Eleven international students’ visas have been terminated since March 28, Stony Brook University officials confirmed. The University’s Office of Global Affairs notified the students.
“We want to assure you that our Global Affairs team is exceptionally knowledgeable in advising our international community and are working around the clock to provide individualized support to our international students, faculty, and scholars,” reads a letter written by Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Carl W Lejuez, Graduate School Dean Celia Marshik and Senior Associate Provost for Global Affairs Lindsi Walker. “They are leveraging their extensive network of partners, including SUNY, to gather up-to-date information on resources and guidance.”
University representatives did not disclose why the visas were revoked and referred questions to SUNY. On March 21, Interim President Richard McCormick released a letter addressing unrest among international students. The letter came amidst an increase in visa terminations across New York and the country.
In January, President Trump reversed a policy that prevented Immigration and Customs Enforcement from making arrests in schools and places of worship.
According to Inside Higher Ed, more than 700 international students have had their visas revoked across the country as of April 11. In New York, at least 62 students across eight public and private universities have had their visas terminated.
“As you know, this is a time of heightened uncertainty for international students on the nation’s college campuses. I am writing to emphasize that you are a valued member of our campus community,” McCormick wrote in the March letter.
Students with questions regarding their visa status are directed to Stony Brook University’s Visa and Immigration Services, the office of International Student Success,Counseling and Psychological Services or the Student Support Team.
From left, Anthony Anatol, Luke Jantzen, Jon Seyfert and Andrew Senf after running the relay. Photo courtesy of David Seyfert
By Sabrina Artusa
The Ward Melville High School boys track team have proven themselves as formidable competitors repeatedly this season — the Ward Melville name consistently high on the rankings. In this year’s winter season, the Ward Melville Patriots upheld their reputation.
On March 8 senior Jon Seyfert stepped up to the line for the 1600-meter race telling himself that winning was the only option. Seyfert, usually calm before racing, was nervous.
Jon Seyfert running his leg of the 4 x mile relay at the New Balance Nationals. Photo courtesy of David Seyfert
He knew he wanted to give his coach and parents a state championship. His goal was to secure a position in front in the first 100 meters. Having done so, he held his position, waiting for the right moment to push ahead. In the seventh lap, he took the lead: a move that did not go unchallenged.
“Another kid comes out from [lane] three or four trying to cut off,” Seyfert said. “[He] either had to go faster or go behind me and at that point I was like, ‘I got this.’”
The other runners were unable to catch up and Seyfert, remembering his coach’s advice to run through the line, flew past it with 13 others chasing behind, making Seyfert the state champion in the mile.
He completed the mile in 4:15:68, utilizing months of hard summer and fall training to push him past the competition.
“[There was] a lot riding on it,” he said. “You don’t know how many chances you are going to get for a state championship.”
“From the time the gun went off, I couldn’t be more excited as a coach,” Coach Ryan DeLuca said. “He took his experiences from his past races and experiences and did everything right.”
From the initial positioning to mid-race strategy to patiently waiting to make the final move in the seventh lap, Deluca said the race was Seyfert’s “best executed race in four years.”
Last year, Seyfert came in second in Suffolk County’s cross-country championships. Now, he is first in the state in the indoor 1600 meters.
Having become a state champion, Seyfert said his primary goal in every race is to reach his potential. “I just want to say I couldn’t have gone any faster. I want to finish and say I gave it my all. I really did try.”
On March 8, running the 1600 meters, Seyfert tried and succeeded.
New Balance Nationals
On March 14 and 15, the Patriots were back for the New Balance Nationals for the distance medley relay and the 4x mile relay.
After not performing as well as they hoped in the distance medley relay, sophomore Andrew Senf, juniors Anthony Anatol and Luke Jantzen and Seyfert approached the 4x mile race hopeful and ready. They had trained for months,
DeLuca told his team, ‘You guys can rebound from this in a big way. And the race that didn’t go well was a good chance to flush [your] legs.”
“They came back with vengeance,” he said.
Senf was the lead-off runner. As he prepared at the line holding the baton, he endeavored to set up his teammates for a good race by getting out in front and pushing the pace in the last 300 meters. With the disappointing distance medley relay behind him, he felt that there “was no pressure” and that being at nationals was itself an accomplishment.
Senf ran a personal best and “took charge” early on, according to Seyfert, who said “it was really cool to see.” He created such a large gap between himself and the next runner that, when he handed off the baton, completing his mile in 4:26, Jantzen was in “no man’s land,” as Seyfert put it.
Jantzen, excited to race, knew that they were going to break the school’s record for this event. He visualized the race and tried to mentally prepare for the mile ahead of him.
He handed off the baton to Anatol, who held the team’s position and, with the help of Senf and Jantzen, was able to lap some of the competition. Seyfert took the baton from Anatol and finished the last leg. The four finished with a time of 17:51:90, making them 12th fastest in the country.
“After that night we came back the next day and we put it all together. We did what we were supposed to,” Jantzen said.
“A lot of what helped get us to this point is that we all have such a good dynamic as a team and not just the four of us on the team but the guys that didn’t go as well,” Senf said. “Being with the coaches and the other kids is just such a pleasure. If I were on another team I don’t know if I would find the same enjoyment. The people just make it so fun.”
For more information visit the school website: www.threevillagecsd.org.
What’s more fun than an Easter egg hunt? Here is a list of egg hunts on the North Shore for this weekend and next weekend so grab your baskets and a camera and hippity hop over to these fun springtime celebrations.
Cold Spring Harbor
Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery, 1660 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor will hold an Egg Hunt for children ages 0 to 6 on April 12, 13, 17, 18 and 19 with 20 minute sessions scheduled throughout the day. Fee is $12 per participating child, $5 helper siblings ages 7 to 12, $7 adults, $6 seniors. Children must be accompanied by a parent. By reservation only at www.cshfishhatchery.org. 516-692-6768
Commack
Burr Intermediate School, 202 Burr Road, Commack hosts a free egg hunt with over 4,000 eggs on April 13 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with games, prizes, special golden eggs and a free photo of your child with the Easter Bunny. Register at www.commackegghunt.com. 631-486-3811
East Northport
Island Christian Church, 400 Elwood Road, East Northport will host a free Easter Egg Hunt on April 19from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Activities will include face painting, crafts, games, bounce houses, photo-ops, and of course, hunting for eggs! You may even see the Easter Bunny! Held rain or shine. Free. Visit islandchristian.com/easter to register. 631-822-3000
East Setauket
Benner’s Farm hosts their Easter Egg Hunt Weekend on April 18, 19 and 20 this year. File photo by Rita J. Egan/ TBR News Media
— Benner’s Farm, 56 Gnarled Hollow Road, East Setauket will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt celebration on April 18, 19 and 20 with craft vendors, barnyard animals to see and hold, an egg hunt in the fields (at your purchased time slot), pictures with the Spring Bunny and more! This is a ticketed event only. Tickets are sold online only for $13.50 per person. To register, visit www.bennersfarm.com. 631-689-8172
— Three Village Church, 322 Main St., East Setauket invites children up to 5th grade to an Easter Egg Hunt on April 19 from 10 a.m. to noon. with games, story time, crafts, face painting and more. No tickets needed. Free. 631-941-3670
Farmingdale
— The American Airpower Museum, Hangar 3, 1230 New Highway, Farmingdale will hold its annual Easter Egg Hunt on April 12 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. along with an Easter Tram Rides, photos with the Easter Bunny and visit their“Bunny Patch” to adopt your very own plush toy bunny or chick!No pre-registration or tickets required. Admission for adults $20, seniors/vets $15, kids ages 3-12 $10. 631-293-6398
— Village of Farmingdale hosts its annual Easter Egg Hunt for children up to 11 years old on April 12 on the Village Green, 361 Main St., Farmingdale at 11 a.m. followed by photos with the Easter Bunny. Free. Rain date is April 13 at 2 p.m. 516-249-0093
— Stew Leonard’s, 261 Airport Plaza, Farmingdale hosts an Easter egg hunt on April 15 from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Take photos with the bunny and collect eggs filled with candy and other prizes from costumed characters. Free for ages 8 and younger. Get tickets at eventbrite.com. 516-962-8210
Farmingville
Farmingville Historical Society will hold its annual Easter Egg Hunt at Arboretum Park, 10 Maple Lane, Farmingville on April 19 at various times from noon to 3 p.m. Embark on an Easter Egg Adventure into the historic firehouse for fun activities, meet a real life bunny and take a photo with the Easter Bunny. $15 per child. Register at FHSLI.org.
Flanders
Children ages 2 to 9 are invited to join anEaster egg hunt for “duck” eggs at The Big Duck Ranch, 1012 Flanders Road, Flanders on April 19 at noon. Prizes will be given out for the winners in each age group. Bring your camera for photo ops with the Easter Bunny. The Long Island Duck Farming exhibit will also be open to the public. Free. Rain date is April 26. 631-284-3737.
Huntington
Children ages 1 to 8 can enjoy a spring celebration and egg hunt at Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve, 25 Lloyd Harbor Road, Huntington on April 19 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Activities including a petting zoo, arts and crafts, a meet and greet with Mr. Bunny and a special concert by FunikiJam. $20 per child. Held rain or shine. Register at www.caumsettfoundation.org/programs.
Melville
Take part in an Easter Egg Hunt at White Post Farms, 250 Old Country Road, Melvilleon April 12 to 13 and April 14 to 20 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Meet the Easter Bunny, visit the bunny holding station, see a magic show and much more. Admission is $29.95. 631-351-9373
Port Jefferson
Meet the Easter Bunny at the annual Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce sponsored Easter event on April 19. Photo by Kyle Barr
Children ages 2 to 8 are invited to join the Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce for an Easter Egg Hunt following the annual Easter Parade in the Village of Port Jefferson along Main Street on April 19 at 12:45 p.m. Line up in front of the Port Jefferson Village Center, 101 E. Broadway, Port Jefferson at 1 p.m. after the parade. Photo ops with the Easter Bunny will be from 1:15 p.m. to 2 p.m. Free. 631-473-1414
Port Jefferson Station
Brightview Senior Living, 1175 Route 112, Port Jefferson Station will host an Easter egg hunt, storytime fun with local children’s authors, photos with the Easter Bunny and a special Easter basket raffle on April 13 from noon to 4 p.m. Reserve your spot at www.eventbrite.com.
Rocky Point – just added!
The Rocky Point annual Easter egg hunt for ages infant to 5th grade will be held at Robert Miner Park, aka Rocketship Park, Hallock Landing Road, Rocky Point on April 15 at 11 a.m. (egg hunt at noon) with face painting and tattoos. Photos with the Easter Bunny are $5.
St. James – rescheduled to April 19
Children can hunt for Easter eggs at Deepwells Farm in St. James on April 19. Photo by Greg Catalano
St. James Chamber of Commerce will host a Spring Egg Hunt for children ages 1 to 10 at Deepwells Farm, 2 Tayor Lane, St. James on April 19 at 1 p.m. with a surprise visit from the Easter Bunny. Free. No rain date. 631-584-5810
Selden – This event has been canceled due to the weather.
Join Brookhaven Town Councilman Neil Manzella and the Middle Country Youth Civic Association for a community Easter egg hunt at Veterans Park, Boyle Road, Selden on April 12 from 10 a.m. to noon. Free. 631-451-6647
Setauket
Caroline Episcopal Church, 18 Caroline Ave., Setauket hosts a community Easter Egg Hunt on April 19 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Enjoy games, prizes, snacks, a live magic show, face painting, an Easter hat contest, hat parade and a special long-eared guest. Free. Register online at carolinechurch.net/egghunt2025 631-941-4245
Smithtown – rescheduled to rain date of April 13
Join Sweetbriar Nature Center, 62 Eckernkamp Drive, Smithtown for a Spring Festival and Egg Hunt on April 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with musical entertainment by Lena and the Happy Clam Band, games, animal presentations, crafts, face painting, pony rides, egg hunts, and a visit by the Easter Bunny. $25 children, $5 adults. Register at www.sweetbriarnc.org. 631-979-6344
Wading River – rescheduled to April 13 and April 19
Bakewicz Farms, 291 Route 25A, Wading River will hold an Easter egg hunt on April 13 and April 19 at 1:30 p.m. Every child will leave with eggs filled with candy, stickers, and toys. Enjoy face painting and take pictures with the Easter bunny. $15 per child. For tickets, visit www.bakewiczfarmsny.com.
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine presenting the State of the County address. Photo taken from the livestream of the event
By Daniel Dunaief
After four upgrades from bond rating agencies and a comprehensive effort to work together with the legislature, County Executive Ed Romaine (R) believes Suffolk is doing well.
That, however, doesn’t limit opportunities for improvements, particularly in areas such as sewers, water quality, highway and road safety and the opioid war.
In a wide-ranging State of the County address before the 18 members of the county legislature, Romaine began his talk by thanking the group for working well together, setting off a distinction from national and state governing bodies.
“I look at other levels of government” including Washington and Albany and “the partnership is missing there, replaced by partisanship,” Romaine said. Local governments at the level of villages, town and counties, have to “deal with the pragmatic and we have to make sure that things work.”
Indeed, since he took office 15 months ago, Romaine said he hasn’t vetoed a single resolution.
Recognizing the bigger picture challenges of an economy that could suffer amid tariff tumult, Romaine suggested that seasoned political veterans had been through tough times before, such as the pandemic in 2020, the financial market meltdown in 2008 caused by the subprime mortgage market meltdown and the stock market rout of 1987.
“We got through tough times before and we’ll get through this as a team,” Romaine said.
Romaine highlighted how the county had received four bond upgrades. In December, Moody’s Ratings upgraded the county’s debt rating to A1 from A3 due to the county’s improved financial position, sales tax growth and operational oversight, according to the Bond Buyer.
Bond rating upgrades lower the cost of the county selling debt through the public markets, as investors typically don’t require as much interest for borrowing entities that are more likely to pay back their debts. This benefits the county and taxpayers, who don’t have to pay additional interest.
Romaine reiterated that he would never pierce the tax cap, which is the state limit on how much an entity can charge in property taxes.
Additionally, Romaine plans to settle some of the outstanding lawsuits that the county has been facing since before Romaine took office.
Claw back money
On the fiscal side, Romaine suggested the previous administration, run by Steve Bellone (D), had spent about $27 million on cybersecurity.
Romaine said he’s looking to claw back money from spending that “should not have taken place,” he said.
Romaine has hired a chief information officer, who is working with Homeland Security and cybersecurity and infrastructure security agencies.
“We have someone on staff and virtual,” Romaine said, in an effort to continue to safeguard infrastructure.
As for the Department of Public Works, he is aiming to improve roads, drainage and sewage, as he suggested infrastructure was “neglected for far too long.”
Sewers are a significant challenge for the county, with 70 percent of the county having cesspools and septic tanks.
In the next three and a half years, Romaine plans to spend over $1 billion in the county on sewers.
Speaking to a representative from the office of Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), Romaine challenged the governor to invest in the county, which he would match dollar for dollar on sewers and clean water.
Well water, which can be contaminated, is also a problem for the county.
“Imagine having to drink that water, or bathe your child in that water, or put formula in that water?” Romaine asked.
Residents need a funding source to change their source of water. Romaine plans to work with federal and state governments.
Water quality “should not be based on income,” Romaine said.
Energy
In addressing the likely energy problems created by future storms that threaten to cut off the energy supply when trees topple on power lines, Romaine indicated he’s talking with the Long Island Power Authority and PSE&G about burying their lines over many years to increase resilience.
While Romaine would like to come up with incentive programs to encourage industrial buildings, schools and other public buildings that can structurally afford it to put solar panels on their rooftops, the substations for these energy companies are “inadequate.”
“LIPA, spend the money, invest in substations,” he said. “That’s my very clear message.”
Pointing to another resource, Romaine suggested linking the extensive farm system on Long Island with schools to work to ensure that no one, particularly children, should go hungry.
Schools “can purchase farm products for school lunches,” which are more nutritious and support farmers, he said. “The synergy has to be worked out.”
To celebrate and promote aquatic farmers, Romaine said Smith Point would be the site of the first all Suffolk oyster festival in the third week in August.
Echoing a focus of Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina, Romaine focused on road safety.
“When you get on the highway, you don’t have to take your life in your hands,” said Romaine.
The County Executive launched a permanent task force to combat street racing and takeovers. The Suffolk County Police Department recently added nine patrol officers to enhance highway safety and will add more officers in the summer.
In addressing safety from one of the scourges of the island, Romaine asked the legislature to work with him to reform the opioid fund distribution review process.
He would like to get the third round of funding out by this summer. The first two rounds included worthy applicants, such as the Police Department, the Medical Examiner who buried 400 people from overdoses, the probation department, the sheriff’s department and the health and social service department which all received no funding.
These agencies need to know what they have to do to get the necessary funding to make a difference in the lives of people battling addictions to opioids.
From left, Yen Lo, Joyce Lee, Elizabeth Wright and Athie Kim. Photo courtesy of Emma Clark Library
From left, Suzanne Shane, Ted Gutmann, Joyce Lee, Yen Lo, Athie Kim, Elizabeth Wright, Linda Josephs, Angeline Yeo-Judex, David Douglas. Photo from Emma Clark Library
Pictured from left, Kevin Scanlon, Susan Megroz Rosenzweig, Brian Biscari, John Holownia, Tina Costanza, Joyce Lee, Yen Lo, Athie Kim, Elizabeth Wright, Deirdre Murphy, and Michael Jantzen. Photo from Emma Clark Library
Ed Taylor, Sherry Cleary, Joyce Lee, Yen Lo, Athie Kim, Elizabeth Wright, Karen Shack Reid, Niva Taylor, and Matt Schwimmer. Photo from Emma Clark Library
From left, Steven Englebright, Joyce Lee, Yen Lo, Elizabeth Wright, Athie Kim, and Dan Panico. Photo from Emma Clark Library
From left, Ed Taylor, Library Director Ted Gutmann and Joyce Lee. Photo from Emma Clark Library
From left, Ed Taylor, Library Director Ted Gutmann and Yen Lo. Photo from Emma Clark Library
On April 7, board members and staff of Emma Clark Library in Setauket, along with the family of the late Helen Stein Shack, local elected officials, and representatives from the Three Village Central School district, honored teens at the 11th annual Helen Stein Shack Picture Book Award.
The Helen Stein Shack Book Contest calls for teens in grades 7 through 12 who live in the Three Village Central School District to create a children’s picture book.Each entry could be the work of a single author/illustrator or a collaborative effort between an author and an illustrator.The contest was divided into two grade categories, grades 7 through 9 and grades 10 through 12, with one First Prize Winner and one Second Prize Winner selected from each group.
Yen Lo, an 8th grader at Murphy Junior High School, won first prize in the Grades 7-9 category for her children’s book “Benny and the Lost Balloon” whileJoyce Lee, a 10th grader at Ward Melville High School, won first prize in the Grades 10-12 category for “What’s a Friend?”
Second Prize in the Grades 7–9 categorywent to Athie Kim, an 8th grader at Murphy Junior High School, for “Dinky” while Elizabeth Wright, a 10th grader at Ward Melville High School, captured second prize for her book, “Kitty and Fish” in the Grades 10-12 category.
Library Director Ted Gutmann, along with the family of the late Helen Stein Shack, presented the winners’ books — bound and added to the Library’s Local Focus Collection — along with $400 checks to first prize winners Yen Lo and Joyce Lee and $100 checks for second prize winners Athie Kim and Elizabeth Wright. “The artwork in all of them and the stories are just great,” he remarked.
Suffolk County Legislator Steven Englebright, Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico, and a staff member from Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay’s office were in attendance to present certificates to the winners. The winners also received certificates from New York State Senator Anthony Palumbo and Brookhaven Town Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich.
The award is named in honor of Helen Stein Shack, whose family approached the Library with the idea of establishing an endowment as a tribute to their mother, a teacher and lover of libraries, especially Emma Clark Library. Their gift covers the cost of the awards and passes along Ms. Shack’s joy of reading and lifelong learning to future generations.
Ed Taylor, Ms. Stein Shack’s son, told the guests that when he reflected on the contest, he thought of what he called the 3 C’s:
The first being creativity, of course. If you go look at the books, the first thing that strikes you is the artistic talent of these kids…they’re also very creative at storytelling. It’s not easy to invent your own story and even more difficult to invent a story and tell it in language of kids that are 10 to 12 years younger than you are…The second “C” is courage. Even though you have all that talent, it’s still not easy to put your stuff out there and have it judged by others…I didn’t have a third “C” so I thought and I thought, and then it hit me – cash!
Mr. Taylor’s gesture to the large checks beside him, which were given out to the winners later in the ceremony, received a chuckle from the audience.
Three Village Central School District Board President Susan Megroz Rosenzweig proudly addressed the winners, “You came up with a wonderful story, you created beautiful art, and then you gave us the gift of joyful reading.”
Library Board President David Douglas, Treasurer Suzanne Shane, Secretary Angeline Yeo-Judex, and Trustee Linda Josephs were also on hand to congratulate the winners. In addition to Susan Megroz Rosenzweig, Superintendent Kevin Scanlon, Assistant Superintendent Brian Biscari, Ward Melville High School Principal John Holownia, Murphy Junior High School Principal Michael Jantzen, Ward Melville High School English Department Chairperson Joanna Cadolino, and Murphy English Teachers Tina Costanza and Deidre Murphy were all in attendance.
Guests enjoyed sweets by The Bite Size Bake Shop, a local Three Village-owned business that has been donating desserts to the ceremony since the contest began.
When Supervisor Dan Panico spoke, he emphasized the importance of libraries and reading and commented, “To think that these books may be read by children themselves or perhaps by parents to their children and may end up being the books that children who go into adolescence and adulthood will remember, to me is something that is remarkable.”
To sum up the value of libraries and seeing our extraordinary youth through this annual contest, Legislator Steve Englebright stated, “You gave us a chance to preview the future.
The Emma S. Clark Memorial Library, located at 120 Main Street in Setauket and on the web at www.emmaclark.org, provides public library service to all residents of the Three Village Central School District.
In the typical process of developing cures for medical problems or diseases, researchers explore the processes and causes and then spend years searching for remedies.
Ke Jian Liu. Photo by Jeanne Neville, Stony Brook Medicine
Sometimes, however, the time frame for finding a solution is cut much shorter, particularly when the Food and Drug Administration has already approved a drug treatment for another problem.
This could be the case for hemorrhagic stroke. Caused by a burst blood vessel that leads to bleeding in the brain, hemorrhagic stroke represents 13 percent of stroke cases, but accounts for 50 percent of stroke fatalities.
That’s because no current treatment exists to stop a process that can lead to cognitive dysfunction or death.
A researcher with a background in cancer and stroke, Ke Jian “Jim” Liu, Professor of Pathology and Associate Director or Basic Science at the Stony Brook Cancer Center who joined Stony Brook University in 2022, has found a mechanism that could make a hemorrhagic stroke so damaging.
When a blood vessel in the brain bursts, protoporphyrin, a compound that attaches to iron to form the oxygen carrying heme in the blood, partners up with zinc, a similar metal that’s in the brain and is released from neurons during a stroke. This combination, appropriately called zinc protoporphyrin, or ZnPP, doesn’t do much under normal conditions, but could be “highly toxic” in hypoxic, or low-oxygen conditions.
“We have done some preliminary studies using cellular and animal stroke models,” said Liu. “We have demonstrated on a small scale” that their hypothesis about the impact of ZnPP and the potential use of an inhibitor for the enzyme that creates it ‘is true.’”
These scientists recently received a $2.6 million grant over five years from National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, which is a branch of the National Institutes of Health.
Focusing on a key enzyme
After Liu and his colleagues hypothesized that the ZnPP was toxic in a low-oxygen environment, they honed in on ways to reduce its production. Specifically, they targeted ferrochelatase, the enzyme that typically brings iron and protoporphyrin together.
Iron isn’t as available in this compromised condition because it has a positive charge of three, instead of the usual plus two.
Liu discovered the role of zinc in research he published several years ago.
When a hemorrhagic stroke occurs, it creates a “perfect storm,” as the enzyme favors creating a toxic chemical instead of its usual oxygen carrying heme, Liu said. He is still exploring what makes ZnPP toxic.
The group, which includes former colleagues of Liu’s from the University of New Mexico, will continue to explore whether ZnPP and the enzyme ferrochelatase becomes an effective treatment target.
Liu was particularly pleased that currently approved treatments for cancer could be repurposed to protect brain cells during a hemorrhagic stroke. Indeed, with over 80 approved protein kinase inhibitors, which could work to stop the formation of ZnPP during a stroke, Liu and his colleagues have plenty of potential treatment options.
“We’re in a unique position that a clinically available drug that’s FDA approved for cancer treatment” could become a therapeutic solution for a potentially fatal stroke, Liu said.
To be sure, Liu and his colleagues plan to continue to conduct research to confirm that this process works as they suggest and that this possible therapy is also effective.
As with other scientific studies of medical conditions, promising results with animal models or in a lab require further studies and validation before a doctor can offer it to patients.
“This is an animal model, based on a few observations,” said Liu. “Everything needs to be done statistically.”
At this point, Liu is encouraged by these preliminary studies as the subjects that received an inhibitor are “running around,” he said. “You can see the difference with your own eyes. We’re excited to see that.”
Earlier hypotheses for what caused damage during hemorrhagic stroke focused on the release of iron. In research studies, however, using a chelator to bind to iron ions has produced some benefits, but they are small compared to the damage from the stroke. The chelator is “not really making any major difference,” said Liu.
The Stony Brook researcher did an experiment where he compared ZnPP with the damage from other metabolic products.
“ZnPP is several times more toxic than all the other things combined,” which is what makes them believe that ZnPP might be responsible for the damage, he said.
Proof of principle
For the purpose of the grant, Liu said the scientists were focusing on gathering more concrete evidence to support their theory. The researchers are also testing a few of the protein kinase inhibitors to demonstrate that they work.
In their preliminary studies, they chose several inhibitors based on whether the drug penetrates the blood brain barrier and that have a relatively high affinity for ferrochelatase.
“This opens the door for a new phase of the study,” Liu said. “Can we find the best drug that provides the best outcomes? We are not there yet.”
Removing zinc is not an option, as it is a part of 2 percent of the proteome, Liu said. Taking it out would “screw up the entire biological, physiological system,” he added.
Liu speculates that any future drug treatment would involve a relatively small dose at a specific time, although he recognized that any drug could have side effects.
In an uncertain funding climate in which the government is freezing some grants, Liu hopes that the financial support will continue through the duration of the grant.
“Our hope is that at the end of this grant, we can demonstrate” the mechanism of action for ZnPP and can find a reliable inhibitor, he said. “The next step would be to go to a clinical trial with an FDA-approved drug, and that would be fantastic.”
We need the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act
Toxic microplastics have invaded the Long Island Sound, harming wildlife and making their way into human bodies, too. Unfortunately, you can bet on this problem to get worse, because plastic production is projected to double nationwide in the next 20 years.
Plastic is polluting our lakes and oceans, filling our landfills, spewing toxins from garbage-burning incinerators and making us sick. On top of all that, it costs taxpayers millions to deal with all the waste that plastic pollution creates. We need to control this monster. Thankfully, New York is on its way to doing just that.
Long Island’s state legislators can do their part by helping pass the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act: a bill that’s already backed by two thirds of New York voters. It will reduce plastic packaging by 30% over the next 12 years, require at least 75% of remaining packaging to be reused or recycled by 2052, outlaw 17 harmful chemicals and materials used in plastic packaging and require large companies to pay fees on packaging, thus reducing local taxpayers’ burden.
Plastic pollution is out of control, but we can live with safer packaging. Our health depends on it.
Judith Enck
President of Beyond Plastics and former EPA Regional Administrator
The reality of renewable energy onLong Island
In his letter [Feb. 27] about the transition from our present fossil-fuel- based electrical economy to one based on renewable energy, George Altemose calculates what he believes the necessary area that must be covered by solar panels in order to supply Long Island’s energy, including charging large batteries to carry us through several overcast days of low solar generation.
If the number of square miles of solar panels Altemose calculates appear daunting, it’s because he overlooks several important factors in our plan to end our use of fossil fuels on Long Island — the same fossil fuels that are producing the climate change that is now so obviously here.
First, it is planned that the largest source (49%) of our renewable energy needs will come from offshore wind turbines that will generate energy even after the sun goes down and solar panels stop producing; solar generation will be much less than that.
Second, the Long Island Solar Roadmap, released just before the COVID-19 outbreak after several years of research by the Nature Conservancy and the Defenders of Wildlife, indicates that 5,000 MW of solar generation — a number equal to Altemose’s worst-case scenario — could be installed on just one quarter of Long Island’s “low-impact” sites consisting of large flat roofs, carports, industrial land, brownfields, etc., without impacting any residential or wooded areas. But Long Island won’t need such a massive installation because we’ll have plenty of wind energy.
Finally, while we are a physical island, we are not an electrical island. The LIPA grid is currently connected to the mainland by five high voltage underwater cables that are used to import energy from New Jersey, Connecticut and Westchester when that is needed here. In addition, the Propel New York project will add two new cables linking us to the Bronx and Westchester. These would normally be used to export offshore wind energy that is landed here to locations in the New York City metro area and upstate, but they could equally be used to import energy from mainland sources if that were needed here.
All these carefully researched plans assume a rapid increase in the number of electric vehicles (these will be charged mostly at night, when electrical demand is lower than in the day), and the replacement of air conditioners and furnaces with efficient heat pumps that will reduce summer peak loads while increasing the lower demand we now have in the winter.
A massive transition to renewables is happening here and in the rest of the world; many major countries are well ahead of the United States because the United States is held back by those who would deny climate change in order to advance their own financial or political interests.
Peter Gollon
Former LIPA trustee, Energy chair, Long Island Sierra Club Huntington
The EPA should be protected
A letter by Jim Soviero appeared in this newspaper on April 3 [EPA and media need accountability]filled with innuendos and deceptive claims about the Environmental Protection Agency.He calls for “accountability” for money already legally disbursed by the EPA as per the Biden legislation passed by Congress and signed into law, to fund beneficial projects to improve energy efficiency and reduce pollution.
He’s echoing Lee Zeldin, our former Long Island congressman and now head of the Donald )Trump (R) EPA.While in Congress Zeldin had a long record of opposing measures to safeguard air and water quality, instead serving the interests of the oil and gas industry, in spite of the fact that Long Island has no oil and gas industry.If Zeldin really wanted “accountability,” why didn’t he protest when Trump fired the EPA Inspector General, whose one and only job is to hold the EPA accountable for its expenditures?This IG, Sean O’Donnell, was appointed by none other than Trump himself back in 2020.Could it be that Zeldin really wants not “accountability” but a more pliable IG to rubber-stamp the Zeldin-Trump agenda of climate denialism and environmental havoc?
Zeldin describes the mission of the EPA as “lower[ing] the cost of buying a car, heating a home, and running a business.”No – the EPA is not the Commerce Department. The EPA’s mission, embedded in its name, is to protect the environment. I remember when the Cuyahoga River in Ohio was so polluted with oil slicks it caught on fire –many times.When Los Angeles was covered by a thick poisonous smog on a daily basis.All before the EPA.The EPA’s mission is to protect us from sickness and premature death from damaged lungs, heart disease, asthma and other consequences of the unchecked release of toxins into our air and water.And it’s also about energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions that threaten us, our children and grandchildren.
In spite of the letter writer’s innuendos, the rightful recipients of the funding Zeldin is trying to snatch back are reputable and longstanding organizations run by qualified professionals with years of experience in engineering, finance and energy efficiency.The funds are being used for such things as increasing the affordability of modern, efficient heat pumps to replace inefficient gas or oil heating.And the organization Power Forward Communities, so sneered at by the letter writer, is a coalition of some of the most trusted nonprofits in the nation, including Habitat for Humanity International and United Way Worldwide.
David Friedman
St. James
Support our libraries
Please support our libraries in your publication! Interviews with librarians and patrons, and analyses of how our libraries support our communities. There are books, yes, but there is so much more. Our libraries are threatened, and we need to save them. They build community, support learning and critical thinking, offer classes and access to, e.g., internet to those who need it. And best of all, they’re a place you can go to get a lot without paying for anything.
People don’t generally get married at 9 a.m, with an active, energetic and all-out party that follows immediately after the magical ceremony and that lasts until 3 pm.
No, big events like weddings, birthday parties and even smaller gatherings, like, oh, I don’t know, a pickleball tournament, sometimes start late in the evening and end some time after midnight.
Those are, as we all know, the typically festive party hours, when we welcome, as loudly as we can, the married couple for the first time to the dance floor, when we yell into each other’s ears standing feet from the trumpet and trombone players and when we cheer for the heartfelt sentiments of friends and family who share moving anecdotes about the people at the center of attention.
But what if, like me, you’re a morning person? What if, as the night goes on and everyone else becomes increasingly giddy, the inner child in you begs to go to bed because you know, no matter how hard you try to block out the morning light or to sleep in as late as possible, you will arise early the next morning?
For the past few incredible weekends, in which I visited my son in college where we played in a late night pickleball contest that ended around 1 a.m. and then traveled to celebrate a family wedding for a beloved cousin whom I’ve known since she was four, I have desperately tried to force my mind and body to push through the fatigue.
I recognize, of course, that people can’t and don’t sleep when their bodies and minds demand, such as when they are working several shifts or jobs to pay the bills, when they are taking care of someone late at night, or when an illness keeps them from getting the rest they need. These are clearly much harder and more real challenges than playing in a sporting event or celebrating with family.
I also realize that the academic and working world is geared towards morning people. Important tests and meetings can start as early as 8 a.m., when night owls would otherwise prefer to cruise into the final few hours of a restful sleep. Standardized tests also never started at 10 p.m. Someday, maybe some circadian scientist will offer to give tests at different blocks of time and see if scores improve for those who self select into their hourly wheelhouse.
I recall my first experiences with activities that extended well past midnight. Decades ago, I attended an all night dance to raise money for a worthy cause. I wasn’t sure how I’d do at 2 a.m. or 3 a.m., when my body demanded time to recharge and shut down.
Fortunately, my high school friends and I took cat naps and, once the sun appeared, my system came back to life.
High school ski trips also typically left the school parking lot some time around 2 or 3 a.m., which was tough on those who drove us to school, especially if they had early morning activities the next day. After greeting everyone at the bus, I slept against the window, waiting until the sun flicked my “on” switch back into position.
During the recent late night pickleball games and wedding, I did my best to rally beyond my daily routine.
The first few games of pickleball went well, as the excitement of competition and of spending time with my son more than compensated for my fatigue.
The toughest words that night were “let’s run it back,” which my son and his friends said after each game. That meant one more game which turned into at least five more. By the end of the night, I felt like I was playing on four flat tires and I was swatting helplessly at the ball. I definitely cost us the final game, which my son accepted with remarkably good nature.
Fatigue didn’t interfere noticeably at the wedding, particularly because I threw myself around the floor to some of the final songs, including Madonna’s “Like a Prayer.”
The after party at the hotel, however, pushed my limit. When someone nearby lit up a cigar, the scent of which overwhelmed my system, I couldn’t continue to stay awake and ignore the smell.
While I didn’t hang out and chat in the lobby until the last moment of the post party gathering, I made it past 2 a.m., which is as late as I can get before closing my eyes for “just a second” turns into a few hours of much needed rest.
The cover of the first issue of The Village Times in 1976 by Pat Windrow
By Leah S. Dunaief
Leah Dunaief, Publisher
Two happy milestones have marked this week. My oldest grandson turned 30, which we celebrated in style, and The Village Times, the flagship of Times Beacon Record News Media, was started exactly 49 years ago.
First the details of the birthday bash.
It happened Sunday afternoon at the ballpark, Citi Field, the home of the Mets, or what we Old Timers used to call Shea Stadium. Now if you knew my grandson at all, you would know he is a fierce and utterly loyal fan of the Mets since his earliest years. You could gather from that bit of information, that he is mighty stubborn about his loyalties. After all, there have been many incentives to switch support to other, more winning teams, right? And who could blame him? But that is not his style. His loyalty is boundless. And of course, the Mets have gradually rewarded him for his patience.
Thus, it was no surprise that he wanted to share his special day with the Mets, and in his honor, they won the game. But I get ahead of myself.
It’s worth relating how beautiful Citi Field is, especially so for me, a die hard Yankee fan who spent many afternoons during my teens in concrete-riven Yankee Stadium.
Now admittedly, we did have a luxurious situation. The cost of a box at the park was shared. We entered from a designated parking lot, after waiting on a short line, and were guidedpast giant pictures of Met greats like Jerry Koosman and Tom Seaver, to a manned elevator that took us swiftly to the fourth floor.
We stepped out into a spacious hallway of patterned marble floors, paneled walls, high ceilings with recessed lighting and multiple wooden doors that led to individual suites. Overstuffed armchairs lined the walls. And you should see the bathrooms.
Staff greeted us all along the way and led us to our room, where more overstuffed seating, fruit and salad awaited us. At the far end was a sliding glass door leading out to cushioned balcony seats that accommodated most of the 18 of us as we watched the game.
Happily both suite and balcony had heaters, although the weather, while chilly, behaved nicely. The early morning rain had stopped. More ballpark food arrived throughout the afternoon, but it was hard to tear ourselves away from the balcony as the Mets won what turned out to be a pitchers’ duel, 2-1. I can hardly wait to see how we will celebrate his 40th.
As for our newspaper anniversary this past Tuesday, it came and went quietly as we enter our 50th year. We were busy putting out this week’s papers. But we will certainly whoop it up at various community events throughout the year until we reach half a century.
It’s easy to fall back on the well-used cliche, “time flies,” but it is astonishing to me and to those who were involved in the start-up, like our general manager, that we have reached almost five decades of publishing hometown news. So much has happened, so much has changed, but not the mission of the newspaper.
Our goals have always been steadfast. We strive each week to bring vetted news, information and even some fun to our readers, originally with newsprint, and now with the additional platforms of the 24/7 website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and the weekly podcast, The Pressroom Afterhour,which is also on Spotify.
We promise our staffers that, if and when they leave, it will be with more skills than when they arrived because we invest in our people. And the third and last part of our mission is to support and give back to our readers and advertisers in whatever ways we can, starting with working to create a sense of community.
Frankly, we consider ourselves incredibly lucky to have survived almost 50 years, as we see hometown papers fall around us. Last week, while I was attending the New York Press Association Convention in Saratoga Springs, two more papers closed down, leaving their neighborhoods unprotected.
Stony Brook Biomedical Engineer Gábor Balázsi, PhD. Photo by Lynn Spinnato
Gábor Balázsi, PhD, the Henry Laufer Professor of Physical and Quantitative Biology in the Laufer Center at Stony Brook University, has been named a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE).
Balázsi took part in a formal induction ceremony in Arlington, Virginia, on March 31, for AIMBE’s 2025 Class of College Fellows, which includes 171 leading international scientists.
AIMBE Fellows are among the most distinguished medical and biological engineers. Fellows include four Nobel Prize laureates and 27 Presidential Medal of Science and/or Technology and Innovation awardees. Additionally, 233 Fellows have been inducted to the National Academy of Engineering, 120 into to the National Academy of Medicine, and 51 inducted to the National Academy of Sciences.
Balázsi, also a Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and an affiliate member of the Stony Brook University Cancer Center, was nominated, reviewed, and elected by peers and members of the AIMBE College of Fellows “for pioneering contributions to apply engineering principles to design protein-level tuning synthetic gene circuits, and to identify mechanisms for their evolution.”
A professor and researcher at Stony Brook since 2014, Balázsi’s work centers on developing and evolving synthetic gene circuits. The core of the research is to enable a predictive, quantitative understanding and control of biological processes such as cellular decision-making and the survival and evolution of cell populations, such as in metastatic progression and chemoresistance in cancer.
His findings have led to published papers in approximately 50 journals, including Nature Communications, Nature Chemical Biology, PNAS, Cell, and Cell Chemical Biology.
The East Setauket resident is a member of the American Physical Society, the American Association for Cancer Research and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
AIMBE’s College of Fellows is comprised of almost 3,000 individuals who have made significant contributions to the medical and biological engineering community in academia, industry, government, and education that have transformed the world. Most AIMBE Fellows are from the United States but many hail from all over the word and represent more than 30 countries.
What’s more fun than an Easter egg hunt? Here is a list of egg hunts on the North Shore for this weekend and next weekend so grab your baskets and a camera and hippity hop over to these fun springtime celebrations.
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