When we feel achy, nauseous and dizzy, we know something is wrong. We might visit the doctor, take cold medicine or cancel plans in order to get some rest.We quickly equate the corporeal symptoms with a physical ailment and treat the illness appropriately. A cut requires a bandage, a broken bone needs a cast.
When we are mentally struggling, the problem is more difficult to diagnose. Our stubborn minds, too smart for their own good, may equivocate and minimize the pain, convincing ourselves that in the absence of physical symptoms, pain should not exist. We are busy–kids need rides to school, deadlines loom and work piles up. There isn’t time for a quiet moment to check in with our emotions.
It may seem inconvenient, or even embarrassing for us to admit that our mental state is suffering, but we can’t outrun, outwork or suppress something as vital as mental health. We shouldn’t accept it as a weakness or as an unavoidable dispositional quality. Help awaits to alleviate our discomfort or suffering.
Prolonged distress or anxiety has physical consequences, such as high blood pressure, weight fluctuation, heart disease and sleep issues. We shouldn’t ignore our minds.
Mental illness doesn’t discriminate by age, gender or class. Stigmas surrounding asking for help differ by demographic, with men less likely to reach for help when they are struggling. Prescribing to stereotypes and gender roles contributes to the idea that men shouldn’t ask for help, or are failing in their masculinity if they do. Less than half of men suffering from depression or anxiety actually seek help.
It may seem like we are alone–that there must be something wrong with us for feeling anxious or depressed or paranoid. This is untrue. The World Health Organization estimates that 1 in 8 adults suffer from mental disorders each year.
It is time to prioritize mental health instead of pushing it to the side. If something is off with friends or loved ones–they aren’t as enthusiastic about their hobbies, aren’t eating as much or are eating more than normal, or are isolating themselves– make sure they know you are there to support them and get them any help they may need. If you feel your mental health slipping, lean on those around you or call the Suffolk County’s Mental Health Helpline at 631-471-7242.
Sometimes, just opening up and talking about what you are feeling can ease the pain. Other times, contacting a professional could be what work best.
This Mother’s Day, locals reflected on therole their mothers have played in their lives; from attending sports games to dispensing unforgettable advice, these matriarchs shaped who their children are today.
TBR News Media asked community members, “What is your favorite memory with your mother?
Laurel and Dylan Gallo
Laurel and Dylan Gallo, Centereach
Laurel remembers going to Cedar Beach with her mother, people-watching and shopping together. Her son
Dylan recalled recently going to see Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats at Madison Square Garden withher, sipping margaritas together in their booth. “We got to hear all our favorite songs that we grew up listening to together, and I don’t think I’m ever gonna forget it.”
Alex Andre
Alex Andre, Hempstead
Alex’s fondest memory of his mother was going out for food together before he went to Germany for the Army.
Thomas and Flynn
Thomas and Flynn,St. James
Flynn’s favorite memory was going to Great Wolf Lodge, an indoor water park, together with his mom. His brother Thomas also shared his favorite memory: “probably the day when I was born!”
Nekki Lang
Nekki Lang, Southbury, Conn.
This former Long Islander’s favorite memory with her mother was trekking up to Vermont to visit after her mother had moved off of Long Island.
Jace Mas
Jace Mas, Port Jefferson Station
While checking people out at The Frigate, Jace shared his favorite memory: coming off the mat at his wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu matches and seeing his mom cheering him on.
Mashal Siddiqui
Mashal Siddiqui, Centereach
Mashal recalled going to the beach as a family when her brothers were young. She said the time she spent with her family then was her favorite memory with her mother.
Ryan
Ryan,Mount Sinai
Ryan’s absolute favorite memory with his mom was going to Universal Studios with her. His sister’s favorite memory is a secret.
Jack and Shannon Chant
Jake andShannon Chant,Middle Island
Shannon’s favorite memory with her mother is going on vacation with her and getting one-on-one time together. Her son Jake’s favorite memory, similarly, is visiting the beaches of Nantucket with her.
Port Jefferson High School. File photo by Elana Glowatz
By Sabrina Artusa
Two incumbents and one newcomer are vying for two seats on the Port Jefferson Board of Education. Ellen Boehm, current president, Randi DeWitt, current board member and challenger Jennie Berges attended a PTA-sponsored event to project their positions on district issues.
Berges, a mom of three and the only candidate with children currently in the district, is a mental health counselor who is running to “be a voice” for parents and teachers who want to feel connected to the administration.
Dewitt is a first-grade teacher of 26 years in another district and a lifelong Port Jefferson resident and attended the Port Jefferson School District herself before raising two children who graduated the district. “My platform is to continue to advocate for our students and to continue our district’s reputation for academic excellence,” she said. Her current term as a board member expires this year.
Boehm, current president of the BOE, also graduated from the district and had children who did as well. She has been on the board since 2012 and took on the role of president five years ago.
All three candidates acknowledge diminishing enrollment as an issue, although it is a trend that most schools have experienced post-COVID, according to data from the New York StateEducation Department. Already a small district, the candidates spoke of how it factors in to board decisions.
Berges said it is a draw that the board could potentially build off of the “smaller community feel” and intimate class sizes could be attractive to many families, as they were for hers. “Declining enrollment is a challenge,” she said. “Having a small school shouldn’t be. I think there are ways to work with what we have to work within the integrity of that.”
The district is responding to the trend. Superintendent Jessica Schmettan said that there are fewer classes for certain grades. Programs are continuing strong, and even expanding in some areas such as full-day prekindergarten and a breakfast program.
Addressing taxes, Boehm said she applauds administrators for keeping taxes lower than neighboring districts, but that residents on fixed income, including herself, are “feeling the strain.”
“I think it is really important that as a board and a district…that they stand behind the students and evaluate what is best for the students of Port Jeff. My hope is that it keeps programs intact. Does it mean that every teacher will be here forever? I don’t know.”
2025-2026 budget
The board held their last public hearing on the $49,406,575 budget on May 13 – a 2.89% increase from last years’ budget with a $741,969 increase in the tax levy from last years’ $39,396,316. The district lost around $111,000 in state aid.
The district continues to tackle costs amid the $16.5 million Child Victims Act settlement, which Schmettan said will have no effect on programing or quality of education to the students. WIth $5.1 million already paid, the district is under a one-year borrowing contract with Oppenheimer & Co for the remaining cost while they pursue potential solutions with the state. Around $400,000 from the undesignated reserve will be expended in the 2025-2026 school year to cover the interest.
Now confronted with expenses that were previously shouldered by LIPA’s tax payments, Dewitt and Boehm said they explored the possibility of redefining the district lines, thus including more homes in their area and bringing in more revenue and students, but were unable to appeal to neighboring districts.
On May 20 voters will also weigh in on a proposition pertaining to the renovation of the HVAC system, described as old and “inefficient” by Deputy Superintendent Sean Leister. “The pipes throughout the building are literally crumbling in our hands, he said. “I spent between $165,000 and $200,000 in repairs this year alone.”
The board would like to use up to $3.2 million in capital reserves designated for upgrades and renovations to aid in financing the new system. Leister said that if the system isn’t repaired, the heat could reach unsafe levels by state standards and require the students to be sent home. Currently, they have to choose which rooms to air condition, he added.
Voting will take place from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on May 20 in the Earl L. Vandermeulen High School Cafeteria.
Stony Brook, NY; Stony Brook University: Science on Stage member Heather Lynch
The League of Women Voters of Brookhaven will welcome renowned Stony Brook University scientist Heather Lynch to speak at their monthly meeting at Comsewogue Public Library, 170 Terryville Road, Port Jefferson Station on Friday, May 16 at 1 p.m.
Many of the medicines and products that we rely on have been created by scientists working on research grants from the federal or state government.
Lynch, a quantitative ecologist and a professor at Stony Brook University, will speak on “The role of grants to universities: How are they selected and monitored?” and “How will current changes to grant funding impact our scientific competitiveness?”
Dr. Lynch is the Institute for Advanced Computational Sciences Endowed Chair for Ecology and Evolution and leads the Collaborative for the Earth, which facilitates university-wide research, education, and public policy engagement around global environmental crises. Her research is dedicated to the population dynamics of Antarctic wildlife, with a particular focus on penguins and other seabirds.
Dr. Lynch’s research in Antarctica has been funded by a range of federal and non-governmental organizations, including through a National Science Foundation Career award—the most prestigious NSF award that supports early career faculty. Dr. Lynch was the first ecologist ever to win the Blavatnik National Medal for Life Sciences, the world’s largest unrestricted prize for young scientists.
All are welcome to attend this event. No reservations necessary. For more information, call 631-928-1212.
Many have witnessed the ongoing conversations and press surrounding the congressional budget and the potential changes to the programs so many people depend on. I would like to send a quick thank you to Congressman Nick LaLota [R-NY1] for signing the letter to House leadership on April 14 affirming his commitment to Medicaid.
Long Island members of Congress sent a letter to congressional leaders stating, “we would like to reiterate our strong support for this program that ensures our constituents have reliable health care. Balancing the federal budget must not come at the expense of those who depend on these benefits for their health and economic security.”
“Our constituents are asking for changes to the health care system that will strengthen the health care workforce, offer low-income, working-class families expanded opportunities to save for medical expenses, support rural and underserved communities and help new mothers.”
As a local volunteer advocate for the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement, I look forward to seeing these necessary programs remain intact so many of our friends and family can receive these benefits they so desperately need.
Christina Russo
Cora
Praise for Hal Sheprow
Port Jeff lost a remarkable man and I lost a friend of over 50 years, Mayor Hal Sheprow.
We served together on the planning board some 35 years ago, sometimes disagreeing. After each meeting, we and Walt Berndt would bend elbows at the Elks and bond.
Hal’s contributions cannot be overstated. To purchase the country club and make it affordable for village residents made the bond we paid a bargain. Hal never took enough credit for it. !t was visionary!
Unfortunately, I found out about his funeral too late. My very best to his wonderful wife, Peg, and his kids.
Fred Levine
Jefferson’s Ferry
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We welcome your letters, especially those responding to our local coverage, replying to other letter writers’ comments and speaking mainly to local themes. Letters should be no longer than 400 words and may be edited for length, libel, style, good taste and uncivil language. They will also be published on our website. We do not publish anonymous letters. Please include an address and phone number for confirmation. Email letters to: [email protected] or mail them to TBR News Media, P.O. Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733
Last chance to view Building the Ballot Box at the Long Island Museum. The exhibit closes on May 18. Photo courtesy of LIM
By Heidi Sutton
On International Museum Day, Sunday, May 18, the Long Island Museum in Stony Brook is partnering with The Heckscher Museum of Art in Huntington and the Whaling Museum in Cold Spring Harbor to celebrate the important roles museums and other cultural institutions play in our communities.
At the Long Island Museum, 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook, visitors can enjoy free admission to the museum from noon to 5 p.m., special “I Love Long Island Museums” buttons (while supplies last), and receive 10% off your purchase at the Gift Shop. This will also be the last day to view Building the Ballot Box: Long Island’s Democratic History and the Colors of Long Island student art exhibition in the History Museum. www.longislandmuseum.org
At the Heckscher Museum, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington, visitors will enjoy free admission to view exhibitions Robert Graham Carter: The Art of Reflection and Long Island’s Best 2025 from noon to 5 p.m. Take home a free button and tote bag too while supplies last. www.heckscher.org
And over at the Whaling Museum, 301 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor, visitors will receive a complimentary pin for every paid admssion, library passes included from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Available in five different designs, the special pins are the Museum’s way of thanking the community for their support. Visitors can view the Monsters & Mermaids exhibit, make up-cycled ocean crafts, take part in a Release the Kraken scavenger hunt and tour the museum’s exhibits. www.cshwhalingmuseum.org
Esther Takeuchi. Photo by Roger Stoutenburgh/Brookhaven National Laboratory
By Daniel Dunaief
Daniel Dunaief
Esther Takeuchi has won numerous awards and received plenty of honors for her work.
In 2009, President Barack Obama presented her with a National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the highest honor possible for technological achievement in the country.
She has also been elected as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences,received the 2013 E.V. Murphree Award in Industrial and Engineering Chemistry from the American Chemical Society and was selected as a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, among others.
Takeuchi, who has over 150 patents to her name and is Distinguished Professor in Materials Science and Chemical Engineering at Stony Brook University and Chair of the Interdisciplinary Science Department at Brookhaven National Laboratory, spoke with Times Beacon Record News Media about a range of topics.
“In the long run, I think energy storage can significantly improve energy availability and affordability,” said Takeuchi. “We end up throwing a lot of [energy] away.”
Indeed, in a widely cited statistic based on a 2021 study, 65 percent of energy produced is thrown away. Energy from any source, whether it’s fossil fuels, sunlight, wind or nuclear, is inefficient, with losses from heat, limitations on technology, friction with machinery and incomplete combustion, among a host of factors.
“Let’s use it more effectively, where we can follow the load,” urged Takeuchi.
At the same time, Takeuchi recognizes the importance of ensuring the safety of energy storage, including for the proposed storage facilities in Setauket.
“The Fire Department and police need to be brought into the discussion,” she said. “A lot of these folks are extremely knowledgeable.”
Community education, involvement and awareness is necessary for any such project, ensuring that the appropriate people are informed and know how to respond to any crisis.
Energy needs
Future energy needs are considerably higher than they are today, thanks to the demands of artificial intelligence.
Large data centers that house the kinds of information necessary for AI are “incredibly power hungry,” Takeuchi said. If AI continues to expand at the current pace, it alone will use more energy than the world makes today.
“We need to have broader sources of energy” so it is available, she added. “Where is going to come from?”
Indeed, Takeuchi and her collaborators are working on energy storage that doesn’t use the kind of lithium-ion batteries that power much of consumer electronics. Lithium ion batteries are compact and are highly reactive, packing energy into a small volume. If something goes wrong, these batteries are flammable.
“We are working on a project at Stony Brook and Brookhaven National Laboratory where we’ve demonstrated electrolytes that don’t burn at all,” she said. “You can put a butane lighter on them and they won’t burn.”
To be sure, these batteries, which would be larger than the current systems, are a “long way” from commercialization, but it’s possible.
Still, Takeuchi is excited about rechargeable water-based batteries. She’s focused on making sure the materials are elements that are used broadly, instead of exotic materials mined in only one place on Earth. She’s also looking to create a cycle life that’s as high as possible.
Aqueous materials have a lower cycle life. She and her team are trying to understand why and overcome those challenges, which would enable these batteries to be recharged more times before degrading.
Funding environment
The current funding environment for science and technology has reached an uncertain time, Takeuchi said.
“One of the ways the United States has been so effective at competing economically on a global level is through science and technology,” she said. During many decades, the country has been an innovation leader as measured by the number of patents issued.
Driven by the Manhattan Project that built the atomic bomb, by frenzied competition with the Soviet Union after the launch of Sputnik in October of 1957 amid the Cold War, and by the drive to send people to the moon in the 1960’s, the country has attracted top talent from around the world while making important discoveries and creating new technology. Realizing that science and technology is a driver of future commercial and economic growth, other countries have been actively recruiting scientists concerned about the future funding landscape to their countries. This creates the potential for a brain drain.
If the United States gives up its leadership position when other nations are charging ahead, it could take a long time to recover the current standing, not to mention to mirror the successes and personal and professional opportunities from previous generations, said Takeuchi.
“Science is critical to lead us to the future we all want to live in,” she added.
The worlds of art and politics might seem quite separate, but here is a life that bridges them both. Two lives, in fact.
In one of those chance happenings that amounts to little more than a footnote but turns the tide of history, William Luers became the new ambassador to Czechoslovakia in 1983. It was a time of tumult in the Soviet-bloc country, as the unlikelypoet-playwright, Vaclav Havel, was leading a peaceful uprising to oust the Communist state. Havel was in and out of prison and appeared to be a long-shot among other dissidents to triumph against the Soviets. Nonetheless Luers recognized the potential of the cultural leader and contributed to his very survival and political successes that resulted in the independence of Czechoslovakia in 1989 and the subsequent creation of the Czech Republic.
In betting on Havel, Luers was in fact recognizing the pairing of politics and art that informed his own life.
Luers was born in Springfield, Illinois, and attended high school there, where he played basketball with a distinct advantage. He was exceptionally tall. After majoring in chemistry and math and graduating from Hamilton College in upstate New York, he went on to switch to the humanities and study philosophy at Northwestern University, then joined the Navy. It was 1952 and the United States was at war with Korea. After graduating from officers’ candidate school and being discharged in 1957, he entered the Foreign Service and in 1958 earned a master’s degree in Russian Studies from Columbia University. He spoke fluent Russian, Spanish and Italian, and worked at embassies in Moscow, Rome and other capitals in Europe and Latin America. Before he went to Czechoslovakia, he was ambassador to Venezuela.
His most important post was his last. He protected Havel by inviting dozens of American cultural celebrities to visit Prague, and after meeting the playwright, “then at news conferences outside the reach of the government-controlled Czech news media, recast him in a protective armor of global publicity,” according to The New York Times. By burnishing Havel’s name “as a writer but not as a statesman, which might have increased Havel’s perils,” continued The Times’ reporter Luer saved him.
Some of the celebrity visitors included John Updike, Edward Albee, E.L. Doctorow, Kurt Vonnegut, William Styron, Philippe de Montebello, director of New York’s Metropolitan Museum, theater director Joseph Papp, abstract painter Richard Diebenkorn and Katharine Graham, publisher of The Washington Post.
Since Luers came from a culturally prominent family, many of these people were his friends and they understood their purpose in visiting. “The underlying message…was that harming Mr. Havel might risk incalculable international consequences for the Czech government,” according to The Times. In fact, Luers used the arts to promote, protect and ultimately elect Vaclav Havel as leader of the Czech Republic.
After 29 years in the Foreign Service, during which time he became an aide to Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (and in 1974 personally delivered President Nixon’s resignation letter over the Watergate scandal to him), Luers went on to be president of the Metropolitan Museum of Art for 13 years. Like Havel, the arc of his life spanned politics and art.
William Luers died this past Saturday, May 10, in his home in Washington Depot, Connecticut, at the age of 95. His greatest satisfaction was the success of Vaclav Havel, according to The Times. “The Communist system was deeply flawed. It underestimated cultural leaders’ influence on the people.”
GSA Troop 833 during a recent clean-up of the PJS/Setauket Greenway Trail. Photo from Herb Mones
KEEP BROOKHAVEN BEAUTIFUL and Keep America Beautiful, Inc., in cooperation with Supervisor Panico and the Town of Brookhaven, invite you to join the Great American CleanupTM. Every spring, individuals and groups join the Great American Cleanup, the nation’s largest organized cleanup, beautification, and community improvement program.
The facts on litter are sobering. According to the most recent litter study there are more than 50 billion pieces of litter on the ground. That’s 152 pieces of litter for every American. But there is good news. In the past ten years, littering along US roadways is down 54%! Last year alone, over 64,000 clean-up events were held in the US, resulting in over 146,600 ACRES of parks, public lands, waterways, trails and playgrounds cleaned up by volunteers like YOU!
So, don’t wait for someone else to do it…pick a location…and volunteer for this year’s Great Brookhaven Cleanup! Join thousands of Brookhaven residents to help make Brookhaven … a cleaner, greener, more beautiful Town!
Identify a specific site that you would like to improve.
Visit the site to plan your event and get permission from the property owner if necessary.
Possible activities:
Litter cleanups on streets, parks, playgrounds
River, lake and seashore cleanups
Nature trails, woodland trails and field cleanups
School cleanups
Commercial Site / Shopping Center cleanups
Beautification / community improvement projects
Recruit family members, friends or neighbors to help.
Several organized events will be taking part in this year’s clean up including:
Farmingville
Farmingvile Residents Association will hold its 19th annual Spring Clean-Up at Triangle Park, corner of Woodycrest Drive and Horseblock Road, Farmingville from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Supplies will be provided. 631-260-7411
Lake Ronkonkoma
Lake Ronkonkoma Improvement Group hosts a clean-up of Lake Ronkonkoma on May 17 at 10 a.m. Meet at Michael Murphy Park. Call 631-451-6222 for more info.
Port Jefferson Station
— The Port Jefferson Station-Terryville Chamber of Commerce is teaming up with the Port Jefferson Rotary Club and Old Town Blooms for a clean up of at the PJST Chamber Train Car, corner of Route 112 and Nesconset Highway in Port Jefferson on Saturday, May 17 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.; Jayne Blvd, behind D & D from 10 a.m. to noon; and any area along Old Town Road, Crowley, School St, Block Blvd or Yale Street Parks from noon to 5 p.m. (on your own). 631-821-1313
— Three Village Community Trust’s Friends of the Greenway will hold a Setauket to Port Jeff. Station Greenway clean-up on Saturday, May 17 at 9 a.m. It will start at the Port Jefferson Station trailhead at NYSDOT parking lot by Routes 112 & 25A. www.threevillagecommunitytrust.org
*If any organization would like to add their event to this list, please email [email protected]
Joe Salamone, Founder & Exec Dir, Long Island Coalition Against Bullying, at Governor Hochul's press conference on May 13.
The Long Island Coalition Against Bullying (LICAB) joined New York Governor Kathy Hochul in Farmingdale on May 13 to celebrate the newly announced K-12 bell-to-bell cell phone ban, a major component of the state budget expected to pass in Albany. This first-of-its-kind measure makes New York the largest state in the nation to adopt a school-day cell phone ban, and LICAB hails it as a transformative win for student safety and well-being.
The new policy prohibits student cell phone use throughout the school day – from the first bell to the last – across all New York State public schools. It is designed to reduce distractions, protect students from cyberbullying, and restore in-person connection and focus in classrooms.
At the press conference, LICAB Founder & Executive Director Joe Salamone spoke alongside Governor Hochul to highlight the policy’s impact and the years of advocacy leading to this moment.
“Smartphones are valuable tools, but without limits, they do real harm. We see it every day. Bullying no longer hides in stairways. It happens in group chats, in videos recorded without consent, often memorializing what should have been fleeting moments,” said Salamone. “Today, we begin restoring something essential – real childhood, real social growth, and real community.”
Founded in 2013, LICAB is the region’s only nonprofit solely dedicated to preventing and addressing bullying. The organization has long advocated for statewide protections for students, including its support of last year’s Safe For Kids Act, also championed by Governor Hochul.
Salamone noted the positive impact of similar cell phone restrictions already in place in select schools across Long Island.
“In over 200 classroom visits I made this school year alone, administrators who’ve implemented similar bans estimate an 85% reduction in bullying and peer conflict. The results speak for themselves – this is no longer theory, it’s proven,” he added.
The policy gives local school districts the flexibility to implement the ban in a way that fits their unique communities, while ensuring a uniform standard of safety and focus for all students statewide.
“Come September, students all across New York will walk into schools no longer tethered to the pressures of their phones,” said Salamone. “They will be freer – freer to learn, to connect, and to thrive. This is not just policy, it’s progress. It’s protection. And today, thanks to Governor Hochul, it’s a reality.”
For more information about the Long Island Coalition Against Bullying and its mission, visit www.licab.org.
About LICAB:
The Long Island Coalition Against Bullying is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to emphasizing the importance of bully-free communities on Long Island through education, increased awareness, and therapeutic support for children and families. LICAB’s services include school programming, family advocacy, peer support groups, and community education.
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