The German Festival returned to St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Smithtown on Sept. 17.
The last two years the event could not be held due to COVID-19 restrictions. This year’s return marked the fifth German festival St. Andrew’s has held. Longtime church member Barbara English heads up the event.
Throughout the afternoon, hundreds filled the church’s parking lot to enjoy German food, hair braiding, live music, children’s games and more. Attendees also had the chance to enter raffles and check out merchandise from local vendors.
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St. Andrew's Lutheran Church's German Festival was held on Sept. 17. Photo by Rita J. Egan
St. Andrew's Lutheran Church's German Festival was held on Sept. 17. Photo by Rita J. Egan
St. Andrew's Lutheran Church's German Festival was held on Sept. 17. Photo by Rita J. Egan
St. Andrew's Lutheran Church's German Festival was held on Sept. 17. Photo by Rita J. Egan
St. Andrew's Lutheran Church's German Festival was held on Sept. 17. Photo by Rita J. Egan
St. Andrew's Lutheran Church's German Festival was held on Sept. 17. Photo by Rita J. Egan
St. Andrew's Lutheran Church's German Festival was held on Sept. 17. Photo by Rita J. Egan
St. Andrew's Lutheran Church's German Festival was held on Sept. 17. Photo by Rita J. Egan
COVID caught me. After two and a half years of bobbing and weaving, trying to elude the virus, I finally have been felled. It’s like being shot on the last day of the war.
I did all the right things. I avoided crowds, driving back from my South Carolina vacation at the outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020 instead of using my return plane ticket. I stopped going to the opera and to Broadway shows in New York City. I didn’t eat in restaurants, even after they reopened, for fear of who might be harboring pathogens at the next table. We closed the office to all but those with appointments. We ordered masks for the staff by the dozens and hand sanitizer by the gallon. We practiced social distancing at the bank, that is, before the bank closed its doors and moved away. We stopped holding events, such as “People of the Year” and “Cooks, Books and Corks” and “Reader’s Choice” that might turn into superspreaders. My family and I zoomed rather than visited. Our family holiday celebrations and vacations were suspended. And we took to our computers, to the extent we were able, for everything from classroom learning to shopping for toilet paper.
Remember all that?
Well, as much as we would like to declare the pandemic over, as President Joe Biden (D) recently did, the virus is still with us. I stopped social distancing, then recently became casual about wearing my mask. I started getting together, first with family, then with close friends, then with business colleagues. Recently, I have been eating inside a couple of restaurants. I stopped asking every repairman to please wear a mask in my house. I pushed COVID phobia way down in my consciousness.
Then I got it.
There are, of course, some differences between catching COVID early on and now. The health care professionals know so much more now about treating the disease. Hospitalizations are fewer but still some 32,000 daily, intubations are less common. But people are still dying, some 400-500 a day, to put numbers on it. Through Sept. 19, Suffolk County reported more than one death per day for the month, according to the Suffolk County Department of Health.
“We’ve had two million cases reported over the last 28 days, and we know underreporting is substantial,” Dr. Michael T. Osterholm, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Minnesota, was quoted in the Tuesday edition of The New York Times. He continued that COVID-19 was the No. 4 cause of death in the country.
Many of us were feeling what Biden was expressing. Yes, we have vaccines and medicines now that successfully hold the pathogen at bay, and most people have every expectation of recovering. Nonetheless, it has been a dreaded disease, especially for those of a certain age or with underlying conditions. With me, it started as a little dry cough throughout the afternoon, hardly noticeable. By nightfall, the cough had deepened and a headache began. The next day, the miserable irritation at the back of the throat started. By the end of the day, my temperature began to climb, eventually four degrees, and my body ached.
Of course, my doctor was on vacation that week, but the backup staff responded valiantly. They called me in for THE test, and when it was positive, they gave me three options. I could go to the Emergency Room and get an infusion of monoclonal antibodies, which would take an hour (not including the inevitable wait.) They could phone in a prescription for paxlovid, and I could take three pills in the morning, then three at night, for five days. They spelled out the side effects of both treatments, which didn’t sound too cheerful. Or I could just monitor the situation, drinking plenty of liquids, taking some Tylenol and see how it goes.
I chose the paxlovid.
Yes, it causes a metallic taste after it’s ingested. But it seems to have worked.
Will I be as cavalier about relaxing precautions? No, I don’t think so. It is possible to get it again, and I REALLY don’t want it again.I will get the next booster when I am eligible, I will continue to wear a mask regardless of what those around me are doing, and I will limit my dining, to the extent possible, to the great outdoors.
While boating alone just outside of Port Jefferson Harbor over the Labor Day holiday, South Setauket resident Bill Doherty had what he called a once-in-a-lifetime thrill. First, a big splash caught his eye. Then, another.
Humpbacks, above, devour sea life during a recent whale watching expedition. Researchers attribute more whale sightings to a thriving menhaden or bunker fish population. Photo by Artie Raslich/Gotham Whale
“I kept my eye on the water thinking it could be a boat accident or something,” he said. “I undid the anchor to get a little closer — but not too close — and realized it was a whale.”
For 15 to 20 minutes, Doherty watched in amazement as the whale put on a show spouting and breaching in the water about a mile off Old Field Point. He recorded it on a cellphone video just so he could prove to his friends this was no joke.
A big yacht and another passing boat, he said, cut their engines nearby so the passengers could enjoy the spectacle.
Whale sightings, as unlikely as it might seem, are becoming more regular events in the New York area, including the Long Island Sound.
Barrett Christie is director of animal husbandry at The Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, Conn. His team has been tracking whale activity in the Sound since the museum opened in 1988.
Almost every year since 2009, Christie said, more and more yachters and fishermen are seeing marine mammals in local waters.
Since 2015 whale counts, predominantly humpbacks but also minke whales, have been ramping up. The aquarium’s annual whale counts range from no sightings at all, to one per year, up to as many as a half dozen or more.
The aquarium’s observations, he noted, are consistent with the findings of other researchers. A Staten Island-based research organization Gotham Whale, for instance, documented in 2011 three whales and five sightings. Recently, the number was up to more than 260. The whale population has become so bountiful around the mouth of New York Harbor, Gotham Whale now coordinates research expeditions with the public in conjunction with five commercial whale watching vessels.
Healthier ecosystems
Scientists praise the Clean Water Act for improving water quality to protect marine habitats. The landmark environmental law, passed in 1972, regulates pollutants from agriculture, industry and wastewater to prevent or limit discharges into waterways.
“It’s taken fish populations more than 30 and up to 50 years to rebound,” Christie said. “We’re seeing not only more whales, but also more Atlantic white-sided dolphin, more seals, more sharks and further down the food chain more sand eels and herring.”
After a long history of decline, Christie explained that forage fish such as menhaden or bunker and alewife, both in the herring family, have returned to spawn in the many freshwater tributaries that flow into the Sound.
“The turnaround is miraculous,” Christie said.
Maxine Montello is a wildlife ecologist and the rescue program director at the New York Marine Rescue Center. She teaches a marine mammal and sea turtle course at Stony Brook University.
After viewing Doherty’s cellphone video, she quickly identified that whale as a humpback. It’s huge pectoral fins, visible as the creature leaped out of the sea, made it easy to distinguish.
Humpbacks, she said, are baleen whales — they have no teeth. To capture its prey, it swallows and strains seawater through the long and narrow strips of fingernail-like material called baleen that grows out of its jaw. Through this feeding process, it consumes krill, plankton and small fish, such as menhaden.
A flourishing menhaden population in the food chain, researchers are noticing, attracts whales.
In fact, researchers from the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, when conducting aerial surveys, track whales by following menhaden movement.
Some 15 years ago, they saw few clusters or bait balls of menhaden along Long Island’s southern coastline. Today, Rob DiGiovanni, the society’s chief scientist, said a continuous stream of bunker stretches from Montauk to the New York Bight. Consequently, whales are more abundant there and traveling closer to shore and staying in the area longer.
Montello and DiGiovanni also praise the Clean Water Act for improving marine habitats. But, with humpbacks near extinction in 1972, another bold act of Congress that year also deserves credit for reviving the whale population.
“I would say that the Marine Mammal Protection Act has really changed the game for marine mammals,” Montello said. “This act has provided great protection and awareness of these charismatic species.”
This law prohibits hunting, capturing, collecting, harassing or killing marine mammals such as whales, dolphins, seals and manatees.
Whaling once was one of Long Island’s most important commercial industries, according to the Cold Spring Harbor-based Whaling Museum with Cold Spring Harbor, Greenport and Sag Harbor serving as the Island’s three whaling ports.
Today, people are armed with cameras and spreadsheets instead of harpoons, and more interested in spearheading marine restoration projects that aim to protect rather than slaughter these giant marine mammals.
If you are lucky enough to spot a whale, scientists want to hear from you with photos. Like human fingerprints, whales bear distinct characteristics on their tails. Gotham Whale has an extensive and growing archive of these tail shots. Through such photos, researchers there have been able to identify and track the activities of 269 individual whales, according to Paul Sieswerda, Gotham Whale’s executive director.
“It would be interesting to find out if whales — our New York City whales — are the same ones traveling through the Sound,” he said.
To report whale sightings, contact: Atlantic Marine Conservation Society at www.amseas.org/reportsighting; Gotham Whale at www.gothamwhale.org/citizen-science; The Maritime Aquarium, Norwalk at 203-852-0700.
Smithtown Township Arts Council has announced in a press release that the works of East Setauket artist Robert Roehrig will be on view at Apple Bank of Smithtown, 91 Route 111, Smithtown from September 19 to November 17. The exhibition, part of the Arts Council’s Outreach Gallery Program, can be viewed during regular banking hours Monday – Thursday 9 am – 4 pm; Friday 9 am – 6 pm; Saturday 9 am – 1 pm.
“From the time I was growing up in Queens and then Hicksville, I always loved to draw. I would sketch airplanes, cars, people – pretty much anything that caught my fancy. An important early influence was an artist named John Nagy, who had a TV show in the 1950’s that provided lessons on how to draw. I really enjoyed the program so my parents bought me his instruction booklet and kit. In it, the artist showed you step by step how to complete a picture. I still remember the pictures; a railroad train with smoke billowing, a young boy wearing a sombrero, and others. I completed every one,” said Roehrig.
“I took some art courses in high school and at Hofstra University, but I decided on social studies education as a career path. After college, I married my lovely wife Joan, and we raised our two children. Throughout those busy years, I did some sketching and watercolor painting for fun and relaxation. When I retired from teaching and counseling at Commack High School, I decided to try oil painting, something I had not done since high school. I soon found the versatility and rich colors of the oil medium to my liking. I have been oil painting ever since,” he added.
Many of Rob’s paintings try to capture the beauty of the natural world. “I feel fortunate to live on Long Island with its scenic beaches, coves, wetlands and farms. It is a challenge – and fun – to paint a spectacular cloud formation or a pretty reflection in a lake or pond. I tend toward realism and I often choose subjects that highlight the contrast between sun and shadow. Buildings or structures attract me as well and often make for an interesting scene. When traveling in the US or abroad, I am always on the lookout for a potential painting. The completed paintings help to rekindle wonderful memories,” he said.
“STAC is grateful to Apple Bank for its continued support of culture in our communities. We are so happy to feature the talents of Long Island artists in this space!” said the press release.
Smithtown West senior Jack Setter sets up the play for the Bulls in a road game against Eastport South Manor Sept 20. Bill Landon photo
Smithtown West senior Joseph Carpenter from the service line for the Bulls in a road game against Eastport South Manor Sept 20. Bill Landon photo
Smithtown West senior Matthew Fisher returns for the Bulls in a road game against Eastport South Manor Sept 20. Bill Landon photo
Smithtown West junior Anthony Fedor with the return for the Bulls in a road game against Eastport South Manor Sept 20. Photo by Bill Landon
Smithtown West senior Matthew Fisher attempts a block for the Bulls in a road game against Eastport South Manor Sept 20. Bill Landon photo
Bulls battle at net. Bill Landon photo
Smithtown West senior Matthew Fisher attacks at net for the Bulls in a road game against Eastport South Manor Sept 20. Bill Landon photo
Point Smithtown West
Smithtown West junior Anthony Fedor with the return for the Bulls in a road game against Eastport South Manor Sept 20. Photo by Bill Landon
Smithtown West senior Matthew Fisher attacks at net for the Bulls in a road game against Eastport South Manor Sept 20. Bill Landon photo
Smithtown West senior Matthew Fisher serves the ball for the Bulls in a road game against Eastport South Manor Sept 20. Bill Landon photo
Smithtown West junior Anthony Fedor from the service line for the Bulls in a road game against Eastport South Manor Sept 20. Photo by Bill Landon
Smithtown West senior Joseph Carpenter sets the play for the Bulls in a road game against Eastport South Manor Sept 20. Bill Landon photo
Smithtown West junior Anthony Fedor keeps the ball in play for the Bulls in a road game against Eastport South Manor Sept 20. Photo by Bill Landon
Smithtown West senior Matthew Fisher from the service line for the Bulls in a road game against Eastport South Manor Sept 20. Bill Landon photo
Smithtown West senior Benjamin Moncayo sets the play for the Bulls in a road game against Eastport South Manor Sept 20. Bill Landon photo
Smithtown West senior Matthew Fisher with a kill shot for the Bulls in a road game against Eastport South Manor Sept 20. Bill Landon photo
Smithtown West junior Anthony Fedor keeps the ball in play for the Bulls in a road game against Eastport South Manor Sept 20. Photo by Bill Landon
Smithtown West senior Patrick Burke blocks the ball for the Bulls in a road game against Eastport South Manor Sept 20. Bill Landon photo
Bulls battle at the net in a road game against Eastport South Manor Sept 20. Bill Landon photo
Smithtown West senior Jack Setter sets up the play for the Bulls in a road game against Eastport South Manor Sept 20. Bill Landon photo
Smithtown West senior Patrick Burke spikes the ball for the Bulls in a road game against Eastport South Manor Sept 20. Bill Landon photo
Smithtown West senior Jack Setter sets the play for the Bulls in a road game against Eastport South Manor Sept 20. Bill Landon photo
The Bulls of Smithtown West (2-3) traveled to Eastport-South Manor (3-2) in a volleyball matchup and smelled blood after winning the first two sets, 25-22 and 25-21.
But the Sharks thwarted the sweep winning game three, 25-22, to force a game four. Neither team had more than a three-point advantage until the Bulls dominated at net late in the fourth set to win the match, 25-19, in the 3-1 victory Sept. 20.
Pictured clockwise from above, Smithtown West senior Jack Setter sets up the play; point Smithtown West; Smithtown West junior Anthony Fedor keeps the ball in play; Bulls battle at the net; Smithtown West senior Matthew Fisher with a kill shot for the Bulls; Fedor keeps the ball in play; and Smithtown West senior Matthew Fisher from the service line.
Time to shop! The Brick Clay Studio & Gallery, 2 Flowerfield, St. James will hold their annual Fall Outdoor Pottery and Craft Show on Saturday, Sept. 24 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. featuring one of a kind hand-made pottery, other local artists and craftsmen and live music. Proceeds from bowl and raffle sales will be donated to World Central Kitchen/Ukraine. The Gallery Shop will also be open to browse handmade pottery made on the premises. Admission is free. Rain date is Sept. 25. For more info, call 833-THE-BRICK or visit www.thebrickstudio.org.
Local officials joined together with the Daniela Conte Foundation, Thomas Scully Foundation, Smithtown Children‘s Foundation, Smithtown Central School District, local parent advocate Amy Beach, families and friends to kick off ChildhoodCancer Awareness Month with the annual ‘Go Gold’ Tree lighting ceremony at Town Hall on Sept. 7.
The tree at Town Hall was adorned in gold bows, bearing the names of local children who are actively fighting cancer, in remission or have since passed away. The lights and ribbons were donated to the Town courtesy of Katia Conte, founder of the Daniela Conte foundation in 2021. Each year, new bows with the names of local kids are added. Additionally, giant gold awareness ribbons, donated courtesy of the Thomas Scully Foundation are on display at the Smithtown Bull Monument, at Town Hall, the Parks Department and at the Highway Department through the month of September. Local mom and advocate Amy Beach was on hand to distribute gold laces as a part of the “Lace up for Kids” partnership, in honor of her son Dylan, with the Smithtown Central School District.
“The month of September is ChildhoodCancer Awareness Month. But as many of the families here with us tonight will tell you, cancer affects us all 24/7… year round. Tonight we kick off a year of awareness. However… We are also here as one community, one family, to let every parent, or caregiver, who has a child diagnosed with cancer know something…You are not alone. We are here to fight for you, cry with you, laugh with you, pray for you and share our love with you. Thanks to organizations like the Daniela Conte Foundation, the Thomas Scully Foundation, the Smithtown Children‘s Foundation and the work that Parent Advocates like Amy Beach do, there are local resources and an entire community of people who are ready to help. Whether it’s financial assistance, help dealing with insurance companies, hospital administrations, a hand getting dinner on the table or an extra hand around the house… You will not go through this alone. That is our promise to you,” said Supervisor Ed Wehrheim .
Each year, the Town of Smithtown raises awareness for ChildhoodCancers in the month of September through various activities and events. These efforts are intended to help fund and raise awareness, identify breakthroughs and fill gaps in the treatment landscape, and direct research to the areas with the greatest need. This year the call for action in addition to advocacy and awareness rang clear from Amy Beach, who spoke on behalf of Katia Conte and Debbie Scully.
“PediatricCancer has to be funded by nationwide and local groups. We run, walk, shave our heads, play golf, host gala’s and have community involvement to raise research dollars. Leave it up to the parents… As of today, hospitals are still using 30 year old toxic treatments on children that cause a lifetime of medical problems for survivors. Kids deserve the very best in cures, treatments and protocols that science can offer and that means investing in research… When you think about why it’s so important to go gold in September, then think about the statistics and how underfunded childhoodcancer really is. And be truly thankful if you haven’t had to endure the worst thing a parent can go through.,” said Katia Conte of the Daniela Conte Foundation.
“The mission of the Thomas Scully Foundation is to bring A Little Bit of Happiness to children with cancer today, while supporting a cure for tomorrow. The foundation delivers care packages to bring comfort and joy to children, while they’re in local NY hospitals. They also support a cure for tomorrow, by providing A Little Bit of Hope grants. These are given to families seeking innovative treatments for their child… The Thomas Scully Foundation would like to thank the Town of Smithtown, for helping to bring awareness to childhoodcancer by going gold for the third year in a row. Not only are you helping to bring awareness but you’re also letting everyone know that you support those children and families who have been affected. We thank you for that,” added Debbie Scully of the Thomas Scully Foundation.
“Less than 4% of the federal budget for cancer research in the United States of America is dedicated to childhoodcancer. Solving KidsCancer is an organization that finds, funds and advocates for breakthrough treatment options to cure children with the most fatal pediatriccancers. They help accelerate new, next generation treatments, including immunotherapy, cancer vaccines and new drugs, by applying an understanding of the entire childhoodcancer landscape to wisely invest in innovative projects… This September, we are proud to have the Smithtown Slammers U14 flash girls soccer team participating in their sixth season of Lace Up for Kids, Nesaquake Middle School has been a wonderful partner since 2018 and we are excited to announce that all of Smithtown Central School District schools will be participating again in 2022… Friday, September 16th will be a district-wide Go Gold Day. And we invite all of you as well to care, wear and share your gold throughout this month of September. Last year, we stood in front of this tree, as so many of you pledged support for these Children and their families battling the unimaginable. It has been 370 days… Support is more than a photo opp. Tonight lets shift from awareness to action. Because every kid deserves a chance to grow up. We look forward to many years of partnership, awareness and advocacy until one day, there is a cure. Be Bold. Go Gold,” said Amy Beach, a childhood cancer research advocate and Smithtown parent.
“This ceremony here tonight, the support and awareness is invaluable to the children we’re trying to support, those to come and to those who we have lost. The Smithtown Children Foundation was founded in 2008. What many don’t know is that the motivation and inspiration in creating the foundation, was a five year old little girl who was diagnosed with neuroblastoma and who sadly we lost a year later. While we support the community through a number of initiatives, the plight of childhoodcancer awareness, of supporting families who are battling this, is one that is very close to our hearts at the foundation. We are here to provide financial, and emotional support, to provide resources, help for some of the ins and outs for families who are going through this and may be a little overwhelmed. We support your foundations wholeheartedly, we support awareness and we support the individual families to help you in any way we can,” said Krissy Lonetto, of the Smithtown Children‘s Foundation.
“We all know cancer is an insidious disease. But when it impacts our children, it is especially devastating. Amy’s message tonight really hits home… of turning advocacy into action. That is certainly what we are hoping to do! In the next few days and throughout the month, you will see gold ribbons at each of our schools, and increase advocacy with a path towards action. Also, the Lace Up for Kids initiative in schools and at our East/West football game, will pay particular attention to this cause on Friday night. I applaud all the foundations involved here, and the Town for your continued advocacy.,” sadid Superintendent Dr. Mark Secaur, Smithtown Central School District.
Nick Valenti jars the ball loose for Northport. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Nick Valenti and Owen Johansen on the stop. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Owen Johansen. By Steven Zaitz
Giancarlo Valenti scores in the third quarter. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Giancarlo Valenti celebrates his touchdown with his brother Nick. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Owen Johansen. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Michael Raio. Photo by Steven Zaitz
The Bulls celebrate of Jack Melore's, center, touchdown. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Smithtown West QB Brayden Stahl. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Matt McGovern in pass protection for Northport. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Emmett Radziul on the reception for Northport. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Tim Cleary makes the stop for Northport. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Owen Johansen wrestles down West runner. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Andrew Miller scores in the 1st Quarter. Photo by Steve Zaitz
Emmett Radziul of Northport returns punt. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Jason Antunes looks for daylight. Photo by Steven Zaitz
The Bulls crowd was in full throat in the 4th quarter. Photo by Steven Zaitz
By Steven Zaitz
Have you ever gotten gum stuck to the bottom of your shoe?
It’s nearly impossible to get rid of.
The Smithtown West football team simply would not allow itself to be removed from its opening game against the Northport Tigers on Friday night, Sept. 9, as they battled back from multiple double-digit deficits against the heavily favored visitors.
However, the Bulls fell one bullet short, and Northport’s star quarterback, Owen Johansen, put the game away with a long run that gave the Tigers a first down in the final minute and allowed them to escape Smithtown with a 34-30 win.
The contest’s opening few possessions didn’t give off any signs it would be a close game. The Bulls went backwards on their first offensive possession and after a three and out, punted to Northport and their versatile weapon “Every-Down” Emmett Radziul, who took the kick 31 yards deep into Bulls territory. Radziul would also have an interception in the second half.
Three plays after Emmett’s punt return, Tiger tight end Andrew Miller pranced into the end zone with a 21-yard touchdown catch, one of Miller’s two touchdowns in the first quarter. When running back Andrew DeMarco plunged in from the two-yard line midway through the second quarter, Northport took a 20-3 lead.
“It felt amazing to score my first varsity touchdown,” Demarco said. “The offensive line definitely played great tonight.”
The Tigers rushed for 230 yards for the game and with five minutes to go in the half seemed to have complete control. But as they did in the 2021 regular season finale at Northport, West fought on.
A kickoff return to midfield by wide receiver Tim Vanderbink breathed some life into the Bulls. Their standout quarterback Brayden Stahl calmly hit wide receiver Jacque Lapraire, who got inside position on defense back Christian Raio, and made a toe-tapping, one-handed catch for a 22-yard touchdown and it was 20-9 with 2:30 left in the half. Raio had good coverage, but it was a perfect pass and a great play by Laprarie, capping a 50-yard drive in less than a minute.
After a Northport three and out, the Bulls got the ball back with under two minutes to play at their own 42. After two medium-sized completions, Stahl hit a wide open Jack Melore, who had gotten past everyone and had himself a 25-yard touchdown catch. It was now 20-16 and the home crowd, that up until that point had been reduced to a dull murmur, were shaking the bleachers with delight.
“We can’t let guys run free like that behind our defense,” said Northport Head Coach Pat Campbell.“I think they have a very underrated team and (Stahl) is a very good quarterback, but defensive breakdowns like that is stuff that we are going to have to clean up. It can’t happen.”
All Suffolk Tiger linebacker and team captain Tim Cleary led the team with six tackles and along with Miller, defensive end Matt Diaz and defensive linemenJustin Macke and Mason Hecht, put heavy pressure on Stahl from the opening whistle. The senior quarterback for West would finish with 19 for 32 with 267 yards passing and three touchdowns.
“We gave up a few long passes in the second half, but our run defense was great the whole game,” Cleary said. “We’ll polish our coverages in practice this week for sure.”
The Tigers defense got a respite to start the second half and the offense did a great job in keeping the suddenly smoking hot Stahl seated firmly on the bench. Johansen engineered at 13 play, 64 yard drive which included four 3rd down conversions and was capped off by the first of running back Giancarlo Valenti’s two second half touchdown runs. It put the Tigers ahead 27-16 and chewed up the first six minutes of the third quarter. Northport fans could relax again with a two-score lead, right?
On Northport’s very next possession Johansen, who had 106 yards passing and 98 yards on the ground, had a pass deflect off of Miller’s hands and into the arms of Lapraire and the Bulls again took to the comeback trail. Stahl took over at his own 38, hit four completions in a row and gave the ball to tailback Brian Hope to close the deal, which he did with a four-yard touchdown run off right tackle. With 10:30 remaining it was 27-22 — again a one-score game.
Valenti would answer. After an electrifying quarterback draw by Johansen went for 38 yards, the junior tailback would dart up the middle for his second touchdown in less than 10 minutes. Valenti finished with 91 yards rushing, 22 receiving and 2 TDs. This one put the Tigers up 34-22 and the Bulls were finally toast.
Except they weren’t.
Stahl would hit on a 37-yard bomb that got the ball to the Tiger 12. On the next snap he rolled to his right and threw what looked like a damaging interception into traffic in the end zone. But it was deflected twice and somehow ended up in the belly of Bull running back Nick Briffa for an extremely serendipitous touchdown for Smithtown. It was now 34-30 Northport after Stahl converted a two point try. The pendulum had swung West once again.
But it was Johansen, who made the keynote to Miller on the opening drive, put the final imprint on it as well. On a waggle keeper right, O.J. rumbled down the Northport sidelines for a gain of 26, carrying half the Bull defense on his back for the last 10 yards. The Tigers ran out the clock and finally cleaned the gum off their cleats.
“We need to read our keys on defense a lot better going forward,” said the never-satisfied Campbell. “We can’t let people run down the middle of the field like that, but it’s the first game. We ran the ball for 230 yards, so obviously I’m happy with that, and Owen hit some big time passes early on to Andrew and I think that opened up our running game. We have some work to do for next week.”
Northport will host Half Hollow Hills East for its home opener on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. The Thunderbirds beat the Tigers last October, 35-21.
On a national stage, two U.S presidents are in a tug-of-war for the soul of our nation.
Earlier this month, President Joe Biden (D) and former President Donald Trump (R) presented disparate visions for the American future. Despite diametrically opposing messages, one theme unifies these speeches: Americans stand at a crossroads in our history, and our trajectory is undecided.
Numerous problems plague our policymakers in Washington, from national security, economic uncertainty, immigration policy, among many others. In the face of these seemingly unanswerable questions, we must remember that all politics is local. Before we can even consider pondering the great questions of our time, we must first get our affairs in order here at the community level.
From town and village halls to school boards, environmental demonstrations, civic meetings, and everything in between, our residents grapple with the most pressing issues confronting our communities. We find particular examples of the nation’s broader, systemic issues within these forums.
What does it mean to have a representative voice in government? What is an equitable distribution of public resources? How and where should we build, and to what end?
We are wrestling with these unsettled questions right now. At the local level, our citizens learn how systems operate. With this understanding, we begin breaking down the great questions into bite-sized, manageable tasks.
In time, we will accumulate small wins. This formula can be scaled, meaning we can soon apply our takeaways from local politics to the higher levels of government.
We hold that this bottom-up approach is the best course of action, both for our residents and nation. Locally, our voices ring louder, our votes weightier. Let’s fix our problems here first, then set our sights on issues further from home.
We must first create a solid foundation to build something meant to last. May we heal this divided but unbroken nation. May we find solutions to problems both near and far. And may we never lose faith in the principles that unite us as community members and Americans.
During the Platinum Jubilee for Queen Elizabeth II to celebrate the monarch’s 70 years on the throne, Clary Evans, a radiation oncologist who works at Northwell Health, her husband Tobias Janowitz, a scientist at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and their families got together with another English family to mark the occasion.
They made a cake and had tea, “aware that this was probably the last time” they would celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s lengthy legacy, Evans recalled in an email.
Residents of Suffolk, England, Evans’s parents Philip and Gillian shared memories and thoughts on Queen Elizabeth II, who died last week at the age of 96.
Before Elizabeth’s coronation at the age of 27, Philip Evans, who was a teenager, traveled with his brother Anthony to Trafalgar Square, where they camped out near the fountain.
After a night filled with an early June rain in 1953, Evans and his brother awaited the moment to see the queen, whose coronation occurred 16 months after she became queen.
Gillian and Philip Evans with their Patterdale terrier puppy in Mettingham, Suffolk, UK in August of this year. Photo from Clary Evans
The next morning, as crowds continued to grow, the police pushed the newer arrivals in front of the group, which meant Phillip was in the third tier of onlookers.
Through the crowd, he caught a glimpse of the young queen, offering a stiff wave to her subjects.
“It was a marvelous thing to do,” Evans said by phone from his home. The travel and waiting in the rain meant it “wasn’t easy.”
Gillian Evans, meanwhile, traveled with her family to visit her aunt, who, at the time, was the only one in her family who owned a television.
“It was lovely to see what a beautiful spectacle it was,” Gillian Evans said.
The queen executed her duties admirably under an intense spotlight that never dimmed during her over 70 years of service, she added.
“What a remarkable lady she had been,” Gillian Evans added. “She said she would give herself to the nation for as long as she lived, and she did. Right up to the very, very last, which is wonderful.”
While Gillian Evans thought such conditions were akin to being inprison, with all the limitations and the constant responsibilities, she believed the queen “loved it. It showed in her face.” Being a part of a “love match” with her husband Prince Philip “must have helped enormously.”
The Evans matriarch, 83, who is a retired diagnostic radiographer, is amazed at the effect the queen’s death is having on residents.
Philip Evans, who said the queen did “jolly well,” recognized that the queen made mistakes, one of which arose during her muted reaction to the death of Princess Diana in a car crash in 1997.
“She had a really bad time when Princess Diana was killed,” said Philip Evans, who retired in 2000 as a general surgeon. “She was just pulled down by the power of the press. In legalese, ‘she was badly advised.’”
During a recent visit to the ophthalmologist, Evans chatted with three people about the queen and her son Charles, who has now become King Charles III.
People were saying “the queen had done a good job” and that they believed her son was “well suited” for his new role.
Philip Evans has noticed that the church bells ringing in the aftermath of her death don’t have their typical sound.
The sound alternates between loud and muted. The churches are using a so-called half-muffled peal, which creates a somber echo. The bells rang the same way last year after Prince Philip’s death.
“It’s very alarming and tells you that something is odd,” Evans said.
As the country prepares for the funeral of a queen born eight years after the Spanish Influenza pandemic of 1918 and who died two years after COVID-19, Clary Evans recognized that Queen Elizabeth II was a “link to those values of duty and service that were strong in those war and post-war years.”
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