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Times of Huntington-Northport

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Richard McCormick. Photo courtesy Stony Brook University

By Daniel Dunaief

The State University of New York Board of Trustees has named former Rutgers President Richard McCormick, 76, interim president of Stony Brook University as the school continues its search for a seventh president.

McCormick, who will take over the reigns at the downstate flagship SUNY school on August 1st, replaces Maurie McInnis, who left Stony Brook after four years to become the president of Yale University on July 1.

Dr. Bill Wertheim, Executive Vice President for Stony Brook Medicine, has been serving as Officer-in-Charge and Stony Brook University Hospital’s Governing Body since July 1.

McCormick, who was president of Rutgers from 2002 to 2012 and has taught and studied United States political history in the 19th and 20th centuries, has over four decades of experience in higher education, including leading several highly ranked public universities.

McCormick will oversee Stony Brook University and Stony Brook Medicine and will serve as part of the management team of Brookhaven National Laboratory.

“Each step we take in this leadership transition is important, and we welcome Dr. McCormick,” John King, Jr, SUNY Chancellor said in a statement. “His vast higher education experience will continue to move this esteemed university forward as the campus conducts a national search for its new president.”

McCormick welcomed the chance to lead Stony Brook during this transition period.

Stony Brook “has achieved national stature yet remains fully engaged with its Long Island community, for which it is an economic engine,” McCormick said in a statement. “My thanks to the SUNY Board of Trustees, Chancellor King and the Stony Brook Council for this opportunity.”

As an interim president, McCormick will not be a candidate to become the next permanent president.

In addition to his tenure at Rutgers, which started in 1976 when he joined the history department, McCormick also was vice chancellor and provost at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1992 to 1995 and was president of the University of Washington from 1995 to 2002.

The incoming interim Stony Brook president earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Amherst College in American Studies and his PhD in history from Yale in 1976, 20 years before McInnis also earned her PhD in the History of Art from the New Haven-based Ivy league school she now leads.

McCormick started his academic career at Rutgers, where he was a member of the history faculty from 1976 to 1992. He was also Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

McCormick is the son of Richard Patrick McCormick, a former Rutgers professor and Katheryne Levis, a former Rutgers administrator.

McCormick and his father co-taught an American history course.

An author of several books, McCormick is writing a book on the history of American political corruption from the 17th century to the present.

Rutgers achievements

McCormick, who earned his high school diploma from Piscataway Township High School in Piscataway, New Jersey, orchestrated constructive changes in his hometown university during his presidency.

McCormick helped raise $650 million while he was president.

Four years after becoming president, the university reorganized the undergraduate colleges on the New Brunswick campus into a School of Arts and Sciences and School of Environmental and Biological Sciences.

The reorganization included a comprehensive new curriculum at the School of Arts and Sciences, first year seminars, signature courses, expansion opportunities for undergraduate research and honors programs and support for top undergraduates competing for highly competitive scholarships and awards.

In the final years of his tenure, he merged Rutgers with the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and divisions of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. The New Jersey Legislature passed a bill to integrate almost all units of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey into Rutgers.

“Dr. McCormick’s notable accomplishments as president of Rutgers from 2002 until 2012 included reinvigorating undergraduate education, elevating its standing in the top tier of public research universities, realizing a longstanding goal of returning medical education to the university’s portfolio, and improving and strengthening connections with important partners, including alumni and local communities,” Wertheim said in a statement. “He is the ideal leader to help Stony Brook sustain its momentum as New York’s flagship university.”

The former Rutgers president led the school when it installed 40,000 high-efficiency solar panels over two large surface parking lots on the Livingston campus, producing over eight megawatts of power, which, at the time, was the largest renewable energy system built on a college campus in the country. Rutgers has continued to add solar panels.

Stony Brook momentum

McCormick’s experience with solar energy dovetails with some of Stony Brook’s recent environmental initiatives and successes.

With the support of the Simons Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies, Stony Brook University won the competitive process as the lead institution to create a climate solutions center on Governors Island. The New York Climate Exchange will develop and deploy dynamic solutions to the global climate crisis, will provide educational and research opportunities and will serve as a place for New Yorkers to benefit from the green economy.

The Climate Solutions Center will include 400,000 square feet of green-designed building space, including research labs, classroom space, exhibits, greenhouses, mitigation technologies and housing facilities.

McCormick takes over as interim president at a time when Stony Brook has achieved some important financial and academic victories.

A year ago, the Simons Foundation made a $500 million endowment gift to Stony Brook. The gift, which will be spread out over seven years, was the largest unrestricted donation to an institution of higher education in United States history.

The Foundation gift, which the state will match on a 1:2 program, and other philanthropic contributions are expected to increase the endowment by as much as $1 billion.

Stony Brook recently climbed 19 spots in the rankings of colleges from US News and World Report, ranking 58th in the rankings. That’s the highest ever rank for a State University of New York institution. The school also placed 12th among national universities for social mobility rank.

“Stony Brook is a world-class institution, moving on an upward trajectory, educating the next generation of leaders and thinkers and bettering our society through research and economic development,” Stony Brook Council Kevin Law said in a statement. “I am pleased to welcome Dr. McCormick, whose accomplishments and vision in higher-education leadership are nothing short of extraordinary, as our interim president, and to begin the search for our next permanent president.”

Challenges ahead

McCormick will likely face the same some of the same challenges other university presidents, interim or not, have dealt with as protestors have expressed their frustrations over the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

At numerous universities, protests disrupted exams, classes and graduation ceremonies.

College presidents have tried to balance between the rights of students to assemble and express themselves and the university’s need to protect various groups of students from intimidation, bullying, or threats.

Local politicians welcomed McCormick. “I look forward to getting to know Dr. McCormick and collaborating with him to ensure that Stony Brook remains a premier institution of higher learning, providing a safe environment for students of all religions,” said Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY1).

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Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. Photo from Tierney's office

Brendan Marchetti Allegedly Told Four Muslim Men That He Wanted to Kill All Muslims

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on July 17 that Brendan Marchetti, 35, of Huntington, was arrested for Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree, as a Hate Crime, and other related charges, for threatening to kill four Muslim men and then ramming his vehicle into theirs.

“Prosecuting hate crimes is essential to not only protect victims but to also uphold the values of tolerance and respect, especially for other people’s religions. It is unconscionable that my prosecutors cannot ask for bail on cases such as this due to ‘Bail Reform,’ especially where such violence is alleged,” said District Attorney Tierney. “Hate in any form has no place in Suffolk County, and those who perpetrate such acts will face the full force of the law.”

According to the investigation, on June 17, 2024, at approximately 9:00 a.m., four Muslim men dressed in traditional Muslim attire were in a car on their way to a mosque. The men’s vehicle came to stop at a red light at an intersection in Huntington. Marchetti was in the driver seat of a vehicle that was stopped at the same red light. Marchetti allegedly stated to the Muslim men, in sum and substance, that he wanted to kill all Muslims, that all Muslims should die, and that he wanted to blow them up. Marchetti then allegedly drove his vehicle into the side of their car, causing damage exceeding $1,500.

As the victims began to drive away to flee, Marchetti allegedly attempted to strike their car a second time. In fear for their lives, the victims immediately called 911 and reported Marchetti’s license plate to the police. Law enforcement located Marchetti and his vehicle at an auto body shop a short time later and transported him to a hospital for mental health treatment.

On July 17, 2024, Marchetti was arraigned on the following charges before District Court Judge Rosann Orlando:

  •   Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree, as a Hate Crime, a Class C felony;
  •   Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, as a Hate Crime, a Class E felony; and  Aggravated Harassment in the Second Degree, as a Hate Crime, a Class A

    misdemeanor.

    All three charges that Marchetti faces are considered non-bail eligible under current New York State law, meaning that prosecutors could not ask for bail, nor could a judge set bail at the time of arraignment. Thus, the District Attorney’s Office requested that Marchetti be placed on supervised released with GPS monitoring and mental health conditions. Judge Orlando ordered Marchetti to be placed on supervised released with mental health conditions. Marchetti is due back in court on July 24, 2024, and he is being represented by the Legal Aid Society.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Tara O’Donnell of the Major Crime Bureau, and the investigation was conducted by Detective Jack Balaguera of the Suffolk County Police Department’s Hate Crimes Unit.

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Children enjoy the Sgt. Paul Tuozzolo Memorial Spray Park in Elwood. Photo by Kyle Barr

In anticipation of the forecasted heat dome covering much of Long Island and the northeast this week, the Town of Huntington will put the following services and schedules for Tuesday, July 16 and Wednesday, July 17:

Cooling centers

  • The Dix Hills Ice Rink will be open from noon to 8 p.m.
  • The Town of Huntington Senior Center (Flanagan Center) will be open until 4 p.m.

Beaches: Crab Meadow, West Neck, Hobart, and Centerport Beaches will be open with stationed lifeguards until 8 p.m.

Pools: The Dix Hills pool will be open to Town Residents with ID from 12:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday – Friday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission will be free for residents during heat wave.

Spray Parks: Elwood and Manor Field Spray Parks will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Spray Parks open at 10 a.m. for children with special needs)

 

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Photo from Vanderbilt Museum

Join Biologist-Ranger Eric Powers for a Hike on the Vanderbilt Estate

Join CEED wildlife biologist-ranger Eric Powers from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for an interpretive Nature Walk on the grounds of the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

“I enjoy taking a slow easy walk through the woods as I look for tracks and listen to bird calls,” Powers said. “I feel that animals often get a little closer when we are appreciating the beauty in nature.”

Please bring water and wear sturdy footwear. Bring binoculars if you have them, and your sense of adventure!

Other Nature Walks are scheduled for August 21 and September 18.

This is an advanced hiking trail with many steep climbs and descents along a variety of mixed terrain with an elevation gain of nearly 300 feet. There will be two opportunities to cut your hike short and head back to the parking lot if you feel you or your party cannot finish the entire loop. The signs will show you the way out.

Ticks are active in the woods all year long when temperatures are above freezing. To avoid ticks, please stay on the trail. Hikers assume all risks.

Tickets are $12 per person. To reserve your spot, visit www.vanderbiltmuseum.org or click here.

 

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METRO photo

We look forward to it all year. Your kids can’t wait to be free from school and you can’t wait to sip a cool drink by the pool.

But, the sun is a powerful entity. While it is clinically proven to lift your mood and regulate your circadian rhythm, the sun is chiefly responsible for one-in-five Americans developing skin cancer by the time they are 70 — and just five sunburns can double your chances of melanoma.

So, what can we do to continue enjoying the warmth of summer, while also remaining protected? First, let’s break down the forms of skin cancer most caused by sun overexposure.

Melanoma: The most dangerous of skin cancers, it can present itself anywhere on the body. If you are seeing large brown spots with dark speckles, moles that change in color, size or feel, moles with irregular borders and portions that appear black or blue, itching and burning or dark spots on your palms, soles, fingertips or toes, you should seek out a medical professional.

Basal-cell carcinoma: The most common type of skin cancer, usually found on areas of the body most exposed to the sun. This form typically grows slowly and rarely spreads (metastasizes). However, if left untreated, it can invade nearby tissues and cause disfigurement. It often appears as a flesh-colored, scar-like or pearl-like bump and is often shiny or waxy. The edges of the lesion are typically smooth and may have a rolled border. It bleeds easily when scratched. 

Squamous-cell carcinoma: This form presents slightly differently from melanoma and basal-cell carcinoma. Squamous-cell carcinoma occurs on sun-exposed areas as a firm, red nodule or a flat lesion with a scaly, crusted surface.

Merkel-cell carcinoma: This type presents as a painless, firm bump or nodule on the skin that grows fast as a red, scaly or ulcerated area on the skin and/or a new mole that changes in size, color or shape.

Sebaceous gland carcinoma: This is a very rare but aggressive form of skin cancer that begins in the body’s oil-producing, sebaceous gland. It can often be mistaken for pink eye, as it usually starts on the eyelid, and can cause growths to ooze fluid. The cancer can also develop in hairy areas of the body due to the fact that sebum is released by the hair follicle.

Luckily, there are many ways to avoid the risks of the beating sun. Here are some tips to stay safe this year. According to Harvard Health Publishing, at Harvard Medical School:

1. Always wear sunscreen, applying it at least every two hours but do not rely on it alone. Seek shade often and whenever available. SPF 30 and up is recommended, with SPF 30 protecting against 97% of ultraviolet B rays.

2. Wear sun-protective clothing, preferably made of polyester, nylon, wool and silk, to block the UV rays.

3. Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when the sun’s rays are the strongest.

4. Be aware that some medicines and skin care products can increase your skin’s risk of UV damage. These include certain antibiotics, as well as some prescription medicines that are used to treat mental health disorders, high blood pressure, heart failure, acne and allergies. If you are taking prescription medication, and you normally spend a great deal of time outdoors, ask your health care professional whether you should take any special precautions to avoid sun exposure.

5. Early detection is key, with survival rates up to 99%, when caught. If something seems abnormal, have it checked ASAP. 

Now that you are armed with all this information, get out in the sun and have a safe but great summer.

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Police car. Stock photo

Suffolk County Police Third Squad detectives are investigating a wrong-way, head-on, motor vehicle crash that injured three people in West Islip on July 14.

Jimmy Graham was driving a 2014 Audi A8 westbound on the eastbound side of the Sunrise Highway Service Road at Malts Avenue when his vehicle crashed head-on with a 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee that was traveling eastbound at approximately 9:35 p.m.

Graham, 40, of Central Islip, was ejected from the Audi. He was transported to Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip in critical condition. A passenger in the Jeep, Chelsea Zamzam, 32, of East Northport, was transported to the same hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Her husband, and the driver of the Jeep, Bryan Zamzam, 43, also of East Northport, was transported to South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore for treatment of serious injuries.

Both vehicles were impounded for safety checks. Detectives are asking anyone with information on the crash to contact the Third Squad at 631-854-8352.

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Nassau County International Cricket Stadium at Eisenhower Park. Courtesy Don Lockerbie, T20 USA

By John Broven

The 2024 International Cricket Council Men’s T20 World Cup final, held June 29 in Barbados, featured India and South Africa. Both teams had starred locally June 3-12 in Eisenhower Park at a temporary modular facility, grandly named Nassau County International Cricket Stadium. 

The site was chosen after NIMBY opposition ruled out first-choice Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. Credit should go to Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman (R) for spotting the opportunities for the local economy and tourism. 

The eight games were blessed with almost perfect sunny cricket weather. There was a short rain delay for the key India vs. Pakistan game, which India won and effectively knocked out their intense rival from the tournament. Crowds swarmed to see their Indian and Pakistani heroes from back home. Every one of the 34,000 seats was sold within minutes of the ticket office opening, resulting in a scalpers paradise. The attendance was only slightly less for USA’s honorable defeat by ultimate tournament winners India on the concluding Wednesday. All told, more than 150,000 fans saw the Nassau stadium games.

Overlooked features of the competition included USA, a non-cricketing nation, making it to the Super Eight stage and war-torn Afghanistan progressing to the semifinals stage.

T20 cricket at Eisenhower Park 

So, how was my experience of international cricket on Long Island? Quite simply, it was wonderful. It was a joy to see top-class cricket again after many years living over here. Even with the rapid-fire T20 format, with matches hardly lasting four hours, the serenity, charm and strategy of the game came shining through. Somehow the introduction of loud recorded music was only a minor distraction.

The batting, bowling and fielding were all spellbinding on what was acknowledged to be a “slow” wicket, where the ball didn’t come quickly onto the bat. As is often said in cricket terminology, the state of the wicket was the same for both teams.

With friend Richard Tapp, who traveled all the way from England for the tournament, I had tickets for the games on Friday, June 7 (Ireland vs. Canada) and the Saturday (South Africa vs. The Netherlands). Both matches swung back and forth, with Canada edging the first game and the Netherlands almost pulling off a shock defeat after South Africa had lost their top four batsmen cheaply. 

Meet-and-greet at Westbury LIRR station

The pleasurable experience started as soon as we disembarked June 7 at Westbury station from Stony Brook. A kind gentleman on the platform led us to the shuttle bus area where we were greeted cheerily by LIRR and NICE bus officials. If there were any fears of being stuck in traffic to Eisenhower Park, they were soon dissipated when we realized that the main arteries, Post and Merrick avenues, were dedicated to bus traffic. A lady driver said that the journey would be 8 1/2 minutes — and so it was.

The spirit of the event was captured by bus passengers discussing their presence with others. There was an Indian national who failed to get tickets for the “big game,” but was attending because he wanted to experience live international cricket in the United States. He said he was a fast bowler from New Jersey and played in a cricket league on Long Island with matted pitches (as opposed to grass). A French lady, who lives now in Nassau, said she wanted to experience the occasion even though cricket is as foreign in France as it is in the United States.

After leaving the shuttle bus, we approached the ticket and check-in areas. There were nervous moments as tickets were available only electronically and then on the day of the match. Luckily, the combination of ICC’s ticketing agency and Apple’s iPhone did the job. We had taken the precaution to acquire see-through bags for check-in, but that didn’t save from the trashcan a tasty deli sandwich or a bug spray, which proved to be unnecessary anyway.

Impressive stadium

As we walked the perimeter of the vast modular stadium it was hard to believe that it had been constructed from nothing since January. This included the cricket outfield grown from Kentucky bluegrass in New Jersey and the pitches, which were prepared in Florida based on guidance from the famous Adelaide Oval in Australia. 

We were handed big red placards marked “6” — the equivalent of a baseball homerun — and “4,” which were waved vigorously whenever a boundary was struck, adding to the party-like atmosphere. 

Our seats in the East Grandstand were perfect for watching the games although there was quite a lot of stair climbing, which was quite hard on the elderly. There was no shortage of bar, food and soft drinks facilities with merch stalls, ice cream vans and, importantly, restrooms and first-aid. 

The Friday crowd was on the small side at just over 5,000 people. Although cricket is not a major game in Ireland or Canada, I had expected a larger contingent of Irish and Canadians. Saturday was much fuller, thanks to many enthusiastic South African supporters regaled in green and gold. There were quite a few Netherlands fans, too, dressed in familiar bright orange. The visible security force quietly kept order throughout. Indeed, good humor pervaded at all times among the attendees reflecting the uniqueness of the event.

A touching moment before each game was the competitors’ two huge national flags being unfurled across half the ground by local schoolchildren dressed smartly in white.

There was a strong local connection with T20 USA venue development director, Don Lockerbie, being the son of Bruce Lockerbie, former dean of faculty at The Stony Brook School. 

The future of U.S. cricket

Cricket is seemingly destined to be a minnow sport in the U.S., but there’s no doubt that the Long Island T20 series did the game proud — more so than the matches held in Dallas and a weather-hit Florida. As expected, the coverage by the national media was spotty, but credit to the New York Times, News12 and Newsday for their reporting. I think the New Yorker’s doubting headline “If you build it (a cricket stadium on Long Island) will they come?” was well-answered in the affirmative.

English-born John Broven, of East Setauket, is an award-winning American music history author and a copyeditor with TBR News Media. This article is a follow-up to “International cricket coming to Long Island” (Feb. 29).

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Whole Foods Market

New store features more than 2,000 local products from 400+ Northeast-based suppliers

Whole Foods Market has announced that it will open a new 43,916-square-foot store, located at 350 Walt Whitman Road, Huntington Station in the Huntington Shopping Center, on Wednesday, July 17 at 8 a.m. This will be the Northeast Region’s 98th store and 7th location on Long Island.

“The store’s design emphasizes simplicity and modernity, incorporating elements reminiscent of the bay area’s fluidity and the neighborhood’s commuter heritage,” said the company in a press release, adding that the store’s product assortment features more than 2,000 local products from 400+ Northeast-based suppliers.

On opening morning, customers will enjoy coffee from Sail Away Coffee Co., muffins from Abe’s and a sunflower photo station from Tucker Farms. The first 300 customers in line will receive a limited-edition Huntington Station tote bag and a Secret Saver coupon featuring offers up to $100 off. Features of the Huntington Station store include:

  • Curated grocery section filled with exclusive brand favorites and local products, including new to Whole Foods Market suppliers L’Isolina Pasta, The White Moustache, Don Carvajal Café and La Rossi Pizza, which will be exclusive to the Huntington Station location. Existing local favorites will include Vista Hermosa Tortillas, Family Farmstead Dairy, Heidelberg Bread, Oliver’s Organic Eggs and Adirondack Ice Cream.
  • An array of certified organic, conventional and Sourced for Good produce, plus offerings from more than 11 local farms and suppliers, including local sunflowers and floral bunches from Tucker Farms and Cranbury Fields, Rubi tomatoes from Oishii, and packaged salads from Satur Farms.
  • Specialty department dedicated to celebrating cheesemakers and artisan producers, including 20 local suppliers. Local items include fresh mozzarella from Lioni Laticini, sauces from Gotham Greens, and ricotta from Calabro Cheese. The cheese counter will be overseen by trained cheesemongers and a Certified Cheese Professional who can offer recommendations for any occasion and create custom boards.
  • Full-service seafood counter featuring locally and globally sourced seafood and a large selection of Ready to Cook and Ready to Eat Seafood. Local options include oysters from West Robins Oyster Company, smoked salmon from Catsmo Artisan Smokehouse, and seafood cakes from Lagniappe Foods. All offerings are either sustainable wild-caught or Responsibly Farmed.
  • Full-service meat counter, with butchers available to cut steaks and poultry to order. Local options include pork from Briar Woods Farms, smoked cooked cured chicken sausages from Bilinski’s, and cured salami items from Brooklyn Cured.
  • Extensive selection of more than 300 craft beers, including 40 local suppliers. Local options include Money IPA from Barrier Brewing, Sun Up IPA from TALEA Beer Co., and Rose Cider from Sand City Brewing.
  • A Prepared Foods department featuring a hot bar, salad bar and fresh pizza. Customers can also shop for made-to-order sandwiches and rotisserie chicken.
  • Bakery department offering bread baked fresh daily as well as everyday favorites, such as Whole Foods Market’s Berry Chantilly Cake and brown butter chocolate chip cookies. The department also carries a wide variety of special diet items. Local offerings include pastries from Balthazar, pita bread from Angel Bakeries, and muffins from Abe’s.
  • Wellness & Beauty section featuring more than 300 local products from 40 local suppliers. Local products include ginger shots from Annie’s Ginger Elixir and soap bars from RAD Soap Co.

To give back to the community, Whole Foods Market has partnered with local suppliers and organizations, including Helping Hands Rescue Mission, Long Island Cares, and Island Harvest. On opening day, Whole Foods Market will donate a Nourishing Our Neighborhoods van to We All We Got, Inc., along with $3,000 in products as part of the Stuff the Van event.

Prime members who shop at Whole Foods Market have access to a number of benefits year-round, including deep discounts on select popular products each week and an additional 10% off hundreds of in-store sale items. Additionally, customers can pay in-store with their palm using Amazon One or with the Whole Foods Market or Amazon app.

Founded in 1980, Austin-based Whole Foods Market is part of Amazon’s Worldwide Grocery Stores and serves customers in more than 530 stores across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. Other locations on Long Island include Lake Grove, Commack, Garden City, Manhasset, Massapequa Park and Jericho.

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Scene from the Northport lacrosse alumni game on July 6, 2024. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Scene from the Northport lacrosse alumni game on July 6, 2024. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Scene from the Northport lacrosse alumni game on July 6, 2024. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Scene from the Northport lacrosse alumni game on July 6, 2024. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Scene from the Northport lacrosse alumni game on July 6, 2024. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Scene from the Northport lacrosse alumni game on July 6, 2024. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Scene from the Northport lacrosse alumni game on July 6, 2024. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Scene from the Northport lacrosse alumni game on July 6, 2024. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Scene from the Northport lacrosse alumni game on July 6, 2024. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Scene from the Northport lacrosse alumni game on July 6, 2024. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Scene from the Northport lacrosse alumni game on July 6, 2024. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Scene from the Northport lacrosse alumni game on July 6, 2024. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Scene from the Northport lacrosse alumni game on July 6, 2024. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Scene from the Northport lacrosse alumni game on July 6, 2024. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Scene from the Northport lacrosse alumni game on July 6, 2024. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Scene from the Northport lacrosse alumni game on July 6, 2024. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Scene from the Northport lacrosse alumni game on July 6, 2024. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Scene from the Northport lacrosse alumni game on July 6, 2024. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Scene from the Northport lacrosse alumni game on July 6, 2024. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Scene from the Northport lacrosse alumni game on July 6, 2024. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Scene from the Northport lacrosse alumni game on July 6, 2024. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Scene from the Northport lacrosse alumni game on July 6, 2024. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Scene from the Northport lacrosse alumni game on July 6, 2024. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Scene from the Northport lacrosse alumni game on July 6, 2024. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Northport lacrosse coach Billy Cordts (left) and his brother Tommy. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Dan McNaughton and his son Dylan both played at the alumni game. Photo by Steven Zaitz

By Steven Zaitz

Northport High School lacrosse stars took the field on July 6  in a friendly battle between Tigers past and present in a jovial but competitive alumni game.

Spanning five decades of Tiger grads, the White team held on for an 8-7 victory over the Blue team in front of an enthusiastic crowd of about 100 fans. But on this salty, sticky afternoon, it was more about the camaraderie than the game result.

“It’s important to have guys who have played here at different times to make connections, have some fun and bond with each other,” said head coach Billy Cordts, Class of 2003, who organized the event with help from the Northport Boys Lacrosse Booster Club.

“We tried to plan this well in advance so guys who are scattered all over the country can plan their annual Northport trip around the alumni game, and the turnout was great. I think that speaks to our program, a program that prides itself on the brotherhood that is Northport lacrosse,” Cordts added.

Brotherhood was the order of the day as Quinn Napolitano, who just graduated from Northport High School and was the team’s starting goalkeeper, was in the nets for the Blue team. His brother Shaun, Class of 2016, was on his team as a defender, and his other brother Ryan, Class of 2012, playing for the White team, scored two goals against his younger brother early on, as the White team jumped out to a 5-0 lead.

“I should have stopped those two against Ryan,” said Quinn, who led the Tigers to the Suffolk County finals this past June. “But it was special sharing the field with my brothers. They started peppering me with tennis balls in the backyard since I was little, so they really helped me get to where I am today. Playing with them and some of the older guys was great, and I’m excited to play in this game next year.” 

Nick, Anthony and Vin DeCeglia (2013, 2015 and 2017) were another trio of brothers who suited up, and Cordts’ own brother Tommy, Class of 2011, started in goal for White.

But the one family tie that got perhaps the most attention was that of Dylan and Dan McNaughton. Dylan, Class of 2022, a bruising linebacker, power forward, lacrosse midfielder and nine-time varsity letterman, is going into his junior year at Indiana University. He took the field with his father, Dan, Class of 1982, who coached Dylan in his youth in basketball, baseball, football and lacrosse.

“I never thought I’d be able to play with my dad in an actual game,” said Dylan, who won the Suffolk County basketball title in 2021 over heavily favored Brentwood and was a member of the Tiger lacrosse team that beat Syosset a few months later to win the Long Island championship. “This was an amazing experience, and I hope we can do it again next year,” he added.

Dan McNaughton started the game as an attackman for Blue with Billy Cordts watching his every move. The father played the first 10 minutes or so and watched from the sidelines the rest of the way.

“I had a good scoring chance, so I’m happy,” Dan said. “I played in the first-ever alumni game in 1986 or ’87, and I also remember playing in it when Dylan was just a baby, and my mother was rolling him around in a stroller on the sidelines. Those were fun times when I could move around better. These guys out here today are fast.”

For the record, Dylan McNaughton, a finance and accounting major at Indiana University, is now 6 feet, 3 inches tall and 225 pounds of muscle.

So much fun

Another impressive and muscular specimen who was marauding all over the field for the Blue team was Class of 2015’s Austin Henningsen. The faceoff ace played for the 2017 Maryland Terrapins team that won the NCAA championship and is one in a long line of fabulous Northport faceoff men. He is currently serving in the U.S. Coast Guard and, as ferocious a player as he is on the field, he was as gracious off of it.

“This game was so much fun to play in,” Henningsen said. “It gives us a chance to play with the great players that recently graduated and the guys that I grew up playing with. In Northport, we’ve had so much support from the parents and the community on both boys and girls sides. I’m proud to be a part of it.”

Aside from goalkeeper Napolitano, 2024 grads Ryan Cash, Luca Elmaleh, Jack Maisch, Tim McLam and long-stick All-American Giancarlo Valenti also played. Late in the game, Valenti marched through a tired Blue defense to score a goal in the fourth quarter. Recently graduated stars like Nick Tzimas, Tyler Kuprianchik, Jonathan Alfiero and Jack Helrigel suited up for White. Tim Kirchner, Matt Webb, Michael Meyer and Luke Lamendola played for Blue.

Lamendola, Class of 2022, who attends the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia, is still involved with lacrosse not only as a player but as an ambassador of its safety.

“I’m studying industrial design, and one of the things I’m interested in doing is designing a safer helmet,” said Lamendola, who was in goal for the Tigers most recent Long Island championship in 2022. “Reducing head injuries in lacrosse has always been a passion of mine.”

The team that won the New York State championship 21 years earlier in 2001 was well-represented on Saturday. Seniors on that team in attendance were Jimmy Taylor, Brian Amen and Jeremy Kahn. One of their teammates that magical year was a sophomore named Billy Cordts.

“I really looked up those guys and tried to emulate them back then,” Cordts said. “Playing with them again almost 25 years later, along with the guys who are just starting out in the world, is really a full-circle kind of thing for me.”

Despite blowing its big lead, White held on for the one-goal win, and the players and their families shared a sweaty group hug near the middle of the field. Selfies and laughs were shared as the group retired to Napper Tandy’s for a post-game celebration to reminisce about old times, revel about the game and look forward to next year when they can take the field with each other once again.

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METRO photo

By Daniel Dunaief

The Food and Drug Administration last week approved donanemab, or Kisunla, an intravenous treatment for early stage Alzheimer’s disease, adding a second medication for mild stages of a disease that robs people of memory and cognitive function.

Nikhil Palekar, Medical Director of the Stony Brook Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease and Director of the Stony Brook Alzheimer’s Disease Clinical Trials Program. Photo courtesy Stony Brook Medicine/Jeanne Neville

The monoclonal antibody drug from Eli Lilly joins Leqembi from drug makers Eisai and Biogen as ways to reduce the characteristic amyloid plaques that are often used to diagnose Alzheimer’s.

While the medications offer ways to slow but do not stop or reverse Alzheimer’s and come with potential significant side effects, doctors welcomed the treatment options for patients who are at risk of cognitive decline.

Dr. Nikhil Palekar, Medical Director of the Stony Brook Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease and Director of the Stony Brook Alzheimer’s Disease Clinical Trials Program, has been in the field for about two decades.

“Only in the last three years have I finally become quite optimistic” about new treatments, said Palekar, who is a consultant for Eisai. “We’ve had so many failures in the last few decades” with the current medications targeting the core pathologies.

That optimism comes at a time when more people in the United States and around the world are likely to deal with diseases that affect the elderly, as the number of people in the United States who are 85 and older is expected to double in the next 10 years.

The rates of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia is about 13 percent for people between 75 and 84 and is 33 percent for people over 85 according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

The Alzheimer’s Association issued a statement welcoming the addition of Kisunla to the medical arsenal.

“This is real progress,” Joanne Pike, Alzheimer’s Association president and CEO, said in a statement. The approval “allows people more options and greater opportunity to have more time.”

To be sure, Leqembi, which was approved in June of 2023 and Kisunla aren’t a guarantee for improvement and come with some potentially significant side effects.

Some patients had a risk of developing so-called amyloid-related imaging abnormalities, which includes brain edema, or ARIA-E or hemorrhaging, or ARIA-H in the brain.

ARIA can resolve on its own, but can, in rare cases, become severe and life-threatening.

Patients taking these medications receive regular monitoring, including MRI’s before various additional treatments.

Patients are “monitored carefully” before infusions to “go over symptom checklists to make sure they don’t have neurological symptoms,” said Palekar. “If they have any symptoms, the next step is to head to the closest emergency room to get an MRI of the brain, which is the only way to know if a side effect is causing symptoms.”

Nonetheless, under medical supervision, patients who took the medication as a part of clinical trials showed a progressive reduction in amyloid plaques up to 84 percent at 18 months compared to their baseline.

The benefits for Leqembi, which is given every two weeks, and Kisunla, which is administered every four weeks, were similar in terms of slowing the effect of cognitive decline, said Dr. Marc Gordon, Chief of Neurology at Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks.

“Neither of them is a cure for Alzheimer’s,” said Gordon. “These medications are not a home run, but at least we’re on base.”

Not eligible

Not everyone is eligible to take these monoclonal antibody treatments.

These drugs are not available for people who have progressed beyond the mild stage of the disease. Clinicians advised those who are showing potential signs of Alzheimer’s to visit their doctors before the disease progresses beyond the point where these drugs might help.

Additionally, people on blood thinners, such as Eliquis, Coumadin, and Warfarin, can not take these drugs because a micro bleed could become a larger hemorrhage.

People who have an active malignant cancer also can’t take these drugs, nor can anyone who has had a reaction to these treatments in the past. The people who might likely know of an allergic reaction to these drugs are those who participated in clinical trials.

Doctors monitor their patients carefully when they administer new drugs and have epinephrine on hand in case of an allergic reaction.

Patients with two alleles – meaning from both parents – of a variant called APOE ε4 have a higher incidence of ARIA, including symptomatic, serious and severe AIRA, compared to those with one allele or non-carriers. 

If patients have this variant on both alleles, which occurs in about 15 percent of Alzheimer’s patients, Gordon and Palekar both counsel patients not to take the drug.

“We don’t think the risk is acceptable” for this patient population, Gordon said.

Ultimately, Palekar believes patients, their doctors and their families need to make informed calculations about the risks and benefits of any treatment, including for Alzheimer’s.

Beyond drugs

Palekar added that recent studies have also shown that an increase in physical exercise and activity, such as aerobic activity three times a week for 45 minutes each time, can “significantly help in patients with cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease,” he said.

After consulting with a physician to ensure that such activity is safe, patients can use a stationary bike or take walks which can benefit their bodies and their brains.

Additionally, various diets, such as the mind diet that combines the mediterranean diet and the DASH diet, which emphasize eating green leafy vegetables and berries among other things, can benefit the brain as well.

Patients also improve their cognitive health by continuing mental activity through games as well as by retaining social connections to friends, family and members of the community.

Like many other people, Palekar witnessed the ravages of Alzheimer’s first hand. As a teenager, he saw his aunt, who was smart, caring and loving, stare out the window without being able to communicate and engage in conversation as she battled the disease.

As a condition involving amyloid plaques, tau proteins, and inflammation, Alzheimer’s disease may require a combination of treatments that address the range of causes.

“There’s going to be a combined therapy,” said Gordon. “Just like when we’re treating cancer, we don’t have just one drug. It’s going to be important to figure out the sequencing and whether drugs are given sequentially or cumulatively. It has to be a multi-faceted approach.”

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