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Katie Ledecky. Photo courtesy TYR.

By Daniel Dunaief

Hoping to help patients get out ahead in the race against potential diseases, Catholic Health is teaming up with swimming sensation Katie Ledecky, who knows how to get ahead and stay there in tough competitions.

Catholic Health added the most decorated woman’s swimmer in American history to its messaging ranks as an ambassador.

Catholic Health CEO and president Dr. Patrick O’Shaughnessy. Photo courtesy Catholic Health

“So much of our health care system is truly a sick care model,” Dr. Patrick O’Shaughnessy, President and CEO of Catholic Health Care Systems, said in an interview. “While we’ll always be here to provide the best care for people who are sick, we want to take a proactive approach to keep people healthier.”

Ledecky, who has family connections on Long Island, will help spread the word about preventive screenings, diagnostics and imaging as the hospital system seeks to help residents improve their overall health.

“The stars aligned with Katie,” said O’Shaughnessy. “We could think of no one better” to encourage people to work with their health care providers to protect and improve their health. “Her mission and her passion around health and wellness [was] a perfect fit.”

The hospital system, which includes Port Jefferson-based St. Charles Hospital and Smithtown-based St. Catherine of Siena among over 80 other facilities, is sharing digital messages featuring Ledecky, who will also be on site in the coming months for additional programming.

“I’m a big believer in going all in on this campaign,” said O’Shaughnessy. “We’re looking forward to the positive impact we’ll have together.”

The human touch

About a decade ago, when health care providers started working with electronic health records, the system “lost that human touch,” O’Shaughnessy said. “We are incredibly focused at Catholic Health on providing the human touch in connecting with our patients.”

He believes building long standing high-trust relationships sets the Catholic Health system apart.

Catholic Health provides provider profiles online and shares the patient feedback for its physicians.

Each provider receives training that not only helps as a clinician and diagnostician, but also enables connections between a doctor and patients, showing them that their doctors care and understanding patient needs.

“Every provider must undergo this training so they are able to better interact with our patients,” said O’Shaughnessy.

Emergency medicine perspective

With training in emergency medicine, O’Shaughessy has seen far too often how diseases have slipped into chronic phases. By working with a team of health care providers earlier, patients can get ahead of diseases and improve the quality of their life.

Catholic Health has been focusing extensively on this model ever since O’Shaughnessy became CEO five years ago.

“It’s gaining traction and momentum here,” said O’Shaughnessy. “More and more patients want this approach. They don’t want the best care only when they’re sick. That’s foundational. They want guidance, advice, diagnostics and interventions to keep them healthy.”

Catholic Health is focused on integrative care for medicine, combining diet, nutrition, sleep hygiene and strong social contact.

The system “pairs that with the best evidence-based techniques of diagnostic blood tests and imaging techniques to create an individualized genetic and overall medical care plan profile for each patient,” O’Shaughnessy said.

Food is “medicine,” he continued. “What you put in your body is so important.”

An ideal fit

When Catholic Health was searching for an ambassador who could amplify their message, forging a connection with a wide range of the population, including young women, administrators were thrilled to collaborate with Ledecky.

An aquatic legend, Ledecky’s name has become synonymous with success in the pool since she earned her first Olympic medal at the London Games in 2012. She now has seven Olympic gold medals and three silvers and has set four world records along the way. 

In conversations with Ledecky, O’Shaughnessy described how “we talked a lot about health, wellness, prevention and also about how do we get our kids healthier, how do we keep our kids healthy and engage in a wide mix of things to help them prevent the onset of disease” physically and mentally.

Ledecky can share her story of success, as well as the challenging path that turned her into a global athletic icon.

“Everyone has their own challenges that they have overcome to be successful,” said O’Shaughnessy. “Katie’s story is one that exemplifies that better than anybody.”

Ledecky can also share positive messages for young girls and women who are confronting the pressures of body image.

As for mental health, which has caused problems that affects people’s cognitive functioning as well as their physical well-being, Catholic Health and Ledecky will focus on overall health.

“You have to be healthy in body and mind,” said O’Shaughnessy. “They interrelate. They are not separate islands.”

Catholic Health has a behavioral health service line, which can provide outpatient support and help younger residents manage through emotional strains.

O’Shaughnessy would like people to “take control of their health in the right way” which can help ensure positive outcomes and extend their lives.

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METRO photo

By Peter Sloniewsky

Republican primaries for Smithtown’s supervisor election in November took place last week alongside Port Jefferson trustee elections the week prior. Because campaigning can be intense, especially mentally, both candidates in the Republican race for supervisor candidate — incumbent Ed Wehrheim (R) and challenger Rob Trotta (R, Fort Salonga) — and a newly elected Village of Port Jefferson trustee, Matt Franco, spoke to TBR News Media about the challenges of running for political office. 

Campaigning is a multifaceted endeavor, and Wehrheim elaborated on both the complexity of the process and the dramatic time commitment that it can present. 

“You’ll have your campaign headquarters set up, and you need to make frequent visits there,” Wehrheim said. “I carved out time … to go in and meet constituents at headquarters. We also carved out time to meet with specific groups that we targeted, and we also carved out time to go door-to-door and speak to the residents … It’s not an easy task to do.” 

Wehrheim, who is currently serving as supervisor, made it clear that balancing his incumbent role with campaigning has been straining. 

“You have to balance your time,” Wehrheim said. “If you’re the incumbent, you have a job to do … it will exhaust you.” 

Trotta also emphasized the intensity of his campaign schedule. 

“Campaigning and knocking on doors are sort of a dual purpose. I’m finding out what the people’s issues are, and I’m introducing myself,” Trotta said. “I can’t tell you how many people’s doors I’ve knocked on and helped with their problems.” 

Franco made the sacrifice required to campaign clear. 

“Campaigning is a major commitment, and it’s not something you do alone,” Franco said. “Running for office is not just a personal decision, it’s a family sacrifice … Their support wasn’t just helpful, it was essential. I’m grateful beyond words.” 

All three candidates described negative comments, hate and indecency around politics as a major source of the stress associated with campaigning. 

“It’s disheartening when you see your signs graffitied, stolen or even your house being stalked,” Trotta said. “Having been a cop, I’m prepared for these things, but I’m more concerned with my family than anything else.”  On June 23, the day before election day for the Republican primaries, Suffolk County Police arrested a man for stalking Trotta outside his home from the dates June 16 to June 18. 

Trotta also attributed some difficulties to the personalization of politics. 

“When you don’t have the facts, you attack the person,” Trotta said. “That’s what this campaign was about.”

Wehrheim described a similar degree of negativity surrounding the primary, and was also concerned about personalization. 

“If I had one thing to change, it would be that I wish politics weren’t so negative,” Wehrheim said. “If someone’s going to run for office, I wish that they would run on the merits — that they would campaign and run on what their plans are, how they’re going to support their constituency, things they would want to change.” 

Despite all of the stress inherent to campaigning, Franco was still clearly grateful for the opportunity to run and serve his community. 

“In the end, I genuinely enjoyed campaigning. It brought out the best in my team and reminded me why I ran in the first place,” Franco said. “Ignore the online toxicity … surround yourself with people who love you … stay focused on why you’re running … you can endure the noise and stay grounded in your purpose.”

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Students arrive at the 2025 Port Jefferson prom. Photo from PJSD
Earl L. Vandermeulen High School’s prom and Port Jefferson community members looking on as students arrive to prom. Photos courtesy of Port Jefferson Union Free School District
Earl L. Vandermeulen High School’s prom and Port Jefferson community members looking on as students arrive to prom. Photos courtesy of Port Jefferson Union Free School District
A scene from the 2025 Port Jefferson prom. Photo form PJSD
A scene from the 2025 Port Jefferson prom. Photo form PJSD
A scene from the 2025 Port Jefferson prom. Photo form PJSD
A scene from the 2025 Port Jefferson prom. Photo form PJSD
A scene from the 2025 Port Jefferson prom. Photo form PJSD

On June 30, Earl L. Vandermeulen High School, in the Port Jefferson Union Free School District, hosted a prom unlike any other on Long Island. A yearly tradition since the 1950s, the prom brings together the Port Jefferson community to create a magical night and celebrate the Class of 2025’s accomplishments.

Port Jefferson’s prom is a true community-wide affair, with close to 100 residents taking the weekend to build the event’s setting—completely transforming the school and its gymnasium. The prom is the latest on Long Island, taking place after graduation so that the town’s prom-builders have the opportunity to build out the year’s theme in complete secrecy. The community spirit throughout the prom’s process is so strong that most of the Port Jefferson residents who help no longer have children attending school in the District.

The theme, kept secret from the students, was inspired by the novel The Great Gatsby. The school’s gymnasium was decorated with Roaring Twenties-themed decorations and activities, taking students completely by surprise as they arrived. When the Class of 2025 pulled up to the school, they did so in luxury cars, limousines and even a firetruck—greeted by a crowd of cheering community members serving as paparazzi.

“This long standing tradition is something that the community looks forward to every year,” said John Ruggero, Earl L. Vandermeulen High School Principal. “I am so thankful to everyone who aided in making this event possible for the Class of 2025. I am proud to be a part of a community that values showing up for one another and for the next generation.”

For more information regarding the Port Jefferson School District and its students’ many achievements, please visit the District’s website at https://www.portjeffschools.org and follow its Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/PortJeffSchools.  

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A scene from the inaugural Off the Rails Heavy Metal Music Festival. Photo by Bill Landon
A scene from the inaugural Off the Rails Heavy Metal Music Festival. Photo by Bill Landon
A scene from the inaugural Off the Rails Heavy Metal Music Festival. Photo by Bill Landon
A scene from the inaugural Off the Rails Heavy Metal Music Festival. Photo by Bill Landon
A scene from the inaugural Off the Rails Heavy Metal Music Festival. Photo by Bill Landon
A scene from the inaugural Off the Rails Heavy Metal Music Festival. Photo by Bill Landon
A scene from the inaugural Off the Rails Heavy Metal Music Festival. Photo by Bill Landon
A scene from the inaugural Off the Rails Heavy Metal Music Festival. Photo by Bill Landon
A scene from the inaugural Off the Rails Heavy Metal Music Festival. Photo by Bill Landon
A scene from the inaugural Off the Rails Heavy Metal Music Festival. Photo by Bill Landon
A scene from the inaugural Off the Rails Heavy Metal Music Festival. Photo by Bill Landon
A scene from the inaugural Off the Rails Heavy Metal Music Festival. Photo by Bill Landon
A scene from the inaugural Off the Rails Heavy Metal Music Festival. Photo by Bill Landon
A scene from the inaugural Off the Rails Heavy Metal Music Festival. Photo by Bill Landon
A scene from the inaugural Off the Rails Heavy Metal Music Festival. Photo by Bill Landon
COPYRIGHT BILL LANDON
A scene from the inaugural Off the Rails Heavy Metal Music Festival. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

The inaugural Off the Rails Heavy Metal Music Festival, which showcased local metal musicians at the Train Car Park in Port Jefferson Station, was met with brilliant sunshine and rising temperatures on Saturday afternoon. 

The lineup featured 11 local Long Island heavy metal rock bands like Zuppo, Dracolich, Freek Party, Greenhaven, Rosetta Stoned, Gillard, Out to Lunch, Married Knot, Ramaner, Meatbees and Vicious Summer. Several musicians performed in more than one band, putting on a rousing all afternoon performance, much to the delight of the enthusiastic crowd.

— Photos by Bill Landon

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Mather Hospital's new Emergency Department. Photo courtesy of Mather Hospital

Mather Hospital in Port Jefferson has unveiled one of the most ambitious building projects in its history — a state-of-the-art $78 million Frey Family Emergency Department (ED) designed to meet the evolving healthcare needs of the community. The hospital will celebrate the opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony on July 9. The ED is expected to open to the public this summer.

At 29,000 square feet, the new facility is more than twice the size of the current ED, which was built over 30 years ago. With the region’s aging population and increasing prevalence of chronic and complex conditions, the new ED is built to serve patients at every stage of life — with a particular focus on older adults. Mather is a designated Age-Friendly Hospital and holds a Gold Level 1 Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation from the American College of Emergency Physicians.

“This project represents a major investment in the health and safety of our community,” said Kevin McGeachy, president, Mather Hospital. “We’re designing this space to provide faster, more efficient care in a setting that prioritizes patient comfort, privacy, and safety.”

Key features of the new Emergency Department include:

Efficient and Patient-Centered Design: Each private patient room in the main ED will feature walls with sliding doors, enhancing privacy and comfort. A new “Super Track” area will serve patients with less critical needs, using a mix of private rooms and a results waiting area with recliners for streamlined care.

Split-Flow Model: The department’s layout supports a split-flow model, proven to accelerate care by routing lower-acuity patients to more efficient treatment areas and expediting admissions for patients with more serious conditions. This approach reduces wait times, shortens ED stays, and lowers the number of patients who leave without treatment.

Advanced Imaging Onsite: With dedicated CT, X-ray, and ultrasound equipment embedded within the ED, clinicians can complete imaging studies faster, leading to more timely diagnoses and improved care outcomes.

Infection Prevention: The new ED includes infrastructure that allows for rapid conversion of a significant section into negative pressure rooms—helping to prevent the spread of airborne infections during future public health crises.

Enhanced Geriatric Care: Patient exam rooms will be larger to accommodate caregivers, recognizing that many older adults rely on loved ones for support. Every aspect of the design reflects Mather’s commitment to age-friendly emergency care.

Dedicated Behavioral Health Space: The new ED will include six specialized rooms for adolescents and adults experiencing mental health crises, ensuring access to compassionate, discreet care in a safe environment.

The new ED is part of a group of capital expansion projects at Mather that the JTM Foundation has to date raised more than $21 million to support. Among the first major contributions was a generous gift from Robert and Kathryn Frey and their family, demonstrating the strong community commitment to enhancing local healthcare.

For more information about the Emergency Department project or how to support Mather Hospital, please visit https://www.matherhospital.org/.

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Fireworks in Port Jefferson for Independence Day in a previous year. Photo by David Ackerman

The two-party system is embedded into every political conversation. When a politician, local or federal, is the subject of a news article, their name is followed by a “D” or “R”. To many, the difference means much more than it should.

The emotions tied to those two letters may be negative or positive, ranging from dislike to amenable trust, and stem from sincere concern for our community and country.

The distrust one may feel for the opposite party can border on dislike and, encouraged by the acrimony of their counterpart, can lead to fiery animosity. Fueled by the anonymous, fearful rhetoric of digital echo chambers and by the open hostility of today’s leaders for whom compromise has become synonymous with weakness, parties can become identities. An attack on an identity becomes personal. The understanding that each party desires a better America, that the whole reason for the parties is to ensure that the government works for the benefit of the people, is lost in the combative, competitive trading of attacks, verbal and political.

The Fourth of July is a holiday for Americans–not just for Republicans or Democrats. We can all celebrate the entirety of America and its history, not just with and for those who agree with us or who are members of the same party. 

It honors the history we all share as citizens; the birth of this nation and the structure of our democracy allows us all to have a say in its future. This Independence Day, we should reflect, not only on our nation’s history, but on how that history informed the issues that characterize present day politics. Our constitutional rights, what it means to be an American, what it means to live in a democracy: these are all questions that previous generations of passionate people have grappled with over the last 249 years. How do we interpret them today? How do we balance defending our country with the unity of cultures inherent to our country’s founding, sealed in the words, “we the people”?

On Thursday night, red, white and blue fireworks will explode in the sky, our nation’s flag will be splayed across hats, bathing suits and shirts. Firecracker popsicles will be in our freezers as we fire up our barbecues. Most Americans will be celebrating, and no one, not Democrat or Republican, can begrudge the other the right to do so. On this day, let’s remember that this country belongs to all of us and together it’s much stronger when we work together. Let’s not become so accustomed to divisiveness that we ignore the voices and hopes of our fellow Americans. Let’s remember why we celebrate and, hopefully, allow that history to infuse our beliefs with some empathy, as the day marking U.S. Independence reminds us how much we can accomplish when we work together. 

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Retiring Trustee Stan Loucks accepts a gift of thanks from village officials at June 25 PJ trustees meeting. Photo by Lynn Hallarman

By Lynn Hallarman

The Port Jefferson Board of Trustees passed several environmentally focused resolutions at its June 25 meeting, ranging from a ban on single-use plastics at the Village Center to a letter urging the governor to support the modernization of MTA rail infrastructure.

E-bike concerns

The meeting began with a report from Suffolk County Police Officer Casey Berry of the 6th Precinct, who addressed ongoing frustrations surrounding e-bike safety and the limited enforcement tools currently available. Berry cited an increase in unsafe riding by minors and pointed to a tangle of state laws that restrict what local police can do. 

“Our hands are tied in so many ways. We’re trying to ask ourselves, what can we do?” she said. 

This reporter spoke with several locals who are concerned about minors racing around the village without helmets, traveling the wrong way on one-way streets or failing to yield to pedestrians. New York State law requires minors to wear a helmet while riding. 

“I shared our concerns with Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay (D) to help us regarding state legislation regulating e-bikes,” said Trustee Kyle Hill, liaison to the safety committee.  

Low flying helicopters

Resident Barbara Sabatino voiced concerns about helicopters flying low during takeoff and landing at the Northwell Health’s Skyhealth Heliport at Mather Hospital. 

Sabatino described several incidences when the helicopters flew low over trees. The noise was so loud, in one instance, she had to pause a conversation with a neighbor.

“I would like to remind Mather that their helicopter service sits right in the middle of a residential area,” Sabatino said. 

Local aviation expert Robert Grotell explained in a phone interview that weather is often the reason for deviations from standard flight procedures.

“It’s not just rain— it could be wind, fog or low cloud cover,” he said.  

“We will be in touch with Mather Hospital’s Community Relations Office to convey your observations,” Mayor Lauren Sheprow said. 

Single-use plastics 

EcoLeague members Jennifer Vest and Holly Fils-Amie stand next to BYOC sticker displayed at the Secret Garden Tea Room & Gift Shoppe in PJ Village, Nov 2023. Photo by Lynn Hallarman

The trustees approved a resolution banning single-use plastic cutlery at rented events held at the Port Jefferson Village Center. The decision received cheers from environmental advocates, Myrna Gordon and Holly Fils-Amie, who led a two-year campaign for sustainable practices at municipal venues. 

‘Holly, I appreciate the kind of research that you did to make the business case. Thank you,” said Trustee Xena Urgrinsky, liaison to the village finance committee.  

Fils-Amie also highlighted the Port Jefferson EcoLeague’s BYOC (Bring Your Own Container) initiative, which promotes reusable containers at local eateries.  BYOC stickers identify establishments that have agreed to fill patron’s own container rather than use single-use plastics.  According to Fills Amie, village participating businesses— Southdown Coffee, Locals Café, Tiger Lilly Café, and the Secret Garden Tea Room & Gift shoppe display stickers in their windows.

“I think it’s a very good starting point for moving toward other green initiatives and marketing ourselves as a green community,” Fils-Amie said. 

Walkability efforts 

Janice Fleischman Eaton announced that Cynthia Brown, the Director of New York Coalition for Transportation Safety, will speak at the July 14 Port Jeff Civic Association meeting.

Walkability is increasingly a key factor in evaluating livability in U.S. communities. While Port Jefferson does not have an official walkability score, USA Today recently ranked New York City tenth nationwide, with Philadelphia taking the top spot.

“When you are using the crosswalks, make eye contact with the drivers, or wave to the drivers. If they don’t look like they see you, don’t cross,” Gordon advised.

LIRR electrification support

Trustees passed a resolution to send a letter from the board urging Governor Kathy Hochul to sign New York State Assembly Bill A08560A, also known as the “Furthering Rail Transit in Suffolk Count Act.”  

The bill, sponsored by Assemblywoman and former village trustee Rebecca Kassay, asks the state Department of Transportation to finalize a permanent access and construction easement for a 40-acre parcel at the Lawrence Aviation Industries Superfund site. The parcel would house a new rail yard essential for electrifying the Port Jefferson LIRR Branch. Trains would be shifted off of diesel fuel, eliminating unhealthy locomotive fumes.

The legislation mandates that the land deal be completed before a firm deadline of June 30, 2025 at a nominal cost of $10 to the MTA.  

“This legislation is important because it’s the linchpin to the MTA actually committing to electrifying the Port Jeff Rail,” trustee Hill said. “You can see the exhaust coming out of the current diesel trains.” 

The bill grants a permanent access and construction easement on property currently used for the Greenway Bicycle and Pedestrian Trail.

 “A small section of the Greenway trail will be rerouted just to the south. I wouldn’t support this legislation if it threatened our Greenway trail,” Kassay told TBR News Media.

The Board of Trustees will hold an organizational meeting July 9 at 5 p.m. on the second floor of Village Hall. 

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Mather Hospital's Great Robotic Challenge 2025. Photo from Mather Hospital
Mather Hospital's Great Robotic Challenge 2025. Photo from Mather Hospital
Mather Hospital's Great Robotic Challenge 2025. Photo from Mather Hospital
Mather Hospital's Great Robotic Challenge 2025. Photo from Mather Hospital
Mather Hospital's Great Robotic Challenge 2025. Photo from Mather Hospital
Mather Hospital's Great Robotic Challenge 2025. Photo from Mather Hospital
Mather Hospital's Great Robotic Challenge 2025. Photo from Mather Hospital

Students from four local robotics teams recently got a surgeon’s view as they tested their skill at operating a next generation da Vinci®  surgical robot in Mather Hospital’s Great Robotic Challenge. The event was part of the hospital’s marking its milestone 10,000th robotic surgery.

Teams from Longwood, Smithtown, Miller Place and a combined Port Jefferson-Mount Sinai team took turns sitting at the robot’s control panel as a surgeon would, viewing a high definition, 3D image of a “surgical” area. The task was to maneuver the robot’s arms to pick up rubber rings and place them on a series of cones. Longwood had the best overall score in the challenge.

Prior to the competition, Arif Ahmad, MD, Director of Mather Hospital’s Robotic Surgery Center of Excellence, gave a presentation on robotic surgery and its current and future uses, including telepresence. Telepresence with Intuitive Hub allows live sharing of a procedure, using two-way audio and video, enabling surgeons who are in another geographic location to observe and mentor colleagues during robotic-assisted surgeries in real time.

Mather Hospital is in the top 10% of hospitals on Long Island performing robotic surgery, using five da Vinci® surgical robots. The hospital, which was the first Robotic Surgery Center of Excellence in New York State and an Epicenter in Robotic Bariatric Surgery, has performed over 10,000 robotic surgeries since 2011, consistently investing in advanced technology and highly skilled surgeons.  

The most common robotic surgeries at Mather are bariatric and general surgery, followed by gynecology, thoracic, and urology. Approximately 99% of our bariatric cases are performed robotically. The average length of stay for patients undergoing robotic surgery is two days. 

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Photo by Raymond Janis

Rallies should be covered

The assertions in Mr.  Ceo’s letter to the editor in last week’s edition (Times Beacon Record, 6/26) was wrong for several reasons. First, the No Kings rally which I attended along with hundreds of others was in our area and deserved newspaper coverage. If the rally were espousing another political point of view with which I may disagree, it would also deserve coverage. A newspaper cannot be expected to report only news with which readers may agree. As for the claim that the participants in the rally were “misguided,” what could be more American than rallying for democracy over a monarchy. Our founders staked their lives on it. 

Second, he is wrong about masks and other efforts to control COVID. At that time COVID was a mortal danger.— Many people died. An unmasked person with COVID was a serious threat to me. That makes it not a matter of personal choice but a matter of public health. A person’s choice not to wear a mask was a threat to all around him or her. Because it was a matter of public health, it was not, and should not have been, a matter of personal choice. Your liberty ends when your actions threaten me. That is why we have laws against drunk driving and smoking in public places. The same is true of the need to have children vaccinated before they enter school. Unvaccinated children may infect others with serious diseases. 

Adam D. Fisher 

Port Jefferson Station

TBR needs to cover rallies

I take exception to the premise of the letter writer in last week’s Times Beacon Record who complained about your coverage of the No Kings rallies (“Local community paper should cover community events,” June 26). When thousands of Long Islanders show up on a cold and rainy Saturday to protest the actions of the current White House administration, that’s newsworthy. The protests were national in scope, with seven in Suffolk County, including Port Jefferson Station. How much more local can you get? All Long Island media outlets, both print and broadcast, covered the rallies. The TBR would have been remiss in not doing so.

The letter writer labels the No Kings rallies as “ineffectual protest that accomplished nothing.” That’s his opinion. Those who braved the inclement weather on June 14 to voice their disagreement with the current President and his administration would no doubt disagree.

The letter writer compiled a laundry list of the deprivations we all experienced during the COVID shutdown: closed schools, businesses, houses of worship and so on, citing this as evidence of “real dictatorship.” First of all, much of this occurred during the final year of the first Trump administration. Let’s recall that our nation was facing an unpredictable and fear-inspiring pandemic. Measures were taken that now may appear  unnecessary in hindsight, but represented a good faith government response to COVID at that time. Some actions were right, others wrong. Perhaps many of us, including the letter writer, survived the pandemic because of the correct government actions.

 Martin Skrocki

 Wading River

Local papers need to cover local rallies

To the Editor:

I beg to differ with Rick Ceo, who writes in a June 26 letter that TBR newspapers shouldn’t have covered the “No Kings” protest in Port Jefferson Station.  It is precisely the function of local newspapers to hold the government accountable by reporting on controversial topics and events within our local communities.  Unfortunately, over the past few decades hundreds of local papers have either been shuttered or reduced to little more than boosterish rote reports on parades, street fairs, ribbon cuttings, or excerpts from press releases put out by local officials.  The resulting blackout of incisive reporting is not healthy for a constitutional democracy. 

I wonder if, during a Democratic administration, coverage of a local protest by right-leaning demonstrators against its behavior or policies by TBR newspapers would so “irritate” and “rankle” Mr. CEO.  He states that TBR should not have reported on the local “No Kings” demonstration because it was a “totally ineffectual protest that accomplished nothing.”   Maybe he should re-read the First Amendment, with its clause guaranteeing “the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Mr. Ceo inaccurately claims that the parade celebrating the US Army’s founding was planned during the Biden administration.  Actually it was Trump who proposed it, in his first administration.  I’m old enough to remember the 200thanniversary of the Army’s founding (1975).  There was no large-scale military parade in our nation’s capital.  There has never been a large-scale military parade of this type, costing some $45 million and unconnected to the end of a war, held in Washington, D.C.  Such parades, with their reviewing stand and massive display of tanks, missiles and other military hardware are typically held in Moscow, Beijing, Pyongyang, or Tehran, not in Washington, D.C.  That is why one protester stated, “we don’t do dictator parades.”

As for Mr Ceo’s gripes about supposedly “dictatorial” measures put in place to combat COVID-19, perhaps he thinks he might have done a better job protecting the American public from a pandemic that ended up killing over a million Americans.  Good government means balancing individual rights against the well-being of the community at large.  All of the measures he mentions: masks, social distancing, vaccination, preventing large-scale gatherings particularly indoors, proved essential to slowing the spread of that highly contagious disease in a population with no immunity.  The biggest problem was the politicization of those measures.  For all his exaggerated boastfulness, Trump never brags about the best thing he ever did, namely Operation Warp Speed, which fast -tracked the development of a vaccine, saving countless lives.  Why? Because it doesn’t fit in with his political agenda, which is based on falsehoods, conspiracy theories and magical thinking about health and individual rights.

David Friedman 

St. James

No Kings protest is an important local story

In a recent letter (“Local community paper should cover community events,” June 25), Rick CEO criticized this newspaper for covering “left-leaning causes” like the No Kings protest, arguing that it should instead focus on what he considers more deserving topics, such as the Port Jefferson mayoral race.

In fact, the Port Times Record provided excellent coverage of the recent mayoral election, which is how I know that just 1,724 people voted. By contrast, the No Kings protest drew roughly twice that number of participants in Port Jefferson alone. Across Long Island, more than 35,000 people took part in a dozen related demonstrations, joining 4 to 6 million Americans at over 2,000 locations nationwide. Going by numbers alone, the protests were arguably more newsworthy than the election, not less so. Fortunately, this paper had the capacity and judgment to cover both stories well.

Mr. Ceo is, of course, entitled to his opinions. He is free to argue (however unconvincingly) that public health measures like mask mandates and quarantines amounted to tyranny, while anonymous federal agents abducting people for indefinite detention in foreign gulags without due process does not. What he is not entitled to do is urge a community newspaper to suppress coverage of a major local contribution to a national civic movement. That suggestion reflects an illegitimate, anti-democratic impulse—-precisely the kind that makes peaceful, patriotic protests, like those held on June 14, so important.

John Hover

East Setauket

To the Editor

The North Country Peace Group has been an integral part of our Three Village and Suffolk County community for 23 years. We are a grassroots group of local community members who came together in 2002 to protest the Iraq War and continue to stand for peace and justice. We do advocacy work promoting policies supporting peace. Throughout the years we have worked on the following issues: Say No to War, lessen the threat of nuclear proliferation worldwide, fight for the rights of our immigrant families and neighbors, bring the war dollars home to our communities, defend our democracy from authoritarian threats to our Constitution, support Black Lives Matter and join with local environmental groups seeking justice. 

We work together promoting nonviolent activism advocating for peaceful resolutions for a just society. At a pivotal time, with uncertain challenges, together we can serve the common good, working to preserve our democracy with equality and justice for all. We strive for a more just and equitable world and community by promoting peaceful solutions to conflicts.

 Join us every Saturday on Route 25A and Bennetts Road in Setauket from 11:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. on the south side of 25A near the CVS store. Everyone is welcome. 

Bruce K. Barry

NCPG Member 

East Setauke

WRITE TO US … AND KEEP IT LOCAL  

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By Daniel Dunaief

Daniel Dunaief

Two-year olds, or, as in the case of our children, three-year olds do it readily.

You ask them for something, like a hand to cross the street, their patience while you finish your breakfast, or a moment of quiet so you can conclude a phone call and the loudest and most insistent word in their vocabulary erupts through their mouths: “Nooooooo!”

It’s one of the defining elements of the Terrible Twos, when the power, the independence, and the assertion of no becomes leverage, a game, and, perhaps, a way to seize a moment or more of control when their parents are making just about every decision for them.

Somewhere along the line, we become socialized and the idea of saying “no” to everything, or even to many things, becomes problematic and potentially ostracizing.

Peer pressure makes the declaration that you have to study instead of going to the beach with all your friends less understandable and acceptable.

Saying “no” can lead to all kinds of questions.

“You seriously think what you’re studying is so important?”

“You think what you’ll learn is going to help you get into a better school?”

“Wouldn’t it be more fun to hang out with us and throw a frisbee on the beach?”

So, the “no” response gets shelved, especially in social circles.

It’s ironic and unfair to parents, of course, that the times we want our children to say “yes,” they are comfortable telling us “no,” but when we want them to say “no,” they suddenly become much more pliable.

Anyway, back to the concept of no. So, many years ago, my wife and I were scanning the movie listings, back in the days when our dates involved going to a film, eating popcorn and then discussing the character, the plot, the theater and the entire outing for hours afterwards.

We decided on one of the many Batman films, and after some back and forth, found a theater with a viewing time that worked for us. I remember sitting through the movie, shaking my head at the plot, shrugging at the action, and wondering when the film would end.

After some discussion, we realized that neither of us wanted to see the movie and we were both going because we thought the other one was interested.

Nowadays, when we’re making decisions, we can cut straight to the chase.

“Wait,” one of us will say, “is this Batman?”

It’s a quick and easy opportunity to share our genuine interest in an optional activity.

We have become so refined at our willingness to share what we think at the risk of disappointing the other person that we give a percentage of Batman. A 50 percent is a shrugging indifference, while a 90 percent is a strong preference to find an alternative.

I’ve heard people these days use the words “or no” at the end of questions when they’re trying to make a decision.

“Do you want to go to a diner after we’re done with this work?” one of them will ask.

When the decision takes too long, someone will say, “so, are we going to the diner or no?”

The “or no” part seems superfluous. The question has two answers: yes or no. Yes, I know, like our Batman discussion, someone could say, kind of or maybe, or 63.49 percent yes, but, generally speaking, yes and no are the likely replies.

Maybe the “or no” phrase is a way of making it socially acceptable to say a word we overused and now, perhaps, underuse: no. By adding “or no,” the questioner encourages a companion to share a genuine opinion about getting a grilled cheese with fries at the diner.

The “or no” option increases the sincerity in the search for an honest answer.

Rarely, of course, does someone say, “do I look good in this, or no?” or “does my new haircut suit me, or no?” Perhaps the context for the use of the or no phrase reflects how confident the speaker is in receiving a negative response.

Hearing the phrase “or no” means the listener hears the word before saying it, making it easier to restart the planning process.

That two-letter word can help people avoid activities that neither of them really want to do in the first place.

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