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Pregnant woman standing beside crib. METRO Creative Connection photo

By Daniel Dunaief

Cases of syphilis, a sexually-transmitted infection, have climbed dramatically on Long Island over the last decade and have continued to increase, creating a health care risk for those infected including pregnant women and their unborn children.

The number of infectious syphilis cases on Long Island quadrupled between 2011 and 2021, reflecting a national trend, Dr. Cynthia Friedman, Director of Public Health Suffolk County Department of Health Services, explained in an email, citing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

“Unfortunately, case numbers continued to increase through 2022,” while 2023 numbers were not yet finalized, Friedman added.

Photo of Cynthia Friedman.

The incubation period for syphilis is between two and three weeks, with primary symptoms including painless open sores or ulcers and enlarged lymph nodes near the sore.

Left untreated, syphilis can progress through four stages, from primary, to secondary, latent and tertiary, with the last of those occurring in about 30 of cases and threatening the heart and brain and potentially causing death.

“The CDC and New York State Department of Health have issued advisories urging providers to screen their patients for syphilis when appropriate,” Friedman wrote. “Prevention of congenital syphilis is a priority.”

Indeed, pregnant women can pass along syphilis to their unborn children.

Children born with syphilis look healthy, but develop problems as they age.

“It’s a life-long debilitating disease” for infants, said Dr. Sharon Nachman, Chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital. “It affects the brain, bones, growth, teeth and every part of the body.”

Nationally, the number of children born with syphilis has also increased, with CDC data indicating that 3,700 were born with the disease in 2022, 10 times the level from 2012.

Area hospitals have been actively screening pregnant women for syphilis and, in cases where tests come back positive, have been prescribing Bicillin L-A, a form of penicillin that treats the disease and protects unborn children.

“We at Stony Brook have been very aggressive about knowing each mother’s status,” said Nachman.

At Huntington Hospital, pregnant women are also screened at least three times, on initial intake, in the middle of a pregnancy and on admission to the hospital, explained Dr. Mitchell Kramer, Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Suffolk County runs a Congenital Syphilis Prevention Program, which follows women who test positive for the infection during their pregnancy to ensure they are adequately treated and that their infants receive appropriate monitoring and follow up, Friedman wrote in an email.

Still, infections occur among newborns in the county.

“There are generally a few babies born with congenital syphilis in Suffolk County each year,” explained Friedman. “This usually occurs when mothers have had no or limited prenatal care.”

Supply of medicine

Hospitals have been extremely careful with their supply of Bicillin L-A, which is the most effective and safest treatment for pregnant women who aren’t allergic to penicillin.

“Across our institution, nobody could touch those [treatments] unless they were treating a pregnant woman,” said Nachman.

Pfizer, which manufactures the drug, indicated in June that they have enough Bicillin to treat diagnosed cases of the disease.

Kramer said the earlier supply limitations of Bicillin L-A hadn’t been an issue in his practice, although he “wouldn’t be surprised if smaller health care facilities had a shortage.”

Causes of the increase

Health care professionals suggested several possible causes of the rise in syphilis.

An improvement in the prevention and treatment of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, has likely led to a reduction in the use of condoms, which help prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infections.

An increase in the use of apps to find potential partners may also have increased the spread of these infections, said Nachman.

Additionally, some people may feel there is a “stigma associated with STIs” and may be reluctant to go to a doctor and ask for a test, said Kramer.

Numerous states have lost funding for STI prevention, which also likely reduced the awareness of the need for people to protect themselves, Kramer added.

Populations where there’s disparities in health services and that don’t have access to screening and treatment are “health care deserts” as patients “are not getting proper care and screening,” Kramer said.

Syphilis isn’t just a problem for any one age group.

The infection has been making the rounds at senior centers and assisted living facilities, with cases rising among people over 65 years old. Seniors who aren’t concerned about pregnancy can be at risk for contracting a sexually transmitted disease.

Area hospitals have been urging residents to understand the prevalence and health consequences of STIs and have urged people to protect themselves from the disease.

“There is a concerted effort to get the message out,” Kramer said.

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Stock photo

Each town, and many hamlets, have town codes that their politicians strive to enforce. However, these codes are not hard and fast and are subject to amendments, which are happening all the time and often in response to community input. 

For local legislatures, the community wields enormous power — our voices, if they are loud enough, have the capability to incite change. While these codes can at times be enigmatic, it’s imperative that we take the time to understand them so that we, as members of the town, know the rules we live by, whether they appear to be justified or not. 

In Huntington, a group of residents noticed a discrepancy with how the planning board approached a development application and what their code dictates. The residents, who form the Nathan Hale Nature Preserve, hired a lawyer and filed a lawsuit. They pointed out that a procedure wasn’t followed and the board’s attorney agreed — it wasn’t. 

Last year, the Smithtown planning board amended the town code to exclude “convalescent” and “resting” homes from being considered a special exception to zoning restrictions, thereby preventing a proposal submitted by a company from progressing.

Recently, the Town of Brookhaven revitalized enforcement of their town code regarding signs, resulting in the removal of thousands of signs of all shapes and sizes. One reason behind this is that the signs are visually unappealing and don’t fit the town’s aesthetic goals. 

Sometimes the rules aren’t so cut and dried. Port Jefferson Village, like most local governments, has sign ordinances that outlaw certain obstructive and unattractive signs that don’t oblige the fixed parameters of the code. 

A subjective reason, no matter how well-intentioned, is inevitably open to debate. This was the case where the village lost a legal battle to remove a prohibited and politically charged sign. 

Signs are tricky. Their purpose is to communicate, so free speech is always a consideration. Walking this fine line of preserving the integrity of the town while protecting the First Amendment has proved difficult to Port Jefferson Village, which lost a legal battle with a business owner over whether his sign was allowed. 

While it is important to protect our First Amendment right, it is also important to oblige our neutral town codes and to ensure our community is a place all residents feel at home. 

In becoming a resident, we consent to an unspoken agreement with our fellow residents and with our local officials. If something is amiss in our town, know we have the power to inflict change. We can become better advocates for our communities by becoming conversant with our town codes and learning about the political and legal options available to make the changes we desire come to fruition. 

An effective, stable democracy is founded on a scrupulous system of checks and balances. Errors or oversights in our town codes are not cause for alarm, but rather an opportunity to build a better community. 

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Delaney Walters drives the baseline for the Cougars. Photo by Bill Landon
Centereach lets the 3-pointers fly in summer league basketball action against Mount Sinai. Photo by Bill Landon
Centereach vs. Mt. Sinai. Photo by Bill Landon
Centereach vs. Mt. Sinai. Photo by Bill Landon
Centereach vs. Mt. Sinai. Photo by Bill Landon
Centereach vs. Mt. Sinai. Photo by Bill Landon
Centereach vs. Mt. Sinai. Photo by Bill Landon
Centereach vs. Mt. Sinai. Photo by Bill Landon
Centereach vs. Mt. Sinai. Photo by Bill Landon
Centereach vs. Mt. Sinai. Photo by Bill Landon
Centereach vs. Mt. Sinai. Photo by Bill Landon
Bella Falco scores for Mount Sinai.
Emily Camparelli banks two for the Mustangs.
Centereach vs. Mt. Sinai. Photo by Bill Landon
Centereach vs. Mt. Sinai. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

With eight games complete in Town of Brookhaven summer league basketball season, the Centereach Cougars girls basketball squad (6-2), squared off against the Mustangs of Mount Sinai (7-0-1) Monday night, July 29. The competition was as hot as the temperature was inside the Mount Sinai gymnasium where it was a two-point game with eight minutes remaining. 

The Mustangs trailed 33-31 before Centereach turned up the heat with Delaney Walters hitting 3-point shots at will to put the game away 49-37, resulting in the Mustangs first loss of the season. 

— Photos by Bill Landon

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The Suffolk County Police Department is advising of road closures and restricted beach access in
Shirley on August 4 due to the Smith Point Triathlon.

Both directions of William Floyd Parkway between Robinwood Drive and Smith Point County Park will be closed between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m. Motorists are encouraged to avoid the area.

Additionally, Smith Point County Park will be closed between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m. There will be no public access during these times. The closure includes all public access to the beach, outer beach, and campgrounds.

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Photo courtesy Town of Brookhaven

By Peter Sloniewsky

In recent years, Long Island has consistently dropped in population and seen an increase in age of senior residents as younger people move to other states.

According to a Feb. 29 Newsday report, between 2017 and 2022 the population of Long Island decreased by more than 110,000 residents. This is largely due to the high cost of living here. In a 2019 report from the Economic Policy Institute, a family of two adults and two children in the Nassau/Suffolk metro area would need to earn a combined $139,545 per year to live “comfortably.”

The cost-of-living index for Long Island is 147, or 47% higher than the national average, according to the Council for Community and Economic Research.

The area is known for its high property taxes, more than 60% of which go to one of the 124 school districts, each of which contains its own administration. While school property taxes are capped at either a 2% increase or at the inflation rate (whichever is lower), the combination of high property values and consistent school budget increases have continued to drive up taxes. Moreover, there is a $10,000 cap on deducting state and local taxes (known as SALT).

Beyond school taxes, a property tax bill also includes police costs, local governments and salaries for public employees. While a debate regarding the relationship between payment for government and educational services certainly exists, the result is clear — a relatively inaccessible financial environment for young homebuyers or renters.

While the 2023 national poverty level for a family of four is approximately $30,000 per year, indicating a 6% poverty rate on Long Island, local legislators have said that this is a vast underestimate. The real figure should be about $55,500 per year, according to a Newsday report, meaning about 20% of Long Islanders are “structurally poor.”

As Long Island’s population declines, except in some East End towns, the number of senior residents in the 65-plus age group has grown. That being said, if young people are to live here, options do exist.

First, trends are not identical across the area. Properties in the middle of the island are typically more affordable than those on shorelines, and towns in that area are generally more diverse.

The relationship between housing and renting is also important to consider. According to 2021 census data, the majority of renters on Long Island spend more than 30% of their income on rent in a sellers market. However, the median home price has consistently risen and is now greater than $600,000 as demand far outpaces supply.

The foremost solution is to save strategically. In a conversation with TBR News Media, Jolie Powell, of Jolie Powell Realty in Port Jefferson, said that her foremost advice to young buyers would be to “keep saving your money, [and to] hunker down on other items you’re purchasing, because the home is the most important asset. Save, save, save.” She recommended that young buyers in financially stressful situations search for properties in “up and coming” neighborhoods, and generally in the center areas of Long Island.

Powell also stated that grants and assistance were available, and that a strategic young buyer would seek them out. The Federal Housing Administration offers loans with as little as 3.5% down payments for homebuyers, with low closing costs and easy credit qualifying.

Beyond that, Nassau County offers grants to eligible first-time homebuyers, and Suffolk County has offered programs in the past for down payment assistance. Individual towns and other bodies of municipal government can also offer assistance, and organizations like the Long Island Housing Partnership have been touted by local governments as highly beneficial. These organizations can use the New York State Affordable Housing Corporation’s funds, which can be combined with additional county funds to assist buyers with purchases and improvements.

Ultimately, while Long Island’s high cost of living and elevated property taxes continue to drive younger residents away, strategic saving and available assistance programs offer some hope for those determined to make their home here, even as the population trends toward an older demographic.

In a late development, the Town of Brookhaven and Long Island Housing Partnership will launch on Aug. 1 a down payment assistance program, giving first-time homebuyers the opportunity to receive assistance up to $50,000 in down payment/closing costs toward the purchase of an eligible single-family home.

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Satellite image of the phytoplankton bloom. Photo courtesy NOAA

By Aidan Johnson

From a young age, children are taught that the ocean isn’t actually blue but is simply reflecting the color of the sky. However, the ocean recently took on a turquoise color not caused by the sky but by organisms called phytoplankton in the water.

Phytoplankton are tiny, commonly single-celled photosynthetic organisms in bodies of water that are carried by tides and currents and are too weak to swim against them.

Along the South Shore, all the way from Montauk to Brooklyn and spanning about 100 miles into the Atlantic Ocean, there is an algal bloom full of a specific type of phytoplankton called coccolithophores, explained Christopher Gobler, a professor at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University.

According to Gobler, this particular type of phytoplankton has a shell that’s made of calcium carbonate, which is the same substance that clam shells are made of, albeit to a much larger degree.

“What can happen is that after [the coccolithophores have] grown for a while, the shell begins to dissolve and then they might start dying off,” he said in an interview. “And so the coloration seems to be from the dissolution of that shell. It looks green, but it’s really just the interaction of the calcium carbonate with the seawater and the sunlight that collectively leads to that color.”

Gobler also clarified that the coccolithophores do not pose a direct health risk to sea life, but instead “fuel the food chain.”

“And so for the present time at least … we can call it a neutral deposit,” he said.

The bloom already seems to be dissipating, according to Gobler, which means that the sky will once again take credit for the water’s blue appearance.

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Photo by Raymond Janis

Unjustified dismantlement of West Meadow Beach cottages

I am writing in response to last week’s article concerning the new West Meadow Beach sign which memorializes the cottages that once stood there [“New West Meadow Beach sign evokes old controversy,” The Village Times Herald, July 25]. Like the sign, the article fails to reflect the more nuanced story of the West Meadow Beach cottages and their significance to our community. As someone deeply connected to this community, I must address the misrepresentations and the devastating loss we have suffered.

Steve Englebright [D-Setauket], the former state assemblyman [and current county legislator], has shown himself to be a disgrace. Even if his story from his 20s about landing on the beach and being chased away were true, his relentless pursuit to remove the beach cottages was an abuse of his office. Englebright’s personal crusade and the narrative he and his associates crafted used circumstantial evidence to paint a false picture of a community that I knew intimately.

The beach cottages were not the domain of a privileged few but a bucolic community of families who created memories and contributed to the fabric of Stony Brook. Englebright’s claim that “most of the people of Brookhaven Town were denied access to their own public land” is simply untrue. Instead of addressing a genuine community concern, he pursued a personal agenda with the help of a few local activists who exploited his political influence to achieve an extreme outcome.

Herb Mones, of the West Meadow Beach Advisory Committee and one of the privileged homeowners behind West Meadow Creek, pursued a hateful agenda rather than working with the community on solutions. His group started the first legal challenges against the cottages in 1991, resulting in rulings that public parkland didn’t belong to private interests. This act has torn a hole in our marvelous town and demonstrated a cruel use of legislation to destroy a special place for so many. Rather than seeking an alternative zoning plan to balance access and preservation, Englebright and his cohorts chose destruction.

Today, the strip of land where the cottages once stood is a barren wasteland, neglected and unprotected. The community that once thrived there is gone, and the town is poorer for it.

Englebright’s defeat from his Assembly seat is a small consolation, but he should be further removed from any position of power. His version of events starkly contrasts with the experiences of many other town residents. My stepfather, for instance, was welcomed and rescued by the cottage community when his boat ran ashore. Similarly, I witnessed my late father coming to the aid of a pilot who crashed his lightweight aircraft on the beach. We welcomed the pilot into our home, shared stories, and my father helped him repair his aircraft.

Englebright’s defensive claims and narrative paints a very different picture than The New York Times story from 2004 [www.nytimes.com/2004/06/27/nyregion/long-island-journal-cottages-at-west-meadow-beach-face-end.html] reflecting a community of caring residents who became legislative victims. Nancy Solomon, a folklorist and executive director of Long Island Traditions, rightly pointed out that the bungalows reflected local architectural tradition and that tearing them down was a loss of history. George Barber, president of the Brookhaven Bathing Association, feared that the removal of the cottages would lead to the beach becoming a garbage dump, which we now see happening.

If there is to be a second sign, it should inform the community of Englebright’s abuse of office and the destruction of a cherished treasure of the Three Villages. He and his cronies should be ashamed of themselves, and their actions will not be forgotten.

Jen Schaedel, Stony Brook

Editor’s note: Our front-page story covered the erection of a new sign at the beach and was not a detailed history of the cottages controversy, which was still discussed.

An alternative view of the West Meadow cottages controversy

Last week’s Village Times Herald article, “New West Meadow Beach sign evokes old controversy,” reminded me that it’s been 19 years since the beach liberation. 

Back then, our local newspaper was besieged with letters, including those from owners who promised dire consequences if the cottages were razed — arson, crimes, drugs, pollution and increased traffic. I was one of the people who wrote letters arguing that they must come down, and that the beach be returned to the public.

I thought back to a Brazilian trip where all the beaches were accessible to the public. No hotels or houses were built along the waterfront. A local explained to me that such building was illegal because beaches belong to the public, not the wealthy, would-be homeowners.

Here on Long Island we have a system where, generally, people of means reside on the waterfront and the rest of us share the places that remain public. The West Meadow Beach cottages were one of the worst examples of beachfront land abuse, because it was rented at a discount to those who “voted correctly.” And, yes, I was approached by more than one cottage owner who menacingly advised, “We know where you live.”

A champion of the beach reclamation was Herb Mones who first brought the issue to the taxpayers. And Steve Englebright will always be considered a heroic figure to me because he risked his career against overpowering odds and personal threats in order to do the right thing.

The dire predictions never materialized. No arson, crime, crack houses or increased traffic — just less sewage. It’s a joy seeing people taking that beautiful, serene walk on our peninsula, which is slowly evolving back to its natural state. 

Bruce Stasiuk, East Setauket

Horseshoe crabs need our help!

To readers of this newspaper there is good news about horseshoe crabs but your help is needed.

Legislation to prohibit the harvest of horseshoe crabs has passed the New York State Assembly and Senate (A10140/S3185-A) and awaits action by Gov. Kathy Hochul [D].

Please take a moment to urge her to sign the bill into law. You can do this by either:

1.  Calling her office at 518-474-8390.

2.  Sending a letter of support to:

The Honorable Kathy Hochul

Governor of New York State

New York State Capitol Building

Albany, NY 12224

3.  Going to this website: www.governor.ny.gov/content/governor-contact-form and type in a comment in the message box.

We have never been closer to stopping the killing of tens of thousands of horseshoe crabs —NYS regulations allow baymen to kill 150,000 annually for bait — and your voice is needed.

Horseshoe crabs have declined significantly over the past several decades and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission earlier in 2024 determined that New York’s horseshoe crab fishery is in “poor condition” — the only state along the East Coast with this troubling designation. 

This poor condition is borne out by our personal experience: Who over the age of 50 doesn’t remember our bay and harbor bottoms once being filled with these iconic animals? This species, known as a living fossil, plays a vital role in the coastal ecosystem with their eggs being eaten by a number of migratory shorebird species, including the red knot which is protected by the federal Endangered Species Act. Their eggs are eaten by many fish species too and the adults are consumed by sea turtles, also listed and protected in the Endangered Species Act. 

There are bait alternatives baymen can use that have proven effective. Over the past 25 years about 3.6 million horseshoe crabs have been killed for bait. It’s time that New York joins our neighboring state Connecticut, which recently enacted a statewide ban on the taking of these living fossils and stops the slaughter. These fascinating animals deserve better. We call on Gov. Hochul to sign the ban into law. It is vital the governor hears from the public by expressing your support for the ban. Please contact Gov. Hochul today!

John Turner

Four Harbors Audubon Society

St. James

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Students are asked to craft a story inspired by the above sea glass fragment.

By Daniel Dunaief

Daniel Dunaief

Once a piece of glass falls in the ocean, the magic begins.

Given an opportunity to enter the Whaling Museum & Educational Center of Cold Spring Harbor’s sea glass fiction writing contest, students from around Long Island accepted the challenge, offering a dynamic, exciting and inspiring range of stories.

Students from third grade through high school looked at the same piece of glass and developed stories filled with literary devices like onomatopoeia (where a word, like “whack” comes from a sound), personification and more.

The narratives ran the gamut from tales of mermaids to creations of new mythology to a search for meaning and identity. 

Along the way, the writers seized on the opportunity to share the journey sea glass takes as it transitions from a sharp piece of glass into a smoother, colorful object.

Some of the stories offered vivid descriptions of the world beneath the waves, taking readers into a magnificent aquatic seascape.

Amid narratives about pirates and mermaids, some writers chose to address dramatic and challenging themes, weaving emotionally resonant stories that tackled broken families, alcoholism and infidelity.

As a judge for the contest, I was not only surprised by the directions these stories took, but was also appreciative of the combination of realism and fantasy that suffused the writing, the willingness to take chances, and the pieces of the writers I could hear through their imaginations.

The writers imagined the glass either as the centerpiece of an important story or as a passenger, observing the dynamics that define the way people interact.

Judging writing and fiction is a subjective process, with each judge bringing his or her own ideas to the process.

I’m glad I wasn’t the only judge and enjoyed the opportunity to consider why the readers at the Whaling Museum & Education Center of Cold Spring Harbor chose to rank the submissions in a particular order.

I invite TBR readers to immerse themselves in these entries and to enjoy the worlds these writers have created or, in some cases, reflected. You can see some of the entries in the Arts & Lifestyles section of this week’s papers.

As for the writers, I want to thank them for finding time in their lives to share their ideas and to create their own stories.

In a contest in which third through fifth graders could write up to 500 words, sixth through eighth graders, 750 words, and high schoolers, 1,000 words, they developed stories, backdrops and themes that offered complete narratives and that carried readers off the page.

I particularly appreciate how these writers found the time to prepare and submit an entry. Student lives are filled with activities and assignments. Homework, required reading, chores, and sports and theater practices, to name a few, fill busy schedules that rarely leave them time to add an extra assignment or challenge to their calendars.

And, of course, social media and virtual communication often require regular check-ins and updates. The modern-day student, after all, can’t take too long to answer an urgent text from a friend at the risk of becoming less of a confidant or of sliding down the social hierarchy.

And yet, somehow, even with the importance of staying plugged in, none of the sea glass stories included references to social media and none was told through the prism of a social media world.

I hope the students enjoyed the opportunity to write something outside the context of a graded assignment and that they reveled in the freedom to go in any direction, imagine any characters, and create excitement or drama that appealed to them.

As for what’s next, the museum plans to run the competition next year, giving new entrants the opportunity to unleash their imaginations.

Many of the stories shared similarities with the sea glass itself: they shined in the distance, becoming increasingly interesting on closer inspection.

See pages B13 to B16 for the winning entries.

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Pixabay photo

By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief,
Publisher

Here are a couple of tidbits from the news that I think are worth sharing with you. 

First, good news for those who dislike having to endure colonoscopies, which I guess is all of us. A relatively recent diagnostic, this test has proven highly effective against colorectal cancers, but it essentially takes away two days from our lives: the day to prep by cleaning out the colon with a mighty laxative, an unpleasant procedure on its own, and then the afternoon to recover from the anesthesia at the end.

The FDA has now approved a simple blood test for detecting colon cancer when it is in the early stages and most likely can be cured. This is even easier than the fecal sample test, which is in turn easier than a colonoscopy but is not the most aesthetically pleasing.

The blood test, however, also leaves something to be desired. It has a poor record of finding precancerous growths, which a colonoscopy detects. These can be removed before they become malignant, but they have to be discovered.

Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in the United States, with 53,000 deaths expected this year. My father was among those felled by this disease many years ago, and had he lived long enough to have the benefit of the various diagnostic tests, his life might not have ended as it did. 

The idea is to have as many people over 45 tested as possible, and the blood test, called Shield by Guardant, can discover 87 percent of cancers that are at an early stage. But it only found 13 percent of large polyps. There is a false positive rate of 10 percent. Nonetheless, this is an advance in detection and perhaps an encouragement to be checked. As many as 50 percent of those who should be are not. For more information on this, look up the New York Times story published on Tuesday, July 30 or the New England Journal of Medicine on March 13 of this year.

Another interesting bit of news is the popularity of portable solar panels that cost some $217 each and work by plugging in to an electrical socket to give the home energy. They can be hung over the railing of a balcony or installed in yards and they are taking over the landscape in some towns in Germany. Each panel only produces enough electricity to power a small refrigerator, a laptop or even a portable air-conditioner in a bedroom. More than 500,000 of the systems have been set up, adding 10 percent more solar energy capacity to the country. Two-thirds of those were installed on buildings,“like hanging wet laundry in Italy,” commented one owner.

Part of the incentive for Germany is to move away from their dependence on Russian natural gas. It is also a great satisfaction for the people employing these systems to be taking steps toward providing a better environment. Most of the solar panels are made in China, although some, of lesser grade, are manufactured in Europe. These plug-in systems send the direct current (DC) produced by the panels from the sun to an inverter, which changes it to an alternating current (AC). Then they can be plugged into a conventional wall socket and feed power to the home. There are videos online explaining how these panels work and how to use them. Complete sets, which can be bought in big box stores, include mountings, an inverter, and cables, double the price.

A helpful concurrent development has been the small scale batteries that allow the panel users to store some electricity that can then be used in the evenings or when the sun is not shining. My guess is that before long, we will see those panels appear here.

The last item that caught my eye was about corn. Now, I love corn, especially on the cob. I enjoyed a lot of it fresh from the fields when my family visited relatives in the Catskills in my early years. Turns out, it’s a pretty healthy vegetable, if starchy, that is loaded with fiber. And fiber is good for us. It can even lower colon cancer risk.

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Police car stock photo

Suffolk County Police arrested two men on July 31 for the shooting death of Michael Hartmann, who was killed outside of his home, located at 605 Smithtown Ave. in Bohemia, on November 2, 2022.

Following an investigation by Homicide Squad detectives, Christopher Fernandez and Oliver Schor were both charged with alleged Murder 2nd Degree.

Fernandez, 28, of Sound Beach, was arrested in Lexington, South Carolina with the assistance of the Lexington County Police Department. He is being held at the Sixth Precinct and will be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on July 31.

Schor, 22, of Miller Place, was also arrested in Lexington South Carolina with the assistance of the Lexington County Police Department. He was arrested as a fugitive from justice and will be arraigned in New York on a later date.

Below is the original release:

Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad detectives are investigating the death of a man who was shot to death in his backyard on Nov. 2, 2022.

Michael Hartmann was in the backyard of his home, located at 605 Smithtown Ave., when two people entered his yard and fired multiple shots, striking him once, at approximately 6:35 a.m. Hartmann, 49, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Detectives are asking anyone with information on this incident to call the Homicide Squad at 631-852- 6392 or anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.

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