Nick LaLota, above, who won the Republican nomination on Tuesday for New York’s 1st Congressional District, will face Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming (D-Noyac) in the general election this November.
Photo from LaLota’s campaign website
After a contentious primary contest for New York’s 1st Congressional District, Nick LaLota won the Republican nomination on Tuesday, Aug. 23.
LaLota, chief of staff to presiding officer of the Suffolk County Legislature, Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst), has also served as a commissioner on the Suffolk County Board of Elections and a trustee of Amityville Village. He will face Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming (D-Noyac) in November in a race to fill the seat of U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY-01), who is running for governor.
With over 95% of precincts reporting as of 9 a.m. Aug. 24, LaLota received just over 47% of the total vote count. Responding to the election result, LaLota put out a statement on social media.
“Thank you, the voters of Suffolk County, for placing your trust in me,” he said. “Tonight, we celebrate a primary win against $3 million in outside special interests. Tomorrow, we fight for our community and country against a liberal rubber stamp for [the] Biden-Pelosi agenda.” He added, “Together, we’ll stand up for hardworking Long Island families, hit so hard by their tax-and-spend agenda, and always put #LongIslandFirst.”
Michelle Bond and Anthony Figliola received 28% and 25% of the vote, respectively. Left photo from Bond’s campaign website, right courtesy of the candidate
Although he received the endorsements of the Suffolk GOP and the Suffolk County Conservative Party, LaLota faced two primary challengers before receiving his party’s nomination.
Michelle Bond, chief executive officer of a cryptocurrency trade organization, and Anthony Figliola, a former Brookhaven Town deputy supervisor, received roughly 28% and 25% of the vote, respectively. Neither candidate could not be reached for comment for this story.
Following the primary election result, the Fleming campaign also put out a statement. The Democratic nominee condemned LaLota for running on what she considers an extremist platform, arguing that his views are detrimental to the political process.
“Nick LaLota wants to govern from the extremes,” she said in a press release. “He has proven time and time again that he doesn’t know what’s right for our district. From trying to defund the police, to weakening gun safety laws, to disenfranchising Suffolk County voters and supporting efforts to strip women of their fundamental freedoms, LaLota is only committed to exploiting division and advancing his own dangerous agenda.”
Voters will have the final say on Tuesday, Nov. 8, when LaLota and Fleming face off in a general election showdown.
The following incidents have been reported by Suffolk County Police:
Centereach
■ Walmart on Middle Country Road in Centereach reported that a known male shoplifter allegedly stole two Splatterball toy guns valued at $192 and a Magma hoverboard worth $144.
■ CVS on Middle Country Road in Centereach reported two shoplifters on Aug. 9. A man and a woman allegedly loaded a shopping cart with Tide detergent, diapers and paper towels before fleeing the store. The items were valued at approximately $300.
■ Walmart on Middle Country Road in Centereach called the police on Aug. 12 to report that a man allegedly stole $563 worth of assorted groceries along with a Roku Express valued at $145.
Commack
■ A resident on Wheatfield Lane in Commack reported that someone broke the window of his vehicle parked in his driveway and stole a wallet on Aug. 13. On the same day a resident on the same street reported that someone entered his unlocked vehicle and removed items and credit cards.
■ Scam alert! A woman loading groceries in her car in the parking lot of Costco Wholesale on Garet Place in Commack on Aug. 10 reported that she was approached by two men asking for directions and later realized her wallet had been stolen from her pocketbook.
■ Target on Veterans Memorial Highway in Commack reported a shoplifter on Aug. 8. A man allegedly stole three Razor scooters valued at $135 each.
■ Target on Veterans Memorial Highway in Commack reported that a man entered the store on Aug. 11, selected JBL earbuds, Heyday headphones and Tide Pods. He then picked out a backpack to conceal the items and allegedly walked out of the store without paying. The items were valued at approximately $240.
■ North Shore Paving on Townline Road in Commack reported that an unknown man stole a 2000 Ford F350 from the property on Aug. 12. The vehicle, valued at $12,000, had been left unlocked with the keys inside.
East Setauket
■ Walmart on Nesconset Highway in East Setauket reported two shoplifters on Aug. 11. Two women allegedly stole cleaning supplies, jewelry and clothing valued around $300.
Greenlawn
■ Greenlawn Fine Wines and Liquor on Broadway in Greenlawn reported two shoplifters on Aug. 12. A man and a woman allegedly stole five various bottles of liquor totally $854.
Hauppauge
■ A catalytic converter was stolen from a 2006 Honda Accord parked in the driveway of a residence on Helen Avenue in Hauppauge on Aug. 11. The part was valued at $800.
Lake Grove
■ Macy’s at the Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove reported a petit larceny on Aug. 13. A man and a woman allegedly stole miscellaneous clothing items worth approximately $930.
Melville
■ A guest checking out of the Melville Marriot Long Island on Walt Whitman Road in Melville on Aug. 10 discovered that all four tires and rims had been stolen from his 2019 BMW X2. The vehicle was found sitting on two cobblestone blocks.
Port Jefferson Station
■ A resident on Jayne Blvd. in Port Jefferson Station reported that someone entered her vehicle on Aug. 8 and stole cash, a cellphone, license and credit cards.
■ A vehicle parked in the driveway of a residence on Joline Road in Port Jefferson Station was broken into on Aug. 8. Two wallets containing driver’s licenses were stolen.
■ Uncle Giuseppe’s Marketplace on Route 112 in Port Jefferson Station reported that a man allegedly filled a shopping cart with $250 worth of assorted beer and fled the store without paying on Aug. 12.
Rocky Point
■ A resident on University Drive in Rocky Point reported that his car was broken into on Aug. 9. Assorted tools, karate apparel, headphones and cash were stolen.
■ Over 50 bags of used clothing were stolen from the PAL clothing donation bin in the Stop & Shop parking lot on Route 25A in Rocky Point on Aug. 2. The items were estimated to be worth $900.
■ A resident on Magnolia Drive in Rocky Point reported that someone entered his vehicle on Aug. 9 and stole power tools, hand tools and backpack.
St. James
■ Bruno’s Garage on Middle Country Road in St. James called the police on Aug. 10 to report that someone had stolen catalytic converters from two cars parked in the lot.
■ A resident on Washington Avenue in St. James reported that a catalytic converter was stolen from his 2006 Honda Accord on Aug. 10. Three men were seen exiting a silver Mercedes sedan, lifting the vehicle with a car jack and cutting the converter out before fleeing.
■ A resident on Alo Court in St. James reported that someone entered his backyard on Aug. 12 and stole a Dolphin Premier robotic pool cleaner. The equipment was valued at $800.
Selden
■ Rite Aid on Middle Country Road in Selden reported two shoplifters on Aug. 9. A man and a woman allegedly loaded a shopping cart with paper towels, diapers and baby formula valued at approximately $300 before fleeing the store.
■ Two motorcycles, a Suzuki DR200 and a KTM Duke 200, were stolen from a parking lot at Suffolk County Community College on College Road in Selden on Aug. 7.
Setauket
■ A woman dining at Mario’s Restaurant on Route 25A in Setauket on Aug. 12 discovered that someone had removed a cellphone, wallet and phone charger from her vehicle.
Smithtown
■ A purple 2016 Dodge Charger SRT 392 was stolen from the driveway of a residence on Nissequogue River Road in Smithtown on Aug. 12. The spare keys had been left inside the vehicle which was valued at $60,000.
■ A muffler was damaged and a catalytic converter was stolen from a 2008 Honda Elementparked in the street in front of a residence on Blydenburg Avenue and a catalytic converter was reported stolen from a 2008 Honda Element parked in the driveway of a residence on Estate Road in Smithtown on Aug. 11.
■ A resident on Brook Court in Smithtown reported that a catalytic converter was stolen from his 2005 Honda Accord and a catalytic converter was stolen from a 2002 Honda Accord parked on New Mill Road in Smithtown on Aug. 12.
Sound Beach
■ Catalytic converters were stolen from a 2001 Honda Accord on Mahogany Road, a 2001 Honda Accord on Rock Hall Lane and a 2002 Honda Accord on Soundway Drive in Sound Beach on Aug. 7.
■ Catalytic converters were stolen from a 2004 Acura TSX parked on Mitchell Drive and a 2005 Honda Accord parked in the driveway of a residence on Sound Beach Blvd. in Sound Beach on Aug. 8.
Stony Brook
■ A resident on Sanford Lane in Stony Brook reported that someone entered his unlocked car on Aug. 9 and stole a wallet from the center console.
■ A 2021 Toyota Corolla was reported stolen from the driveway of a residence on Sheppard Lane in Stony Brook on Aug. 8. The owner was not sure if the car, which was valued at $15,000, had been locked.
Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS.
This is part one of a two-part series featuring Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory alums Joanna Wysocka, Robert Tjian, Victoria Bautch, Rasika Harshey and Eileen White. Part two will be in the issue of Aug. 25.
Often working seven days a week as they build their careers, scientists plan, conduct and interpret experiments that don’t always work or provide clear cut results.
Driven by their passion for discovery, they tap into a reservoir of ambition and persistence, eager for that moment when they might find something no one else has discovered, adding information that may lead to a new technology, that could possibly save lives, or that leads to a basic understanding of how or why something works.
Nestled between the shoreline of an inner harbor along the Long Island Sound and deciduous trees that celebrate the passage of seasons with technicolor fall foliage, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has been a career-defining training ground for future award-winning scientists.
Five alumni of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory recently shared their thoughts, experiences, and reflections on the private lab that was founded in 1890.
While they shared their enthusiasm, positive experiences and amusing anecdotes, they are not, to borrow from scientific terminology, a statistically significant sample size. They are also a self-selecting group who responded to email requests for interviews. Still, despite their excitement about an important time in their lives and their glowing description of the opportunities they had to hone their craft, they acknowledged that this shining lab on the Sound may not be paradise for everyone.
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is considerably smaller than some of the research universities around the country. Additionally, scientists with a thin skin — read on for more about this — may find their peers’ readiness to offer a range of feedback challenging. Still, the lab can and has been a launching pad.
A suitcase and a dream
Joanna Wysocka’s story mirrors that of other immigrants who came to the United States from their home countries. Wysocka arrived from Poland in 1998 with one suitcase that included mementos from her family, a Polish edition of her favorite book, One Hundred Years of Solitude, and a dream of developing her scientific career.
She was also chasing something else: her boyfriend Tomek Swigut, who had come to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. “I was fresh off the boat without any fancy resume or anything,” Wysocka recalls. “They really took a chance on me.”
Joanna Wysocka
While she learned how to conduct scientific experiments, she also recognized early on that she was a part of something bigger than herself. Early on, she found that people didn’t hold back in their thoughts on her work. “You always got critical feedback,” she said. “People felt very comfortable picking apart each other’s data.”
The positive and negative feedback were all a part of doing the best science, she explained.
Wysocka felt the inspiration and exhilaration that comes from a novel discovery several times during her five-year PhD program.
“It’s 11 p.m. in the evening, you’re in the dark room, developing a film, you get this result and you realize you’re a person who knows a little secret that nobody else in the world knows just yet,” she recalled. “That is really wonderful.”
For special occasions, the lab celebrated such moments with margaritas. Winship Herr, her advisor, made particularly strongest ones.
In one of her biggest projects, Wysocka was working with a viral host cell factor, or HCF. This factor is critical for transcription for the Herpes simplex virus. What wasn’t clear, however, was what the factor was doing. She discovered that this factor worked with proteins including chromatin modifiers. “From this moment, it set me up for a lifetime passion of working on gene regulation and chromatin,” she said.
As for the scientific process, Wysocka said Herr offered her critical lessons about science. When she started, Herr expected two things: that she’d work hard and that she’d learn from her mistakes. During the course of her work, she also realized that any work she did that depended on the result of earlier experiments required her own validation, no matter who did the work or where it was published. “You need to repeat the results in your own hands, before you move on,” she explained.
Despite the distance from the lab to New York City and the smaller size of the lab compared with large universities, Wysocka never felt isolated. “Because of all the conferences and courses, the saying goes that ‘if you want to meet somebody in science, go to a Cold Spring Harbor bar and sit and wait.’” That, however, is not something she took literally, as she put considerable hours into her research. While she wishes she had this incredible foresight about choosing Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, she acknowledges that she was following in Swigut’s footsteps.
The choice of CSHL worked out well for her, as her research has won numerous awards, including the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science, which recognizes immigrant scientists who have made a contribution to U.S. society. She now works as Professor at Stanford University and is married to Swigut.
Swinging for the fences
In 1976, Robert Tjian had several choices for the next step in his developing scientific career after he completed his PhD at Harvard University. James Watson, who had shared the Nobel Prize in 1962 for the double helix molecular structure of DNA with Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins and was director at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, convinced him to conduct his postdoctoral research at CSHL.
Robert Tjian
The contact with Watson didn’t end with his recruitment. Tjian, who most people know as “Tij,” talked about science on almost a daily basis with Watson, which he considered an ‘incredible privilege.”
Although he only worked at CSHL for two years, Tjian suggested the experience had a profound impact on a career that has spanned six decades.
Learning about gene discovery was the main driver of his time at CSHL. An important discovery during his work at CSHL was to “purify a protein that binds to the origin of replication of a tumor virus, which was what [Watson] wanted me to do when he recruited me,” he said. That launched his career in a “positive way.”
Tjian feels fortunate that things worked out and suggested that it’s rare for postdoctoral students to achieve a transformative career experiment in such a short period of time either back then or now. He attributes that to a combination of “being in the right place at the right time,” luck and hard work.
At Berkeley, where he is Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology and has been running a lab since 1979, he has observed that the most successful researchers are the ones who are “swinging for the fences. If you don’t swing for the fences and get lucky, you sure as hell aren’t going to hit a home run.”
Tjian learned how to run a lab from his experience at CSHL. He selects for risk takers who are independent and feels the only way to motivate people is to ensure that the work they are pursuing involves questions they want to solve.
One of the most important and hardest lessons he learned during his research career was to “fail quickly and move on.” He tells his student that about 85 percent of their experiments are going to fail, so “get used to it and learn from it.”
Despite his short and effective stay at CSHL, Tjian suggested he made “more than his fair share” of mistakes. Terri Grodzicker, who is currently Dean of Academic Affairs at CSHL, taught Tjian to do cell culture, which he had never done before. He contaminated nearly all the cultures for about a month.
While Tjian described the lab as a “competitive place,” he felt like his colleagues “helped each other.”
When he wasn’t conducting his experiments or contaminating cultures, he spent time on the tennis court, playing regularly with Watson. Watson wasn’t “exactly the most coordinated athlete in the world,” although Tjian respected his “remarkably good, natural forehand.” He was also one of the few people who was able to use the lab boat, which he used to fish for striped bass and bluefish early in the morning. “I would try to drag all kinds of people out there,” he said.
While his CSHL experience was “the best thing” for him, Tjian explained that the lab might not be the ideal fit for everyone, in part because it’s considerably smaller than larger universities. At Berkeley, he has 40 to 55 PhD students in molecular biology and he can interact with 40,000 undergraduates, which is a “very different scale.”
Tjian has returned many times to CSHL and is planning to visit the lab at the end of August for a meeting he’s organizing on single molecule microscopy.
Each time he comes back, he “always felt like I was coming home,” he said.
Suffolk County Police arrested four people on weapons charges following a motor vehicle crash from which they were rescued by police officers in Dix Hills on Aug. 18.
Photo from SCPD
First Precinct Officers Shawn Arigoni and Michael Renna were on patrol when they observed a 2018 BMW speeding and swerving on Route 231 near Commack Road. The officers turned on their overhead lights and attempted to pull over the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle failed to pull over and the officers turned off their lights and discontinued the traffic stop attempt.
A short time later, the driver of the BMW, Eric Johnson, lost control of the vehicle on northbound Commack Road, just north of Burlington Avenue, and the vehicle crossed over the southbound lane, struck a tree, and overturned at 12:53 a.m.
Officers Arigoni and Renna then came upon the vehicle, which had caught fire due to the crash. Officers Arigoni and Renna, along with Police Officers Thomas Engelhardt and Ryan Carroll, pulled the driver and his three passengers from the vehicle. A fanny pack containing a loaded .40 caliber handgun was located inside the vehicle. All four were treated for non-life-threatening injuries at Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip.
Photo from SCPD
First Squad detectives charged Johnson, 22, of Medford, with Criminal Possession of a Weapon 2nd Degree, Criminal Possession of a Weapon 3rd Degree, Criminal Possession of a Firearm, Criminal Contempt 2nd Degree and was issued multiple traffic violations.
Passengers Magaly Espinal, 21, of Central Islip, Tazjan Derritt, 26, of Amityville, and Janell Funderburke, 19, Coram, were charged with Criminal Possession of a Weapon 2nd Degree and Criminal Possession of a Firearm. Funderburke was also charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 5th Degree, Criminal Possession of a Substance 7th Degree and Criminal Contempt 2nd Degree.
Johnson, Espinal and Derritt will be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on August 19. Funderburke has been admitted to the hospital and will be arraigned at a later date.
A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Cartoon by
Kyle Horne:
kylehorneart.com
@kylehorneart
As citizens of a free nation, we have the right to make our voices heard at the ballot box.
This coming Tuesday, Aug. 23, we will cast our votes for congressional and state senatorial primary elections. But democracy doesn’t end when we leave the polling place. In fact, that is only where
it starts.
Cartoon by Kyle Horne: kylehorneart.com @kylehorneart
Recently, TBR News Media has witnessed a flurry of popular energy within our coverage area. Look no further than Port Jefferson Station/Terryville to learn what democracy looks like while in motion.
Since the inception of councilmanic districts in the Town of Brookhaven in 2002, Port Jefferson Station/Terryville has fallen within Council District 1. However, two maps on the Brookhaven Redistricting Committee’s website propose dividing that community across separate council districts.
For three weeks running, the people of the united hamlet of Port Jefferson Station/Terryville have turned out in numbers, eager to keep their community intact under a single council district. In the face of uncertainty, the Greater Comsewogue community has stood up to power, spoken out and may make a difference.
While the redistricting process remains ongoing, Port Jefferson Station/Terryville has illustrated the power of a united public. Through their mobilized efforts, the people have demonstrated what democracy can and
should be.
Politicians are in office to carry out the will of the people. When they defy the popular will in favor of their own agendas, it is the right and obligation of the people to correct course.
Though democracy may die in darkness, it shines brightest when ordinary citizens light the way. In their moment of history, the people of Port Jefferson Station/Terryville remind us that there is no greater force in nature than a united people.
Communities across Long Island should learn from this example. Through their actions, we uncover the formula for positive change in our own communities. If we all take a page out of their playbook, then there is no end to what we can achieve together. The redistricting commission and Town Board should take careful note of the wishes of We the People.
Councilmen Sal Ferro and Dave Bennardo. Photo from candidates
Nearly eight months into their first terms as Huntington Town Board councilmen, David Bennardo (R) and Sal Ferro (R) said they have been learning a great deal about their community and have been satisfied with recent progress on town projects.
Town of Huntington Councilman Sal Ferro speaking at a Boating Safety press conference ahead of the 2022 boating season. Photo from Ferro’s office
“I really feel like we’re getting a lot of positive work done,” Ferro said. “I want to be able to serve the community, and I’m very happy with what we’re doing so far.”
When Ferro and Bennardo ran for office in November 2021, they promised to work toward creating a more nonpartisan Town Board. It’s a feat they feel has been accomplished.
Ferro said he believes while everyone may not always agree on issues, it’s important to respect “other people’s opinions and positions.”
“I think Dave and I bring that to the table in that we have tremendous respect for different opinions, and we want to have open-door policies,” he said. “Our ears have to be open to listen and work together, because we’re not going to get anything done if we’re not working together.”
Bennardo agreed and said, “We’re elected to serve the people and there’s no Republican or Democratic way to clean up snow.”
Bennardo added that sometimes there could be 10% of people on each of the extreme political sides that seem to control the argument.
“The 80% in the middle will just want the government to do something,” he said. “They’re kind of held hostage by the 10 and the 10, and so we heard that on every door we knocked on, ‘Just break the gridlock.’ So, what we’ve been able to do, really with nothing other than just listening and being open minded, was kind of create a centrist core that starts to get that we serve the people not the party, and both sides are starting to see that.”
Bennardo also credits Supervisor Ed Smyth (R) with being the “most able administrative leader he’s ever worked with” and moving Huntington in a positive direction.
Councilman Dave Bennardo and Councilwoman Joan Cergol at an Earth Day event at Manor Farm Park on April 23. Photo by Media Origin
Bennardo said customer service seemed to be waning in the town. When responding to issues, taking the approach of seeing residents as clients has improved town services.
Both councilmen said they believe a lot of headway has been made in the Highway Department with new superintendent Andre Sorrentino (R).
“I think our highway superintendent has been fixing more roads in seven months than we have ever done in the past,” Ferro said. “It’s just a matter of sufficient management and help and support from the council level.”
Ferro added that some infrastructure projects would take time due to the extent of the jobs, but there have been discussions about makingsuch projects a priority.
He said he has been impressed with the town employees, describing them as “incredibly talented people with good work ethics that really care about what they’re doing.”
Ferro, CEO and former president of Alure Home Improvements, has been using his business skills and working closely with the building department and IT personnel. They have been moving forward with implementing state-of-the-art software to convert the permit process to online and to streamline the process.
“I believe six months from now you’re going to see a whole different experience when it comes to filing a permit,” he said, adding the revised process will be revolutionary for the building department and town.
It’s a project that the town has been working on for years, and Ferro said he’s happy that he and town personnel have been able to move it forward.
Bennardo, formerly Harborfields High School principal and South Huntington superintendent, said the Town Board has been working on bringing business back to Huntington. The town had developed a reputation of being unfriendly with business, according to Bennardo, and he said that the new permit process will be more business friendly.
In addition to working on making Huntington more inviting to businesses, the two said the board is moving forward with a sewer plan and, as always, is looking at affordable housing in the area.
“We need to create an environment that’s good for business, that’s better for housing, where development starts being able to bring people to our community,” Bennardo said.
He added another issue residents have brought up and that needs to be addressed is homelessness in the area and helping those who have found themselves in the situation.
Have you seen images of the Greek gods on Mt. Olympus?
Sure, some of them looked like they were having fun, like Dionysus, while others were out hunting or frolicking, annoying their spouses and causing all kinds of havoc on the Earth below.
But when they weren’t getting ready for an intractable war with each other or with the Titans, they seemed bored.
Perfection wasn’t all that inspirational, peaceful or enjoyable.
Maybe the Greeks knew a thing or two about perfection. Maybe we shouldn’t crave or want perfection from our kids, particularly on the verge of the new academic year.
Mistakes provide an opportunity to learn, while adversity also offers a chance to grow and develop resilience.
Failing, striking out, falling down, biting our lips or tongue, saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, and getting a question or two wrong on a test provide opportunities to learn.
Your kids and mine are bound to get something wrong. The question doesn’t need to be a reflexive, “why did you get that wrong?” The better question is: “how will you respond to that moment?”
I have been at baseball games where parents are at their worst when their children don’t perform as they (the parents) would like. One parent, who coached with me when his child was around 11 years old, screamed at him for not swinging at a called third strike.
The other kids on the bench looked horrified, while the child sat off by himself at the corner of the bench.
The error didn’t happen between the lines. It happened on the bench when the father made a potential learning experience uncomfortable.
Change and growth can be painful. Parents, teachers and friends shouldn’t compound the discomfort.
I definitely live in a glass house. When I evaluate my parenting skills, I recognize deficiencies and have tried to improve.
I have told my children that I recognize that I made mistakes when I’ve said the wrong thing to them.
Maybe, before the new academic year begins, it’d help to have a conversation with our kids about the role they would like us to play. This may turn into something of a negotiation, as interactions with children often are, but at least we can have an idea before we repeat patterns that may not work for our children, of what they’d prefer.
It took me a long time to ask my daughter what she’d like me to say in response to moments of adversity.
Letting our children make every decision won’t always lead to the best outcome. They might, for example, prefer to eat cookies for breakfast and cake for dinner.
Giving them a chance, however, to suggest ways we can do exactly what we’re trying to accomplish, by supporting them, encouraging them, and helping them improve, may create a better and healthier dynamic for them.
The pursuit of perfection is tiring and is bound to lead to disappointment. Chasing ways to be better, however, and seeing growth opportunities can be rewarding.
We as parents made countless mistakes when we were our children’s age. We can’t prevent them from making mistakes. While we might also share stories about the discomfort brought on by our errors, we can’t even prevent them from doing the same stupid, inappropriate, ill-advised and awkward things we did, no matter how much we plead with them to learn from us.
What made those Greek gods so compelling were the stories of their imperfections. I’m not sure they learned from their mistakes, but, as the Greek chorus suggests in tragedies, maybe we can.
“Born to Sparkle” is a book written, to my surprise, by a young woman with Down syndrome. The rest of the book title is “A Story About Achieving Your Dreams.” A review of the book appears in our Arts and Lifestyles section on page B23 in this issue, and it tells a heartwarming story about the author, Megan Bomgaars, who is 29 and lives in Denver. In the words of our reviewer, Melissa Arnold, the book “teaches kids that all of us are unique and have something special to share with the world, and if you dream big and work hard, you can achieve anything.”
Why am I surprised? Because my sister, who was two years younger than I, also was born with Down syndrome, and like Megan, on Thanksgiving Day but 50 years earlier in 1942. While she was clever and wonderful in many ways, Maxine could never have written a book, in part because she would never have been imagined to do so. What a difference that half-century makes.
There is a broad spectrum of Down diagnoses, and Maxine was pronounced “profoundly retarded,” which surely limited expectations for her life. While Megan’s motto is, “Don’t Limit Me!”, and she has become a motivational speaker and the owner of a business, the professionals who examined my sister Maxine told my parents to institutionalize her “because she won’t live very long anyway with that condition.” She lived to be 65.
It was my sister’s bad luck to be born five decades earlier, when mental retardation was considered a stigma for a family, and the response to such a birth was to hide the innocent person. Megan Bomgaars, by comparison, shared her life’s story on television with six others in the A&E docuseries “Born This Way.” The show went on to win an Emmy in 2016.
It was my sister’s good luck to have two parents who recognized her as a fully entitled member of our family and tried to give her every advantage that existed then, which were very few. When the principal of the elementary school that I attended refused to accept her into first grade, my mother asked for the “Dick & Jane” series with which first graders were taught to read and patiently worked with my sister at home for many hours a day. Eventually, Maxine could proudly read that primer. She could also do simple arithmetic, adding and subtracting, and she was very verbal.
In fact, that was the only difficult part of life with Maxine. She talked constantly and in a loud voice, as if she were on one side of a telephone conversation. Only two things could make her quiet down: music and baseball.
Maxine would sit quietly in the back of the room while I took piano lessons from a teacher who came to the apartment. After he left and I got up, she would slide onto the piano stool and play the melodies of the different pieces I had gone over with the teacher. We’re talking here Bach, Czerny and Mendelsohn. She also adored music that she would hear on the radio, especially show tunes that she could sing. And sing she did, in a Jimmy Durante voice. One of her favorites was “Oklahoma!”
Also, she loved to listen to baseball games on the radio and watch them played on our Sunday outings with our dad to Central Park. I don’t know if she followed the intricacies of the game, but she knew when to cheer and probably loved being part of the crowd.
Megan Bomgaars loved going to school and was a cheerleader in high school. My sister also attended a school in Brooklyn that was operated by Catholic Services. A bus would pick her up, along with my mother, each day and drive them to Brooklyn. Incidentally, my mother never let her out of her sight. My parents protected Maxine from a world that could not always be kind and safe. But for Megan, a person who incidentally has Down syndrome, today society learns from her.
Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty at ribbon cutting on Aug. 4.
Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty (DGSIR), serving Long Island, Brooklyn, and Queens, officially opened its new Huntington office in downtown Huntington Village with a ribbon cutting on Aug. 4. The new office replaces its longtime Huntington office located about a mile outside of the village.
Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty Chief Executive Officer Deirdre O’Connell cut the ribbon with help from President and Chairman of the Board Patricia J. Petersen and Huntington Sales Manager Melissa Stark.The trio was joined by local government officials, representatives of the Huntington Chamber of Commerce, and many members of the Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty family.
The new state-of-the-art office, ideally situated on the corner of Main Street and New York Avenue in the heart of downtown, will reap the benefits of high visibility and heavy foot traffic in this destination village known for its popular restaurants, shopping, and entertainment venues.
“The opening of our new Huntington office is exciting on so many levels, not the least of which is its outstanding location,” said O’Connell.“It’s the first of its kind, designedto be truly new in every way, from its technology to its layout and overall feel.It is welcoming, comfortable and flexible to meet the needs of all who visit or work here.It’s a place to gather, collaborate, and build relationships.”
Stark echoed O’Connell’s thoughts and added, “An essential part of our culture is our commitment to the local community and that includes partnerships with village and other businesses.And that relationship starts with the cutting of the ribbon.”
For the opening celebration, local restaurants and retail businesses including Prime, The Ivy, Crabtrees, Madison’s Niche, Endo Ethos, and the newest iteration of the popular bookstore Book Revue, The Next Chapter, donated raffle prizes. The proceeds of the raffle will benefit the Daniel Gale Foundation, which in turn will make donations to Long Island not-for-profit organizations.Additionally, The Next Chapter has set up a pop up bookstore within the Huntington office, and will be open for business there throughout the month of August.
Every month the office will host a different business, event or not-for profit.In September, Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty will be accepting donations of food and funds for Island Harvest, and in October, supporting Pink Aid’s work to assist breast cancer patients.The office will regularly host the Long Island Board of Realtors’ Daniel Gale Young Professionals Network meetings as well.
“It is very exciting to be play a role in the action on Main Street and be a part of something new and fresh, every day,” added Stark.“We invite our neighbors, friends and passersby to stop in and say hello. We can’t wait to meet you.”
About Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty
Consistently achieving among the highest average sales prices nationwide, Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty is a $5.02 billion-dollar organization based on Long Island, N.Y. with close to 950real estate advisors serving New York City’s metropolitan area with 29 sales offices in Brooklyn, Queens,Nassau and Suffolk counties, the North Fork of Long Island, and Westhampton Beach. Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty is committed to marketing and showing homes in a way that gives prospective buyers and sellers the flexibility and convenience of online 3-D and regular video tours of many listed properties, floor plans, and photography, as well as virtual smart phone tours by request. Our other services include a full Relocation/Referrals Division, a Rental Division, DGNY Commercial, and Ambassador Abstract Title company. The Sotheby’s International Realty®affiliate for Long Island and Queens since 1976, Daniel Gale Sotheby’s has gained national and international recognition, including top honors for sales, marketing and technology worldwide. For more information, visit danielgale.com.
Amid the typical questions about returning to school, such as finding friends in their classes and navigating to the right room at the right time, students on Long Island and elsewhere are preparing for the third year of the pandemic while other health care concerns loom.
As the summer enters its final weeks, health officials have found mosquitoes that have the West Nile virus, monkeypox has become a national health emergency, and Rockland County and New York City have reported cases of polio.
With all those health concerns, however, medical officials emphasized numerous pieces of good news that they hope will provide less of a disruption to communities, parents, teachers and students.
For starters, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week eased some COVID-19 restrictions. In the past two years, some students had switched back and forth from in-person to remote learning after a positive test.
The CDC advises students, staff members and workers who were exposed to a person who tested positive for COVID-19 to wear face coverings for 10 days and to get tested, instead of urging them to quarantine.
At the same time, the CDC is no longer suggesting that unvaccinated students get tested regularly in order to attend school.
“Part of the reason they’re easing the restrictions is that the current strain that’s circulating is fairly non aggressive, there are not a lot of hospitalizations and there is not a lot of severe illnesses,” said Dr. Philip Nizza, chief of Infectious Disease at Mather Hospital and attending infectious disease physician at St. Charles Hospital.
The cases Nizza has seen in the hospitals are “very mild” and he hasn’t had an intensive care unit patient with a ventilator in well over a month.
Dr. Susan Donelan, medical director of the Healthcare Epidemiology Department at Stony Brook Medicine, suggested that the shift in the CDC guidance likely reflects the reality that non-pharmaceutical mitigation measures are of more limited use in an era when opportunities exist to receive effective vaccines, which are well tolerated, and safe therapeutics have become a tool to manage those people who are acutely affected.
“The shift now appears to be focused on self-assessment of risk [for self, close family members or others who may be adversely impacted if infected] and thus individual risk mitigation,” Donelan explained in an email.
Still, Nizza, among other health care providers in Suffolk County, urged people to continue to receive vaccinations and to stay up to date with their boosters.
Nizza suggested that a new booster, which could provide protection against the infectious Ba.5 omicron strain that has become the dominant variant in the county and in the United States, could be a “game changer.”
Doctors cautioned people in higher risk groups, such as those who are immunocompromised, have chronic lung disease or are significantly overweight to be vigilant about their exposure to the SARS-CoV2 virus, which causes COVID-19.
As of earlier this week, Suffolk County reported a 7.8% positive test rate on a seven-day average using lab-reported PCR tests, which doesn’t include the rapid tests. At the same time, the number of positive cases on a seven-day average stood at 33.8 per 100,000, according to the New York State Department of Health.
“If you’re not a high-risk patient the danger zone is lower,” said Nizza.
Monkeypox
Meanwhile, monkeypox continues to be a threat to the county, the state and the nation, as the availability of vaccines against the virus lags the need for shots.
New York State continues to have the greatest number of cases of the virus, with close to 2,300 out of about 12,000 cases in the country, according to the CDC. Most of the New York State cases are in the city.
The virus has affected men who have been intimate with other men, although the virus can spread through physical contact.
Nizza described monkeypox as “generally a nonfatal infection with a high presentation rate amongst the undocumented high-risk groups,” he said. “I don’t think the general population needs to rush out and get the monkeypox vaccine, unless [you] are in a high risk group.
Nizza doesn’t anticipate that the virus will spread at anywhere near the rate that COVID did.
“There is a vaccine available, which is much different than COVID, which caught us unaware,” he added.
West Nile virus
As of earlier this month, 38 mosquitoes had tested positive for the West Nile virus, including samples in Setauket and Port Jefferson Station.
The virus was first detected in birds and mosquitoes in Suffolk County in 1999.
People who contract the virus typically experience mild or no symptoms. In a small number of cases, people can have high fever, headaches, stiff necks and may have vision loss, numbness and even paralysis.
Symptoms can last several weeks and the neurological effects can be permanent.
The CDC recommends people use insect repellent to reduce the chance of getting bitten by a mosquito that harbors the virus. Additionally, reducing any standing water around the outside of the house cuts back on the opportunity for these virus-bearing insects to breed.
Suffolk County Health Commissioner Dr. Gregson Pigott recommended that people minimize outdoor activities between dusk and dawn, make sure windows and doors have screens and, at places where mosquitoes are active, wear shoes and socks and long pants and long sleeved shirts.
As of late last week, Mather and St. Charles didn’t have any reported cases of West Nile virus.
The people who are especially vulnerable include the elderly and anyone on drugs that suppress their immune systems.
Polio
Health officials in Rockland County and New York City reported two cases of people with polio.
This disease, which spreads from contact with infected feces, has been largely eradicated after the widespread use of an effective vaccine.
“Most people have their children vaccinated as a part of a routine series,” Nizza said. “It’s a much lower risk.”
The doctor urged people to remain vigilant about other threats that might come this fall, particularly the flu.
With masks and social distancing, the incidence of the flu declined over the last few years. As people return to work and school on a full time basis, the chance for the spread of a problematic strain rises.
“The flu is always bound to rear its head in the fall and winter months,” Nizza said, as he reminded people to get their shots and to continue to wash their hands before eating.
Even if people feel healthy and are in low risk groups, they can and should help others the way they might lend a hand to their neighbors after a storm.
“We have to protect those who have a high risk of mortality,” Nizza said. “We need herd compassion, to protect those who can’t protect themselves.”
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