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Pictured above, Rich Schaffer (left) and Jesse Garcia (right). Left photo from Babylon Town website; right file photo from Suffolk GOP

In a year of narrow margins of victory and slim majorities in the U.S. House and Senate, Republicans made steady gains in Suffolk County. Following this outcome, TBR News Media spoke independently with Rich Schaffer and Jesse Garcia, respective chairmen of the Suffolk Democratic and Republican committees, for their views on the local outcome.

What is your initial reaction to this year’s midterm election results?

Schaffer: 

In Suffolk County, I think voters were clear in demonstrating that they had great concerns about some of the issues out of Albany, issues revolving around public safety, law enforcement and affordability. I think [Republican gubernatorial nominee U.S. Rep.] Lee Zeldin [R-NY1] spoke to that, and that’s why you had the results you had where I think he gathered about 59% of the [Suffolk] vote.

We, the Democratic Party, need to do a better job on messaging. The governor [Kathy Hochul (D)] delivered record amounts of state aid for education, and nobody even knew about it. The governor delivered record amounts of infrastructure monies that fixed the LIE and various roads throughout the county, and nobody knew about it. The governor held up the state budget to have tweaks made to the bail reform and criminal justice issues that were passed by the Legislature earlier this year, and nobody knew about it.

I think we failed at our messaging, and the Republicans did a better job on that.

Garcia:

I’m very proud of the reaction of the voters of Suffolk County and of the hard work of the Suffolk County Republican Committee members involved here. This is a process that began in the cold, wintery nights of February. It culminated with the night we call our Super Bowl, with a successful election night.

Our goal was to deliver 60% of the vote for Lee Zeldin. We did, we gave him a plurality of 100,000 votes. I couldn’t be more proud of the efforts we put in in Suffolk County, Long Island and throughout the state. Because of our efforts, we knocked off a 40-year Democratic incumbent lawmaker [state Assemblyman Steve Englebright, previously a Suffolk County legislator (Setauket)] and we came very close in two other seats, AD-11 and the 4th Senatorial District. 

All in all, it was a very successful night. More importantly, it was a successful night for the voters of Suffolk County.

Did your party meet expectations?

Schaffer:

I can’t speak to the county numbers because I don’t have all of them, but I’ve been looking at the Babylon numbers because I’m an elected official in Babylon. 

We underperformed in terms of turnout. Republicans had their normal turnout in Babylon. Blanks [i.e., those not registered with any party] and Democrats had about 10% to 15% less turnout than we would normally have in a gubernatorial election year. That alone speaks to my answer to the first question, messaging. And two, in terms of turning out people who would normally turn out for us, we didn’t do a good job doing that. We have to find out why they didn’t turn out.

Garcia:

We always set very lofty goals for ourselves. In my time as chairman of the Republican Party here in Suffolk County, in every election cycle we have flipped a blue seat. I have great confidence in this committee. When we set our minds to a goal, we meet them. On Nov. 9 and 10, we were in our headquarters plotting out the next election cycle and setting goals there for our town and our county. 

Based on these results, how is voting behavior in Suffolk County changing?

Schaffer:

I don’t know if it’s changing, but I would say that it’s always going to be a moderate to conservative place. The enrollment numbers are pretty much even, Democrat to Republican, and then there’s another third who are independent, blanks. 

You are seeing ticket splitting because Democrats are getting elected in various places. If there’s an answer to your question about changing, I would say that Suffolk County voters are voting in a more moderate to conservative way, whether they be a registered Democrat, Republican or not registered with any party. And maybe that’s to say that registration doesn’t determine how someone’s going to vote.

I think they’re going to come out and they’re going to vote based on how they feel about the particular issues of the day, and if you haven’t done your job on messaging then you’re not going to win that battle.

Garcia:

I think that it’s changing in a way that we are utilizing Republican governance as the proper way to govern at the town level, the county level, or the state and federal levels. I use our supervisors throughout the town, our Republican supervisors with Republican majorities, to show the voters that there’s a different way to govern, and I think that way is now being responded to.

Even deep blue seats in the strongholds of the Democratic Party — whether it be Babylon Town or in the 1st [Council] District of Brookhaven — we have had historic victories this year. While we’ve had successes at the townwide level, this year we finally broke through that ceiling and were successful at the [state] level by defeating Assemblyman Englebright.

I believe that the voter trends that we’re seeing are the results of the political infrastructure, on one hand. On the other hand, residents are recognizing the difference between Republican and Democratic governance.

Has your party altered its political strategy with respect to voting by mail? Do you foresee mail-in ballots playing a greater role in the future?

Schaffer:

Absolutely. I think any time you make voting more accessible, you’re going to get a better response from people. We were always champions of communicating with people who are on permanent absentee [ballot status], those who are in nursing homes or who are not able to get out and vote physically. 

Keep in mind, if someone requests a ballot early, or with early voting as much as 10 days out, you have to kind of move up your communications schedule so that you don’t lose the opportunity to communicate with those people and have an impact. If there’s a change in strategy, it’s probably moving up the communication schedule and doing it earlier.

Garcia:

I made a commitment to our leaders, to our candidates, our elected officials, our committee people and to the voters of Suffolk County that I will adapt. 

I will make sure that this party has the wherewithal to adapt to any and all shenanigans on the electoral side set forth by the Democratic majority in Albany.

We continue to do that on an annual basis, and this year — unlike in previous years — the absentee ballots were not as disastrous. 

As I said, I adapt each and every year our tactics, our approach and our strategies to any electoral shenanigans that the Democrats in Albany put into place.

What does your party have to do to win over more voters?

Schaffer:

More direct communication. I’ve told our party members that we have to get back to doing door-to-door. Obviously, COVID really knocked the you-know-what out of that. People have just given up on talking to people in an office, relying on text messages and emails. Mailings have kind of even dropped down now. It’s become who can get their message out on TikTok and Instagram.

I think people have become immune to that because they’re just pounded all day long with social media and technology, so I think we have to get back to more direct, one-on-one social interaction. The local election year next year, 2023, is a great year to do that because turnout does drop in ‘23 with a smaller group of people to communicate with. 

I think it’s important to do that and to get the party people to do that, because that’s the best way to have an impact on getting your people out and getting people to buy into your message.

Garcia:

We’re going to continue doing what we’re doing. We’re going to expand and grow our coalitions. We’re going to learn from the successes we had in 2022. Those areas that we think we can improve upon, we will. 

My goal right now is to reelect the incumbents in Brookhaven Town, in my capacity as Brookhaven Town [Republican Committee] chairman. 

And then to set my sights on the county executive’s seat, filling it with a Republican for the first time in 20 years, and to expand and maintain the Republican majority elected last year [in the county Legislature].

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Alessia Bartholomew is supported by Emily Nichols and Bridget Caulfield. By Steven Zaitz
Lorena Della Vecchia. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Lorena Della Vecchia. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Alessia Bartholomew. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Sophia Stern. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Brooke Wenger. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Brook Wenger. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Alessia Bartholomew is all smiles. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Emily Nichols is at the apex. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Maddie Cianelli. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Bridget Caulfield. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Alessia Bartholomew. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Bridget Caulfield climbs the summit. Photo by Steven Zaitz
The Northport Varsity Cheerleaders. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Sophia Stern. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Maddie Cianelli. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Lorena Della Vecchia. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Brooke Wenger. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Lorena Della Vecchia. Photo by Steven Zaitz

The Northport varsity cheerleaders competed in two separate competitions in two different states this past weekend and came out with two bids to compete on the national stage.

On Saturday, Dec. 3, they boarded a pre-sunrise bus to the Universal Cheerleading Association’s Pocono Regionals held in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where they competed in two separate divisions — Game Day and Traditional. Cheer teams from all over the Northeast strutted their stuff, and Northport placed 3rd in the Game Day category and 9th in Traditional. 

Based on this performance, they earned bids to compete in both categories at the U.C.A. championship held in Walt Disney World in February 2023 — the first time an N.V.C team has ever accomplished this.

The travel-weary troupe  were back at it early Sunday morning in a Suffolk County competition and placed 4th in their first local competition of the season.  Host school Longwood came in first.

The team is made up of seniors Kate Sheahan, Hailey Trudwig, Hailey Smolcnop, Stephanie Downey, Bridget Caulfield, Maddie Cianelli, juniors Olivia Robert, Alexa Ehrlich, sophomores Allie Bartholomew, Alexa Garrison, Emily Nichols, Sophia Stern, Lorena Della Vecchia, Brooke Wenger, Lindsay Grabowski and eighth-grader Marley Caccamo. It is led by Coach Steph Walsh.

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By Daniel Dunaief

Like the rest of the state and country, Suffolk County is grappling with a shortage of pediatric amoxicillin, the drug most often used to treat bacterial infections such as strep throat and ear infections.

In the last few weeks, parents have gone to their local pharmacies, only to find that the liquid form of the medicine that’s suitable for their children is out of stock.

“There is a shortage,” said Dr. Sharon Nachman, chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, who estimates that the medicine isn’t available about half the time the hospital prescribes it. “We worry that it’s going to continue to happen.”

As more children are around their friends and family before and during the holidays “it’s going to get worse,” she added.

This, doctors said, is not a Long Island or even a New York state problem. It’s national.

Nachman’s granddaughter needed amoxicillin in Florida. Her daughter drove around from pharmacy to pharmacy until she found one that had the medicine.

Doctors suggested that a number of factors have contributed to the shortage. For starters, some urgent care centers and doctors around the country are prescribing amoxicillin when children have viral infections. The medicine not only isn’t helping with sore throats or other viral symptoms, but it also isn’t as available for the children who have bacterial infections.

Nachman urges parents to make sure their children have an infection for which amoxicillin or any other drug works before picking it up from the pharmacy.

“When the pediatrician does a viral test and you get a positive, you know what it is,” she said. “When they do a throat swab for strep and it’s negative, you know what it’s not.”

Nachman told parents to ask whoever is prescribing antibiotics like amoxicillin if their children really need the medicine.

“If there is a silver lining, it’s forcing clinicians to try not to over prescribe it,” said Dr. James Cavanagh, director of Pediatrics at Port Jefferson’s St. Charles Hospital.

Finally, the stock of amoxicillin is low nationally.

For parents, the effect of the shortage has ranged from the expected anxiety over a limited resource to an awareness of a new reality.

Indeed, earlier this year, parents struggled to find baby formula.

“They are accepting of it, given the climate we’ve been in with formula,” Cavanagh said. “Parents are unfortunately getting used to it.”

Other infections

With viruses like respiratory syncytial virus, the flu, and COVID-19 prevalent and increasing in communities around Long Island, children and adults are increasingly getting sick and exhibiting the kind of general symptoms that could be viral or bacterial.

Stony Brook Children’s Hospital continues to have a steady stream of patients.

“We were full before Thanksgiving, full on Thanksgiving and full after Thanksgiving,” Nachman said. “As soon as a bed opens, another child comes in.”

While strep throat is easy to diagnose, ear infections can be either viral or bacterial.

Pediatric associations offer various guidelines. For children who are 9 and over, parents can do watchful waiting, but for children who are younger, like 4 months old, parents should use antibiotics.

While childhood forms of amoxicillin are limited, adult supplies, in the form of pills and capsules, are not. Children as young as 7 years old can take pills as long as the milligrams of the pills to the kilograms of the child’s weight are appropriate for
the dosage.

Nachman said Stony Brook Children’s Hospital has been doing a lot more calling to pharmacies near where patients live to ensure they have amoxicillin.

“That takes extra time,” she said. Those efforts could mean that families may have to wait longer in the emergency room.

The amoxicillin shortage can be worse for families that don’t have cars.

“How are they getting their prescriptions filled?” Nachman asked. “This is just one more worry.”

Alternatives

Area doctors and pharmacists suggested that there are alternatives to the pediatric form of amoxicillin. Children who are old enough and meet weight requirements can take a pill.

Alternatively, with careful medical guidance, parents can open up the right dose for capsules and mix it with applesauce or some other foods, according to the American Association of Pediatrics.

Doctors can also prescribe other broad spectrum antibiotics, such as augmentin and omnicef. 

Using these other antibiotics, however, increases the risk of developing antibiotic resistant infections later.

“The next infection may be harder to treat,” Cavanagh said.

These other antibiotics also may eliminate some of the good bacteria in the gut,
causing diarrhea.

As doctors have increasingly prescribed some of these other medicines, pharmacies have seen the supply of alternatives decrease as well.

“Everyone follows the same algorithm” in prescribing medicine, which means the demand for other prescriptions is increasing, Cavanagh added.

Immune boost

Doctors said children can enhance their overall health and immune systems with healthy eating and sleeping habits and by making sure they are up to date with available preventive measures.

“Get vaccinated,” Cavanagh said. He also urged good hand washing routines.

Cavanagh added that children exposed to cigarette smoke in a house are also at a higher risk of ear infection. As for what constitutes enough sleep for a child, doctors recommend between eight and nine hours per night. That, doctors said, is tough to get for children who sleep with a cell phone near their beds.

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Ukrainian flag. Pixabay photo

By Daniel Dunaief

Daniel Dunaief

As we round out the second week of December, I’d like to offer some suggestions for a 2022 time capsule.

— A Ukrainian flag. Ukraine, with help from Americans and many other nations, has fended off Russia’s ongoing military assault. The question for 2023 will be whether they can continue to defend the country amid a potential decline in international support.

— A waterlogged dollar. With inflation at decades-high levels, the dollar isn’t buying as much as it had been.

— Florida man makes announcement. I would include a copy of the New York Post front page the day after former president Donald Trump, to no one’s surprise, announced he would be running for president in 2024. A previous ardent supporter of the former president, the Post may be leading the charge in another political direction to find a new standard bearer for the GOP.

— A red dot. Certainly, the Republicans taking over the majority in the house will have important consequences, with numerous investigations and a divided government on the horizon, but Republicans didn’t win as many national elections as anticipated.

— A miniature replica of the Supreme Court, with the words Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization in front of it. The Supreme Court case, which reversed the Roe v. Wade decision, removed the federal right to an abortion, enabling states to pass new laws and contributing, in part, to smaller midterm wins for Republicans.

On the much smaller personal front:

— Throat lozenges. I got COVID-19 for the first time this year and my throat was so painful for a week that I couldn’t talk. The lozenges didn’t work, but they would highlight numerous efforts to reduce pain from a virus that was worse than any flu I’ve ever had.

— The number 62. This, yet again, wasn’t the year the New York Yankees won the World Series. Nope, they didn’t even get there, yet again falling, this time without winning a single game, to the Houston Astros. It was, however, a wonderful chase for the American League home run record by Aaron Judge, who just signed a $360 million extension with the Yankees.

— Wedding bells and a tiny nerf football. For the first time in years, my wife and I attended two family weddings this year. We loved the chance to dance, catch up with relatives, eat great food, and run across a college baseball field with a $7 nerf football we purchased from the hotel lobby store.

— A miniature swamp boat. On one of the more memorable trips to New Orleans to visit our son, my wife and I saw numerous alligators and heard memorable Louisiana tales from Reggie Domangue, whose anecdotes and personal style became the model for the firefly in the Disney movie “The Princess and the Frog.”

— A shark tooth. During the summer, Long Islanders worried about local sharks, who bit several area swimmers. The apex predator, which is always in the area, likely had higher numbers amid a recovery in the numbers of their prey, which are menhaden, also known as bunker fish and, despite the prevalence of the music from the movie “Jaws,” does not include humans.

— A Good Steer napkin. My favorite restaurant from my childhood closed after 65 years, leaving behind an onion ring void and shuttering the backdrop to numerous happy family outings. If I had a way to retire expressions the way baseball teams  retire numbers, I would retire the words “Burger Supreme” on a food version of Monument Park.

— A giant question mark. Scientists throughout Long Island (and the world )constantly ask important questions. Some researchers will invent technology we may use all day long, like cell phones. Others may make discoveries that lead to life-saving drugs. Let’s celebrate great questions.

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Jeopardy. Facebook photo

By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief

It’s not an addiction, exactly, but I do regularly watch “Jeopardy!” So do several of my friends and at least one son and daughter-in-law, who make sure they get home from work just as the television program begins. What is it, you might ask, that makes the program so alluring? There is no love interest, no spy adventure, no murder mystery, no serial episodes to coax one back each weeknight at 7 o’clock. 

Well, maybe there is that last aspect. There are three contestants nightly, for those unacquainted with the format, and each stands behind a podium, separated from the one alongside. Each person has a buzzer in hand, and they look at the answers to questions on a big board before them, just as the TV audience does, and as the moderator reads the answer. The first one to hit the buzzer after the moderator stops speaking then get to ask the question the answer poses. 

It’s questions and answers in reverse. The questions range across six categories, and of course, each contestant tries for answers in the category most familiar to them. Each answer is worth a certain amount of money, and once in a while, one contestant will respond to all five in a single subject. There is single Jeopardy or part one for the first half, and then Double Jeopardy, in which the answers are worth twice as much.

But there is more to the half-hour stint than just who-knows-more-about-what. There is also luck involved, because hidden among the answers on the board is a kind of Joker that enables the person, who unknowingly clicks on it and causes it to be revealed, to wager as much of their “earnings” in advance of what has to be answered next. There is also strategy that is required, the sort found in the card game, Poker. Each person needs a sense of the risk-taking tolerance of the opponents in order to determine how much to wager. Many games are won or lost during Final Jeopardy, on that last detail, alone. The winner is the one with the most money at the end and returns to play the following night until they lose.

Now back to the serial appeal. When one contestant wins repeatedly, that person will attract more than the usual interest. He or she, and it is almost always a “he,” will develop a fan club among the viewers, who cheer him on each night from their living rooms. He, of course, cannot hear them, but after an especially long run, that person may become nationally known. In addition to the substantial amount of money they may have earned, sometimes enough to fully fund retirement, there are all sorts of further opportunities for them, like endorsements and sponsorships.

So we tune in to see how our winner is doing with each new night of games, as we might gather around a roulette table with a persistent winner in a casino. But unlike a casino, there is the broad knowledge of trivia required to play competitively, and that makes for fun in our living rooms. We call out the answers along with the actual contestants, and we become contestants, too, among our group. When one of us has the right answer, the other or others offer congratulations. Most satisfying is when one of us knows the last question at Final Jeopardy, and none of the three on stage does.

That calls for a high-five and a “Wahoo!”

“Jeopardy!” was invented by the game show king, Merv Griffin, and premiered in 1964. It had a successful daytime run until 1975, hosted by Art Flemming and running on NBC, until it was deemed no longer of interest. The series was then picked up in 1984 by CBS and hosted by Alex Trebek, and has been on the air five times a week since then. Currently, Ken Jennings has replaced the late Trebek. It airs in various international versions in more than 25 countries.

I confess to being a member of the “Jeopardy!” cult.

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UPDATE: Following an investigation and tips from the community, the Havanese puppy that was stolen
from Selmer’s Pet Land in Huntington Station on December 6 was recovered on Dec. 7 in Brooklyn.
The 3-month-old puppy was returned to the pet store. The incident is under investigation.

Below is the original press release:

Suffolk County Police Second Squad detectives are investigating the theft of a puppy from a Huntington Station pet store. A man stole a male Havanese puppy from Selmer’s Pet Land, located at 125 East Jericho Turnpike, on Dec. 6 at approximately 12:35 p.m. by placing the dog inside a backpack. The man was described as white, approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall and was wearing a purple jacket and yamaka. He possibly fled on a bicycle. The puppy, which is approximately 3 months old, is microchipped.

Detectives are asking anyone with information on this incident to call the Second Squad at 631-854-
8252 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.

 

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This week marks the 81st anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, one of the darkest episodes in American history. Pixabay photo

“No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.” 

— President Franklin D. Roosevelt (D), Dec. 7, 1941

This week, 81 years ago, the United States was thrust into the global conflict of World War II.  

Isolationist tendencies had kept the country out of the war during its earliest years. Prominent Americans such as Charles Lindbergh and Joseph Kennedy Sr. widely considered the fight outside the United States’ strategic interests. 

It was an unsettling moment for the nation as Americans watched Britain and the Soviet Union on the brink of defeat from invading Nazi forces. Meanwhile, the Japanese moved against its neighbors from China to Indonesia, controlling significant parts of the Pacific and Asia. 

‘A date which will live in infamy’

Within the early morning of Dec. 7, 1941, American ships on patrol outside Hawaii discovered the periscopes of Japanese submarines. Five of these underwater vessels were stationed near Pearl Harbor, ready to pounce upon American ships attempting to flee the assault. At the same time, Japanese planes departed from aircraft carriers that were 275 miles north of Hawaii. 

The government and military never feared an attack by the Japanese against its army and naval bases in Hawaii. They feared a possible assault against the Philippines but never believed Pearl Harbor was a target.

Across this country, from the North Shore of Long Island to Hawaii, American citizens were awakened by the horrifying sounds of news reports of the assault. The Japanese rising sun logo was seen on high-level bombers and torpedo planes that swarmed over the morning skies of this island paradise.  

Within moments, a wave of 360 enemy fighter planes produced staggering losses on the American side: Five sunken battleships, three destroyers and almost 200 planes were hit from the air. As the Japanese pulled back after this assault, they understood their plans were not fully achieved. Three American aircraft carriers, untouched by the Japanese, would hold down the fort as America rebuilt its Pacific fleet.

Awakening a sleeping giant

American service members scrambled to survive the aerial onslaught. The attack killed 2,403 U.S. personnel, including 68 civilians. The government later discovered that 40 of these deaths were residents of New York. All of this was overwhelming for the stunned American people, stung by this attack and unprepared for this global war effort. 

A relieved British prime minister, Winston Churchill, stated that the American partnership in World War II was the ultimate factor in achieving a two-front victory. The Japanese surprise attack at Pearl Harbor would push 16 million Americans to enlist in the armed forces over the following four years, putting the world back on a path to peace.

In the months after the Pearl Harbor attack, Japan gained one of the largest territorial empires in world history. The island nation’s conquests stretched from the Alaskan Aleutian Islands, toward Australia, into China, through several Pacific island nations and to the doorstep of India. 

This empire would quickly unravel, thanks to American efforts in the ensuing years. A three-year “island hopping” campaign would eventually bring massive American military power onto Japan’s home islands.

From 1943-45, Japan absorbed constant blows from air, sea and land, pushing this military regime back into its own territory. The war ended after President Harry S. Truman (D) authorized the use of the atomic bomb, obliterating the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Connecting past to present

For decades after Pearl Harbor, there were groups of veteran survivors of this surprise attack that once numbered 18,000 nationally and 70,000 around the world who could recall this tragic date. Today, fewer than 1,500 Pearl Harbor survivors remain.  

Moreover, less than 240,000 World War II veterans are still living. The “greatest generation” passes away at a rate of 234 people daily, according to the VA.

The United States has been pivotal in thwarting Russia’s attempts to overrun Ukraine. Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, had comprehensive plans to conquer Ukraine and then move against his neighbors. 

While the Ukrainians deserve credit for carrying out a reversal of fortune against Russian aggression, they have gained tremendous military, economic and political aid from the United States.  

As we reflect upon the moments after the attack on Pearl Harbor, we must remember that America has adversaries around the globe. The American response following Pearl Harbor should remind Putin never to underestimate the resolve of the American people, its leadership or its mission to combat tyranny around the globe.  

Friends and foes should always understand the historical examples of strength the United States illustrated during that dire moment in our national history. 

Remember to thank veterans for their services. Their contributions before and after Pearl Harbor have continually promoted the cause of freedom and security throughout the world.

Rich Acritelli is a history teacher at Rocky Point High School and adjunct professor at Suffolk County Community College. Written in conjunction with Manny Watkins, Matt Liselli, Jake Donovan, Evan Donovan, Colin Singh, Simone Carmody and members of the high school’s History Honor Society.

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Do you recognize this man? Photo from SCPD
This puppy was stolen on Dec. 6.
Do you recognize this man? Photo from SCPD

Suffolk County Police Second Squad detectives are investigating the theft of a puppy from a Huntington Station pet store. A man allegedly stole a male Havanese puppy from Selmer’s Pet Land, located at 125 East Jericho Turnpike, on Dec. 6 at approximately 12:35 p.m. by placing the dog inside a backpack. The man was described as white, approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall and was wearing a purple jacket and yamaka. He possibly fled on a bicycle. The puppy, which is approximately 3 months old, is microchipped. Detectives are asking anyone with information on this incident to call the Second Squad at 631-854-8252.

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At podium, Legislator Anthony Piccirillo (R-Holtsville), chair of the newly-formed Cyberattack Investigation Committee. Photo by Raymond Janis

County legislators convened at the William H. Rogers Legislature Building in Hauppauge on Monday, Dec. 5, announcing the formation of a bipartisan special committee to investigate the recent cyberattack against the county government.

A confirmed ransomware event was first reported in early September. [See story, “Suffolk County cyberattack offers a window into the dangers of the digital age,” Nov. 17, TBR News Media website.] The attack crippled the county’s IT infrastructure, shutting down the system for over a month, with systems slowly coming back online.

The county press release relating to the new committee indicated that, “Information regarding the effects of the attack continues to be made public, including the admission that the personal information of as many as 470,000 residents and 26,000 past and current employees has been stolen by the hackers.” 

Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst), presiding officer of the county Legislature, announced the appointment of Legislator Anthony Piccirillo (R-Holtsville) as chair of the newly formed special committee. With these two legislators, the rest of the committee will comprise Minority Leader Jason Richberg (D-West Babylon), and Legislators Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai), Jim Mazzarella (R-Moriches) and Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga).

“The purpose of this committee is to do one thing and one thing only, and that is to find out what happened and how we can prevent that from happening again,” McCaffrey said.

The presiding officer described the impact felt by county officials and residents alike due to the cyber event. He stated that sensitive information of county employees was likely accessed, with many details still unknown.

“There’s been an impact on each and every one of our residents,” he said, adding, “Employees, including myself, have now found out that our Social Security numbers have been compromised. We need to make sure that this doesn’t happen again.”

‘The best disinfectant is sunlight, so we’re going to open the windows and let the sun in.’

— Anthony Piccirillo

Piccirillo outlined his priorities and intended goals as chair. He regarded the Legislature as a coequal branch of the county government with a constitutional obligation to conduct oversight activities. 

“We’re going to execute our constitutional duty of oversight,” he said. “We passed a procedural motion that we now have subpoena power to call witnesses under oath and bring them in if they refuse to come in.”

The committee chairman added, “I do expect full cooperation from anyone that we ask to come in, but we do have that tool in our toolbox, where if people start to refuse to speak to the Legislature then we can have them here under subpoena.”

Piccirillo maintained that openness and transparency would be necessary to restore government operations and public trust.

“The best disinfectant is sunlight, so we’re going to open the windows and let the sun in here to shine and make sure that we get the truth,” he said. “We’re going to follow the facts and conduct the thorough investigation that the residents of Suffolk County deserve.”

Richberg detailed the collective shock and disbelief experienced by county officials when reports first circulated of the cybersecurity breach. He said a proper diagnosis of the problems leading up to the attack would help thwart a similar scenario from unfolding.

“I think understanding and diagnosing the problem from the beginning and having a bipartisan approach to asking the questions in the sunlight … is really important,” the minority leader said. “Most importantly, we need full structures for us to move forward, so this doesn’t happen again and that we are appropriately protected from anything that could happen to us in the future.”

Above, Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai). Photo by Raymond Janis

In an interview, Anker discussed the gravity of the moment and the importance of the government coordinating its response correctly. “I know we’re spending up to $12 million to address this, if not more,” she said. “We need to get all the experts in the field to address what we’re dealing with and how to best deal with it.”

Anker also addressed the criminal nature of this cyber intrusion and the need to grasp cybercrime trends and criminal culture online.

“The dark web, that’s where all of this stuff is happening,” the county legislator said. “It’s the Wild, Wild West of our times, and if we don’t address that in a more aggressive way, it’s going to ripple throughout our country.”

While the committee’s work is just getting underway, McCaffrey said the process will culminate in a report detailing its findings. “We expect to be able to roll this out and tell a good story about what happened from beginning to end,” he said.

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Photo courtesy of LIGMC

Gather ‘round the fire with the Long Island Gay Men’s Chorus (LIGMC) this holiday season for “A Visit from St. Nick and a Rockin’ Holiday!”

During concerts set for 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10 at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at Stony Brook, 380 Nicolls Road, East Setauket, and 7 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 11 at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 12 Prospect St., Huntington, LIGMC will be serving yuletide storytime realness as it presents a wide-spanning musical revue of favorites and a fabulous glitter-flecked musical retelling of “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” 

“Since September, this merry band of choristers has been making our lists and checking them twice as we prepare to bring you a musical celebration of the most wonderful time of the year,” Bradley Meek, President of the LIGMC Board of Directors, said. “We hope that you’ll be able to join us for the concerts that we crafted with the hopeful, joyous and sparkling spirit of the season in mind.”

It’s been a busy season for LIGMC, which will celebrate its 15th anniversary this spring. On Saturday, Nov. 5, LIGMC commemorated the 100th anniversary of LGBTQ icon Judy Garland’s birth with its “Over the Rainbow – Songs of Pride, Rainbows and Judy Garland” cabaret at the Sayville VFW Post 433. Following the conclusion of its concert series, LIGMC members are set to have a Manhattan encore on Tuesday, Dec. 13 when they are scheduled to perform selections from the concert at the InterContinental New York Barclay hotel.

“Not only is it always a joy to work with such an enthusiastic and committed group of singers, it’s especially rewarding to see our Chorus has continued to grow larger and stronger since we began performing again last winter,” LIGMC Artistic Director Jeanette Cooper said. “If you’ve never seen LIGMC perform, ‘A Visit from St. Nick and a Rockin’ Holiday’ is a great time to experience the eclectic and jubilant spirit that makes this group so special!”

Tickets are $25 and are available for purchase at the door or online at http://www.ligmc.org/concerts.

About the Long Island Gay Men’s Chorus (LIGMC)

The Long Island Gay Men’s Chorus is a voluntary, not-for-profit, community-based organization that provides diverse audiences with high-quality choral performances and musical experiences. LIGMC uses music to unite the LGBTQ community, fight prejudice and discrimination, affirm the contributions of the LGBTQ community to the region’s cultural life.

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