Huntington girl's basketball vs. Smithtown East 2/6/25. Photo by Steve Zaitz
Sabrina Boyle jumps with the ball. Photo by Steve Zaitz
Huntington girl's basketball vs. Smithtown East 2/6/25. Photo by Steve Zaitz
Huntington girl's basketball vs. Smithtown East 2/6/25. Photo by Steve Zaitz
Huntington girl's basketball vs. Smithtown East 2/6/25. Photo by Steve Zaitz
Huntington girl's basketball vs. Smithtown East 2/6/25. Photo by Steve Zaitz
Huntington girl's basketball vs. Smithtown East 2/6/25. Photo by Steve Zaitz
Huntington girl's basketball vs. Smithtown East 2/6/25. Photo by Steve Zaitz
Huntington girl's basketball vs. Smithtown East 2/6/25. Photo by Steve Zaitz
Smithtown East's Meredith Brennan blocks Huntington's Ava McDonald. Photo by Steve Zaitz
Huntington girl's basketball vs. Smithtown East 2/6/25. Photo by Steve Zaitz
Huntington girl's basketball vs. Smithtown East 2/6/25. Photo by Steve Zaitz
Huntington girl's basketball vs. Smithtown East 2/6/25. Photo by Steve Zaitz
Huntington girl's basketball vs. Smithtown East 2/6/25. Photo by Steve Zaitz
Huntington girl's basketball vs. Smithtown East 2/6/25. Photo by Steve Zaitz
Huntington girl's basketball vs. Smithtown East 2/6/25. Photo by Steve Zaitz
Huntington girl's basketball vs. Smithtown East 2/6/25. Photo by Steve Zaitz
Huntington girl's basketball vs. Smithtown East 2/6/25. Photo by Steve Zaitz
Huntington girl's basketball vs. Smithtown East 2/6/25. Photo by Steve Zaitz
Huntington girl's basketball vs. Smithtown East 2/6/25. Photo by Steve Zaitz
Huntington girl's basketball vs. Smithtown East 2/6/25. Photo by Steve Zaitz
By Steve Zaitz
The Huntington girls basketball team scored a 51-37 victory over Smithtown East last Thursday, Feb. 6 in the regular season finale for both teams.
Senior guard Sabrina Boyle had 20 points and senior forward Lauren Donaghy had 16 to lead the Lady Blue Devils to the win.Improving to 9-3 in conference play, they finished tied for second place in League III with Hills East. The Suffolk County playoffs begin on Feb 13.
Smithtown East finished the season at 8-11 and did not qualify for the playoffs. Freshman guard Ava Giordano had 17 points for the Lady Red Bulls.
This month, Stony Brook University anticipates the induction of a new president: an exciting time for students. Who will this new leader be and how will they shape the school? What do they have planned for the bustling university? What expertise do they bring?
Simultaneously, the fate of the monetary foundation of SBU’s research is uncertain. The new president will be stepping into the role amidst changes that would redefine the school’s research aspirations. New York had previously received $5 billion in funds from the National Institutes of Health–an amount that was cut on Monday. The move was blocked by a federal judge after 22 states, including New York, filed a lawsuit against it.
“[The policy] will devastate critical public health research at universities and research institutions in the United States. Without relief from NIH’s action, these institutions’ cutting edge work to cure and treat human disease will grind to a halt,” the lawsuit reads.
The plan creates ambiguities on a local level as institutions envision a future without millions in funding. The SUNY system’s downstate flagship university is not excluded. “From working to cure Alzheimer’s disease to improving cancer outcomes, from supporting 9/11 first responders to detecting brain aneurysms, your research is essential to our national security and economic leadership. NIH’s cuts represent an existential threat to public health.” SUNY Chancellor John King wrote in a statement released on Monday.
As much as 60% of the NIH grant budget can be devoted to indirect costs such as infrastructure and maintenance. These costs, known as facilities and administrative costs, help support research and would be lowered to 15%. “[The plan] will cost SUNY research an estimated $79 million for current grants, including more than $21 million over just the next five months.” King wrote.
The new president will be juggling the specific priorities of Stony Brook while navigating federal legalities of policies that will undoubtedly affect one of the institution’s major focuses, research. As president, they will have the power to shape the university in momentous ways, leaving their trace for years to come just as previous presidents have. They will also have to adapt to federal directives. The current changes on the national educational stage would put pressure on any university president and could affect the economy of surrounding areas, particularly as the university is the largest single-site employer on Long Island.. As we await the announcement of this new leader, who will have to navigate national funding in addition to the countless other challenges of assuming the top job, we recognize that their success is our success.
Florence Aghomo in Madagascar. Photo courtesy Florence Aghomo
By Daniel Dunaief
Don’t say “no” to Florence Aghomo.
A graduate student at Stony Brook University who was born and raised in Cameroon, Aghomo’s ability to get past no, don’t, and shouldn’t led to a continent-hoping life complete with a recent compelling discovery in the rainforest of Madagascar.
Working on her PhD research in the laboratory of Distinguished Professor Patricia Wright, Aghomo went north in Ranomafana National Park when almost every other researcher has gone south in the national park. She was searching for a type of lemur called the Milne-Edwards’s Sifaka when she came upon a large hole on a steep surface.
The fossilized hippo bones, including a tusk and a mandible. Photo courtesy Patricia Wright
She suggested to her guide that it was a cave. Her guide insisted she was wrong. When she spoke with Wright, her advisor also was unconvinced.
Aghomo, however, was sure that what she saw was similar to the caves she studied in the class of Adjunct Lecturer Dominic Stratford, who has a dual position at Wits University in South Africa.
In November, several months after Aghomo’s initial discovery, a team of scientists trekked into the remote part of the rainforest in the north.
“It’s very, very difficult terrain,” Wright said.
The group found 13 caves, one of which, to their amazement, contained fossilized bones.
“This is impossible,” Wright recalled thinking. “Bones don’t fossilize in the rainforest. Everyone knows that.”
But, as the evidence suggested, they can and they do.
The researchers initially thought the unexpected bones were a pig.
“I’m saying, ‘No, it’s not a wild pig,’” said Wright. “That is a hippopotamus. They couldn’t believe it.”
Indeed, while three species of pygmy hippopotami have been discovered in parts of the island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent, none have been discovered in the rainforest.
Once the group at Centre ValBio, the research station in Ranomofana National Park run by Wright, confirmed the discovery, Wright immediately took two actions.
First, she wrote to Stratford.
“This is what we found and it is your fault for teaching Florence how to look for a cave,” Wright said. “It’s your responsibility to come over and help us. I’m not a paleontologist and you are.”
Stratford described the first few weeks after the discovery as frantic, as he had to grade papers, apply for a visa and make complicated travel plans – all before any possible rain washed away this remarkable discovery.
Stratford was thrilled with the finding.
“It was great to know that something you teach at Stony Brook University in the middle of the Northeast has helped somebody make a discovery on the other side of the planet in a rainforest,” said Stratford. The discovery “couldn’t be further away from where we are right now, sitting here in the snow.”
She Wright also wrote to the Leakey Foundation to secure emergency funds to bring experts to the area quickly before the rainy season threatened to wash away this remarkable find.
“This was a really great opportunity to use these emergency funds and is exactly the kinds of things we want to do,” said Carol Ward, co-chair of the Scientific Executive Committee for Paleoanthropology at the Leakey Foundation. “To find a cave system in this rainforest that’s preserving these fossils is really special.”
Acidic rainforest soils make the discovery of fossils in these areas rare.
Seeing the bones
Once Aghomo was able to see the fossilized bones, Wright appreciated the variety of information they these fossils might contain.
The bones had a mandible with molars that “look like flowers,” Wright said. “They had a really nice wear pattern.”
Based on the amount of wear on the teeth, Wright estimates that the individual hippo might have been a young adult when it died.
The collection of bones also included a tusk and several leg bones.
Stratford, who helped carefully excavate the bones with researchers from the University of Antananrivo (Tana), believes this pygmy hippo likely died in the cave. He is hopeful that they might find other parts of the same hippo’s skeleton that got washed into different parts of the cave.
Relatively speaking, this hippo has a smaller cranium and longer legs than similar species on the island nation. Wright suspects that the hippo is a different species from the three that have been categorized in Madagascar.
The bones are sitting in a refrigerator at CVB and Wright hopes to bring them to Stony Brook by some time around May, when Stratford and others might be able to examine them.
Researchers are hoping to answer several questions about the animal, including the age of the fossil as well as the food in its diet based on whatever they can extract from the teeth.
Searching other caves
Researchers, meanwhile, have discovered a tusk from another hippo in another nearby cave.
Wright is excited about the possibility of finding other fossilized bones in caves created by granite boulders that tumbled down a steep slope. Some of the caves have water running at the bottom of them, which can be meters down from their entrance. Scientists used ropes to descend into the caves.
Wright, who has won a range of awards from her research on these quirky lemurs and was the subject of the Morgan Freeman-narrated film “Island of Lemurs: Madagascar,”believes some of these caves may reveal a whole new set of fossil lemurs.
Wright hopes to return to Madagascar next summer to do the rest of the excavation with paleontologists.
As for Aghomo, the eagerness to blaze her own trail that led her to find these caves in an isolated area is part of a lifelong pattern in which persistence and a willingness to follow difficult paths has paid off.
When she was younger, Aghomo wanted to work in the forest. Her father, Jean-Marie Fodjou, however, suggested such difficult physical work might not be especially challenging for a woman.
Her father didn’t think she would be comfortable walking distances in difficult terrain, crossing rivers, and carrying heavy loads.
Aghomo, however, recognized that it’s “something I want to do.”
The path to Stony Brook wasn’t immediate either. The first year she applied to the graduate program, she sent her application to the wrong department.
In her second year, she was accepted in the Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences but found it difficult to get a visa. Finally, in her third year, she was accepted and received her visa.
This past December, Aghomo won the Young Women in Conservation Biology Award from the Society for Conservation Biology, which recognizes the work of young women in Africa who advance conservation biology.
Recently, Aghomo was back home with her father, who is “so proud of me.”
While she didn’t listen to his advice about staying out of the rainforest, he is pleased that he urged her to pursue her interests to the best of her ability.
“He told me, ‘Do it as well as you can,’” said Aghomo.
Despite the challenge of trekking to parts of a Madagascar rainforest that others don’t generally visit, of following her own path into the forest and of persisting in her efforts to start a PhD program at Stony Brook, Aghomo remains committed to following her own path.
She is hopeful that the discovery of fossils in a few caves in Madagascar leads to additional searches in other rainforests.
After this finding, perhaps paleoanthropologists will “think of searching in Central African countries for fossils.”
As for Ward, she believes the fossilized bones from an extinct species might provide information about human interactions with the world and climate and environmental change that “we might learn from today. There might be lessons about what’s happening now that [we can get] buy looking at what happened in the past.”
Doherty Enterprises-owned Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar restaurants on Long Island announced the official launch of their 9th annual Above and “BEE”yond Teacher Essay Contest. The annual essay contest celebrates outstanding teachers, nominated by their students, by awarding each a $500 sponsorship check and hosting a special end-of-year class party.
The essay contest is open at participating Applebee’s restaurants on Long Island that are owned and operated by local franchisee, Doherty Enterprises (see complete list of participating restaurants below).
This spring, four exceptional educators – two from Nassau County and two from Suffolk County – will each receive a $500 sponsorship check to enhance their classrooms for the 2025-2026 school year. Additionally, the winning teachers will enjoy a celebratory end-of-year party with their current class!*
To participate in the contest, students are invited to submit an essay in person at their local Applebee’s, detailing why their teacher should be named Applebee’s “Teacher of the Year.” Elementary school students are asked to write a ½ page essay, while middle and high school students must submit a 500-word essay explaining why their teacher stands out.
As an added bonus, all students who submit an essay will be rewarded with a free ice cream certificate for future use.
Each student may submit only one essay, and entries will be accepted at participating Applebee’s locations through Sunday, March 16, with a strict deadline of 10 pm ET. Winners will be announced on Friday, April 18, and the class parties will take place in June. If class parties are not feasible, they will be substituted with two Dinner for Four certificates for the student who wrote the winning essay.
“We’re excited to kick off the ninth annual Above and ‘BEE’yond Teacher Essay Contest at our Long Island Applebee’s locations,” said Brian McDonnell, director of operations for Doherty Enterprises’ Applebee’s Long Island. “It’s an honor to celebrate the incredible teachers who dedicate themselves to shaping young minds. This contest gives students the opportunity to highlight the lasting impact their teachers have made while shining a spotlight on the educators who go above and beyond every day.”
Applebee’s Above and “BEE”yond Teacher Essay Contest entries will be accepted at the following Applebee’s locations owned and operated by Doherty Enterprises on Long Island:
Nassau County: Baldwin, Bellmore, Bethpage, Elmont, New Hyde Park, Rosedale, Valley Stream, and Westbury.
Suffolk County: Bohemia, Brentwood, Commack, Deer Park, East Farmingdale, East Islip, Farmingville, Lake Grove, Lindenhurst, Miller Place, Patchogue, Riverhead, and Shirley.
Two winners will be selected from both Nassau and Suffolk counties. Prizes are subject to change. If end-of-year parties are not viable, class parties will be replaced with two Dinner for Four certificates.
Valentine’s Day isn’t just about love, it’s also about stories. But are stories really like the ones we see in movies and read in books?
This Valentine’s Day TBR News Media chose to ask the people of Long Island about the moment they fell in love and took a better look at the movies of peoples’ lives
Pamela and Vincent Giglio
Pamela and Vincent Giglio of Northport
Pamela and Vincent met in August, 1977 at a club called the Penrod in East Meadow when “disco was really big”. After parting ways, they then ran into each other again three weeks later at another club and the rest is history. They will be celebrating their 45th anniversary this summer and will be spending this Valentine’s day with their new grandchild.
Brian and Josette Lebowitz
Brian and Josette Lebowitz of East Setauket
Josette and Brian met on a blind date that was set up by a mutual friend. They married in October of 2019 and will be spending the upcoming holiday with their family.
Taly D. and Leron D. of South Setauket
Taly and Leron met on a Jewish dating website called JDate. The two plan to celebrate this Valentine’s day early and casually.
Mary and Pete Mantia
Mary and Pete Mantia of Patchogue
Mary and Pete met in a supermarket just after Pete had finished serving in Vietnam. They will be spending this Valentine’s day in the city with their family and friends.
Diane and Jeremy Flint of East Setauket
Diane and Jeremy met in the sunshine state of Florida while playing in an adult coed soccer team. They later married in Iceland before moving to Long Island to start a family. They plan on spending Valentine’s day as a family by making heart-shaped pizzas and sweet treats.
HappyValentine’s Day from Times Beacon Record News Media!
Students from Great Neck South Middle School, left, and Ward Melville High School during their final Science Bowl matches that secured their first-place wins. Photos by David Rahner and Kevin Coughlin/BNL
Both teams will compete for the National Science Bowl title in April
Bright minds from Great Neck South Middle School and Ward Melville High School won first place at regional middle and high school Science Bowls — fast-paced question-and-answer academic competitions — hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton on Jan. 30 and Jan. 31.
The Science Bowl tests students’ knowledge on a range of science disciplines including chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics, astronomy, earth, and computer science.
The teams’ first place wins secured them an all-expense-paid trip to the National Science Bowl, where they’ll compete with students from around the country. The National Science Bowl is scheduled to take place from April 24 to April 28 near Washington, D.C.
“The regional Science Bowl competition brings together some of the best and brightest STEM students from our region. We must inspire these students by highlighting career pathways and training opportunities, setting them on the path to become the next generation of STEM professionals,” said competition coordinator Amanda Horn, an educator with Brookhaven’s Workforce Development and Science Education Office.
The winning teams also received a banner to hang in their schools, the top four teams received trophies, and the top three received medals. The first-place high school team won $500 and the second-place team won $250. All prizes and giveaways are courtesy of the event’s sponsors, Brookhaven Science Associates and Teachers Federal Credit Union.
Middle School Science Bowl Top Four
Great Neck South Middle’s first-place team, from left to right, Diane Caplain (coach), Zale Zhang, Nathan Li, Ryan Tsai, Leeann Lee, and Nathan Wong (coach). Photo by David Rahner/Brookhaven National Laboratory
The regional middle school Science Bowl on Jan. 30 was open to schools from Long Island and New York City.
Team members from Great Neck South Middle School spent hours the day before the middle school competition studying as much as they could, said student Ryan Tsai. Each team member specialized in a different subject.
“I would like to thank the math people for doing math,” said Tsai, who focused on chemistry questions.
Looking ahead to the National Science Bowl, captain Nathan Li added, “We’re looking forward to not getting last place and also just having a good time.”
First Place: Great Neck South MS (Team 1)
Second Place: Hunter College MS
Third Place: Paul J. Gelinas JHS
Fourth Place: R.C. Murphy JHS
High School Science Bowl Top Four
Ward Melville High School’s winning team, from left to right, Philip Medina (coach), Harry Gao, Anna Xing, Sean Skinner, Jason Yin, and Gunes Sunar. Photo by Kevin Coughlin/BNL
Ward Melville Senior High School is sending a team to the National Science Bowl for the third straight year.
To prepare for the regional high school competition on Jan. 31, the team studied even more than they did last year since two previous members graduated since then, said captain Sean Skinner. They also practiced how to buzz in to answer questions as fast as possible, he said.
“Most of us have read a textbook cover to cover in our main fields,” Skinner said, noting that each team member specialized in a subject or two. He added that he was happy with the teamwork Ward Melville showed. “Everyone was really positive and focused; that was awesome to see,” Skinner said. “I think my favorite thing is working together with other people to solve a problem that goes between both of your skills.”
First Place: Ward Melville Senior HS
Second Place: Great Neck South HS
Third Place: Roslyn High School
Fourth Place: General Douglas MacArthur Senior High School
Encouraging STEM participation
Science Bowl competitors learned about research happening at Brookhaven Lab straight from scientists, engineers, and postdoctoral researchers at the STEM Expo. (David Rahner/Brookhaven National Laboratory)
Both competitions kicked off with an introduction to Brookhaven Lab’s role as one of 17 DOE national laboratories and its unique facilities that aid researchers in making groundbreaking discoveries.
Gary Olson, deputy site manager at the DOE-Brookhaven Site Office, encouraged students and their teachers to explore STEM training opportunities available through DOE programs.
“We need your minds. We need your inputs. We need your collaboration with your peers who are sitting next to you, in front of you and behind you to make those world-class discoveries, those scientific leaps of sorts, those transformational things, whatever they may be,” Olson said.
Students also heard from two early-career scientists at Brookhaven Lab about their areas of research.
Amie Dobracki of the Environmental and Climate Sciences Department shared with middle schools why researchers study aerosols and their impacts, and how the tiny particles are key ingredients in the formation of clouds.
Success! These middle school students quickly cracked codes to unlock treats during the STEM Challenge. (David Rahner/Brookhaven National Laboratory)
Ejiro Umaka of the Physics Department explained how sPHENIX, one of two detectors that captures particle collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, a DOE Office of Science User facility for nuclear physics research at Brookhaven, helps scientists further understand the nature of matter in our early universe.
During a STEM Expo organized by the Lab’s Workforce Development and Science Education Office, students were the ones asking questions. Scientists from across the Lab’s disciplines offered demonstrations that revealed the basic principles of vacuum chambers, electron beams, software that operates instrumentation used to view materials at the nanoscale, and more.
Science Bowl competitors also toured the National Synchrotron Light Source II, a DOE Office of Science User facility at Brookhaven.
Teams that did not move on to the competition’s final double elimination rounds had the chance to further test their know-how at a STEM Challenge. They quickly put their minds together to solve puzzles that revealed codes to unlock boxes filled with treats. The teams with the fastest times won gift bags.
Middle school STEM Challenge results:First Place: New Hyde Park Memorial High School;Second Place: Great Neck South Middle School (Team 2); Third Place: Plainedge Middle School
High school STEM Challenge results: First Place: Lindenhurst High School; Second Place: Long Beach High School; Third Place: Jericho High Schoo
Brookhaven National Laboratory is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit science.energy.gov.
Kingston Strouse makes a move on Smithtown East's John Zummo. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Dylan Tuthill in blue battles Andrew Arnone of Smithtown East. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Dylan Tuthill has a hold of Copiague's Alex Arvalo
Andreas Rivera grabs a hold of Newfield's Khriztophe Gonzalez. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Tiger wrestler Cinar Erken against Finley Connolly of Smithtown East. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Andrew Kennedy with a flying start on Copiague's Desmond Conley. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Andrew Kennedy grapples with Copiague's Desmond Conley. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Lucas Rivera is over the top of Luciano Antonelli. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Ryan Muller flips Evam Nunez of Newfield. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Lucas Rivera and Luciano Antonelli. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Lucas Rivera v Luciano Antonelli. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Ryan Muller of Northport and Matthew McDermott. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Dylan Tuthill won his 124 pound weight class. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Dylan Tuthill fends off Andrew Arnone. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Andrew Kennedy has a grip. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Peyton Hamada took second place at 160 lbs. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Coach Chris Posillico helps Kingston Strouse to his corner. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Kingston Strouse in the final 152 lb match against North Babylon's Jack Miller. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Kingston Strouse (yellow) in the 152 pound, League III final against Jack Miller of North Babylon. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Kingston Strouse wrestles Smithtown East's John Zummo. Photo by Steven Zaitz
By Steven Zaitz
On Wednesday, Feb. 5, Northport High School wrestler Kingston Strouse was playing his saxophone in 9th period band class when the senior was asked to report to Athletic Director Mark Dantuono’s office.
When he arrived, he found his coach of four years, Thad Alberti, sitting in that office stone-faced and glum.
Alberti informed Strouse, who is ranked first in his weight class in Suffolk County, that due to an administrative error, he, along with five of his teammates, were ruled ineligible for post-season competition. There would be no League Championships, which was just days away, for Strouse and his mates.
That was the first domino — without Leagues, there was no path to Suffolk County or State championship tournaments.
As per New York State Public High School Athletic Association policy, a wrestler who exceeds the maximum number of tournaments, which is six, is ineligible for the remainder of the season and the coach of the wrestler is suspended from the team’s next two scheduled competitions. The reason for the rule is that wrestlers accumulate points over the course of the season and a wrestler who participates in extra matches will have potentially gained more points than his competitors.
“When I was first told the news, I remember being shocked, but I don’t think I had a single ounce of hate or a single ounce of regret for anything that had happened,” Strouse said. “I just remember feeling bad for my coach because he was sitting there and he just looked devastated. I was more concerned about how other people were feeling about the situation and I thought that if we really were together, we could get it overturned. I knew we were going to put up a fight about this.”
His teammates were more concerned about Strouse.
“Kingston is our leader and being that he’s a senior, I really felt terrible for him,” said teammate Peyton Hamada, who was one of the six also suspended. “I was more upset for him than I was for myself.”
As of Wednesday night, the season was over for Strouse,juniors Hamada and Lucas Rivera, sophomores Sebastian Stabile and Tyler Naughton and freshman Ryan Muller.
But it was Strouse– because of his top ranking in Suffolk County at 152 pounds, his stature on the team and his storied four-year career as a Northport wrestler –who became the face of this soon-to-be exploding media frenzy. The other kids will wrestle for Northport next year. Strouse will not.
The story was first reported by Newsday’s Gregg Sarra, who is the editor of the paper’s high school sports section. As of Feb. 6, he reported that the ‘Northport Six’ were disqualified, and as per Section XI Chief Tom Combs, the rule was clear-cut and the matter was now closed.
But the matter was not closed.
As social media became ablaze with the news, opinions for and against these Northport athletes being allowed to compete were split. Some werecompassionate, not wishing the boys to be punished for a mistake that they themselves did not make.
But others were unsympathetic, posting that Northport has to play by the rules like everybody else. One post on X read “typical Northport athletics, always breaking the rules and never paying for it. Mistake my (foot)”.
As the Long Island wrestling world debated, the guys on the team, the booster club and the Northport and wrestling communities banded together with a plan of action. They set up a GoFundMe page that raised nearly $9,000 to retain a legal team to fight this in the courts. Attorneys Anthony Camisa and James Pascarella, both former Long Islanders wrestlers, were brought in.
The group, including the six wrestlers and some of their parents, travelled to the courthouses in Riverhead on Friday and were able to appear before Suffolk County Justice of the Supreme Court Peter R. McGreevy on an emergency basis. The League III championships were going to start — with or without these guys — in less than 24 hours.
“I told the kids and the parents that all I can do is get you guys before a judge and once that occurs, nobody knows what will happen,” said Camisa, who was a wrestler at Longwood and University of Albany before he passed the bar exam.“In this case, the kids did nothing wrong and not being able to wrestle would have caused them irreparable harm. I think that was the part of our argument that got us our stay.”
Strouse, who had been fighting a nasty cold all week, was ecstatic at the favorable result.
“When we got down there, it really seemed like we weren’t going to win the case and be able to wrestle,” said Strouse. “Everything was kind of stacked against us, so I can’t even put into words how grateful I am to the lawyers that were able to get this done. But I’m also grateful to the Northport community and the wrestling community as well. It’s a lot smaller than other sports and wrestlers back each other up. A lot of my friends from other schools on Long Island were reaching out to me, being supportive, and sending out our GoFundMe link. There are a lot of people to thank for this.”
It was now time to focus on wrestling
Strouse, still not at 100% strength due to his cold, now had to get ready for the match. He prowled around the Smithtown East gym with a hoody over his head, waiting for his turn.
When it came time, he beat both Andrew Schwartz of Newfield and John Zummo of Smithtown East handily but it would be close to three hours before his final match against North Babylon’s Jack Miller. He waited. He listened to his music. He took a nap in the bleachers until the match with Miller arrived.
Ahead in points for most of the contest, a sudden scramble at the beginning of the third period against Miller caused an awkward twist of Strouse’s left knee. As he lay face down on the mat, writhing in pain, it looked for sure that Strouse’s roller coaster week wouldn’t quite make it to its final turn.His day seemed done.
With his coach, Chris Posillico, who filled in for the suspended Alberti, and Strouse’s worried mom Lori looking on matside, Strouse rose to his feet.
After a few flexes of his leg and a swig of water, the match continued.
“Yeah, it was bad,” Strouse said. “But it wasn’t structural, so it was just a matter of dealing with the amount of pain that we sometimes have to deal with in this sport.”
Strouse powered through, won the match 14-5, and this long, grueling, but ultimately satisfying week was finally done. However, his journey is not. Despite his lingering illness and the issue with his knee, Strouse will compete for a county championship this weekend at Stony Brook University.
“Everything I did on the mat today just didn’t feel right,” said Strouse. “Every shot I took wasn’t fast. My decision making wasn’t on. I just felt so foggy and weak.Plus, I couldn’t breathe out of my nose. It seemed like everything was just stacked against me, but I got the job done, so I guess that’s all that matters.”
Yes, Strouse did his job on the mat, but without his eclectic crew of 11th-hour partners from all across Long Island, there would never have been a job for him to do.
I appreciated Lynn Hallarman’s February 6 article, “Report finds no maintenance or repairs carried out on Port Jeff East Beach Bluff project”. It provides a great recap of how the village got to where we are in relation to the Bluff/Country Club.
Near the end of the article, we learn that the Mayor said, in a written email to the paper, that an open forum will be held where GEI will present the Phase 2 project design and path forward for Phase 1 remediation and restoration. “
It appears to me that this presentation will not provide options for residents to consider or gather input on how the residents would like to move forward but, instead, it will tell us what’s going to happen and how much we will pay via our property taxes.
I believe that this will not be the end of this nightmare. There will be other multi-million dollar work that needs to be done after Phase II is completed. This includes millions for a drainage system to prevent more damage to the campus, the restoration of Phase I project that partially failed, ongoing expensive upkeep including DEC-required yearly inspections, and a grandiose plan for a future sports complex (tennis courts, pickleball courts and more). When will the spending stop?Enough is enough and remember this is just a temporary fix. Nature will eventually win. All we will accomplish is postponing the inevitable and pushing the problem into the future.
We need to remember that the main purpose of this project was to protect the Country Club building from falling off the cliff since it provides a major income to the Village. Yet, I hear that the current tenant has not paid their rent in months. Maybe this is a sign that we need to stop, retreat and build a new smaller facility in a safer location that would serve not only this generation but future generations.
Robert Grimm,
Port Jefferson Village
BESS facilities are inefficient
In battery energy storage systems (BESS) fabricated using lithium-ion storage cells, the possibility of an uncontrollable thermal runaway fire, such as the recent event in Moss Landing, California, is a serious problem. However, there is another problem, which may cause even greater concern. This is the possibility of prolonged blackouts, due to an insufficient number of BESS installations, brought about by the occurrence of several consecutive days of overcast weather, during which little or no solar energy will be provided by the sun.
We have been told that climate change is an existential problem, and that all emissions of carbon dioxide must be eliminated. One apparent solution, which is apparently under serious consideration, would be to replace our existing power plants with solar arrays, with BESS installations to be charged with energy when sunlight is available, and will then provide power to the grid during times when the sun’s rays are not present, such as at night or during periods of overcast skies. This raises the question: in the worst case, how much energy must be stored, and how many BESS units will be required to make this energy available to prevent a blackout?
The reported annual electrical energy consumption for Suffolk County is approximately 10,800,000 MWh/year, or 1233 MWh/hour. A large BESS facility can provide 1400 MWh, from a full charge. This is the energy required by Suffolk County for 1.135 hours. During a normal winter day, let us assume that we have 8 hours of sunlight to charge the batteries, followed by 16 hours of darkness. Thus, under ideal conditions, each 16-hour period would require the stored energy of 14 fully charged BESS stations. Now let us consider the effect of one or more overcast days, during which we would lose the ability to charge the BESS batteries on those days. In this case, for one lost day, the fully charged batteries would need to provide power for 16 + 24 hours, or 40 hours. This would require a total of 35 BESS stations, an increase of 21 stations. In a similar manner, for each additional consecutive day lost, an additional 21 stations will be required, if we are to avoid a blackout, with no electrical power. For example, to maintain power with 2 overcast days, we will need 35 + 21 = 56 BESS stations For 3 days, 77 stations will be required. And so on.
These projections are based on our present level of energy usage, which is a mere 10,800,000 MWh/year. If recent predictions are to be believed, this may be a precursor to very large increases in the near future. These will be due to AI memory storage requirements, widespread (possibly mandatory) use of EV’s, electrification of the LIRR (as championed by the prolific Larry Penner) and alternative methodologies for home cooking and heating, to name but a few.
Should these applications eventuate, we will, of course, need to increase the number of BESS installations accordingly.
George Altemose
Setauket
Cancer prevention month
February is National Cancer Prevention Month. Did you know that almost half of all cancer cases are preventable? The Cancer Prevention in Action program at Stony Brook Cancer Center wants to share how you can prevent cancer for yourself and your loved ones.
Vaccinate: The HPV (Human Papillomavirus) vaccine can reduce your child’s risk of six types of cancer later in life. HPV is a common virus, responsible for about 36,000 cancer cases annually in the U.S. These cancers include cervical, vaginal, vulvar, penile, anal, and oropharyngeal–cancers of the mouth and throat. The HPV vaccine can prevent 90% of these cancers by preventing the virus that causes them. If your child is nine or older, talk to your child’s healthcare provider to schedule. For those who were not vaccinated in childhood, you can still get your HPV vaccine through age 45. Talk to your healthcare provider about your vaccination needs, or get vaccinated at your local pharmacy if you are 18 or older.
Get screened: Cancers such as breast, cervical and colorectal cancers can be detected early through screening tests. These three cancers account for one out of four of all cancer deaths in New York State. Finding cancers early can save lives, as treatment is more likely to be successful. Some cancer screenings can even identify and remove pre-cancerous cells before they develop into full-blown cancer. Examples of cancer screenings are mammograms, pap smears, fecal tests and colonoscopies. Talk to your healthcare provider about what screenings are recommended for your age and risk factors, and how often you should be screened.
Sun safely: Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. Overexposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun and indoor tanning beds is the primary cause of all skin cancers. The use of indoor tanning beds has been linked to increased rates of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, and should be avoided. Protecting your skin from the sun when outdoors, even in the winter months, can also help reduce your skin cancer risk. Precautions to take include wearing sunscreen daily, reapplying every two hours when outdoors, covering up with wide-brimmed hats, UV sunglasses, long-sleeved clothing, and seeking shade, especially during the midday sun are all proven ways to reduce risks.
Live healthy: Having a healthy lifestyle is a way to lower your cancer risk. Quitting smoking and vaping, reducing alcohol intake, maintaining a healthy body weight, and staying physically active are all forms of cancer prevention. Health coverage enrollment has also been shown to reduce cancer risk by improving your access to preventive care.
In New York State, nearly one in four deaths is due to cancer. The CPiA program at Stony Brook Cancer Center is working to change this by educating the community on cancer prevention, mobilizing communities to take action against cancer, and supporting local organizations, businesses, and municipalities to implement policies that prevent cancer.
The best time to take action against cancer is before it starts.
To learn more cancer prevention or to get involved with CPiA at Stony Brook Cancer Center, go to www.takeactionagainstcancer.com or contact us at 631-444-4263 or at [email protected].
CPiA is supported with funds from Health Research, Inc. and New York State.
Annalea Trask,Program Coordinator, Cancer Prevention In Action
We recognize and register the temperature as soon as we leave our climate controlled house, car or office and step foot outside.
Cold, windy air might cause us to raise our shoulders, protecting our necks the way frightened turtles might pull back towards the shell when they sense a threat.
We have developed a real feel temperature or a “it feels like” temperature. Yes, it’s 28 degrees, but it feels like 12, which, to some, is more like negative 20.
How people experience temperature varies widely. An 85 degree day, with bright sunshine, could make one person feel as if he’s ready to conquer the world and is absorbing the sun’s energy.
Another person, say me, for example, might step out into that same temperature and instinctively search for shade, an air conditioner or a place near the water.
Many of us have friends, coworkers, spouses, children or roommates who prefer temperatures that are diametrically opposed to our own heat or cold sensitivity.
If my house were, say, 66 degrees, I would likely feel comfortable, while my wife would probably come into my home office wearing a sweater, gloves and a frown.
Taking out the financial part of the equation, people can and often do battle for control of the thermostat.
Differences between the sexes can explain some of this temperature disconnect.
Beyond describing the different cultures, expectations, communications and score keeping between men and women, the metaphor from the book “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus” also might aptly capture the temperature differences, as Venus, with its gaseous carbon dioxide atmosphere, is the hottest planet and Mars is the fourth hottest. Neptune, incidentally, is the coldest.
While the gender generalization may apply in some cases, that’s never been my family’s reality. My daughter and I tend to run hotter, while my wife and son are cooler and prefer some heat as a counterbalance.
During the extremes of either season, half of the family is comfortable while the other half is either looking to dive into a pool of ice water or is eager to sit with a book near a roaring fire.
Many years ago, my wife and I attended a spectacularly hot college reunion. Well, it was incredibly hot for me. My wife left my side for a moment and returned with some ice cubes. She dumped them down my back and was shocked when I didn’t arch my back or pull my shirt out of my waist to dump the ice on the floor. The ice provided welcome relief.
The moderate middle tends to keep the family happy, as no one is complaining about uncomfortable extremes.
Given temperature sensitivities in our house, we all tend to be closest to our temperature best in the fall and spring.
Of course, as with everything else in life, different stages bring different temperature sensitivities.
When my wife was pregnant with each of our children, her body ran much hotter. We took winter walks that would have been almost inconceivable, so to speak, before we conceived.
The passage of decades, however, has changed how I experience temperature. I have become much more comfortable sitting in a warm baseball stadium and am not so tough when confronted with single digit temperatures.
To be sure, I’m still not able to wallow in a jacuzzi or an unusually hot pool for any length of time without feeling as if my skin is starting to boil.
Recognizing that what constitutes comfortable temperatures varies, I wonder why people so often imagine hell as a place with fire and brimstone.
The poet Robert Service wrote a wonderful and lengthy poem about Sam McGee, which a bus driver recited from memory when my wife and I took a trip to Alaska. With beluga whales we could see surfacing in the distance as we drove along the coast, she shared “The Cremation of Sam McGee” about someone who left Tennessee to search for gold in the Arctic only to discover that the cold was much easier to find than gold.
Sam is so spectacularly cold that he delights in the idea of being cremated when he inevitably dies.
For Sam, and perhaps many others, heat might be far preferable to a frigid afterlife.
What happens when opposites attract? Are those the most successful marriages? It is sometimes said that we subconsciously supply missing strengths to our partners when we select a mate. Do we really? Or is it just chemistry? Or possibly both?
We all know different couples and can notice who brings what to each pair. But of course, we don’t truly know about any marriage except our own, and to some extent, that of our parents.
Speaking for my own marriage, I can attest to the fact that differences make for an interesting life. The first example that comes to mind was our view toward vacations. Here is a typical scenario.
He: “Let’s go on vacation next month.”
She: “Oh, I couldn’t leave work next month. We have two new supplements due and not enough staff to finish them.”
He: “You always say that.”
She: “Besides, where would we go?”
He: “How about white water canoeing in the Adirondacks?”
She: “With the children?”
He: “Yes. We can all learn how to canoe. And we can bring the dog.”
She: “How would that work?”
He: Pulling out from his inner suit jacket pocket an envelope stuffed with tickets, “I have reservations for a cabin, four canoes and an instructor for five days.”
You probably guessed. We went. We had a wonderful time. My mother and sister came too, which was critical since our third son was too young to join us on the water. He had a good time back at the cabin, and we did indeed learn how to white water canoe, although I have probably forgotten by now.
I also thrived on the break in my work routine, and the competent staff back at the office handled the workload just fine.
Since my husband died, I have had to set a date deliberately for each vacation, and it’s a fight I have with myself because I don’t think I should leave the office. But I also know that I will function much better if I take a rest, and thanks to him, I have become a big believer in the restorative power of vacations.
So what did I bring to the relationship?
Here is another true life adventure story. The children were a bit older, and we were going to learn to ski in Vermont.
He: “I’ll do some research and make the reservations.”
She: “OK, I’ll pack.”
We got a late start and didn’t arrive at the motel until well after dark. Exhausted, we fellasleep despite uncomfortable beds. The morning light revealed an unmanageable scene. The five of us, along with our suitcases, boots, heavy ski pants, sweaters and jackets, hats and gloves, could barely fit into the room. I had brought a toaster oven with the thought of making Eggos for breakfast and then getting an early start on the slopes. When I plugged it in, a fuse blew with a nasty zap. The bathroom left a great deal to be desired and there were no closets.
She: “Why did you select this motel? Are we near the lifts?”
He: “It was the most reasonable one. The slopes are only ten miles away.”
She: “C’mon kids, pack up. We are going to find another place to stay.”
And we did. It was more expensive, a half a mile from the entrance, and we did become a skiing family. It was also a bit of a turning point. My husband and I agreed that henceforth, we would spend enough money to be comfortable on our two weeks of annual vacation, and upon our return home, we would resume our normally frugal lives.
After that, even our children noticed the difference.
To participate in the contest, students are invited to submit an essay in person at their local Applebee’s, detailing why their teacher should be named Applebee’s “Teacher of the Year.” Elementary school students are asked to write a ½ page essay, while middle and high school students must submit a 500-word essay explaining why their teacher stands out.
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