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Village Beacon Record

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File photo by Raymond Janis

The scope and size of The Stony Brook School’s proposed expansions

In response to your Stony Brook School article on Aug. 31 [See story, “The Stony Brook School submits application for new buildings as neighbors voice concerns”], please note a total of 95 signatures, not “over a dozen,” were submitted to the Town of Brookhaven Zoning Board at the Aug. 23 meeting opposing the indoor practice facility. You can review the video of that meeting on Channel 18 to see when I actually presented the board with the petition.

It is true that the Stony Brook School’s representatives — the lawyers and architect — presented an updated plan that we were only informed of the changes an hour before the case was called before the board, eliminating the access of the indoor sports facility from Chubb Hill Road and also eliminating the 14 proposed parking spots, which is good. 

The new proposed access road will be at Quaker Path, pending the fire department’s approval. But the proposed size of the building itself is huge: 35,000 square feet and 46-feet tall. 

It’s like a Costco smack in the middle of a residential neighborhood. A metal building of that size will significantly impact the aesthetics of the beautiful wooded area of old Stony Brook.

Please note that the proposed 35,000 square feet is 23,800 feet over the currently permitted size of 11,200 square feet. And the proposed 46-feet height is 11-feet taller than the currently allowed 35 feet. The school said they would do nice landscaping around the sports facility, but you can’t hide a 35,000-square-foot, 46-feet-high metal building.

The Stony Brook School only has approximately 400 students grades seven through 12, so the question is why such a large building is needed for a small student body when other schools in our area that have many more students do not have an indoor sports facility. Once the metal building is up, the local residents will be stuck with this monster of a building in our backyard.

Potentially The Stony Brook School can use this sports facility for any function sports or nonsporting event any time of day and night. 

The school can also rent out the facility to outside groups, though the school’s representatives at the Zoning Board meeting said they would not do that. 

I’m not so sure of their sincerity. The next ZBA meeting to discuss this proposal is on Wednesday, Sept. 20.

Hope Wolinski

Stony Brook

Polluted groundwater affects more than the tap

A recent letter by George Altemose [“An alternative to advanced septic systems,” Sept. 7, TBR News Media] suggested that instead of increasing Suffolk sales tax 1/8% to help fund upgraded, nitrogen-reducing septic tanks, it would be more cost effective to eliminate the nitrogen after it has already entered the groundwater. But only the groundwater that comes from Suffolk County Water Authority wells and into our homes as drinking water.

What about the polluted groundwater from old cesspools and septic systems that’s now going into our beaches, bays and other waterways, killing fish and creating dead zones?

Old cesspools and septic systems need replacing, and they should be replaced with upgraded, nitrogen-reducing systems and there are rebates and grants to help pay for it.

Another consideration, according to one local company’s website, is that the upgraded systems work best when homeowners use less water and fewer chemical cleaning products. So in the long run the homeowner will be motivated to reduce water use by running only full loads in the washing machine and dishwasher and to stop buying expensive cleaning products with harmful chemicals and instead make their own homemade cleaners using baking soda or white vinegar to prolong the life and improve the performance of their new, high-tech septic system.

Remember, we live on an island and there are grants and rebates to help pay for the upgraded systems because we all benefit from Long Island’s beautiful beaches and abundant wildlife.

Diane Ives

Copiague

Editor’s note: The writer serves on the executive committee of the Sierra Club Long Island Group.

SCWA can’t ward off algal blooms

While the Suffolk County Water Authority can do something about nitrogen in drinking water, it does not and cannot do anything to reduce the excessive amount of nitrogen in the drinking water of those of us that get our water from our own wells, nor can it do anything to reduce the amount of nitrogen in our lakes, ponds, streams and saltwater bodies. In those bodies, it is a fertilizer for all sorts of life.

Plant life, called algae, grows and reproduces at an increased rate when fertilizers are present in the water. In large numbers, they form a “bloom” which actually changes the color of the water.

Two of these are brown algae and green algae. Brown algal blooms — aka brown tides — shadow the seafloor, which leads to the death of seagrasses. It also can slow the growth of shellfish.

Red algae, which contains saxitoxin — a nerve damaging toxin — when present in large quantities as in a red tide or red algal bloom, can kill many fish and shellfish and sicken any animal that ingests the water, including making humans quite sick. Red algal blooms also deplete water oxygen levels, resulting in fish not getting enough oxygen through their gills and dying as a result.

Then there is blue-green algae, which is actually a bacteria — aka a cyanobacteria — that grow in number in shallow, still, warm bodies of fresh or salt water. It, too, contains a neurotoxin called microcystin that is known to cause rashes and make people sick. In fact, it is an excess of this toxin that has killed dogs and other animals when they drink the water.

All because of excess nitrogen that the no drinking water process does or can remove.

Jane Fasullo

Setauket

The system needs a reset

It makes no sense that inflation creates a work shortage [See story with Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio [R-Riverhead], “Giglio: Long Island still grappling with labor shortages, inflation,” Sept. 7, TBR News Media].

How else can you keep up with inflation if you don’t work? And, if wages increase, you also increase prices, which creates inflation. 

This is putting the carrot on the stick in front of the donkey. Add to this Big Government and high taxes. The system needs a reset.

Frank Grande

Northport

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Sarina Latorre-Sicurella is Frank J. Carasiti Elementary School’s new library media specialist. Photo courtesy RPUFSD

Great libraries build communities. This is just one of the approaches that Frank J. Carasiti Elementary School’s new library media specialist Sarina Latorre-Sicurella looks forward to promoting as she works with the K-2 students in Rocky Point.

“I seek to create a dynamic environment that stimulates wonder and curiosity, and allows learners the freedom to explore and grow,” Latorre-Sicurella said. She will aid students in developing skills that incorporate literacy appreciation, research, technology, library use and finding some new favorite stories and authors.

Latorre-Sicurella received her undergraduate degree in comparative literature, cinema and cultural studies from Stony Brook University and a master’s of library science from Queens College. She is certified as a public librarian professional and a school media specialist, holding school librarianship certification from SUNY Buffalo.

The new library media specialist is a member of the Children’s Librarian Association of Suffolk County and the New York Library Association, Youth Services Section. She joins Rocky Point with student teaching experience from Longwood Public Library and Miller Place High School, and 14 years of professional experience as a youth services librarian at the Port Jefferson Free Library.

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Members of the Mount Sinai Fire Department during a 9/11 memorial service on Monday night, Sept. 11. Photo by Raymond Janis

Outside the Mount Sinai Fire Department at dusk on Monday night, Sept. 11, members of the Mount Sinai Fire Department held their annual commemoration for those who perished on that date 22 years earlier.

Firefighters gathered at the department’s 9/11 memorial, surrounded by family and community members, where they reflected upon the memory of those who died, recognizing the sacrifice of the first responders who had paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.

Chief Randy Nelson presides over the Mount Sinai Fire Department’s annual 9/11 memorial service. Photo by Raymond Janis

Department chaplain Micky Nassauer delivered the evening’s invocation, outlining the purpose of this annual occasion.

“On this solemn day of remembrance, may we honor the lives that were lost in this tragic act, and may we give thanks to those who served and saved,” he said.

Chief of Department Randy Nelson performed the annual bell ringing ceremony, which rang out in honor of the 343 New York City Fire Department members who laid down their lives in the line of service.

“We honor their supreme sacrifice,” Nelson said, “On this day and every day.”

Photo by Raymond Janis

In an address to the department, Nelson chronicled the events on that Tuesday morning as they transpired in real time. Despite the darkness and the destruction unleashed upon the city and nation, he maintained that the nation has persevered, offering a new approach to reflect upon that moment in history.

“The words ‘Never forget’ have become synonymous with September 11,” the fire chief said. “But as stated today by one of the victims’ family members, ‘Always remember’ is really the better approach.”

He advised, “Keep your memory of that day as a way to remember all that were lost.”

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Photo courtesy Skyler Johnson
By Skyler Johnson

With November elections rapidly approaching, both sides of the political aisle are tense.

All 18 seats on the Suffolk County Legislature are up for election, and with the end of County Executive Steve Bellone’s (D) tenure, the county executive seat will be open for the first time since 2011. Unfortunately, the political desperation to take unilateral control over Suffolk County has led to dirty tricks and unethical behavior.

In late June, the Republican majority in Suffolk County was given the option to vote on a measure which, if passed, would have placed a clean water referendum on the ballot in November. The referendum would give voters the option to approve a negligible sales tax increase — 12 cents for every $100 dollars in spending — and critically, gain access to available state and federal funding.

This was particularly important as voters in 2022 overwhelmingly approved a $4.2 billion Environmental Bond Act to protect the environment [See story, “NYS offers possibilities of $4.2B bond act for Suffolk County, urges public input,” Aug. 31, TBR News Media], with almost 64% of Suffolk County residents voting to pass the funding. Passing a referendum would allow Suffolk County to access some of these funds.

Clean water infrastructure would greatly improve our drinking water and protect our beaches and natural spaces. In addition, the funding would create new jobs for Suffolk County.

The Republican majority, led by Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst), refused to allow residents to vote on approving the referendum. Despite the efforts of labor unions in their efforts to create jobs for working-class individuals, as well as pleading by environmentalists and advocates, the county Legislature tabled the resolution [See story, “Suffolk County Legislature recesses, blocks referendum on wastewater fund,” July 27, TBR News Media].

While McCaffrey made various excuses for his refusal to allow Suffolk County to vote on the issue, the true reason was clear: The Republican majority knew that if the referendum was on the ballot, Democratic voters would be driven to the polls in November to approve it.

The blowback was immediate. People of all political parties voiced their disapproval for the Legislature’s blatantly political action. Despite this, McCaffrey let the deadline to approve the referendum pass.

As residents continued to grow angry, McCaffrey decided to make an attempt to suppress arguments being made by Democratic candidates. Last week, he called a special meeting of the Legislature to approve a December special election for the referendum — a special election which would now cost taxpayers over $2 million to hold.

However, the special meeting of the Legislature was abruptly canceled. While McCaffrey sought to cleanse the record of his heinous political malpractice, he forgot to consider one key problem: The dissent of his own caucus.

The Republican majority refused to vote positively on the issue. With all six Democrats pledging support for the referendum, McCaffrey could not persuade even three members of his 11-seat majority to vote “yes,” and the special meeting was canceled.

Suffolk County residents now bear the consequences of these political games. Tens of thousands of homes throughout the county are without adequate septic systems. Without this funding, these systems will continue to leach toxins into our water — water that we cook with, our kids bathe in and our pets drink.

The failure by Republican leadership to come up with a plan to address Suffolk’s infamously poor drinking water quality is inexcusable. The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting our drinking water, estimates that those served by the Suffolk County Water Authority are ingesting numerous separate contaminants.

In a county with the highest breast cancer rates in the state — rates significantly higher than the rest of the nation — we cannot afford McCaffrey and his Republican majority’s dirty games.

McCaffrey cannot wash his hands of this issue. It is his responsibility to address his majority’s failure of government. If he refuses to do so, voters must take this neglect of duty into account when they cast their ballots on Nov. 7.

Skyler Johnson is the chair of the Suffolk County Young Democrats.

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Photo courtesy Ira Costell
By Ira Costell

As September heralds the approaching changes brought on during Earth’s annual autumnal shift, so too does it offer a pathway to a new life for many as it also marks National Recovery Month. 

This comes on the heels of International Overdose Awareness Day which occurred on Aug. 31. This day, for too many families like mine, is a yearly reminder of the awful price exacted by the disease of addiction. 

The lives lost during the ongoing opioid crisis in this country has impacted every community across this country as over 107,000 deaths of our fellow citizens occurred in 2022. Let that sink in. That is the equivalent of almost 300 people a day, or one person every four minutes or so who has died from a treatable and preventable disease.

Can you imagine the resources we would commit to deal with a crisis if every single day a jet plane with 300 people crashed? I dare say everything in the U. S. would come to a screeching halt until we determined how to deal with such a monumental tragedy. 

Yet, the most pressing public health crisis in our country equal to or, at the moment, worse than COVID-19 typically gets short shrift but once a year from many public officials.

This year, many municipalities across Long Island, including Brookhaven Town “went purple” to honor and acknowledge Overdose Awareness day Thursday, Aug. 31 [See story, “Brookhaven goes purple, marks Opioid Awareness Month with calls for intervention,” Sept. 7, TBR News Media]. Many of my fellow warriors in this battle gathered that day to remember and to raise our voices for those no longer here to speak for themselves. 

I added my voice to this fight nearly 15 years ago to honor my nephew David Aaron Costell who, just shy of his 23rd birthday, succumbed to a heroin overdose on Feb. 12, 2007. 

He was a sweet, loving if troubled young man who found recovery for a short time but sadly relapsed due to limited resources of support our society afforded him at the time. But, as the heroin crisis on Long Island became more prominent with Newsday reports of the death of Natalie Chiappa, an 18-year-old honors student, I knew it was time for action.

So, I ultimately became a family advocate involved with educating the press and running to Albany over many legislative sessions. It was poignantly sad but rewarding to work with many families across New York state to change public policy in order to save lives which otherwise would be lost to addiction. 

We accomplished a lot over several years by the passage of better access to treatment to make it harder for insurance companies to refuse treatment so easily to those seeking help. Also, we passed the NYS 911 Good Samaritan Law, which encourages young people to seek help for anyone in overdose without fear of legal consequences. 

We also advocated for the state I-STOP Law, which has nearly eliminated “doctor shopping” by addicts, and changed to an e-prescribing process, thereby enabling a real-time database when prescribing narcotics like opioids.

Along the way, I met many amazing individuals I came to know and love who turned their grief into helping others. Not only did we help change laws, many I have come to know help change lives. 

There is Avi Israel with Save the Michaels of the World in Buffalo and here on Long Island, Gabriel’s Giving Tree and Thomas’ Hope Foundation by my friends Paulette Phillipe and Linda Ventura with help from Teri Kroll, who lovingly offer services to families and individuals impacted by addiction. These are angels in action.

So I am grateful to Brookhaven Town, where I live, and other municipalities which scheduled similar activities on Aug. 31. It was one way to reduce the stigma of drug overdoses and to honor those souls around our area who no longer will share Thanksgiving dinners with us later this year. 

It is not the first time nor the last time families will be at the steps of Town Hall and shed tears for the loved ones as they recall their sons and daughters, husbands and wives, nieces and nephews or fathers and mothers whose lives were cut short by the scourge of opioids and fentanyl. It brings public attention to this crucial issue and hopefully can build support for more action in the future. 

And, while this is a laudable goal, it is not nearly enough to hold hands, hug each other in grief and move on again until next August when Town Hall is lit up purple, the color for Overdose Awareness.

According to an annual report issued last year by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli (D), Suffolk County experienced more cumulative deaths due to overdose than any other county in the state. And, it is easy to extrapolate that Brookhaven Town has more deaths than any other township in Suffolk County. 

I submit it is incumbent on Brookhaven, as well as other towns and the county, to invest more resources at the municipal level to address this absolute horror visited upon our families. It is not only essential to reduce the suffering from the loss of a loved one, but we lose untold hours of productivity in our workplaces due to the toxic stress of families with members still in active addiction. 

Thankfully, Suffolk County just announced another round of nearly $20 million from funds realized by the lawsuit against drug companies and Big Pharma in the opioid settlement case initiated by former Presiding Officer Rob Calarco [D-Patchogue].

I urge Brookhaven Town to promptly put together a proposal to obtain some of these funds to undertake initiatives which could provide better mental health and addiction services to our communities. Babylon Town, with less than half the population of Brookhaven, presently runs a facility called the Beacon Family Wellness Center, which provides drug and alcohol services as well as other important supports. 

This could and should be a priority for the largest town in Suffolk, which is essentially Ground Zero for the addiction and overdose crisis on Long Island. 

With Overdose Awareness Day past, it is important to remember. But it is more important to act substantially throughout the year with tangible programs which can assist people along the path to a healthy life. That is the true way to show support for National Recovery Month.

Ira Costell is the president of the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Civic Association.

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Sound Beach residents and public officials rally outside the hamlet’s post office on New York Avenue Wednesday, Sept. 6. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
By Sabrina Artusa

Sound Beach’s residents and political representatives are fed up over the prolonged closure of the hamlet’s post office on New York Avenue, which has been closed for repairs since May.

New York State Sen. Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk), Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) and Councilwoman Jane Bonner (R-Rocky Point), among others, rallied outside the post office Wednesday, Sept. 6, putting pressure on the U.S. Postal Service and the property owner to expedite reopening of the complex.

Some 15 weeks ago, the Brooklyn-based property owner of the building posted a sign on the door informing of its immediate but temporary closure. Sound Beach residents, blindsided by the abruptness, were forced to wait over a week to receive mail from nearby offices.

The private property owner has largely been unreceptive to attempts to reach out, according to Chad Lennon, a representative of U.S. Congressman Nick LaLota (R-NY1).

“We’ve been communicating,” Lennon said. “We haven’t seen reciprocation.”

USPS replied once, informing LaLota that they expected the landowner to make repairs and reopen the post office by Sept. 8. Despite this, the property owner hasn’t filed any permits for work on the building to date. Needless to say the office was not opened on Sept. 8.

The town is prepared to conduct an analysis of the building, along with repairs, when permitted. There are “building engineers on staff to come in this building and know right away what it needs to be up to code,” Palumbo said. “This is absolutely unacceptable.”

Palumbo suggested the landowner is “slow walking” the process while continuing to get rent from the federal government.

“You should not have to pay for services you don’t get,” Romaine said. “Just as the federal government shouldn’t pay taxes for a building that’s closed.”

Palumbo, meanwhile, considered the town “the most important entity” in prompting action and incurring change.

“The owners of this property need to be held accountable and held responsible to do the right thing,” Bonner said. “Bring this post office back to the residents and the community of Sound Beach.”

Some residents had time-sensitive packages, such as medication, that they were not receiving. One woman said that the contents had melted by the time she did received her package.

“We walked by one day, and it was closed,” said Patty Blasberg, who has lived in Sound Beach for 33 years. “That should be public knowledge,” adding that the post office closure “is detrimental to our community.”

Many in attendance, including Bonner, said that in a small hamlet like Sound Beach, the post office is vital to the “community’s identity.”

Blasberg said she always enjoyed the social aspect of going to the post office, where she could see her neighbors. “We want the community to thrive,” she said. “You can’t do that without a post office.”

According to Shirley Smith, another Sound Beach resident, the post office has needed repairs for a while and mentioned a leaking ceiling.

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File photo by Raymond Janis
By Samantha Rutt

As the local election season intensifies, Suffolk County’s wastewater infrastructure has now become the defining policy issue, with residents and environmentalists demanding immediate action to address what they consider an environmental crisis.

Water quality of Long Island’s coveted waterways is currently suffering as the county’s wastewater infrastructure deteriorates rapidly. Much of the system was built decades ago and has not been adequately upgraded to meet the demands of the growing population, critics say.

“Clean water is crucial to the health of our families, the lifeblood of our economy and central to our way of life,” said businessman Dave Calone, Democratic candidate for Suffolk County executive running against Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine (R). “Unfortunately, our water quality is at an all-time low, and we need to act now to protect it.”

Local officials, residents and environmentalists have voiced concerns over the issue. Adrienne Esposito, executive director of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, said, “Suffolk County Legislators have an ethical and moral obligation to protect our drinking and coastal water resources.”

County Water Quality Restoration Act

The Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act, a plan to restore the county’s water quality, includes two bills that would create a fund to restore clean water by connecting homes and businesses to sewers and finance clean water septic system replacements.

“The need for an overall plan for wastewater infrastructure has been well-recognized for more than 60 years,” said Peter Scully, deputy county executive for administration.

Earlier this year, Scully had spearheaded a proposed 1/8 penny sales tax initiative to finance wastewater infrastructure. This proposal was rejected by the county Legislature in July, setting the stage for a contentious election season over this issue [See story, “Suffolk County Legislature recesses, blocks referendum on wastewater fund,” July 27, TBR News Media].

“Tragically, the Legislature doesn’t consider this a priority and has refused to let the public vote on this plan,” Esposito said. “Letting the public vote on a clean water referendum is good policy and good for democracy. It is deeply disturbing that the legislators support neither of those objectives.”

Impact on elections

The Republican vote to recess has met with fierce opposition from county Democrats, who are using the wastewater controversy to highlight differences in platforms.

“Republicans did not vote to put the referendum on the ballot,” said Keith Davies, Suffolk County Democratic Committee campaign manager. “It is clear that Republicans chose not to trust voters to make their own decisions. In our opinion, it was the wrong decision.”

Responding to these charges, county Legislator Stephanie Bontempi (R-Centerport), who is defending her 18th Legislative District seat against pediatrician Eve Meltzer-Krief (D-Centerport), indicated that her caucus is avoiding a rush to judgment.

“Rushing to pass legislation that is flawed and that will raise our taxes is simply irresponsible and not what our residents deserve,” Bontempi said. “Holding off with a referendum for a couple of months will certainly not lead to the end of Long Island, like some fearmongers like to claim.”

Many of the county’s wastewater treatment plants, pipelines and pumping stations are well past their intended lifespans, representing a growing risk for sewage leaks, overflows and contamination of local waterways and bays.

Meltzer-Krief warned that this could have devastating consequences for the region and its fragile ecosystems, including its renowned coastal areas and marine life.

“The quality of our waterways and bays here in Suffolk County is currently the poorest it has ever been,” she said. “The main cause is nitrogen runoff from outdated cesspools and septic systems which flows into our waters and triggers potentially toxic algal blooms which deprive marine life of the oxygen they need to survive.”

Research from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency indicates that nitrogen from sewage is suffocating Long Island’s bays and harbors, contaminating drinking water and causing fish kills and algal blooms.

“Thankfully, scientists know how to reverse this troubling and urgent environmental concern and clean our waters,” Meltzer-Krief said.

But, she added, “It is the responsibility of our county legislators to follow the science and protect our children from the toxins in the water by securing funding for the recommended clean water infrastructure.”

While local officials and environmental organizations have been sounding the alarm for years over aging infrastructure, progress has been slow and funding for these projects has often fallen short of what is required.

Restoring clean, healthy water requires drastically reducing nitrogen pollution from its primary source — Suffolk County’s approximately 360,000 nitrogen-polluting cesspools and septic systems.

“Once the legislation has been amended to properly address our wastewater infrastructure, the voters will be able to decide,” Bontempi said. “The Republican majority at the Suffolk County Legislature wants clean water, too.”

Suffolk County elections will take place Tuesday, Nov. 7.

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Starting soon, all newborns in New York state will receive testing for congenital cytomegalovirus. Photo by Farajiibrahim from Wikimedia Commons

Starting later this month or early next month, all children born in New York state will receive testing for congenital cytomegalovirus, an infection that can cause hearing loss and learning deficits.

The state will track children who test positive for this virus, which is related to the virus for chickenpox, herpes and mononucleosis, over the years after their birth to provide early intervention amid the development of any symptoms and to provide a baseline for understanding how the virus may affect the growth and development of other children born with the virus.

Mothers who contract CMV, which is the most common congenital virus and the leading nongenetic cause of deafness in children, for the first time while they are pregnant can transmit the virus to their developing child.

Local doctors suggested that this testing, which other states would likely examine closely, provided a welcome opportunity to gather information about their children, even if the test raised questions or concerns about what the diagnosis means.

“Knowledge is power,” said Dr. Sharon Nachman, chief of the division of pediatric infectious diseases at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital. “The more you can tell a parent about what’s going on, the more they can make informed decisions.”

To be sure, Nachman anticipated that more parents initially might opt out of having their child’s screen result reported in their newborn record, until pediatricians and obstetricians have had a chance to talk with them.

There will be a “lot more opting out in the beginning” until parents understand what the test means and how it might help in understanding a virus that could affect their children’s health and development, Nachman said.

One in 200 babies

New York State recently received a contract from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to add screening for this virus for a period of a year.

Dr. Sharon Nachman, chief of the division of pediatric infectious diseases at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital. Photo from Stony Brook Medicine

Parents of babies who test positive will receive referrals to infectious disease specialists across the state for follow-up and evaluation.

The state predicts about one out of every 200 newborns may test positive for the virus, according to the New York State Department of Health website.

Over half of the adults in the U.S. have had CMV, while most people don’t know they’ve had it because they show no symptoms.

Those who develop symptoms have sore throats, fever, fatigue and swollen glands, which are the kind of nonspecific conditions that characterize the body’s response to infections from other viruses.

Opt-out options

While all babies will receive a congenital CMV test, parents can choose to opt out of having their children’s screen result reported in their newborn screen record.

The state urges parents who would like to opt out to do so quickly, as newborn screen reports are complete five to seven days after birth.

Parents have several ways to opt out. They can scan the QR code found on their brochure, which will bring them to the Newborn Screening Program website and opt out portal. They can also remove and fill out the opt-out form in the parent brochure and give it to the hospital to submit with the newborn screen specimen.

Alternatively, parents can email a picture of the completed opt-out form to [email protected] or they can call the program at 518-473-7552 and press option five. Finally, parents can mail the opt-out form to the NYS Newborn Screening Program in Albany.

First steps

Nachman is co-leading one of the 11 units across the state in pediatric infectious disease with Dr. Andrew Handel.

The teams will meet once a month to discuss issues around CMV.

“One of the goals of the project, which is why it’s funded by NICHD is can we identify who is at risk” to develop problems such as hearing loss.

Among the numerous unanswered questions the group hopes to address is whether early treatment would be a way to prevent problems from developing, even among children who test positive but are asymptomatic. Giving medication to all children who test positive comes with its own problems, as the medication for CMV has side effects, said Nachman.

It’s not like “taking a dose of Tylenol, given several times a day for weeks at a time,” said Nachman. 

While women who have had CMV prior to pregnancy are unlikely to transmit the virus, Nachman discourages people from intentionally contracting the virus before becoming pregnant.

“We don’t encourage people to go out and get CMV so they’ll be cleared by the time they’re pregnant,” in part because people can develop symptoms, conditions and secondary infections after having the virus.

By monitoring the health of children after their diagnosis, the state hopes to understand more about the virus and its effects.

“We need to follow enough children long enough” to be able to address those medical questions and concerns, Nachman said.

The study might be able to find markers that could predict who might be at risk for hearing loss in the early years of a child’s life, she said.

During hearing screens that could occur every six months, children born with CMV can receive early intervention.

“The sooner we see something, the sooner we can act on it,” Nachman said.

As for developmental issues, children who show even a glimmer of a developmental delay can also receive early intervention.

At this point, Stony Brook has been participating in clinical trials for a vaccine, which, if approved, could be administered to adolescents.

The trials for the vaccine, which could last for 10 years, are still in the early stages of development.

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Wildcats take the field in their season opener. Photo by Bill Landon
Home crowd on opening night. Photo by Bill Landon
Wildcat running back Liam Kershis finds an opening. Photo by Bill Landon
Wildcat senior running back Liam Kershis powers through an opening. Photo by Bill Landon
Timeout, Wildcats. Photo by Bill Landon
Wildcat running back Liam Kershis looks for an opening. Photo by Bill Landon
Wildcat defensive back Sean Casey makes the tackle. Photo by Bill Landon
Wildcat defensive back Sean Casey makes the tackle. Photo by Bill Landon
Timeout, Wildcats. Photo by Bill Landon
Senior wide receiver Kiernan Clifford makes the catch for the Wildcats. Photo by Bill Landon
Halftime entertainment. Photo by Bill Landon
Halftime entertainment. Photo by Bill Landon
Wildcat wide receiver Sean Casey bolts out of the backfield. Photo by Bill Landon
Shoreham-Wading River quarterback Tyler Hermanns hands off. Photo by Bill Landon
Wildcat running back Liam Kershis powers up the left sideline. Photo by Bill Landon
Michael Casey after his touchdown catch for the Wildcats. Photo by Bill Landon

The Shoreham-Wading River Wildcats kicked off their 2023 campaign looking to continue their winning ways of last season by hosting Elwood-John H. Glenn at Thomas Cutinella Memorial Field Friday night, Sept. 8, but a win wasn’t in the cards as the Wildcats fell, 21-13. 

John Glenn scored three minutes into the second quarter, holding the Wildcats scoreless at the halftime break. Wide receiver Michael Casey broke the ice for the Wildcats off a 10-yard touchdown catch from quarterback Tyler Hermanns in the third quarter to trail, 14-7. Glenn answered back in the final 12 minutes of play to make it a two-score game before Sean Casey — Michael’s twin brother — found the end zone on another 10-yard pass from Hermanns for the final score.

The Wildcats will look to put a “W” in the win column with another home game Thursday, Sept. 14, when they host Wyandanch. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.

– Photos by Bill Landon

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Photo by Andrew Martin from Pixabay

Long Island’s two primary utility companies are in a tug-of-war over the region’s electric future.

A management contract between the New York State-owned Long Island Power Authority and the investor-owned utility company PSEG Long Island expires in December 2025, prompting uncertainty over the future management of the regional grid.

The Legislative Commission on the Future of the Long Island Power Authority is a bipartisan panel of state legislators from Long Island, formed in 2022 to make recommendations to the state Legislature for future reorganization.

Conflict erupted during the commission’s public hearing at the William H. Rogers Legislature Building in Hauppauge Tuesday, Sept. 12, during which LIPA and PSEGLI reps offered disparate visions.

Municipalization proposal

The legislative commission is considering implementing a full-scale municipalization of utility power on Long Island, empowering LIPA to provide electric service independently without contracting with a third-party vendor, such as PSEGLI.

During the hearing, Tom Falcone, LIPA’s CEO, addressed the commission, noting the complications of overlapping responsibilities between the separate management hierarchies of LIPA and PSEGLI.

“There is not one best governance model … but there are governance models that could result in duplicative roles and responsibilities or unnecessary conflict,” he said. “Multiple overlapping bodies with similar responsibilities can frustrate customers with a lack of clarity and accountability, much like our hybrid management structure between LIPA and PSEG.”

Falcone advised that consolidating management positions within LIPA would enable the state to reduce total management personnel by roughly 13 senior positions.

Falcone added that municipalization would deliver greater accountability from the electric service provider, empowering the LIPA Board to replace senior officials who fail to perform.

“The board can fire me,” the LIPA CEO indicated. “I can’t fire PSEG,” adding, “If PSEG is not delivering, we litigate and we hold back money.”

Checks and balances

But PSEGLI refused to go down without a fight, countering Falcone’s assessment of the existing dynamic between the two utilities.

Christopher Hahn, vice president of external affairs at PSEGLI, advocated for the existing public-private partnership between LIPA and PSEGLI.

“There’s real, built-in accountability to the public-private partnership,” he said. “It is something that has been working for Long Islanders and will continue to work for Long Islanders.”

Hahn maintained that the public-private partnership gives Long Island “the best of both worlds,” maximizing the potential for each utility company while creating checks and balances between LIPA and PSEGLI.

“Having a municipally owned grid gives us the benefit of that low [interest] bonding and, of course, access to [Federal Emergency Management Agency] funds in the event that we have storms,” he said. “And then having the private company and being held accountable.”

He added that accountability for PSEGLI is built into its contract structure, which is only 40% guaranteed. He maintained that PSEGLI continues to rank highly in reliability and customer satisfaction.

“Those are things that came here because of the public-private partnership, because of the push-pull between PSEG and LIPA,” he said.

Conversations over the restructuring of LIPA will continue this week as the commission is scheduled to meet again at 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 14, at the Nassau County Legislature in Mineola. To livestream the meeting, visit totalwebcasting.com/live/nylipa. Register on-site to testify. Written testimony can be submitted at nylipa.gov/public-input. Other September meetings are due to be held at The Rockaways, Southampton and Farmingdale State College.

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