CLOSE
Port Times Record

by -
0 745
Pixabay

By Emma Gutmann

To address the insidious, costly scams disproportionately affecting Americans over 60, state Sen Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk) and state Assemblyman Ed Flood (R-Port Jefferson) will be collaborating to host the Senior Scam Prevention Program on Thursday, June 20, at 3:30 p.m. The event will take place at Brightview Port Jefferson Senior Living facility, 1175 Route 112, Port Jefferson Station, and though it is geared toward seniors, anyone can attend.

“My office invites caregivers or older adults to attend the Senior Scam Prevention Program to learn a variety of information on how to stay vigilant and protect themselves and their loved ones from scams,” Flood said. “Many scammers target our seniors as easily as a brief interview to gain their financial information and it’s growing easier each day with advanced technology.”

According to the FBI’s 2023 Elder Fraud Report, over 101,000 seniors reported this crime, with an average loss of $33,915 per complainant. Tech support scams, personal data breaches, confidence and romance scams, nonpayment and nondelivery scams and investment scams are the top five most common types of fraud, in that order. 

“In 2023, total losses reported to the [Internet Crime Complaint Center] by those over the age of 60 topped $3.4 billion, an almost 11% increase in reported losses from 2022,” FBI Assistant Director Michael Nordwall wrote.

The skyrocketing number of older New Yorkers who have lost thousands to remote pickpocketing prompted Palumbo’s office, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and the Suffolk County Police Department to band together and create the program.

“The program provides information on the latest scams and tips to avoid being a victim of these crimes,” a DA’s representative of the program, Chris Stazio, said. “The presentation is given by both the District Attorney’s Office and Suffolk County Police Department.”

In most cases, scammers are able to prey on a lack of understanding or awareness of current technology and common phishing tactics. For example, the FBI’s 2024 Elder Fraud Report indicates that around 12,000 victims identified cryptocurrency as “the medium or tool used to facilitate the crime.” Anyone who knows little about crypto or other elusive tech can be a much easier target. 

Additionally, innocuous business email compromise scams were responsible for $382 million in losses last year, even though phishing emails can be obvious to identify once you know what to look for. 

In an attempt to reach as many people as possible, numerous iterations of the program have been held in varied locations.

“Our office has had several events throughout the 1st Senate District including at the Rose Caracappa Senior Center, Peconic Landing and local libraries,” Stazio said. “We have had great attendance at each event but have found that events located at senior facilities have the best attendance.”

Flood added, “We decided on Brightview because my office is working with senior centers across the district to keep them informed of this valuable information.”

This event aims to provide clarity and thus fortify the elderly community against online attacks. Anyone seeking to learn more about the scamming epidemic is welcome and encouraged to join Palumbo and Flood at Brightview Senior Living in Port Jefferson this Thursday afternoon.

by -
0 586
Pixabay

By Peter Sloniewsky

Juneteenth, a holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States — a “second independence day” — was celebrated on Wednesday, June 19.

Upon the release of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, slaves were legally freed throughout all of the Confederate states, but could not be fully implemented in areas still under Confederate control. Because of this, enslaved people in the westernmost reaches of the Confederacy would not be free until years later. These people were emancipated on June 19, 1865, when a group of Union troops announced that the quarter-million enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, would be freed by executive decree. This day came to be known as Juneteenth, widely recognized in African American communities but remaining largely unknown to most Americans.

On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden (D) signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law that officially made the day a federal holiday. It is intended to act as a precursor to the Fourth of July, demonstrating that the liberty we celebrate on that day was imperfect. It guides us to consider the ways that our perception of freedom has evolved, and allows new groups and generations to reflect on what more can and should be done.

Across Long Island, there were a variety of planned Juneteenth celebrations and projects that intended to honor Black history and culture. 

Suffolk County commemorations

Last year, the Suffolk County Legislature created a freedom trail, inclusive of sites dating back to the 17th century, in celebration of Juneteenth. This freedom trail includes 47 sites of Black history across the county, such as churches, monuments and the site of the founding of the first African-American baseball team in Babylon.

Over the past weekend, the Hicksville Juneteenth Cultural Festival and the Elmont Juneteenth Celebration Festival provided opportunities to celebrate the holiday in Nassau County.

The role of this holiday as a time for reflection on the meaning of freedom, as well as the modern history of race relations in our country and communities, gains special importance considering the long history of discrimination across Long Island. Both Nassau and Suffolk counties remain some of the most segregated areas in the United States, according to a Nov. 17, 2019, Newsday article. Of the 291 communities on Long Island, a majority of its Black residents live in just 11 of them. 

This problem has in fact worsened in past years, according to the organization ERASE Racism. Between 2004 and 2016, six additional school districts on Long Island reached a level defined by the organization as “intensely segregated.”

In fact, much of the history of many modern segregation practices were born nearby, in Levittown. Owners of the mass-produced suburb strictly abided by Federal Housing Administration codes known today as “redlining,” which kept racial groups separated, as well as including in the community bylaws that “the tenant agrees not to permit the premises to be … occupied by any person other than members of the Caucasian race.”

Civil rights activism on Long Island, mostly spearheaded by the Congress of Racial Equality — comparable to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference in the South — was regularly faced with resistance including active Ku Klux Klan membership across the Island throughout the 20th century. Even today, the white-supremacist Proud Boys have been shown to rally in Long Island communities. During the wave of Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, Proud Boys tried to forcibly block 100 protesters from marching down the streets of Merrick, which is more than 90% white.

Juneteenth remains a solemn reminder across the country and to Long Islanders specifically that the pathway to true freedom is not yet complete.

by -
0 520
METRO photo

By Daniel Dunaief

Daniel Dunaief

Shhh, don’t tell anyone, but I just received a copy of the draft of the debate rules that were sent to the two older gentlemen who would like to be president from 2024 to 2028.

Now, no one was supposed to see these, but my friend’s nephew’s babysitter’s neighbor happened to be taking out his recycling and he noticed a piece of paper with official presidential letter head on it. I’m going to share a few ideas that almost made it into the debate.

First, the two candidates considered the possibility of a brief nap. Each of them would have had a pillow and a small bed, just off stage, where they could recover and restore their vim and vigor.

Second, they were considering whether to allow a translator for each of them. That way, when one of them misspeaks and uses the wrong name or mispronounces a word, a country, a language or a religion, the translator could auto correct for the moment.

Third, they each considered bringing a Pinocchio onstage. When the other person spoke, the nonspeaking candidate could demonstrate the perceived inaccuracy of the other person’s comments by extending the nose of their puppet. 

Fourth, they each considered at least 30 seconds when they could appeal directly and exclusively to their donors, explaining why they needed more money and how they would best use it.

Fifth, they were each given the opportunity to ignore one question openly and ask themselves a better one that they themselves could then answer.

Sixth, they wanted the chance to stump the other with their spectacular knowledge of the world. Each person could ask the other to spell the name of a particular country and then demonstrate their world prowess by pointing to that country on an unlabeled map.

Seventh, they could each choose a way to demonstrate their intellectual prowess by choosing from the following list: name as many digits of pi as possible, name the former presidents in order, share the names of some important Supreme Court decisions, or name as many national parks as they could.

Eighth, each candidate would have the opportunity, in a minute or less, to share a lesson they learned in the classroom that they believe has come in particularly handy in their lives.

Ninth, each candidate would have to name at least five people who aren’t relatives and who are alive who they think might be great presidents one day.

Tenth, before they offered their own positions, each president would have a chance to do their best impersonation of the other man. For 90 seconds, each of them could pretend to be the candidate for the rival party.

Eleventh, in the spirit of collaboration and cooperation, each one had to say something genuinely supportive and nice about the other person, and it couldn’t be about the person’s family.

Twelfth, each participant would need to spend at least 30 seconds sharing his thoughts on RFK Jr.’s candidacy.

Thirteenth, each candidate would have to indicate how he would be president for the entire United States and not just his constituency. Each candidate would be required to speak directly to the supporters of the other candidate, suggesting why people who have made up their minds should change their vote.

Fourteenth, both candidates would need to discuss something other than his rival as the greatest threat to the future of the United States.

Fifteenth, each candidate should discuss why, despite their frustration with the press that they think favors the other side, they still support the First Amendment. They would also need to share their views on the value of a free press, emphasizing in particular its ability to hold politicians accountable.

Sixteenth, the winner of the debate, as determined by an independent panel of disinterested observers, would circle the stage while sharing some dance moves of his choice.

Seventeenth, regardless of the outcome of the debate, the candidates agree to shake each other’s hands, to smile and to wish their competitor, their competitor’s family, and the country well.

by -
0 896
The sculpture of Borghese's Itala in Kirov, Russia. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief,
Publisher

This month marks an anniversary of the Peking to Paris Road Race of 1907. Now there is a recent book to recount the adventure, “The Race to the Future,” by Kassia St. Clair. Five automobiles, so newly invented that people weren’t sure what to call them, turned out for the 9000-mile trip over unpaved deserts and mountains, rivers and forests to win the acclaim, and a magnum of Mumm champagne, that would go to the first person to reach the finish line.

More than a race, it was really a challenge to promote the use of motor cars. The Paris newspaper. “Le Matin,” on January 31, 1907 wrote the following:

“What needs to be proved today is that as long as man has a car, he can do anything and go anywhere. Is there anyone who will undertake to travel this summer from Paris to Peking by automobile?”

The race actually started in the other direction, from the French embassy in Peking (now Beijing) on June 10th and came down to between two very different men, ending on August 10th.

The winner was the car carrying the imperious Italian Prince Scipione Borghese, Ettore Guizzardi, who apparently did most of the driving, and journalist Luigi Barzini, who in 1908 wrote a book about the trip, “Peking to Paris.” Frenchman Charles Godard was the raffish driver of the second car, and he had no money, begged for petrol, borrowed the Dutch Spyker for the trip, and was arrested for fraud near the end of the race. One of the other cars, the three-wheel Contal cyclecar, bccame bogged down. Godard and the journalist with him ran out of fuel in the Gobi desert and almost died. Borghese’s personal car, The Itala, was technically superior to the others.

Gasoline and provisions were carried ahead by camel and horseback, and newspapers arranged for a reporter in each car to track the progress and send back articles. Because the race followed a telegraph route, stories could be posted regularly from the stations to Paris. 

Some of the areas in Asia were so remote that people were unfamiliar with automobiles, only using horses to reach them. And St. Clair, in the book, recounts episodes like the search in the Urals for carpenters to repair the cars’ smashed wooden wheels. The direction of the book, however, is always forward, as can be guessed from the title. The decadent empires of Russia and China that the racers were traversing were fading but the adventure of the remote villages and primitive Siberian settlements must have been fantastic experiences.

The race has stimulated the imagination of many over the century, and there have been reenactments during that time. In 1908 The Great Auto Race, which went from New York west (by sea for part of the way) to Paris, tried to capture the excitement of that first race. When Russia became the USSR after the 1917 Revolution, that route was barred; only when the Soviet Union dissolved in the 1990, were racers allowed back.

Other routes for similar car races include the 1997 “Second Peking to Paris Motor Challenge” that went through Tibet, India, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Greece and Italy, a more southerly trail. And there have been others through the years.

For me, the excitement of the open road is irresistible, whether it is intercontinental or merely out east to the Hamptons. The unknown that lies beyond the next bend promises, if not rugged terrain, at least new sights, sounds and contacts. It’s not necessarily a race that beckons, only the adventure of the different and unexpected. 

For me, the challenge is not the wild terrain but merely navigating the traffic. As the houses drop away and the farms and vineyards come into view, I can feel myself physically relax and breathe in the smells of flowering fields and sod farms.

I can only imagine the thrill of crossing unchartered lands.

by -
0 990
Josh Wege (with baseball hat) a United States Marine, retired Lance Corporal and Brian Gentilotti, United States Airforce. Photo courtesy St. Charles Hospital

By Christopher Schulz

Three members of the USA Patriots softball team — formerly known as the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team — visited patients at the St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson Friday morning, June 14. The group initially met in the hospital’s recreational center before proceeding to meet the patients.

The softball players, Josh Wege, Jeffrey Hackett and Brian Gentilotti, shared their stories with the approximately 30 staff members and 10 patients. 

Wege said he lost both his legs fighting in Afghanistan as a Marine in 2009. The military vehicle he was riding in hit a bomb that “turned into a landmine” which “traumatically amputated [his] right leg” and mangled his left leg. He now has two prosthetics in place of his lower legs.

Despite his traumatic injury, Wege keeps pushing forward. 

“The biggest motivator I would say is to get my life back,” he said. “There are some things that you feel like are just taken away from you”. He later added that he “felt broken” inside that he did not have the same agility and speed he once had as a star athlete. 

“You don’t want to feel broken so you start chasing the life that you had,” he said. 

Hackett, on the other hand, pushes forward every day for his family. After losing his left leg, “I still wanted to stay in the Army so that pushed me to get back to a normal life,” he said. 

In addition, Hackett expressed his respect toward the patients. “They all have their own story. It’s all about making goals and taking that step further,” he said. 

One such patient, Shawn Coyle, does not need prosthetics but is in need of a wheelchair at all times. He has avascular necrosis affecting both hips. Coyle says he was diagnosed with the condition six months ago but has only been in the hospital for a couple weeks now.

He has already had surgery on one of his hips. The surgery for his other hip will happen in a few months. When asked about how he felt about the softball players coming, he jokingly responded that he wanted to play with them. 

“I like softball,” Coyle simply stated. He also found it “inspiring” to see them and would love to play again his own sports — basketball and baseball — someday. “It’s a process but you’ve got to just keep working at it,” he said. “I feel like they’re like regular people,” referring to the players. 

Both Wege and Hackett expressed their desire to come back to St. Charles Hospital or any other hospital to visit and support people who are in the same position they were once in. 

“You either stay where you’re at or you just keep inching forward every day and try to get your life back. We like to give that message to people and even talk to kids in schools because they’re curious and they have never met a wounded warrior before, [especially] at the state that we’re at,” Wege said. 

“This is stuff we like to do,” Hackett agreed. 

by -
0 1659
Marie Parziale, Xena Ugrinsky and Kyle Hill outside the polling site on June 18. Photo by Lynn Hallarman

By Aidan Johnson

Kyle Hill and Xena Ugrinsky will join the Port Jefferson Village Board of Trustees after winning the June 18 election, receiving 796 and 673 votes, respectively.

“What an outstanding turnout from Port Jefferson voters yesterday,” Port Jefferson Village Mayor Lauren Sheprow said. “We are very passionate about our elections!” 

The race saw three candidates—Hill, Ugrinsky and Port Jefferson resident Marie Parziale—compete for two open seats, replacing Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kassay and Village Trustee Drew Biondo. Parziale finished in third place with 449 votes.

Additionally, 90 write-in votes were cast, including for names such as former Deputy Mayor Kathianne Snaden, former Village Mayor Hal Sheprow, Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kassay and Brookhaven Town Democratic Committee Chair Anthony Portesy.

“I congratulate Xena and Kyle on their victories and look forward to working with them starting with our first meeting as a Board on July 1,” Sheprow said in a statement. “We have a lot of work to do! I know Xena will hit the ground running and I look forward to getting to know Kyle and hearing more about what he would like to contribute as a Trustee.”

In an interview after the results were announced, Hill expressed gratitude for the support he received.

“I feel like our campaign was really about reaching out to folks that are in the village, not on social media, and really just want to see the place as great as it can be. Having those conversations face to face with folks was a great experience,” Hill said.

“I’m excited to work with the entire board and mayor and looking forward to all the great things that we can do together,” he added.

In a speech to her supporters, Ugrinsky also expressed appreciation for the support and help she received.

“I promise that I will do my best to try and solve some of these problems, and I don’t care if it takes two years, six years, or ten years,” Ugrinsky said. “Even if there’s a term limit, I’m here as a resident; I care so deeply about this village, and I hope to make you all proud.”

In a statement, Parziale congratulated Hill and Ugrinsky on their win, saying she looks “forward to the positive changes you will bring.”

“I remain dedicated to uniting our community and encouraging participation in the village’s ‘Make a Difference’ committees. Additionally, I am committed to advancing the uptown economic development plan and am honored to have accepted the chair of the committee,” Parziale stated.

The last meeting of the current village board will be on June 26 and the swearing-in ceremony will take place on July 4.

 

by -
0 764
1 of 2
Twelve students graduated from Sunshine Alternative Education Center on June 13.
Twelve students graduated from Sunshine Alternative Education Center on June 13.

Sunshine Alternative Education Center in Port Jefferson Station celebrated the successful graduation and moving forward of all 12 students from its transformative educational initiative on June 13. This milestone marks not only academic achievement but also a testament to the power of support and dedication in shaping young lives.

The special ceremony was a touching event filled with emotions of pride and accomplishment. These high school students, who have overcome various challenges and barriers, were celebrated for their resilience and determination. Each student has demonstrated exceptional growth, not only academically but also personally, making significant strides towards a brighter future.

Dr. Carter, Co-founder and CEO of Sunshine acknowledged that none of this would have been possible without the unwavering support of our community, elected officials, school districts, agency partners, and sponsors. Town of Brookhaven Councilman Jonathan Kornreich and Suffolk County Youth Bureau Director Sandra Alfano helped Dr. Carter acknowledge all the supporters for their generous contributions of time, resources, and expertise which have been instrumental in helping Sunshine provide these students with the tools and opportunities they needed to succeed. Sunshine Alternative Education Center’s commitment to education and empowerment has made a lasting impact on the lives of these students and their families.

“We are immensely proud of our two graduates from Bayshore and Pat Med school districts and are deeply grateful to everyone who has supported them on this journey,” said Dr. Carter, Co-founder/CEO of Sunshine Alternative Education Center. “And we also acknowledge the Moving Up of the other students in the program because this ceremony is a testament to what can be achieved when we come together as a community to uplift and empower our youth.”

Sunshine Alternative Education Center has been committed to continuing its mission of providing alternative education services to high school students who could benefit from an alternative to the traditional school setting for various reasons. The success of this ceremony serves as a powerful reminder of the potential within every individual and the importance of providing positive and supportive environments.

For more information about Sunshine Alternative Education Center and how you can support their efforts, please visit www.sunshinepreventionctr.org or contact Dr. Carter at 631-476-3099.

by -
0 811
Pixabay photo

By Serena Carpino

Father’s Day is always a special time of the year. Families go out for breakfast at Sweet Mama’s, rent kayaks in the Stony Brook Harbor, play a round of golf at St George’s in Setauket, or continue their own fun traditions. 

As Father’s Day approaches, TBR asked local personalities, “What does Father’s Day mean to you? How do you celebrate Father’s Day? What’s the best present you’ve given your father over the years?”

— Photos by Serena Carpino

Eric Rectanus, Stony Brook 

Father’s Day is “a way of honoring the person who took care of you. It’s the person who put a roof over your head, made sure you had food in your belly, loved you and cared for you no matter what.” Rectanus, who lost his father last year, said. “Seeing Father’s Day now compared to when I had my dad, I see really what Father’s Day means because I don’t have him anymore. It’s just that person who gives you unconditional love, no matter what you do in life.” 

Mario Solis, Stony Brook 

“For me, it’s just a time that [my family] can get together, especially with my dad. We don’t have that close of a relationship, so that’s really the only time that I get to spend time with him.” 

Solis said that he and his family celebrate Father’s Day with food. “We eat — eat and just spend time together. It’s nothing special but it means a lot to us.” Solis added that the best gift he has given his father was a tool set. 

Solis declined for his picture to be taken. 

Tatjana Trajkovic, East Setauket

 “Father’s Day is a day to celebrate your dad because a lot of us who have dads sometimes take them for granted and don’t realize that some people aren’t as fortunate as us. So, it’s a day to appreciate these special people,” Trajkovic said.

The family celebrates her father and sister as a “two-for-one special” since her sister’s birthday is the same day. “Usually, we get a cake and split it between them,” she said.

 Trajkovic will be attending college in the fall and hopes to give her father a meaningful present before she leaves. She explained, “On TikTok there’s a special Father’s Day present that’s trending where you have your dad write down all of his important memories and the best stories of his life. I want him to write all of these in a notebook so that I can carry them to college. That’ll probably be the best gift I’ll ever give him, but I suppose it’ll be a gift for me too.”

Christian McClain, Shoreham

Christian McClain, a student at Shoreham-Wading River High School, said that, to him, “Father’s Day means celebrating and appreciating the love, guidance and support my father has given me throughout my life.”

On Father’s Day, McClain always has baseball tournaments. So, to celebrate his father, he wears light-blue socks and a light-blue wristband. In addition, McClain said that the best gift he ever gave his father “was when my family surprised him with a trip to Italy over the summer.”

Karen Gilmore, Stony Brook 

For Father’s Day, Gilmore said that her “daughter gets a present and gives it to him. We usually take him out to dinner or something like that … we like to go to Ragazzi [Italian Kitchen & Bar, in Nesconset].”

This year, Gilmore’s daughter made her dad a nice picture with watercolor in a recent art class. Gilmore said, “She’s really proud that she’s going to give it to him. [It’s important because] it’s something personalized, something that she made, more than just buying something. It’s something that means something from the heart.”

by -
0 514

By Aramis Khosronejad

The Long Island Explorium hosted its 7th annual Maker Faire on Saturday, June 8, also held at the Village Center and Harborfront Park. The event featured a wide range of activities, from hands-on origami lessons to robotics presentations, drawing a large and diverse crowd.

The Maker Faire has been a popular event well received by various communities. It aims to foster curiosity and provide a platform for people of all backgrounds and interests to share their passions. 

The Maker Faire concept originated in San Mateo, California, in 2006, created by the editors of Make magazine. Since then, it has grown into an international event, with Maker Faires held in cities like San Francisco, New York, Berlin and Barcelona as well as Port Jefferson.

Angeline Judex, executive director of the Long Island Explorium, emphasized that the Maker Faire is “a festival of invention and innovation for everybody. Not just for little kids but for adults as well.” She highlighted the event’s diversity, which makes it especially unique. The faire featured an impressive assortment of participants and interests, from radio clubs to robotics and sculptures made from ocean debris.

This year’s Maker Faire on Long Island featured more than 75 exhibitors and 120 presenters.

The Maker Faire is designed to feed curiosity and nurture knowledge. Judex stated that the purpose of the event is “to enhance education, enrich life and to empower minds,” teaching that “learning is lifelong.” She noted the importance of such events in today’s society, especially with the advent of artificial intelligence. By cultivating curiosity and providing a space for the exchange of information, the faire aims to inspire innovation. “The challenges of the future can be changed by innovations from today,” Judex said. “Science is really at the intersection of endless possibilities — we’re talking about infinite possibilities for the future.”

Judex encouraged attendees to “explore, discover, invent and inspire,” sharing the joy and wonder that sustains lifelong learning and curiosity. “There’s no finite end, the exploring always continues,” she said, emphasizing the importance of having fun while learning.

by -
0 817
Smart911

In times of crisis, the strength of a community is tested. 

Whether facing natural disasters, public health emergencies or unexpected incidents like the recent water main break in East Setauket, the importance of communitywide communication cannot be overstated. The key to navigating these challenges lies in emergency preparedness, the effective use of technology and the dissemination of timely information through mobile apps and other digital platforms as well as keeping in touch with neighbors and family members.

Emergencies can strike without warning, disrupting daily life and putting lives at risk. Events like the water main break in our own communities are reminders of this reality. When such events occur, having a well-organized communication strategy can make all the difference. Immediate, clear and coordinated communication helps ensure that everyone is informed and knows how to respond, especially now as we enter hurricane season.

Emergency preparedness begins before any disaster occurs. It involves educating the public about potential risks, establishing clear response protocols and conducting regular drills. Community members should know where to find reliable information, how to contact emergency services and what steps to take to stay safe. 

Technology is an ally in emergency management. Social media platforms, mobile apps and websites can quickly spread information to large audiences. 

Suffolk County has some emergency preparedness apps. Smart911, a free service, allows residents to register with the Emergency Alert program to help emergency responders and Suffolk County prepare for disasters and evacuations. SuffolkAlert, another free service, allows residents to sign up for customized emergency alerts via text message, email or voice message. 

By leveraging such tools, we can ensure that vital information reaches every corner of our community.

The effectiveness of these tools depends on widespread adoption and usage. It is imperative that local authorities, community leaders and organizations actively promote these resources. Educational campaigns, workshops and community events can help to raise awareness about the importance of downloading and using emergency preparedness apps.

Maintaining trust and credibility in communication channels is essential as misinformation can spread as quickly as a verified alert, sometimes creating space for confusion and panic. Official channels must be seen as the definitive sources of information. To do so successfully requires transparency, consistency and regular updates from authorities, as well as collaboration with local media to reach broader audiences.

Finally, let’s not overlook the human element, in emergencies, neighbors often become first responders. Building a strong sense of community, where people look out for one another and share information, is equally important. Initiatives like neighborhood watch programs and community emergency response teams can enhance our collective resilience. And let us remember to check on neighbors who are elderly, disabled or live alone, and of course those who are not digitally knowledgeable.

Prev1...656667...604Next Page 66 of 604
TBR News Media is your local news and entertainment website.
We provide you with the latest breaking news and information for your community.
Contact us: [email protected]

Most Viewed

©