There have been reports of deceased birds being found across the county. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) recommends the following guidance if you encounter this situation on your property.
In cases where DEC field staff cannot collect samples or carcasses from the landscape, please limit direct contact with dead wildlife and keep children and pets away. To dispose of a dead bird safely, DEC provides the following guide:
Wear disposable gloves, a mask, and eye protection, like safety glasses or goggles.
Avoid direct contact with the carcass or carcass fluids by using a shovel or a garbage bag to pick up the bird.
Carcasses should be triple bagged (garbage or contractor bags) and placed in an outdoor trash receptacle.
Remove and throw away your gloves. Wash your hands with soap and water immediately after removing gloves.
Change your clothes and wash them after disposing of the bird.
If you use a shovel, clean it with hot, soapy water and disinfect it with diluted bleach (1/3 cup bleach added to a gallon of water).
For additional information or to make a report, please call the DEC at 844-332-3267.
It could be a text from a co-worker, addressing you by name and asking for a favor: Could you please go pick up a gift card for them? They will pay you back. It is urgent, the unknown sender will tell you, using the name of a trusted friend, boss or co-worker.
Using information online, “smishing” scams, a play on the acronyn SMS and the word “phishing”, can exploit existing workplace relationships and take advantage of the anonymity afforded by technology to potentially scam you out of hundreds of dollars.
Scammers targeting workplace relationships attempt to take advantage of a person’s sense of occupational duty and responsibility to coerce them into making decisions they otherwise would have been skeptical of. For instance, an employee here at TBR News Media recently got a suspicious text, ostensibly from a coworker who works remotely. The text was urgent — the coworker was in a meeting and couldn’t talk on the phone, but needed, for some reason, a gift card.
This type of request is odd, but under the right circumstances, it is tempting to ignore the alarm bells ringing in our head and to simply comply. It is natural to want to be helpful, especially in work-matters and the texts, hectic, confusing and vague, puts pressure on the receiver to assent.
This type of smishing scam preys especially on new employees—they are unfamiliar with the customs of the company and more likely to excuse bizarre behavior, they may be hesitant to turn down their boss or coworker as they want to make a good impression, and they don’t yet have the contact information of their coworkers, so the impersonation may not be detected immediately.
The older generation, less versed in technology, may have a harder time discerning what is a “normal” text and what is abnormal. Younger generations that grew up with technology are more adjusted to its customs and still fall prey to scammers. Older generations are at a disadvantage, making them especially vulnerable.
Luckily, there are a series of measures we can take to safeguard both our personal information and our finances.
•Do not click on any unknown links you receive from an unknown sender. The link could be corrupt.
•Do not respond.
•Verify the identity of the sender by contacting them in an alternate way.
•Delete the texts.
•Trust our instincts. If something seems strange, we should hold off on responding.
Participants on a Holi cruise that sailed out of Pier 36 in New York City last year. Photo courtesy Indu Kaur
By Sabrina Artusa
As spring brings blue skies, blooming flowers of violets and yellows and flourishing green vegetation, Indian Americans look forward to Holi — the festival of colors — which falls on the first full moon in the Hindu month of Phalguna.
Indu Kaur on a Holi cruise that sailed out of Pier 36 in New York City last year. Photo courtesy Indu Kaur
The holiday celebrates the coming of spring and the overall triumph of good, love and light over darkness and evil. On the day of the full moon, March 14 of this year, people in India play in the street, coloring each other’s faces with powder and water; children throw water balloons, sometimes at strangers, all in the good fun and light-hearted troublemaking of the holiday.
“Holi Hai” is the predominant saying, meaning It’s Holi. In India, neighborhoods celebrate the holiday, drinking, eating fried pastries and throwing colored powder. Here, on Long Island, celebrations are more intimate.
“Over in India, everybody in every neighborhood is celebrating,“ said Arvind Vora, who moved to Long Island 55 years ago at the age of 24. “There was no need to travel or make all sorts of arrangements/planning.”
When he arrived, he wrote in an email, there were hardly 10 families that celebrated in the area. By the mid-1970s, he said, he started celebrating again to bring the cheer of the holiday to the children of the family.
Indu Kaur, owner of the Curry Club at SaGhar in Port Jefferson and the Meadow Club in Port Jefferson Station, has hosted these gatherings in the past, treating friends and family to “gujiya,” a deep-fried pastry and plenty of color.
“Holi in India is an all-encompassing celebration — it’s loud, vibrant and spills onto the streets with massive crowds throwing colors, dancing to dhol beats and sharing sweets with neighbors, friends, and even strangers,” Kaur said. “While the essence of joy and color remains the same [on Long Island], the scale is usually smaller, and people are mindful of space, weather and local regulations.”
Baldeep Singh, a friend of Kaur’s, was invited to one of Kaur’s “all-out” Holi celebrations. He also lived in India for 10 years. While whole neighborhoods get involved in the celebration like a “huge party,” Singh said that he enjoyed celebrating with friends and family.
“Everyone’s in a great mood, everyone’s happy,” he said. “It is a representation of spring when flowers are in bloom. Everything is starting afresh and everyone is together having a great time. It is a lot of people really just living it up and being grateful.”
Generally, people use organic, biodegradable materials for the colors, but some people use permanent colors that won’t come off easily. Singh remembers going to work after Holi, and some people showed up with purple faces and skin sore from scrubbing, although “no one really judges you.”
Indu Kaur on a Holi cruise that sailed out of Pier 36 in New York City last year. Photo courtesy Indu Kaur
“Holi reminds us to embrace playfulness, throw colors at each other, laugh out loud, indulge in sweets, dance freely and bond with family. It’s a time to heal our souls, connect with loved ones and share pure happiness,” Kaur said.
Holi has two different mythological origins. According to one legend that is central to the celebration of Holi in Barsana and Mathura, the mischievous Krishna fell in love with Radha, a fair-skinned milk maid. Self-conscious about his darker skin, he applied colors to Radha’s face. Today, their love story is re-created in some areas of India and honored through Holi.
For larger celebrations comparable to those in India, some people travel either to New York City or even down south to Georgia.
“It would be fun if the U.S. starts recognizing Holi,” Singh said. “I could really see a lot of people just having fun.”
Non-Hindus in India celebrate the holiday as well, including Vora, who said he celebrates in the same way non-Christians celebrate Christmas.
This Holi, Kaur will dress in a white Indian outfit with a colorful scarf, known as a dupatta, Punjabi jutti shoes and silver earrings. Together with her friends and family, she will usher in the new season “dancing freely, throwing colors and indulging in sweets, bringing a rare sense of carefree happiness.”
With the end of President Donald Trump’s (R) 30-day pause for tariffs on Canada and Mexico fast approaching, TBR News Media spoke with local business owners regarding their thoughts on the tariffs. Explained simply, the tariffs would increase the cost of goods imported from each country by 25% (with energy imported from Canada taxed at 10%), a concern relevant to local businesses that rely on such goods to operate. These come in addition to other recent tariffs placed by the newest presidential administration, such as 10% levy on Chinese goods. When asked for their thoughts, both interviewees spoke first on the impact of past tariffs.
Claudia Dowling, owner of Claudia Dowling Interiors in Huntington, describes how the 2019 tariffs cost her “well over 30%” of her profit for that year. “Having written an order for a client, I felt it necessary to keep to the original pricing we agreed on. However, after the product arrived and [was] delivered, my final invoice … had one to sometimes three tariffs added.”
She elaborated how in the years since COVID–19 hit, freight costs became especially high, making it hard to turn a profit, and how this could be further inflated by new tariffs. And while larger companies can reduce these costs by relying on Amazon, she said this was not an option for smaller businesses like hers.
“I have to eliminate many vendors making it impossible to fill my store. It goes on and on. The small business community is in more trouble than ever.” While she has been in her business for 50 years, she is now concerned about staying afloat.
Howard Stern, owner of East Bay Mechanical Corp. in Yaphank, has already seen his business impacted by the separate proposed 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum set to start on March 12. He described how even though he relies on domestic steel, he has seen those prices already go up in response, resulting in an approximate 20% increase in his metal costs.
“It affects washing machines, it affects AC units, it doesn’t just affect the sheet metal … but everything that goes along with it, because everything requires metal and, unfortunately, it goes up but it never comes back down … even when the tariffs are lifted,” he said.
Stern also describes how tariffs affect costs at each step of the way “so by the time the end consumer gets on it, that 20% in raw material has been stepped on three to four times by four different people, so the end consumer is paying that tariff four times.”
According to both the January Navigator Research Poll and the February Harvard Caps/Harris poll, approximately three in five Americans expect new tariffs will increase costs for consumers. The Navigator polls indicate a slim majority believes tariffs will be worthwhile if they can protect American manufacturing and jobs, but also that a majority believes the tariffs will hurt American consumers more than foreign countries. Further costs to Americans could come from retaliatory tariffs too, as Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau previously promised to implement.
From left to right: Jerry Maxim, corresponding secretary; Ira Costell, president; Lee Brett, vice president; Sheila Granito, acting recording secretary; and, standing, Kevin LaValle, Brookhaven town clerk. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
By Sabrina Artusa
At the Feb. 25 Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Civic Association meeting, the many services of the Town of Brookhaven Clerk’s Office were reviewed and various developments were discussed, including the Baylis Avenue site proposal and Jefferson Plaza.
The association established their position on the proposed annexation of the 5.6-acre site on Baylis Avenue by the Village of Port Jefferson. Northwind Group, after their rezoning proposal was shot down by Brookhaven, preventing their plans for an apartment complex on the parcel, moved to transfer ownership of the land to the Village of Port Jefferson.
“I would really like to reiterate that it is my objection…this is a thinly veiled backdoor move to get approval he otherwise wouldn’t have gotten,” Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Civic President Ira Costell said. The rest of the board, as well as civic members, seemed in agreement.
March 6, Northwind Group will appeal the ruling to the Town of Brookhaven council and a public hearing will be held. The annexation would set a “bad precedent,” said civic member Charlie McAteer.
Newly elected Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Civic Vice President Lee Brett lamented how the annexation would complicate the execution of services by putting a burden on the Terryville Fire Department and the Comsewogue School District. “Just because it says Port Jefferson Village and they get to go to the beach for free, I can care less, I want my town safe,” he said.
Brookhaven Town Clerk Kevin LaValle reviewed his department’s services and processes, including administering marriage licenses, disability parking passes, death certificates and record digitalization.
He has also worked to use technology to his advantage, now sending people notices of renewals and allowing them to complete the form from home.
“The most valuable thing in business is time, from the minute your client asks you for a service from the minute you get it done…we want to be a township that makes it easier for people to come in and do business with our township,” he said, adding that developers can now submit land-use applications online. Further, project information is now advertised through signs that have QR codes leading to the town website.
“It makes it a lot easier to get information on a project out there,” LaValle said.
LaValle also discussed the prevalence of text message and phone call scams, sometimes under the guise of a bank or a police department saying a loved one is in jail.
LaValle got a scam himself in the form of a text. Presumably, it was his bank informing him of fraud. “I didn’t click the link they had there, I didn’t use the phone number they had on it. I went online…I called the number online that I know is the actual credit card company…they said absolutely that is not [us], can you send us the information,” LaValle said.
“Don’t rush making decisions,” said LaValle, who attended a presentation on the subject by the Suffolk County district attorney.
Next month, Staller Associates will meet with the civic to discuss architectural design for their development of Jefferson Plaza.
For more information on the services provided by the town clerk visit www.brookhavenny.gov.
As we become more dependent on home screening services, the social element of going out and experiencing a film together becomes a special occasion. The award-winning Port Jefferson Documentary Series (PJDS) returns for the Spring 2025 season with accounts of individual feats and community achievements that are worth leaving home to see.
Presented by the Greater Port Jefferson Arts Council (GPJAC), all screenings will be held at The First United Methodist Church, 603 Main Street in Port Jefferson, on select Thursdays between March 6 and April 24 with a start time of 7 p.m.
‘Dust to Dust,’ below, will be shown on April 10.
Stories traverse topics featuring the historical accomplishments of women in politics; environmental integrity and enterprise; socio-economic factors of fashion; celebration of self-expression; friendships forged from shared struggles; and moments of triumph amid tribulations. This season’s documentaries investigate the impact of individual acts of courage and compassion.
They acquaint audiences with persons and perspectives, situations and sensibilities that they may otherwise not encounter.
“PJDS looks for a high-level of craft as well as a depth of emotional connection. We are also attuned to the opportunities provided by a film to spark local collaborations or to showcase local voices as part of the overall screening experience,” said Kelly DeVine, Board Member and Chair of film programming at GPJAC.
After many of the screenings there will Q&As between the audience and guest speakers associated with the documentaries’ productions or subject matter, or an event with a local community outreach partner. Tom Needham, executive producer and host of “Sounds of Film” on WUSB, will moderate discussions for three of the films.
‘Man from Pretentia’ will be screened on April 3.
And there will be other interactive elements, such as an upcycled fashion show. Arranged and emceed by Marcela Pinzon, owner of The Fashionable Stylista, a fashion design school in Syosset, the show will model her students’ upcycled designs: clothing deconstructed and re-sewn into new articles; repairs incorporated into new patterns, etc.
“We have been trying to bring more community groups into the post-screening planning to increase our collaborations, reach new audiences and craft post screening activities that reflect the spirit or the topic of the film. PJDS is more than a movie night, it’s a community event,” DeVine explained.
Sponsored by Maggio Environmental Waste Collection, Dumpster Rentals & Recyclin, Metal Masters, Paumanok Veterinary Hospital, Covati & Janhsen CPAs PC, and Port Jeff Storage Inc. with a Suffolk County grant from the Suffolk County Office of Cultural Affairs & the Suffolk County Film Commission, the series is a symbiotic exercise in communal conversation.
“We strive to get people off their tiny smart phone screens and enjoy a much larger screen as a community gathering,” GPJAC chairman Allan Varela said in an email.
PJDS aims to foster interest not only in the arts, but in each other.
“Part of the benefit is that the PJDS has won Best Film Festival award in the Best of Long Island contest nine years in a row,” Varela continued. “We compete against Gold Coast, Huntington, Stony Brook and the Hamptons [film festivals], among others…Our stature brings in audience from all over the Island and therefore into the Village of Port Jefferson.”
Art in general, and PJDS specifically, is an avenue through which individuals may find common ground.
This season begins with Shaking It Up: The Life and Times of Liz Carpenter on March 6.
The film explores the story of the eponymous woman who was witness to and involved in some of the most historically significant moments of the 20th century, as among her many roles, she was the first female executive assistant to a vice president for Lyndon B. Johnson and then press secretary for Lady Bird Johnson. A conversation with director Abby Ginzberg will follow.
In Every Little Thing on March 13 filmmaker Sally Aiken profiles bird rehabilitator Terry Masear, who has devoted her life to saving and protecting hummingbirds in the Los Angeles area. The screening will be followed by a conversation with Terry Masear, Dr. Carl Safina, Patricia Paladines of the Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Environments, and Dr. Maria Bowling.
A Man with Sole: The Impact of Kenneth Cole on March 20 follows the career of fashion designer Kenneth Cole and how his professional success supports his philanthropy. Director Dori Berinstein will join a Q&A via Zoom.
Facing the Wind on March 27 examines the connection forged between two women as they care for their spouses stricken with Lewy Body dementia. Director Deirdre Fishel will join the post-film discussion in person with Cindy Morris of the Benson Agency.
Man from Pretentiaon April 3 is tender portrait of “quirky” art dealer, Paul Bridgewater, who became a fixture of the Downtown NYC art scene. The screening will be followed by a conversation with Director Chih Hsuan Liang and producer Steve Zehentner.
Dust to Dust on April 10 chronicles haute couture designer Yuima Nakazato’s realizations about the detrimental effect of “fast fashion” on the world and how he shifts his attentions to sustainable fashion. Resources on recycling and a upcycled fashion show led by the head of The Fashionable Stylista academy of Syosset, Marcela Pinzon will follow the screening.
The season closes withFront Row on April 24 which showcases the Ukrainian National Ballet’s poignant company tour as it performs far from the frontlines and invites a soldier who lost his legs to partake in a singular performance. The screening is followed by a discussion about the film and Ukraine with Professor Juliette Passer of Stony Brook University.
Selected by PJDS co-chairs DeVine and Wendy Feinberg, the films are sourced from number of different festivals: DocNYC, Tribeca, Sundance, etc. Personal industry connections, honed from years of working on this and other series, also helped shape the lineup.
Contenders were then voted on by a team of long-term PJDS board members and volunteers, including DeVine and Feinberg; community outreach coordinator Barbara Sverd; co-chair emeritus Lyn Boland; Denies Livieri; Yvonne Lieffrig; Ronnie Levy; and, Lise Poulos.
The group shares a commitment to seeking and sharing documentaries that enhance human understanding as they invoke personal insights.
“PJDS is always looking for films that offer distinct points of view, that open up new ways of looking at the world and that provide opportunities to reflect on the connections we may share however far-flung or different the story may appear initially,” DeVine said. “All of our films will offer great experiences and each brings its own emotional tone and opportunity for connection.”
Individual film tickets are $10 each while a season pass is $58. For more information about the PJDS or to reserve your seat, visit www.portjeffdocumentaryseries.com.
New Leaf Energy presents a plan for a 8.75-megawatt project on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
New Leaf Energy presents a plan for a 8.75-megawatt project on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
New Leaf Energy presents a plan for a 8.75-megawatt project on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
By Sabrina Artusa
At the Sterling Woods Condominium annual meeting on Feb. 20, New Leaf Energy Senior Director of Business Development Michael Conway spoke to the residents, whose condominiums neighbor the proposed site at 1575 Route 25A in Port Jefferson Station.
This proposal comes after the Town of Brookhaven rejected a rezoning application by New Leaf Energy in June 2024.
Now, New Leaf Energy, a renewable energy developer, is planning an 8.75-megawatt battery energy storage system in an area with the appropriate light industrial zoning. The system would occupy 22,142 square feet and can power 8,500 single-family homes for 4 hours.
Conway, joined by Energy Safety Response Group co-founder Paul Rogers, reviewed the site plan, which neighbors a gas station. The property will be encompassed by a 10-foot-tall fence and vegetative screening and will include a 50-ft setback.
“Dense places are the most difficult places to get electricity to,” Conway said, addressing the location. “We need to have electricity whether it comes through a fossil plant, or it comes in through a solar plant, or it comes in through transmission lines. Energy storage systems are an efficient way to deliver more electricity to an area without building more poles and wires all over the place and more power plants.”
One resident said, “I don’t think we disagree with technology. I don’t think anyone does. We have to look forward. But where are you putting it? There is no benefit to be putting this here, absolutely none. Basically, you want us to be a test case for your business.”
New Leaf Energy will be working with manufacturers to develop the system and will then sell the BESS. Defined as a business that “establishes important partnerships with landowners, utilities and local communities to brainstorm, secure, design and permit community and utility-scale renewable energy,” New Leaf Energy essentially works to give the project momentum and get it approved before then selling to another company for around $3 million to $4 million.
“Our business model is to transfer ownership to a long-term asset owner just prior to construction,” Conway said. It usually takes 6-8 months to find a buyer. The buyer will then be responsible for the safety and operation of the system, including the battery monitoring system.
The oldest BESS New Leaf Energy has created was built in 2018. The largest is 200 megawatts.
This system will help manage the grid during peak hours and potentially save PSEG from having to purchase additional equipment. The BESS will be privately owned so will not, in theory, be the direct cause of rate increases from PSEG. Instead, the system will store energy in times of low demand and sell it back during high-demand times.
Rogers, who has been a prominent figure in the battery energy storage conversation throughout Brookhaven, says that manufacturers are required to permit large-scale controlled failures on their equipment. This could mean burning cells or, in some cases, modules.
Rogers said that thermal runaway is caused when the cells are interfered with or abused and are unable to regulate normally, thus causing the liquid within the cells to turn to gas. For instance, if a container is not sealed properly when it is raining, the water could cause electrical problems.
Rogers, who has helped implement and navigate the various safety codes, said that the BESS has to be listed under Underwriters Laboratories UL9540, which authorizes that the equipment is up to standard, and must adhere to precautions listed in the National Fire Protection Association codebook as well as New York State codes.
The Moss Landing fire, which burned for days and led to the evacuation of residents, was described by Brookhaven Councilman Jonathan Kornreich (D, Stony Brook) as “sobering.” The old and outdated system consisted of nickel manganese cobalt batteries as opposed to lithium iron phosphate, which is less energy dense, and was situated in a designated-use building.
Rogers said of the 750-megawatt system, “we would never use that technology today.”
“This is fairly new technology,” said Kornreich. “It is almost as if the car had been invented and they said oh this is a great way to make deliveries and drive around town but they haven’t invented the brake pedal yet…we don’t know yet and that is why we have to go slow with these things.”
If we are to transition from our conventional fossil-fuel electrical power plants to units based on solar power, we must have at least a reasonable forecast of the number of solar panels that will be required, along with the land area that will be needed to locate them. At the present time, Suffolk County uses an average continuous power of approximately 1,233 MW. If we are to produce this power using solar panels, let us assume that each panel can provide 400 W of power, when bright sunshine is available.
If this sunshine were available continuously, the number of panels required would be approximately 3.1 million. However, at our best, this sunlight is available for only 8 hours of each 24-hour period, or 1/3 of the time. For this reason, we will require 3 times the number of panels, or 9.3 million, to provide the average power necessary. During each 8-hour active period, these panels will generate 3,720 MW, of which 1,240 MW will be used to power the grid, and the remaining 2,480 MW will be charging the battery energy storage system (BESS) facilities, which will power the grid during the next 16 hours, when sunlight is not present, and the solar panels are not active.
To estimate the area required for the installation of these panels, let us assume that the area of each panel is 10 square feet. Therefore, the required land area to support the 9.3 million panels will be 93 million square feet, or 3.3 square miles, which is slightly more than twice the area of the SUNY Stony Brook college campus.
On those occasions when we have one or more consecutive days with cloudy or overcast skies, an additional 9.3 million solar panels will be required for each day without sunlight, if we are to prevent power blackouts. Thus, for one day without sunlight, 18.5 million panels will be needed, on land space of 6.6 square miles. For two consecutive days, 27.7 million panels will require 9.9 square miles. And for three overcast days, 36.7 million panels will need 13.3 square miles. It should be noted that these are “ballpark estimates,” and a number of factors may serve to increase, or decrease, the number of panels required to avoid power blackouts.
To reduce this number, power may be contributed from other sources, possibly windmills or other venues, such as Nassau County or Connecticut. However, we will also need to consider likely significant increases in projected power requirements, including power for memory banks for artificial intelligence, increased use of EVs, expanded electrification of the Long Island Rail Road and numerous other applications, which will lead to a need for greater numbers of solar panels, and more land space on which to mount them.
George Altemose
Setauket
Congressman LaLota’s vote to cut Medicaid
Despite repeated reassurances on social media that he would “protect” Medicaid, Congressman Nick LaLota (R-NY1) joined his Republican colleagues in voting to advance the House Budget Resolution, which calls for $880 billion in Medicaid cuts over the next 10 years. Mr. LaLota claims that he does not support deep cuts to Medicaid, however, his support for this bill says otherwise. He has made multiple references to disenrolling undocumented immigrants from Medicaid despite undocumented immigrants already being ineligible for federal Medicaid funding with the exception of emergency care. Under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act of 1986 all hospitals with an Emergency Room must provide emergency evaluation and care to anyone presenting to the ER, regardless of their immigration status or ability to pay. Emergency Medicaid is a lifeline for hospitals and allows them to defray the cost of providing necessary care.
LaLota’s support for work requirements likewise is projected to save approximately $110 billion over the next 10 years, while simultaneously cutting health care for thousands of CD 1 residents. Additionally LaLota levies accusations of waste, fraud and abuse in Medicaid, but fails to support this claim with any data. Medicaid fraud by recipients is rare. Most fraud is perpetuated by unethical providers; however, there is no evidence to suggest that there is $770 billion worth of fraud. It is also worth noting that many times the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services deems payment to providers as inappropriate; however, upon receiving further clinical documentation the decision is reversed. As a Medicaid provider I am subject to routine audits of my work at the county, state and federal levels. Medicaid reimbursement rates are so poor that many providers do not participate. Medicaid recipients already face a limited network of providers.
Elderly and disabled Medicaid recipients disproportionately account for program expenditures. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation individuals with disabilities account for 21% of Medicaid enrollment but 52% of Medicaid expenditures. The only way for House Republicans to reach their stated goal of $880 billion dollars in cuts over the next decade is to target these expenditures, which include medications, rehabilitation, congregate care and medical devices.
Everyone deserves access to high-quality, affordable health care. LaLota just made it more difficult for his constituents to do so. Furthermore, he helped lay the groundwork for the most vulnerable among us to lose access to lifesaving care.
Kathryn Twomey
Port Jefferson Station
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Email letters to: [email protected] or mail them to TBR News Media, P.O. Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733
Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson continues its Mainstage season with Ring of Fire: The Johnny Cash Musical Show from March 1 to March 30.
From the heart of the songs of singer-songwriter Johnny Cash comes a unique musical show about love and faith, struggle and success, rowdiness and redemption, home and family. RING OF FIRE captures America’s legendary Man in Black in an exhilarating, tuneful, foot-stomping celebration. His life story is told through the songs he composed, recorded, and shared with the world, including “Country Boy,” “A Thing Called Love,” “Daddy Sang Bass,” “Ring of Fire,” “I Walk the Line,” “I’ve Been Everywhere,” “The Man in Black,” and his final hit, “Hurt.
Come early and enjoy a cocktail or snack, downstairs at Griswold’s Cafe. Opening night, Saturday, March 1, will feature Me, Like Many performing your favorite country hits on the second stage from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The MainStage season continues with Wait Until Dark from April 18 to May 11 and Half Time from May 24 to June 22.
Tickets are $40 adults, $32 seniors and students, $25 children ages 5 to 12. To order, call 631-928-9100, visit www.theatrethree.com or click here.
Iwent to the bank to deposit a check recently. My daughter, of course, doesn’t do any such foolish activities. She knows how to deposit her checks without leaving her apartment.
Yes, technology is wonderful, but I still like to go to the bank and get a receipt that I promptly add to the pile of random papers that is almost as tall as I am.
Several hours before the bank closed on a Friday, the stories and queries about weekend plans were all the rage.
“What are you doing this weekend?” one teller asked excitedly. She smiled so broadly that she could easily be in the finals for a game show hosting competition or, at the very least, win extra points for customer friendliness.
“I’m having such a great day,” the teller offered before I could muster a noncommittal reply.
“Why?” I asked, as I glared at the machine that seemed to be refusing to take my check. A hint here: machines don’t care if you glare.
“Well, my manager made nachos today and she brought in home baked cookies,” she said. “They were amazing. I was planning to get a salad but this is so much better.”
“Sounds great,” I said, as I willed the machine to take the check. “I’m not sure how many of those I could eat in a day and get away with it.”
She looked me up and down and laughed.
“Yeah, well, I’m young and I still can’t get away with it,” she suggested.
Yup, I’m older. What gave it away? My gray hair? The fact that I’m depositing a check at the counter? The wrinkles? The indulgent impatience blended with a need to check off the next errand box?
“My daughter is having a sleepover,” one man sighed. “I’m going to grill for them. My wife is going to handle the rest, but…”
Yes, but you might need to take on some responsibility. And who knows how late they’ll stay up. And, of course, who knows if they’ll break any of the rules they promised to uphold before your and your wife agreed to allow this party.
Like my parents, I was never a huge fan of sleepovers. The sleep part often didn’t materialize, making the kids grumpy and surly the next day, sabotaging any quality, hah!, family time or even household peace.
Another person at the bank planned to travel with her daughter for a cheer competition.
“If I knew then what I knew now, I’m not sure I would have encouraged that,” she grinned.
I couldn’t help smiling at that.
“You know,” I said looking away from the machine that still refused to take my check the way a young child refuses to open his mouth when you’re giving him medicine, “It kind of doesn’t matter what activities your children choose. Once they’re in, you’re along for the ride.”
I ticked off all the sports our children did.
“So, which was your favorite?” she asked.
“Volleyball and soccer,” I said, picking one from each child.
“Why?” she grinned. The machine had started to make some promising coming-to-life noises that were the electronic equivalent of the groans my dog makes when I get him up too early.
“Volleyball is amazing because a player can mishit the ball twice in a rally and the team can still win the point. It’s a forgiving sport, unlike baseball or softball where one ball might come to a player per hour.”
“And soccer?” she asked.
“Oh, that’s easy,” I shrugged. “I knew nothing about the sport, so I wasn’t tempted to be an annoying judgmental over the top father who needs my children to be the absolute best player on the field. Not that he wasn’t, of course, but I could honestly offer him encouragement without being even mildly tempted to provide advice.”
At that moment, the check finally went through.
With that, the cookie-making banker handed me my receipt, I waved to everyone and wished them well with their weekends.
From the heart of the songs of singer-songwriter Johnny Cash comes a unique musical show about love and faith, struggle and success, rowdiness and redemption, home and family. RING OF FIRE captures America’s legendary Man in Black in an exhilarating, tuneful, foot-stomping celebration. His life story is told through the songs he composed, recorded, and shared with the world, including “Country Boy,” “A Thing Called Love,” “Daddy Sang Bass,” “Ring of Fire,” “I Walk the Line,” “I’ve Been Everywhere,” “The Man in Black,” and his final hit, “Hurt.
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