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Port Jeff Royals fight to the end, defeat top-seeded Tuckers

by Bill Landon - November 10, 2022

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The Mattituck Tuckers hoped to avenge their first loss of the season in the Class C Suffolk County Championship at Hauppauge High School on Monday, Nov. 7.

Mattituck won the first two sets, 25-19 and 25-21. On track for a shutout win, the Lady Royals rallied and won the following two sets 25-17, forcing a final and decisive game five.

Port Jeff broke out to an 11-7 lead in a game where 15 points would win. But Mattituck, the no. 1 seed, wouldn’t go quietly, fighting back with ferocity.

Yet Port Jeff would go on to put the game away, 15-12, ending Mattituck’s season and advancing to the Long Island Championship round.

Junior Olivia Sherman had 18 kills, a service ace, and 10 digs. Teammate Erin Henry killed 15, and dug out 24, along with three aces.

The Lady Royals retake the court Thursday, Nov. 10, when they face Oyster Bay at Hauppauge High School. Game time is slated for 7:30 p.m.

— Photos by Bill Landon

BNL gets $224M infusion as part of Inflation Reduction Act

by Daniel Dunaief - November 10, 2022

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51980030534_f985f6867b_k — Electrons, shown as red dots above, collide with an ion. Such a collision will reveal the internal structure of the quarks and gluons that are the building blocks of the proton and neutron. Image from BNL

National labs, including Brookhaven National Laboratory, received considerable additional funds as a part of the federal Inflation Reduction Act.

BNL, which will get an additional $224 million over a five-year period, will collect the additional funding from the Department of Energy’s Office of Science to support several projects designed

In a statement, Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm called the additional funds for energy-related research and support, which total $1.5 billion, “one of the largest ever investments in national laboratory infrastructure” and suggested that the effort would “develop advanced energy and manufacturing technologies we need to advance the frontiers of science and tackle tomorrow’s challenges.”

At BNL, the Electron-Ion Collider, an enormous project that will start construction in 2024 and should start running experiments in the early part of the next decade, will receive $105 million.

BNL is building the EIC in partnership with the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility in Virginia, which will also receive $33 million for work towards the new facility.

As its name suggests, the EIC will collide electrons and protons or heavier atomic nuclei and hopes to make numerous discoveries, including providing an understanding of how the energy from quarks and gluons provides the mass of a proton.

Additionally, the EIC will provide advances in health and medicine, national security, nuclear energy, radioisotope production and industrial uses in particle beams. Research on the technologies that will become a part of the EIC will advance the development of magnets and other particle accelerator parts. These advances could lead to energy efficient accelerators, shrinking the size and costs of future accelerators, which could attack cancer cells, design solar cells and batteries and develop drugs and medical treatments.

While the additional funds will help advance the development of the EIC, the total cost is considerably higher, at an estimated $1.7 billion to $2.8 billion.

Beamlines

Additionally, the Office of Science will provide $18.5 million to speed the creation of three new beamlines at the National Synchrotron Light Source II.

The NSLS II already has a host of beamlines that enable researchers from around the world to study the structure of batteries as they are operating, catalysts that help tap into energy sources, and biologically active molecules that could play a role in understanding basic biochemistry or that could lead to the development of drugs.

The new beamlines, which, like others at the NSLS II, have three-letter abbreviations. The ARI will provide a complete picture of the electronic structure of a sample, particularly in connection with temperature, chemical, structural and atomic variation.

ARI will help understand and control the electronic structure of next generation quantum materials.

CDI, meanwhile, will explore the condensed matter macroscopic and microscopic physical properties of matter, including the solid and liquid phases that arise from electromagnetic forces between atoms. CDI is in its final stages of its design.

The SXN will provide element access from carbon to sulfur. The beamline will offer measurements of different signals, such as X-ray fluorescence and total electron yield absorption, which is important in catalysis, condensed matter physics and environmental science.

The DOE is also providing $20 million for five Nanoscale Science Research Centers. The Center for Functional Nanomaterials is leading the effort to revitalize the nanoscience infrastructure.

The funds will accelerate the acquisition, development and installation of five instruments, which will advance research in fuel cells, solar cells and other materials that are part of the country’s efforts to develop cleaner forms of energy.

A/C and Heating

BNL will receive $33 million to support an upgrade to the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider in Europe’s CERN laboratory. The upgrades will enable a high-energy particle detector to make use of increased particle collision rates.

The lab, which focuses on energy research, will also receive $14.5 million towards infrastructure improvements that will increase the efficiency in distributing electricity and heating and air conditioning in labs throughout the facility.

Finally, the lab will receive $1 million to develop instrumentation for a nuclear physics experiment that seeks to find neutrinoless double beta decay, which is led by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

BNL Lab Director Doon Gibbs described the funding as an investment in the nation’s innovation-based economy.

The funding will support “research with direct impact on the development of clean energy technologies as well as ground-breaking basic research in nuclear and high-energy physics — fields that could lay the foundation for future advances,” Gibbs said in a statement.

Editorial: Wake up, Long Island: the perils of drowsy driving

by TBR Staff - November 9, 2022

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N1002P69004C — Deer in headlights. Metro photo

As it gets darker earlier, now is the right time to take extra precautions on roadways.

Residents in our coverage areas know the dangers that deer present at this time of year. In the frenzy of mating season, these animals can dart out into the road at any time. These are erratic, unpredictable maneuvers that can bring serious bodily harm to drivers — and deer.

Nowadays, drivers encounter several hazards at night. Heedless pedestrians are often found walking in the evening hours, sometimes wearing dark colors and without flashlights or reflective gear which would make them easier to spot. Drivers should be on close guard for these nightwalkers.

To help alleviate this hazard, it’s wise for people walking along our roadways to wear brighter colors, take a flashlight, or put on some form of reflective material over jackets or shirts.

Unfortunately, pedestrians don’t always keep these tips in mind, so drivers must be vigilant about what’s happening on the road ahead. Extra attention should be paid as it gets darker, especially on streets that are lit dimly or not at all.

While driving through residential areas, slow down. Students may be coming home on the late buses, and people can be standing on the street putting garbage out or collecting mail.

Second, Mother Nature can be tricky during autumn. Fallen leaves, especially when wet, can cause dangerous roadway conditions, impeding one’s ability to brake safely. If a driver finds the tires are slipping on leaves, the best thing to do is refrain from swerving suddenly and to brake slowly. The same advice applies when finding a deer or pedestrian near the road.

Last but not least, keep in mind, even though we all gain an extra hour of sleep, when we change the clocks back, some people have difficulty adapting and can feel drowsy. And with the holidays around the corner, some people will be busier and less rested than usual. Experts advise that when a person is feeling sleepy behind the wheel — yawning, having trouble keeping their eyes open, missing traffic signals — the best practice is pulling over and resting before resuming driving.

Resting is always better than drinking coffee, opening a window, turning on air conditioning or playing loud music to stay wide eyed as these measures only add a short burst of alertness.

If a driver sees a swerving vehicle, the best thing to do is to keep as far away from the other car as possible.

Preliminary statistics from the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research at the University at Albany’s Rockefeller College show just how dangerous driving while drowsy can be. According to its research, in New York state, “fatigue/drowsy driving” and/or “driver fell asleep” appeared “4,865 times as contributing factors on police crash reports.”

The roads can be tricky this time of year, but common sense can go a long way in keeping ourselves and our fellow residents safe.

D. None of the Above: Considering the ways we choose to define ourselves

by Daniel Dunaief - November 9, 2022

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By Daniel Dunaief

Have you ever sat in the eye doctor’s chair and had them shift from one lens to another, asking you if A or B is better or if 1 or 2 is clearer?

I did that many times growing up, particularly because my father was an ophthalmologist.

Oftentimes, even now, I’m not exactly sure whether the first image or second is better. In fact, I asked my father to let me see them again. I could hear him groan as I said, “One, no, no, two, no, wait, one.”

The same subtle differences sometimes define who we are and how we see ourselves.

Sometimes, the question of our identity is simple, at least to us. Are we American and do we live in the Middle Atlantic States?

Other questions also might elicit reflective responses. Are we religious and, if so, do we celebrate Christmas, Hannukah, or Kwanza? Or, maybe we’re not religious at all, and we think of life and ourselves outside the structure of an organized religion.

We also might define ourselves by our race or our combination of races. I had a close friend in college who was so many races that she said she could check off every box on each survey to reflect her mixed heritage.

But, then, when we define ourselves as part of a group, whether it’s a race, religion, political affiliation or other, what does it mean to meet someone or interact with someone from a different group? If we’re a Republican and someone else is a Democrat, should we behave as if we are the Montagues and the Capulets?

Does the fact that they are different mean we don’t have to be respectful of them or that we need to protect our own first before considering their needs?

Surely, such insular, tribal and protective thinking should violate our sense of right and wrong. Can we prejudge people or suggest that we care less about them because they weren’t born with some of the same elements that define us?

Several of the ways we identify ourselves don’t typically involve choices. I can’t choose to be much taller, even if I might want to be, and I can’t choose to be Taiwanese, even if I have many close friends who trace their roots to Taiwan.

We have choices in our identity that affect our behavior and define us.

We might, for example, choose not to be a bystander, but, rather a defender. People don’t, or shouldn’t, wake up in the morning and hope to witness someone bully someone else and feel gratified that they observed cruelty.

Perhaps, we might consider ourselves protectors or active community members. Remembering this part of our identity, we might be more inclined to help.

We might also choose to identify ourselves as grateful. We might choose a host of adjectives to describe ourselves — smart, flexible, sympathetic, understanding. Ultimately, through our thoughts, words and actions, we can demonstrate whether those descriptions apply or whether our self-identification is a mismatch with our behaviors.

Conflicts arise in us when one part of our identity is at odds with another. We might, for example, want to help others, even though we might realize doing so comes with risk to ourselves.

Standing up for someone at the lower end of the social pecking order might cause a bully to turn his attention to us. We might run the risk of injury or worse by trying to help others in dangerous situations.

At those moments, we can be grateful to those among us who protect us against all kinds of threats, who join the armed forces, or the police or firefighters.

On this, the day before Veterans Day and two weeks before Thanksgiving, we can be thankful for all those people who contribute to our lives and to our country.

Between You and Me: Confessions of a hopeless procrastinator

by Leah Dunaief - November 9, 2022

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AlarmClocksHC1303_source — Alarm clock concept

By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief

You wouldn’t know, of course, dear reader, but I almost always write this column each week at the last minute. Why? I could say it is to get in the latest news, or that I am so busy I can’t write it sooner, but that’s not the truth. The reason is that I am an incorrigible procrastinator. And even when I do write ahead of time and submit the column early, I feel so virtuous, and I want to extend that good feeling as long as I can, which causes me to procrastinate writing the next column until the last minute.

What’s more, I believe most people, and especially most journalists, are closet procrastinators, and that part of the appeal of journalism is the ever-present deadlines, without which we would do nothing but be sloths.

It’s much easier to be lazy. I like to sit on the back deck and just stare out at the trees and think. Perhaps that’s meditating, which would put a respectable spin on it, but it’s more just peacefully enjoying my thoughts and my ease. A deadline, however, does move me.

A recent TED talk, that my oldest son emailed me, confirmed my belief about the existence of multitudes of procrastinators. Tim Urban, a writer and blogger, is also a funny man when he offers a look “Inside the mind of a master procrastinator,” as the subject of his talk. He maintains that we have a rational decision-maker in our brains, who knows when we should get started on a project or chore, and also an instant gratification monkey, who overrides the rational decision-maker in favor of doing things that are easy and fun. There is, according to Urban, a third being we carry in our heads that is a kind of guardian angel. That one is the panic monster, the only being the instant gratification monkey is terrified of. The panic monster, after putting the whole system in chaos by arriving on the scene, successfully motivates us procrastinators to do what we need to do before the deadline.

So what do I do when I am heeding the instant gratification monkey?

I do all sorts of vitally important things, like cleaning out the pantry on my way to the computer keyboard. Of course, by the time I have finished, it’s time to start making dinner or going to bed. You can believe I have a neatly arranged pantry.

The New York Times print version is impossible for me to ignore, and it’s a perfect procrastinator’s tool. No matter how much of the daily issue I have read, there is always more to read, all of it equally important, of course. I carefully read the obits of people I have never heard of, and whose names I will shortly forget, but their lives must have great meaning for me right now.

Then there is the call of the wild from the kitchen refrigerator. I must be hungry, and surely there is something in there that I need to eat at this moment. If the frig fails me, I can resort to the organized pantry alongside.

We all need fresh air, especially if we are about to do something that requires some cognitive effort, so we should probably take a walk before we sit down to create. And after the walk, we need a bit of a rest, say a 20-minute power nap. And who was that we were supposed to call back? We should do it right now, before we forget.

Hey, we can’t begin working yet. “Jeopardy!” is on shortly. We’ll start immediately after the final question. That is, if we are not too tired. If we are too tired, we can always write that next column in the morning, before we go to press.

And that is how, after more than 46-and-one-half years of writing a column, I still do so at the last minute. The fault must be in my DNA. I’ll blame it on my mom.

Veterans Day events on the North Shore

by Heidi Sutton - November 9, 2022

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A scene from Veterans of Foreign War Post 3054's Memorial Day ceremony in East Setauket. Photo by Beverly C. Tyler

THANK YOU VETERANS!

Each November, individuals across the United States gather to remember and honor the brave men and women who devoted their lives to maintaining the freedoms U.S. residents continue to enjoy. Veterans Day is celebrated on November 11 and pays tribute to all American veterans — including the living and deceased — but especially thanks the living veterans who served honorably during war or peacetime, according to History.com.

Veterans Day originally was known as Armistice Day, which was established to commemorate the end of World War I. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower officially changed the name of the holiday to Veterans Day in an effort to recognize all veterans.

That name change is just one of many interesting facts about Veterans Day.

• November 11, 1918, was largely considered the end of the “war to end all wars,” even though the Treaty of Versailles, which officially ended World War I, was signed roughly seven months later on June 28, 1919.

• The last living American WWI veteran, Frank Buckles, died in 2011.

• While Veterans Day is an American holiday, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, and France also honor the veterans of World War I and World War II on or near November 11th. Canada celebrates Remembrance Day, while Britain observes Remembrance Sunday each year on the second Sunday of November.

• The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates women make up approximately 10 percent of the veteran population. By 2025, that number is expected to climb to 12 percent.

• In 2016, President Barack Obama signed the Veterans Day Moment of Silence Act. At 3:11 p.m. (Atlantic Standard Time) on Veterans Day, a moment of silence is observed and continues for 120 seconds.

• Data from the Department of Veterans Affairs says there are around 19 million U.S. veterans as of 2021.

Here are some Veterans Day events on Nov. 11 :

East Setauket

VFW Post 3054 will host a veterans recognition service at the Memorial Park at the corner of Shore Road and Route 25A in East Setauket on Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. Residents are invited to join local veterans for a short ceremony that will feature the laying of wreaths from local community groups. For further details, call 631-751-5541.

Greenlawn

Hosted by American Legion Post 1244, a Veterans Day ceremony will be held at Greenlawn Memorial Park, Pulaski Road, Greenlawn on Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. with neighboring American Legion posts plus many community groups and Scouts. Call 516-523-9391.

Port Jefferson

American Legion Wilson Ritch Post 432 invites the community to attend its Centennial Veterans Day/Armistice Day Memorial Observance Remembrance at Veterans Memorial Park on East Broadway in Port Jefferson (across from Village Hall) on Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. For more information, call 631-626-2911.

Smithtown

Smithtown American Legion Post 833, and Smithtown Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10870 will hold a Veterans Day Ceremony honoring our nations veterans at Veterans Plaze, Main St., Smithtown on Nov. 11 at 10:45 p.m. Local Boy and Girl scout troops, Smithtown HS students, State, County and Town dignitaries will participate in the event.Questions? Call 724-1804.

Sound Beach

The Sound Beach Civic Association will hold a Veterans Day service on Nov. 11 at the Sound Beach Veterans Memorial Park on New York Ave. at 11 a.m. All are welcome. For more information call 631-744-6952.

St. James

Sgt. John W. Cooke VFW Post 395 will host a Veterans Day Parade in St. James on Nov. 11. The parade will kick off at 10 a.m. and head down Lake Avenue to St. James Elementary School. For more info, call 516-987-6201.

TBR Votes: 2022 midterm election results

by TBR Staff - November 9, 2022

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Polls closed in New York at 9 p.m.

Check out results from the state, federal and local North Shore races as they come in on election night. All results are courtesy of the New York State Board of Elections.

New York State Governor

Kathy Hochul (D): 52.65%; 3,031,877

Lee Zeldin (R): 47.35%; 2,727,152

U.S. Senator

Chuck Schumer (D): 55.84%; 3,109,157

Joe Pinion (R): 42.58%; 2,407,399

Diane Sare (LRE): .93%; 51,650

U.S. Congress CD#1

Bridget Fleming (D) 44.14%; 136,899

Nick LaLota (R) 55.86%; 173,275

New York State Senate SD # 1

Skyler Johnson (D) 43.55%; 55,362

Anthony Palumbo (R) 56.45%; 71,752

New York State Senate SD # 2

Susan Berland (D) 41.89%; 57,936

Mario Mattera (R) 58.11%; 80,362

New York State Assemblyman AD #2

Wendy Hamberger (D) 33.83%; 18,309

Jodi Giglio (R) 66.17%; 35,809

New York State Assemblyman AD #4

Steve Englebright (D) 48.95%; 22,734

Edward Flood (R) 51.05%; 23,707

New York State Assemblyman AD #8

Jeanine Aponte (D) 31.46%; 18,747

Michael Fitzpatrick (R) 68.45%; 40,851

New York State Assemblyman AD #10

Steve Stern (D): 54.73%; 23,896

Aamir Sultan (R): 45.27%; 19,763

New York State Assemblyman AD #12

Cooper Macco (D) 42.46%; 20,271

Keith Brown (R) 57.54%; 29,818

Suffolk County Clerk

Lisa Jimenez (D): 40.91%; 214,852

Vincent Puleo (R): 58.97%; 309,734

Suffolk County Comptroller

Thomas Dolan (D): 39.93%; 212,790

John Kennedy (R): 59.95%; 319,468

Proposition 1:

Yes – 69%; 2,439,615

No – 31%; 1,081,482

Proposition 2:

Yes – 85.9%; 438,755

No – 14.1%; 72,027

Last updated Nov. 9 at 11:55 a.m.

Majority endorsement: Fleming has the heart to lead

by TBR Staff - November 7, 2022

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fleming2 — Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming, Democratic Party nominee for NY-1. Photo by Rita J. Egan

This November, residents of New York’s 1st Congressional District are presented with two well-intentioned, highly informed candidates for U.S. Congress. Given the choice of only one, the majority of the TBR News Media endorses Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming.

In our nearly two hours with the candidates, Fleming’s candor, intelligence, depth of insight and passion for the issues set her apart. Fleming expressed sincere concern for these matters and how they may affect real people. She did not speak of policies as a detached lawmaker but rather as a reflection of deeply held core values.

Whether on the economy, environment or future of American democracy, Fleming seemed deeply immersed in these subjects. Her platform seems guided by research and independent investigation but with a constant, overriding spirit of empathy and compassion driving her positions.

At this critical moment in our national history, Americans need to elect policymakers who can relate to the plight of ordinary citizens while engaging in reasoned, nuanced and empathetic policy debates. In her decades of experience championing her core beliefs, whether as a criminal prosecutor or public official, Fleming has proven she can do just that.

We hold that Fleming is the right person to represent the people of this district. This November, TBR News Media’s majority supports Bridget Fleming for NY-1.

Minority endorsement: LaLota will enhance the power and prestige of Congress

by TBR Staff - November 7, 2022

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lalota2 — Nick LaLota, Republican Party nominee for NY-1. Photo by Rita J. Egan

The United States Congress has lost its way, and it is up to us, the voters, to put it back on track. If elected, Nick LaLota wants to do just that.

Americans overwhelmingly disapprove of the way Congress handles its work. Partisanship and polarization have eroded our national dialogue, and our elected representatives behave as children on a national stage.

Meanwhile, with each passing year, Congress delegates more of its power to the executive and the innumerable agencies and offices that comprise the federal bureaucracy.

The Framers envisioned Congress as the preeminent branch of the federal government. They believed the legislature would be closest and most accountable to the people. Our forebears would be appalled at how Congress has devolved, how our elected representatives pass the buck to unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats.

LaLota seems sensitive to this truth. In our office debate, he advocated for serious Congressional reform. LaLota supports limiting the size and scope of federal legislation, trimming the legislative process of its pork-barreling and partisan earmarking, and restricting the authority of the bureaucracy.

We need to revive the power and prestige of Congress. Nick LaLota has a plan to help get us there. This November, TBR News Media’s minority endorses him for Congress.

Between You and Me: Election special from TBR News Media

by Leah Dunaief - November 6, 2022

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This is a rerun of last year’s explanation, updated for the current elections.

By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief

Inside this issue is a treasure trove of first-hand information about the candidates and the issues in the coming election. How do I know? Because we, the different members of the editorial board of Times Beacon Record Newspapers, personally interviewed people running for office across the three towns that we serve: Brookhaven, Smithtown and Huntington. The offices the candidates are running for are all local except for Congress, which means that these are the officials who will have the most direct effect on our lives.

The positions range this year from county comptroller and county clerk to state senators, and assembly men and women and Congress.

We asked them questions without bias, seeking only to understand who they were, what they believed and what we could expect from each of them, should they be elected — or re-elected, as the case might be. The setting in our conference room was relaxed, and we hoped comfortable, with opponents for each office seated together around the table responding to questions put to them by our editors and reporters.

Sometimes there was only one candidate who might be running unopposed or against a shadow opponent, but mostly there were two during each session. Most of the time, the hour went by calmly, but occasionally the opponents get testy with each other — they may even become openly hostile.

At one such session some years ago, one of the candidates invited the other out to the back parking lot “to settle things.” When the other began to take off his jacket, we quickly intervened. But there were no such flare-ups this year.

The answers were timed in an attempt to get to the main ideas without running on too long. There was ample time at the end for each visitor to tell us anything more that perhaps we hadn’t elicited with our questioning.

We discussed the candidates at the end of each hour and came to a conclusion for the endorsement.

We have written up the details of each interview in a separate article for the election section. Most of the time, the editorial group was unanimous because the choices were fairly direct. But for a couple of races, we talked over the pros and cons of each candidate at length before making the selection. These endorsements are based on both the in-depth interviews and the considerable information we know about the incumbents since we have been covering them closely throughout their terms in office. Of course, after reading the stories, you may or may not agree with our conclusions. Our job is to get you thinking.

The many hours that are given to this task, throughout the month of October, are a service for our readers. We are privileged to enjoy an extended face-to-face time with those standing for election, and we feel an obligation to pass along whatever information, facts and impressions we gather during these sessions. We sincerely hope we help in the sometimes-difficult job of casting a responsible vote.

Each year we include in the election section a sample ballot that we are able to procure from the Suffolk County Board of Elections because readers have told us that it is a great advantage for them to receive the ballot at the voting poll already knowing how it is laid out.

Our editorial board is made up of staffers with different political leanings, but when we put our journalists’ hats on, we try to judge each race strictly on the merits of the opposing candidates. And while it is technically possible for me to be tyrannical about the final selections, that is almost never the case. We decide by majority rule.

Sincere thanks to the talented staff who join in this extra work each year. We truly believe that we are watchdogs for the people, and nowhere is that more necessary than in reporting about government and its office holders. We hope we have helped you, whether you read by newspaper and/or online. Now please vote.

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