the Senior Scam Prevention Program on Thursday, June 20, at 3:30 p.m. The event will take place at Brightview Port Jefferson Senior Living facility, 1175 Route 112, Port Jefferson Station, and though it is geared toward seniors, anyone can attend.

“My office invites caregivers or older adults to attend the Senior Scam Prevention Program to learn a variety of information on how to stay vigilant and protect themselves and their loved ones from scams,” Flood said. “Many scammers target our seniors as easily as a brief interview to gain their financial information and it’s growing easier each day with advanced technology.”

According to the FBI’s 2023 Elder Fraud Report, over 101,000 seniors reported this crime, with an average loss of $33,915 per complainant. Tech support scams, personal data breaches, confidence and romance scams, nonpayment and nondelivery scams and investment scams are the top five most common types of fraud, in that order. 

“In 2023, total losses reported to the [Internet Crime Complaint Center] by those over the age of 60 topped $3.4 billion, an almost 11% increase in reported losses from 2022,” FBI Assistant Director Michael Nordwall wrote.

The skyrocketing number of older New Yorkers who have lost thousands to remote pickpocketing prompted Palumbo’s office, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and the Suffolk County Police Department to band together and create the program.

“The program provides information on the latest scams and tips to avoid being a victim of these crimes,” a DA’s representative of the program, Chris Stazio, said. “The presentation is given by both the District Attorney’s Office and Suffolk County Police Department.”

In most cases, scammers are able to prey on a lack of understanding or awareness of current technology and common phishing tactics. For example, the FBI’s 2024 Elder Fraud Report indicates that around 12,000 victims identified cryptocurrency as “the medium or tool used to facilitate the crime.” Anyone who knows little about crypto or other elusive tech can be a much easier target. 

Additionally, innocuous business email compromise scams were responsible for $382 million in losses last year, even though phishing emails can be obvious to identify once you know what to look for. 

In an attempt to reach as many people as possible, numerous iterations of the program have been held in varied locations.

“Our office has had several events throughout the 1st Senate District including at the Rose Caracappa Senior Center, Peconic Landing and local libraries,” Stazio said. “We have had great attendance at each event but have found that events located at senior facilities have the best attendance.”

Flood added, “We decided on Brightview because my office is working with senior centers across the district to keep them informed of this valuable information.”

This event aims to provide clarity and thus fortify the elderly community against online attacks. Anyone seeking to learn more about the scamming epidemic is welcome and encouraged to join Palumbo and Flood at Brightview Senior Living in Port Jefferson this Thursday afternoon.

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Josh Wege (with baseball hat) a United States Marine, retired Lance Corporal and Brian Gentilotti, United States Airforce. Photo courtesy St. Charles Hospital

By Christopher Schulz

Three members of the USA Patriots softball team — formerly known as the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team — visited patients at the St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson Friday morning, June 14. The group initially met in the hospital’s recreational center before proceeding to meet the patients.

The softball players, Josh Wege, Jeffrey Hackett and Brian Gentilotti, shared their stories with the approximately 30 staff members and 10 patients. 

Wege said he lost both his legs fighting in Afghanistan as a Marine in 2009. The military vehicle he was riding in hit a bomb that “turned into a landmine” which “traumatically amputated [his] right leg” and mangled his left leg. He now has two prosthetics in place of his lower legs.

Despite his traumatic injury, Wege keeps pushing forward. 

“The biggest motivator I would say is to get my life back,” he said. “There are some things that you feel like are just taken away from you”. He later added that he “felt broken” inside that he did not have the same agility and speed he once had as a star athlete. 

“You don’t want to feel broken so you start chasing the life that you had,” he said. 

Hackett, on the other hand, pushes forward every day for his family. After losing his left leg, “I still wanted to stay in the Army so that pushed me to get back to a normal life,” he said. 

In addition, Hackett expressed his respect toward the patients. “They all have their own story. It’s all about making goals and taking that step further,” he said. 

One such patient, Shawn Coyle, does not need prosthetics but is in need of a wheelchair at all times. He has avascular necrosis affecting both hips. Coyle says he was diagnosed with the condition six months ago but has only been in the hospital for a couple weeks now.

He has already had surgery on one of his hips. The surgery for his other hip will happen in a few months. When asked about how he felt about the softball players coming, he jokingly responded that he wanted to play with them. 

“I like softball,” Coyle simply stated. He also found it “inspiring” to see them and would love to play again his own sports — basketball and baseball — someday. “It’s a process but you’ve got to just keep working at it,” he said. “I feel like they’re like regular people,” referring to the players. 

Both Wege and Hackett expressed their desire to come back to St. Charles Hospital or any other hospital to visit and support people who are in the same position they were once in. 

“You either stay where you’re at or you just keep inching forward every day and try to get your life back. We like to give that message to people and even talk to kids in schools because they’re curious and they have never met a wounded warrior before, [especially] at the state that we’re at,” Wege said. 

“This is stuff we like to do,” Hackett agreed. 

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Pixabay photo

By Serena Carpino

Father’s Day is always a special time of the year. Families go out for breakfast at Sweet Mama’s, rent kayaks in the Stony Brook Harbor, play a round of golf at St George’s in Setauket, or continue their own fun traditions. 

As Father’s Day approaches, TBR asked local personalities, “What does Father’s Day mean to you? How do you celebrate Father’s Day? What’s the best present you’ve given your father over the years?”

— Photos by Serena Carpino

Eric Rectanus, Stony Brook 

Father’s Day is “a way of honoring the person who took care of you. It’s the person who put a roof over your head, made sure you had food in your belly, loved you and cared for you no matter what.” Rectanus, who lost his father last year, said. “Seeing Father’s Day now compared to when I had my dad, I see really what Father’s Day means because I don’t have him anymore. It’s just that person who gives you unconditional love, no matter what you do in life.” 

Mario Solis, Stony Brook 

“For me, it’s just a time that [my family] can get together, especially with my dad. We don’t have that close of a relationship, so that’s really the only time that I get to spend time with him.” 

Solis said that he and his family celebrate Father’s Day with food. “We eat — eat and just spend time together. It’s nothing special but it means a lot to us.” Solis added that the best gift he has given his father was a tool set. 

Solis declined for his picture to be taken. 

Tatjana Trajkovic, East Setauket

 “Father’s Day is a day to celebrate your dad because a lot of us who have dads sometimes take them for granted and don’t realize that some people aren’t as fortunate as us. So, it’s a day to appreciate these special people,” Trajkovic said.

The family celebrates her father and sister as a “two-for-one special” since her sister’s birthday is the same day. “Usually, we get a cake and split it between them,” she said.

 Trajkovic will be attending college in the fall and hopes to give her father a meaningful present before she leaves. She explained, “On TikTok there’s a special Father’s Day present that’s trending where you have your dad write down all of his important memories and the best stories of his life. I want him to write all of these in a notebook so that I can carry them to college. That’ll probably be the best gift I’ll ever give him, but I suppose it’ll be a gift for me too.”

Christian McClain, Shoreham

Christian McClain, a student at Shoreham-Wading River High School, said that, to him, “Father’s Day means celebrating and appreciating the love, guidance and support my father has given me throughout my life.”

On Father’s Day, McClain always has baseball tournaments. So, to celebrate his father, he wears light-blue socks and a light-blue wristband. In addition, McClain said that the best gift he ever gave his father “was when my family surprised him with a trip to Italy over the summer.”

Karen Gilmore, Stony Brook 

For Father’s Day, Gilmore said that her “daughter gets a present and gives it to him. We usually take him out to dinner or something like that … we like to go to Ragazzi [Italian Kitchen & Bar, in Nesconset].”

This year, Gilmore’s daughter made her dad a nice picture with watercolor in a recent art class. Gilmore said, “She’s really proud that she’s going to give it to him. [It’s important because] it’s something personalized, something that she made, more than just buying something. It’s something that means something from the heart.”

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