Times of Huntington-Northport

Girl Scouts help plant the American Elm tree donated by Covanta with Town and Covanta officials looking on. 

Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci, Councilman Ed Smyth and Councilwoman Joan Cergol were joined by Covanta and Girl Scout Service Unit 12, Troop 239 for an Arbor Day tree planting ceremony and to unveil trees planted with Tree City USA grant funding at Columbia Street Park in Huntington Station Friday, April 30. 

 “Thank you to Covanta Huntington for your environmentally-conscious donation and to our Girl Scouts from Troop 239 for your commitment to Columbia Street Park and many of our green spaces,” stated Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci. “The Town of Huntington is fortunate to have maintained our Tree City USA designation for over 20 years and thanks to your contributions, grant funding from the New York State Urban Forestry Council, and our Volunteer Parks Stewards like Alvin White, we will continue to plant trees, beautify and preserve our open spaces.” 

 “It’s great to be in Columbia Park, one of the “hidden gems” of the Town’s parks,” said Councilman Ed Smyth. “Our bigger parks get most of the attention, but it is worthwhile for our residents to explore the smaller parks that are often within walking distance of their homes.” 

 “I want to thank Covanta for donating such a beautiful American Elm tree and Girl Scout Service Unit 12, Troop 239 for planting additional saplings at Columbia Park,” Councilwoman Cergol said. “Planting trees is one of the best things we can do for the Town’s natural beauty and for the environment, and I’m proud to serve a Town that has been designated a Tree City USA community for 20 years and running.” 

 Maureen Early, Senior Community Affairs Specialist for Covanta, stated, “Covanta was delighted to partner with Supervisor Lupinacci and the Town of Huntington to plant trees in honor of Arbor Day. It’s efforts like this that remind us how important it is to protect our environment and work toward a more sustainable tomorrow. We thank our municipal leaders for being environmental stewards with us.” 

 Girl Scouts from Troop 239 in Service Unit 12 from South Huntington joined the ceremony to help plant the American Elm tree donated by Covanta to the Town of Huntington to commemorate Arbor Day; the Town Board accepted the donation at their April 13 meeting.  

 Participating in the Arbor Day ceremony were Girl Scout Cadettes Zahara Amorde, Julia Dean, Kate Sperduti, Lily Fleischer, Abbrianna Mandarino, Kate Adams, Morgan Franz, Ava Tulipano, and Allie Lynde, as well as Girl Scout Juniors Sophia Amorde, Nadia McKelvey, and Ava Rodriguez. The Scouts also helped plant additional bare root saplings at the park. Troop Co-Leaders Gina Barone and Christine Reilly attended the event. 

 Girl Scout Troop Co-Leader Gina Barone stated, “It was a privilege and pleasure for Troop 239 to participate in the Town of Huntington Arbor day tree planting event.  Girl Scouts have been passionate proponents of conservation throughout our organization’s 100-plus year history and our troop strives to embody the value of environmental stewardship in our Huntington community.  We are committed to continuing to live the Girl Scout law of “using resources wisely” and protecting the Earth both globally and locally.  Thank you for supporting our mission and for allowing us to be a part of such an inspiring program!” 

 Volunteer Park Steward Alvin White, who serves as the parks steward for Columbia Street Park, also attended the Arbor Day event. 

 The event also celebrated grant funding that allowed additional trees to be planted at the park in late 2020. The Town of Huntington has maintained its designation as a Tree City USA for over two decades. In September 2020, the Town applied for and received $1,000 in Tree City USA grant funding from the New York State Urban Forestry Council to plant five (5) trees at Columbia Street Park in Huntington Station, a site recommended in a Planting Location Evaluation from a tree inventory previously conducted with a Tree Inventory Grant funded by the NYSDEC Urban and Community Forestry Program.

A total of twelve (12) trees were planted under the project; seven (7) trees were funded by an EOSPA-recommended match of $1,900. Most of the trees were planted as street trees to provide shade and a welcoming park aesthetic in 2020, when an event could not be held due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Harborfields Tornadoes peppered the net early and often in their season opener at home against Port Jefferson winning the Division II contest, 16-2.

It’s been 23 months since either team has seen action, but Harborfields seamed crisp and up to the task leading by two goals two minutes in. The Royals struggled to keep the ball upfield when Harborfields senior attack Leah Hansen’s shot found its mark to put her team ahead 3-0. Harborfields sophomore Sia Markowski scored as did teammate Marina Bergin for a six-goal lead. With 13 minutes left in the half Hansen struck twice more for an 11-goal lead and with it a running clock.

Sophomore Julia Schiliro stretched the net for Harborfields two minutes later before Port Jeff senior Claudia Kountsantanou, took the goose egg off the scoreboard for the Royals. Teammate Katelynn Johnston’s shot found the back of the net a minute later to trail 12-2 at the half. Harborfields flushed their bench the rest of the way for the win.

Photo courtesy of SCCC

Education prepares people for the future, helps them achieve their goals and increases their odds of living a life where they not only survive, but thrive.

As blues musician B.B. King is famously quoted as saying, “The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.”

President Joe Biden (D) gets that concept, and last week he asked Congress to enact legislation that would allow Americans to attend community colleges for free. Under the American Families Plan, $109 billion would be slated to make two years of community college free for all students. There would also be an $85 billion investment for expanding federal Pell Grants, which is awarded to undergraduate students who display financial need and have not earned a degree. This is one important way to help our young people who are unprepared for the workforce after high school.

For many, a community college has given them an advantage that they may not have had otherwise. From those whose grades were less than ideal in high school to those whose can’t afford to attend a four-year university or are undecided on what they want to do with their lives, a community college provides a stepping stone that is local and affordable for most. 

Here at TBR all three of our current editors attended Suffolk County Community College, which in turn paved the way to making obtaining bachelor’s degrees at other institutions more manageable.

According to the website joebiden.com, approximately six out of 10 jobs require education beyond a high school diploma. To succeed in a world where the economy is globalized and technology driven, people are going to need more than 12 years of education.

The website also goes on to say that one can do a lot with an associate degree. 

“Today in the United States there are an estimated 30 million quality jobs, with an average salary of $55,000, that don’t require a bachelor’s degree,” according to the site.

Free college tuition for community colleges would mean even more young people being able to achieve the American Dream. It can also keep college-aged students in the area, frequenting local stores, which stimulates the local economy. And in the long term, with less student debt to pay, it may increase the odds of people staying on Long Island and settling down.

Two years can make a difference and transform a life. Our sincere hope is that Congress will take this proposal from the president seriously.

At the same time, we hope a better look is taken at our current public school system in America. Even before the pandemic, American children were not receiving an equal education from state to state as many schools are funded through local taxes. The more affluent an area a person lives in, the better the education tends to be. Also, there is a need for more pre-K classes across the country to provide children a head start in learning, both academically and socially. Most of all, everybody should be required to complete 12th grade and not be able to drop out of school at 16.

The education system in the U.S. needs a lot of fine-tuning. Let’s start by providing high school graduates a chance to get the skills they need in today’s competitive world.

Photo from Pixabay

By Daniel Dunaief

Daniel Dunaief

We live such a two-handed life these days. On the one hand, we are emerging from our pandemic shells. On the other, we don’t want to race out too quickly, undermining all the work we did to protect ourselves, our families and our school communities. To that end, I had a few topics on the two-handed nature of our lives:

The weather

On the one hand, it’s a relief that we can enjoy warmer weather. The summer is approaching. The calls from seagulls blend with the steady rhythm of water lapping up on the shores, urging the fortunate residents of Suffolk County to return to the peace and harmony of the water.

On the other hand, the temperature will undoubtedly climb into the hazy, hot and humid zone at some point. While the beaches are wonderful, we won’t all have time to stroll on a sandbar during the week.

Vaccinations

On the one hand, many people are getting vaccinated, increasing the likelihood that we’re taking an immunological stand against a deadly virus. With a greater percentage of the population inoculated, we stand a better chance of coming together, revisiting family and friends we’ve only seen on Zoom for over a year.

On the other hand, a subgroup of people are reluctant to take the vaccines, worried about side effects, the speed at which the vaccine was developed, and a host of other concerns. If enough of them don’t get vaccinated and/or if variants evade the vaccine, we may not be able to beat back this virus as quickly as we’d like.

Graduations

On the one hand, we are so incredibly proud that our children have made it through whatever stage concludes this year. We appreciate all they have done to get here and to become the incredible people they are.

On the other hand, wait, hello? How did the time go by so quickly? Did we prepare them for the real world? What is the real world? What does it mean to graduate into the second year of a pandemic and how can we prepare them for some of the unknowns and unknowables ahead? 

Politics

On the one hand, we can, potentially, talk about politics again without the echoes of personal animus reverberating from an angry White House. In theory, we can even agree to disagree or to consider compromise.

On the other hand, has the left become too powerful even as the right engages in party strife? Are calmer waters really around us, or is it a temporary reprieve until the tempest returns with the elections in 2022 and 2024?

Freedom

On the one hand, we are freer than we’ve been in over a year, to travel and visit family, to take our masks off outside and read people’s lips and study their smiles. We can even consider traveling outside the country.

On the other hand, after living with a fear of human contact, how much can we set aside our concerns about the public health dangers of interacting with other people? 

A return to offices

On the one hand, we have a chance to speak with each other in person, to share stories about our lives and our children and to discuss the surprising run of a Knicks team guaranteed to have a winning record this year.

On the other hand, we have to deal with traffic, parking spots, lines at lunch, and conversations that keep us from returning to the homes we couldn’t wait to leave.

Photo from Pixabay

By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief

Strange as it may seem, I always wanted to be a mother. Even before I was in elementary school, I remember hoping someday to be a mother. Thinking back on my early years, I was really more of a tomboy, playing stoop ball and stick ball on the block with the other kids. I did have one doll that I loved. It was quite a progressive doll for its time. I could give it a bottle, and it would subsequently pee. My mother would make sure the baby bottle that had come with the doll was filled with water and not milk. But other than that, I wasn’t particularly given to imaginative girly games like playing house or cooking. I just knew that when I grew up, I wanted to be, among other pursuits, a mother. The idea, of loving a child, teaching a child, nurturing a child, made me happy.

Then I grew up, married a man who also loved the prospect of having a child, and in a short time, we had three. That is, we had three boys within four years and two days. Ever hear the old adage, be careful what you wish for? On the one hand, I adored my boys. I fed them, bathed them, dressed them, played with them and hugged them a lot. On the other hand, I well remember a moment when I sat at the kitchen table, my head down on the crook of my arm, and cried. The three of them were screaming “Mommy!” and chasing each other around my legs with two of them needing diapers changed at the same time. There were dishes in the sink, the next batch of dirty laundry was behind me in a pile, waiting to be put into the overworked washing machine, I had not had a chance yet to change out of my nightgown, and I was seriously doubting I would ever get out of the kitchen alive. This from someone who was never much for crying except in sad movies.

They were exceptionally good communicators. I was convinced that they caucused every night before bedtime and arranged for each to wake me up during the night with a loud scream at a different time. One of my neighbors, catching sight of me putting out the garbage one morning, commented to another neighbor that he had never seen anyone look so tired. Yup, that was me.

But then there was the other side of the experience. They got a little older, made friends who, it seemed, always lived at the farthest reaches of the district, and of course I drove them frequently to play dates. It gave me a chance to meet lots of other mothers. I drove them to weekly music lessons, which enabled them to join the school bands and orchestras. We proudly attended their initially cacophonous concerts that over the years turned into remarkably good classical music and jazz performances. They played baseball, joined the swim team and the tennis team, and we thoroughly enjoyed cheering each at bat, each match, each meet, even if we sometimes melted in the heat or froze in the cold.

Their academic efforts gave us great satisfaction. They studied diligently and sometimes won contests and awards, which gave us vicarious joy. Of less satisfaction would be a trip to meet with the teacher for discussion of any less than perfect behavior.

Then it was prom time. And suddenly, for it seemed sudden, they stood before us in tuxedos, with young women on their arms who they were squiring to the dance. They were all grown up. It was the signal that they would shortly be leaving, eagerly leaving the nest and their parents behind. Yes, they came back regularly from college to have their laundry done and for some good meals. And I like to think for some great hugs. But they were off now, busy with their exciting lives, developing their careers, finding the women they would marry. And the best prize: grandchildren.

How lucky I am that my wish came true.

Saline Atieno with her host mother, Kerri Tame, of Coram, outside Stony Brook University Hospital last week. Photo by Iryna Shkurhan

By Iryna Shkurhan 

Saline Atieno came to Long Island as a girl in 2012 from Kenya to receive transformative facial surgeries by Stony Brook Medicine doctors. On May 2, she returned home as a 19-year-old young woman with a whole new demeanor after 15 surgical procedures. 

Atieno developed a facially disfiguring bacterial necrosis called Noma as a child, which often occurs in young severely malnourished children. Dr. Leon Klempner, a retired orthodontist and professor at Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine, met Saline for the first time in 2010 on an outreach medical trip.

“She was beautiful on the inside and through the work of Dr. [Alexander] Dagum and the Stony Brook medical team, they helped match her inside and out,” said Klempner, a Poquott resident. “So, she now has a much stronger self-image.”

Through his charity, Smile Rescue Fund for Kids, Klempner brought Saline to the United States in 2012 until 2014, where she received 10 life-changing surgeries to improve the functions and appearance of her face. Klempner and Dagum, who is chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and their Stony Brook colleagues set a plan to reconstruct her face and mouth to improve her functions and look.

The doctors recount meeting a shy girl for the first time in 2013. Saline only attended school a handful of times because she got bullied too much. 

“She’s blossomed,” Dagum said. “Little by little, she’s gained confidence in maturation and she’s grown into a young woman that we’re all so proud of her.”

Following her return to Kenya, Saline developed recurring infections and scarring from the Noma infection and the healing process of the first 10 surgeries. The charity arranged for her to return to Long Island for additional treatment from February 2019 to January 2020. During this period, Dagum performed more reconstructive procedures to reduce the risk of future infections. He also removed a developing cyst from her cheek and scarring around her lips, face and forehead. 

Saline’s return to Kenya was interrupted when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Her stay with a host family on Long Island was extended indefinitely as travel was banned back to Kenya. 

During this extra stay, Saline had additional time to heal and recover with medical guidance from her Stony Brook clinical care team. She also took the time to perfect her English skills and enjoy her adopted home. 

“It’s almost the equivalent of sending your child to college,” Dagum said. 

When she returns home, Saline will attend a boarding school and in the future wants to receive training to become a hairstylist. This wouldn’t have been possible without the medical staff volunteering their time and the university volunteering its services. Smile Rescue Fund also has donated to help support her education when she goes back, find clean water and finance solar lights in her area. 

The pandemic has given Saline added time to heal, adjust and see her future. Now she returns home to Kenya as a young woman.

Saline’s host mom, Kerri Tame, of Coram, said that Saline adjusted well and became one of her children in the past two and a half years. Saline was enrolled at Newfield High School in Selden where she made friends and enjoyed attending classes in person. 

“She became Americanized,” Tame said. “Just like one of our children.”

“I’m not going to be able to do the things I do here, back home,” Saline said. When asked what she would miss most about Long Island, she said, “Everything.” 

Photo from Huntington Hospital Facebook

Huntington Hospital scored a five-star rating from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in its annual 2021 hospital rankings.

The hospital, which is the only one in Suffolk County to achieve a five-star rating this year, has climbed the rankings over the last year, with three stars in 2019 and four stars in 2020.

“This is a reflection of the dedication of all the staff here,” said Huntington Hospital Executive Director Nick Fitterman. “What it means for the community is that they can get great care in their backyard.”

The top 13.56 percent of hospitals nationwide received five stars in 2021, according to the CMS website.

The rating measures five qualities, including mortality, safety, readmission, patient experience and timely and effective care. The first four categories receive a 22 percent weighting, while timely and effective care receives 12 percent.

The star rating encompasses over 100 measures CMS publicly reports, including the death rate for heart attack patients, surgical site infections for colon surgery, percentage of health care workers given influenza vaccinations, and the percentage of patients receiving appropriate recommendations for follow-up screening colonoscopy, among other measures.

“The five-star quality rating system is ultimately grounded in helping patients and their families make informed care decisions,” a CMS spokesman said in a statement. The ratings provide a general indication or what to expect in the future based on how a facility performed in the past.

Fitterman suggested that the rating reflects the hospital’s dedication to its mission, rather than focusing on achieving a specific rating.

Delivering excellence in clinical care is “the best and only strategy,” Fitterman said. “We don’t perseverate on what the rating agencies are looking for: we perseverate on what we think we’re doing for our patient.”

The improvements over the last few years have been incremental in numerous areas, including in neurosurgery and stroke care, cardiovascular care, and orthopedic care, which is ranked in the top 50 in the country, Fitterman said.

Fitterman praised the nursing staff, which he described as “first class,” and suggested that their culture is “contagious.”

While Huntington Hospital, which is part of Northwell Health System, doesn’t negotiate independently as a hospital, he said companies and payers “want to align themselves with high quality institutions and providers in their networks, because good [care] equates to less expensive care.”

After Fitterman received the news last week about the five stars, he walked through the hospital, high-fiving and fist pumping everyone from valets to engineers, to the food and nutrition workers and the doctors and the nurses.

“There was such excitement and jubilation and everyone realizes the hard work, the blood, sweat and tears, that go into the job,” the executive director said. “They put their heart into what they do. To get that public recognition was outstanding.”

Fitterman said he walks the halls each day, thanking staff for what they do and reminding them that they don’t just do their own task. They are all “helping relieve the suffering of others.”

Rite Aid

Rite Aid announced on April 30 it is now administering the COVID-19 vaccine at all locations, spanning more than 2,500 stores in 17 states. Following the latest guidance from the Biden Administration, all those aged 16 years or older are now eligible for vaccination, and Rite Aid encourages everyone to schedule an appointment as soon as possible.

While scheduling appointments in advance is recommended to reduce wait time and guarantee availability of the vaccine, Rite Aid is now also accommodating walk-in vaccines on a limited basis in every store. Enabling walk-in appointments supports customers that may not have access to internet while also meeting the need for flexibility for customers. People interested in a walk-in appointment are encouraged to visit their local Rite Aid to confirm availability.

“The availability of vaccines in every Rite Aid location is a major milestone in our ongoing effort to fight COVID-19. We’ve been on the front lines since the beginning of the pandemic, working across our store footprint to bring testing and vaccines directly to local communities,” said Jim Peters, chief operating officer, Rite Aid. “Vaccine availability is improving every day, and our pharmacists are ready to administer vaccines safely and efficiently, providing the benefits of pharmacist-administered vaccines in a safe and sterile environment right in your neighborhood. Also, in addition to the grassroots efforts we’ve undertaken with our community partners, the availability of these walk-in appointments provides another way for those with limited or no technology access to more easily obtain COVID vaccines. We encourage everyone to make an appointment, or walk-in, today.”

Through its participation in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program and as an Official COVID-19 Vaccination Program Provider, Rite Aid has accelerated its COVID-19 immunization efforts as allocation has expanded. Rite Aid’s certified immunizing pharmacists are administering the Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech and Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccines.

Individuals ages 18 and over can schedule appointments using the Rite Aid scheduling tool found at www.RiteAid.com/covid-19. Those ages 16 and 17 can schedule an appointment with guardian consent at any store administering the Pfizer vaccine by contacting the store’s pharmacy directly. Those stores can be found here.

For more information about Rite Aid’s COVID-19 vaccine efforts, please visit www.RiteAid.com/covid-19.

County Executive Steve Bellone with Dr. Gregson Pigott in front of the vaccine pods in Hauppauge. Photo by Julianne Mosher

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) is encouraging residents to get their COVID-19 vaccines.

On Thursday, April 29, he joined Dr. Gregson Pigott, commissioner of the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, Dr. Shaheda Iftikhar, deputy commissioner for the Department of Health Services and Holly Rhodes-Teague, director with the Suffolk County Office of the Aging outside the H. Lee Dennison Building to announce the second phase of the county’s “Take Your Shot” campaign. 

With vaccine hesitancy on the rise, the multi-media campaign will utilize TV, radio and targeted digital advertisements to address misinformation and build trust for those still on the fence. 

Bellone said at the press conference that as of April 29, there were 271 new cases of COVID-19 within the last 24 hours out of 15,628 tests. 

“That’s a positivity rate of 1.7%,” he said. “That is huge.”

He added the last time the county saw a number nearing the 2% mark was at the start of the virus’ second wave back in the fall around Halloween — before the Pfizer vaccine became available.

“We are below 2% positivity, but we’re back in that 1% range where we were throughout the summer last year, when we were still dealing with the pandemic with no vaccines,” he said. “So, this is significant.”

Bellone noted maintaining the lower number is proof that the vaccines are working.

Aline of people ready to get their vaccines. Photo by Julianne Mosher

“We want to get to the point when we say this virus is behind us once and for all, and the vaccines are the key to reaching our goal,” he said. “You need to be doing everything that we can to get people vaccinated to #TakeYourShot.”

The first phase of the Take Your Shot initiative was originally launched late last year in an effort to foster public awareness and designed to encourage county residents on the importance of receiving the COVID-19 vaccines. 

The second phase launched last week will continue to help remove potential barriers for people getting the vaccine. 

“As of yesterday [April 28], more than 660,000 residents have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Suffolk County,” he said. “That’s nearly 45% of our residents. While we’ve made tremendous progress over the last few months, at this point, there are no excuses, vaccines are available to everyone 16 and older.”

Right now, the Pfizer vaccine is the only shot eligible to teenagers, and Bellone said he’s encouraging high school juniors and seniors to do their part. 

“We have a lot of school-related activities that are opening up and coming back — prom, graduation — and we’re very excited that those are going to happen,” he said. “Getting vaccinated is a way to reduce the spread of the virus and make those big gatherings safe.”

Bellone had another message to young people. 

“You have a stake in this county,” he said. “You can be part of the effort to completely defeat this virus in and help save lives.”

The county also announced walk-in vaccination appointments available at select county vaccine pod locations.

“Our residents are busy, they want flexibility,” he said. 

Started on April 29, residents can visit the Selden campus at Suffolk County Community College and get their vaccines anytime between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. 

“We’ve seen promising progress,” he said. “As more of our economy continues to open up, we want to return to normalcy.”

All Huntington and Oyster Bay residents are encouraged to become Oyster Gardeners this summer at one of five gardens in their community. Attend the Saturday, May 8th presentation at the Huntington Public Library (via Zoom) to learn more and sign up to raise oysters this season in Oyster Bay and Cold Spring Harbor.

The Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor Protection Committee invites residents to play an active role in protecting their local waters by becoming Oyster Gardeners this season. Oysters serve as “ecosystem engineers” improving water quality, enhancing habitat and protecting shorelines from damaging storms. Since 2017 hundreds of families, individuals, boy and girl scouts, church groups, yacht, bathing and garden clubs have raised and planted tens of thousands of oysters on a protected spawner sanctuary in Cold Spring Harbor.

The Oyster Gardening program is an outreach tool of the inter-municipal Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor Protection Committee to educate and engage residents in conserving their natural resources.

To learn more:

Attend: Oyster Gardening 101 Presentation – Huntington Public Library Huntington Public Library (via zoom). Everyone (not just Huntington library patrons) are welcome to attend. Oyster Gardening supporters and Huntington Town Councilmembers Cergol and Smyth will welcome attendees.  The zoom session will be followed by an in-person visit to the site of the garden at West Neck Beach to learn first-hand. Registration begins May 3rd. For details see: Library Newsletter ( page 4): https://myhpl.org/images/newsletters/2021/may-june.pdf

 Visit: www.oysterbaycoldspringharbor.org for more information.