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File photo by Raymond Janis

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 on Long 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.

Bente Videbaek

Port Jefferson

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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 guided  past 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.

We continue because you support us. Thank you.

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Alex R., who was demonstrating in support of President Donald Trump, talking to an anti-DOGE protestor. Photo by Steven Zaitz

Words matter, as we might tell a first grader in our home or a high school student struggling to share a thought without cursing.

The same holds true for adults, especially those who disagree.

Whatever any of us might think of the policy to make English the official language of the United States, having a way to express ourselves clearly and to be heard by people on the other side of any issue is critical.

We live in a deeply divided country, where one “side” delights not only in its successes but in the failures and the struggles of the other.

This isn’t a plea for everyone to sit around chanting together or to urge us all just to get along, much as that might increase the peace and lower stress and fear.

We don’t just need English: we need a common language. We need to hear each other and to understand what the other side suggests, proposes or believes.

In a country that celebrates rugged individualism, we should be able to listen to an idea, whatever it is and wherever it comes from, and consider its merits.

It seems like spectacular hubris on the part of either side to imagine that the best policies only stem from those with whom we agree.

Take efficiency. The benefits of being more efficient in everything we do is that we can use resources better. People invested in stocks, for example, want their companies to be efficient because executives use that money to build profits.

During protests, people make competing signs that emphasize a point. Many of those messages, however, rarely acknowledge the other side or reach beyond slogans.

We need to listen to each other, to search for common ground and to make persuasive arguments that everyone can evaluate.

We need to study and learn the foreign language of those on the other side of an issue and work to adjust those words, and the ideas behind them.

Language, reflects culture and ideology and, at its root, can help us improve our lives and the lives of our children, who move together from preschool to adulthood.

Living with a verbal impasse that demonizes the other side hurts others as much as it does ourselves.

Together, our society of individuals can become more successful, efficient and peaceful if we speak the same language and build from a common foundation. Making labels and hurling insults might feel good in the moment, but it doesn’t bring out the best in us.

Words, like technology, are not necessarily good or bad. The way they are used determines their impact. Most of the people we acknowledge in the community seem friendly enough and don’t deserve belittling labels. If we start with words designed to help coalesce, we might find ways to improve our lives while feeling proud of the way we communicate in front of our children.

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File photo by Raymond Janis

 EPA and media need accountability

Based on a March, New York Times article, Daniel Dunaief expressed concerns the EPA “is exploring the possibility” of laying off over 1,000 scientists.  He urged EPA director, Lee Zeldin (R) to be selective before making any cuts. 

Even before Zeldin was sworn in, Biden EPA adviser, Brent Efron, was caught proudly announcing the agency was spending billions of taxpayer dollars before the Trump administration could stop them.  

“Get the money out as fast as possible before they come in….it’s like we’re on the Titanic and….throwing gold bars off the edge.”

Where’d the dough go?

“Nonprofits, states, tribes. We gave them the money because it was harder, if it was a government-run program, they could take the money away, if Trump won.”

Apparently, nongovernmental organizations  are a great place to stash gold bars because they avoid typical Fed spending “accountability.” So, they can act as weblike pass-throughs to other, politically favored outfits, while making it difficult to track how much money is actually going to “scientists.” 

EPA administrator Zeldin found $20 billion from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, nestled in CitiBank, awaiting distribution. 

It was “awarded to just eight entities, that were then responsible for doling out your money to NGOs and others at their discretion, with far less transparency,” Zeldin explained.

He continued, “Of the eight pass-through entities…. various recipients have shown very little qualification to handle a single dollar, let alone several billions of dollars.”

Here’s just one example of the above-mentioned “web.”  Power Forward Communities Inc. got $2 billion, despite being set up in 2023 and showing only $100 in revenue for that entire year.  That outfit partnered with Rewiring America, where two-time Georgia gubernatorial loser Stacey Abrams (D) works as “corporate counsel.”  

As for the New York Times reporting on Zeldin’s EPA, let’s consider the source.  The “Gray Lady” cited House Democrats. Recall, the New York Times joined other major media outlets in losing tons of credibility by selectively censoring some stories (including those on COVID), while parroting Dem pols’ deceitful talking points on major, critical issues.  The most dangerous of which was assuring us that President Joe Biden (D) was cognitively capable of acting as commander in chief and leader of the free world.

We are a people burdened with $36 trillion dollars in debt, and a lack of faith in what is being reported as “news.” So the public needs to demand accountability from both the EPA and media.  Then use common sense and a critical eye to make honest judgments.  

Jim Soviero

East Setauket

Conscience Bay Society of Friends hope county officials protect everyone in spirit of the Constitution

Conscience Bay Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) was established in St. James in 1961. Most of us live in western Suffolk County and have deep ties to the area. On March 9, we met in a meeting for worship with attention to business and considered the circumstances currently faced by immigrants and refugees in our country. After prayerful consideration, we approved the following minute:

Conscience Bay Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends is united in the centuries-old Quaker convictions that every person has that of God/Spirit within them, that all are equal in dignity and worth, that all are deserving of compassion and fair treatment. With this understanding of how we can live together in peace, we have a deep concern for the well-being and rights of all. Therefore, we issue this public call for support and protection, without regard to their immigration status, of all immigrants and refugees in our extended community of Suffolk County, New York. We call upon our county officials to advocate and create policies that protect all individuals from unwarranted arrest, detention or deportation.

We ask that our county police remain in compliance with their central mandate to “Serve and Protect.” In fulfilling that vital and honorable role, there is no justification for our county or local police departments to act as surrogates for federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or associated agencies. We commend the ongoing efforts by individuals, organizations and local governments to provide essential services, advocacy and safety for immigrants and refugees.

It is our hope that you will do all that you can to protect the rights of everyone within your jurisdiction and that you will fulfill the duty of every elected official to live up to the letter and spirit of the Constitution of the United States.

Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,

Carolyn Emerson

Clerk, Conscience Bay Meeting

Disappointing Town Hall

I am in agreement with the March 20 letters of Donna Newman and Robert Marcus regarding the disappointing so-called “Town Hall” meeting by Congressman Nick LaLota [(R—NY1)]. I specifically want to add that LaLota’s claims of asking constituents their opinions was self-serving. To ask whether or not we supported government waste was silly. Everyone objects to waste; but the real question is how much waste is there and is destruction of government agencies an acceptable way to deal with it. LaLota’s questions were only designed to reinforce his own views or rather the views of [President Donald] Trump [(R)], whom he supports in every way.

Respectfully,

Adam Fisher

Port Jefferson Station

Thank you to Three Village Community Trust

I want to thank the Three Village Community Trust and Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) for their recent recognition of the Setauket Neighborhood House as an important community asset and its continuing commitment to provide a warm and friendly meeting and gathering place for the community.

In 1918, local philanthropists Eversley and Minnie Childs gave the Setauket Neighborhood House to the residents of the Stony Brook and Setauket communities as a needed meeting place. For more than 100 years, the Setauket Neighborhood House and its board of dedicated trustees have provided a unique and treasured asset that has been a place for hosting community and family events in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere.

Thanks to all for recognizing my service as its manager and the importance of the Setauket Neighborhood House as a recognized Three Village community asset.

Maria Nardiello

Manager

Setauket Neighborhood House

Open letter to Congressman Nick LaLota

Prologue: I originally wrote the following letter a week ago. So much has negatively changed in what is happening with Social Security that I found it necessary to add this prologue. Offices have been closed. There is no one to answer the phones or you may have to wait 30 minutes to talk to someone. The Social Security website crashed two or three times last week. If there is an open office near you, the wait time standing in a line can be 4 or 5 hours.

Congressman LaLota (R-NY1), is this what you were elected to support? Do you support all these changes? Do you have anyone in your life that may have to deal with Social Security? I hope you help them.

But now how does someone in your district who may need help get in touch with you?

In the last few weeks it has been reported that the Department of Government Efficiency is now closing some Social Security offices and that phone access will no longer be available. One can only get in touch with the Social Security office online or in person. So, if you are new to Social Security or need to make any changes, you will either have to do it online or go in to an office, if there is one near you.

Congressman LaLota, since you have not objected to any of these cuts, I have to think that you support them. Therefore, anyone who needs help making any change to their Social Security should get in touch with you for help. Perhaps you have not realized that many of the people in your district are senior citizens, many of whom need their Social Security checks to make it through the month. Many of them do not have computers, and, if they do, they do not know how to do many things on the computer. Many of them no longer drive nor do they have someone who can take them to a Social Security office.

I have to ask if you have tried to find out how people in your district feel about all these changes. People who voted for you expected that you were going to make their lives easier, not harder, and by supporting these changes, everyone’s life is a lot harder.

So, Congressman LaLota, how are you going to help these people in your district?

Ernestine Franco

Sound Beach

BESS  estimates

In his letter of March 27 George Altemose makes a valid point that solar power on Long Island is too variable to be able to provide 100% of our needs so backup power of some kind is needed. However, his analysis of the number of homes that could be serviced by a 8.75 MW solar facility coupled to a battery facility (battery  energy storage system) contrasts with my personal experience. 

Using the time period that includes his use of August  2024 (I am billed on a two-month cycle) my two-month total usage was 1,123 kwh or an average of 780 watts contrasted to his home average use of 2,747 watts (both include use of air conditioning).  He makes a questionable assumption that the power requirement would double from the average when air conditioning is turned on for 4 hours and used that condition, not the average use, as a basis for need.  If our home use was typical, the number of homes that could be covered by BESS is larger than their calculation, not smaller.

Of course, there are many factors that will impact use of power, but one very noticeable change we noticed was the drop in energy usage with our conversion to heat pump air conditioning, which is much more efficient and quieter than other forms and can also provide heat when needed. 

Peter Bond

Stony Brook

Fact checking: ‘Reconfiguration is the right decision for 3V schools,’ appeared on March 20th

To my knowledge, not a single member of the Three Village community petitioned for grade restructuring. Restructuring is an administration-driven initiative that was pushed forward through the ‘Strategic Plan Committee’ meetings. Because many parents became concerned that this plan would make start times even worse than the current dismal state, it was primarily these parents who turned up and closely followed the restructuring meetings. Their main concern was that the restructuring, as initially planned, would have moved the 9th grade students to a 7:05am start time from the current 7:40 start time. This is obviously the exact opposite of what most parents wanted.

 As of my writing, the proposed budget simply maintains the status quo for the 9th grade student start times. This is appropriate, given that these students are the ones most affected by the restructuring at the secondary level. It is also in alignment with 15 years of recommendations from the community and relevant committees.

The request for later start times is not a new-found concern but a long-standing one rooted in over 30 years of research and backed by leading U.S. medical organizations. Locally, a 2019 petition urging the Three Village school Board and administration to adopt healthier start times obtained 1,700 signatures within days, a remarkable response. Dismissing this long-held goal as a “sudden desire” or “utterly useless” disregards medical evidence and years of parent advocacy.

The claim that teenagers will “fall asleep from boredom” if devices are removed is counterfactual for the many parents who have witnessed their children struggle to meet developmental sleep requirements, despite implementing good sleep hygiene habits. 

Barbara Rosati,

Dept. of Physiology

Stony Brook University

To the Board of Education and Administration of the Three Village Central School District

As we near school budget season, and the conversations increase in intensity and severity regarding where our money is allotted for the 2025-2026 school year, here are the top nominees for talking points in Three Village.

1. The upcoming reconfiguration

This is a change, decades in the making, that is being made through due diligence and circumspection for what is best for all Three Village students.  Those who continue to dissent and rail against this 21st century change choose to remain ignorant to the negative effects our current model spews on our student population and the positive monetary savings the district will reap.  The opportunities that will be offered to our sixth and ninth graders outweigh any and all possible repercussions that may befall them.  Imagine a world full of clubs and classes that they would not receive in their current placement and try to ignore the rantings of those who chose to deny the simple fact that our beloved Three Village needs a facelift. Moving on.

2. Start times

Stop the madness!  No matter what the supposed science says, a 30-minute change to our start times is an utter waste of over $1million and will not make one bit of difference.  If parents are so concerned with their children’s sleep habits, perhaps they should take the devices out of their little darling’s hands and tell them to go to bed.  I, and MANY others, are not willing to see class sizes rise and programs disappear so that kids can have an extra 30 minutes on their phones instead of in the classroom.  Think about the detriments there before we spend a million dollars of the budget to cover transportation costs rather than having educators in classes.  Are we willing to see the possible failure of the budget for this nonsense?

3. Security

Earlier this school year three Village had a fright.  A gun got into our high school and the situation was handled smoothly and transparently. However the resounding outcry that followed was even more disturbing.  Now we have a call to arm our security guards, despite the fact that extensive research has shown that armed guards have actually induced more violence in schools.  I am staunchly against allowing anyone to carry a firearm either in or around our schools as I do not believe, under any circumstances, that this will assist in dissuading someone who wants to commit a violent act on school property.  I appreciate the comprehensive work that has been done by Mr. Blaum and his team and I trust that the system they are currently implementing will keep our children safe while in school. Regardless of any former law enforcement experience, school security guards do not need to be armed, particularly if response times to tense situations are not improved.

4. Incidents of hate

Thank you, Dr. Scanlon for acknowledging that Three Village has a problem, although it is extremely disconcerting to know that it has gotten this far.  In our district we have had several antisemitic occurrences. We are very lucky that none of them have involved violence.  I sincerely hope that the administration and the board are working together to create a plan that will address all of the issues that are on the increase, particularly in the current environment that exists throughout our country.  When teaching kindness and compassion, as well as common courtesy and respect, there is no amount too high if it erases the feelings of hatred toward any fellow students.

Let’s get it together three Village and regain our standing in our awesome 2025-2026 middle school model.  We have so much to look forward to!

Stefanie Werner

East Setauket

I am ready to work for you as your trustee

I’m excited to share that I’m running for reelection for Port Jefferson village trustee. Over 24 years ago, Kelly and I made the decision to raise our family here in Port Jefferson, and it has truly been the perfect place to call home. Our children, Victoria and Stephen, have grown up here, and we’ve watched this village become an even more wonderful community with every passing year.

It has been a true honor to serve as your trustee for the past two years, and as deputy mayor for the past year. During this time, I’ve had the privilege of working with so many dedicated and talented people – from the team at Village Hall to volunteers who serve on committees like the Conservancy, Parks & Recreation, Tree Committee, Conservation Advisory Council and the Committee for Coastal Erosion. What I’ve come to appreciate is how much stronger we are when we work together to improve our village. I’ve always strived to listen, learn, and ensure that everyone’s voice is heard.

With over 30 years in municipal government, including 18 years as the village clerk/administrator here in Port Jefferson, I’ve gained experience working alongside a wonderful staff, 10 mayors and many trustees. Through countless meetings, challenges and successes, I’ve learned what it takes to help a village prosper, and I’m committed to using that knowledge to make Port Jefferson even better.

There are still important opportunities ahead that we must address, like the stabilization of the bluff at the Port Jefferson Country Club, the future of the Power Plant and managing the growth of apartments. These issues require thoughtful leadership, and I believe my experience, ability to collaborate and passion for our community make me well-suited to help guide Port Jefferson forward.

Two years ago, I promised that I would always be available to listen to your concerns and ideas. I’ve kept that promise with my “Saturday Sit-Down” sessions, where I meet informally with residents to chat about village matters. My personal cell phone number is on my business cards and in my emails, and I encourage you to reach out to me. I’m here to listen, help, and be part of the solutions that make our village the best it can be.

I hope I can count on your support on June 17. Together, we’ll continue to make Port Jefferson the wonderful community that we all cherish.

Bob Juliano

Port Jefferson

WRITE TO US … AND KEEP IT LOCAL We welcome your letters, especially those responding to our local coverage, replying to other letter writers’ comments and speaking mainly to local themes. Letters should be no longer than 400 words and may be edited for length, libel, style, good taste and uncivil language. They will also be published on our website. We do not publish anonymous letters. Please include an address and phone number for confirmation. Email letters to: [email protected] or mail them to TBR News Media, P.O. Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733

 

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METRO photo

By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief,
Publisher

While a little bit of stress in one’s life can be a good thing, enabling high performance, for the most part, stress is a negative I try to reduce for myself as I get older. It took me many years before I even realized what stress was. It didn’t occur to me to think I was stressed the night before a big test or having to give a talk at the front of the class in junior high school. I just knew I first had to spend a long time in the bathroom. 

No one I knew then, teachers, students, or my parents, even used the word “stress.” Today it is frequently discussed, along with how to manage it. Schools of techniques have been developed concerning stress management, such as meditation, deep breathing, and yoga.

What exactly is stress?

Stress is defined by the World Health Organization as “a state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation. Stress is a natural human response that prompts us to address challenges and threats in our lives. Everyone experiences stress to some degree. The way we respond to stress, however, makes a big difference to our overall well being.”

Here is what I have found to be stressors in my life and what I have done to mitigate them.

One of the most obvious and perhaps the simplest to reduce is time pressure. Being late in my early years—for an appointment or with a delivery of a product or service —might have set me up, I am sure, for a possible ulcer later in life. While sometimes being late cannot be helped, we are lucky enough to live in an age where we can reach out and tell the person who is waiting for us that we are running behind, and when they can expect to see us. That takes away a great deal of stress. Three cheers for cell phones.

I used to be chronically late until I realized what a disservice that was for the person I was meeting, and also to myself, by adding so much pressure to what should be a matter of fact occurrence. Now, I take pleasure in being early, creating a situation in which I can settle in comfortably, study the menu if it is a restaurant, or get rid of some of my emails while I wait. 

Also, I hate to disappoint. As a result, I have learned not to promise or commit until I am absolutely sure I can deliver on my word. And if there is a delay in getting a job done, the sooner I tell the recipient of difficulties, the easier it is to deal positively with expectations.

That goes for declarations. For example, if I insist I will never do such-and-such, and then I wind up having to break my word, it pains everyone. Better just to do without, again, setting up false expectations. 

Then there are the situations where, if I cannot change what is happening, I can change the way I think about the event. 

Example: having a driver abruptly cut me off as I m driving. That could be a stressful moment, but I prefer to consider that the driver might be in some dire need to get somewhere. 

Or, if someone begins to yell at me for some perceived slight, or something we have written in the newspaper, I have to think that person might be having problems at home or some health issue. Which is not to say, I don’t sweep my conscience to determine if I am to blame. Sometimes I am at fault, although I would like to think of myself as Mary Poppins, “practically perfect in every way.” 

Kidding! 

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By Daniel Dunaief

Daniel Dunaief

Even for a family that often lives in fifth gear, this weekend is especially frenetic.

First, on Saturday, we’re going to the wedding for a member of my wife’s extended family. We’ve been looking forward to this for more than a year.

Over 25 years ago, the bride attended our wedding in a white dress that, thanks to my mother in law, matched the one my wife wore. It’s so easy to recall her doe-eyed face when she and her younger brother set a speed record as they raced down the aisle.

We had asked the children on both sides to participate, which they did to the delight of our friends and family.

I’m sure memories of the bride and groom will play through many people’s minds during the wedding. As I sit with my wife, son and daughter, I will likely picture the four-year-old version of the bride, whom I used to throw as high and far as I could from the shallow end into the deep end in my father-in-law’s warm pool.

I’ll hold hands with my wife as we share in the excitement of this ceremony, which marks the beginning of their married life and is an extension of a high school friendship that has turned into something much deeper.

After the ceremony, we will reconnect with extended family, finding out recent details of their lives. We will hug and kiss the amazing grandmother, who has provided unconditional family support since the moment I met her close to 30 years ago.

Our niece will also be a major attraction, as she is the seven-months pregnant matron of honor and is the first member of the next generation on either side of our family who is expecting a child.

And then, ahhh, the dancing! My family will be on the dance floor as long as possible, throwing ourselves around as if we were in some kind of Zumba, aerobics, bodies-in-motion session. 

My shirt will become a much darker color as I sweat through it, and our daughter will somehow know the words to just about every song the band plays.

As the party winds towards its conclusion, we will continue moving and cheering, looking to squeeze every last drop out of this wedding.

The next day, we’ll amble out to a Sunday breakfast and recount some of the excitement from the night before.

But, wait, then there’s part two. We’ll head over to CitiField, where we’ll see my side of the family for a Mets game and, more importantly, celebrate a momentous birthday for our nephew.

We’ll share the excitement of this big birthday as we all become die hard Mets fans for the day, even as we also may share a few memories.

Indeed, when the birthday boy’s brother was born, my girlfriend (now my wife) and I drove to Baltimore. She left earlier than I. My then three-year-old nephew joined us as I walked her to her car.

“Bye, love you,” I said to my wife, kissing her through the rolled down window.

“Bye, love you,” our nephew echoed, standing on his tip toes as he offered an irresistible grin.

We’ll likely compare baseball stories and anecdotes about my nephew who has been married for over a year.

I may even tell the story about a memorable phone call.

His father, who wasn’t a morning person, called me early one Sunday. He asked me about my weekend and my plans for the week. Stupidly, I answered all his questions without thinking of the context for his life.

“Great,” he said, sounding both tired and excited. “Well, guess what?”

I shrugged while he paused either for effect or to take a quick rest.

“You’re an uncle,” he declared.

I jumped out of bed and couldn’t possibly get dressed quickly enough to meet someone I’m as eager to see today and any other day as the day he was born.

While we might wistfully recount such stories, we will also have the incredible gift of family time.Amid all the other times that come and go, we will have a full weekend where we won’t focus on whatever worries us about the world. We will share the joy of staying present, reveling in these magical moments that matter.

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Suffolk County residents can call 311 to report an antisemitic incident. File photo from Steve Bellone’s Flickr page

The Three Village Central School District was the subject of much conjecture and anxious speculation last week after Superintendent Kevin Scanlon released a letter addressing incidents of antisemitism and hate speech at their schools. 

Addressing the problem means admitting there is one: something many would be hesitant to do; Scanlon and other administrators took a bold step, opening themselves up to criticism, in making a move towards change. 

In the letter, Scanlon states that current initiatives aren’t enough to abate hate speech and that more needs to be done to educate both students and employees. “It is evident that the numerous resources, programs and educational opportunities that the district currently provides are not enough,” the letter reads. 

The letter is upsetting as students are still being excluded, bullied or harassed in a place they should feel completely at ease and comfortable and where their identity doesn’t cause conflict or discomfort. 

It is comforting to know the district is tackling these problems aggressively and in spite of potentially opening itself up to “bad publicity.” The Anti-Defamation League records a 200% increase of antisemetic acts from 2023 to 2024—over 10,000 in one year.

Bullying is ubiquitous–a weed within every school– but education and thoughtful programing and training, initiatives Scanlon is suggesting, may be able to help. The rising antisemitism, however, is not normal. A 200% increase is completely unacceptable. In schools, it is possible that these children don’t know what they are saying is hurtful–maybe they are trying to be irreverent and rebellious. Hopefully, the Three Village School District is on track to eradicate hate from its schools–to educate and change the narrative around other religions and to promote curiosity and acceptance rather than blind rejection and alienation. After all, hatred often comes from ignorance and a lack of empathy. It’s hard to hate or bully someone you know, understand and respect. 

Rabbi Aaron Benson from the North Shore Jewish Center in Port Jefferson Station said he tries not to dwell on these acts of antisemitism. “I want the experience of the members of the congregation to be about the positive and joyful and meaningful aspects of Judaism,” Benson said, “and not about the people who say negative and cruel things.”

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File photo by Raymond Janis

An opportunity to build trust

It was heartening to read Daniel Dunaief’s interview with the new Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina [“New Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina discusses highway, school safety,” March 9] discussing school and road safety, adoption of body cameras and the importance of recruiting new officers from underrepresented communities.

Of some concern, though, is the comment that Catalina and the Suffolk County Sheriff traveled to El Salvador to learn police recruitment ideas. Since 2019 El Salvador has become a single-party dictatorship that has suspended the rule of law, civil rights and human rights in order to suppress gang violence. And the current U.S. federal administration is paying El Salvador to imprison Venezuelan deportees without due process. Probably not the best place to learn about good policing.

Notably absent from the article was any query about whether the SCPD intends to continue spending taxpayer money to fight the 2022 Newsday/New York Civil Liberties Union lawsuit against them. In 2020, New York State repealed the 50-A law that allowed departments to keep police complaint and disciplinary records secret. Since 2020, Newsday and the NYCLU have filed 10 Freedom of Information Law requests to SCPD that have still not been satisfied, even after a lower court and an appellate panel ruled against them. This February, New York’s highest court issued a ruling on the same kind of case (against the Rochester PD) requiring full disclosure of all records, regardless of outcome or when the complaint was made. Why continue spending money on a legal fight they will certainly lose?

If Commissioner Catalina would genuinely like to turn the page, and build community trust through transparency, now would be a good time to simply comply with the law.

John Hover

East Setauket

When is enough enough?

I want to thank Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) for his article in The Port Times Record [March 13, “Your Turn: Overdevelopment will not solve the affordable housing crisis”].  

The article supports my ongoing concern that Port Jefferson village should stop approving permits to build new apartment buildings. 

I recently tried to obtain the number of apartments and the number of residential homes currently in Port Jefferson village and was told that the village does not have this information. I must ask how the planning board and the Building and Planning Department can make educated rulings if they don’t even know how many exist and what the Village Master Plan considers the maximum that should be allowed. If there are no limits, the trend will just continue until Port Jefferson has lost all the charm of a small, historic village.

From my research, the Village of Port Jefferson already has over 1,100 apartments located in apartment buildings. This doesn’t include the three apartment buildings now being discussed in the Building and Planning Department and all the apartments that exist above the stores in our downtown and uptown. 

We are a small village and 1,100+ apartments is more than the village can hold and still maintain its history and charm. I imagine that compared to other villages and hamlets in the area, Port Jefferson village outshines them in trying to meet the needs of people who find home ownership unobtainable.

I believe that the residents of Port Jefferson village need to decide if they want to maintain what’s left of the village’s history and charm or continue the trend of building massive apartment buildings and maybe one day being the new “Queens or Brooklyn” of Long Island. 

We will only be able to stop this trend by ensuring that we elect village officials who will determine the number of apartments existing and the number that is acceptable. I believe something is lacking when no official in the village can easily obtain this information nor provide a number that a master plan states is acceptable. 

Rob Grimm

Port Jefferson 

BESS implications

In a recent letter to the TBR News Media, Peter Bond took issue with a previous letter from me regarding the capability of a battery energy storage system lithium-ion battery unit to power homes. In my calculation, I used 5,000 W as an estimate of the power used by a typical home, which was characterized by Bond as unjustifiably high.

To derive this number, I consulted my PSEG electrical energy bill from Aug, 20, 2024, which stated that my home energy from July 12 to Aug. 12 of 2024 was 1,978 kWh for the 720-hour period, or an average of 2,747 W during each day. However, as we know, the energy used during the hot summer is not even nearly constant during each day, and the hottest 4-hour period of the day can easily utilize twice as much energy as the average value for that day. In this case, therefore, the average power used in my home during this hot 4-hour period was calculated to be 5,494 W.

The PSEG report also provides the consumed energy during this period for an “average home,” which is 1,355 kWh. Using this number in a similar calculation provides an average 4-hour hot weather power utilization of 3,764 W. In my letter, I tried to use a realistic measure of the required power consumption, and I selected 5,000 W as a convenient number for an illustrative example. If we use these PSEG energy values instead, we find that the 8.75 MW BESS, during a 4-hour period with active air conditioning, can be expected to power 1,593 homes similar to my home (1,978 kWh), or 2,325 “average homes” (1,355 kWh). In any case, both of these options result in the number of homes being far fewer than the 8,500 homes claimed by New Leaf Energy in their presentation.

As was stated at the recent Sterling Woods meeting, the eventual goal is to retire the present “fossil fuel” system and replace it with solar arrays and lithium-ion batteries. The big problem with this approach, which is never mentioned at these meetings, is the likelihood that extended periods of reduced sunshine levels, e.g., 2 or 3 or 4 or more consecutive overcast days, are likely to cause power blackouts, comparable to the New York City blackout in 1977. The only remedy for this problem will be the addition of one set of very large installations of solar arrays and BESS units for each anticipated day of overcast weather. If additional overcast days do occur, a blackout will be the inevitable result.

George Altemose

Setauket

LaLota and Garbarino must oppose cuts to Medicaid and SNAP 

On March 7 hundreds gathered at the New York State Office Building in Hauppauge to advocate for a 7.8% targeted increase in Medicaid rates for disability services to address rising costs, ensure fair pay for staff and stabilize the care system for individuals with disabilities.

 As a father of an adult child with disabilities who relies on Medicaid-supported services, I feel an overwhelming responsibility to advocate for the protection and support of staff, whose roles are crucial in caring for individuals with disabilities. These significant issues have profound personal and far-reaching effects on families like mine.

 For over 25 years, my son Bobby has received exceptional care from the Developmental Disabilities Institute (DDI). The dedication and compassion of their staff have greatly enriched his life, helping him accomplish daily tasks. Their work is more than just a job; it is a calling driven by empathy and a commitment to improving lives. These critical services deserve fair compensation and job security.

 In addition, the proposed $800 billion cuts to Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are deeply troubling. These programs serve as lifelines, supporting individuals like my son and often the staff caring for him and his peers, many of whom seek supplemental food support because of their low-wage status. Cutting funds for these programs is more than an economic decision; it is a moral one that will have devastating consequences for vulnerable populations.

 I urge our local congressional representatives, including Nick LaLota and Andrew Garbarino, to oppose these cuts. I encourage them to advocate for sustainable funding that prioritizes the well-being of those who depend on these critical support services. An investment now will secure the present and safeguard the future for people like my son.

Joseph W. Schmidt, Esq.

Developmental Disabilities Institute (DDI)

Tipping servers

Leah Dunaief recently wrote an editorial about tipping and American’s obsession with this practice. In New York servers do not make $16.50, more like $11. Since she seems to be comparing the United States with European countries, where people leave a few coins for excellent service. Let’s look at Europe. Servers get paid a regular livable salary. Servers are part of the national health care system. Europeans believe health care is a right not a privilege. No one in Europe goes through health care bankruptcy, as more than 300,000 Americans did in 2024. Servers are part of the national pension system, to which they contribute, for a livable pension. American servers have none of these benefits, therefore we should know that tipping is vital to their economic well-being. I for one am proud of those Americans who tip generously.

Stuart Bernstein

Setauket

WRITE TO US … AND KEEP IT LOCAL We welcome your letters, especially those responding to our local coverage, replying to other letter writers’ comments and speaking mainly to local themes. Letters should be no longer than 400 words and may be edited for length, libel, style, good taste and uncivil language. They will also be published on our website. We do not publish anonymous letters. Please include an address and phone number for confirmation. Email letters to: [email protected] or mail them to TBR News Media, P.O. Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733

 

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A debate. Pixabay photo

By Daniel Dunaief

Daniel Dunaief

Do you want to know the honest truth?

No, do me a favor. Lie to me. In fact, come up with something so outrageous that I might crack a broad smile and even allow a chuckle to bubble out of my mouth. 

Whenever anyone asks if you’d like them to share the honest truth, it’s often not particularly positive or flattering and is a way of giving them the opportunity to say that you asked for it, whatever the “it” happens to be.

Here’s the honest truth: you didn’t do all that well in the debate. You said your name correctly and your political party, but after that, you kind of lost the thread of what you were saying, particularly when you forgot where you were and starting picking your nose. Not a good look.

Or, perhaps, the honest truth? I don’t like Chinese food and you always ask if we can go to a Chinese restaurant. I know you like the Peking duck and the moo shu pork, which makes you think of the small funny character from Disney’s “Mulan” voiced by Eddie Murphy, but I’m not a fan and I’d prefer to go somewhere else.

People often use phrases that are a big set up or, despite being unnecessary, have become a part of the way we speak.

Take the phrase “going forward,” as in, we are going to institute a policy in which everyone has to come to the office four days a week going forward. Can we go backwards? Does the going forward part suggest now, as opposed to something that might start in two weeks, two months or two years?

Or, how about “at the end of the day?” People will ask if some change brings any value at the end of the day. How about at the end of a meal or at the end of a sentence?

Then there’s the word “literally,” as in I literally laughed my head off. No, actually, you didn’t, because you’re speaking to me and your head still seems to be attached.

I “literally” dropped my fork on the floor. Can you figuratively drop a fork on the floor? I suppose in the “Matrix” world of Keanu Reeves, where there is no fork, you might figuratively drop it on the floor as a part of some epistemological challenge, but most of us live in a world where the utensil we hold in our hands is made of matter and makes a sound when we drop it, even if we’re in a forest and no one is there to hear it.

Then there are all the extra words that delay the punchline. People regularly say, “do you want to know my all time favorite food?”

No, actually, I’d rather know the food you preferred when you were a toddler. Do you remember that one? Was it peas, carrots, or sweet potato? We gave our daughter so much sweet potato when she was young — she seemed to like it and made happy noises when she ate it — that it turned her face orange. And that was the color without any make up.

I might want to know your all time favorite movie, as opposed to your favorite movie for this year or from the 1980’s. I will reluctantly admit that the phrase in such a discussion has merit.

While we’re delving into the language of today, I would like to share a few cliches that, if you’ll pardon the cliche, sound like nails on a chalkboard to me. 

By the way, we should probably retire that because, if you want to know the honest truth, not many people are using chalkboards anymore.

Cliches, yes, cliches, like beating a dead horse, are non specific and overused.

The phrase, “it is what it is,” which is fun to say when people are complaining about the food, the service, the poor play of your favorite baseball team, or the weather, is a logical shrug.

We might as well write, or say, A is A, eh? It’s a tautology. Of course, it is what it is. Maybe we should change it to, “it isn’t what it isn’t,” or, perhaps, “it can’t be what it couldn’t be.”

So, if you want to know the honest truth at the end of the day, I prefer to avoid words going forward that act like fog in front of my all time favorite painting, which, after all, is what it is.

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METRO photo

By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief,
Publisher

Getting enough sleep is one of the tenets of staying healthy and aging well. But what to do when you get into bed and can’t fall asleep? The Science Times section of The New York Times this past Tuesday offered an interesting solution from Emergency Physician, Joe Whittington.

“Now I Lay Me Down to Play,” written by Christina Caron, explains the doctor’s technique. It’s called cognitive shuffling, and it is designed to calm a busy brain sufficiently to allow sleep. While he had tried deep breathing, meditation and melatonin, to no avail, the following strategy works for him. Incidentally, he has 750,000 followers on Instagram.

“Cognitive shuffling,” according to the Times, “is a mental exercise that involves focusing your mind on words that have no association with one another, as a way of signaling to your brain that it’s time to fall asleep. The task is meant to be engaging enough to distract you from the thoughts that may be impeding sleep, but not so interesting that your brain perks up.” 

So how do you do cognitive shuffling?

Take a random word, any word, like “adobe.” Then think of all the words that you can, beginning with that same first letter, like apple, arrow, across, attire. Visualize each word, then move on to the next. When you no longer can think of any more words beginning with “a” go on to the next letter, “d” and do the same thing: dog, depart, done, dope, detritus, and so forth. Again, visualize each word before moving on.

Luc P. Beaudoin, a cognitive scientist at Simon Fraser University in Canada, developed the cognitive shuffling strategy, and he suggests that as people drift off to sleep their minds have distant thoughts or vivid images. This technique is intended to mimic that process.

“These images don’t create a clear story line and may help your brain to disengage from problem solving or worry loops,” said Dr. Beaudoin, who conducted a study in 2016 using various sleep inducing techniques. He himself suffered from insomnia. The study was then discussed at the Associated Professional Sleep Societies conference in Denver, written up in Forbes magazine, then circulated widely online.

It can’t hurt to try cognitive shuffling.

I can tell you what I do to fall asleep. First, with full disclosure, I confess not to often having a problem falling asleep. In fact, I’m like a teapot. Just tip me over and pour me out. Usually, all I need is to get horizontal on a mattress and doze off. However, lately I have been waking up around 4 a.m., feeling rested and not able to resume sleeping. But I know if I get up and start my day at that hour, I will pay for the remaining lack of sleep in the late afternoon. I’m an 8 1/2 hour a night sleeper. So here’s what I do after 20 minutes of tossing and turning. 

I get out of bed, put on a lamp that offers dim light and read until my eyes get tired. I am selective in my reading choice: not a page turner. Then I shut off the light, get back into bed and usually fall right back to sleep.

It’s not a researched and tested technique but for me, it works. I enjoy sleeping and require the restorative effects in order to enjoy my waking hours. Hope these strategies work for you.

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