Village Times Herald

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Three Village student-athletes got serious about heart health last weekend.

Nearly 400 teenagers attended a cardiovascular screening at Ward Melville High School on Oct. 1, according to Kevin Finnerty, executive director of health, physical education, recreation and athletics.

“Our fall athletic coaches encouraged their teams to attend, and we even had opportunities for all students in our district, ages 12-18, to sign up for this free service,” he said.

Heart Screen New York headed up the program, a joint initiative of Louis J. Acompora Memorial Foundation and Dominic A. Murray 21 Memorial Foundation. Both Acompora and Murray died of sudden cardiac arrest during games. 

Acompora was 14 when he received a blunt trauma to his chest while a goalie on the Northport field hockey team. The trauma caused commotio cordis, a syndrome that leads to cardiac arrest. His death inspired Louis’ Law, which, since 2001, requires all New York state public schools to be equipped with automatic external defibrillators, known as AEDs, in buildings and sporting events.

Murray was 17 when he collapsed and died on the Farmingdale State College basketball court in 2009. While he received medical clearance to play college sports, a congenital heart defect had gone undetected. The foundation in his honor is committed to expanding CPR/AED training, AED access and heart screenings.

The Oct. 1 cardiovascular screening included a resting 12-lead electrocardiogram that measures the heart’s electrical function. The test is not usually included in children’s and teenagers’ annual physicals. The event also included checking blood pressure and an education table with CPR/AED demonstration.

Volunteering at the high school were 120 cardiologists, medical staff, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and nursing students.

“Our CPR/AED education station trained 395 potential life-saving heroes on Saturday,” a statement from Heart Screen New York read. “We know how tiring your job was and we are so proud of how many students received this training.”

Finnerty said the event, and the possibility of the high school hosting it, was brought to his attention last spring by Karen Acompora, Louis’ mother, and Ward Melville student and girls volleyball player Bailee Williams. The student-athlete and her parents, Denise and Billy, helped promote the event and secure sponsors.

“Given the fact that other school districts have unfortunately lost student-athletes to sudden cardiac arrest while playing sports in the past, I knew this was something important and very valuable to our student-athletes and school community,” Finnerty said.

Billy Williams said his daughter knew someone who was involved in the program. She reached out to the foundation last year, but there was only one date available that wouldn’t work out for the high school. He said no games can be scheduled on the day of a screening to allow all student-athletes the opportunity to take part. Last spring, when another school notified Heart Screen New York that it had to cancel their Oct. 1 event, Bailee Williams was advised and she approached Finnerty.

Her father said Three Village school district Superintendent Kevin Scanlon and Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook), with Finnerty, were helpful in making the event a reality. Williams added his daughter raised $7,500 for the Acompora foundation by reaching out to local businesses for sponsorships, and then selling T-shirts featuring the company’s names for $15 each.

Bailee Williams was pleased with how successful the event turned out.

“I am so grateful I had the support of my friends, the 3V community and school district administrators to bring the heart-screening program to Ward Melville,” she said. “I am thrilled hundreds of students were able to be screened in just one day, and that we raised awareness of sudden cardiac arrest in the student-athlete community.”

Insomnia. METRO photo

By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief

Have you been waking up thinking at night? There is so much to think about, even to be deeply concerned about. There is COVID-19, of course. No one wants to get the disease, and if you already had it, you don’t want to get it again, as some people reportedly have. You also don’t want any of the long-hauler symptoms to afflict you: fatigue, brain fog, aches and pains, trouble breathing, dizziness, headache, and at least nine more on a reported list. In fact, the list is so comprehensive, it’s enough to give you anxiety, especially if you already have had the illness. Oh yes, and anxiety is also one of the symptoms.

Then there is the Ukraine. Normally a country that was somewhere in Eastern Europe, in the same general area as “Fiddler on the Roof,” now its whereabouts as Russia’s western neighbor are known around the world. We watched as Putin sent more than 100,000 soldiers to overrun its borders. Poor little Ukraine, horrid bully Russia. We are sending them an unprecedented amount of money and military aid, and we have lowered our national oil and gas supplies. Will we have enough resources if we are attacked? Even as we cheer the valiant resistance and success of the victims of naked aggression, we worry about Putin’s possible use of nuclear arms. He has over 2000 small such weapons, apparently, and it’s the Cold War all over again.

The problem of immigration was brought right to our door with the arrival of immigrants sent by southern governors of border states. They have been literally deposited here by the thousands via buses, and they have been humanely received, if we are to accept what we are told by the media. As I have written in this column before, they can represent an opportunity as well as a challenge for areas in need of Help Wanted. Indeed, I am now reading that some of the immigrants are put to work cleaning up the devastation wrought by hurricane Ian in Florida. They are even being sent back down there to help. Who knows what to believe?

If you are going into New York City, how likely are you to ride the subway? The reports of incidents underground are frightening. So are horrible, unprovoked attacks on the streets. Now, I grew up in the city, and I am used to all sorts of miserable statistics concerning crime there, but I somehow never felt fearful. With some eight million people, crime is unfortunately inevitable. And NYC isn’t even statistically the worst. New Orleans is. But somehow, these recent incidents seem more violent.

Climate change has finally penetrated national conversation. The destruction and deaths in Puerto Rico and now in Florida and the Carolinas caused by the last two hurricanes have made those of us who live on islands and along the shores more conscious of future threats. While there have always been hurricanes, some with even legendary force, the prospect of more and stronger blasts due to climate change has prompted scary instruction about emergency bags and escape routes.

Inflation and its direction are also of grave concern. Going to the supermarket now seems to net about half as many bags of groceries for the usual food budget. Restaurants have decidedly become more expensive, as they have to pay more to function. And home values seem to have stopped rising and begun to cool. The stock market, while it is not the economy, has dropped like a rock. That negates the “wealth effect” homeowners and investors feel that encourages them to spend more freely.

Heck, I even worry about the New York Yankees. Yes, they have won their division, and you might say, “handily.” That’s exactly the problem. The last time they won by a big margin, they lost their competitive edge, along with the series, remember? It even happened this year right after the All-Star break. Teams do better when they have to fight until the last minute.

Awww, forgeddaboutit! Go back to sleep.

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Leah Jantzen in a previous race. Photo from Leah Jantzen

While many Three Village residents will be reading The Village Times Herald soon after it hits newsstands on Oct. 6, one familiar face in the area will be in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, competing in the Ironman World Championship.

Elite endurance athlete Leah Jantzen, left, with her husband, Michael, right, and children Phoebe, 19, Luke, 14, Audrey, 10, and Charlie, 12. Photo from Leah Jantzen

Elite endurance athlete Leah Jantzen has qualified for this year’s competition. The Ironman Triathlon includes a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile marathon. To qualify for the event, triathletes must be in the top 2% in the world. Jantzen has competed in two triathlons before, but the competition in Hawaii is the longest.

In a phone interview, Jantzen said she is excited about qualifying and competing in Hawaii, where husband Michael has joined her to cheer her on.

Jantzen is a guidance counselor at Ward Melville High School and a 1991 graduate. The mother of four children, ranging in age from 10 to 19, was the Ward Melville girls volleyball team coach, but she put coaching on hold so she could train more rigorously.

A typical weekend for the Three Village elite athlete has included 6-hour bike rides on Saturdays and 20-mile runs the next day. During the week, she is engaged in one or two of the three triathlon activities every day.

“I’m that lady who is running and biking all over town,” she said, adding she swims at West Meadow Beach.

Jantzen balances her training schedule with caring for her family and working by setting goals and establishing boundaries.

“I’m really good with boundaries for myself,” she said. “I take care of myself as best as I can. I don’t do a lot of shopping. I don’t do a lot of decorating. I don’t drink a lot of wine. I don’t go out with the girls.”

The guidance counselor and coach said she follows the same self-care advice she gives her student-athletes regarding staying in top form. She said getting a good night’s sleep, eating healthy, especially before a competition, and surrounding yourself with good people is key.

Jantzen has her own private performance coaching business and is a motivational speaker; however, like coaching, has had to put these pursuits aside to train. Recently though, she became involved with The Hidden Opponent, a nonprofit organization. She is raising funds for the nonprofit and is a mentor for its campus captain program. Jantzen said she believes in its cause of raising awareness of mental health for student-athletes and addressing the stigma within the sports culture where many teens are hesitant to ask for help.

“There are times when you’re OK and there are times when you’re not OK,” she said, “I want to try to empower our athletes on the high school level to be equipped to handle this. The kids that are struggling, I want to be one of those resources for these kids.”

In her role as coach and counselor, she tries to ensure student-athletes know the importance of mental wellness when they come to her to discuss issues. She said young athletes go through issues such as suffering an injury in their senior year when colleges may be scouting games, while others may want to quit a team but feel they will let down their families or friends.

“Adults don’t get it sometimes that they are really wrapped up in it, and it’s normal for a 17-year-old to see themselves as this athlete,” she said. “That’s their identity and that just gets sort of taken away from them without any notice, and they don’t know how to cope with it.”

Among the Three Village residents who know Jantzen and are excited about her entering the triathlon are Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) and Billy Williams, father of four children who through the years have had Jantzen as a coach or guidance counselor. His youngest child Bailee has been on varsity volleyball for the past three years and has been coached by Jantzen in the past. He described the coach and guidance counselor as a positive role model for the students.

“Everything she does is at the highest quality,” he said, adding that she is a hard worker and organized. “It’s like knowing a professional athlete or rock star, someone who is at the pinnacle of their sport.” 

Hahn, who is also a Ward Melville graduate, grew up with Jantzen. She described her as strong, determined and an inspiration. 

“She’s doing it, and she’s just inspiring to everybody because you see her, you see her on the streets when you’re driving,” Hahn said. “She’s so dedicated and an incredible athlete and incredibly dedicated individual. It’s a huge commitment.”

As Jantzen prepared for the big race, she followed mental health advice she shares with students when it comes to dealing with pressure, which includes setting goals and practicing visualization. While athletes can get lost in anxiety, Jantzen suggests embracing the excitement.

“Excitement and nervousness are the same thing,” she said. “Like butterflies in your stomach, that means you’re nervous. That means you care about what you’re doing, and it also means you’re excited. It’s OK to try and change it a little bit to be more excited — and less about it being nerve-racking and anxiety producing.”

Photo courtesy of Netflix

Join Stony Brook Medicine for a free screening of the Oscar-nominated film “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution” followed by a panel discussion via Zoom or in person at Stony Brook University Hospital, Health Sciences Tower, Level 3, Lecture Hall 6, 101 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook on Thursday, Oct. 6 from 4 to 7:30 p.m.

WHAT:

In October, the U.S. Department of Labor increases awareness of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), which celebrates the contributions of America’s workers with disabilities past and present. To recognize NDEAM, Stony Brook Medicine is holding a free film screening and panel discussion of the Sundance Film Festival winning documentary “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution.” The film shows how a summer camp experience in the 1970s shaped the disabilities rights movement. Led by Maria Hensley-Spera, LCSWR, Outpatient Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Stony Brook Medicine, a paraplegic herself, the event promises to be an engaging, informative, and enlightening evening. Following the screening, the esteemed group of panelists will discuss the film and the lives of people with disabilities today. Participants can attend in person or virtually via zoom.

FILM DESCRIPTION:

In the early 70s, teenagers with disabilities faced a future shaped by isolation, discrimination and institutionalization. Camp Jened, a ramshackle camp “for the handicapped” (a term no longer used) in the Catskills, NY, exploded those confines. Jened was their freewheeling Utopia, a place where campers experienced liberation and full inclusion as human beings. Their bonds endured as many migrated West to Berkeley, California — a hotbed of activism where friends from Camp Jened realized that disruption, civil disobedience, and political participation could change the future for millions. And did.

MODERATOR:

  • Elizabeth Bojsza, MFA, Alda-certified facilitator at the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science®, Assistant Professor of Practice & program head for the Advanced Graduate Certificate in Communicating Science at the School of Communication and Journalism, Stony Brook University

PANELISTS:

  • Judith E. Heumann, Lifelong advocate and leader of disability rights movement, teacher & author

  • Michelle Nario-Redmond, PhD, Author & Professor of Psychology & Biomedical Humanities, Hiram College

  • Jeanie Waters, Paralympian wheelchair sports athlete and civil rights attorney

  • Brooke Ellison, PhD, MPP, Science, healthcare policy & ethics expert, author & Associate Professor, Stony Brook University

  • Jacob Greene, BFA, Graphic Designer of socks for autism awareness & recent graduate of New York Institute of Technolog

    To learn more visit, https://www.stonybrookmedicine.edu/disabilitymovement.

    Register to attend in person here.

    Or join via zoom by registering at this link.

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From the Ru Yi Spa website

Suffolk County Police today arrested a Flushing woman for allegedly unlawful practice of a profession during a massage parlor raid in Setauket.

In response to community and quality of life complaints, Suffolk County Police Sixth Precinct Crime Section, Sixth Squad detectives, and the Town of Brookhaven fire marshal and building inspector, conducted an investigation at Ru Yi Spa, located at 175 Route 25A, at 6 p.m. Oct. 5.

Following the investigation, Xiahong Zhao, 57, was charged with two counts of unauthorized practice of a profession. Town of Brookhaven investigators and the fire marshal issued numerous violations for fire and building code offenses.

Zhao was released on a field appearance ticket and is scheduled to appear in First District Court in
Central Islip on a later date.

Cell phone etiquette. METRO photo

By Daniel Dunaief

Daniel Dunaief

You’re meeting with your boss, and you can feel your phone vibrating in your pocket with a new text message, an incoming email or a good old-fashioned phone call.

What do you do?

You’d be on pins and needles if someone you knew, your spouse or partner, perhaps, were expecting a baby. Or, perhaps, someone was traveling a great distance through a storm and you were eager to hear that your friend or family member had arrived safely.

But most of the time, the stakes aren’t quite as high with incoming information. In fact, some of the time, we’re getting spam that seeks our attention.

So, when we are talking to our boss, we generally realize that responding to our demanding electronics probably isn’t a great idea.

But what about when we are talking to a parent, a friend, a child or a neighbor?

Given the frequency with which I have seen the tops of people’s heads as they look down at their phones instead of in their eyes, it seems people have concluded that eye contact is so 20th century.

Since when did people outside the room become so much more important and demanding than the ones with whom we are interacting? If we can’t find people who are as interesting in person as the ones far away, perhaps it is time to move to interact with some of those fascinating folks.

I understand that people online don’t have bad breath and messy hair and aren’t wearing the same clashing outfit that they wore last week, and that continues to threaten to give us a migraine.

Maybe we ought to consider classes in electronic etiquette that teachers can share with students or with people who are receiving their first phone.

We can address not only how to handle an incoming text while in the middle of a conversation, but also how to unplug ourselves and our lives from endless messages, games, movies and TV shows.

If I could go back to the time when we handed phones to our children, ensuring that the phone would eventually replace bedtime stories, dinnertime conversation and eye contact, I would consider establishing our own “Ten Commandments” of phone ownership and usage.

These might be:

10. Limit the time each day when you use your phone, with only extraordinarily limited exceptions. If you need to use your phone for schoolwork for two or three hours, that still counts as phone usage.

9. Leave the phone in another room when you’re not using it.

8. If you can’t say something supportive or pleasant on social media, don’t say anything.

7. No anonymous messages or criticism. If you can’t use your name or stand behind what you write, you shouldn’t have written it in the first place.

6. Don’t take embarrassing pictures of your parents and share them with your friends. Older people don’t tend to look as glamorous in digital pictures as younger people, so be kind.

5. Internet fame is not a life goal.

4. When you become better at using your phone than your parents (which occurs in a surprisingly short time), share your wisdom and skills with them. Think of it as familial community service.

3. Don’t assume everything you find online is true. In fact, at least once a week, or even once a day, find something on the internet that you think is false. Use trusted sources to contradict what you think an internet provider got wrong.

2. If it looks like everyone else is having a better time than you, put your phone down. They aren’t.

1. If you can tell your parents to wait while you respond to a text or call from a friend, make sure you tell your friends the same thing when your parents reach out to you.

Renee Fondacaro

The Reboli Center’s October Artisan of the Month is Renee Fondacaro: candlemaker and founder of Old Field Apothecary. Fondacaro founded the company in 2020, with the goal of creating beautiful, clean, naturally scented candles and home accessories.

Old Field Apothecary candle

An artisan and registered nurse with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from SUNY Oneonta and a Nursing degree from Syracuse University, Fondacaro creates natural, handmade products with ingredients sourced sustainably. As a two-time cancer survivor, this aspect of her business is very important to her.

“Our mission at Old Field Apothecary is to create hand poured, small batch candles, wax melts and home accessories with captivating scents, beautiful minimalist designs, and the best ingredients.  All products are made from a luxurious vegan wax blend made of natural coconut and apricot. Coconut and apricot waxes are gluten free, toxin free, paraben free, phthalate free, and come from renewable sources. The entire blend utilizes only FDA approved waxes,” said Fondacaro.  In addition, all candles have a crackling wooden wick and each candle is wicked, poured and labeled by hand.

Lois Reboli, a founder of the Reboli Center, said, “Renee has had a pop-up store at the Center in the past and it is wonderful that she is the Artisan for October. With the holidays just around the corner, this is an excellent opportunity for residents to shop for their homes, as well as for gifts for family and friends.”

The Reboli Center is located at 64 Main Street in Stony Brook, and is open Tuesday-Saturday from 11am-5pm and on Sunday from 1pm-5pm. Admission is free. For more information, please call 631-751-7707 or visit www.ReboliCenter.org

Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook welcomes the Peking Acrobats featuring The Shanghai Circus on the Main Stage on Friday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. Combining time-honored Chinese music and groundbreaking special effects to create an environment that mirrors the festive pageantry of a Chinese Carnival, The Peking Acrobats are set to deliver a once-in-a-lifetime evening of exuberant entertainment. Fun for the whole family! Tickets range from $39 to $68. To order, call 632-2787 or visit www.stallercenter.com.

REVIEWS


“If daring and dexterity turn you on, this is a show that will probably twist you around in your seat. It’s amazing and exciting!”

~ New York Post
“All 26 members of this troupe are amazing athletes with grace and charisma in addition to their razor-sharp precision-everything entertainment should be!”

~ Dance Insider
“Amazing! Zounds! The vocabulary of exclamation seeks expression as the medium of awed and surprised reaction to the wondrous feats of THE PEKING ACROBATS! In their graceful efforts, these brightly costumed tumblers, acrobats, cyclists, jugglers, and clever clowns provide 90 minutes of family fun that infuses springtime in New York with an extra measure of joy.”

~ New York Times
“Tumblers, contortionists, jugglers…OH MY! The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra wrapped up its Pops series with a show of dazzling athleticism and jaw-dropping beauty Friday night, courtesy of world-renowned PEKING ACROBATS! ”

~ Winnipeg Free Press, Canada
“…At no time have we seen anything like the Peking Acrobats. Feats of clowning, dexterity, grace, strength and coordination rippled from the stage in a series of pleasurable waves. One was left waterlogged in wonder.”

~ Chicago Tribune
“…’A’ is for acrobats and astounding, amusing, audacious and accomplished, accurate and attractive and admirable, all of which describe, though not completely, The Peking Acrobats.”

~ Variety
“…Nearly everything The Peking Acrobats did last night was amazing – and stunning and breathtaking and WOW!”

~ Seattle Times
“…The Peking Acrobats regularly passed from the seemingly impossible to the virtually unbelievable.”

~ Los Angeles Times
 

PSEF LI Facebook photo

PSEG Long Island is monitoring the remnants of Hurricane Ian that may impact the service area Saturday through Monday and is following its pre-storm processes to handle any outages that may occur.

The weather front is expected to bring showers during the weekend, followed by wind gusts up to 45 mph, enough to possibly topple trees and bring down branches on wires.

“PSEG Long Island has been carefully tracking the remnants of Ian, and we encourage our customers to prepare,” said Mike Sullivan, vice president of Transmission and Distribution at PSEG Long Island. “As we watch the forecast, we have performed system and logistic checks, and have a full complement of personnel who can jump into storm mode if needed. In the event of any outages, our crews will work to safely restore service as quickly as conditions will allow.”

COVID-19-related storm processes remain in place to ensure the health and safety of employees and the public. To that end, PSEF LI asks that customers remain in their homes when crews are working nearby. If customers must speak with the crews, please practice responsible “physical distancing” and remain at least 6 feet away. For more information about how PSEG Long Island continues to live up to its commitment to safety during the pandemic, please visit www.psegliny.com/covid19.

Customers are asked to note the important storm safety tips below and to visit https://www.psegliny.com/safetyandreliability/stormsafety for additional storm preparation information.

 Customer Safety:

  • Downed wires should always be considered “live.” Please stay away from them, and do not drive over or stand near them. It is best to maintain a distance of at least 30 feet from a downed power line. To report a downed wire, call PSEG Long Island’s 24-hour Electric Service number at 800-490-0075 or call 911.
  • Electric current passes easily through water. If you encounter a pool of standing water, stop, back up and choose another path.
  • Never use a generator, pressure washer, or any gasoline-powered engine inside your home, basement, or garage or less than 20 feet from any window, door, or vent. Use an extension cord that is more than 20 feet long to keep the generator at a safe distance.

Stay connected:

  • Report an outage and receive status updates by texting OUT to PSEGLI (773454). You can also report your outage through our app, our website at www.psegliny.com/outages or with your voice using the Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant app on your smartphone.
  • To report an outage or downed wire, call PSEG Long Island’s 24-hour Electric Service number at 800-490-0075.
  • Follow PSEG Long Island on Facebook and Twitter to report an outage and for updates before, during and after the storm.
  • Visit PSEG Long Island’s MyPower map for the latest in outage info, restoration times and crew locations across Long Island and the Rockaways at https://mypowermap.psegliny.com/.

WMHO unveils a sensory garden in Stony Brook Village on Sept. 23. Photo from WMHO
Project at Stony Brook Mill Pond Park supported by PSEG Long Island

The Ward Melville Heritage Organization (WMHO) has announced that the newly restored Sensory Garden at the T. Bayles Minuse Mill Pond Park has officially been planted, thanks to a sponsorship of $3,500 from PSEG Long Island. An official  unveiling was held on Sept. 23.

The Sensory Garden was originally created as a place where those who are sensory-impaired could enhance their independence and interact with nature in a special way, over ten years ago. David Seyfert, a Stony Brook resident, visual teacher and mobility instructor assisted in the selection of plants and suggested wind chimes to ensure all visitors could enjoy the park. 

Among the many plants incorporated into the sensory garden are lambs ear and wooly thyme for its texture; lavender, hydrangea and dogwood for its smell; and pink muhly grass, Japanese maple and a collection of hen and chicks for sound.

“Originally, the sensory garden began small — a residential visually impaired woman would come here to smell the flowers, listen to the birds, and sit in peace. Over the years, especially the last few during the pandemic, this park and garden have given that same peace of mind to all of its visitors,” said Dr. Richard Rugen, Chairman of the WMHO.

“Thanks to PSEG-LI and the PSEG Foundation, our newly enhanced Sensory Garden can continue to be a place where everyone come to relax, enjoy and find peace. Tropical Storm Isaias caused incredible damage throughout the park in August of 2020. The first phase of restoration was completed in October of 2021. This marks the completion of phase two of the park’s restoration,” said Rugen.

To learn more about the WMHO, visit www.wmho.org or call 631-751-2244.