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New police commissioner sworn in

by Julianne Mosher - January 13, 2022

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CWC_4320 — New Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harris sworn in this week by County Executive Steve Bellone. Photo from SCPD

As of this week, the new Suffolk County police commissioner is officially on board.

On Tuesday, Jan. 11, former NYPD Chief of Department Rodney Harrison was sworn in by County Executive Steve Bellone (D) at the Police Academy in Brentwood.

The law enforcement veteran retired after a 30-year career with the NYPD and replaces Suffolk County Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart, who resigned in May for a job as head of security at Hofstra University.

Bellone also swore in Suffolk’s new Chief of Department Robert Waring, who was promoted from chief of patrol.

Miss Long Island and Miss Long Island Teen Pageant to be held Jan. 16

by Press Release - January 13, 2022

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Miss Long Island Queens — Photo from J & L Dream Productions, Inc.

J & L Dream Productions, Inc. has announced that the 2022 Miss Long Island® and Miss Long Island Teen Pageant will be held on Sunday, Jan. 16 at Madison Theatre at Molloy College, 1000 Hempstead Avenue, Rockville Centre. Founded in 2008, the Miss Long Island® and Miss Long Island Teen Pageants has held a strong 13 year legacy of young women crowned between the ages of 14 and 28 representing Long Island proudly throughout their reign by attending community services events and promoting social causes they are passionate about all across the region.

The winners of the Miss Long Island® and Miss Long Island Teen Pageant will go on to represent Long Island at the Miss New York USA® and Miss New York Teen USA® pageants this June. Reigning Queens, Miss Long Island 2021, Jasmine Williams of Elmont and Miss Long Island Teen 2021, Olivia Collins of Wading River, will be passing their crowns to two new Long Island Queens on Sunday.

For more information on how to attend or to apply to compete for the dream of a lifetime, visit www.lipageants.com.

Holiday COVID surge causes local schools to continue protocols

by Julianne Mosher - January 13, 2022

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N2105P18008C — North Shore school districts share what they’re doing to keep up with the new COVID variants. Stock photo

As students went back to school after the winter break, a spike in COVID-19 cases caused widespread absences fueled by the Omicron variant.

As of Monday, Suffolk County has experienced a 24.1% positivity rate, according to the New York State Department of Health.

These numbers come just one day before Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) announced that the state will be ending contact tracing for the virus. She said that keeping up with the number of cases is “nearly impossible” with the Omicron surge and the focus should rather be on vaccinations and testing.

“We have 12,000 new cases a day. It is almost impossible to do contact tracing the way we have been in the past,” Hochul said at a news briefing in Manhattan Jan. 11.

The county has yet to announce if it will also stop contact tracing on the local level.

But to continue keeping children safe in their schools, some North Shore districts have implemented new protocols, on top of mask wearing, social distancing and virtual learning.

Elwood

In a statement from Elwood school district, Superintendent Kenneth Bossert said that at the high point of the COVID surge, which was immediately following the holiday break, the district had approximately 200 students isolated or in quarantine.

“Any student who is directed to isolate or quarantine due to COVID-19 has the opportunity to work remotely in Elwood, K-12,” he said.

Northport-East Northport

Residents in the Northport-East Northport community received a letter from Superintendent Robert Banzer last week providing an update on some changes that took place due to the surge.

At the time of the notice, which was sent out Jan. 7, the quarantine and isolation expectations for students and staff reduced for positive cases from 10 days to five days as long as the conditions in the guidance are met. These changes to quarantine protocols are also outlined and are based on vaccination/booster status.

For remote learning while quarantining, Banzer expressed his sympathy noting, “We understand that remote learning is not ideal,” but some changes were made for students to learn while at home.

High school and middle school students were updated on the district’s virtual quarantine support schedule, which provides periodic access to a subject area teacher throughout the day. Elementary students were granted increased access to their quarantine support teacher.

“A key difference between virtual quarantine support versus livestreaming a classroom (aka: turning the camera on in the classroom) is the ability for students to interact with a teacher and ask questions, which is not typically possible with a traditional livestreaming approach,” he wrote. “This creates conditions that allow for full attention on students; the large majority who are present in class, and those who are online seeking virtual assistance from the subject area teacher.”

The district, along with others on Long Island, was given testing kits for students and staff to conduct at home, as well as community testing to take place on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Bellerose Avenue location.

Smithtown

Smithtown schools are prioritizing in-person instruction, according to Superintendent Mark Secaur.

“We strongly believe it to be superior to remote learning,” he stated. “That said, we do allow for remote learning via livestreaming for students who are unable to attend due to COVID-related quarantine and isolation requirements.”

He said he believes the district offers a safe in-person learning environment, so it has not allowed for students to “opt-in” to a remote environment unless they are forced to miss school due to a COVID quarantine or isolation period.

Three Village

In a letter sent to residents, the Three Village School District has continued to keep students spaced at 3 feet and 6 feet when in the cafeteria. Plastic barriers can be put up if requested by the family, but none are being distributed to all at this time.

The notice stated for secondary students, “Due to an increased number of COVID-19 cases after the post-winter recess, the following procedures will be enacted from Thursday, Jan. 6, until Friday, Jan. 21, at the high school, and until Friday, Jan. 28, at the junior high schools.”

These include livestreaming into classes if a student or family is in isolation. The livestream for Three Village occurs for the entire day, and not for individual periods of instruction. It is not interactive and will continue beyond the dates indicated for quarantined students only.

Comsewogue

Superintendent Jennifer Quinn said that some parents were concerned sending their children back to school after winter break, so the district implemented a 10-day virtual option for families, ending this week. Students always have the option to livestream into their classes.

“Virtual learning is good for the time being, but it’s not the best way to learn,” she said, noting that in-person learning is important for social and emotional growth.

In conjunction with the virtual option, the district continues to follow the state’s mask mandate and 6-feet distancing.

“When things calm down, we have written a letter to send to the governor asking that students sit at their desk with no masks,” Quinn said. “The spread is not happening in schools.”

But until the Omicron variant ceases, and things get back to some type of normalcy, Comsewogue will continue providing tests to students and staff.

Quinn added that the day before school started, over 2,000 tests were given out.

Middle Country

Roberta Gerold, superintendent of Middle Country Central School District, is confident that things are looking up. She said on Tuesday, Jan. 11, that attendance in her schools is starting to get better.

“I think we’re starting to plateau,” she said. “After reporting 10 days of absences after the breaks with family, today it’s finally slowing down.”

She added that the district is testing staff once a week, while students can get tested every Monday if the parent asks.

“We want to make sure that if they have symptoms it’s not COVID,” she said.

Middle Country has kept up with its mask mandates and physical distancing, as well.

“Our positivity rate is still below the county and state rate,” she added. “We’re still as careful now as we were before.”

Students have the option to livestream into their classes if absent and are offered virtual instruction during quarantine.

“Our staff is amazing,” Gerold said. “They are working double, triple duty to support the staff who aren’t there, and they are impacted at home, too, but are still here for our students relentlessly.”

Gerold commended the district as a whole: “We just want the students to be safe.”

Shoreham-Wading River

Superintendent Gerard Poole said that “luckily” things are better this week.

“We are full in-person learning, but if someone is out, they can get a livestream,” he said.

For grades K-5, students are spaced out at 6 feet and it’s the same for secondary students with activities like chorus, band and in the cafeteria.

“The community parents continue to collaborate to help students,” he said. “And our nurses continue to be heroes … the flexibility of the staff is amazing. We are so thankful for them.”

County legislature approves access to fentanyl test strips

by Julianne Mosher - January 12, 2022

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To end 2021, the Suffolk County Legislature voted to approve Legislator Kara Hahn’s (D-Setauket) plan to increase access to fentanyl test strips in an effort to reduce overdose deaths.

According to the New York State Department of Health, Suffolk County experienced 337 opioid overdose deaths in 2020. The data for 2021 is unavailable.

Signed by Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) Dec. 28, the bill came just days following a warning from the national Drug Enforcement Administration that, during 2021 alone, it had seized enough fentanyl to give a lethal dose to every American.

In response, the Legislature approved a plan to make fentanyl detection strips more readily available to residents, thus helping to prevent overdoses.

Through the legislation, the Suffolk County Department of Health Services will soon be required to include fentanyl test strips with naloxone kits distributed during department trainings on how to use the opioid antidote. Increasing access to fentanyl detection strips will enable recipients to test drug doses for the presence of this deadly synthetic substance prior to using the drugs tested.

“Opioids kill, that is why I pushed for the county to become certified to provide naloxone trainings that put this life-saving antidote in more hands; fentanyl kills, that is why I am pushing for increased access to test strips, which will give this life-saving tool greater reach,” Hahn said. “Allowing users the ability to know if they are about to put a drug in their body that also contains fentanyl will save lives and begin to reduce the increasing overdose deaths devastating our community.”

In a statement, the Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence commended Hahn and the county government for addressing the realities of the dual pandemic of the opioid crisis, fueled by fear and anxieties of COVID-19.

“The distribution of fentanyl test strips and continued widespread distribution of naloxone (Narcan) meets this public health challenge head on with the sole and primary objective of saving lives in Suffolk County,” said Steve Chassman, LICADD executive director. “Extraordinary times require extraordinary measures to aid so many individuals and families struggling with opioid use disorder.”

Deaths attributed to fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid that according to the Nation Institutes of Health is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, have been steadily rising since 2013.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids were nearly 12 times higher in 2019 than in 2013,” the last year for which complete data is available. The agency goes on to report “provisional drug overdose death counts through May 2020 suggest an acceleration of overdose deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The link between fentanyl and increasing overdose deaths also concerned the DEA, which in September issued its first Public Safety Alert in six years to warn the public about the alarming increase in the availability and lethality of fake prescription pills in the United States that often contain deadly doses of fentanyl.

In its advisory, the DEA reported it had “determined that four out of 10 DEA-tested fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills contain at least 2 milligrams of fentanyl — an amount that is considered to be a lethal dose.”

“What we are offering through this new policy is a harm reduction strategy,” Hahn added. “Addiction is a disease that must not be allowed to become a death sentence, which, as more and more fentanyl has been released into our communities, it has become for many who might otherwise have recovered if given a chance.”

On Nov. 17, the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics reported that there were an estimated 100,306 drug overdose deaths in the United States during the 12-month period ending in April 2021.

This is an increase of 28.5% from the 78,056 deaths during the same period the year before. NCHS also reported that 64% of those deaths were due to synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, an almost 50% jump from the prior year.

Local municipalities are already starting to utilize the new testing strips and have been in contact with the county to retrieve them.

According to Fred Leute, chief of Port Jefferson’s code enforcement, the village has ordered the new fentanyl testing strips through the county “but it takes a bit of time to get,” he said, noting that they are in possession of the basic kit that was provided previously through the DOHS.

“All of our personnel are fully trained,” he added. “They glove up with the plastic gloves so they don’t touch anything on scene.”

Northshore teams compete in crossover meet

by Bill Landon - January 12, 2022

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WJL_4419 — Shoreham-Wading River’s Maddie-Lynn McKiernan places 4th overall in the 1500-meter with a 5:21.65 in a crossover-meet at SCCC Jan 9. Bill Landon photo

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The Lady Wildcats of Shoreham-Wading River competed in a section XI crossover indoor track meet at Suffolk County Community College Jan. 9.

Madison Zelin placed 2nd over all in the 55-meter dash clocking in at 9.80. Teammates Olivia Pesso and Maddie-Lynn McKiernan placed 3rd & 4th respectively at the 1500-meter distance, and Madison Zelin placed first in the 300-meter dash with a 45.35.

— All photos by Bill Landon

Republicans, Suozzi criticize Hochul’s State of the State address

by Rita J. Egan - January 9, 2022

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Gov. Kathy Hochul. File photo by Julianne Mosher

New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) delivered her first State of the State address on Jan. 5. The governor outlined nine key points as part of what she called her New Era for New York plan.

During the address, she said the focus was on rebuilding the state’s health care economy; protecting public safety and addressing gun violence; investing in New York’s people; investing in the state’s communities; making New York’s housing system more affordable, equitable and stable; making the state a national leader in climate action and green jobs; rebuilding New York’s teacher workforce and reimagining higher education; advancing the state’s place as a national equity model; and making critical reforms to restore New Yorkers’ faith in their government.

“As the first woman to present a State of the State address in New York, I want to make it clear I am not just here to make history — I am here to make a difference,” Hochul said. “The time has come for a new American Dream. Today, we start building a better, fairer, more inclusive version that I call the New York Dream. We will create a ‘new era for New York’ by embarking on a bold, far-reaching policy agenda that advances our recovery and restores New Yorkers’ trust in government. And through all of this, I will continue to collaborate with others and deliver results for New Yorkers.”

Critics

U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY1), the presumptive Republican candidate in the 2022 governor’s race, posted a rebuttal on YouTube after Hochul’s address. Zeldin criticized “the Cuomo-Hochul administration” for “punishing taxes and a skyrocketing cost of living, out-of-control crime, suffocating attacks on our freedom and unending scandals” that he said “have resulted in New York leading the nation in residents fleeing.”

“Unfortunately, our current governor, Kathy Hochul, and one-party rule in Albany have continued the attacks on your wallets, safety, freedoms and kids’ education,” the congressman said.

Zeldin also asked why Hochul didn’t provide details about her plan to tackle rising crime. He criticized her talk about term limits that he said “were far behind the curve” and said she was following where the “political winds blow.”

U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY3) posted remarks to YouTube before the address. Suozzi is set to run in the Democratic primaries for governor against Hochul. In the beginning of the video, he said, “The state of our state is dismal.”

In a statement after the address, Suozzi said, “The governor today said she wanted a ‘new era for New York,’ yet she ducked fixing the bail crisis that is helping fuel crime, failed to fix the chaos due to her lack of a COVID plan, and won’t stop the pay-to-play mess that corrupts Albany. New York needs a common sense governor who has executive experience to manage COVID, take on crime, reduce taxes and help troubled schools.”

New York State Assemblyman Mike Fitzpatrick (R-St. James) sent out a statement after Hochul’s address also criticizing the governor.

“New York must move forward with a plan of recovery from COVID-19,” Fitzpatrick said. “Gov. Hochul has been reluctant to make progress on this issue, despite broad access to vaccines for those who want it. New York must find a way to begin living with the ongoing reality of this virus without hampering the livelihoods of residents, the education of children and the overall health of our economy. Residents are counting on our leadership to forge a path forward.”

State Sen. Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk) issued a statement in response to the State of the State address. The senator complimented Hochul for the “welcomed change from the PowerPoint slides and oversized podiums of the previous administration. Her speech and its location were clearly meant to show a break from the past and a new leadership approach to meet New York’s myriad challenges.”

However, Palumbo said he was concerned that few of the positive proposals in the address “will create the systemic change needed to meet today’s challenges faced by my constituents in the 1st Senate District.”

“The hard fact is New York state continues to lead the nation in outmigration,” he said. “The cost of homes and property taxes in our region continue to rise. State and fuel taxes are up. The crime rate continues to grow and families I represent do not feel safe. Our electric rates are some of the highest in the country. The economy has been further crippled by the pandemic, and our hospitals and nursing homes are struggling. With record levels of state and federal spending, our region of the state is simply not seeing its fair share of funding allowing our economy to recover.”

Palumbo challenged Hochul and legislative majorities to revisit policies he called “unworkable and detrimental.”

Some highlights from the State of the State address:

Health care over the course of five years

Grow health care workforce by 20%
$10 billion invested in the sector
$4 billion of $10 billion to be used for wages and bonuses of health care workers

Preventing and reducing gun violence and violent crimes

Provide state and local law enforcement with tools necessary to keep residents safe from gun violence
Invest in public safety and fund state and local policing gun safety efforts
Create an interstate Gun Tracing Consortium
Invest in community-based gun violence response

Invest in residents

Accelerate the phase-in of $1.2 billion in middle-class tax cuts for 6 million New Yorkers by two years to 2023
Establish a $1 billion property tax rebate program
Tax rebate for 2 million New York families
Increase existing tax credits and create new ones to support food production
$100 million in tax relief for 195,000 small businesses across New York state

Develop job opportunities

Create the Office of Workforce and Economic Development and Jails to Jobs program

Boost investment in offshore wind infrastructure by $500 million

Limit governors, lieutenant governors, attorney generals and comptrollers to two consecutive four-year terms.

Free rapid testing sites open across Suffolk County

by Press Release - January 7, 2022

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Medical healthcare holding COVID-19 , Coronavirus swab collection kit, wearing PPE protective suit mask gloves, test tube for taking OP NP patient specimen sample,PCR DNA testing protocol process

In an effort to expand access to testing, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone today announced the opening of three new community based testing sites. Rapid Antigen COVID-19 tests, which will be administered by Baseline Health and Reef Technologies, will be on a first come, first served basis.

The first testing site at Hecksher State Park will open on Wednesday, December 29^th, the second testing site at Red Creek Park, which was formerly located at Francis S. Gabreski Airport, will open on Monday, January 3^rd, and the third testing site located at Cathedral Pines County Park will open on Tuesday, January 4^th.

“What we have learned so far is that the Omicron variant is highly transmittable and causing a spike in our daily positivity rate,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. “Testing is one of the best tools we have when it comes to containing the spread of this virus. As we approach the New Year, these three new sites will provide quick and convenient results for our residents so that they can protect themselves and their loved ones.”

Rapid Testing sites include:

Hecksher State Park, Field 8 (Opening on Wednesday, December 29^th)

1 Heckscher State Parkway

East Islip

Open every Monday through Thursday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Testing Capacity: Up 1,000 tests a day

Red Creek Park (Opening Monday, January 3^rd)

102 Old Riverhead Rd

Hampton Bays

Open for school-required testing and community testing

Open on Mondays only from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Testing Capacity: Up to 500 tests per day

Cathedral Pines County Park (Opening on Tuesday, January 4^th)

116 Yaphank Middle Island Rd

Middle Island

Open on Tuesdays and Fridays from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Testing Capacity: Up to 500 tests per day

Residents with any questions can contact Suffolk311.

First snowfall of 2022 dumps half a foot of snow on Suffolk County, schools closed

by Rita J. Egan - January 7, 2022

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According to the National Weather Service, this morning residents along the North Shore of Suffolk County woke up to approximately 6 inches of snow.

East Northport in the northwestern part of the county came in at 6.5 inches of snow, while Mount Sinai out east at around 6 a.m. was reporting 5 inches.

Many school districts announced Thursday night that schools would be closed. The following districts are closed in TBR’s coverage area:

Cold Spring Harbor Central School District

Commack School District

Comsewogue School District

Elwood School District

Haborfields Central School District

Hauppauge School District

Huntington School District

Kings Park School District

Middle Country School District

Miller Place School District

Mount Sinai School District

Northport-East Northport School District

Port Jefferson School District

Rocky Point School District

Shoreham-Wading River Central School District

Smithtown Central School District

Three Village Central School District

Brookhaven Youth Bureau hosts annual Interface Coat Drive

by Press Release - January 6, 2022

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Supervisor Ed Romaine has announced that the Town of Brookhaven Youth Bureau will hold its Annual Interface Coat Drive from January 10 to February 11 to help residents in need stay warm this winter. Donations of new or gently used clean coats, scarves, hats and gloves in infant to adult sizes can be dropped off at the following locations:

Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill in Farmingville
Rose Caracappa Senior Center, 739 Route 25A in Mount Sinai
New Village Recreation Center, 20 Wireless Road in Centereach
Brookhaven Town Highway Department, 1140 Old Town Road in Coram
Henrietta Acampora Recreation Center, 39 Montauk Highway in Blue Point
Moriches Bay Recreation Center, 313 Frowein Road, Center Moriches
Brookhaven Town Parks and Recreation Department, 286 Hawkins Road, Centereach
Brookhaven Town Vehicle Control Building, 550 North Ocean Avenue, Patchogue

“Many of our residents are going through hard times and may not have proper clothing to keep warm during the winter months,” said Supervisor Romaine. “I thank our Youth Bureau for organizing the Coat Drive and I encourage residents to make a donation to help their neighbors in need.”

For more information, please call the Town of Brookhaven Youth Bureau at 631-451-8011.

Town of Brookhaven urges residents to take precautions during winter storm

by Press Release - January 6, 2022

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pparnxoxo-WIvIocknroU-unsplash — Unsplash

The current weather forecast indicates up to 4 to 6 inches of snow across Brookhaven on Friday, January 7. The Town urges residents to take these “common sense” precautions to ensure their safety during this and future snow events:

Stay off the roads and park your car in your driveway to allow snowplows and emergency vehicles to pass.
Clear fire hydrants in your area.
Remove ice and snow from steps, sidewalks and walkways.
Keep cell phones and other electronic devices charged.
Have a battery-operated radio and a flashlight ready in case of a power outage.
When shoveling snow, dress warm in layers and avoid over-exertion.
If you must drive, make sure your tires are properly inflated and windshield wipers are working properly.
Keep your pets indoors.
Check on elderly and infirmed friends and neighbors.
Listen to the local radio or television news for weather updates and emergency notifications.
When using a generator, place it outdoors and follow all manufacturers’ safety precautions.

In anticipation of the Friday, January 7 snow event, the Town of Brookhaven residential garbage collection will start at 8 a.m. The town will continue to monitor the weather conditions and advise of any additional changes.

Residents should call 451-TOWN to report snow related issues. Call 911 for police, fire and ambulance emergencies only. To report a power outage or downed wires, call PSEG at 800-490-0075 or go to www.psegliny.com to file a report online.

Please go to the Town’s website for up-to-date snow related news, information, weather updates and emergency contact numbers.

The Town may also send out e-mail alerts to residents who have registered on our e-mail list. If you are not on the list, you can sign up today at www.brookhavenny.gov. Residents can also sign up for countywide Code Red alerts at www.suffolkcountyny.gov.

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