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Times of Huntington-Northport

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Freddie Freeman of the Atlanta Braves. Wikipedia photo

By Daniel Dunaief

Daniel Dunaief

Before I get to the current difficulty of deciding which of the four remaining baseball teams to support, if any, I’d like to offer the following observations on a bipolar Yankees season, in which a 13-game winning stream seemed as unlikely as a 70 loss season.

The team had the talent, sort of. They are, as the saying goes, what their record says they are. In many ways, it’s remarkable that they even made the one-game wildcard playoff. They weren’t exactly world beaters against the Baltimore Orioles, who almost single handedly made it possible for the other four teams in the division to finish with over 90 wins.

They also gave away games that they seemed a lock to win, coughing up leads late, and losing key games to a Mets team that struggled to find its identity and mojo after the best pitcher on the planet, Jacob deGrom, was injured.

But this isn’t about the Mets. So, for what it’s worth, here are my Yankees thoughts. Stop worrying about how much money you’re paying players. Go with the players that helped you win. That means, if defensively-gifted shortstop Andrew Velazquez played a key role in big games with his range and defense, give him a chance.

If that also means Greg Allen needs a few at bats and a chance to race around the bases, give him a shot, too. Oh, and Tyler Wade? I know he’s not going to hit 400-foot home runs too often, but he is a versatile gamer with an ability to play numerous positions and, on occasion, to have a high contact hot streak.

Stock photo

If I were managing my favorite team, I’d stick with whatever is working and not try to race injured and under performing players back. Sure, Gleyber Torres and Gio Urshela have been valuable pieces in the past, but that’s not a reason to put them back on the field in the hopes that they’ll be something they weren’t before each of them got injured.

As for the current playoff conundrum, what should Yankees fans who are still paying attention to baseball root for during the last three series?

Come on, it’s almost impossible to root for the Red Sox because, well, they’re the Red Sox. Then again, the Astros are not just a baseball villain, but are also Yankee killers. Jose Altuve, who used to be a beloved versoin of the little engine that could, hits a huge home run in 2019 off of Aroldis Chapman then covers up his uniform so no one can rip it off and show a tattoo he didn’t like? Yeah, I’m sure that’s what happened because these players are so modest about their body ink.

One of those two teams will represent the American League in the World Series. If I had to choose one, I think, gulp, I’d go with the Red Sox. Part of the reason for that is that I have so many friends and professional colleagues who love the team that I’d be happy for them.

In the National League, the Braves are a feel good team. I saw Freddie Freeman at the All Star Game a few years ago and he seemed like a genuinely good father. I know that’s not a critical criteria for rooting for someone, but he held his kids and smiled at almost anyone who talked to him.

The Dodgers are the beasts of baseball in the last few years. Just when you think they couldn’t get any better, they add Max Scherzer (seriously?) and Trea Turner, two incredible deadline acquisitions for a team that was already a powerhouse. Mookie Betts is otherworldly in one way or another, with his speed, incredible and accurate arm and his ability to put the ball in play and, at times, over the wall.

I’m going to root for the underdog in the national league here, pulling for the Braves to make a Cinderella journey into the World Series and beat the deep and talented Dodgers.

Now, if I get my way and it’s the Braves against the Red Sox? I’m going to root for the Braves because it’s still the Red Sox. No matter who wins, though, I’m hoping for a seven-game series because that’s good for baseball and for the baseball fan. I know the season is long enough, but those last few games are like the final number in a Broadway musical. The energy is high, the fans are on their feet, and no one wants to leave.

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Daniel Tuttle received the therapeutic treatment Intracept for back pain. Photo from Tuttle

Over 30 years as a plumber took its toll on Daniel Tuttle.

Daniel Tuttle, who received the therapeutic treatment Intracept for back pain, enjoys a boat ride. Photo from Tuttle

The 79-year old Northport resident felt daily pain in his lower back, which limited his ability to walk for any length of time.

“I always lifted up [stuff] you shouldn’t lift,” Tuttle said. “It was too heavy. Over the years, I got more and more pain.”

Tuttle visited several specialists. His cardiologist recommended he see Dr. Frank Ocasio, director of Acute Pain Management and chair of Pain Management at Huntington Hospital and the director of North Shore Head and Spine in Huntington.

Ocasio recently started performing a therapeutic treatment called Intracept, which involves cutting a small incision in the back, inserting a tube and providing enough heat to deactivate the nerve that causes chronic lower back pain.

About a month after the procedure, Tuttle is pleased to report that his pain has declined from “an 11” to closer to a three on a daily basis.

Several doctors around Long Island have provided the Intracept procedure, which was developed by Relievant Medsystems, over the last few years, including at Stony Brook University and Port Jefferson’s St. Charles Hospital.

Dr. Jonathan Raanan, assistant professor of Neurosurgery, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation in the Department of Neurosurgery at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, has performed about 10 such surgeries over the last few years.

Raanan described such lower back pain that lasts more than six months or a year as being something of a “big black hole” in terms of treatment.

In a magnetic resonance image, the disc becomes darker, indicating it doesn’t have good hydration and that it isn’t an effective shock absorber.

Intracept can help reduce the pain.

“It’s very satisfying when someone comes in who has tried everything but the kitchen sink to treat this” who then says “I do feel better,” Raanan said.

Tuttle’s wife Susan, who has been married to him for over three decades, said the procedure has improved his quality of life.

Susan Tuttle said her husband has been able to “do everything he wanted to do.”

Ocasio found the idea of Intracept appealing, particularly because it was a one-time effort that didn’t require ongoing follow up visits.

“There’s not much out there in the pain management space that’s a non medication, a non-opioid strategy that’s a one and done,” Ocasio said.

The surgery is an outpatient procedure and can take anywhere from 45 minutes to two hours, depending on the area over which the nerve is sending a repeated pain signal.

Patients either receive mild sedation or are under general anesthesia.

“People see results within weeks,” Ocasio said. In some cases, they can get relief within 24 hours.

Dr. Frank Ocasio recently began to perform the therapeutic treatment. Photo from Ocasio

To be sure, the procedure, as with any, involves some level of risk and isn’t appropriate for everyone.

Raanan advised potential patients to discuss the risks and benefits with any provider.

Starting in January, Intracept will have a Current Procedural Terminology, or CPT, code, which will give health care providers a standard way to describe the procedure and insurance companies a way of determining patient eligibility.

Until then, patients need to appeal to indicate to insurance companies what other treatments they’ve had for back pain.

In Raanan’s experience, patients sometimes have flare-ups of other pain that is similar to sciatic discomfort after the treatment for days or even weeks after Intracept.

“That might be a reasonable trade-off in the eyes of the patient,” Raanan added.

Deadening the nerve doesn’t cause any loss of control of motor function, Ocasio said, as the nerve provides a sensory benefit while others provide necessary muscle control.

“You still have multiple nerves around that area,” Ocasio added.

Candidates for this procedure typically have lower back pain associated with activities that require bending forward, like loading a dishwasher or flexing at the waist, Ocasio described.

Ocasio said doctors who perform Intracept receive training under guidance from the company.

Patients interested in this approach are anywhere from their 30s through their late 70s, local doctors said.

For Daniel Tuttle, the procedure provided relief.

“He’s outside, puttering around, doing the things that make him happy,” Susan
Tuttle said.

“It gave me my lifestyle back,” Daniel Tuttle said.

The Tuttles are planning a trip to Italy next summer.

Raanan cautioned that, for at least one patient, the relief led to another problem.

A female patient returned to working out in the gym, where she exercised so vigorously that she created a different spine injury that he treated.

“When patients feel better, they have to remember they are still vulnerable,” Raanan said. “Poor mechanics, postures, flexibility or excessive and prolonged activity come with some risk.”

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Pixabay photo

By Daniel Dunaief

Daniel Dunaief

What do you name after the man who’s already named everything after himself?

That is the question people will grapple with when they consider how to deploy the name of the 45th president.

Did you know, apart from edifices and casinos, the Trump name has been added to a species of small moth with yellowish-white scales on its head, called the Neopalpa donaltrumpi? Additionally, a sea urchin fossil is called Tetragramma donaldtrumpi.

What should be in the running to honor the legacy of a man who may extend his presidential legacy in 2024?

Here are a few suggestions that, hopefully, will delight and alienate people on both sides of the aisle equally.

— A pizza slicer. Called the Trump, this great divider will cut a pie into two pieces, elevating the one on the right while crushing the one on the left into a mess of tomato sauce and crumbled cheese that wants to tax the rich.

— A board game. With a rotating cast of characters, the object of the Trump Cabinet Shuffle will be for each player to hold onto as many cabinet members for as long as possible, even as many of them either want to leave or write books about their experience.

— A remote control. The former president clearly found TV a relevant and important medium. People around the country could search their couches for the “Trump,” so they can change the channel to watch Fox News, which will provide the names for the Trump Cabinet Shuffle.

— The Trump label maker. Borrowing from an episode of “Seinfeld,” people could develop a label maker named after someone who was fond of naming people and objects. The Trump label maker would default to the most common words in the Trump vernacular, including “disgrace,” “beautiful,” and “fake.”

— A fast-food franchise. Given the former president’s predilection for the fast food he served to college football players, it’s surprising no one has come up with Trump World Burgers. Each restaurant could have a game of darts, where patrons could sling darts at the faces or names of their least favorite democrats. Every wall would have a TV tuned to Fox News and every place setting would sit on top of the New York Post.

—A magic wand. Can’t you picture it? Let’s get out the Trump wand and make everything unpleasant — impeachments, investigations, and distasteful stories- disappear.

— A fertilizer company. Yeah, okay, this might seem especially harsh, but fertilizer, while it’s made from feces, is necessary for the growth of many of the foods we eat, whether we’re vegetarians and eat only greens, or carnivores and eat the meat that eats the greens.

— Oversized boxing gloves. With pictures of the former president on each hand, a boxer could put his small, medium or large hands into red Trumps to fight against the forces of evil.

— An especially tall straw pole next to a smaller pole. The taller Trump pole could show how, even at a distance, he’s leading his closest competitor. “Trump is always ahead at the polls.”

— A distorted mirror. Like the side view mirrors on cars, these Trump mirrors could accent certain features while minimizing others, creating whatever reality the viewer prefers.

— Stiff-legged pants. With material that stiffens during the playing of the National Anthem, the Trump pants would make it impossible to kneel.

— A huggable flag. Given his preference for hugging flags, someone should design a flag with arms that hug back, as in, “the Trump flag is ready for its hug.”

— A “yes” puppy. You know how people have little puppies whose heads pop up and down when you touch them on their dashboard? Someone could add a sound effect to that, like “yes, yes, yes, yes,” each time the Trump head moved.

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Pixabay photo

By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief

Who typically thinks about inflation?

Inflation is one of those words that cuts both ways. Low inflation is considered a desirable thing by borrowers and the Federal Reserve. A lot of inflation can be a disaster for the financial markets and for everyone’s pocketbook. 

Those who deal with money and work in finance keep an eye on inflation. After all, inflation refers to a general increase in the price of goods and services in the economy over time that corresponds with a decrease in what you can buy with the same amount of money. And if your money is going to be devalued, best keep that eye. 

Years ago, I learned a simple definition for inflation: too many dollars chasing too few goods. Because of disruptions in the supply of goods, demand has currently outstripped supply. You can tell that from some of the empty shelves at the stores. Consequently, when products or services are scarce, we pay more for what we can still get.

When that happens suddenly, we all pay attention to inflation. Pull up at the gas pump and fill your tank. What do you know? The price for the exact same gas that you used last month has gone up. Go into a restaurant and order your favorite dish. It now costs a little more. The proprietor has no choice but to charge more because he or she had to pay more for the ingredients, due to disruption in delivery. That’s inflation. The government tracks inflation with the Consumer Price Index, or CPI. They leave gas and food out of the Core Index because those tend to be more volatile from one month to the next. But we can’t leave them out. We have to pay for them.

So how are we doing with inflation now?

Initially, rising prices were thought of as transitory, the result of pent-up demand that was suddenly released with the drop in COVID cases and the increase in vaccinations, that would even itself out before long. But prices of goods and services are still up while supply continues to be disrupted. Additionally, people have had more money to spend on those goods and services as a result of the billions in government aid.

As of this week, the CPI was up 5.4%. That’s how much prices have increased in a year. This is well above the Fed’s targeted rate of two percent, but so far there seems little interest on their part to raise rates and slow inflation. Social security checks, which are intended to keep pace with inflation, will be up 5.9% next year, the most in four decades. When rates are raised, it costs more money to borrow, whether for business expansion or mortgages, and that works to slow down inflation and growth. It seems the Fed still believes present inflation will diminish when current disruptions fade. President Joe Biden (D) has announced plans to keep ports open 24/7 to try and ameliorate the supply delays. But trucks and truckers are also insufficient.

There are other, less obvious signs of inflation. I attended the New York Press Conference two weeks ago and stayed for three nights at a hotel in the center of Troy. For the same room rate, we had no room service, no one cleaned the bathroom or made the beds. Clean towels were left in a bag outside our door. Breakfast was included, but there was only coffee, some wrapped Danish and small containers of yogurt. When we asked for bread, we were told there had been no delivery for many days. So in essence, we were paying the same money but getting less, like the old trick of getting candy for the usual price but in a smaller box. That’s inflation, too.

What actions should we take?

We probably should do our holiday shopping now, while some of the gifts we want are still available and at current prices. We might want to nail down a mortgage rate soon if we are in the market. As for our investments, who ever knows?

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Meet Valentina! Sweet and gentle, Valentina is a 5-year-old Shih Tzu mix who likes to wear pearls! Up for adoption at the Smithtown Animal Shelter
Meet Parker! This handsome boy is a 8 to 9-year-old Chihuahua and COVID orphan. Up for adoption at the Smithtown Animal Shelter
Meet Betty Boop! Betty Boop is a ten-year-old Pit Bull Terrier Mix with lots of love to give! Up for adoption at the Smithtown Animal Shelter
Meet Angel! A 6-year-old Blue Nosed Pit Bull, Angel has been at the shelter for over 2 years. Up for adoption at the Smithtown Animal Shelter
Meet Spritz! Spritz is a 4-year-old Dachshund mix. Very scared but so sweet, he needs a patient, loving home. Up for adoption at Save A Pet
Meet Izzy! This sweet 2-year-old Pit/Lab mix came to the shelter with her litter of puppies who were all adopted - now it's her turn. Up for adoption at Save A Pet
Meet Enzo! Enzo is a 4-year-old Labrador/Weimaraner mix who needs a nice big fenced in yard to run around in. Up for adoption at Save A Pet
Meet Bob! This young Jack Russell Terrier mix was rescued from a hoarding situation in Georgia. Bob is timid but will warm up to the right person with lots of love and patience. Up for adoption at Save A Pet
Meet Princess! Little Shelter is looking for the perfect fit (glass slipper optional!) for Princess, an eight-year-old Terrier mix. Up for adoption at Little Shelter
Meet Lucille! With a name meaning 'of the light,' meet Lucille, a ten- year-old Shepherd mix. Up for adoption at Little Shelter
Meet Curry! A thirteen-year-old Cocker Spaniel, this sweet senior enjoys a good outing, taking in all the sounds and smells, visualizing everything through your eyes. Up for adoption at Little Shelter
Meet Copper! As bright and shiny as a good luck penny, meet Copper, an eight-year-old Beagle. Up for adoption at Little Shelter
Meet Richie! This handsome boy is a 2-year-old Terrier mix rescued from a high kill shelter in Georgia. Up for adoption at Kent Animal Shelter
Meet Blue! Blue is a 3-year-old Husky from Texas who loves to go on long walks. Up for adoption at Kent Animal Shelter

October may be known as the month of pumpkin-flavored everything, apple-picking, fall foliage, and haunted houses but it’s also Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, a rescue initiative started by the American Humane Society in 1981 to help the estimated 3 to 4 million animals waiting in shelters every year get the loving, forever homes that they deserve.

Be a hero this month and adopt a dog from your local shelter or rescue group. You’ll be saving his or her life and greatly improving your own as dogs are amazing, supportive and heroic companions. Kent Animal Shelter, Little Shelter, Save-A-Pet Animal Rescue & Adoption Center and the Smithtown Animal Shelter have many adoptable dogs waiting for a loving home.

Click on the photos above for adoptable dogs at:

Kent Animal Shelter, 2259 River Road, Calverton

Call 631-727-5731 or visit www.kentanimalshtler.com

Little Shelter Animal Rescue & Adoption Center, 33 Warner Road, Huntington

Call 631-368-8770 or visit www.littleshelter.org

Save-A-Pet Rescue & Adoption Center, 608 Route 112, Port Jefferson Station

Call 631-473-6333 or visit www.saveapetusa.org

Smithtown Animal Shelter & Adoption Center, 410 East Main Street, Smithtown

Call 631-360-7575 or visit www.townofsmithtownanimalshelter.com

 

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Water quality impairments across Long Island during the summer of 2021. Photo from Stony Brook University

Water, water everywhere and far too many drops were not clean.

Christopher J. Gobler, endowed chair of Coastal Ecology and Conservation Stony Brook University; Peter Scully, Deputy Suffolk County Executive; Adrienne Esposito, Citizens Campaign for the Environment; Kevin McDonald, The Nature Conservancy at a recent press conference regarding water quality. Photo from Stony Brook University

That’s the conclusion of a recent summer water quality survey of Long Island conducted by Stony Brook University Professor Christopher Gobler, who is the endowed chair of Coastal Ecology and Conservation at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences.

Every estuary and bay across Long Island had either toxic algal blooms and oxygen-starved dead zones this summer.

This trend threatened marine life including fish and shellfish.

Excess nitrogen from household sewage that seeps into groundwater and into bays, harbors and estuaries or, in some cases, is discharged directly into surface waters, causes toxic algal blooms.

Double the average annual rainfall, caused by storms like Hurricanes Henri and Ida, exacerbated the dumping of nitrogen from onsite wastewater into local waterways as well, Gobler explained.

Calling this the “new normal,” Gobler said the duration of the rust tide that continues across eastern Long Island is the longest since he started monitoring water quality in 2014. Additionally, the number of dead zones is near a maximum.

For the past six years before 2021, the incidence of blue-green algal blooms was higher than any of the other 64 counties in New York State, which is likely to continue in 2021.

Blue green algae produce toxins that can be harmful to people and animals and has caused dog illnesses and deaths across the United States.

“We’re the most downstate county and warmer temperatures are a driver,” Gobler explained in an email. “Excess groundwater discharge in Suffolk means more lakes and ponds here than in Nassau.”

Heavy rains, which are expected to become the new normal amid climate change that brings wetter and slower-moving storms, flush nitrogen contaminated groundwater out into the bays.

Brown and rust tides have had a severely negative impact on habitats in the area, including seagrass, and major fisheries such as scallops and clams and the coastal wetlands that protect waterfront communities from storms.

Homeowners can reduce nitrogen runoff by fertilizing their lawns less, Gobler suggested.

Onsite systems in Suffolk County are legal, but are also “quite polluting,” Gobler explained in an email.

Gobler said Suffolk County has been more aggressive than any other county in the nation in requiring advanced septic systems.

Additionally, Gobler suggests that the best way to combat these problems is to upgrade onsite septic systems.

Nassau and Suffolk completed subwatershed studies last year that identified wastewater as the largest source of nitrogen to surface waters. Excess nitrogen stimulates toxic algal blooms which can remove oxygen from bottom waters as they decay.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation recommends that marine waters should not have less than three milligrams of dissolved oxygen per liter to sustain fish life. Through the summer, however, more than 20 sites across the Island fell below that threshold, which, in several cases, caused fish kills.

“The research findings are conclusive,” Carl LoBue, senior scientist for The Nature Conservancy, said in a statement. “The longer we wait to fix our water quality problems, the longer it will take and the more expensive it will be.”

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Photo from Vanderbilt Museum

Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport presents A Morning for Families, exclusively for people with special needs and their families, on Sunday, Oct. 16 from 9 to 11 a.m.

Spend the morning exploring the collections, gardens, architecture and the Reichert Planetarium’s “Open Sky.” Activities include a marine specimen touch table, therapy dog interaction, live animals presentations and crafts. Free admission and attendees will receive complimentary passes for a future visit. Register online at www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

For more information, call 631-854-5552 or email [email protected].

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Photo from Vanderbilt Museum

The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport will present a Fall Festival with lots of seasonal fun for visitors of every age to enjoy a safe Halloween. The event will open Friday, Oct. 15, and run on weekends through Halloween. On Halloween weekend, everyone is invited to attend in costume. Different areas of the museum will feature staff members dressed in costumes and giving out trick-or-treat items.

Daytime (Saturdays, Sundays) 

From noon to 4 p.m.

Recommended for children 2 and up, (No costumed actors present.) the festival includes general admission to the museum, mini golf, face painting, pumpkin patch, Halloween games, a scavenger hunt, and more. Festive drinks and snacks along with farm stand items will be available for purchase. Tickets are $24 adults, $20 children.

Nighttime (Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays) 

From 6 to 10 p.m.

Haunted attractions with costumed actors (not recommended for children 12 and under) include the Wicked Walk, a haunted maze, and The Wicked Haunt, the museum’s version of a haunted house, plus a 9-hole Mini Golf. Also, the Bubbly Bar will be selling refreshments and snacks. Guests can purchase one haunt for $25 (choose the one you like when you arrive). Both haunted attractions plus 9 holes of mini golf are $45 per person. Just 9 holes of mini golf is $10 per person. 

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.vanderbiltmuseum.org. 

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Harborfields senior wide receiver Frankie Claramitaro plows ahead midfield in a road game against Kings Park. Photo by Bill Landon
Kings Park senior wide receiver John Matthews, #80, is congratulated by teammate Griffin Iglio after a touchdown catch in their homecoming game against Harborfields Oct 9. Photo by Bill Landon
Kings Park quarterback Jonathan Borkowski fires over the middle in their homecoming game against Harborfields Oct 9. Photo by Bill Landon
Kings Park senior Jonathan Borkowski cuts back inside in the Kingsman homecoming game against Harborfields Oct 9. Photo by Bill Landon
Kings Park quarterback Jonathan Borkowski throws deep in the Kingmen’s homecoming game against Harborfields Oct 9. Photo by Bill Landon
Harborfields running-back Jude Baez turns upfield after a catch in a road game against Kings Park Oct 9. Photo by Bill Landon
Kings Park hosts Harborfields in the Kingsmen homecoming game Oct 9. Photo by Bill Landon
Kings Park hosts Harborfields in the Kingsmen homecoming game Oct 9. Photo by Bill Landon
Kings Park hosts Harborfields in the Kingsmen homecoming game Oct 9. Photo by Bill Landon
Kings Park hosts Harborfields in the Kingsmen homecoming game Oct 9. Photo by Bill Landon
Kings Park hosts Harborfields in the Kingsmen homecoming game Oct 9. Photo by Bill Landon
Kings Park hosts Harborfields in the Kingsmen homecoming game Oct 9. Photo by Bill Landon
Kings Park hosts Harborfields in the Kingsmen homecoming game Oct 9. Photo by Bill Landon
The homecoming court takes their places. Photo by Bill Landon
The homecoming court takes their places. Photo by Bill Landon
The homecoming court takes their places. Photo by Bill Landon
The homecoming court takes their places. Photo by Bill Landon
The homecoming court takes their places. Photo by Bill Landon
The homecoming court takes their places. Photo by Bill Landon
The homecoming court takes their places. Photo by Bill Landon
The homecoming court takes their places. Photo by Bill Landon
Kings Park homecoming King and Queen Oct 9. Photo by Bill Landon
The band plays during the Kings Park homecoming game. Photo by Bill Landon
The band plays during the Kings Park homecoming game. Photo by Bill Landon
The band plays during the Kings Park homecoming game. Photo by Bill Landon
The band plays during the Kings Park homecoming game. Photo by Bill Landon
The band plays during the Kings Park homecoming game. Photo by Bill Landon
The kickline team performs during the Kings Park homecoming game. Photo by Bill Landon
Harborfields senior running-back Luke DeRosa follows lead blocker Dylan Olson in a road game against Kings Park. Photo by Bill Landon
Harborfields senior running-back Luke DeRosa sprints out of the back field for the Tornadoes in a road game against Kings Park. Photo by Bill Landon
Harborfields senior running-back Luke DeRosa looks for an opening in a road game against Kings Park Oct 9. Photo by Bill Landon
Kings Park senior Nico Laviano follows lead blocker Griffin Iglio in the Kingsman homecoming game against Harborfields Oct 9. Photo by Bill Landon
Kings Park senior Nico Laviano takes the hand off from Jonathan Borkowski in the Kingsman homecoming game against Harborfields Oct 9. Photo by Bill Landon
Kings Park senior Nico Laviano turns up field in the Kingsman homecoming game against Harborfields Oct 9. Photo by Bill Landon
Pass interference. Photo by Bill Landon
Kings Park line-backer Scott McConville takes down Harborfields running-back Jude Baez Oct 9.Photo by Bill Landon
Harborfields running-back Sean Tucker stiff arms a defender in a road game against Kings Park Oct 9. Photo by Bill Landon
Harborfields running-back Sean Tucker plows up the middle in a road game against Kings Park Oct 9. Photo by Bill Landon
Harborfields quarterback Shane Longin gets a pass off before being leveled by a Kings Park defenseman Oct 9. Photo by Bill Landon
Harborfields quarterback Shane Longin scrambles out of the pocket in a road game against Kings Park Oct 9. Photo by Bill Landon
Harborfields quarterback Shane Longin follows lead blocking in a road game against Kings Park Oct 9. Photo by Bill Landon
Harborfields quarterback Shane Longin throws over the middle to Jude Baez in a road game against Kings Park Oct 9. Photo by Bill Landon
Harborfields quarterback Shane Longin throws the hail mary in a road game against Kings Park Oct 9. Photo by Bill Landon

It was all Kings Park in their homecoming game against Harborfields, where the Kingsmen dominated from the opening kickoff to blow out the Tornadoes, 34-7, Oct 9.

Senior quarterback Jonathan Borkowski teamed up with John Matthew for two touchdown throws a 14 yarder and a 26-yard pass and run play. Nico Laviano grounded out the yardage with a pair of touchdowns of his own a short yardage score and a 15-yard run. Kings Park’s James O’Melia punched in from short yardage in the win.  

Kings Park enters their bye-week and are back in action Oct. 23 with a road game against Comsewogue at 3 p.m. The Tornadoes retake the field with a home game against Eastport South Manor Oct. 15. Game time is 6:30 p.m.  

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Spotted Lanternfly
The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (AGM) is asking for the public’s help in combatting the Spotted Lanternfly (SLF), an invasive pest from Asia.  First found in New York State on Staten Island in August 2020, the population has now been observed in all NYC boroughs.  SLF is a destructive pest that feeds on more than 70 plant species, including tree-of-heaven, and plants and crops that are critical to New York’s agricultural economy, such as grapevine, apple trees, and hops.
Spotted Lanternfly

“The Department has been working diligently to mitigate the impacts of this destructive pest, which can weaken plants and have a devastating impact on agriculture.  Despite intensive survey and the implementation of targeted management plans, AGM has continued to find SLF around the New York City area.  We are once again asking for residents’ help, this time with spotted lanternfly control measures, particularly in this area.  Outside of NYC, we’re asking for the public to continue to be vigilant and report any sightings to help slow the spread of this invasive,” said State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball in a recent press release.

New York City Region

NYS AGM has been receiving increased reports of SLF in the five boroughs of New York City since early this month.  While inspectors continue to survey and respond to these reports, AGM is asking residents to destroy SLF adults. Later in the fall the public can help further by scraping off and destroying SLF egg masses. The public can also reach out to Cornell University’s Integrated Pest Management Program (IPM) to learn about control measures or a certified pesticide applicator for treatment options to help combat SLF.

Because NYSAGM is aware of the population spread, it is asking NYC residents to forgo reporting sightings of SLF at this time.  In addition to reaching out to Cornell, AGM encourages the public to thoroughly inspect vehicles, luggage and gear, and all outdoor items for egg masses and adult SLF before leaving the New York City region.

While these insects can jump and fly short distances, they spread primarily through human activity. SLF can lay their eggs on any number of surfaces, such as vehicles, stone, rusty metal, outdoor furniture, and firewood. Adult SLF can hitch rides in vehicles, on any outdoor item, or cling to clothing or hats, and be easily transported into and throughout New York.

Residents can also help by allowing surveyors access to properties where SLF may be present.  Surveyors will be uniformed and will always provide identification.

Upstate New York

SLF has also been detected in several isolated areas upstate, including Ithaca, New York; however, that population is relatively small and scheduled for treatment.

For residents living outside of New York City, AGM urges New Yorkers to report sightings of the SLF, using the web reporting tool found here: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/a08d60f6522043f5bd04229e00acdd63

Reporting in Upstate New York is critical, helping inspectors identify any newly impacted areas.

Brian Eshenaur, Sr. Extension Associate at Cornell University’s NYS Integrated Pest Management Program, said, “In New York, we’re particularly concerned about the impact Spotted Lanternfly could have on our grape and wine industries. Our NYS Integrated Pest Management Program has been working with our colleagues in Pennsylvania over the past few years to learn from their experience and prepare our growers for this insect advance.  We are currently scouting vineyards and have NYS appropriate management options available for producers and tips for residents as well.”

In February of this year, the State also launched an innovative effort to combat the spread of SLF in New York State. A new online interface allows volunteer members of the public to assist in surveying for SLF in a specific area, or grid of land, and tracking associated data. The program encourages broader surveying for SLF and increased public awareness of this invasive pest.

The State is holding a series of training webinars to educate volunteers on how to identify SLF and tree-of-heaven, a plant that SLF commonly feeds on. Each training webinar will focus on a different life stage of SLF based on the time of year that stage would be most likely found during survey.  Currently, the training focuses on identifying adult SLF. The training will also cover how to use iMapInvasives, how to sign up for a grid and track data, and details about land access. The next webinar will be held on October 27, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. More information about the program, including upcoming webinars, can be found at https://www.nyimapinvasives.org/slf.

Spotted Lanternfly Devastating to New York Agriculture

SLF feeding can stress plants, making them vulnerable to disease and attacks from other insects. SLF also excretes large amounts of sticky “honeydew,” which attracts sooty molds that interfere with plant photosynthesis, negatively affecting the growth and fruit yield of plants, devastating agriculture and impacting forest health.

The estimated total economic impact of invasive insects in the US exceeds $70 billion per year, and if not contained, the SLF could have an impact to NYS of at least $300 million annually, mainly to the grape and wine industry.

SLF also has the potential to significantly hinder quality of life and recreational activities due to the honeydew and the swarms of insects it attracts.

First discovered in Pennsylvania in 2014, SLF has since been found in New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia and Virginia. Given the proximity to the Pennsylvania and New Jersey infestations, New York State is at high risk for infestation.

Since 2017, AGM, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, New York State Department of Transportation, and New York State Thruway Authority have taken an aggressive approach to keeping SLF from establishing in New York State, conducting surveys of high-risk areas across the State; inspecting nursery stock, stone shipments, and commercial transports from quarantine areas; and launching a comprehensive education and outreach campaign to enlist the public’s help in reporting SLF.

Identifying SLF

Adult SLF are active from July to December. They are approximately one inch long and half an inch wide at rest, with eye-catching wings. Adults begin laying eggs in September. Signs of an SLF infestation may include:

  • Sap oozing or weeping from open wounds on tree trunks, which appear wet and give off fermented odors.
  • One-inch-long egg masses that are brownish-gray, waxy and mud-like when new. Old egg masses are brown and scaly.
  • Massive honeydew build-up under plants, sometimes with black sooty mold developing.

For more information on Spotted Lanternfly, visit https://agriculture.ny.gov/spottedlanternfly.

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