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Photo from Facebook/Kevin Wood
Event will feature canine aquatic competitions hosted by Dock Dogs

By Julianne Mosher

The Village of Port Jefferson is bringing a new meaning to the dog days of summer.

The Port Paws Dog Festival is gearing up for  this weekend and it’s going to be dog-gone fun.

Festival organizer Kevin Wood with his dog Brody. Photo by Julianne Mosher

Kevin Wood, economic development director for the village and chair of the event, said the event will bring not only lots of business to Port Jeff, but also is an excuse to show some friendly competition for one furry friend to another. “The Dock Dogs competition is open to everyone,” he said while standing next to his 18-month-old English creme retriever, Brody. 

The dogs go tail-to-tail in different exercises — the biggest being retrieving a lure fastest in a 30,000-gallon pool that will be set up at Joe Erland Field, on Caroline Avenue, near the new Barnum Avenue parking lot. 

Wood said he first saw the competition while visiting the East End of Long Island, and soon realized he needed to bring it Down Port. “Port Jefferson is a dog-loving town,” he said. 

The Wood family always had small, lap dogs who they loved — but when they adopted Brody, who loves the water, he thought it would be fun to see how he, and all the other local dogs, would do in a friendly competition. 

“No municipality has done this before,” Wood said. “I wanted to bring it to the next level and bring it to the village.”

Presented by King O’Rourke Auto Group, the three-day event starts on Friday, July 22 with a mini event for non-competitors — a trial event for dogs willing to give it a shot. Dog owners interested in signing up can do so that day for a $20 registration fee, with the event beginning at 5 p.m.

On Saturday, July 23 and Sunday, July 24, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., dogs from all over Long Island, and even some flying in internationally, will complete on who can jump the highest, swim the furthest and retrieve a toy in the pool the fastest after jumping and diving off of a dock, to be built on the field, and into the giant pool. 

The inaugural jump will be dedicated to Aida Ramonez, an 11-year-old Port Jefferson resident who passed away earlier this year. She was an avid animal lover who would have loved an event like this, Wood said. 

Throughout the show, Dock Dogs will present the Big Air Wave competition accompanied by an Extreme Vertical and Speed Retrieve competition for both competitors and spectators to enjoy. The Big Air competition features dogs running down a 40’ dock and diving into a pool of water after an object, in which they are electronically judged for the length of their jump. 

The Extreme Vertical competition is a “high jump” for the dogs as they each lunge to snag a “bumper” suspended in the air. With each grab, the height increases in two-inch increments until only one dog is crowned king. 

Rounding out the action is the newest form of competition known as Speed Retrieve — where the dogs are put on the clock to see how fast they can run down the dock, jump into the water, swim to the end of the pool and retrieve an object which is held by a modified extender arm.

The competitions are open to any and everyone. Teams are made up of one dog and one handler. Your canine must be six months or older to be eligible. Canines of any breed, size or shape are welcomed. Not only is the competition open to all types of canines, but also handlers above the age of seven are welcomed. There is even a “Youth Handler” class for those who are between the ages of seven to 14. 

But Wood said that the weekend-long event won’t just be for games — they decided to turn it into a full-blown festival with dozens of dog-centric vendors, rescues, trainers and some food trucks for their human companions. 

“This is the first time in a long time that something attractive will be at this field,” Wood said, noting that he first brought the idea to the village more than eight months ago before it was officially voted on. 

Mayor Margot Garant, who has a furry friend named Wyatt who will be in attendance, said that the village is excited to host this family event.

“Our dogs are integral members of our family and should be celebrated as such,” she said. “I can’t wait to see everyone there and to enjoy the comradery and competition.”

Tickets are $10 for entry, while children under 12 and dogs are free. Proceeds from the event will help fund the Port Jefferson Harbor Education and Arts Conservancy, with hope to bring new drinking fountains (for humans and dogs) to different locations around the village. 

Wood added that the event will be livestreamed on Facebook, and shuttle buses will be circling all of the parking lots to help bring people to the event. 

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit portpawsdogfest.com. 

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Baseball game Pixabay photo

By Daniel Dunaief

Daniel Dunaief

I was born in March, so, of course, I wished I were born in the summer.

My brothers were both born in the heat of the summer, which means they could go to a warm beach on their birthdays, sail across some waterway around Long Island, and celebrate the passage of another year without a midterm on their big day or, even worse, the day after their birthday.

But, the real reason I wished my birthday came during the summer was so that I could attend a Yankees game.

When my birthday rolled around, pitchers and catchers were often reporting to spring training, getting ready for the marathon of each baseball season.

When my son was born in July, sandwiched between a host of other family birthdays on both sides of the family, I figured he would have the chance to pursue the kind of unfulfilled baseball fantasy that I could only imagine as I was memorizing facts, figures and formulas for another set of tests before, during and immediately after my annual rite of passage.

Recently, we celebrated his birthday by going to one of the last few Yankees games before the All-Star break. 

We had the privilege of attending a weekend game, when neither of us felt the need to work or meet a deadline.

My son is taking a summer course for which he was supposed to have a virtual test the day before we went to a game. The computer system crashed that day, and the professor suggested everyone take it the next day.

The system, however, continued not to work, perhaps obeying a secret wish my son made over his customized birthday cake, giving him the opportunity to enjoy the entire day with little to no responsibility other than to reply to all the well wishers and to compliment them on their melodic singing.

The game itself became a blowout early, as the Yankees scored run after run, and the Red Sox seemed to retreat to the safety of the dugout soon after coming up to bat.

Both of us ate more than we normally do in a day, celebrating the outing and reveling in the moment, high-fiving each other and the reveling strangers in Yankees jerseys in front of us.

While the packed stadium started to clear out when the game seemed out of reach for the visitors, we remained in our seats until the last pitch, soaking up the sun, predicting the outcomes of each pitcher-hitter match up and observing the small games-within-a-game that comes from watching the defense change its positioning for each hitter.

It still confounds me that a team could leave the third base line completely open, shift all the infielders towards right field, and still, the hitter won’t push the ball in a place where he could get a single or double. After all, if they heeded the advice of Hall of Famer Willie Keeler who suggested they “hit it where they ain’t,” these batters could get a hit, raise their batting average and contribute to a rally just by pushing the ball to a huge expanse of open and unprotected grass in fair territory.

Amid the many relaxing and enjoyable moments of connection with my son, he shared that he kind of wished he had born in the winter. After all, he said, he loves hockey and always imagined going to an NHL game on his birthday.

I suppose the grass is always greener, even on your birthday.

To be fair, though, he did add that wasn’t a genuine wish, as he was thrilled to attend baseball games on his actual birthday, and he was pleased that, in every other year, he didn’t have to worry about exams.

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Russian nesting dolls

By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief

Incredibly, one man has altered the world. 

On Feb. 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin directed his troops into neighboring Ukraine, and the killing began. Ukrainians, Russian soldiers, mercenaries, sympathetic foreign fighters, civilians — all shot each other. Eastern Ukrainians were deported into Russia by the thousands, cities throughout Ukraine were destroyed, families were ripped apart, millions of Ukrainians fled to other countries, schools stopped, medical services halted, commerce and cultural activities were squelched, random bombings put lives in a lottery. Those are just some of the horrific consequences of Putin’s order against one country.

But the repercussions of that one act are being felt around the globe. Countries that depended on wheat and other agricultural supplies grown and shipped from Ukraine and Russia, are now frantically seeking alternate sources, if they can afford them. Oil and gas, primarily piped from Russia and Ukraine, have been cut off. Exports of hundreds of other products from these two countries have stopped. Oil and gas prices have skyrocketed, leading the way to global inflation. Nations have realigned geopolitically and militarily or strengthened their defense pacts by sending troops and weapons to allies. And other campaigns, to control climate change and suppress the coronavirus, have diminished as national budgets are modified.

What does Putin want?

There has been much speculation about his goals and his fears. They may have crystalized during these ensuing months, or Kremlin watchers may have caught on. One such scholar, who writes about Russia’s politics, foreign policy and, for a score of years, has studied Putin’s behavior, has put forth a cogent scenario in this past Tuesday’s The New York Times. Tatiana Stanovaya believes that Putin has a grand scheme whose goals are threefold.

The first is the most pragmatic: the securing of a land bridge through the Donbas region of the southeast to Crimea. Russian troops seem to have already captured Luhansk, which is part of the Donbas. Apparently, Putin believes the West will accept that Russian troops cannot be dislodged from there and will not cross any red lines to directly engage in such a military effort, eventually abandoning the idea and the territory to Russia.

The second goal is to force Kyiv and the Zelensky government to capitulate from exhaustion and demoralization after one or two years. Russia would then launch a “Russification” of the country, erasing Ukrainian culture and nationhood and imposing Russian language, culture and education. Thus Russia would have expanded its territory and stopped NATO from reaching Russia’s current borders.

The third goal is the most ambitious: Putin wants to build a new world order. “We are used to thinking that Mr. Putin views the West as a hostile force that aims to destroy Russia,” according to writer Stanovaya. “But I believe that for Mr. Putin there are two Wests: a bad one and a good one.”

The “bad” one is the one currently in power and led by elites who are “narrow-minded slaves of their electoral cycles who overlook genuine national interests and are incapable of strategic thinking.” And the “good West”? He believes that “these are ordinary Europeans and Americans who want to have normal relations with Russia and businesses who are eager to profit from close cooperation with their Russian counterparts.”

Today, Putin is convinced, the bad West is declining while the good West is challenging the status quo with nationally oriented leaders like Viktor Orban in Hungary, Marine Le Pen in France, and Donald Trump, “ready to break with the old order and fashion a new one.” 

The war against Ukraine, with its undesirable consequences like high inflation and soaring energy prices, “will encourage the people to rise up and overthrow the traditional political establishment.” This fundamental shift will then bring about a more-friendly West that will meet the security demands of Russia.

If that has a familiar echo, it is not so different from the Communist expectation that the proletariat will rise up and embrace Marx and Lenin. We know how that turned out.

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The first is of a spinner shark swimming among a school of bunker. Photo from Chris Paparo

After four confirmed shark bites in the last three weeks on the south shore of Long Island, state and local authorities are actively monitoring swimming areas for these apex predators, with lifeguards, helicopters and drones on the lookout for a variety of sharks.

A sandbar shark with a satellite tag. Photo from Chris Paparo

“As New Yorkers and visitors alike head to our beautiful Long Island beaches to enjoy the summer, our top priority is their safety,” Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said in a statement. “We are taking action to expand patrols for sharks and protect beachgoers from potentially dangerous situations.”

Earlier this month, a lifeguard was engaged in a safety exercise at Smith Point beach when a shark bit him in the chest. A paddle boarder, meanwhile, was bitten by a shark in Smith Bay on Fire Island.

Responding to the potential threat of interactions between swimmers and sharks, Hochul added several safety measures. Park Police boats will patrol waters around the island, while federal, state and county partnerships will share resources and information about shark sightings and better support to identify sharks in the area.

State park safety guidelines will suspend swimming after a shark sighting so the shoreline can be monitored with drones. Swimming may resume at least an hour after the last sighting.

Shark researchers said these predatory fish have always been around Long Island.

The southern side of Long Island likely has more species of shark than the north.

“The Atlantic Ocean, on the south shore of Long Island, has seen a notable increase in shark activity and sightings over the last two years,” a spokesman for Gov. Hochul explained in an email. The Long Island Sound, on the north shore, “has sharks but not this level of activity.”

The three most common sharks around Long Island are the sandbar shark, the dusky shark and the sand tiger shark, said Christopher Paparo, Southampton Marine Science Center manager at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University.

Shark expert Dr. Robert Hueter and his team were tagging and gathering data on great white sharks in 2021 in Nova Scotia. Photo fromOCEARCH/ Chris Ross.

Conservation success

The increase in shark populations around the island is a “conservation success story,” particularly because sharks around the world are on the decline.

“We have something special in New York,” Paparo said.

From the 1950s until the 1970s, sharks around the area were heavily fished to the point where the populations declined precipitously.

At the same time, cleaning up the waters around Long Island by reducing ocean dumping and enforcing regulations has made it possible for the sharks and the fish they hunt, such as bunker, to recover.

“The habitat has improved and it can house more sharks in the summertime” than earlier, said Dr. Robert Hueter, chief scientist at OCEARCH, a global nonprofit organization collecting unprecedented data on sharks to help return the oceans to balance and abundance.

“Finally, a good story in marine conservation and a return of our oceans to health and abundance,” Hueter added.

While shark attacks generate considerable headlines, the threat from these marine fish is considerably less than it is for other dangers, such as driving to the beach, which produces far more injuries due to car accidents.

Last year, Paparo said, fewer than 100 shark attacks occurred throughout the world.

“I understand the fear of sharks,” driven in part by movies about them, Paparo said. But “people aren’t afraid of their cars” and they aren’t as focused on drownings, even though about 4,000 people drown in a typical year in the United States.

Hueter said he typically cringes around the Fourth of July holiday because that week is often the height of the beach season, when the larger number of people in habitats where sharks live can lead to bites.

More often than not, the damage sharks around Long Island inflict on humans involves bites, rather than attacks.

“Long Island is becoming the new Florida,” Hueter said. In Florida, people are bitten on their ankles or hands, as small to mid-sized sharks are not interested in people, he added.

While sharks have increased in numbers around Long Island, so have marine mammals, such as whales. On a recent morning last week, Paparo saw three humpback whales before he came to work.

People hunted whales, just as they did sharks, through the 70s, causing their numbers to decline.

Shark expert Dr. Robert Hueter and his team were tagging and gathering data on great white sharks in 2021 in Nova Scotia. Photo fromOCEARCH/ Chris Ross.

Measures to lower risk

People concerned about sharks can take several steps to reduce the risk of coming into contact with them.

Residents and guests should try not to swim at dawn and dusk when sharks typically feed more often.

Additionally, swimmers who encounter a school of bunker, also known as Atlantic menhaden, should avoid the area, as sharks might mistake a person as a larger and slower swimming part of such a school.

Sea birds hovering over an area may be an indication of schooling bunker, a Hochul spokesman explained.

While it’s less likely here than in Cape Cod, seal colonies are a potential threat, as they can attract adult great white sharks. Long Island has become home to some juvenile great white sharks, which are about 4 feet in length.

The governor’s office also encouraged people to swim in lifeguarded areas and with a buddy.

If a shark bites, experts suggest getting out of the water. A swimmer can try to fend off a shark by hitting it in the nose. People should also avoid swimming near areas where others are fishing.

Shark bites, Hueter said, require medical attention because of the damaged skin and the bacteria from shark teeth.

“You want to get good medical help to clean the wound” if a shark bites, Hueter said.

Still rebuilding

Hueter and Paparo added that the number of sharks still hasn’t reached the same levels as they had been decades ago.

“We do have some healthy shark populations,” Hueter said. “Others are still rebuilding. We are not even close to what they used to be if you go back before the overfishing in the 1950s and 1960s.”

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File photo

Incidents of vandalism in Port Jefferson village targeting both public and private property have sparked debate among residents. 

During a public meeting held at Village Hall on Tuesday, July 5, Deputy Mayor Kathianne Snaden reported that newly renovated bathroom facilities at Rocketship Park were vandalized just four days after opening. During the incident, a toilet paper dispenser was kicked off the wall.

Fred Leute, chief of code enforcement, outlined the long history of vandalism at this site. He said the bathroom has been targeted several times in recent years. 

In the past, vandals tampered with the paper dispensers, tearing out towels and throwing them around. The renovations made to the bathroom were intended to limit such behavior. 

Leute attributes the vandalism of the bathrooms primarily to boredom. “They’re there and they’re very bored,” he said.

In an exclusive interview, Snaden detailed the precautions undertaken by the village to safeguard the facility from such vandalism. 

“The bathroom was built solid, using materials and concepts that are even done in prison bathrooms,” she said. “Even having done that, there was vandalism in the bathroom.”

This prompted the village board of trustees to institute a closing time of 7 p.m. for both bathrooms at Rocketship Park. The stated purpose of this measure, according to this month’s edition of The Port eReport, is “to protect our valuable asset and ensure that the families visiting Rocketship Park can use our village amenity worry-free.” 

Snaden added that the bathrooms are easy targets for vandalism given the conditions of privacy and seclusion that are inherent to any restroom facility.

“The bathrooms are out of sight,” she said. “As much as people say, ‘Code is out there. Why isn’t code preventing this?’ Well, code cannot follow people into bathrooms.”

Both Snaden and Leute said that efforts to monitor vandalism in the bathrooms and counteract this problem remain ongoing.

Vandalism downtown

Along with the vandalism of the bathrooms, several storefronts have been hit in recent weeks by vandals. Leute said that his department has received three reports of vandalism since June 24. 

Debbie Bowling, owner of Pasta Pasta, said that her restaurant was targeted by three individuals one night who pulled flowers from the flower boxes and tossed them in the street.

“It wasn’t a big financial cost, but it was very disheartening,” Bowling said. “It’s not the first time, unfortunately. We have had Christmas lights pulled off. We have had other plants pulled out and damaged.”

Christine Nyholm is the owner of the Port Bistro and Pub, a location that was also vandalized recently. She had to replace two of her outdoor tables after they were damaged overnight. Nyholm said these acts of vandalism interrupt her business operations. 

“It disrupts us the next day because we have less tables,” she said. “Because the tables are totally broken and we can’t use them anymore, we can’t put them out to feed people.”

Village response

Leute maintained that incidents of vandalism must be reported in a timely manner and to the proper authorities first.

“Call Suffolk [police department], make a report, write down the field report — the central complaint number — and then call us immediately after you have done that,” he said. “We have investigators here. We’ll immediately investigate it.”

These procedures were followed properly after the vandalism of Pasta Pasta, according to Leute. Because of this, two of the three vandals have already been identified by his department. He urged village residents to follow this example during future instances of vandalism.

By holding off on reporting these matters to police, Snaden said the village is limited in its ability to gather the necessary information to investigate the incident.

“We do have cameras throughout the village and that footage is only held onto for so long,” she said, adding, “If we find out about it within a day or two, that footage can be grabbed and we can then start to look to identify and hand that over to Suffolk police.”

On the whole, Leute does not view vandalism as a critical public safety concern, saying that this is not supported by the data provided by the Suffolk police department. The police department could not be reached for comment for this story.

To the business owners who may be at risk of future vandalism, Leute said they can protect their storefronts by moving equipment indoors before closing.

“They really should put away any movable objects, such as small tables or chairs or umbrellas,” the code chief said. “If you put it away and put it under lock and key, they can’t destroy it or turn it over or do any of those things.”

Despite these added precautions on the part of business owners, Snaden reiterated that vandalism is a disruptive behavior that will not be tolerated in the village.

“That being said, we don’t want to minimize this behavior … or any type of behavior that damages anybody’s property,” she said. “We all have to work together and I think step one is putting things away.”

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Photos by Raymond Janis

After a roadway closure spanning nine months, construction resumed last week at the intersection of Arlington Avenue and State Route 25A.

The construction project signals progress and a cooling of tensions between the Village of Port Jefferson and the New York State Department of Transportation. The initial roadway obstruction was created in September 2021 as part of the DOT’s sidewalk initiative along 25A. Under the original design, a sidewalk was added through the intersection along the pavement and changes were made to the grade, causing vehicles to get stuck at the bottom of the slope.

Seeing this as a public safety hazard, village officials closed down the intersection to traffic, igniting an intergovernmental dispute between the village and DOT.

Recently, travelers along the 25A corridor noticed significant digging, uprooting of pavement and movement of dirt. Stephen Canzoneri, public information officer for DOT Region 10, detailed the progress of the reconstruction efforts.

“The New York State Department of Transportation is working to address longstanding terrain issues at the intersection of Arlington Avenue and State Route 25A in the Village of Port Jefferson and expects work to be completed by the end of the summer,” he said in an emailed statement.

Responding to the ongoing construction, Joe Palumbo, the village administrator, offered thanks to DOT and to state Sen. Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk) for expediting the reconstruction efforts. The Palumbos are not related.

“The Village of Port Jefferson is delighted to see active construction taking place to redesign the intersection of Arlington and West Broadway,” Joe Palumbo said in an email. “The village would like to thank Senator Palumbo for his help in getting this project started and NYSDOT for seeing the need for the redesign and executing the new plan.”

To read more about the background to this dispute, see The Port Times Record’s March 24 story, “PJ Village clashes with DOT over Arlington Avenue obstruction,” available on the TBR News Media website.

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A team in a monster-themed boat races in the "Quick 'n' Dirty" boat build race in Port Jefferson in a previous year. Photo by Alex Petroski

The Long Island Seaport and Eco Center (LISEC) seeks boat building/race teams for its annual Sikaflex Quick & Dirty Boat Build Competition, sponsored by the Sika Corporation, to be held at Harborfront Park, 101 East Broadway, Port Jefferson on Aug. 13 and 14.

Now in its 11th year, the event provides would-be boat designers and builders to have a weekend of fun and  showcase their creative skills and talents. Using only a provided supply of plywood, plastic cable ties, and Sikaflex/sealant, two member teams must build, paint and then paddle their design around the village dock in Port Jefferson Harbor located just offshore of Harborfront Park.

Boats will be assembled on Aug. 13 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., painted on Aug. 14 from 9 a.m. to noon and then participants will take part in a race the same day at 3p.m. Trophies  will be awarded for first, second and third place and original design. Are you up for the challenge? Download an application at www.lisec.org. For more information, call Len at 631-689-8293 or email [email protected].

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The following incidents have been reported by Suffolk County Police:

Centereach

■ A resident on Debron Court in Centereach reported that an unknown man was captured on camera stealing his Ancheer 350W electric bike from his backyard on July 7. 

■ F.W. Webb Plumbing Supply on Middle Country Road in Centereach reported that two unknown men entered the property and stole a copper pipe worth $3,000 on July 8.

Commack

■ Guitar Center on Garet Place in Commack reported a grand larceny on July 7. A man allegedly stole a Gibson Les Paul custom guitar valued at $6,499.

■ A woman putting items in her car in the Walmart parking lot on Crooked Hill Road in Commack on July 6 forgot to take her pocketbook out of the shopping cart before driving away. When she returned, the pocketbook containing cash and credit cards was gone. Surveillance video captured a man walking up to the cart and taking it.

East Northport

■ A car was reported stolen from a resident’s driveway on Glenridge Lane on July 8. The keys had been left inside along with a wallet and cash. The vehicle, a 2017 Infiniti QX60, was valued at $40,000.

Huntington Station

■ A 2017 white Ford Escape was reported stolen from the driveway of a resident on Crombie Street in Huntington Station on July 4. The keys had been left inside the vehicle which was valued at $8,000.

■ Saks Fifth Avenue on Walt Whitman Road in Huntington Station reported a grand larceny on July 9. A man allegedly stole various designer belts valued at $1,500.

■ Best Buy on Walt Whitman Road in Huntington Station reported on July 7 that two men allegedly took a ATX Mid Tower computer case off the shelf and fled the store. The item was valued at $155.  

■ Saks Fifth Avenue on Walt Whitman Road in Huntington Station called the police to report at grand larceny on July 6. Three men allegedly entered a dressing room with eight men’s Versace clothing items, concealed them under their own clothing, and exited the store. The merchandise was valued at $2,675.

Kings Park

■ A shoplifter was reported at Key Food on Indian Head Road in Kings Park on July 6. A woman allegedly stole assorted food items worth $80.

Lake Grove

■ Bed Bath & Beyond on Nesconset Highway in Lake Grove reported a shoplifter on July 6. A man allegedly stole multiple knife sets valued at $650.

Melville

■ Conoco gas station on Walt Whitman Road in Melville called the police on July 7 to report that a man in a white BMW pumped $53 worth of gas and drove away without paying.

Mount Sinai

■ A resident on Ross Street in Mount Sinai reported that two men entered his unlocked vehicle on July 7 and stole cash.

■ A person who parked their car at Ralph’s Fishing Station on Harbor Beach Road in Mount Sinai on July 6 reported that someone entered their vehicle and stole a large amount of cash.

Port Jefferson

■ Fetch Doggy Boutique & Bakery on East Main Street in Port Jefferson reported on July 7 that two women allegedly stole miscellaneous dog toys and clothing valued at $930.

Port Jefferson Station

■ Kunz Greenhouses on Hallock Avenue in Port Jefferson Station reported that a man allegedly attempted to steal assorted flowers valued at $50. Most of the merchandise was recovered.

St. James

■ Expedition Imports on Middle Country Road in St. James called the police on July 4. Someone stole four rims valued at $6,000 and four tires valued at $1,000 from a custom 2014 Mercedes B.

Selden

■ A shoplifter was reported at Pets Warehouse on Middle Country Road in Selden on July 7. A woman allegedly stole cat food and cat toys valued at $70.

■ Target on Middle Country Road in Selden reported a petit larceny on July 2. A man and a woman allegedly stole a Dyson vacuum valued at $430 and one Ninja air fryer valued at $170.

■ Home Depot on Middle Country Road in Selden reported that three shoplifters allegedly stole 100 copper elbows and concealed them in a garbage can before fleeing. That same day two shoplifters allegedly filled two garbage cans with copper wire valued at $1263.

Shoreham

■ Long Island Sound Sharks Football & Cheerleading on Defense Hill Road in Shoreham reported that someone broke two padlocks and a steel mount to a storage container on July 8 and stole assorted football equipment valued at $900. The damaged material was valued at $200.

Sound Beach

■ A resident on Dering Road in Sound Beach reported that someone entered her unlocked vehicle on July 7 and assorted personal items.

— Compiled by Heidi Sutton

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS.

 

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Librarian. METRO photo

Most professionals have some formal education, specialized knowledge or years of training in their field. Librarians are no different.

So why are librarians across the nation being challenged on their collection choices in public libraries?

A recent article in The New York Times, “With Rising Book Bans, Librarians Have Come Under Attack,” delved into the issues these public servants have faced as more Americans look to ban books, especially those addressing LGBTQ+ rights and racial inequality.

It’s a librarian’s job to choose books and other items that cover a wide variety of topics so that all community members can find materials they can relate to or help them learn and expand their horizons. Librarians have devoted years of study, usually obtaining a master’s degree in library sciences, to properly choose the books on the shelves.

Libraries have written procedures for librarians to follow when choosing collections. They weigh the opinions of critics and reviewers, evaluate the community’s needs and consider age appropriateness, among other criteria.

The books they choose and place on the shelves are sacred. Not all may be award worthy or to everyone’s liking. Still, the authors have taken their time to share their experiences, knowledge, imagination or all of these to let readers know they are not alone. Books transport us, taking us on an adventure, educating us in the process.

It’s for this reason that books are not to be banned or burned. They are meant to be respected. One doesn’t have to like a topic or how it’s written to accept its right to exist and Americans’ rights to read and write about what they desire.

Recently, The Smithtown Library Board of Trustees instructed all of the library’s branches to take down the Pride Month displays, which included books, in the children’s sections. After criticism from residents, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) and the New York Library Association, the board reversed its decision two days later, and returned the displays to the sections.

After the reversal was voted on, board president Brianna Baker-Stines, who voted against removing the displays, said, “We need to trust the staff we hired.”

Some parents and guardians may be troubled by what they see in the young adult and children’s sections based on what they feel comfortable with, but they must remember that public libraries are not just for them — they are for everyone in their community and everyone has different needs and comfort levels.

Everyone must feel acknowledged.

Ultimately, it’s the job of a parent or guardian to monitor what their child or teenager is reading. When it comes to younger children roaming around the library, it’s up to those same adults to monitor them, and they have every right to steer their children away if they feel they may see or grab a book that the particular child may not be ready for. 

Yes, sometimes an image of seeing someone different from them may prompt a little one to ask questions. When an adult welcomes a child into their world, whether they like it or not, answering questions comes with the territory. It’s their job.

As adults, we have an obligation to assimilate our youth into our increasingly diverse, intricate adult world. We do children no favors by shielding them from the realities of 21st-century life. And our public librarians serve a vital function in bringing attention to those realities.

It’s not up to librarians to choose books for you or your child specifically. That happens when you check out a book. It is their job to provide a variety of material to educate and entertain the community as a whole. Let them do the job that they are trained to do.

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Monkeypox vaccines were made available at pop-up clinics on Fire Island. Stock photo

Amid an increase in cases of a virus caused primarily by close skin contact, Suffolk County started to provide vaccinations this week.

By appointment only, Suffolk County is administering 750 vaccinations to eligible people at pop-up clinics on Fire Island. Within under two hours, the county, with help from Northwell Health, had received requests for all of the available vaccines.

“It was heartwarming that so many people signed up for the vaccine right away in the at-risk community,” said Dr. David Galinkin, an infectious disease specialist at Port Jefferson-based St. Charles Hospital. People want to “stop this in its tracks.”

While monkeypox was discovered in 1958 and had its first reported cases in humans in 1970, the current limited outbreak is the first time health officials documented it spreading through person-to-person contact in the United States. Previous outbreaks involved a returning traveler from Africa or through contact with an infected animal.

As of the end of last week, Suffolk County had reported three cases of monkeypox.

About 98% of the cases in the country were reported among members of the gay and bisexual community of men who have sex with other men, Galinkin said.

A rare condition, monkeypox has symptoms including fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion, and a rash that looks like pimples or blisters on people’s faces, inside their mouths and on hands, feet, chest
and genitals.

People who contract monkeypox can have symptoms that last for two to four weeks.

“While the current global outbreak appears to have heavily impacted [men who have sex with men], it is important to understand that this is a disease that is transmitted by intimate prolonged contact with an infected individual,” Dr. Susan Donelan, medical director of Healthcare Epidemiology at Stony Brook Medicine, explained in an email. 

Medical officials pointed out that monkeypox doesn’t present the same threat to public health as COVID-19, which can be spread by breathing in air contaminated with viral particles.

Health officials, however, are urging people to take steps to protect themselves against a virus that can be uncomfortable and that can spread to others through various levels of contact.

“Most important to understand is that monkeypox is not a sexually transmitted disease,” Dr. Adrian Popp, chair of Infection Control at Huntington Hospital/Northwell Health. “It is sufficient to touch an active lesion to be exposed.”

Prevention

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has considerable information on a website dedicated to monkeypox, which people can access at the link: www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox

The CDC urges people to avoid close skin to skin contact with the rash. The center also recommends that people not kiss, hug, cuddle or have sex with someone who has the virus.

People should not handle or touch the bedding, towels or clothing of someone who is sick. To protect themselves, those who might have come in contact with a person who has monkeypox should wash their hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Adding to the list of concerns during pregnancy, women can spread the virus to their fetus through the placenta.

Unlike COVID, people who do not have monkeypox symptoms can’t spread the virus to others.

Vaccinations

The most commonly used vaccinations involve two shots that are 28 days apart. Like vaccines for COVID, the optimal protection is expected two weeks after the second dose, Donelan said.

The CDC recommends that people who are close personal contacts of those with the virus get the vaccine. The center also urges those who may have been at increased risk of exposure, through laboratory testing, to consider receiving shots as well.

The CDC suggested that people get the vaccines within four days from the date of exposure for the best chance to avoid developing the disease.

Vaccines given between four and 14 days after exposure may reduce symptoms but may not prevent the disease.

Combining the vaccination with self-isolation and other measures can control outbreaks and prevent further transmission of the virus, the CDC explained.

Monkeypox vaccines aren’t as readily available as those for COVID.

“As vaccine production ramps up, we will expand our operations to ensure that anyone who wants to get vaccinated is able to,” County Executive Steve Bellone (D) said in a statement.

Dr. Gregson Pigott, county health commissioner, also explained in a statement that he encourages “those who may be at risk to get the vaccine and, in the meantime, be cautious with your intimate relations.”

COVID-19 update

COVID, meanwhile, continues to spread through Suffolk County, despite the warmer weather and the greater opportunity for outdoor interactions.

As of July 10, the seven-day average for positive tests was 9.3%, according to the New York State Department of Health. That is up from 7.5% on a seven-day average in June.

“The incidence of COVID has increased in the last few weeks in Suffolk County,” wrote Popp, of Huntington Hospital, which, earlier this week, had 15 COVID patients at the hospital.

The high current positive rate is “likely due to the fact that most COVID-related prevention measures have been discontinued” including masks and social distancing and the current omicron subvariants are also more transmissible, Popp said.

As of July 11, Stony brook University Hospital had 52 positive COVID inpatients, compared with 39 on June 11, according to Stony Brook Medicine officials.

Over the past weekend, Galinkin admitted more patients with COVID at St. Charles Hospital than he had in months.

“It seems to be on the rebound,” he said, as the BA-5 strain is the “most contagious strain we’ve seen,” he said. He expects the numbers to continue to rise.

COVID symptoms from BA-4 and BA-5, which are the dominant variants in Suffolk County are milder than previous types. Dr. Sharon Nachman, chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Disease at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, wrote in an email. The hospital is also seeing much less frequent loss of smell or taste with the current variant.

Nachman is concerned about possible increased rates of infection in the fall and winter.

“Overlying that concern is the heightened risk of our routine, formerly seasonal viruses co-occurring with COVID leading to more illness visits and hospitalizations, especially among our most vulnerable populations,” Nachman said in an email.

Galinkin said the higher level of COVID infections underscores the importance of vaccinations.

“It’s our best defense against this,” he said. “There’s talk of a new and improved vaccine coming out in the fall” that will provide protection against omicron variants. “Hopefully, people will take advantage of that.”

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