ANGEL’S CLOTHESLINE
Betty Ann Marangiello captured this amazing image of ice formations on the railings at the edge of Port Jefferson Harbor on Jan. 29.
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Miller Place woman shares her heart health story
To commemorate American Heart Month, February is dedicated to heart disease research and heart health care. Dawn Blatt, a resident of Miller Place, had a heart attack on Feb. 20, 2012, while on vacation with her family and chooses to share her story.
While in California, she began feeling chest pressure that lasted about 20 minutes and eventually went away. She thought it was nothing, and didn’t want to say anything or ruin the trip.
“About two hours later, when we were sitting in the hotel, that chest pressure came back and actually got worse,” she said. “I started getting pain down my left arm, the chest pressure turned to some pain. I was feeling anxious.”
Blatt knew something was going on and she had to act on it. She was getting ready to head into the elevator to catch a ride to the hospital in a city she didn’t know when her husband called 911.
The paramedics did vitals and were talking about EKG changes in her hotel room. Blatt, a physical therapist, heard terms that are usually said to her patients — not typically to her.
The then 46-year-old was taken by ambulance to the hospital and after talking with a doctor, he said that she did indeed have a heart attack.
“That sense of denial that I was having the whole time even though I knew what the symptoms would correlate to was still a shock for me to hear those words,” she said. “And everybody that came in to the room kept saying, ‘Oh, you’re so young!’ and that really got me angry after a while because obviously I wasn’t too young — I had a heart attack.”
The mother of two did not have previous signs or symptoms. She didn’t have the risk factors that would lead people to think she would have a heart attack. Blatt said she was always on the treadmill and was an active person.
“The recovery was physically and emotionally challenging for me,” she said.
In California, to address her cardiac catheterization, one stent was put in her left anterior descending artery in her heart during 1st cardiac catheterization, and four more were added when she came home to New York.
Nearly nine years after the heart attack, Blatt now has no restrictions or limitations.
“I feel like I was lucky,” she said. “But since then, I have started to learn about the fact that so many women are not aware of risk factors, or that the signs of a heart attack can be different for women, especially.”
So, she’s using her voice to talk to others and build a supportive community for people who’ve have been through similar situations. An active member of the national organization WomenHeart, she’s there for other women who have dealt with heart problems big and small.
“The women that I have met through WomenHeart are my heart sisters, and they’re the people that get it,” she said. “It’s so helpful to be able to ask questions of people who’ve been through similar experiences, and that can help give you support or ask questions. That’s why I have decided to help spread the word, raise awareness and support other women living with heart disease.”
Blatt added that sharing her story with others not only gives them someone they can relate to, but is a healing experience for her, as well.
According to Blatt, she has learned a lot of facts about heart health from the nonprofit. WomenHeart has a directory of scientific data, links, an advisory panel of doctors and researchers throughout the country, and is trustworthy and credible.
She said, for women specifically, it’s important to know that heart disease is the leading cause of death for women and there are plenty of signs to know when something wrong is happening.
“A lot of people think, ‘Younger women don’t have heart attacks, they don’t have heart disease,’ but I’ve met so many women in their 20s, 30s and 40s with various forms of heart disease,” she said. “It’s not just an old man’s disease anymore — it’s affecting women.”
Blatt said there’s more to a heart attack then pressure pain in the left arm, and it’s not “just an anxiety attack.”
“Pay attention, seek medical attention, seek medical care, get answers to your signs and symptoms, and if you’re not happy with what they’re telling you, get a second opinion,” she said. “When women go to the ER, if they think they’re having a heart attack, use the words ‘I think I’m having a heart attack.’ That will get you in, otherwise you’re going to be waiting. When you’re having a heart attack, the quicker you get in and get treated, the less damage you can have.”
Friday, Feb. 5, is National Wear Red Day. Everyone is encouraged to wear red and raise support for American heart health.
Editorial: Let It Snow
The first day of February reminded us that winter is still here, and a foot or more of snow can fall from the sky at any time wreaking havoc on our everyday lives. Heavy snowfalls may be welcomed by skiers and children, but for everyone else the snow can be a nuisance and even a danger.
On Monday, as with previous storms, weather forecasters and elected officials reminded residents to stay off roads if they didn’t need to go out. In the past, despite those warnings, many found themselves still having to go to work. Nowadays, after trying to navigate business during a pandemic for months, companies have learned that a good deal of work can be done from home.
For nearly a year, employers and employees all over the country have embraced the use of email, Google, Zoom, messaging platforms such as Slack and more. Some in New York had no choice in the beginning as many businesses in the state that were deemed nonessential were required to close down. Others have chosen, even after the shutdowns were lifted, to continue having employees work from home to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
The use of modern technology has kept the work flowing and employees connected. Many have found that their workers are more efficient as there are fewer distractions at home, and without having to deal with their commutes, many are willing to take the time they would have been in the car, bus or train and use it to do more work.
Working from home can be a game changer not only during long-term shutdowns or for taking care to keep employees healthy, but it can also be used when driving just isn’t wise, especially for workers who have strict deadlines to meet. Imagine, now employees on a snowy day are less stressed because they don’t have to worry about hazardous roads.
During a pandemic, the work-from-home option has helped to keep employees healthy, and on the day of a storm, it helps keep them safe. In turn, the fewer people on the road, the fewer calls police officers receive, which in turn keeps them safe, too. Because, it doesn’t matter what type of car a person has, whether big or small, if snow is blowing across the roads and visibility is compromised, it’s not wise to be on the road
Law enforcement and health care workers need to be out on the roads to get to their jobs to keep the public safe and healthy, the rest of our jobs aren’t as essential.
Let’s take what we’ve learned in 2020 and apply it in the future to keep residents safe. If there is one lesson that we can take with us from the pandemic, it’s that things can be done differently and still produce the same results.
Will there be more snow this winter? We don’t know, but what we do know we’re ready for it. Bring it on!
D. None of the Above: Bird expert shares thoughts on snowstorms, snowy owls and snow angels
By Daniel Dunaief
For the past week, I’ve had birds on my brain.
For starters, Central Park birders headed to the famous urban greenway recently to catch sight of a snowy owl, the first time people documented the presence of the bird in the park in about 130 years.
I wrote to a bird expert, Noah Strycker, who is both a celebrated avian author, having written “Birding without Borders,” and a master’s candidate at Stony Brook University in the laboratory of Heather Lynch, a penguin scientist and the IACS Endowed Chair for Ecology & Evolution.
Strycker responded to numerous questions about the owl and the snowstorm that blanketed the region earlier this week.
In response to a question about exactly what might bring a snowy owl to the city, Strycker suggested that these birds often “irrupt,” a word for traveling greater distances than normal, south from their normal Arctic range in winters following good breeding summers.
“Their appearance in New York may be related to an abundance of lemmings in the Arctic last summer,” Strycker wrote. In other words, these well-fed birds may have been able to journey further from the Arctic after a bountiful summer.
While Strycker didn’t catch sight of the owl this time, he did see one on Long Island last winter. They appear on the south shore almost every year, although it’s unusual to see one in Central Park because they prefer beaches and open areas, which are closer to a normal tundra habitat.
As for the rare birds Strycker has seen in the area, he said he got to see a Western Tanager and an Ash Throated Flycatcher in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn this fall. These are birds from the western part of the country, which don’t visit the Empire State too often.
Vagrant birds, which occur in areas outside their typical range, can appear in the area, a byproduct of a wrong turn during a long migration. So, what happens to birds during a snowstorm, I wondered.
For the snowy owl, if he were still here, the precipitation probably wouldn’t have been much of a problem, as his name suggests.
“Flying through falling snowflakes isn’t as much of an issue as flying in high winds, which do, occasionally, literally blow birds off course,” Strycker wrote.
During the storm, many bird species will tuck themselves in a protected spot, like in a dense tree to ride out the flakes.
“This is a good time to watch your hedges and evergreen trees, which provide nice cover in the winter,” Strycker suggested.
Strycker said people could do seed eating birds — like sparrows, finches, cardinals, doves, chickadees, and jays — a favor by restocking a feeder before a snowstorm.
“They will all come to bird feeders for sunflower seeds and suet,” he said.
Snowy owls, on the other hand, don’t need handouts or feeders. They find their food, typically small mammals, by using their keen senses of sight and hearing. Shaped like a disc, an owl’s face concentrates faint sounds of rustling under the snow, allowing it to find prey it can’t see.
Strycker has always wanted to find an owl footprint in the snow, which looks like a snow angel. The owl lands on the snowy landscape to find its prey and lifts off, leaving footprint evidence of its meal.
As for the effect of the snow on a bird’s survival, Strycker said most of the birds in the area manage through the colder months.
“Snowstorms have been occurring in New York for a very long time, so birds that spend the winter here have mostly adapted to surviving them,” Strycker wrote.
Between You and Me: Pssst! There is an electric automobile in your future
By Leah S. Dunaief
When General Motors announced last week that the company would aim to sell only electric cars and trucks by 2035, it shook up the industry. There are already electric cars on the road, although they number fewer than one percent.
Tesla, the electric car maker, has been much in the news lately since Wall Street values the company at more than ten times that of General Motors, and indeed, more than Toyota, Volkswagen, Ford and General Motors combined.
Nonetheless, this was a sharp turn for G.M. And as the largest automaker in the United States and the fourth largest in the world, what G.M. does affects everyone else down the automotive line.
It is no coincidence that the announcement came only a day after President Biden signed an executive order directing his administration to fight the problem of climate change. The Environmental Protection Agency is developing tough new tailpipe pollution regulations to control the largest source of planet-warming emissions in the short term. G.M. is aligning itself with the new administration’s goal in its drive to electric power. Furthermore, just three months ago, China ordered that most vehicles sold there must be electric by 2035. China is G.M.’s and the world’s largest market.
So all roads would seem to be pointing to a preponderance of electric cars by 2035, at least as of the present. But there remains a significant hurdle in the production of electric cars. While countries can certainly create charging stations along the roads in the same fashion as we now have gas stations, and President Biden has asked for 500,000 public charger stations to be built by 2030, the challenge is the batteries required by the cars.
The battery packs have to be big, and right now to be big means to be expensive. Gasoline engines for equivalent cars cost less than half as much. China is the leading producer of these batteries, and of electric motors, which is not surprising since Chinese leadership has long viewed its dependence on oil imports as a considerable vulnerability.
Therefore, major auto companies, like Daimler and Toyota, are already manufacturing their electric cars in China. So will many of the Ford Mustang Mach-E models be made there. Tesla started making cars in Shanghai over a year ago to sell in China.
So, folks, it would seem that in our not-too-distant future, we are destined to own electric cars. G.M. is planning to spend $27 billion to introduce 30 electric models by 2025, just a short generation away for those buying new cars this year. They are building a plant in Ohio to make batteries for those vehicles and to develop better batteries. G.M. now feels it could make electric vehicles that would cost no more than gasoline ones. And when G.M. in October offered its Hummer electric pick-up truck, enough orders had come in within a day to fill the entire year’s planned production.
The Chinese have cleverly offered their huge consumer market in exchange for technical information. Through joint ventures with companies of other nations, along with their own considerable research, they have become the leader in battery development. Further rounding out the picture for the urgency of electric vehicles is the ban by Britain, Ireland and the Netherlands on new gasoline and diesel cars as of 2030.
Utility companies will have to improve their output by as much as 25 percent, which they can do at considerable expense. Guess who will be paying the tab! But the increased rates should be offset by the savings in gasoline, at least that would be the plan.
Power plants would also have to engage in some sort of rotation so that not everyone can charge their vehicles at the same time. They would also help the global climate change situation by using more solar and wind instead of coal and natural gas, in short by cleaning up the power grid.
BNB CEO prepared for second round of PPP
By Daniel Dunaief
Kevin O’Connor, CEO of BNB Bank, is focused on the bread and butter businesses of his bank and of the communities he serves: small businesses.
O’Connor ensured that BNB, with its Bridgehampton National Bank branches, dove headfirst into the first Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, from the federal government in the first round, lending over $1 billion to more than 4,000 businesses. That is in addition to the $400 million Dime Bancorp, which plans to merge with BNB later this year, loaned to small businesses.
In the second round, O’Connor expects about 30 to 40% of the businesses that received loans in the first round will apply for additional funding.
In addition, O’Connor expects that customers who are seeking a second round of PPP will likely return to the bank they used in the first round, in part because businesses will be applying for a second draw on a loan, rather than for a new loan.
“We’re hoping that makes the paperwork easier,” he said.
So far, about 10% of the businesses that borrowed through the PPP have asked for forgiveness on their loan. Most of the businesses that sought forgiveness received it, especially if they used it for the anticipated purposes.
O’Connor is eager to see these small businesses, whom he lauded for their contributions to the areas they serve, survive the ongoing hardship created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the same time that a vaccine offers hope, these small businesses remain in perilous condition, as the percentage of positive tests continues to climb and hospitals handle an increase in patients.
Small businesses “don’t have a unified voice,” said O’Connor. The BNB chief executive called these small businesses the “lifeblood” of the communities.
The PPP program presents an opportunity for BNB to provide funding to a range of customers.
The success of the program led non-customers who were friends of customers to seek out financial support for their struggling businesses from BNB.
O’Connor said BNB hopes to expand their interactions with these new customers into full-service relationships, providing a range of other banking products.
No Red Microphones
O’Connor said BNB has focused in recent years on enhancing the product knowledge from their employees.
“We trained our people better on our technology so they can better explain it,” O’Connor said. “Branch managers weren’t using the mobile app. How can they sell it if they weren’t using it themselves?”
While the technology hasn’t changed, it has become better for customers because bankers can explain it better.
During the pandemic, O’Connor has made numerous efforts to reach out to bank employees, hosting conference calls and zoom calls. O’Connor urged bank employees to keep their cameras on during those calls. In smaller meetings, he also asked his coworkers to unmute their phones, to enable an open dialog among the staff.
“If I see red microphones, I ask [that employees] turn them on. We’re talking here. This is a conversation,” he said.
Vaccinations
While he led the bank during the pandemic, O’Connor also experienced COVID firsthand, when he contracted the virus. He said his children were worried about him, but that his case was “pretty mild.”
The virus “makes you recognize that we’re a part of something bigger, whether we’re talking about PPP or worry about trying to keep the lights on in your building,” he said.
While some people are receiving the vaccine, O’Connor said he wasn’t comfortable requiring everyone to receive shots.
“I’d be hard-pressed to do that,” he said. When it is his turn to get a shot, O’Connor said he would take the vaccine.
While the vaccine has given him reason for optimism, he said the bank has been cautious in the last few weeks with its staff.
“We’ve sent a lot of our employees home,” O’Connor said. “We’re back to a skeleton crew in Hauppauge. We’re monitoring our branches” amid an uptick in cases.
O’Connor and other bank executives are looking at the total number of branches the bank may need in the future. The company has continued to generate business in its branches, although some are “busier than others. We’re going to continue to look at that.”
The Chief Executive described branches as “outposts” in the community, and believed that the branch decisions would be an “evolutionary process.”
O’Connor said the virus may lead employees to a better awareness of the needs of their coworkers.
“You may come to work every day, but another man or woman isn’t there. They may have an underlying health issue and don’t want to talk about it. You’d like to think it’s making better people of us. At some point, people who can, should do and people who can’t, let’s take care of them,” O’Connor said.
Merger
O’Connor said the combination with Dime is a true merger of equals. The top executives from the two banks represent a 50/50 split with Dime.
“I feel comfortable that the culture will come together,” O’Connor said. “We will be a unique bank. There’s nothing like this. It’s truly Long Island-based.”
O’Connor said the bankers at both institutions have a “passion for what we do.”
And he respects entrepreneurs and small business owners, many of whom have pivoted to other products or modes of delivery for their products.
“So many [small business owners] have made so many sacrifices,” he said.
Extra! Extra! Holtsville Hal predicts an early spring in Brookhaven Town
Following the snowstorm that battered Brookhaven Town earlier this week, the 2021 virtual Groundhog Day ceremony had to be canceled. However, that didn’t stop Suffolk County’s most famous weatherman from revealing his prognostication.
In the early morning hours of Feb. 2, Holtsville Hal awoke from his slumber, brushed the snow aside to emerge from his burrow and did not see his shadow, predicting an early spring for the snow-covered Town of Brookhaven.
According to tradition, if a groundhog sees its shadow on Groundhog Day, there will be six more weeks of winter weather; if not, spring should arrive early.
“After this week’s storm, I’m sure we are all looking forward to an early spring and keeping our fingers crossed that our resident weatherman maintains his accuracy,” said Superintendent of Highways Daniel Losquadro.
“Regardless, the Brookhaven Highway Department remains ready to handle whatever else Mother Nature decides to send our way.”
“While we were disappointed that we couldn’t hold our usual family-friendly event, due to COVID, and then had to cancel the virtual ceremony, we hope to see big crowds next year for Groundhog Day 2022,” Losquadro continued.
Bellone urges residents to stay home during storm
Suffolk County officials urged residents to stay home during a winter snowstorm that’s predicted to add a foot or more of additional snow and will pack winds that could gust as high as 50 miles per hour.
“We ask people to stay off the roads today,” County Executive Steve Bellone (D) said at a press conference at the Department of Public Works Maintenance Shed in Commack.
Bellone and Suffolk County Police Department Chief Stuart Cameron urged residents to be careful when shoveling snow, particularly if they are unaccustomed to physical exertion, to check on older neighbors and relatives, and to be careful with snow blowers.
“Never put your hand in a snow blower,” Cameron said. Cameron said a resident tried to clear the chute of his snow blower during the last storm and injured his hand.
Bellone said residents who are in need of heating assistance can call (631) 854-9100. Residents who have non-emergency issues can call 311, while anyone dealing with an emergency should call 911.
At around 1:30 a.m. on Monday morning, a car sideswiped a police car. The officer went to the hospital with minor injuries and was released.
Cameron said the officer had been in his car at the time of the accident. Had he been outside the car helping a motorist, he could have been killed.
The overnight accident “highlights the dangers [officers] face when they’re stopped,” said Cameron, who added that the county has had a “variety” of accidents that are related to the storm.
“If you have to go out, please be very cautious,” Cameron said.
Bellone said the storm and efforts to remove snow will last more than a day, especially as wind pushes snow back onto the roads.
“This is something we’ will be dealing with throughout tonight and into tomorrow,” Bellone said. Snow plows will still be on the roads tomorrow.
Suffolk County has shut down busses today and will provide notifications and updates about tomorrow.
Brookhaven Supervisor Romaine declares state of emergency
Due to the impending snowstorm, Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) issued a State of Emergency in the town effective 10 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 31 until 10 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 2.
Vehicles that are parked in the street should be moved to driveways or they could be subject to towing at the owner’s expense. Any abandoned vehicles obstructing access for snowplows and emergency vehicles may also be removed by the town. Residents are urged to stay off the roads unless there is an emergency or if it is absolutely essential to travel. The County of Suffolk has also declared a State of Emergency. The current weather forecast indicates the likelihood of significant snowfall, across Brookhaven starting Sunday and into Monday).
Monday garbage pick-up is also canceled.
Residents should call 451-TOWN to report snow related issues. Call 911 for police, fire and ambulance emergencies only. To report a power outage or downed wires, call PSEG at 800-490-0075 or go to www.psegliny.com to file a report online.
Winter storm warning in effect for Suffolk County from midnight Sunday night through 6 a.m. Tuesday
According to the National Weather Service, heavy snowfall is expected to begin around midnight tonight, through Tuesday morning. Total snow accumulations are expected to be between 6 and 16 inches with wind gusts as high as 50 mph. Travel is expected to be hazardous. Heavy wind gusts could bring down trees and limbs. Blizzard like conditions are possible for Monday through the evening.
All domestic animals should remain indoors during the freezing temperatures, with the exception of allowing dogs to venture out briefly to go to the bathroom. Outdoor animals should be sheltered indoors for the duration of this storm.
Please check on your neighbors with disabilities, special needs or senior citizens. Make sure they have an emergency phone, plenty of water, food and blankets. Ask if they have someone to call in the event of an emergency.
Residents should attempt to remove any brush or leaf bags from the street prior to the storm. Residents should park vehicles in driveways so crews can plow roads more efficiently during and after snow accumulation.
Post Storm Safety: When plowing driveways please be cognizant not to block fire hydrants with snow mounds. Public Safety Fire Marshals urge residents using generators to take a moment to confirm that the exhaust is facing outwards and at least 20’ away from a building. This can protect loved ones from CO poisoning and can prevent fires caused by generators incorrectly positioned.
Power Outages – PSEG Information: View PSEG Long Island’s outage map Click Here
To report and receive status updates on an outage Text OUT to PSEGLI (773454) or to report an outage online visit www.psegliny.com
To register, have your account number available and text REG to PSEGLI (773454)
Downed wires should always be considered “live.” Do not approach or drive over a downed line and do not touch anything contacting the wire. To report a downed wire, call PSEG Long Island’s 24-hour Electric Service number: 1-800-490-0075
Suffolk 311: Suffolk County 311 is a central call center available to residents who do not know which number to call for any non-emergency. Residents can reach the 311 line Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or leave messages after hours.
Content provided by the Town of Smithtown
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