Supervisor Frank Petrone cuts the ribbon with some kids to open the new playground at Hobart Beach. Photo by Ted Ryan
By Ted Ryan
Huntington is ready to play, as the town celebrated the opening of a new playground at Hobart Beach in Northport this past Friday, Aug. 12.
The original playground, which was 20 years old, suffered damage from Superstorm Sandy in 2012. After removing some of the sand after the storm, the town discovered the bases were rotting and in need of replacement.
The new playground is made to be fully accessible to children with disabilities to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, as the old playground didn’t reportedly have the same accessibility for all children. According to the town, the new play area “encourages children to engage with each other through varied types of available activities.”
Replacing the old facility with the new one cost $187,000 and was funded by the town’s parks improvement fund. The Environmental Open Space and Park Fund Committee approved the new park as well before construction began.
“We’re delighted that this can happen [through] cooperation of our Open-Space Committee, community and civic groups through the area,” Supervisor Frank Petrone (D) said at the opening of the new playground. “This was a long time coming.”
The new playground at Hobart Beach is ready for business. Photo by Ted Ryan
Pieces of the old Hobart playground were salvaged and re-purposed as replacement parts for the playground at Fleets Cove Beach in Huntington. Park benches made for parents to watch their children on the playground were added as well.
Eileen Heinzman, a Northport parent whose children were some of the first to play on the newly opened space, said the new facility is an upgrade for kids.
“[The new playground] is updated and modern,” she said. “It’s definitely an improvement for the community and our town beach. Everyone’s excited that it’s finally here.”
The children at the ceremony anxiously waited for the ribbon to be cut, so they could try out all the new equipment.
“The kids are playing, they’re having a good time, and that’s what this is all about,” said Petrone. “Giving them a playground, giving them a place, and giving them memories. That’s what’s most important. May you use it well, may you enjoy it, and most important, may you be safe.”
Steve Cuomo speaks about the achievements of Rolling Thunder, one of the marathon teams raising money for athletes with special needs. Photo by Colm Ashe
By Colm Ashe
Last year Suffolk County laced up their running shoes and got moving in support of the first ever Suffolk County Marathon: Freedom Fest, an event dedicated to raising money for local veteran services.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) and sponsors, including Catholic Health Services, organized the first ever 26.2 mile race last year, which raised more than $160,000.
This year, they hope to continue their success at the second annual Freedom Fest on Oct. 30 — but their vision has expanded beyond just aiding local veterans.
On July 21, Bellone held a press conference to announce the marathon, half marathon and 5k, that will allow registrants to run for their own charitable causes.
Though Bellone’s goal when organizing the event was to raise funds for Suffolk County veterans — a community of over 90,000 — he said he believes there are other causes worthy of a champion. He is welcoming anyone with a cause to join the event and raise money for their philanthropic mission.
Bellone does this with the hope that people will “utilize the marathon in a way that will raise funds for other wonderful organizations” in addition to supporting our veterans. Many teams came to the press conference to speak about their cause.
Among those who came to represent their cause was Team Liberty, an organization dedicated to raising funds and awareness about organ donation. Christian Siems, a 22-year old team member from Greenlawn, could be seen sporting the silver medal he won this summer at the Transplant Games of America — just 14 months after he received his heart transplant. Margaret O’Reilly, another Team Liberty member, could be seen holding a picture of her son, Stephen Valsechi, who passed away but saved the lives of four others by donating his organs.
Siems’ mother, Michele Martines, addressed the state of organ donation in Suffolk County and said even though New York accounts for 10 percent of the national waiting list for organs, we rank among the lowest when it comes to registered organ donors. She strives to help NY “come out of last place and go to first place.”
Another organization with a team in this year’s marathon is Rolling Thunder, a nonprofit for athletes with special needs. Steve Cuomo spoke for the team and brought up one of their members, Tysheem Griffin, who will be participating in the paralympics in Brazil this year along with one other teammate, Michael Brannigan.
Patty’s Pacers, a team raising money for the Patricia Keane DeGeorge Memorial Scholarship, paid tribute to Patricia at the event by telling her story. They said she was an example of how to triumph in the face of adversity, continuing on with her nursing degree even after being diagnosed with leukemia. A fighter to the very end, she died soon after receiving the news that she had graduated nursing school. Her spirit lives on in Patty’s Pacers.
A team representing Mothers Against Drunk Driving also came to represent their cause. Richard Mallow, the NYS executive director for MADD, said his team is hoping to change Suffolk County from leading the state in drunk driving incidents.
The Airborne Tri Team joined the event to continue their efforts in serving mentally and physically disabled war veterans. Their team is made up of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans.
The teams at the event are not the only ones bringing their personal passions to the race. Thousands of people have signed up to run in this year’s race in October. From people aspiring to meet health goals to teams of veterans running in honor of their fellow troops and veterans, all have stories to tell.
Visit www.suffolkmarathon.com to represent a cause, create a team, help contribute to veteran services, or join the race.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, center, helped to establish the United States Climate Alliance in the aftermath of President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. Lawmakers signed a bill protecting the Long Island Sound last year. File photo from Cuomo’s office
By Donna Newman
Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) is threatening to sue.
State lawmakers have joined forces across the aisle to issue a demand to both the federal government and the Environmental Protection Agency regarding the dumping of dredged sludge in the Long Island Sound at two existing sites.
At Sunken Meadow State Park Aug. 4, New York office-holders from multiple levels of government presented a united front. Gov. Cuomo (D) warned U.S. President Barack Obama (D) and the EPA that a plan to create a third disposal site poses a “major” threat to the ecologically vital habitat and blocks progress to end open-water dumping in Long Island’s waters. He and Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) wrote letters to Obama, EPA Administrator Regina McCarthy and EPA Regional Administrator H. Curtis Spalding about their opposition.
The dredging of Connecticut harbors and rivers, meant to deepen waterways to allow ships clear passage, produces sludge that is being open dumped in the Long Island Sound, according to Englebright’s office.
Local environmentalists are also concerned with the practice being used long-term.
“We are grateful for the strong support of Governor Cuomo and our local state legislators in opposing this ill-conceived plan and putting the federal government on notice that the Long Island Sound is off limits for the dumping of dredge spoils,” George Hoffman of the Setauket Harbor Task Force, a North Shore group that works for clean water in Setauket and Port Jefferson harbors, said in a statement.
Should the federal agency continue its plan to allow dumping of dredge spoils in eastern Long Island Sound, New York State will pursue legal action against the EPA, Cuomo said.
In 2005, the EPA struck an accord with the governors of New York and Connecticut to reduce or limit the disposal of dredged material in the Sound by examining alternative placement practices. Two sites— Western Long Island Sound and Central Long Island Sound — were designated on Long Island to be used for that purpose.
On April 27, the EPA proposed the designation of a dredged material disposal site in the Eastern region of Long Island Sound, a third dumping location that would continue open-water dumping of dredge waste in the Eastern Long Island Sound for as long as 30 years. The two sites open now are set to close Dec. 23.
Englebright doesn’t see the latest proposal as a step in the right direction — according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, approximately 22.6 million cubic yards of dredging will be done over the next 30 years.
“The draft appears to be the same open water dredge-dumping plan we have seen before,” he said. “Federal, state and local governments have spent billions of taxpayer dollars to clean up the Long Island Sound and significant progress has been made … continued dredge dumping will make the task of cleaning up the sound so much more difficult.”
The EPA has maintained that dredging is a necessary part of keeping the sound passable for ships.
“Dredging is needed to ensure safe navigation in the sound,” EPA spokesman John Martin said in an email. “The EPA has not made a final decision, but we believe the proposal strikes an appropriate balance between the need for dredging to maintain safe and efficient navigation and our desired outcome to restore and protect Long Island Sound.”
He referred to the Sound as a nationally significant estuary that has seen the return of dolphins and humpback whales during the past year, thanks to cleanup efforts.
New York State Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan (R-East Northport) agreed that the state has made significant investments to repair decades of damage.
“Real progress is being made, which makes the EPA’s recent proposal to expand the number of dredged material sites in the sound even more difficult to comprehend,” he said. “I fully support using whatever resources the state has at its disposal to fight the EPA’s plan and protect the long-term health of the sound so that it will continue to be an environmental and economic asset for future generations of Long Islanders.”
In his letter to the agency and the White House, Cuomo stressed his intentions to take action to protect Long Island’s waters if the EPA fails to comply with lawmakers’ requests.
“If the EPA ignores New York’s objections and finalizes its rule to permanently designate an open water disposal site in eastern Long Island Sound,” Cuomo said, “ I will take all necessary steps to challenge the rule and stop it from being implemented.”
Victoria Espinoza, Desirée Keegan and Alex Petroski contributed reporting.
Using his iPhone 6, Patrick Keeffe recently shot this gorgeous photo at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum’s Rose Garden with a view of the Vanderbilt Boat House and Northport Harbor in the distance.
Arcadia Publishing recently released “Whaling on Long Island” as part of its Images of America series. Written by Nomi Dayan, the executive director of the Whaling Museum & Education Center of Cold Spring Harbor, the book explores the impact that the whaling industry had in shaping Long Island’s maritime heritage. I recently had the opportunity to speak with Dayan about her new book and her view on the future of whales.
What made you write this book? Any more books on the horizon?
One objective in our museum’s strategic plan is to become more involved with research projects. When we were approached by Arcadia, the publisher, to put together a whaling-themed pictorial book, we jumped on the idea. I was surprised to find that there has not been a book published about Long Island’s whaling history in 50 years! There are good articles, journals and sections in other books, but no all-encompassing source for this incredible story of Long Island’s heritage. When I discussed this lack of information over dinner with my husband, he said, “Why don’t you do it?” Perhaps now is the time when we can document and share the full story of our whaling history, especially because Arcadia’s Images of America series is template-based — I was constrained by the set number of pictures and text on each page. So, I saw this book more as a beginning than as an end.
What surprised you, if anything, during the making of this book?
Finding useful photographs is, of course, a treasure, but what surprised me most was connecting with other individuals across Long Island (and beyond!) who were genuinely eager to help me tell this story — people I would likely not have met if I didn’t put this book together. Forming that network was a surprise gift! Other surprises [included] how far back whaling really goes on the Island, both with the Native Americans, as well as settlers, who started whaling almost immediately after arriving. The first commercial whaling in the New World happened on our shores! And after farming, whaling was Long Island’s first industry. I also didn’t realize how exploited Native Americans were in the beginning stages of commercial shore whaling. The Shinnecock, Montaukett and Unkechaug tribes played a fundamental role in the development of shore whaling, and it was so disheartening for me to see how quickly they became tied into seasonal cycles of exploitation and debt.
How did you go about compiling all the photographs and material for the book?
Research was like a treasure hunt! Yankee whaling and photography essentially missed each other, so I had to piece together this story in the best visual way that I could. Many of the photographs were sourced directly from the museum’s collection of 6,000 objects — and there were more images that didn’t make it in the book! Other photographs were taken from the collections of other museums and historical societies, as well as local history collections in libraries and their very helpful staff, particularly at the East End.
The cover of Nomi Dayan’s book, ‘Whaling on Long Island.’ Image from Nomi Dayan
Did you get to choose the cover photo? If so, why did you choose this one?
Yes, I chose the cover photo. I felt this photo, taken by one of the museum’s founders, Robert Cushman Murphy (perhaps the foremost scientist to come out of Long Island) while aboard the Daisy [from] 1912 to 1913, showed a moment in time which was a mix of history and art. The overhead view shows the iconic image of human vs. whale, and captures the excitement, courage and drive behind venturing into the dangerous ocean to catch the largest animals on Earth. I wanted to show the whaleboat — a brilliant innovation — with its harpoons aimed forward. Will those harpoons catch a whale? Will the whale get away? Will the men return in the same shape they set out? … All we know is how hard these whalers will try, and they will risk their lives doing so. I liked how the photo shows men of color, as whaling was our country’s first integrated industry, and this photo shows how physically laborious their job was. You almost feel your arms hurt looking at them!
What kind of future do whales face? Which ones are in danger of extinction?
Whaling was one of our country’s — and planet’s — most lucrative businesses. Whale products changed the course of history. But in this process, people nearly wiped whales off the face of the Earth. Many whale species are endangered or show low population numbers, some critically, such as the North Atlantic right whale — there are only approximately 500 left! This means we have a great responsibility today — a responsibility to reflect on the repercussions of our actions, and to apply our knowledge to future decisions affecting the marine environment. Advocating for cleaner and quieter waters is saying “welcome back!” to these whales. The museum is currently installing a new exhibit, Thar She Blows!: Whaling History on Long Island which will open Oct. 2 (the opening event is called SeaFaire and is a family-friendly celebration of our maritime heritage). One aspect of this exhibit will discuss modern threats whales face, and visitors will be invited to take a pledge to help whales. One pledge will be not releasing balloons, which often end up in the ocean and can be devastating when ingested by whales and marine life. Another pledge for people who eat fish will be ensuring seafood is sustainably caught to protect healthy fish populations.
What is the whale’s biggest threat right now?
In one word — humans! Whales are facing new human-caused threats today. While commercial whaling is still a threat (Norway, Japan and Iceland defiantly kill thousands of whales annually, primarily for dietary reasons) on a global scale, there are larger threats, such as entanglement in fishing gear and ship strikes, which are serious concerns, as well as pollution — particularly plastic pollution. Many whales who are found beached have plastic in their stomachs. The ocean is also becoming noisier and noisier, which affects whale communication. Climate change, and its effect on the marine food chain, is one of the most important concerns today — changes in sea temperature, changes in food sources. Cumulatively, it’s getting harder to be a whale!
What can we do to help them?
Reducing pollution and reducing greenhouse emissions is very important. I know we may feel our actions are removed from the lives of whales, but collectively, our actions really are changing the Earth. When I went whale watching two weeks ago out of Montauk, I was so disheartened to see the floating Poland Spring plastic bottles bobbing in the ocean. We can do better. Consider using a reusable bottle! Readers should also consider the needs of the marine environment in their decision in our upcoming election. While it can take a while for populations to recover, it can happen. Humpback whales and gray whales are showing remarkable signs of population recovery, which is encouraging and inspiring. As our country’s energy needs continue to grow today, and we continue to exploit natural resources, whaling offers the timely lesson that nature is not infinite and will one day run out. We have the responsibility of applying our knowledge of whaling history to current and future decisions affecting the marine environment.
“Whaling on Long Island” is available for purchase at The Whaling Museum & Educational Center’s gift shop, Barnes & Noble and www.amazon.com.
Town of Huntington will host a Organ Donor Enrollment Day Oct. 10. File photo by Rohma Abbas
Huntington town announced last week that they have maintained their AAA bond rating, and their outlook has been upgraded to “stable.”
Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s Investors Service have upheld the town’s rating, covering both existing debt and a planned $13.925 million bond issue.
Moody’s said the rating “reflects the town’s currently satisfactory reserve position and improving financial obligations, its sizable wealthy tax base and low debt burden.” They also said the stable outlook “reflects our expectation of continued sound financial operations and modest growth and overall stability in the local economy.”
In issuing its rating, Moody’s cited Huntington’s management and good financial policies and practices, as well as adequate budgetary performance, strong budgetary flexibility, very strong liquidity and strong debt and contingent liability position.
“We believe the town has demonstrated sound monitoring, ability to adopt and adhere to formal policies, and forward-planning,” the rating firm’s report said. “Town management tends to conservatively estimate both expenditures and revenues.”
The ratings extend to both the $13.925 million in borrowing and the $109 million in outstanding debt. Of the outstanding debt, $84 million represents Huntington borrowing and $25 million is debt incurred by the water districts in the town; that debt is repaid only by district residents. The planned borrowing includes $12.4 million for town projects and $1.5 million for Greenlawn Water District.
Huntington Supervisor Frank Petrone (D) said he was pleased with the town’s results.
“We are gratified that Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s have once again affirmed their support of Huntington’s fiscal policies by maintaining the AAA bond rating and either upholding or upgrading their outlook,” he said in a statement. “These ratings will ensure that Huntington continues to save on borrowing costs, benefitting all Town taxpayers.”
The Nightingale phone helps connect patients with their nurses immediately, no matter where the nurse is in the hospital. Photo from Alexandra Zendrian
Huntington Hospital is breaking new ground in patient care with the Nightingale phone, a communication system that helps put patients in connection with nurses quicker than ever before.
The hospital has been piloting the new phone in the oncology wing of the hospital since 2015, and has seen a significant improvement in patient care and a decrease in wait time from when a patient calls for a nurse and when the nurse arrives to give treatment.
Patients are raving about the new invention.
Mary Ellen Cantone, a patient at the hospital, said the response to her call was immediate.
“I hit the button and someone was talking to me instantly,” she said in a statement. She said once at 2 a.m. she called for her nurse for ice chips, and the nurse came in right away with them.
“It has really improved nursing care and nursing work.” — Shanell Blanchard
“It’s a wonderful thing to use, it saves them time and they just know everything,” Cantone said. “They’re the best nurses here, and God picks the nurses for this floor, the oncology floor.”
The phone, created by Marie Roggenkamp, nurse manager at Huntington Hospital, has a red nurse button on the back that, when pressed directly, calls the device the patient’s nurse is wearing so that the patient can talk to his or her nurse immediately without the typical wait time.
Stephen Smith, manager of site communications at the hospital, worked with Roggenkamp to create the phone, which is an improvement from the call bell system hospitals use now.
“The call bell system requires a nurse to be close enough to hear the call bell or see the light go off outside the patient’s room, and may take longer to get a response,” he said in a statement. “This allows the patient to connect with the nurse no matter where they are on the unit.”
Roggenkamp said she saw success in patient satisfaction scores in the oncology wing after the Nightingale was implemented back in July 2015. She said call bell responses could take anywhere from seven to eight minutes, but with the Nightingale, a nurse could be in the room with medication within two minutes.
One of the most important features of the Nightingale phone is the call forward feature.
A concern with having nurses wear a device that can immediately connect them with a patient is the opportunity for increased error if the nurse is already performing a procedure when a call comes from a new patient.
“In the event a nurse is hanging chemotherapy [drugs from an IV], she can have a call [from the Nightingale] forwarded to a nursing assistant,” Roggenkamp said. If the assistant is also busy, the call will then go to the nurse manager, and then the call desk.
This pilot program is also cost effective; to add a speed-dial button to the hospital phones only costs an extra 50 cents.
The nurse manager said Huntington Hospital hopes to have the Nightingale phone installed in every unit by the end of 2016.
Nurses at the hospital like the new system as much as management.
“It has really improved nursing care and nursing work,” nurse Shanell Blanchard said. “I know what they need before going in there. Before, a call bell could be going off in another room, but it might take me five minutes to answer it. I need to finish with the patient I am with, wash my hands, ask what they need and then go get it.”
Blanchard said patients have also enjoyed the fact they have more control in their care.
“It’s a great feeling of independence,” she said. “To know if I press that button I can get to my nurse directly.”
Two people enjoy a paddleboarding ride along Huntington’s shore. Photo from Katie Buttine
By Victoria Espinoza
Kayakers, canoeists and water enthusiasts in Huntington may be singing a different kind of blues in the near future.
The Huntington town board approved a plan at a July meeting to create a blueway trail, that would span from Cold Spring Harbor to Northport Bay, and highlight both historic and cultural areas along the town’s shoreline.
According to the National Park Service, a blueway trail is a water path that provides recreational boating opportunities along a river, lake, canal or coastline.
The Huntington blueway trail would be geared toward increasing awareness and use of coastal resources, while also encouraging ecotourism.
“This will provide an opportunity for residents to provide their own input, experiences and recommendations.”
—Carolyn Sukowski
Huntington Stand Up Paddle business owner Katie Buttine said a blueway trail would be an asset to both her business and customers.
“That would be awesome,” Buttine said in a phone interview. “Water sports are continuing to grow and people don’t know where they can and can’t go in the area. This would help so people would no longer be frustrated when they get to a beach and realize they can’t load there.”
Town board members unanimously approved a resolution to apply for a $76,000 New York State Environmental Protection Fund grant to undertake the project with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, a nonprofit community education agency that works to preserve the county’s heritage, protect ecosystems and provide opportunities for young people.
The project, which would begin next year and be completed in 2020, will plan a blueway starting from Cold Spring Harbor, through the Long Island Sound and the Huntington and Northport Bay complex, and ending at the mouth of Fresh Pond in Smithtown Bay.
The grant will be used to create a blueway trail map-and-guide smartphone app, and a video tour.
The guide app would include a map of the trail, as well as natural and cultural heritage points of interest. It would allow visitors easier access to trail information, better options in trip planning and increased safety through use of georeferenced maps while on the trail. Trailheads, amenities and downtown assets such as paddle sport establishments would also be identified. It could be used by people on land or water, and would be similar to guides the town has compiled for land-based activities.
Currently, Huntington’s website features detailed information on nature trails in the area, complete with addresses, parking fees, hours and animals that may be seen in the area.
The Huntington trail would resemble others on Long Island.
A woman and dog enjoy a paddleboarding ride during sunset. Photo from Katie Buttine
Oyster Bay started working on a water path in 2010, with a similar grant and help from a community planning firm that inventoried the best-suited trailheads and amenities that provide access to recreational facilities, commercial establishments, and ecological, historical and cultural resources along the proposed trail, according to Friends of the Bay. A community survey was also conducted to let residents give input on what they thought the trail should look like.
Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto praised the project in a 2012 statement:
“[It created] an exciting and unique way for people to learn about and enjoy this beautiful natural watershed and promote the many attractions in and around the harbor. The whole purpose of the blueway trail map is to provide a simple and easy way to discern the best places to stop and take in the wonderful attractions our town has to offer.”
Huntington is hoping their blueway trail will have the same effect.
Cornell Cooperative said it will be working with the town to collect public opinion, field research and more.
Councilman Mark Cuthbertson (D) introduced the resolution to the town board in July, and said the nonprofit approached him with the idea.
“[The organization] came to Huntington with a very strong project proposal, and we are very delighted to be partnering on this endeavor,” he said in an email.
Carolyn Sukowski, resource educator for the nonprofit said Huntington’s blueway path will be enriched with community contribution.
“This will provide an opportunity for residents to provide their own input, experiences and recommendations,” she said in a phone interview. She also said Cornell Cooperative plans to hold public meetings and distribute surveys that will help determine stops and points of interest on the blueway trail, and the app as well.
Cuthbertson agreed that resident feedback will be an invaluable part of the process.
“We anticipate extensive community input,” he said. “Clearly we expect that our parks, beaches, marinas and historic sites will be included, but our list will be compiled with community input.”
Sukowski said the path will have stops on the shoreline, suggestions for destinations near the water and a list of town parks.
A man was shot while sitting inside his car in Huntington Station just before midnight on Aug. 4
Suffolk County Police Second Squad detectives are investigating the incident, in which a 22-year-old man was shot in the shoulder while on East 20th Street at approximately 11:45 p.m. Police said the ictim drove himself to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center in East Patchogue where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
The investigating is continuing. Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call Second Squad detectives at 631-854-8252 or call anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.
Drug busts are becoming more common in Suffolk County. Above, drugs and other items seized during one such bust. File photo
It is no secret that Suffolk County, New York State and the United States as a whole have a rapidly growing opioid, and especially, heroin problem on their hands. Suffolk County is frequently sited as one of the places in New York most susceptible to drug busts and overdoses. It is a complex problem that sometimes feels like plugging holes in a sinking ship with bubble gum to lawmakers and uniformed police officers charged with lessening the impact of drugs on the community.
To the Suffolk County Police Department’s credit, they haven’t shied away from trying some outside the box methods to combat heroin and opioid addiction. In April, Suffolk County Crime Stoppers launched an anonymous narcotics tip phone line to help enlist the community in rooting out drug users and sellers in their vicinity.
The tip line helped lead to the arrest, in June, of two brothers living in Mount Sinai who had a treasure trove of weaponry, bomb-making instructions, cash and drugs in their home. In July, 24 people were arrested in connection with a drug ring in Hauppauge that yielded four kilograms of heroin and fentanyl.
The success of the hotline, which has received more than 900 calls since its inception, proves that the onus is on all of us to do our part in alleviating our community’s drug problem.
The department hosted a benefit concert at The Emporium in Patchogue July 28 to raise money for rewards given to those who provide tips to the hotline that result in arrests, and it’s imperative that we continue to support this resource as it has already proven its worth. That’s not to say that without the reward money, you shouldn’t say something if you see something. Community members hold most of the power in their hands to help our officers in cleaning up our streets.
Until we as a community recognize that this is a problem for everyone, even if the overdosing teen down the street isn’t a family member, the bubble gum approach will not stop the ship from sinking.
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