TBR News Media is preparing for our special election coverage editions that will be out Oct. 28. Our articles are based on debates with candidates to help voters make informed decisions when they choose their representatives.
With everyone’s busy lives, it’s difficult to find a mutual day and time for competing candidates to sit down and discuss the issues and challenges that affect the office they seek. What’s even more frustrating is when we discover a candidate is just a placeholder, in other words, they’re not actively campaigning. Too many times in the past, we’ve spoken with a candidate for a one-on-one interview instead of in a debate, and it will happen again this year.
Both political parties have been guilty of nominating someone to run for office and putting their name on the ballot, even though the person has no intention of knocking on doors or engaging in the democratic process to discuss their ideas.
This happens often when the office has a strong incumbent where a party has a feeling their candidate has no chance of winning. However, at the same time, they know the person will get a good number of votes because they understand some people just vote down their party line.
During divisive times, the Democrat and Republican committees owe the public much more. Whether an election involves federal, state, county, town or village levels, it is important for the entire process to be credible. Some may say our local elections are even more important as the decisions made by elected officials have more of an impact on our everyday lives, such as how often our garbage is picked up and whether or not our roads will be repaired.
We suggest both parties take every election seriously and produce candidates who will actively campaign instead of providing a random name for those voting for a D or an R. One of the most important things an elected official can do is show up for the election from start to finish.
Anyone whose name goes on a ballot should be a bona fide candidate seeking office, and not merely a token way for a party to remain visible. Before checking off whom you want to represent you for any office, do your research. Find out the races that affect your area. Read up on the candidates, and don’t vote for any candidate who places so little value on your vote and can’t bother to campaign. When you are at the polls, you don’t have to choose someone in every race. If you are not familiar with the candidates, or if you don’t like them for whatever reason, you can skip that row.
Simply voting for someone just because they belong to the same political party as you is a reflection on your belief in a party or even a machine — and not in the individual. That’s like choosing a partner based on his or her last name or heritage without considering whether that person is right for you. We need candidates who are ready to represent us and our districts, and who are willing to listen to our concerns, values and priorities. Choose wisely, and in doing so, you’ll send a message that people count more than parties.
Take part in a pet parade in Port Jefferson during the annual Harvest Fest on Oct. 23. File photo by Bob Savage/TBR News Media
By Heidi Sutton
Halloween is such a fun time of year and celebrations have come early this year, with many events happening this weekend in addition to next weekend. Here are 31 Halloween events on the North Shore to enjoy with your family.
Centerport
Vanderbilt Fall Festival
The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport hosts a Fall Festival with lots of seasonal fun for visitors of every age to enjoy a safe Halloween on Friday evenings and on weekends through Halloween. Choose daytime events from noon to 4 p.m. with mini golf, face painting, pumpkin patch, Halloween games, a scavenger hunt or nightime attractions with a Wicked Walk, a haunted maze, and The Wicked Haunt, the museum’s version of a haunted house, plus a 9-hole Mini Golf from 6 to 10 p.m.For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.
Center Moriches – just added!
Magic of the Cauldron – adults only
The Ketcham Inn, 81 Main St., Center Moriches presents Magic of the Cauldron on Oct. 30 from 6 to 8 p.m. As the veil of darkness appears … pull up a chair around the cauldron on Ketcham Inn’s front lawn and feel the warmth of the fire. Hear the cauldron story while sipping savory soup and enjoy warm freshly baked bread from the Inn’s c. 1693 hearth by historic cook Diane Schwindt. Tickets are $15 per person (adults only please). The tavern will be open to purchase an additional drink. All proceeds go toward the restoration of the Inn. Call 631-878-1855 or visit www.ketchaminnfoundation.org.
Cold Spring Harbor
Harbor Haunts Walking Tour
The Whaling Museum, 301 Main St. Cold Spring Harbor hosts a Harbor Haunts Walking Tour on Oct 23 at 4:30 and 6 p.m. Explore Cold Spring Harbor’s ghostly side with fascinating tales of mishaps and historic hauntings on Main Street. Recommended for adults and children ages 8 and up. All tours are held rain or shine. Fee is $12 adults, $8 children. Register for the tours at www.cshwhalingmuseum.org or call 631-367-3418.
Haunted Hatchery
Calling all ghosts and goblins, spiders and bones … Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery, 1660 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor will host a Halloween event on Oct. 30 from 2 to 5 p.m. Families are welcome to join us for a not-so-scary Haunted Hatchery. Trick-or-Treat your way through their outdoor grounds. Admission fee is $7 adults, $6 seniors, $5 children ages 3 to 12. 516-692-6768, www.cshfishhatchery.org
Commack
Trunk-N-Treat
Commack United Methodist Church, 486 Townline Road, Commack presents a Trunk-N-Treat event on Oct. 30 from 3 to 5 p.m. Children can trick or treat for candy at festively decorated car trunks and truck beds. Stay for some games and activities. Free. 631-499-7310, www.commack-umc.org
Farmingville
Trick or Treat Trail
Join the Farmingville Historical Society on Oct. 30 and 31 for a Trick or Treat Trail at Farmingville Hills County Park, 503 Horseblock Road, Farmingville from noon to 3 p.m. Come in costume and trick or treat along a trail while learning about the history of candy. Fill your bag with real, full-size candy treats. The entry fee is $12 per trick or treater. Parents are welcome to escort their children without paying. Please note this is not a haunted trail. All Trick or Treaters must pre-register at www.farmingvillehistoricalsociety.org.
Dark Night: Halloween Trail
Long Island Community Hospital Amphitheater, 1 Ski Run Lane, Farmingville presents Dark Night: Halloween Trail, an outdoor extravaganza combining moderate scares with comedy that at the same time celebrates the nostalgia of vintage haunted trails through a post-modern twist on inspired characters from pop culture and horror movies of the 1990s, on Oct. 22 to 24 and Oct. 28 to 31. Hours are 7 to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 7 to 10:30 p.m. on Sundays and on Thursday, Oct. 28. Tickets are $35 adults, $15 per child.To purchase tickets, please visit, www.DarkNightLI.com.
Huntington
All Hallows Tour
Huntington Town Hall, 100 Main St., Huntington hosts an All Hallows tour at the Town Clerk’s archives every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through October from 1:30 to 4 p.m. The Halloween event will feature live interpretations of stories taken out of the archives vault. Free. Call 631-351-3216 or 631-351-3035.
Trick or Treat at the Heckscher
Families are invited to celebrate Halloween at the Heckscher Museum of Art, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington on Oct. 28 from noon to 5 p.m. Create a spooktacular art activity, make a haunted Digital Action painting, and take home a festive treat! Free admission for kids in costume and their families! Reserve timed tickets at www.heckscher.org. 631-380-3230.
Kings Park
Seaside Lantern Walk
Join the staff at Sunken Meadow State Park, Route 25A and Sunken Meadow Parkway, Kings Park for a Seaside Lantern Walk on Oct. 24 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. See the beach in a whole new light as you round the point of Sunken Meadow State Park with only lanterns to guide the way. The group will pause along the way for some Long Island historical scary stories! Reservations are required. To register, please visit Eventbrite.com and search for #NatureEdventures. For more info, call 631-581-1072
Lake Ronkonkoma
Halloween Pet Parade
The Lake Ronkonkoma Civic Organization hosts a Halloween Pet Parade in the Lake Shore Plaza parking lot on Portion Road in front of Shoprite on Oct. 23 from 11 to 11:45 a.m. Goodie bags for all participants, top prizes for scariest, original and cute, 50/50 raffle. www.lakeronkonkomacivic.org
Miller Place
Spooky Lantern Tour
The Miller Place Mount Sinai Historical Society presents its annual Spooky Lantern Tour, a not-too-scary walking tour of the haunted history of Miller Place, onOct. 22, 23, 29 & 30 at 5:30 p.m., 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. Walk the Miller Place Historic District with a guide from the MPMS Historical Society who will regale you with all the spooky stories surrounding this pre-Revolutionary War town. Bring a lantern or flashlight and wear comfortable shoes. For ages 10 and up. Masks are mandatory. Tickets are $15 per person. To register, visit www.mpmshistoricalsociety.eventbrite.com.
Mount Sinai
A Heritage Park Halloween
The Heritage Center, 633 Mount Sinai Coram Road, Mt. Sinai presents an outdoor Halloween event on Oct. 31 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. and again from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Enjoy pumpkin picking and decorating, unlimited game playing, and much more. Registration is $10 per participant. Parents and guardians are not required to register. Each registrant will receive a goodie bag and pumpkin to decorate and take home. Don’t forget to wear your costume! Advance registration only at www.msheritagetrust.org.
Nesconset
Halloween Pet Parade
The Nesconset Chamber of Commerce and Jennifer O’Brien of State Farm hosts a Halloween Pet Parade fundraiser for the Smithtown Children’s Foundation at the Nesconset Gazebo, across from Nesconset Plaza, 127 Smithtown Boulevard, Nesconset on Oct. 30 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Come in costume and trick-or-treat, enjoy ice cream, raffles, music, pet costume contest, vendors and more. Rain date is Oct. 31. Free.631-724-2543, www.nesconsetchamber.com.
Northport
Children enjoy a hayride at Northport’s Halloween Hayride at Northport Village Park on Oct. 25. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
Halloween Hayride
The Village of Northport will host its annual Halloween Hayride in Northport Village Park on Oct. 24 from noon to 4 p.m. with hayrides, pumpkin patch, pumpkin painting, live music, petting zoo, costume contest & refreshments. Fun for the whole family! Admission is $5 per person. Call 631-754-3905.
Port Jefferson
Trick or Treat Halloween Party
Give Kids Hope, 1506 Main St., Port Jefferson hosts a Trick or Treat Halloween Party on Oct. 23 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Decorate a pumpkin, play games, take part in a costume contest and more. Free. Call 631-538-5287.
Harvest Fest
The Village of Port Jefferson hosts its annual Harvest Fest throughout the village on Oct. 23 from noon to 5 p.m. with live music, fall inspired beer tastings, children’s activities, costumed dog parade, Pirate Scavenger Hunt, pumpkin carving, cornhole, woodcarving demonstrations, chowder crawl ($10 fee) and much more. Rain date is Oct. 24. Visit portjeff.com for schedule of events.
Halloween at the Explorium
Drop by the Long Island Explorium, 101 E. Broadway, Port Jefferson in costume on Oct. 30 and 31 between 1 and 5 p.m. and pick up a Halloween treat! Call 631-331-3277.
Riverhead
Festive Trunk or Treat
Hallockville Museum Farm, 6038 Sound Ave., Riverhead presents a festive Trunk or Treat event on Oct. 30 from 3 to 6 p.m. Come in costume and enjoy a mummy wrapping contest, Mike the Silly Magician Show, Halloween crafts, pumpkin decorating, games, costume parade,Trunk or Treat (treat bags provided) and much more. Admission is $15 per person, $50 for a family of four, children under 5 free. For a full schedule and tickets, visit www.hallockville.org.
Rocky Point
Trunk Or Treat!
The North Shore Youth Council and the Rocky Point PTA present a Trunk Or Treat! event at the Joseph A. Edgar School, 525 Route 25A, Rocky Point on Oct. 30 from 2 to 5 p.m. with decorated cars and trunks, candy and non-edible treats, face painting, crafts and photo prop. Costumes encouraged. Join them for a scary good time! Register for this free event at trunkortreatnsyc.eventbrite.com.
Ronkonkoma
Ghosts, Goblins and Witches
Ballet Long Island, 1863 Pond Road, Ronkonkoma presents Ghosts, Goblins and Witches, a fun ballet that is full of dance tricks and treats, on Oct. 27 at 11 a.m. and again at 12:15 p.m. (indoors) and on Oct. 30 at 8 p.m. (outdoors).Tickets are $18 adults, $9 children and seniors. To order, call 631-737-1964 or visit www.theballetcenter.org.
St. James
Halloween Parade
The Community Association of Greater St. James will host a Halloween Parade along Lake Avenue on Oct. 24 at 1 p.m. Line-up starts at noon on Seventh Street. Email [email protected].
Deepwells Haunted Mansion
Just in time for Halloween, the Deepwells Farm Historical Society transforms the Deepwells Farm Mansion, 2 Taylor Lane, St. James into Deepwells Sanitarium, Home for the Criminally Insane on Oct. 22, 23, 29 to 30 from 7 to 10 p.m. Featuring 16 rooms of horror, wooded trail of terror, food vendors, photo-ops and more. Advance tickets are available at www.deepwellshauntedmansion.com for $20 per person, $25 at the door. For more information, call 631-862-2808.
Setauket
Graveyard Walking Tours
In lieu of its annual Spirits Tour, the Three Village Historical Society hosts a series of one hour Graveyard Walking Tours through the Caroline Church and Setauket Presbyterian graveyards on Oct. 22, 23, 29 and 30 at 5 p.m. and again at 5:30 p.m. Hear the stories of the dearly departed including the Culper Spies that lay at rest in the Three Village area. Tickets are $25. To register, visit www.tvhs.org.
Shoreham
Halloween at Wardenclyffe
Join the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe, 5 Randall Road, Shoreham in celebrating Halloween on Oct. 30 from 3 to 6 p.m. with electrifyingly eerie exhibits, educational activities and fun for all ages featuring music, food, vendors, pumpkin contest, costume contest, Monster Mash Robot Challenge and more. Tickets are $15 adults, $13 seniors and students, $5 for ages 5 to 17, free for kids under 5. Visit www.teslasciencecenter.org or call 631-886-2632 for more information.
Smithtown
Ghosts and Goblins event
*This event is for Smithtown residents only.
Ghosts and goblins will invade Smithtown all in the name of good fun when the Smithtown Recreation Department hosts its annual Ghosts and Goblins event on Oct. 23 at Browns Road Park, 72 Browns Road, Nesconset from 10 a.m. to noon. Enjoy games and prizes, pony rides, a balloon artist, and more. Free. Call 631-360-7644.
Halloween Spooktacular
Sweetbriar Nature Center, 62 Eckernkamp Ave., Smithtown hosts a Halloween Spooktacular event on Oct. 28 and 29 from 6 to 9 p.m. Calling all ghoulies, ghosties, and other Halloween creepies for an evening of fun and excitement. Enjoy eerie animal presentations, a ghostly graveyard, creepy games, scary music, and spooky night trails. Great for ghouls 7 years and up. Refreshments available for purchase. Tickets are $15 per person. Register at www.sweetbriarnc.org or call 631-979-6344.
Spooky Lantern Walk
Caleb Smith State Park Preserve, 581 W. Jericho Turnpike, Smithtown hosts a Spooky Lantern Walk On Oct. 23 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Enjoy a fun evening of walking through the park with only a lantern to light the way. See Caleb Smith in a whole new way after dark, while your guide tells some spooky stories! Lanterns are provided. Advance registration is required by calling 631-265-1054.
Stony Brook
Halloween Family Fun
The Long Island Museum, 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook presents its annual Halloween Family Fun Day on Oct. 23 from 1 to 4 p.m. Come in costume and enjoy some spooky family fun on the museum grounds with a Halloween-themed magic show by Magic of Amore at 1 p.m., pumpkin painting and outdoor activities. Rain date is Oct. 24. Free admission and free pumpkin/decoration kit for each child while supplies last. 631-751-0066, www.longislandmuseum.org.
Secrets and Spirits Walking Tour
Ward Melville Heritage Organization hosts a Secrets and Spirits of Stony Brook Village walking tours on Oct. 28 at 2:50 p.m. and Oct. 29 at 10:50 a.m. Participants of the tour will hear the stories of the people who lived, loved, died…and still reside in Stony Brook Village! Stories include star-crossed lovers Mark and Sarah, who resided by the harbor in the 1800s; legendary 19th-century artist William Sidney Mount and his involvement in the “Miracle Circle” group of séance enthusiasts; the traveling ghost of Jonas Smith, the so-called “Lady in White,” who is said to suddenly appear at the Stony Brook Grist Mill, and more. $10 per person. To reserve your spot, call 631-751-2244.
Halloween Festival
Join the Ward Melville Heritage Organization for its 31st annual Halloween Festival at the Stony Brook Village Center, 111 Main St., Stony Brook on Oct. 29 from 2 to 5 p.m. Enjoy trick-or-treating in the shops, dancing and games, music from WALK 97.5, scarecrow competition and a Halloween parade! Free. Call 631-751-2244.
Pumpkin Carving Contest
The Reboli Center for Art & History, 64 Main St., Stony Brook hosts a Pumpkin Carving & Mask Making contest on Friday, Oct. 22 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Participants must bring their own, finished, carved pumpkin or mask (or both) in order to enter the contests. First place winners in each age group will win a Reboli Center gift certificate. Costumes welcome. Rain date is Oct. 29. 631-751-7707.
With 10 weeks left until the end of 2021, it seems fitting to consider what we might put into a time capsule that future generations might open to understand the strange world that was so incredibly different from the one just two years ago.
Here are a few items I’d throw into a box I’d bury or shoot into space.
— Masks. Even with so many events where people aren’t wearing masks, including huge gatherings of fans at sporting events, masks are still a part of our lives in 2021.
— A Netflix app. I’m not a streaming TV person. Most of my regular TV watching involves sports or movies (many of which I’ve seen a few times before). Still, I got caught up in the “Stranger Things” phenomenon and am now impressed with the storylines from “Madam Secretary,” which include prescient references to our withdrawal from Afghanistan and to the potential (and now real) pandemic.
— Pet paraphernalia. The number of homes with pets has climbed dramatically, as people who seemed unwilling or uninterested in having dogs are out with their collection of poop bags, leashes and pieces of dog food to entice the wayward wanderer in the right direction.
— A zoom app. Even with people returning to work, many of us are still interacting with large groups of people on a divided screen. Future generations may find all this normal and the start of eSocializing and virtual working. Many of us today are still trying to figure out where to look and avoid the temptation to scrutinize our own image.
— Cargo ships. The year started off in March with the blocking of the Suez Canal. For six days, the Ever Given kept one of the world’s most important canals from functioning, blocking container ships from going from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. As the year has progressed, concerns about shortages and supply chains have triggered fears about empty shelves.
— A small model of the Enterprise. The ship from the show “Star Trek” seems apt in a 2021 time capsule in part because William Shatner, who played the fictional Captain James T. Kirk (or admiral, if you’re also a fan of the movies), traveled briefly into space. In many ways, the science fiction of the past — a telephone that allowed you to look at someone else — is the fact of the present, with FaceTime and the aforementioned zoom.
— Competing signs. Protesting seems to have returned in full force this year. As the year comes to a close, people who do and don’t believe in vaccinations often stand on opposite sides of a road, shouting at cars, each other and the wind to get their messages across.
— A syringe. We started the year with people over 65 and in vulnerable groups getting their first doses of a vaccine that has slowed the progression of COVID-19, and we’re ending it with the distribution of booster shots for this population and, eventually, for others who received a vaccine eight months earlier.
— Take-out menus. I would throw several take-out menus, along with instructions about leaving food at a front door, into the time capsule. While numerous restaurants are operating close to their in-dining capacity, some of us are still eating the same food at home.
— An Amazon box. Barely a day goes by when I don’t see an Amazon delivery truck in the neighborhood, leaving the familiar smiling boxes at my neighbors’ front doors.
— Broken glass. I would include some carefully protected broken glass to reflect some of the divisions in the country and to remember the moment protesters stormed the capital, overwhelming the police and sending politicians scrambling for cover.
— Houses of gold. I would throw in a golden house, to show how the value of homes, particularly those outside of a city, increased amid an urban exodus.
— A Broadway playbill. My wife and I saw a musical for the first time in over two years. We were thrilled to attend “Wicked.” The combination of songs, staging, acting, and lighting transported us back to the land of Oz. Judging from the thunderous applause at the end from a fully masked audience, we were not the only ones grateful to enjoy the incredible talents of performers who must have struggled amid the shutdown.
There I was, tapping on my computer keyboard, when what sounded like a pneumatic drill started tapping right outside my window. I jumped up, ran down the hall, out the front door and around the house to be greeted by the sight of an unperturbed woodpecker.
Busily bobbing his beak into my shingles, he ignored me for a few seconds, despite my frantic hand waving and yelling, then cocked his head to see what the fuss was about. We looked at each other but he didn’t leave. I picked up a pine cone that had fallen on my driveway and threw it in his direction, along with a couple of words I wouldn’t repeat in polite company. Slowly, letting me know it was his idea, he flew away.
He left behind three black holes on the side of the house, each the size of a quarter. I went back inside to my computer, and then there he was again, rat-tat-tatting on the shingles. The words, “How much wood could a woodpecker peck if a woodpecker would peck wood?” passed through my mind as I again ran out the door and yelled. This time he moved away more quickly. I made a little pile of pine cones along the side of my driveway and returned to my computer. Not five minutes later, the scene repeated itself. I replenished my arsenal, knowing he would be back, and he was.
Good heavens, what was I to do, stand guard all day? What if I hadn’t been home? From the number and size of the holes, he had clearly been there before.
A truce seemed at hand. I pulled out my cell phone and dialed my neighbor. Yes, he was aware that there was an energetic woodpecker among us. In fact, hadn’t I heard? The neighbor on the other side of my house was having his wood shingles removed and replaced with vinyl that looked like wood but obviously didn’t taste the same. Maybe the culprit had just moved over to my shingles.
Next, I called my trusty neighborhood hardware store. Yes, they had heard of such a problem before and they did have one possible remedy, a roll of reflective tape for $7 that I should cut into 3-foot strips and hang from my house.
We rushed down to get the tape and also bought a roll of twine.
Back home we did as instructed, knotted the red and silver streamers to the twine at five-foot intervals as if on a clothesline, then hung the entire line high up across the side of the house. We repeated the process for the front of the house where he had also started pecking. I am lucky to have saintly friends who executed these maneuvers on ladders for me. When it was done, we stood back and looked at the handwork. The house looked decorated for Halloween.
As you might expect of me, I researched “woodpeckers” on my computer and found four reasons that woodpeckers would carry on this way. The first was to make a “satisfyingly loud noise and proclaim that this was his territory and attract a mate.” Bully for him.
The other three explanations were less romantic but more practical: to find food in the shingles, especially larvae of carpenter bees, leafcutter bees and grass bagworms; to store food; for nesting.
I further found some good news, or at least some consolation. It seems that ancient cultures associated woodpeckers with luck, prosperity and spiritual healing. To other cultures they represented hard work, perseverance, strength and determination.Woodpeckers are, apparently, among the most intelligent and smartest birds in the world.
More good news in the form of fortune cookie messages: When they appear, it is time to unleash one’s potential and change any situation to one’s best advantage. From woodpeckers one can imbibe the skills of being resourceful and determined. They encourage the power to unshackle ingenuity and creativity in those around them.
Well, now you know. Whatever success ensues, I will owe it to my woodpecker.
P.S. After one more short visit, he has not come back.
Suffolk County Legislators Sarah Anker and Al Krupski present a proclamation to Little Flower Children and Family Services for their service to the community. Photo from Leg. Anker's office
On Sept. 30, Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker and Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski presented a proclamation to Little Flower Children and Family Services of Wading River and certificates of appreciation to each of the facility’s almost 300 staff members to thank them for working on the frontlines throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the children and families in the community were able to access much needed services.
The legislators were joined by Corinne Hammons, President and CEO of Little Flower Children and Family Services; Erik M. Ulrich, LCSW-R, ACSW, Clinical Director, Medical and Mental Health Department; Michelle Segretto, Vice President of Residential Services; Lauren Mones, MSW, Interim Chief of Staff and Administrative Director Health Care Management and Services; Taressa Harry, Director of Communications; Steven Valentine, Maintenance Supervisor; Harold Dean, Superintendent of the Little Flower Union Free School District; and Barbara Kullen, Board of Directors Member outside at the Wading River Duck Pond for the presentation.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many challenges to our service providers, forcing them to adapt and find innovative ways to continue to service those in need,” said Leg. Anker. “Legislator Krupski and I would like to thank all the amazing staff at Little Flower that worked directly on the frontlines each day to provide our children and families with much needed support, at a time that they likely needed it the most.”
“The work that Little Flower does on a day to day, year to year basis is very important,” said Leg. Krupski. “Trying to function in the face of a global pandemic must have been very challenging. Thank you to Little Flower for their hard work, decision making and commitment to their goals. They have set a great example of courage and determination.”
“I am genuinely grateful to Legislator Anker and Legislator Krupski for taking the time to acknowledge and support Little Flower’s remarkable frontline workers and for recognizing the tough and heroic work they do every day in support of those we serve,” said President and CEO of Little Flower Children and Family Services Corinne Hammons.
“They have demonstrated great dedication and commitment to our clients by showing up every day, leaving the safety of their homes, balancing the risk of the pandemic to provide care, comfort, and security. We are thankful and proud of our essential workers. They are the backbone of our organization and the heart of our mission, never missing a beat as they transform caring into action,” added Hammons.
The Rocky Point girls’ soccer team. Photo from Rich Acritelli
These were the words of the members of the Rocky Point High School girls’ soccer team, after they completed their schedule with an undefeated season.
The Rocky Point girls’ soccer team. Photo from Rich Acritelli
This past Monday, they gained a hard fought 1-0 victory against the talented Wildcats of Shoreham-Wading River. Within every game, the “Lady Eagles” were a confident, but not a brash group of players, that never looked past any opponent. Currently, they are amongst the highest ranked teams within the state, and they look forward to the play-offs to continue their winning ways. Coach Peter Costa explained the dominant play of his girls as a “team that never quits in any game.”
It has been a unique year for the several seniors that comprise the nucleus of this team. Watching them interact with each other, they are an extremely close bunch that have formed an enduring bond on and off the field. This was demonstrated by senior right forward Gianna Amendola who scored the winning goal against Shoreham-Wading River. Amendola has been a scoring machine, as she leads the county with thirty-one goals, and she has set the single season record for the school. Against Shoreham, with three defenders on her, she scored the winning goal. Armed with a big smile and a can-do attitude, she is looking forward to playing next fall for a dominant four-year college.
Next to Amendola is the “comic relief” for this team in defender Victoria Curreri. She was extremely proud of the “Great Wall of Defense” that this group has established in allowing only eight goals during the season and supporting the team with ten shutouts. All the defender’s credit Junior MaryKate Abernethy’s remarkable play in the net, to only allow eight goals within 16 games. Next fall, Curreri will be playing lacrosse at Iona College in New Rochelle.
Always with a huge smile, forward Alex Kelly has been a major presence on the offense. This talented four-year varsity soccer player and track and field jumper and sprinter will be attending Princeton University next fall. She has been a dominant offensive figure in creating the greatest number of assists and ranking second in points in Suffolk County.This young lady that is always known for her positive demeanor, is also a tenacious player that makes her presence felt on the field.Kelly has thoroughly enjoyed her time playing since her childhood with many of these girls who are about to graduate.
Another important member of this team is Megan Loeser. The center mid-fielder is an extremely talented player that has been an important cog towards the success of this team. Awarded All-League and Division honors, this three-year captain can always be seen hustling and pushing her teammates against the opposition. This “field general” identifies this team as the hardest working group that she has played with during her 14-year soccer career for school and travel leagues. Always an upbeat young lady, Loeser expects to continue playing soccer in college.
Next to Loeser, is her best friend and nearby neighbor in Lindsey Lucia. An aggressive defender, she has a strong understanding of this sport, especially during big games. Like many of the other girls, she began playing sports within the CYO leagues. Lucia wears a large trade-mark smile, where this genuine student-athlete has been a starting varsity three-year captain. This spirited team leader has established the Rocky Point mantra for competing against difficult teams like that of Shoreham, East Islip and Hauppauge, is to handle each game like it’s the play-offs. Lucia will be attending C.W. Post next fall, where she will be playing lacrosse in Brookville.
The Rocky Point girls’ soccer team. Photo from Rich Acritelli
Mia Negus recalls her younger moments of being taught this game with her teammates within the fields of Frank J. Caraseti Elementary School. She is a vital member of the vaunted defense that has made it extremely difficult for opposing schools to score against Rocky Point. Negus is excited to complete her high school on one of the most successful team’s in school history.
Senior Kaitlyn Reilly could be one of the most versatile student-athletes on this team. While she is a soft-spoken young lady, Reilly is a tough defensive player, that is proud of a group that always pulls for each other. This amazing student would like to play at a respected four-year school next fall, where she would like to major in elementary education.
Looking up the field, Reilly often passes the ball to Lilly Resciniti, who is an extremely capable mid-fielder. Resciniti like that of Loeser, Kelly and Amendola, is a dominant member of this team, where she skillfully helps the offense and defense. She views the concentration of this team as a key factor within its “mind-set” to always practice and play 110% of the time.An extraordinary student that is academically ranked tenth in her class, this mid-fielder is looking forward to attending medical school and studying neuroscience.
Sophia Wood is extremely pleased to be a part of the “insane talent” that has surrounded this team.Wood is a center mid-fielder that is looking forward to playing against the best players in Suffolk County during the play-offs. Like the other girls, she is thrilled to be part of a team that is extremely close, where they like to spend time together through their weekly pasta parties.
Wood will be playing lacrosse next fall at St. Leo University. All of the girls would like to thank their fellow senior back-up goalie Julia Darby that has played with them for the last four years. Her support has been instrumental in helping the team prepare during practices and before games against some of the best teams in the county.
Many years down the road, as these ladies pursue their own path’s in life, they will always recall this regular season, where they were undefeated before the play-offs. With a sincere affection towards each other, the comradery of this group will continue to push them through the rigors of the play-offs.
Costa believed that the “success this year has been our team bond. The players care for each other, they cheer for each other and spend time off the field together. Every practice is fun, and it is filled with energy.”
Long time Athletic Director Charles Delargy stated that an “undefeated season is a great accomplishment. To do it in power ranking where a team has to play against 16 different opponents is even more amazing.”
And underclass players Michalina Wojnowski and Emily Velasquez understand the sheer presence of these strong players and they have expressed their gratitude in being part of a positive team that always strives for excellence.
Rich Acritelli is a social studies teacher at Rocky Point High School and an adjunct professor of American history at Suffolk County Community College.
With the Food and Drug Administration expected to vote this week on boosters for Johnson & Johnson and Moderna vaccines for COVID-19, local doctors suggested the current studies may support some switching, particularly for those who received a single dose of Johnson & Johnson.
“There is preliminary data that has demonstrated that mixing and matching the vaccines may be beneficial,” said Dr. Sunil Dhuper, chief medical officer at Port Jefferson’s St. Charles Hospital.
Indeed, recent studies suggested that people who received the J&J vaccine had a considerably higher increase in their antibody response from a Moderna booster than from a second J&J shot.
“There may be some merit” to switching from the traditional method J&J deployed to create an antibody response to the mRNA-based approach from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, Dhuper added.
Dr. Adrian Popp, chair of Infection Control at Huntington Hospital, added that data from studies with J&J are “showing that folks who received the initial J&J vaccine may benefit from receiving a booster with Pfizer or Moderna as this may lead to a very high immune response.”
As for side effects from the boosters, Popp explained that the reactions are similar to those for the initial series of vaccinations.
In an email, Popp noted that the Moderna booster is half the dose of the original shots, which “may lead to a decrease in side effects.”
Dr. Susan Donelan, medical director of the Healthcare Epidemiology Department at Stony Brook Medicine and assistant professor of Infectious Diseases in the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, is pleased that “many people are quite eager to obtain boosters. This bodes well for enhanced protection as we enter the indoor/ holiday season.”
In another encouraging sign, the percentage of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Suffolk County continues to decline, with the seven-day average falling to 3% as of Oct. 19, which is down from 4.2% a month earlier, according to the Suffolk County Department of Health.
Sporting events
Meanwhile, people have been attending college and professional sporting events in large numbers, often without masks. These competitions haven’t yet produced documented superspreader events.
“Outdoor venues overall provide a reduced opportunity for spread compared to indoor events,” Donelan explained in an email. “If proof of vaccination or a negative test within a set time frame (e.g. 72 hours) before the event is required for entry, it is reasonable to anticipate that inadvertent spread can be limited.”
Other health care professionals also suggested that outdoor events, despite thousands of people standing and shouting to urge on their teams, presented lower risk than indoor gatherings.
“In an outdoor event, the virus would get diluted within seconds,” said Dhuper. “You’re not going to get a high dose” of any viral particles at such a gathering.
As for the bigger picture, Popp said he is “happy to report that, as of Oct. 6, the fully vaccinated rate is 69% in Nassau and 65% in Suffolk. It is not as high as we would like to see, but it is an increase of 7% to 8% since July 29.”
Health care professionals urged residents who haven’t already done so to get a flu shot soon.
“With all the attention on COVID vaccinations, masks will come off as people are reassured that they are safer in regards to COVID, and flu will ‘take advantage’ of this scenario,” Donelan explained. “We need to be vaccinated against both viruses.”
Steve Bellone at a recent press conference. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) announced on Oct. 20 that he tested positive for COVID-19.
“Today I tested positive for COVID-19 and will be following the recommended CDC protocols for fully vaccinated individuals,” he said. “I am experiencing mild symptoms at this point but otherwise feel in good health and spirits.”
The county executive had a reminder for residents.
“I hope this serves as a reminder to all residents that while we are making incredible progress in the war against COVID-19, we are not done just yet,” he said. “To that end, I encourage anyone who is eligible to receive their booster shot to do so.”
Leg. Kara Hahn lighting a candle. Photo by Julianne Mosher
To honor of National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day, one local woman has spearheaded a county-wide event to honor and remember the little lives lost.
Elizabeth Kennedy, of Rocky Point, shared her story nearly two years ago with Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai), sparking the Suffolk County Legislature to unanimously approve a resolution, and designate Oct. 15 as “Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Awareness Day” back in 2020.
Sponsored by Anker, it was introduced to increase awareness of the causes and impacts surrounding pregnancy and infant loss and to improve understanding, support and potential resources for those who grieve the loss of a pregnancy or an infant.
Kennedy lost her second child, who was named Grace, when she was 26 weeks and six days pregnant on Feb. 25, 2018.
Struck with grief she felt that she needed to find an outlet to help her cope with her loss, so she began researching different infant loss support groups. Through her online search, she found the Star Legacy Foundation — a national organization whose mission is to increase awareness, support research, promote education and encourage advocacy and family support regarding stillbirth, pregnancy loss, and neonatal death.
After helping to organize a virtual candle lighting — called the “Wave of Light” — on Zoom to show respect for families and loved ones who have experienced loss last year, she and her fellow organizers decided to finally host an in-person event for 2021 at Heritage Park on Friday, Oct. 15.
At 6:45 p.m. nearly a dozen people came together to mourn and share their stories for one of the county’s first Wave of Light events at the park.
“I think it’s important to have advocates like Elizabeth Kennedy to provide these types of events to help people understand that they’re not the only ones dealing with these challenges,” Anker said. “There are so many women, and even men, that need to understand they are not the only ones that have that have experienced the sense of tremendous loss.”
According to the Star Foundation, thousands of families in the United States experience pregnancy and infant loss each year. In the United States there are approximately 24,000 stillbirths, or 1 out of 160 births, a year. In addition to stillbirths, current research suggests that between 10% and 20% of medically confirmed pregnancies end in miscarriage.
While 2020 was the first year Suffolk County acknowledged the day, the month of October was proclaimed as “Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month” by President Ronald Reagan in 1988.2021 was special to Kennedy and her family, because they were able to stand together in-person.
“Compared to last year, this was so much better and it’s nice to have everybody here with us,” she said at the event.
County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) also visited the ceremony and helped light candles, too.
“No one can understand the loss of a child, but we can certainly together try to educate others and try to share our love and our support and empathy and compassion to try to help,” she said.
As for Gracie, the Kennedy family knows she’s looking down smiling.
“She continues to inspire,” Anker said.
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Leg. Kara Hahn, Elizabeth Kennedy and Leg. Sarah Anker. Photo by Julianne Mosher
Photo by Julianne Mosher
Photo by Julianne Mosher
Photo by Julianne Mosher
Leg. Kara Hahn lighting a candle. Photo by Julianne Mosher
Much like Christmas, Halloween is no longer relegated to a single day. A number of Halloween enthusiasts now begin decorating at the start of October. Hijinks and autumn revelry fill the air as individuals eagerly count down to the end of the month. Though the lightheartedness of Halloween festivities, such as costumes and candy, garner the bulk of celebrants’ attention, it’s important to take safety into consideration as well.
According to the Mayo Clinic, children are twice as likely to be hit by a car on Halloween as other nights of the year. Cuts and burns also are more common on October 31. A good Halloween scare should come from costumes, not accidents or injuries. This Halloween, consider these safety measures, courtesy of Safe Kids Worldwide, the Mayo Clinic, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Make sure you’re visible when trick-or-treating. Reflective tape, glow sticks, flashlights, or camping lanterns can make pedestrians more visible to motorists.
• Pedestrians should walk on sidewalks if they are available. When sidewalks are not available, walk facing traffic and do so as far off to the side of the road as you can get.
• Drivers should be especially alert to pedestrians on Halloween. Drive slowly, as many kids scurry from house to house in search of Halloween candy.
• Pedestrians and drivers should follow the rules of the road, stopping at intersections and crossing in crosswalks.
• Consider alternatives to carving pumpkins, since the risk of being cut while carving is high. If you want to carve, leave the carving to adults. Utilize battery-operated flameless candles or glow sticks to illuminate jack-o’-lanterns.
• All costumes, wigs and accessories should be fire-resistant. Make sure that costumes do not impede your ability to walk or see.
• Test makeup to check for skin irritation before application. Remove it promptly after returning home.
• Set up a buddy system so that no one is going it alone. Agree on a specific time children should return home. Adults should chaperone young children.
• While incidences of candy tampering may be minimal, no one should snack on candy until it has been inspected. Inspections also protect against food allergies.
• The candy bounty should be rationed so no one overindulges and feels ill later on. Halloween season is a fun time of year, but safety should go hand in hand with all the celebrating on this special day.
Halloween is such a fun time of year and celebrations have come early this year, with many events happening this weekend in addition to next weekend. Here are 31 Halloween events on the North Shore to enjoy with your family.
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