Deomcrats and Republicans are in the midst of a heated election season. File photo
Although America’s two major political party conventions will be wrapped up by the end of this week, for many in this country, it seems as if there are four party conventions coming to a close.
If there is one thing Democrats and Republicans share at the moment, it’s the fact that many people feel like outsiders in their own party.
Since the start of the primaries, many traditional conservatives have had trouble accepting presidential candidate Donald Trump (R) as one of their own. On the first day of the convention, some state delegates staged a walkout to protest against Trump. Not only do voters and delegates feel this way — noticeably missing from the event were former Presidents George Bush senior and junior, as well as former presidential candidates John McCain and Mitt Romney. Romney has even gone so far as to hold press conferences to make clear his disdain for Trump and the direction he is leading the party.
Democrats have their own unity issues. After WikiLeaks exposed thousands of Democratic National Committee emails last week, the party seems more divided than ever. #BernieorBust voters within the party have said they will never vote for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (D), staying true to their support for former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders (D) — despite his efforts to unite his supporters behind Clinton.
The divides in both parties are clear, but what should be more clear than anything else is that four months from now, this country will have to unite behind a newly elected president.
2016 has already shown us the major obstacles and issues facing America, both at home and abroad.
Our electoral system is not perfect; this election season has shown us that. But it is our system, for better or worse. We’ll need to accept who won, who lost, and most importantly, unify around the winner. The reality is, regardless of who wins, a large contingent of voters will be saddled with a commander in chief they disdain.
It is rare to find a candidate who is everything Americans in one party want, let alone both. Speaking to the #NeverTrump and #BernieorBust voters specifically, there comes a point when you need to decide which candidate represents you the most. Excluding yourself from the process gets you, and the nation, nowhere. Trump or Clinton will move into the White House in January 2017, and it would be best to vote for someone who represents some of your views, as opposed to none of them, or simply not voting at all.
As the election season continues on, it’s important to remember we all need to unite again as one country once the final ballots are cast and the polls are closed.
Narcan, a drug that stops opioid overdoses. File photo by Jessica Suarez
“[CARA] is the culmination of so many families that had to lose loved ones over the last several years.” —Steve Chassman
Help is on the way, as President Barack Obama (D) signed a multibillion dollar bill into law this week that takes aim at the growing drug abuse problem facing many North Shore residents and families.
The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 is an $8.3 billion plan to fight drug addiction in the United States, with a significant amount of funding for prevention and treatment.
Obama said in a statement last Friday though, that he feels the bill could have gone further with funding for prevention.
“This legislation includes some modest steps to address the opioid epidemic,” he said. “Given the scope of this crisis, some action is better than none.” However, Obama was critical of the amount of money allotted for treatment options.
CARA funding includes $160 million for the expansion of medication-assisted treatment options, including grants that will be awarded to state, local and tribal governments to provide opioid abuse services. These grants will help fund programs that could expand treatment alternatives to incarcerations — with consent of attorneys and participants — for individuals who meet the program’s criteria.
Funding will also help develop, implement and expand prevention programs and training for first responders to administer opioid overdose reversal drugs, like Narcan. It will also fund investigations of unlawful opioid distribution activities.
Obama said he is committed to ensuring that support continues for individuals and families who are struggling with drug addiction.
President Barack Obama said he wanted even more funding for treatment. File photo
“I have heard from too many families across the country whose lives have been shattered by this epidemic … I’m going to continue fighting to secure the funding families desperately need,” he said. “In recent days, the law enforcement community, advocates, physicians and elected officials from both sides of the aisle have also joined in this call.”
U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley), who is a co-sponsor of the bill, has been vocal about asking the Senate and the president to pass the bill, after it went through the House of Representatives with a bipartisan vote of 407 to 5 in mid-July. It was passed by the Senate with a bipartisan vote of 92 to 2 the following week.
“Our communities and families on Long Island have been severely impacted by the rise of prescription drug abuse and the growing epidemic of heroin, and I will continue working with local elected officials, law enforcement, health professionals, community groups, parents, concerned residents and those in recovery to discuss and develop a more localized solution to address this crisis by increasing treatment and recovery services, education, and stopping the influx of illegal substances,” he said in a statement on Monday.
Steve Chassman, executive director of the Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, said the law is “arguably the most comprehensive bill” out there concerning the combat against drug abuse.
“It is heavy in education, prevention and treatment,” he said. “We are not just going to incarcerate our way out of this. [CARA] deals with this crisis as the crisis is.”
Chassman has attended multiple drug forums, prevention talks and community meetings on this growing problem, and said the new law is “the culmination of so many families that had to lose loved ones over the last several years.”
Middle Country Public Library teen volunteers pose for Instagram photos during a celebration at the library in Centereach. Photo from MCPL
By Wenhao Ma
Teenagers in the Middle Country school district are making a difference in their community.
The Middle Country Public Library in Centereach held a teen recognition ceremony on July 20 to honor teens who have been participating in community service programs at the library. More than 100 parents and teens attended the event.
Programs at the library include Book Buddies, Homework Pals, Math Buddies, Teen Book Reviewer, Battle of Books, Mutt Club, Organic Gardening and Teen Advisory Council.
Nearly 200 volunteers and parents packed the Middle Country Public Library in Centereach for the award ceremony. Photo by Wenhao Ma
“I think it’s important for teens to have an awareness of what’s going on in their communities, and different ways that they can make a difference and make their worlds a better place,” said Kristine Tanzi, the coordinator for teen services at the library. “So I think this really opens their eyes to not just potential career paths, but also ways they can give back.”
Tanzi said that the library has been having teen programs for a number of years, and is still developing new activities in response to the needs of community.
“We have been invited to attend different events that are happening, and provide teen volunteers,” Tanzi said.
Laura Powers, a youth service librarian, said that the library usually provides 15 to 20 programs each season to teen volunteers from 6th through 12th grade.
“They build bonds not only with each other, but with some of the kids that they’re working with. And also a bond with the library.”
— Laura Powers
Mutt Club is one of those programs. Animal lovers can sign up for the club to make a difference in a shelter animal’s life. Members of the club work on projects for local shelters and animal groups, go on tours and meet people in the field. Community service hours are also given for those who participate. Teen Book Reviewers review books from the most recent lists of award-winning books for Young Adults published by the American Library Association. Reviews will be displayed in the library, posted on the library’s teen webpage and teen Facebook. As part of Book Buddies, volunteers read stories to young children. Math Buddies help a younger buddy in kindergarten through 2nd grade practice math skills and assist them with math games and activities.
“They build bonds not only with each other, but with some of the kids that they’re working with,” Powers said. “And also a bond with the library.”
Every volunteer received a certificate from Tanzi and Powers that honors and recognizes their contributions to the community.
Kendyl Zayas, a 14-year-old going into Newfield High School this fall, said it’s important to get involved in the local programs.
Kristine Tanzi, coordinator for teen services at Middle Country Public Library, thanks parents and teens for coming to the ceremony. Photo by Wenhao Ma
“You [learn] how to work with kids and it’s good for the kids to know how to be with older kids,” she said. Kendyl is part of the Teen Advisory Council, where she and other volunteers help plan and implement big library and community events, and help kids experience new things by volunteering with other events. The students also help with the website and provide input on teen services.
Nikki Renelle, 13, also a member of the Teen Advisory Council, said that the program helped her meet new people and interact with kids in new ways.
Kendyl’s parents, who came with her to the ceremony, are supportive of what their daughter is doing.
“Giving back to the community I think is important,” said Kendyl’s father Hector. He said the programs have helped his daughter realize that sometimes people should lend a helping hand.
Ashley Kuzemchak, 14, who goes to Centereach High School, said that joining the Teen
Advisory Council and Book Buddies taught her how to deal with people, which she believes will help her in college. She said that everyone should participate in programs like these.
“I just want to say that you should start volunteering more because it’s a great experience,” she said. “I love it so much.”
Many in Suffolk County know Robert Borneman and his wife Joy as the owners of Diamond Jewelers in Port Jefferson and Centereach. Now the jewelry store owner can add author to his list of credentials with his self-published book, “Barter Your Way to Greater Wealth: Increase Your Income, Improve Your Lifestyle.” Borneman said he was planning to write a book for a long time, and with his 60th birthday on the horizon, this year was a perfect one to meet this goal. The eastern Long Island resident said the experience was an educational one for him when it came to both writing and publishing. “Barter Your Way to Greater Wealth” is full of informative tips on how one can be successful in bartering as well as advice on how to avoid pitfalls. Presented in an easy-to-read format, anyone interested in how to use his or her talents as currency will benefit. Recently, the author took time out from his busy schedule to answer a few questions about his experiences with bartering as well as writing his first book.
Tell me a little bit about your background.
I started selling jewelry from a costume jewelry kit in 1977 that cost $40, which I borrowed from my mom. Since then, with help from my family, my wife and I have grown the jewelry business into a multi-million-dollar conglomerate of jewelry stores, real estate investments, film productions and most recently an investment in a local Port Jefferson Restaurant, The Arden. I began making independent films in 2009 as an executive producer and writer (“Snapshot,” “Rock Story,” “The Life Zone,” “The Great Fight” and others). I also set aside substantial time to do volunteer work and have supported the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Fund serving as the treasurer for many years in addition to other charitable endeavors. I have been a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary since 1996.
How did you get involved in bartering?
A customer in one of my jewelry stores suggested I look into it. He said it helped him build his business and was worth looking into, so I did, and I joined the exchange he recommended. Since then I’ve joined several trade exchanges and bartered millions of dollars in products and services.
Why did you decide to share your tips?
I have a strong desire to improve the lives of others, and I‘ve accomplished this in many different ways. Giving through writing is just another way of sharing the wealth of information I have accumulated in 38 years of operating businesses. The bartering I have done has improved my lifestyle so much that I think others can benefit from the experience and recommendations I have to share.
You write in the book that sometimes bartering can go wrong. What do you suggest to ensure things go smoothly?
As I outline in great detail within this book, working with a reputable trade exchange removes much of the risk and angst you might otherwise encounter when bartering. Having a third party manage bartering transactions ensures you get paid while offering a myriad of resources and products that you can barter for. If you’re trading on your own, developing relationships over time and dealing with people you know will minimize potential problems.
What was your most successful bartering transaction?
I purchased a two-family home in the Village of Patchogue by bartering a significant down payment with the seller. I then bartered for the repairs and improvements that were needed to maximize the home’s value. After holding the house for a few years, collecting the cash rental income, I sold the house. The sale transaction was for all cash, resulting in a significant windfall, which I parlayed into my next investment.
Your book is full of tips. Do you have a few favorite ones?
Be goal oriented, know what you hope to accomplish by trading and only make trades that help you achieve your goals. Use bartering to create cash flow and make trades that allow you to keep more cash in your pocket. Trade unproductive assets, products and your spare time for the things you need or want in life.
How did you balance running your business, Diamond Jewelers, and writing this book?
Writing time is easier to manage than a business because I use time in waiting rooms and while commuting that used to create anxiety for me. I started the book in earnest when I moved to eastern Long Island creating a two-hour commute each way to Manhattan once a week for business. I supplement that with writing in the early morning and late evening hours.
Do you have plans to write another book?
Yes, I’ve already started my next book about real estate investing that focuses on how to buy, rent and manage the American Dream: single-family homes. I may have taken a day or so off, but I think I started the day after I published “Barter Your Way to Greater Wealth.” I have a few more books in me, too. I’d like to write about the odd and funny experiences of 38 years in business, “A Citizen’s Perspective of America,” and then convert some of my screenplays into books.
Those interested in bartering can find “Barter Your Way to Greater Wealth” in paperback and e-book format at www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com. For more information on Diamond Jewelers, visit www.diamondjewelersonline.com.
Congressman Lee Zeldin, joined by Suffolk County Police Commissioner Tim Sini, health professionals, community groups, parents, expresses his support for the package of bills coming to the House floor this week. File photo from Jennifer DiSiena
Major change may be coming to the North Shore, as a drug abuse bill is set to land on U.S. President Barack Obama’s (D) desk this week.
U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) is a co-sponsor of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016, which plans to spend $8.3 billion to help combat widespread drug addiction, especially addiction to heroin, on Long Island.
“As addiction and overdose deaths continue to climb, tearing families apart, it is essential that the President sign CARA into law to start delivering help to those suffering,”
— Lee Zeldin
CARA passed through the House of Representatives last week with a bipartisan vote of 407 to 5, and the Senate this week with a bipartisan vote 92 to 2.
Zeldin, who is a member of The Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic, said he has been a proud supporter of this bill for more than a year now, and is happy to see Congress backing it.
“With both House and Senate passage of CARA, a bill that I proudly cosponsor, we are now only one step away from this bill being signed into law,” Zeldin said in a statement. “78 people [lose] their life every day as a result of an opioid or heroin overdose. Last year — on Long Island alone — 442 people died of a heroin or opiate overdose, up from 403 overdose deaths the year before. As addiction and overdose deaths continue to climb, tearing apart families and communities, it is essential that the President sign CARA into law to start delivering help to those suffering.”
The specifics of CARA include $80 million in funding to help prevent and treat addiction on a local level through community-based education, prevention, treatment and recovery programs; $160 million for the expansion of medication-assisted treatment options; and $103 million to establish a community-based competitive grant program to address and treat the problems of heroin and opioid addiction and abuse. Additional funding will help supply po lice forces and emergency medical responders with higher quantities of naloxone, known more commonly as Narcan, a medication that is proven to reverse an opioid overdose.
Another part of CARA’s funding focuses on pain management and prescription.
According to the bill, the Department of Health and Human Services is required to assemble a Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force, which will review, modify, and update the best practices for pain management and prescribing pain medication, and examine and identify the need for, development, and availability of medical alternatives to opioids.
The grant aspect of CARA is connected to the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. CARA is set to amend that bill to authorize the Department of Justice to award grants to state, local and tribal governments to provide opioid-abuse services, including enhancing collaboration between criminal justice and substance abuse agencies; developing, implementing and expanding programs to prevent, treat, or respond to opioid abuse; training first responders to administer opioid overdose reversal drugs; and investigating unlawful opioid distribution activities.
The North Shore is not immune to the heroin crisis. According to a New York State Opioid Poisoning, Overdose and Prevention Report from 2015, Suffolk County has the highest heroin-related overdose fatalities of any county in New York.
Zeldin has co-sponsored several other bills in the House on this issue.
“While there is not just one piece of legislation that will solve this crisis, we must always continue our fight to provide our local communities with the resources necessary to help stop and prevent drug abuse through treatment, enforcement, and education,” he said.
An aerial view of Plum Island. Photo from U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
By Wenhao Ma
The future of Plum Island, a government-owned isle located in Southhold Town, east of Orient Point, is still unclear, but one North Shore legislator wants to ensure it remains in the government’s hands.
U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) announced on July 7 that the House of Representatives passed another one of his legislative proposals to save Plum Island from being sold to private developers. It was his second piece of legislation passed on this issue since May.
Currently, the federal government owns Plum Island, but a 2008 law required that the government sell the property to the highest bidder.
Zeldin said he think this is the wrong path for the island, which has served as the site for the Plum Island Animal Disease Center for decades.
U.S. Rep Lee Zeldin, far right, listens during his visit to Plum Island. Photo from Zeldin’s office.
“It is time for the United States Senate to act and pass my proposals, so that we can pursue a better direction for Plum Island that would allow for continued research, public access and permanent preservation of the island,” Zeldin said in a statement
Zeldin’s amendment to the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act of 2017 prohibits any of the funding within the appropriations bill to be used to market or sell Plum Island.
Both of Zeldin’s proposals were passed with bipartisan support in the House. The May bill would reverse the 2008 federal law that mandated the public sale of Plum Island by the government to the highest bidder. Now, Zeldin is looking for support from the Senate.
“The Senate also must pass this legislation to ensure that Plum Island is not sold to the highest bidder, but rather is preserved for generations to come,” he said.
The congressman said he would work on providing alternative uses for the island, such as a transfer of ownership to another federal agency, the state or local government, a nonprofit, or a combination for the purpose of education, research and conservation.
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s website, Plum Island was “the nation’s premier defense against accidental or intentional introduction of transboundary animal diseases,” including foot-and-mouth disease, a viral illness most popular in children under the ages of five.
Homeland Security took over ownership of the island in 2003. Five years later, Congress passed Public Law 110-339, which allowed the General Services Administration to close the disease center and sell the island to the highest bidder in order to fund the building of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Manhattan, Kansas — the replacement for the existing center, due to the age and safety levels of the old facility.
Environment groups from both Long Island and Connecticut have been strongly opposing the law, saying that handing the island to private developers could bring damage to the natural environment and resources.
“The Neck” — A view of Plum Island. Photo by Robert Lorenz
“Its location at the convergence of two major estuaries provides an essential habitat for a rich variety of resident and migrating wildlife,” said Kevin McAllister, founder and president of the Sag Harbor-based nonprofit Defend H2O, which protects and restores the environmental quality of groundwater, surface waters, wetlands and beaches on and around Long Island. “Selling the island to developers would open the gates to more water pollution. Giving it away would be a major blow to conservation efforts and be an unconscionable act by the government.”
Jason Garnett, program director of Soundkeeper, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the Long Island Sound, agreed, saying that Plum Island is an important rest location for migrating birds and waterfowl.
“By preserving ecologically important, open coastal spaces such as Plum Island, we are doing the right thing for future generations of people and the creatures that depend on [the island’s] ecological services of clean air and water,” Garnett said.
Soundkeeper was among many organizations and individuals that filed a lawsuit in federal court on Long Island two weeks ago against the Department of Homeland Security and General Services Administration, that accused the department of violating federal laws and failing to protect endangered and threatened species by intending to sell Plum Island.
John Turner, spokesman for the Preserve Plum Island Coalition, is one of the plaintiffs in the suit.
“We think that the government needs to comply with the existing law,” he said.
Zeldin said he is supportive of the local groups’ efforts to prevent the sale of Plum Island.
Besides activist groups, Southold Town also took actions to save the island.
Three years ago, the town passed a zoning law that created two zoning districts on the island, making one a research district and the other a conservation district, where no housing nor any kind of development would be permitted. If the island is sold, a new buyer would have to follow those zoning laws. According to a 2016 Homeland Security report, Alternatives for Final Disposition of Plum Island, the new zoning “sets forth a limited number of allowed uses, restricting the development potential of the property.”
Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell (R) said the town has been working well with local environment groups to prevent an uncertain future for the island.
“The Neck” — A view of Plum Island. Photo by Robert Lorenz
One of the things that instills great pride in North Shore residents is the unparalleled natural beauty of the place we call home. We are grateful to those who came before us for their discernment and diligence in protecting and preserving that — which, once developed, is lost forever.
Conservationists and environmentalists have worked to ensure that open spaces, clean water, nature preserves and pine barrens will continue to exist for future generations to enjoy.
A controversy is roiling Long Islanders and activists nationwide, over the proposed sale of Plum Island by the federal government. In 1954, the island was the secured location of an animal research facility run by the U. S. Department of Agriculture. More recently, responsibility for the island has shifted to the Department of Homeland Security.
Today, Plum Island, an important, pristine, ecological habitat, is in danger of being sold to a developer. The island has seen little human traffic in the last 70 years, which has enabled about 80 percent of the land to revert to its natural state. It is now home to some of our most imperiled species.
As the Plum Island Animal Disease Center has become outmoded, plans are afoot to create a new center in Manhattan, Kansas. To defray the cost of the new facility, the government wants to sell the 843-acre coastal island to the highest bidder.
We applaud the efforts of Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) to block the proposed sale. The House of Representatives has passed two of his legislative proposals to date. Zeldin urges the Senate to act and pass the proposals as well, and we agree with his sentiments. We are hopeful that we can pursue a better direction for Plum Island than just private ownership, one that would allow for continued research, public access and permanent preservation.
A group of kids decked out in Pokémon attire as they search for Pokémon in town. Photo from Benjamin Harris
By Rebecca Anzel
The latest trend sweeping the nation is a throwback from the 1990s with a modern-technology twist: a augmented reality Pokémon game played on smartphones, and residents of Huntington are not immune. Hundreds of kids, teenagers and adults alike took to the streets this week to interact in this new game.
This latest offering from Pokémon evolved the franchise beyond the original cards, television show and video games. Pokémon GO allows players to create an avatar, called a trainer, and walk around their neighborhoods catching various Pokémon. Players can battle one another and get free in-game items from locations chosen by the game.
“Seeing all these people in my town is so new and great, especially when we can all bond over the same thing,”
— Gerard Anthony
The game is getting people of all ages out of their houses and into their neighborhoods. The only way to catch Pokémon is to walk around searching for them, and players have been posting on social media about how far they have traveled around their neighborhood.
One 22-year-old Greenlawn resident said she saw more than 50 kids hunting for Pokémon at parks in Northport and Huntington in one afternoon.
Megan McLafferty introduced the game to two kids she babysits because she thought, “it would be a fun activity to do outside with the kids — and they loved it.”
She said the kids really enjoyed searching different spots for Pokémon.
“I like that it gets you outside, it gets you moving, and it gets you to interact with other people,” she said in an interview. “It seemed like a lot of people were in big groups together [searching for Pokémon].”
Gerard Anthony, an 18-year-old Northport resident agreed that Pokémon GO is a great game to play in groups.
“Seeing all these people in my town is so new and great, especially when we can all bond over the same thing,” Anthony said in an interview. “I am able to go into Northport by myself and meet a new group of people each day.”
The only way to catch Pokémon is to walk around searching for them, and similarly, the only way to get a refill of free in-game item, like pokéballs is to go to Pokéstops.
One of those stops is the Emma S. Clark Memorial Library in East Setauket. Director Ted Gutmann said once he discovered this, he had to try it. “I caught a few in my office,” he said. “So they’re here!”
The library is busy this time of year because of its summer reading program, but Gutmann said being a Pokéstop is attracting more visitors than usual.
A man captures a Pokemon. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
“The hope is, once they get in here, they’ll stop and read a book or attend one of our programs,” he said.
Gutman added that the library had tried its hand at augmented reality a while ago, implementing the technology in its newsletter. It abandoned the effort because it was not getting enough use at the time, but now that Pokémon GO is increasing the popularity of augmented reality, he said the library may revisit the project.
“There are lots of opportunities to use the technology beyond the game,” he said.
Port Jefferson’s Main Street is also a huge attraction for players. With a multitude of Pokéstops and gyms, the promise of Port Jefferson tempted Chris Aguilar, 23, to travel from Riverhead two days in a row.
Aguilar said there were so many people in the streets on the first night he was in the area, July 13, that mobs of trainers were crossing the streets. They did not begin to clear out until about 2:30 a.m.
“This game is bringing people together in an unprecedented way,” he said. “It’s like an age gap doesn’t exist between players,” who can speak to each other on almost an equal level about the game and trade tips.
Other local hotspots to catch Pokémon include Heritage Parkin Mount Sinai and Sylvan Ave. Park in Miller Place.
Just two days after the game’s release, players were spending an average of 43 minutes and 23 seconds per day playing Pokémon GO, a higher rate than popular apps including Instagram, Snapchat and Whatsapp.
According to SimilarWeb, an information technology company that tracks web analytics, Pokémon GO has so many daily active users that it is projected to soon have more users than Twitter.
But some people are concerned about the safety risks associated with Pokémon GO.
Pedestrians are now wandering around towns, with their eyes faced down at their smartphones. Law enforcement agencies, institutions of higher education and public transportation systems have spoken of the dangers of walking around consumed by a smartphone.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) held a press conference Tuesday to remind residents to exercise caution while playing.
“The safety and well-being of our residents, especially children, is our highest priority,” he said in a statement.
Suffolk County Police CommissionerTim Sini echoed his sentiments at the event.
“There have also been accounts of people using the application while driving,” Sini said. “We are encouraging not just parents, but all users, to practice caution to avoid injury to self and others.”
Stony Brook University also contributed to the conversation, reminding students to watch where they are walking while playing.
Mark Szkolnicki, a student of the university, said that he is always careful.
“I grew up in a bad area, so the whole mugging-for-phones thing has been something that I’ve been cautious of forever,” he said. “But I worry for the youth because it’s a cool concept and it could really grow, but those kinds of obstacles really put a downer on the whole gaming community.”
Stony Brook Office for Marine Sciences Secretary Christina Fink agreed. She said it is important to keep in mind that if players are going hunting for Pokémon at night, they should go with at least one other person.
The fight against opioid abuse took a step further this week as U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) plugged new legislation. The freshman congressman is a co-sponsor of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, which plans to spend $8.3 billion in funding to help combat widespread drug addiction, especially to heroin.
CARA passed through the House of Representatives last week with a bipartisan vote of 407 to 5.
Zeldin, who is a member of the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic, said he has been a proud supporter of this bill for more than a year now.
“As a co-sponsor of CARA, I have been a vocal supporter of this bill since it was first introduced at the beginning of last year,” he said in a statement. “Over the past year … I have worked closely with our local community, hosting multiple drug task force round tables here on Long Island, to bring together local elected officials, law enforcement, health professionals, community groups, parents, concerned residents and those in recovery, to discuss and develop a more localized solution to address this crisis.”
Zeldin has held heroin events in Smithtown and Brookhaven to meet with community members and keep the discussion open.
The specifics of CARA include $80 million in funding to help prevent and treat addiction on a local level through community-based education, prevention, treatment and recovery programs; $160 million for the expansion of medication-assisted treatment options; and $103 million to establish a community-based competitive grant program to address and treat the problems of heroin and opioid addiction and abuse. Additional funding will also help supply police forces and emergency medical responders with higher quantities of naloxone, known more commonly as Narcan, a medication that is proven to reverse an opioid overdose.
“We must always continue our fight to provide local communities with the resources necessary to help stop and prevent drug abuse through treatment, enforcement and education.”
—Lee Zeldin
Another part of CARA’s funding focuses on pain management and prescription.
According to the bill, the Department of Health and Human Services is required to assemble a Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force, which will review, modify and update the best practices for pain management and prescribing pain medication, and examine and identify the need for, development and availability of medical alternatives to opioids.
The grant aspect of CARA is connected to the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. CARA is set to amend that bill to authorize the Department of Justice to award grants to state, local and tribal governments to provide opioid abuse services, including enhancing collaboration between criminal justice and substance abuse agencies; developing, implementing and expanding programs to prevent, treat or respond to opioid abuse; training first responders to administer opioid overdose reversal drugs; and investigating unlawful opioid distribution activities.
CARA currently has 44 co-sponsors and is set to go to a vote in the United States Senate.
The North Shore is not immune to the heroin crisis. According to a New York State Opioid Poisoning, Overdose and Prevention Report from 2015, Suffolk County has the highest heroin-related overdose fatalities of any county in New York.
Zeldin said he hopes the Senate will act fast to approve the bill.
“I implore the Senate to act quickly to pass this bill, so that we can start providing the necessary resources to those in need,” he said. “While there is not just one piece of legislation that will solve this crisis, we must always continue our fight to provide our local communities with the resources necessary to help stop and prevent drug abuse through treatment, enforcement and education.”
Cheick Diallo addresses the crowd after being selected by the Los Angeles Clippers. Photo from Sara Stelzer
By Clayton Collier
The NBA was a dream worth the wait for Cheick Diallo; even if it meant waiting a little longer than anticipated.
Diallo, at 6 feet, 9 inches, 220 pounds, widely expected to be a late first-round pick, was selected 33rd overall by the Los Angeles Clippers. The 19-year-old forward’s draft rights were acquired by the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for the 39th and 40th overall picks. A 2-for-1 is a hefty price to pay in any exchange, but Pelicans general manager Dell Demps knew they had to get Diallo.
“You talk to people and say, ‘Is he a good kid?’” Demps said. “And they say, ‘No, No.He’s a great kid. He’s a phenomenal kid.’In our interview process with him, when he walked out of the room, everybody just thought, wow.We all said, ‘Did you hear that?Did you listen to this guy? You want to root for him.’”
Cheick Diallo blocks a shot for the University of Kansas. Photo by Jeff Jacobsen
Demps said that first phone call with Diallo was one to remember.
“We talked to him on the phone, and he was so fired up and we were so fired up,” he said. “We were sitting there screaming and yelling on the phone.”
Rev. Ronald Stelzer, head basketball coach at Our Savior New American School, Diallo’s high school in Centereach, made a point to be at the Barclays Center to see his star pupil get selected.
“I was so happy to see how he reacted when he got picked,” Stelzer said “He was really excited and happy; beaming. Sometimes kids get picked a little later than expected and they get all mopey. Cheick had this child-like exuberance to have this chance to play in the NBA now.”
Diallo goes to New Orleans following his freshman year at the University of Kansas, where he averaged 3.0 points and 2.5 rebounds in 7.5 minutes per game, while also amassing 0.85 blocks per game, ranking 12th in the Big 12.
“I was surprised Cheick didn’t go in the first round based on preliminary reports I got,” Kansas head coach Bill Self said in a release. “The big thing is he was able to go 33rd and that will hopefully put him in a position to sign and get a guaranteed contract.”
Minimal collegiate playing time aside, Diallo was a highly sought after talent out of high school. The 2015 McDonald’s All-American picked up offers from the University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, Syracuse University and Villanova University, among others, before eventually deciding on Kansas.
A native of Kayes, Mali in Africa, Diallo came to Our Savior New American as a 15-year-old freshman. It wasn’t until a few years later that Stelzer said his coaching staff began to see professional-level talent out of Diallo.
“By his junior year, we knew he had something really special,” he said. “We have a lot of kids who have had talent, but he had a little extra athleticism. Combine that with an extremely hard worker, and he just launched.”
Cheick Diallo during his high school years with Our Savior New American head coach Rev. Ronald Stelzer. Photo from Sara Stelzer
Diallo’s former college rival, Buddy Hield, also went to the Pelicans with the sixth overall pick. The reigning John R. Wooden Award winner now joins a rotation that will include Diallo and All-Star big man Anthony Davis.
“That mix of speed and athleticism and power is a great combination,” Stelzer said. “It’s the kind of situation where [Cheick] could make an immediate impact.”
Stelzer said his assistant coaches and Diallo’s host family were essential in getting Diallo from high school onto the next stage.
“We’ve been blessed, and we have a lot of people who have contributed in a team effort to make it possible,” he said. “I wish him the best. It was a pleasure to coach him; he’s a fine young man.”
How did you get involved in bartering? 
Prev
