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Times of Huntington-Northport

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Pixabay photo

By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief

Intuitively we know that our behavior changed in just about every way during the unprecedented events of last year. The American Time Use Survey, a responsibility of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, asks thousands of people annually to record how they spend their daily minutes, and they came up with some research to back up our intuition on how we adapted to COVID-19 in 2020. The New York Times covered the story last Thursday, breaking out a number of categories for comparison.

As far as non-work and non-school time, the data was divided into sleeping; watching TV, movies or videos; playing games; cooking; doing housework; grooming; exercising; and texting, phone calls and video chats. It was further broken down by demographic groups: 15-24; 25-44; 45-64; and 65+. As far as sleeping goes, all the age groups slept more, with those 25-44 and 45-64 getting the most rest and both the 15-24 and the 65+ cohorts having the smallest increases. That makes sense to me because those getting more sleep are probably the primary workforce. The ones who did not have to commute as much and could sleep a little later.

The 45-64 and the 15-24 groups also spent the most extra time watching TV, movies and videos, about 25 minutes more per day. Yay for Netflix and the other streaming services who introduced us to binging. By far and away the most increase playing games was among the 15-24 folks, averaging 24 more minutes a day.  Mostly all four groups didn’t change much in the amount of cooking they did, but while the others increased slightly, the 15-24 category decreased six minutes a day.

Doing housework wasn’t much different from 2019, with the oldest category completely unchanged.

So what went down? Are you surprised to know it was grooming? The others dropped from four to seven minutes a day, but the youngest members increased four-tenths of a minute. Exercising increased four to five minutes, except for the oldest set, who decreased their exercising by five minutes daily. And everybody spent more time texting, phoning and participating in video chats, with the youngest crowd up eight minutes a day.

Last year was a difficult time for those forced to be alone. The survey tracks people during waking hours by how much time spent with people outside the household, with household members only and with those alone. The numbers for time with outsiders sank to one hour and 33 minutes less a day, while for household members, the amount rose by 31 minutes. The amount of alone time rose 57 minutes on average out of an eight-hour day. Remember all these numbers measure increases, not absolute time. For those in nursing homes, for example, who were unable to receive visitors, it was a miserably lonely year. And socializing among children was severely limited.

The greatest disruption caused by the coronavirus was in the lives of parents. With schools closed, parents became homeschoolers, particularly for children in elementary school. This burden could be in addition to working on a job from home and it affected women more than men because in most cases they carry the greater responsibility for child care. Sometimes it forced women to quit their jobs. Single mothers were particularly disrupted by the situation.

The nature of work also changed. For starters, in 2019, only one in seven people worked remotely. Last year it was one in three. And the changes laid bare disparities among workers.  Hispanic workers were more likely to lose their jobs. Black workers were most often required to go to their jobs in person, thus being more exposed to infection. White and Asian workers were often able to work from home.

There were also stark differences depending on educational levels. Those with graduate and professional degrees generally spent more hours last year working from home than in the office. Those with a high school diploma or less were often considered “essential workers” and had to function in person in the workplace, 

Will this data cause change in the future?

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Brandpoint photo

At the same time that the United States battles against the more infectious Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus, hospitals in Suffolk County are experiencing similar trends among those infected and who need medical attention.

The Delta variant accounts for over 80% of those infected in the county, according to Dr. Gregson Pigott, commissioner of the Suffolk County Department of Health Services. The percentage of positive tests has climbed from below 1 percent earlier in the summer to between 2 and 3 percent.

“People over 65 find themselves more vulnerable and more ready to accept the vaccine. Younger people can consider themselves invincible. That is leading to greater hospitalizations than we’ve seen among those who are under 65.”

— Dr. Sunil Dhuper

Those figures are likely even higher “given that it is all dependent on the numbers of persons being tested and why,” Dr. Susan Donelan, medical director of Healthcare Epidemiology at Stony Brook University, explained in an email.

Meanwhile, the percentage of law enforcement members in Suffolk County who are vaccinated is lower than that for the county as a whole. According to the county Police Department, through May, 47% of law enforcement had received a vaccine compared with 57% for the county. Acting SCPD Commissioner Stuart Cameron is encouraging members to get vaccinated.

Health care workers are concerned about the general ongoing trends with the virus.

“The numbers are alarming,” said Dr. Sunil Dhuper, chief medical officer at St. Charles Hospital. “There’s a heightened level of awareness amongst the staff of what’s happening locally and at the state and national level.”

Unlike those who contracted the virus and needed hospitalization in 2020, the majority, about 53%, are between the ages of 19 and 64, according to Pigott.

Additionally, about 99% of patients hospitalized for COVID complications are unvaccinated, according to Dr. Adrian Popp, chair of Infection Control at Huntington Hospital/Northwell Health and associate professor of medicine at Hofstra School of Medicine.

He added that the vaccinated patients are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, which means that the risk of hospitalization or mortality is significantly lower even among those with breakthrough infections than for those who are unvaccinated.

The lower number of hospitalized patients who are over 65 likely reflects the comfort level they have with the inoculation.

“People over 65 find themselves more vulnerable and more ready to accept the vaccine,” Dhuper said. “Younger people can consider themselves invincible. That is leading to greater hospitalizations than we’ve seen among those who are under 65.”

The percentage of people fully vaccinated in Suffolk County is 57.8% as at Aug. 4.

“The vaccine has been shown to be safe and effective,” Pigott wrote in an email. “We encourage all residents to get vaccinated to protect themselves and their loved ones, and so that new vaccine-resistant variants of SARS-CoV-2 [the virus that caused the pandemic] do not have the opportunity to emerge.”

Area hospitals have been watching the infection and vaccination trends in the area closely.

St. Charles and Northwell are currently engaged in corporate discussions about when to start testing patients who are vaccinated but might be carriers.

The New York State Department of Health guidelines recently suggested that as long as the positive testing rate was below 2%, hospitals didn’t need to test patients if they are vaccinated when they have elective surgeries.

“We are very concerned about that now,” Dhuper said.

St. Charles Hospital is considering whether to start doing nasal swabs for all patients getting elective surgery to prevent putting patients and employees at risk.

Meanwhile, at Huntington Hospital, employees who do not get the vaccine will need to be tested weekly or biweekly, according to Popp.

As for people concerned about being around others who may have the virus without displaying symptoms, he added that it is “difficult to know when you are exposed.”

The only way to know if someone is infected is to get tested with the COVID PCR nasal swab.

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hasn’t changed its definition of exposure, which includes being within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes indoors with an infected person, Popp recognized that “one can argue that transmission of infection may occur in less than 15 minutes.”

The Huntington Hospital doctor added that riding in an elevator or sharing a car ride with an infected person for under 15 minutes is “very risky due to the small, enclosed space without ventilation associated with the Delta variant that is 50% more transmissible.”

Better treatment

Doctors, nurses and other health care professionals have benefited from their experience with the virus. Hospital administrators feel prepared to handle the variety of symptoms patients have when they need medical attention.

“We now have clear parameters regarding the use of remdesivir, steroids, and other agents,” SBU’s Donelan explained in an email. “Proning is now a proven patient management technique. The role of anticoagulation is well understood.” The proning term means putting a patient in a prone position so the individual is lying face down.

Dhuper said the length of COVID stays at St. Charles have declined because of better treatment and the overall better immune status of those who contract the virus.

“We have come up with better management in terms of who needs to be ventilated, and who needs to be in a prone position prior to ventilation,” he said.

As for the implications for schools, which will reopen for the fall within the next month, medical care professionals urged parents and educational administrators to remind students of the same messages from earlier in the pandemic.

Students should wear masks, social distance, wash their hands and, most importantly, get vaccinated if they are 16 and above, Popp urged.

Current drug trials are underway for children under 16, with results expected in December, Popp said, which means that students in that age group will attend in-person classes with the same protections, albeit amid a more transmissible form of the virus than last year.

Dhuper reminded residents that the response to the virus can range from asymptomatic to extended hospital stays or death.

“People have to know that [these outcomes] can happen in any age group,” he said. “It all depends on the viral load and the immune response. The bottom line is that you have to protect yourself, and you have to protect your family and the community around you. The only way we can be ahead of the curve is by taking the vaccine.”

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Coach Ken Eriksen during practice with Team USA Softball. Photo by Jade Hewitt from USA Softball

Some days, you win a close race against the best in the world by a fingernail, the way Michael Phelps did in 2008 in the 100-meter butterfly.

Coach Ken Eriksen with members of Team USA softball team. Photo by Jade Hewitt from USA Softball

Other days, your team, after thousands of hours of practice, working hard, watching video and dancing on a bus — more on this later — you lose by that same margin.

That’s how Team USA Softball’s coach Ken Eriksen, who contributed his last volunteer hour to traveling around the world on behalf of the country, felt after losing 2-0 to Japan in the gold medal game at the Tokyo Olympics.

“The difference between gold or silver is almost microscopic,” Eriksen said. “Japan had a good day.”

A turning point in the gold medal game came in the bottom of the sixth inning when American third-basemen Amanda Chidester lined a ball that hit off her counterpart at third base and into the shortstop’s mitt, who threw to second base to get a double play, ending a potential American rally from a 2-0 deficit.

“When that play occurred, that’s the first time in the game that I said, ‘This may not be our day,’” Eriksen, a 1979 graduate of Ward Melville High School said.

The head coach was pleased with the preparation and effort from a team of 15 players, including pitching legends Cat Osterman and Monica Abbott, who returned for one more chance at an Olympic medal.

“I thought we played a very good tournament,” Eriksen said from Tampa, Florida, where he has been the University of South Florida head softball coach for the last 24 years.

Outside the lines, the Olympics presented numerous challenges. Even on their way to the Olympics, it was clear this would be a unique experience, as the only people on the flight to Japan were either athletes or the military.

Once in the country, they had numerous restrictions as a result of the Delta variant.

“The Japanese wouldn’t let you do much,” Eriksen said.

The team and coaches went to the ballpark and spent much of their time at the hotel. They couldn’t go outside and socialize with other athletes. Inside the village, they had to put on their masks everywhere.

Each morning, the players and coaches had a COVID saliva test, which built anxiety as the team waited for results in the afternoon.

“There was no release of stress to go out and just relax,” Eriksen said. “Elite athletes need that pressure release and coaches need it.”

Indeed, in addition to restrictions placed on the team, the athletes regularly heard from Japanese citizens who were upset that the Olympics even took place.

“Everywhere we went, we heard protests,” Eriksen said. “It’s unnerving. You’re there in allegedly the greatest athletic event in the world and in the host country, they don’t want you. When you’re hearing voices coming over megaphones behind a police line, it’s not normal.”

To counterbalance the stress and help the team, Eriksen said he slackened the reins, giving his players the green light to get “goofy.”

“People think of athletes as having ice in their veins. They are human beings.”

— Ken Eriksen

Led by infielder Valerie Arioto, 32, the team danced on the bus. Arioto did the “greatest rendition of Cher” and Kelly Clarkson, Eriksen said. The head coach also allowed the team to listen to music while practicing, giving them a chance to blow off steam while preparing for upcoming games.

Mental health

Eriksen said the softball team had already focused on the mental health aspects of the game, which gymnast Simone Biles brought to the world’s attention when she withdrew from the team and several individual events.

“We’ve been ahead of the curve on this for three or four years,” Eriksen said.

While people talk about softball and baseball as games of failure because a batter is considered successful if he or she gets on base once in three tries, Eriksen said the softball team describes the experience as a “game of opportunity,” by defining successes in ways other than batting averages.

Eriksen is grateful to Biles and Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka, who withdrew from Wimbledon rather than face questions from the media, for raising the issue of mental health for athletes.

“People think of athletes as having ice in their veins,” he said. “They are human beings. The pressure on anybody that wears a U.S. uniform … is almost unfair.”

The rest of the world has improved in numerous sports, including softball, in part because American coaches have helped train them, Eriksen added. Through the Olympics, American players compete against their college roommates or coaches who worked with them earlier in their careers.

After the gold medal game ended in heartbreak for players who put everything they had into the game, Eriksen said he shared a few words with the team.

“This game will not be the toughest they’ll ever play,” he recalled. “The toughest game will start tomorrow: the rest of their life.”

He encouraged players to call him for any future support.

Having been an assistant coach with the gold-medal winning team in Athens in 2004, Eriksen recognized that the game fades quickly.

“Within five minutes, you have the realization that it’s over and the climb is the most exhilarating part,” he said.

Eriksen was pleased to have the support and leadership of 38-year-old Osterman and 36-year-old Abbott, who served as inspirations to their teammates. He described the two pitchers as the Nolan Ryans of their era.

“What God gave these people is absolutely rare,” Eriksen said, as they have maintained their athleticism well into their 30s.

Accumulated wisdom

After all his years on the diamond, first as a baseball player at Ward Melville and in college at USF, and then as a coach, Eriksen shared a few thoughts.

When he was hired, his athletic director at USF told him never to get in a conversation with parents because he’ll always lose. Twice in his career, he removed players from the team because their parents questioned him about playing time.

As for being around men’s and women’s teams, he suggested a difference among athletes of each gender.

“Women have to feel good to play good, men have to play good to feel good,” he said.

In his coaching career, he recalled one moment that mirrored a scene from the Kurt Russell movie “Miracle,” in which the actor played Coach Herb Brooks from the 1980 ice hockey team that defeated the Russians amid the Cold War in Lake Placid.

Before tryouts ended, Russell gave a stunned Olympic hockey league director his list of players.

In 2019, Eriksen said he, too, handed the Olympic softball league director a list of the 15 players who would be on the team before tryouts ended.

Eriksen said he is comforted by his decision to retire from coaching Team USA.

“If I never get on an airplane again, I’ll be okay,” he said. “Sometimes, it’s good to wake up in your own bed, drink coffee on the back porch and listen to the birds.

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) File photo by Sara Meghan Walsh

By Rita J. Egan and Julianne Mosher

Local elected officials weighed in after New York State Attorney General Letitia James (D) released a report saying independent investigators concluded that Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) harassed multiple women — including current and former employees — from 2013-20.

The investigation began in March and James appointed the investigators, according to a press release from the Attorney General’s Office.

“This is a sad day for New York because independent investigators have concluded that Governor Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women and, in doing so, broke the law,” James said in the press release. “I am grateful to all the women who came forward to tell their stories in painstaking detail, enabling investigators to get to the truth. No man — no matter how powerful — can be allowed to harass women or violate our human rights laws, period.”

According to the press release, Cuomo was also interviewed. The report said the governor denied the most serious allegations. He also gave “blanket denials” or said he had no recollection of specific incidents.

During an Aug. 3 recorded statement, Cuomo denied the allegations and said there are generational and cultural differences in the way he expresses himself compared to others.

U.S. Congress

U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY1), who has been named the presumptive Republican nominee for governor in the 2022 race, in a statement demanded that Cuomo resign or be impeached.

“Cuomo institutionalized widespread abuse within his administration and tried to silence his many victims, which enabled him to continue openly preying on those around him,” Zeldin said in the statement. “Over the last few months, Cuomo has continued his attempts to undermine the investigations into his wrongdoing and those carrying them out, and I have no doubt he will continue to do so following the release of the report.”

Zeldin’s neighboring congressman, Tom Suozzi (D-NY3), released a joint statement along with congressmen Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY8) and Gregory Meeks (D-NY5). The representatives said in the statement that the attorney general “conducted a complete, thorough and professional investigation.”

“The investigation has found that the governor engaged in abusive behavior toward women, including subordinates, created a hostile work environment and violated state and federal law,” the statement read. “We commend the brave women who came forward and spoke truth to power. The time has come for Governor Andrew Cuomo to do the right thing for the people of New York state and resign.”

State Senate

State Sen. Mario Mattera (R-St. James) also thanked “the brave women who courageously stood up to tell their stories of harassment” in a statement.

“This is truly a sad day for our state, and it is time for the governor to do the right thing for the good of New York’s future,” Mattera said. “Since these troubling allegations were first brought to light, I have supported an independent investigation to uncover the full truth and bring justice for these women. Now that the attorney general’s report has confirmed and corroborated these disturbing actions, I am renewing my call for the governor to resign immediately.”

Mattera said in the statement that if the governor does not resign that the state Assembly should impeach him: “While I would hope that the hardworking men and women of New York can be spared the expense and damage such action would cause, it is vital that the Assembly Democratic Conference act on behalf of the residents if Governor Cuomo continues to refuse to step aside.”

Mattera added that the scandal has gotten in the way of recovering from the pandemic.

“The reality is that this continuing cloud hanging over our state is impeding our ability to govern,” he said. “It cannot be allowed to impede the much-needed work that must be done to recover from the ongoing COVID crisis.  The residents of our state need to know that their government will not allow any distractions to impede those efforts to rebuild our economy, help our businesses grow and create the jobs that our residents need.”

State Sen. Jim Gaughran (D-Northport) agreed in a statement Cuomo must resign, saying it would be “in the best interest of the state.”

“The attorney general’s findings of sexual harassment and violations of New York State’s sexual harassment policy are credible and deeply troubling,” Gaughran said. “I thank the women who bravely spoke out about the governor’s reprehensible conduct.”

State Sen. Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk) said that he called on Cuomo to resign in March.

“Today, after the findings of the attorney general’s report, I renew my call for him to resign immediately,” he said in a statement. “If the governor, driven by his arrogance and hubris refuses to resign, then the Assembly Democratic Conference must take immediate action and begin impeachment proceedings.

Palumbo added that “the attorney general’s report makes it clear that he is no longer fit to serve the people of New York as its top executive.”

He said that he commends “the brave women who showed the courage to expose the pervasive culture of abuse and harassment in the top echelons of our state government.”

State Assembly

Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio (R-Riverhead) released a statement on the report saying the evidence is damning.

“No one should suffer the systemic and frankly disgusting sexual harassment that the governor engaged in. This was a nonpartisan and independent investigation. I am calling once again on Gov. Cuomo to step down,” she said. “He cannot serve the people of New York any longer. He should be ashamed of himself and, finally, do what is right. If not, he should be impeached immediately while he faces prosecution and ongoing criminal investigation by the Assembly Judiciary Committee.”

Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) said in a statement that if the governor didn’t resign, impeachment would be necessary.

“I support and commend the numerous women who courageously spoke the truth,” Englebright said. “They deserve justice. The attorney general’s findings are clear and condemning. If Governor Andrew Cuomo refuses to resign then the Assembly must act with deliberate speed to impeach.”

Assemblyman Mike Fitzpatrick (R-St. James) in a phone interview said when the allegations first surfaced, he believed the governor was entitled to due process, but now he feels the governor should resign or be impeached and said the governor is a liability for Democrats.

“He’ll try to protect his legacy,” Fitzpatrick said. “He’ll try to protect the family name, but I think he’s already tarnished that and ruined his legacy. It’s a shame.”

Fitzpatrick added he and other elected officials hope that Cuomo will also be held accountable for the handling of nursing home deaths and what resources were involved in the writing of his recent book.

“Each one alone would merit impeachment,” Fitzpatrick said.

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Barry Udelson from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County shows those in attendance oysters. Photo by Kimberly Brown

After a great amount of hard work and dedication, Village of Northport trustee Dave Weber Jr. was happy to announce Wednesday, July 28, that the latest stage of the aquaculture program between Northport Village, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County and Town of Huntington Maritime Services is officially operating.

Supervisor Chad Lupinacci speaks at the July 28 press conference. Photo by Kimberly Brown

The entities have established Floating Upweller System, also known as FLUPSY, floats which will become essential to preserving the oyster population as well as cleaning waterways in Northport Harbor.

“About 30 community members set this plan in motion to raise funds and support this FLUPSY program,” Weber said, “What’s better than to start an aquaculture program right here in our own backyard to support, safeguard and help maintain a healthy marine environment?”

There are numerous benefits to having the FLUPSY dock in Northport Harbor because it allows a large number of oysters to grow while simultaneously protecting them from natural predators.

“The idea behind this is that we’re constantly providing a heavy flow of water passing over the shellfish,” said Barry Udelson from CCE of Suffolk County. “If you’re pumping water through them, they’re constantly getting a much healthier diet. Think about giving them heavy protein shakes, they’ll grow much faster than if they were naturally sitting on the bay bottom.”

The dock holds 100,000 baby oysters that are 4 to 10 millimeters in size. In a few months, the oysters will grow to approximately 40 mm.

Once the oysters are mature enough to survive out in open waters, Huntington Maritime Services and CCE of Suffolk County will place them in the bay. The oysters will continue to grow until they are big enough to be harvested by baymen.

“This is the first year, but as we continue to grow we may be able to expand these floats to more than 100,000 oysters,” Udelson said. “As more communities like yours start to appreciate this, we can find ways to continue to expand to other parts of Long Island and improve everyone’s water quality.”

The oysters will be able to filter out the nitrogen, caused by rain runoff, fertilizers and cesspools and introduce oxygen into the water. The process will serve as an efficient way to clean out the waterways and create safer habitats for other species.

The FLUPSY program will also have an educational component to it and help teach students about shellfish aquaculture. Currently, the program has taken on two Northport High School interns who will work with CCE of Suffolk County..

“This is a great day because this is really how government should work together,” said Town of Huntington Supervisor Chad Lupinacci (R). “We want to continue these great efforts and work along with the village and Cornell Cooperative Extension to help restore our water quality.”

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Attendees at a conference at CSHL, an in-person tradition started in 1933. These conferences were suspended from 1943 to 1945 during WWII and were virtual during the pandemic in 2020 and for most of 2021. Photo by Miriam Chuai/CSHL

By Daniel Dunaief

For scientists, meetings and conferences aren’t just a chance to catch up on the latest research, gossip and see old friends: they can also provide an intellectual spark that enhances their careers and leads to new collaborations.

Amid the pandemic, almost all of those in-person conferences stopped, including the annual courses and meetings that Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory hosts. The internationally renowned lab has run meetings since 1933, with a few years off between 1943 and 1945 during World War II.

CSHL’s David Stewart. Photo by Gina Motisi/CSHL

While scientists made progress on everything from basic to translational research, including in laboratories that pivoted towards work on the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, they missed out on the kinds of opportunities that come from in-person interactions.

Assuming COVID infection rates are low enough this fall, CSHL is hoping to restart in-person conferences and courses, with the first conference that will address fifty years of the enzyme reverse transcriptase scheduled for Oct. 20th through the 23rd. That event was originally scheduled for October of 2020.

One of the planned guest speakers for that conference, David Baltimore, who discovered the enzyme that enables RNA to transfer information to DNA and is involved in retroviruses like HIV, won the Nobel Prize.

“I am hoping that there will be significant participation by many eminent scientists, so that is in itself somewhat [of] a ceremonial start,” wrote David Stewart, Executive Director of meetings and courses at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

To attend any of the seven in-person meetings on the calendar before the end of the year, participants need to have vaccinations from either Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson or AstraZeneca.

Attendees will have to complete an online form and bring a vaccination card or certificate. Scientists who don’t provide that information “will not be admitted and will not get a key to their room or be able to attend the event,” Stewart said.

CSHL also plans to maintain the thorough and deep cleaning procedures the lab developed. 

Stewart hopes that 75 to 80 percent or more of the talks presented will be live, with a virtual audience that could be larger than the in-person attendance.

“It is important to have a critical mass of presenters and audience in-person, but there’s no real limit on how large the virtual audience could be,” he explained.

Typically, the courses attract participants from over 50 countries. Even this year, especially with travel restrictions for some countries still in place, Stewart expects that the majority of participants will travel from locations within the United States.

The Executive Director explained that CSHL was planning to introduce a carbon offset program for all travel to conferences and courses that the facility reimburses starting in 2020. After evaluating several options, they plan to purchase carbon offsets from Cool Effect and will encourage participants paying their own way to do the same or through a similar program.

The courses, meanwhile, will begin on October 4th, with macromolecular crystallography and programming for biology. CSHL hopes to run six of these courses before the end of the year, including a scientific writing retreat.

“We are looking to 100 percent enrollment for our courses, so likely this year that will largely be domestic,” Stewart explained.

The courses, which normally have 16 participants, may have 12 students, as the lab tries to run these training opportunities safely without masks or social distancing.

From March of 2020 through the end of last year, the lab had planned 25 meetings and 25 courses. As the pandemic spread, the lab pivoted to virtual meetings. “I felt like a car salesman trying to sell virtual conferences,” Stewart recalled. For the most part, the lab was able to keep to its original schedule of conferences, albeit through a virtual format.

In addition to the scheduled meetings, CSHL decided to add meetings to discuss the latest scientific information related to COVID research. 

Stewart approached Hung Fan, a retired virologist at the University of California at Irvine, to help put together these COVID exchanges. Those meetings occurred in June, July, August, October, and January. The sixth one recently concluded.

The meetings addressed “everything around the science of the virus,” Stewart said, which included the biology, the origin, the genomics, the immune response, vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics, among other scientific issues.

“There was a lot of excellent work being done around SARS-CoV-2,” Stewart said. “We were trying to identify that early on. It was helpful to have people who knew the field well.”

Fan said he combed through preprints like the CSHL-based bioRxiv and related medRxiv every day for important updates on the disease.

Fan described the scientific focus and effort of the research community as being akin to the Manhattan Project which built the atomic bomb during World War II, where “everybody said, ‘We have a common enemy and we want to apply all our capabilities to combating that.”

While Fan is pleased with the productive and valuable exchanges that occurred amid the virtual conferences, he recognized the benefit of sharing a room and a drink with scientific colleagues.

“A lot of the productive interactions at meetings take place in a social setting, at the bar, over dinner” and in other unstructured gatherings, he said. “People are relaxed and can share their scientific thoughts.”

After presentations, Fan described how researchers discuss the work presented and compare that to their own efforts. It’s easier to talk with people in person “as opposed to making a formalized approach through letters and emails.”

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The Town of Huntington hosted a MADD event July 28 to remind drivers of the '100 Deadliest Days.' Photo by Kimberly Brown

Mothers Against Drunk Driving representatives, Town of Huntington officials and Suffolk County Police Department members gathered at Greenlawn Park on Wednesday, July 28, to bring awareness and prevent the string of fatal collisions in the summer season known as the “100 Deadliest Days.”

The period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is known as the most dangerous time for Long Islanders as driving while intoxicated and distracted driving uptick dramatically. Over 7,000 people nationwide died in teen-related collisions from 2010-19 during this time period.

“It’s very simple,” said town Councilman Eugene Cook (R). “Do not drink and do not drive. Call somebody or make arrangements ahead of time. Understand that if you drink and drive, you are not only putting your own life but other lives at risk.”

Two of the members from MADD who joined the conference were Alisa and John McMorris, whose son Andrew was tragically struck by a drunk driver in 2018 while hiking alongside a road in Manorville with his Boy Scout group. Other Scouts were injured by the driver as well.

“Each headline we read, every story we hear, every parent’s eyes that we look into, knowing that there’s no amount of comfort that I can give them because this horrific nature stays with a parent forever,” Alisa McMorris said. “We saw it on the news and thought this happens to other families, but it’s going to happen to you.”

While holding a school portrait of Andrew, the McMorris family pleaded for Long Islanders to be upstanders if they see someone who is about to drink and drive.

One of the goals MADD is trying to put into action is starting federal legislation to stop tragedies such as Andrew’s from happening again.

“This is why our family and the Andrew McMorris Foundation along with MADD are fighting so hard to get drunk driving prevention technology on all new vehicles as soon as possible. Technology exists today that could stop this, and we need the [U.S.] Senate to pass Reduce Impaired Driving for Everyone [Act],​​” Alisa McMorris said.

For more information on MADD visit www.madd.org/new-york.

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'Genessee' – William K. Vanderbilt II’s 100-foot schooner,1910. Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum Archives

The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport  will offer a series of three lectures on Long Island maritime history beginning in August. Following the lectures, which will be given in the Reichert Planetarium, the Museum will hold book signings and offer refreshments. Tickets are $6 per person. Members are free. JOIN NOW!

“Little Known Aspects of Long Island’s Maritime History”
Bill Bleyer, Author and Journalist
Wednesday, August 11, 2021, 7:00 pm

This PowerPoint lecture covers the development of submarines and torpedoes, the landing of Pan Am Clippers in Port Washington, the world’s most innovative whaling captain, and more. Mr. Bleyer, a former Newsday staff writer, has written four books on Long Island history, including Long Island and the Sea: A Maritime History and Long Island and the Civil War. He is a freelance contributor to Newsday and magazines.

Willie K. and Harold S. (Mike) Vanderbilt: Gilded Age Yachtsmen
Dr. Robert B. MacKay, Historian and Author
Wednesday, September 22, 2021, 7:00 pm
This lecture will focus on how the Vanderbilts used their yachts for racing, cruising, and epic voyages. An avid sailor, noted author, and preservationist, Dr. MacKay is director emeritus of Preservation Long Island. Among his books are Great Yachts of Long Island’s North Shore, The Golden Age of Newport Yachting: Between the Wars, Long Island Country Houses and Their Architects 1860-1940.
REGISTER

“Fire and Ice: The Loss of the Steamship Lexington”
Brian E. O’Connor, Retired Attorney and Author
Wednesday, October 27, 2021, 7:00 pm

For 40 years, Mr. O’Connor handled complex commercial litigation as a partner with a Wall Street law firm. He will tell the story of the Steamship Lexington – built by Commodore Vanderbilt in 1835, for service on Long Island Sound – and its tragic fire, sinking, and loss of life on January 13, 1840. The tragedy had profound legal significance, prompting Congress to enact the Shipowners’ Limitation of Liability Act in 1851, which overruled an earlier Supreme Court decision and held the Lexington’s new owner liable for the loss of cargo on board when she sank. The Lexington’s loss was also a catalyst for Congressional legislation to regulate steamboat safety.

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Greenley Modica

Over the summer, Huntington resident Rachel Master and Setauket based teen Greenley Modica joined forces with Hewlett based Hindi’s Libraries to run book drives in their communities.

Rachel Master

Master and her family dropped off more than 700 books at the Hindi’s Libraries Lemonade 4 Literacy event this Tuesday (which raised more than $200 to help subsidize the organization’s book shipments).

Modica, whose neighborhood collection took place from March through May collected more than 2,000 children’s and young adult reads.
Books will now be reviewed, sorted and labeled by Hindi’s Libraries volunteers and shipped to nonprofits across the globe serving families and children in need.
“The best emails and  calls to get are those from local teens and families looking to support us in unique and creative ways. It allows our team the chance to give members of our community the opportunity to form a meaningful connection to our nonprofit,” explained Leslie Gang, Hindi’s Libraries cofounders.
To run a book drive in your community or learn how you can support the nonprofit, visit www.hindislibraries.com

Hindi’s Libraries is an international non-profit organization founded in 2018 in memory of Dr. Hindi Krinsky, beloved educator and mother who passed away due to a complication of Crohn’s Disease. Our organization was formed by Dovid Kanarfogel, Hindi’s husband, and Leslie Gang, a former colleague, in order to honor Hindi’s legacy by donating children’s books to families in need or with special needs who can benefit greatly from free reading material. Since our founding, we have donated over 200,000 books to more than 500 organizations spanning across the United States and international communities in Puerto Rico, Africa, India, and Israel. By continuing our work, we hope to spread literacy to children around the world and provide those less fortunate with access to books, at no cost. 

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Pixabay photo

We thought that the end was near with the coronavirus, but unfortunately the new Delta variant has people across the country concerned. 

While many people — 68% of New Yorkers ages 18 and older — have been fully vaccinated, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said this week that 21 Long Island zip codes have low vaccination rates. The state will spend $15 million to target these communities in an effort to get more people vaccinated. 

During his press conference on Monday, Cuomo said that new daily cases have been jumping due to the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus. 

Cuomo added that about 75% of adults in the state have received at least one dose of the vaccine, but 25% have not — which is a total of 3.5 million people. Only 0.15% of people in the state who are vaccinated have become infected with the virus.

While things have opened up again, and life seems to be back to normal, the Delta variant can change that quickly. In areas that Cuomo named, which included parts of Rocky Point, Miller Place, Selden, Port Jefferson Station and Lake Grove, the $15 million funding from the state budget will be used to strengthen communication, expand public education and enhance ongoing outreach efforts throughout diverse communities.

But that isn’t enough. 

The fact that so many people are choosing not to get vaccinated, and who are not being careful in doing so, is concerning. We understand that there are people who have extreme health issues that prevent them from getting the jab, and we respect that. We understand that everyone has the right to choose to be vaccinated, but when there is a public health crisis that has taken the lives of so many innocent people, how could one not choose to get the shot? 

There is a lot of false information out there, and it’s sad to see that no one trusts science anymore. What happened to March 2020 when everyone was in this together? Why did something like a shot to prevent getting sick become so polarizing? Why are people fighting in supermarkets if they choose to wear a mask for protection, and someone who is anti-mask disagrees? 

Of all the new and recent COVID-19 cases statewide, 72% come from the Delta variant. Don’t we want to get back to normal? Weddings are finally allowed to include more than 50 people. Meetings are in-person again. We have a lot to look forward to, and it would be so disappointing to fall back to where we were last year because of fear or misinformation. 

Protect yourself. Protect your friends and family. This can be prevented.

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