Supervisor Ed Romaine (pictured with “Curby,” the Town’s recycling mascot) has announced that registration for the 14th Annual Great Brookhaven Clean Up is now open. The event, which is co-sponsored by the Town of Brookhaven’s Department of Recycling and Sustainable Materials Management and TEACHERS Federal Credit Union, will be held on Saturday, May 14th at various locations throughout Brookhaven Town. It is part of a national effort by Keep America Beautiful, Inc. that draws over 500,000 volunteers in more than 15,000 communities across America who come together to pick up litter and clean miles of roadway, rivers, lakes, and more. In 2020 the Great Brookhaven Clean Up drew approximately 2,000 residents.
Supervisor Romaine said, “Keeping Brookhaven clean is a top priority of my administration and this is a great opportunity for people to do their part and make a difference in their community. I thank TEACHERS Federal Credit Union for their co-sponsorship, and I look forward to working with our residents on May 14th to help make Brookhaven a cleaner, greener place to live.”
Free gloves, trash bags and t-shirts will be provided by the Town for the Great Brookhaven Clean Up volunteers. The supplies will be available for pick up at the Department of Recycling and Sustainable Materials Management’s third floor office at Town Hall by appointment only. Brookhaven Town Hall is located at 1 Independence Hill in Farmingville. Individuals or groups can register online for the Great Brookhaven Clean Up and get more information at the Town website or by calling 451-TOWN (8696).
On March 22, Supervisor Ed Romaine accepted a $4,000 check from DIME Chief Executive Officer Kevin M. O’Connor to co-sponsor the Town of Brookhaven’s 2022 community recycling events. Each year the Town holds two recycling events in each Council District that include paper shredding, e-waste disposal and a supervised prescription drug drop-off program.
The 12 scheduled recycling events will help residents properly dispose of sensitive documents which, when improperly discarded, can fall into the hands of identity thieves. Residents can also dispose of e-waste and expired prescription drugs in an environmentally safe manner. Pictured (left to right) are Supervisor Ed Romaine; DIME CEO Kevin M. O’Connor; Town Commissioner of Recycling and Sustainable Materials Management, Christine Fetten; Councilwoman Jane Bonner; Councilman Dan Panico and DIME Executive VP and Chief Banking Officer James J. Manseau.
The 2022 recycling events are open to all Brookhaven Town residents for their personal, household material. No business records or medical practices will be accepted. For more information, call 451-TOWN (8696) or visit www.brookhavenny.gov/recyclingevents.
Residents are urged to bring the following electronic items to be recycled:
TV’s
VCR & DVD Players
Computer Mice
Printers
Calculators
Hard Drives
Electronic Typewriters
Circuit Boards
Projectors
Camcorders
Laptops
Power Supplies
Radios/Stereos
Servers
Backup Batteries
PDAs
Mainframes
Pagers
Monitors
Routers
Telephones
Scanners
Cell Phones
Answering Machines
Hubs
Modems
Fax Machines
Keyboards
Copiers
Cables
Gameboys & other Handheld Electronic Toys
Documents brought in for shredding will be fed into an industrial shredder, enabling each participant to witness the secure destruction of sensitive papers. Paper can be brought in boxes or bags. Documents can remain stapled together, but paper clips and other metal must be removed along with any other contaminants such as rubber bands. The 2022 schedule of events are as follows:
CD-3 Councilman Kevin LaValle
Saturday, April 2 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Middle Country Public Library, 101 Eastwood Blvd., Centereach
CD-5 Councilman Neil Foley
Saturday, April 9 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Patchogue-Medford High School, 181 Buffalo Avenue, Medford
CD-1 Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich
Saturday, April 23 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Comsewogue Public Library, 170 Terryville Road, Port Jefferson Station
CD-2 Councilwoman Jane Bonner
Saturday, April 30 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Rose Caracappa Center, 739 Route 25A, Mt. Sinai
CD-4 Councilman Michael Loguercio
Saturday, May 21 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Brookhaven Town Hall, South Parking Lot, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville
CD-6 Councilman Dan Panico
Saturday, June 4 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
William Floyd Middle School, 630 Moriches-Middle Island Road, Moriches
CD-3 Councilman Kevin LaValle
Saturday, September 10 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Sachem Public Library, 150 Holbrook Road, Holbrook
CD-5 Councilman Neil Foley
Saturday, September 17 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Blue Point Fire Department, 205 Blue Point Avenue, Blue Point
CD-2 Councilwoman Jane Bonner
Saturday, October 1 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Rose Caracappa Center, 739 Route 25A, Mt. Sinai
CD-6 Councilman Dan Panico
Saturday, October 15 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Center Moriches Library, 235 Montauk Highway, Center Moriches
CD-1 Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich
Saturday, October 22 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Setauket Fire Department, 394 Nicolls Road, Setauket
CD-4 Councilman Michael Loguercio
Saturday, November 5 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM
South Country Public Library, 22 Station Road, Bellport
Social media has enabled people to connect and reunite with each other. Unfortunately, it also has provided another outlet for scam artists.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, “More than one in four people who reported losing money to fraud in 2021 said it started on social media with an ad, a post or a message.”
An event organizer in the TBR News Media coverage area recently discovered that someone had set up fraudulent social media accounts pretending to be a representative from their organization. When they took to their Facebook and Instagram accounts to warn the public, they found their name wasn’t the only one being used to scam local residents.
There are countless scammers out there impersonating not only other people but companies and nonprofit organizations. In the incidents occurring in the TBR coverage area, people set up social media accounts promising vendors that they could secure their spots at future events of the organizers through the account by using PayPal.
The incidents are just another reminder that navigating social media is the same as the web: You can’t take anyone at their word.
The best thing to do when anyone approaches you over social media asking for money — just as you would over the web and phone — is to ask if you can get back to them. If they keep insisting that you pay now, odds are they’re not who they say they are.
Anyone who is legitimately representing a business would have no problem with you jotting down their number and getting back to them. Of course, when calling or emailing a company back, if you are handing over money, you’ll want to make sure you look up the contact information before calling. Many times, scammers will go as far as answering the phone by saying the company’s name or setting up email accounts that make it look as if they are associated with the business.
Some may ask that a person pays through PayPal or Venmo and similar payment apps which may make a person feel better since a credit card number is not being given out. The bottom line is that money is still being stolen and most likely will never be recouped. It’s important that payors do their research.
Facebook’s help center also advises that users be wary if someone asks you “to move the conversation off Facebook to a less public or less secure setting, such as a separate email.”
Other things to look out for are unverified pages claiming to represent a large organization or public figure, or a page that contains messages or posts with poor spelling and grammar.
The most important advice to heed is that if you think you have been scammed, file a police report by calling the Suffolk County Police Department at 631-852-SCAM (7226) and notify the platform on where the fraudulent account is set up.
Social media has provided a whole new world for interaction. With a bit of caution, it can be a pleasant experience instead of a dangerous one. Just some extra care goes a long way.
Joel Marimuthu, supervisor of rehabilitation services at Huntington Hospital, and physical therapist Ada Kalmar demonstrate some warm-up exercises. Above, an elastic band helps to work on throwing mechanics and sport specific strengthening of the shoulder muscles. Photos by Joseph Colombo
Play ball, carefully.
An intervention a therapist would use for a patient recovering from shoulder surgery. Photo by Joseph Colombo
That’s the advice of area physical therapists and orthopedic surgeons as Major League Baseball returns with a shortened spring training.
Some of the less experienced players, particularly those who might feel they need to prove something each time they step on the field, are especially vulnerable to injuring themselves, suggested Dr. James Penna, orthopedic surgeon and chief of Sports Medicine at Stony Brook Medicine.
“You’ll see the experienced players won’t go through it [but] the injury rate among the [players that have been in the league] for five years and under will be higher,” Penna said.
The challenge for players, even at the professional level, is that their training strengthens their body and increases their speed, but it doesn’t help with the kind of urgency a game situation creates for athletes.
“They’re not doing stuff that’s high stakes,” Penna added. “That’s the real difference.”
Staying busy in leagues where no one is watching and then returning to the bright lights of Yankee Stadium or a nationally televised game can cause stress hormones like cortisol to increase.
“It takes three to six years [as a professional athlete] depending on the sport, where you start to get into a routine where it’s not all energy and angst,” Penna said. The athletes who do the same thing all the time won’t have any change in their bodies or their minds when they return to major league games.
Pitchers are among the most vulnerable baseball athletes, as they may try to stretch themselves out with too many pitches and too many innings quickly, said Joel Marimuthu, supervisor of rehabilitation services at Huntington Hospital.
Looking back at 2020, when spring training was also shortened amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of injuries increased, Marimuthu said.
“If the players are watching what happened in 2020, especially with all the increased elbow, shoulder, back, hamstring pulls, they’ll be mindful this season,” Marimuthu said.
Complete preparation for game situations includes a range of training and body conditioning and a gradual increase from working in a gym or on a field somewhere to playing in a game.
“You never want to go from 0 to 60 as an athlete,” said Marimuthu. “You want to come up to speed gradually.”
Training a range of muscles involved in different activities can improve strength and flexibility and reduce the risk of injuries, doctors said.
“We see the most benefit from athletes staying balanced,” Penna said. “If you work on a flexion activity, you have to work on an extension activity. As much as it’s become cliche, you have to cross train.”
Even if athletes don’t participate in different sports, they need to engage in activities such as yoga, pilates and lower body work to prevent injuries, Penna said.
Athletes at any level, who think they might have sustained an injury, run the risk of more significant damage if they play through discomfort that goes beyond the usual wear and tear from sports.
Physical therapists use the acronym PRICE as a guide: protect, rest and ice, Marimuthu said.
College sports injuries
The pandemic has created a similar situation for college athletes, who weren’t able to compete for varying lengths of time amid canceled and shortened seasons.
With fewer games and matches, numerous athletes got injured as they returned to
game action.
“We saw a very, very rapid uptick in injuries,” Penna said.
Athletes had higher injury rates in upper body, lower body and core muscles.
Sports hernias were also prevalent, as student athletes didn’t do enough dynamic exercises to strengthen their core and increase their flexibility.
For female athletes, the injuries to their lower extremities are “through the roof,” Penna said, including to the anterior cruciate ligament in the knee. “The ACL [injury] rates among girls is bad.”
Penna urges athletes not to wear cleats on turf. Even though a sneaker might slip, and athletes might not be able to run as fast, they won’t likely have the kind of tearing that comes from a shoe that’s gripping the ground while the rest of the leg moves in another direction.
Coaches and trainers should “go to great lengths to make sure their quads are balanced with their hamstrings and their core is well maintained,” Penna said.
Young athletes in general ignore their core, which means more than just sit ups. Penna suggested they do more dynamic motions, like lunges.
Penna said it’s natural amid stronger competition for athletes of any level to push themselves to levels that might cause injury.
With so many experts available to help with sports injuries, injured athletes of any age and ability, from weekend warriors to high school and college athletes, have numerous places they can go for advice and care after an injury.
Marimuthu and Penna both suggested that the first point of contact should be a primary care physician.
“I’ve always felt comfortable keeping strong primary care doctors around to keep us honest,” Penna said.
For six months, roadway barriers, shown above, have blocked the intersection of Arlington Avenue and State Route 25A.
Photo by Jim Hastings.
Public officials are addressing an ongoing dispute between the Village of Port Jefferson and the New York State Department of Transportation involving a roadway obstruction at the intersection of Arlington Avenue and Route 25A on the long hill leading into Port Jeff.
Due to its steep slope, Arlington Avenue requires a specific grade to allow vehicles to safely traverse the intersection without bottoming out. Under the current design, instituted in September 2021 as part of DOT’s sidewalk initiative throughout the village, the roadway remains impassable.
Stephen Canzoneri, public information officer for DOT Region 10, addressed the issue in an email statement: “The New York State Department of Transportation is working with the Village of Port Jefferson to address longstanding terrain issues at the intersection of Arlington Avenue and state Route 25A and hopes to reopen Arlington Avenue as expeditiously as possible.”
“Prior to them doing the work, there was no issue there.”
— Kathianne Snaden, deputy mayor of Port Jefferson Village
Joe Palumbo, Port Jeff village administrator, shared that the DOT has not yet put together a workable plan to resolve the matter.
“Their design there is not acceptable in terms of navigating the road from 25A onto Arlington,” he said. “The grade there is not sufficient for vehicles to go up and down that road.”
According to Palumbo, the grade issue remains the primary point of contention between the two parties.
“DOT is in the process of putting a design together,” he said. “Their most recent design that they had sent over to us is not acceptable. The village would prefer to have something that was similar to the grade that was there prior to the paving, or better.”
According to Palumbo, under DOT’s present plan, vehicles can still get stuck at the bottom of the slope. Kathianne Snaden, deputy mayor and commissioner of public safety, said there had been no problem with the grade before DOT’s changes.
“Prior to them doing the work, there was no issue there,” she said. “It is a steep hill, but cars could easily get up and down, emergency vehicles could get up and down, school buses could get up and down.”
Snaden objects to the addition of a sidewalk along the pavement. She said that by adding the sidewalk, DOT had created a grade that is different from that of the pavement. According to her, this presented a safety hazard requiring the intersection to be closed to traffic.
“They paved 25A and additionally, with the paving, they added a sidewalk,” she said. “The sidewalk, for some reason, they put straight across the roadway, which we’ve never seen before. In doing so, it changed the grade from a slant to more of an angle because the sidewalk, obviously, is low.”
Snaden said that the roadway closure, put in place by DOT six months ago, is a significant risk to public safety. “My concern, of course, is the safety of the residents,” she said. “We had a house fire on Arlington almost two years ago. The roadway was impassable, but that time it was because of a downed tree. When that house caught fire, they couldn’t get all of the firetrucks to that house.”
According to Snaden, as long as the intersection remains blocked, this scenario may repeat itself in the future.
The following incidents have been reported by the Suffolk County Police:
Centereach
■ A resident on Jacqueline Lane in Centereach reported that her 2018 Dodge Durango was stolen from her driveway on March 18. The vehicle, valued at $29,000, also contained the person’s pocketbook, wallet and credit cards.
■ Carters on Middle Country Road in Centereach called the police on March 17 to report that two women allegedly stole assorted children’s clothing worth approximately $200.
■ Walmart on Middle Country Road in Centereach reported a shoplifter on March 16. A man allegedly put three car batteries in his shopping cart and left out the fire exit door. The merchandise was valued at $270.
Commack
■ Costco on Garet Place in Commack reported shoplifters on March 16. Two men allegedly stole three Dell desktop towers worth over $5,000.
■ Walmart on Crooked Hill Road in Commack called the police on March 14 to report that a man allegedly stole a 43” TCL flat screen television valued at approximately $300.
■ A woman shopping at Whole Foods on Veterans Memorial Highway in Commack on March 14 called the police to report that her wallet containing credit cards and an insurance card had been stolen from her pocketbook in a shopping cart.
■ Dick’s Sporting Goods on Jericho Turnpike in Commack called the police on March 18 to report that a man allegedly stole two golf clubs worth $1060.
■ Target on Veterans Memorial Highway in Commack reported a shoplifter on March 12. A man allegedly placed 33 pairs of men’s jeans valued at $935 in a shopping cart and walked out of the store without paying.
■ A shoplifter was reported at Rite-Aid on Larkfield Road in Commack on March 14. A man allegedly stole curling irons, hair straighteners and blow dryers worth approximately $1170.
Fort Salonga
■ A KTM dirt bike, a Thumpstar dirt bike and a R/C racing car were reported stolen from a residence on Mountain View Drive in Fort Salonga on March 16. The items were valued at $1100.
Huntington Station
■ Macy’s on Walt Whitman Road in Huntington Station reported a shoplifter on March 17. A man allegedly stole 7 Polo Ralph Lauren shirts and 7 pants worth approximately $1400.
East Setauket
■ A customer shopping at Walmart on Nesconset Highway in East Setauket on March 16 reported that her iPhone 13 and reading glasses had been stolen from her shopping cart. The items were valued at approximately $990.
Hauppauge
■ Five cars were stolen in one hour in Hauppauge on March 17. The cars were stolen from outside homes on Bezel Lane, Sandra Drive, Steven Place, and Maureen Drive between 4:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m., police said. All five vehicles were unlocked with key fobs inside.
Lake Grove
■ Bed, Bath and Beyond on Nesconset Highway in Lake Grove reported two shoplifters on March 18.A man and a woman allegedly worked in tandem to steal two KitchenAid mixers worth $860.
■ Ulta Beauty on Nesconset Highway in Lake Grove called the police on March 18 to report that two men and two women allegedly stole assorted perfume and cologne worth approximately $1,000.
Melville
■ Dick’s Sporting Goods on Walt Whitman Road in Melville reported a shoplifter on March 17. A woman allegedly stole assorted clothing valued at approximately $1290.
Miller Place
■ Walgreens on Route 25A in Miller Place reported shoplifters on March 17. Three men entered the store and allegedly stole assorted health and beauty products valued at $950.
Mount Sinai
■ Heritage Chemists on Route 25A in Mount Sinai reported a burglary on March 15. Two men broke the front door glass with a crow bar and stole cash from the business.
St. James
■ 22 gallons of gas was siphoned from a 2022 Ram Truck parked in front of a residence on Cedar Street in St. James on March 14. The gas was valued at $95.
■ Seven vehicles were stolen from residences on Bayberry Drive, Washington Avenue, Seventh Avenue and Fifth Street in Saint James on March 18. All seven vehicles were unlocked with key fobs inside. Each of the vehicles has been recovered.
Selden
■Aldi on Middle Country Road in Selden reported a petit larceny on March 13. A woman allegedly stole a case of shrimp, 5 salmon, 5 steaks and 4 Tide laundry detergents valued at $440.
■Target on Middle Country Road in Selden reported a shoplifter on March 18. A man allegedly stole a KitchenAid mixer and a Keurig coffee maker valued at $580.
■A resident on Old Selden Stage Road in Selden called the police on March 12 to report that his vehicle, a 2019 Honda Sante Fe worth $20,000, had been stolen from his driveway.
Setauket
■ A car key remote was removed from a vehicle parked in front of a residence on Cobbler Lane in Setauket on March 14. The item is worth $250 to replace.
South Setauket
■ An unknown person broke the driver’s side window of a car parked in the Best Buy parking lot on Pond Path in South Setauket at 3 p.m. on March 12 and stole a MacBook 13.3 worth $900.
Smithtown
■ A laptop, iPad and wallet containing cash and credit cards were stolen from an unlocked vehicle parked in front of a residence on Celestial Court in Smithtown on March 12.
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.
Port Jefferson’s Earl L. Vandermeulen sophomore Katherine Ranjbar. Photo from PJSD
Port Jefferson’s Earl L. Vandermeulen sophomore Katherine Ranjbar. Photo from PJSD
Earl L. Vandermeulen High School student-musician Katherine Ranjbar recently performed at Carnegie Hall as part of its grand prize concerto competition. A sophomore, Katherine performed at New York’s famed venue on solo piano.
“Congratulations to Katherine on her outstanding musical achievement,” said Port Jefferson School District Director of Music and Fine Arts Dr. Michael Caravello.
Port Jefferson School District SCMEA Division I students. Photo from PJSD
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Port Jefferson School District SCMEA Division I students. Photo by PJSD
Port Jefferson School District SCMEA Division I students. Below, Port Jefferson Division II and III students. Photo by PJSD
In-person student musical performances are back, and Port Jefferson School District students represented at the recent Suffolk County Music Educators’ Association All-County Festival held at Ward Melville High School.
In the fifth and sixth grade Division I, students Josie Amtmann, Jenny Cheung, Isabella Fratticci Cseri, Nina Gnatenko, Kai Gronenthal, Ruairi Hogan, Patrick Hutchinson, Nila Manian, Austin Nam, Adyson Nocito, Clara Pearce, Violet Pryor, Sara Puopolo, Aiden Fraticci Rodriguez, Sebastian Salzman, Dylan Sproul, Kaho Sugimoto, Leilani Von Oiste and Elizabeth Yin were selected. Seventh and eighth graders Rowan Casey, Crystal Reustle, Sadie Salzman and Daria Zakharova were selected for Division II, and Division III’s ninth and 10th graders welcomed Earl L. Vandermeulen High School student Andi Kelly.
“Congratulations to all of our outstanding student musicians who were fortunate to perform in the FIRST in-person county music festival in nearly three years!” said Dr. Michael Caravello, district director of music and fine arts.
The recent Earl L. Vandermeulen High School production of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” was a resounding success. The all-star cast and crew of Port Jefferson students, staff and volunteers worked tirelessly for months on this production, a special nostalgic treat for the whole family that took place for three shows from March 19 to 20.
The show, directed by Tony Butera, followed the adventures of classic “Peanuts” characters Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Marci, Peppermint Patty, Schroeder and the lovable and headstrong Snoopy on top of his doghouse. It featured kite flying, Beethoven music directed by Christine Creighton and short vignettes reminiscent of the original comic strip.
The main order of business at the Village of Port Jefferson board meeting March 21 was the proposed budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year which begins June 1. The board is looking to approve the piercing of the 2% village property tax cap and raise it to 4.5%. Mayor Margot Garant said the piercing would be needed to recoup much of the loss brought on by the LIPA settlement, which equates to $122,383 a year.
The board discussed how 2.7% of the budget would go to union contracts. The removal of brush in the village and care of the sidewalks would total $118,000 and $150,000 respectively. The cost of snow removal, along with the purchase of sand and salt, was factored in. Sand and salt saw an increase of $10,000 over last year’s prices due to inflation. The village purchased two Bobcats to remove snow; the equipment was leased in the past. One of the Bobcats was paid for by the Business Improvement District, the other by the village.
Garant discussed the Port Jefferson Country Club. Due to the erosion situation with the tennis courts at the edge of the cliffside, the club’s tennis pro has been forced to teach elsewhere throughout the village. $50,000 is budgeted for that. More on the country club will be discussed at the next meeting.
Trustee Bruce Miller brought up the current greenkeeping situation. He posited the need for a professional gardener to care of the village’s flowerbeds and green spaces. Garant praised village gardener Caran Markson and the parks department for doing a great job, and for the continued handling during Markson’s medical leave due to injury on the job. No decision was made about a replacement at the meeting.
Garant congratulated the board for its work on the budget, noting that the village is AA rated, which means it has a “very strong capacity to meet its financial commitments,” as defined by S&P Global Ratings.
The proposed budget will be posted five days before the next public hearing, which is to be held April 4.
Other points of business
• Parking in front of the post office: A vote was taken, and it was decided that two of the four spots in front would change from 10 minutes only to two hours.
• Parking in the village: Paid parking begins on April 1 and continues until the day after the Dickens Festival in early December. Pricing will remain the same at 50 cents per hour Monday through Thursday and $1 per hour on the weekend.
• Long Island Explorium: Noting that some of the space is underutilized, Garant floated the idea of using some areas, like the upper balcony, for live music.
• Recharge basin between Old Homestead and Oakwood roads: There has been a delay in the crushing of stone for the basin due primarily to a shortage in the workforce — most notably truck drivers.
• Rocketship Park bathrooms: The facilities are still under construction but on track to open on April 1.
• Recreational activities: The Recreation Department ordered 16 more kayaks for Centennial Park beach. There is a proposal to bring pickleball to Texaco Avenue Park which would see the creation of two pickleball courts on the existing basketball court area. Summer camp is open to village residents until May 1 and will then be opened to nonresidents after that at a higher price. Summer camp is open to Village residents until May 1 and will then be opened to non-residents after that at a higher price.
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