Short Beach is one of the places Smithtown residents go to feel cool in the summer heat. Photo by Rita J. Egan
While heat waves are an expected part of summer, navigating them isn’t always so simple. This weather can often lead to people suffering from heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
Our area has experienced relentless heat recently. Only halfway through summer, odds are that more scorching weather is ahead of us.
Most North Shore residents in Suffolk County are fortunate to have some form of air conditioning. For those who don’t, local municipalities can offer relief.
Each summer, the towns of Huntington, Smithtown and Brookhaven have helped residents escape intense heat. Huntington officials set up cooling stations during the hottest days of the year. The town announced July 19 that it would make cooling stations available at locations such as Clark Gillies Arena (formerly Dix Hills Ice Rink) and John J. Flanagan Center/Senior Center last week
Huntington, along with Smithtown and Brookhaven, expands hours at public beaches and pools during such weather events, too. When cooling stations or extended hours are needed, municipalities will post this information on their websites and social media pages.
These means of communication also come in handy during other weather events, such as flooding. While rainstorms can temporarily offset high temperatures, they can also quickly flood areas, presenting a public safety hazard. And we are also in the midst of hurricane season, so residents please keep an eye on those weather reports.
Regarding the heat, some helpful tips may come in handy.
When being exposed to hazardous heat, stay well hydrated, eat light, wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing, minimize direct sun exposure and reduce time spent outdoors. These precautions should be heeded by all, especially by those who are older, pregnant or suffering from chronic health conditions. Caregivers should also monitor infants and children more closely than usual.
Of course, a visit to an air-conditioned mall to escape the heat can never be underestimated. A couple of hours of strolling and shopping inside can kill some time as the heat rages outside.
Remember, when going into the mall or a store, do not leave your pet in the car. Temperatures inside a parked car can be much higher than outside — up to 30 degrees or more. Never leave a pet unattended in a parked car, even if the window is cracked open.
Also, the same precautions taken by humans apply to pets, so make sure they are getting plenty of water and are not outside during the hottest parts of the day.
While we are fortunate to live in an area with plenty of choices to cool off, many residents are unaware of their options. Check on sick or older neighbors during heat waves just as you would during snowstorms to ensure they have everything they need.
And don’t sweat it; in a couple months, people will soon be enjoying the leaves changing color and a few weeks later will be building snowmen.
The following incidents have been reported by Suffolk County Police:
Commack
■ A petit larceny was reported at Dick’s Sporting Goods on Jericho Turnpike in Commack on July 23. A man allegedly placed assorted Nike clothing valued at $600 in a bag and walked out without paying.
■ Princess Deli Bagels on Jericho Turnpike in Commack reported a burglary on July 20. Unknown suspects broke the front glass door to gain entry.
■ Scam alert! A woman shopping at Costco Wholesale on Garet Place in Commack reported that while she was loading merchandise into her car on July 21 a woman approached her asking for directions. She later realized that her credit cards had been stolen from her purse which had been on the driver’s seat.
Dix Hills
■ A car was stolen from a driveway on McCulloch Drive in Dix Hills on July 21. The vehicle, a 2022 Audi Q3, was valued at $40,000.
Farmingville
■ A 2022 blue Audi SQ5 was allegedly stolen from the driveway of a residence on Roberta Avenue in Farmingville by an unknown man on July 20. The key fob had been left in the vehicle, which was valued at $30,000.
Huntington
■ Sal D’s Italian Restaurant on Wall Street in Huntington reported a burglary on July 23. Unknown suspects pried open the back door to gain entry and stole cash and the restaurant’s security system.
Huntington Station
■ Liquor Plaza on Walt Whitman Road in Huntington Station reported a petit larceny on July 24. A man and a woman allegedly stole several bottles of vodka valued at $70.
Kings Park
■ A handicapped placard was reported stolen from a car parked at St. Johnland Nursing Center on Sunken Meadow Road in Kings Park on July 19.
Lake Grove
■ Bed Bath & Beyond on Nesconset Highway in Lake Grove reported a shoplifter on July 22. A woman allegedly stole a Shark vacuum valued at $350.
■ Police were called to the Macy’s parking lot at the Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove on July 24. Someone broke the front and rear passenger side windows of a vehicle and stole two iPhones and two pairs of iPods.
Melville
■ Scam alert! A woman shopping at Costco Wholesale on Broadhollow Road in Melville reported that while she was loading merchandise into her car on July 21, she was approached in the parking lot by a woman asking for directions. When she went to a second store she realized that her credit cards were missing from her purse.
■ Dick’s Sporting Goods on Walt Whitman Road in Melville reported a shoplifter on July 23. A woman allegedly entered the store, cut the sensors off of several items of clothing and walked out with the merchandise which was valued at approximately $240.
Port Jefferson Station
■ Shoprite on Nesconset Highway in Port Jefferson Station reported a shoplifter on July 24. A man allegedly stole assorted food items valued at $49.
Selden
■ Walgreens on Middle Country Road in Selden called the police on July 20 to report a petit larceny. A man and woman allegedly stole several cases of Modelo beer worth $116.
■ Brothers Grim Games and Collectibles on Middle Country Road in Selden reported a burglary on July 22. Unknown suspects broke a glass door to gain entry and allegedly stole collectible Pokémon cards worth $1,000.
Smithtown
■ Bagel Express on West Main Street in Smithtown was burglarized on July 19. Unknown suspects broke the front glass door to gain entry and stole cash from the register.
■ The Smithtown Senior Center on Middle Country Road in Smithtown called the police on July 22 to report that catalytic converters were stolen from two senior citizen buses in the parking lot.
South Setauket
■ A petit larceny was reported at Target on Pond Path in South Setauket on July 14. A man allegedly loaded assorted health and beauty products valued at approximately $200 into a shopping cart, concealed the items and walked out of the store without paying.
Stony Brook
■ Marshalls on Nesconset Highway in Stony Brook called the police on July 22 report a shoplifter.A person allegedly stole assorted clothing worth $126. When confronted, the suspect punched a security guard in the face and fled.
Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS.
Public officials gathered at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge Monday, July 25, to announce the opening of grant applications for programs targeting the opioid crisis.
The first round of program funding, which will total up to $25 million, is made available through an approximately $180 million settlement Suffolk is expected to receive “in litigation recovery dollars” over the next 18 years between the county and various manufacturers and distributors.
Last year, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) convened a joint legislative and executive task force to assess proper responses and coordinate efforts to counteract the opioid epidemic throughout the county.
A report prepared by the opioid task force suggests that the available funds target “prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery,” according to Bellone.
“These are the categories in which we will see the most significant gaps in programs and services and the greatest potential return on investment with respect to combating the opioid epidemic,” the county executive said.
‘The decisions that were made really created the dramatic rise in opioid overdoses.’
—Sarah Anker
The task force’s report also recommends a process through which organizations and institutions can apply for the available funding. Starting this week and running through Aug. 22, an opioid grant application is available on the county’s website.
The program is open to public, private, for-profit and nonprofit organizations. “If you’re an agency or organization in this opioid fight and you have a proposal that will help, especially in the areas outlined in the report, then we want to hear from you,” Bellone said.
Also in attendance were several members of the Suffolk County Legislature. Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst), a member of the opioid task force, stated that he and his colleagues in the Legislature are committed to making the best use of these resources as possible.
“This money came with a cost and that cost was lives,” McCaffrey said. “Although we can never get those lives back again, we can … use this money to make sure that others don’t have to suffer and that we [don’t] lose more lives.”
The presiding officer spoke of the ways in which opioids affect communities and the toll they take on families. “Every one of us here knows somebody that has been affected, whether that person has passed away or went to treatment and is still in recovery,” he said, adding, “The scourge that this has caused for the families … you would not want to wish this on any family that’s out there.”
‘This is a disease, and I still see a system that doesn’t recognize it as such.’
— Kara Hahn
Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai), chair of the opioid committee, advanced several reasons to combat the opioid epidemic aggressively. She recalled the decades of drug profiteering, failed policies and the absence of federal oversight, which all contributed to a steady rise in opioid-related deaths nationwide.
“The decisions that were made really created the dramatic rise in opioid overdoses,” she said. “There are so many companies and people that created this tsunami of death and now we are here to pick up the pieces.”
Anker referred to the $180 million made available to the county as “a drop in the bucket” compared to the billions in profits generated by those who have exploited opioid users in recent decades. While this money will catalyze the county’s efforts to rectify these past failures, she acknowledged that there remains much more work to be done.
“We’re going to use these funds for opioid addiction, prevention and helping those who are in treatment, but I implore the folks here listening to this press event to take an active role in helping those who have succumbed to addiction,” Anker said.
Legislator Leslie Kennedy (R-Nesconset), chair of the health committee, offered her own unique perspective on addiction, having witnessed its effects firsthand before joining the county Legislature.
“As a nurse for 30 years, as someone who has worked in an addiction facility on top of that for 10 years, I have lived the pain and have lived the death,” she said.
Kennedy acknowledged the contributions of those who initiated the lawsuit that made these funds available. While this money cannot compensate for the destruction of life and the carnage inflicted upon the community, she offered that this is a positive step in honoring those who are now lost to this disease.
“It’s not perfect, it’s not a lot, but if we didn’t sue, we would have nothing,” she said, adding that counteracting “addiction is a bipartisan effort.”
Another powerful voice for this cause is Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket). She said she is familiar with the plight of opioid addiction, having witnessed the degradation of families and communities personally.
“This is a disease, and I still see a system that doesn’t recognize it as such,” Hahn said. “The disease model of addiction, trauma-informed practices, and recognizing what individuals go through when they face addiction is incredibly important.” She added, “We all have to work together, work strong, work hard and double down on our efforts.”
The son of my wife’s sister, my nephew, is older than I was when I met him.
It’s not so surprising, then, that he would be getting married, especially not after a long-term relationship that transitioned years ago from a matter of if to when in terms of marriage.
Still, it’s hard to imagine the next generation entering these milestone moments when I feel like my wife and I only recently got married, which clearly wasn’t such a recent event.
One of my first memories of my nephew, who was six years old when I babysat for his younger brother while he and his parents went to see “The Lion King” on Broadway, was of this enthusiastic child who wanted to participate in adult conversations.
On his way out the door, he promised to give me a thorough review of the show. While he was gone, his brother and I called my future wife. His younger brother pretended he was me and kept asking me what to say. Fortunately for him, my wife is as playful as he, and went along with the gag for a giggle-fest of a conversation.
A few years later, my sister-in-law told me she overheard her children discussing my marriage to their aunt. Her younger son was excited to add the title “uncle” to my name, while the older one wasn’t sure he wanted to call me “uncle.”
Not eager to stand on ceremony, I told him he could continue to call me “Dan,” although the uncle title quickly became a natural part of our interactions.
Over the years, I have reveled in his achievements, enjoyed hearing about his adventures, travels and jobs and have admired the joy he feels when he spends time with his fiancée.
He laughs, shares stories and dances with her at family parties.
With their wedding approaching in the next few days, it’s hard to believe that my wife and I will be members of the older generation.
Unlike my uncles and aunts, who attended my brother’s wedding in the summer and, generally, passed on my wedding in the winter, my wife and I have every intention of spending most of the wedding on the dance floor.
Yes, we’re older, and we likely won’t have the same modern dance moves that the next generation will likely display, but we love a great party and, what’s more, we love to celebrate life together.
As I did when we had a party for our daughter’s 16th birthday, I will likely sweat through my button down shirt and will probably drape my suit jacket over the back of the chair and won’t touch it until we’re clearing out the room.
At some point, someone with a video camera may come over to my wife and me, asking us to share our thoughts on this auspicious occasion.
I’m sure I will think about my antediluvian uncle, who was asked a similar question at my brother’s wedding.
After a long, reflective pause and with his customary flat affect, he looked directly into the camera. “It’s a sense o’ hyum’ah,” he suggested.
Listening to his wife whose voice cut through concrete as she exclaimed about everything from how much she loved my younger brother the best to how wonderful and delicious the food at any event was, I could see the importance of humor.
While my wife and I have reveled in making each other laugh, I don’t think I’ll repeat that line, even if it does apply, in part because it belongs to my uncle.
Instead, I may tell them to dance as often as they can and to enjoy the little moments, like the sound of a child’s laughter or the excited review of a Broadway show from a six-year-old.
Sitting at a bistro table on the sidewalk in Port Jefferson village this morning, sipping my coffee and people-watching, it occurred to me I could be anywhere enjoying such a scene. I was lingering on after a breakfast business meeting, and now alone, I relaxed with this thought. I could be in the many shoreline villages strung along the New England coast or any of the Atlantic fishing ports of the United States, or for that matter, those on the Pacific or the Gulf of Mexico. I could even be in Paris or Rome, although those are not portside locations.
That’s what summer will do to you. The warmth of the sun and the caressing breeze encourage daydreaming.
I saw residents walking their dogs, who, in turn, seemed more interested in what I was eating than in getting exercise. I greeted people I know, but haven’t seen in too long due to COVID, as they strolled by. A friend rolled down his window and waved on his drive up the block, calling out to me from the far lane to ask how I was. Customers at the next table started chatting with me and showing off their young baby, their first. The waitress came out to check on me and asked, “Can I get you anything more or would you just like to enjoy the moment?” Smart young woman, she understood.
We live in a wonderful place with many delightful offerings, but we probably don’t take the time to dwell on that fact. For example, even this past Thursday alone, we could have attended the opening night of the Stony Brook Film Festival, screening indie movies from throughout the world at the Staller Center on the campus of Stony Brook University. Or we might have tapped our feet and kept time with a performance at The Jazz Loft in Stony Brook village. The Huntington Summer Arts Festival has ongoing performances, this past Thursday featuring Lakecia Benjamin & Pursuance that started at 8 p.m. in Heckscher Park.
Also, on Thursday evening, there was the Smithtown Library concert, a lecture on the much-in-the-news sharks at the Whaling Museum in Cold Spring Harbor, a concert in the Show Mobile at Harborfront Park in the village of Port Jefferson, and in Northport Village Park the Northport Community Band continued its summer concert series. The Huntington Manor Fireman’s Fair, Long Island’s largest, started on Thursday at the Henry L. Stimson Middle School in Huntington Station.
And, as they say, so much more.
I’m not even mentioning the movie showings in the moonlight, the largesse of theaters, the art galleries, the farmers’ markets, the U-Pick opportunities, the wineries, the plethora of restaurants and opportunities for boutique shopping, and the glorious beaches to be enjoyed during the day and under the stars at night that are available at different times and days on our Island.
And try the local corn on the cob. This week it has been fabulous.
This may sound daffy to you, but when the weather becomes unbearably hot and humid, and I just want to get out on the water, I have even been known to ride the rear deck of the ferry to Bridgeport and back to Port Jefferson for a poor person’s afternoon cruise. And if you find yourself in need of a little exercise, walk the wooden pathway around Port Jefferson harbor, with or without your dog.
Next week is already August, and soon the summer will be gone, along with many of these attractions. While certainly others remain, we don’t have quite the leisure of mind to enjoy them that summer brings as the calendar turns.
Adler writes his famous “A+” on his grandson Andrew’s hand at the doctor’s retirement party. Photo from Christine Figuccio
For nearly half a century, Dr. Albert Adler worked as a pediatrician in Smithtown, most of those years in his office located downstairs from his home on Teapot Lane. After his passing on July 14, at 94, those who knew him are remembering him affectionately.
Dr. Albert Adler with his “A+” cake at his retirement party in December 2010. Photo from Christine Figuccio
Many in the town remember visiting him as a child and getting an “A+” written on their arms from the doctor, who often wore whimsical ties with characters such as Mickey Mouse.
“When they were 18 no one actually graduated out of his practice, they would just take a temporary leave until they could bring their next generation to him,” his son Jonathan Adler said.
The son added his father was a family man.His house and office setup allowed the doctor to go home within seconds to eat dinner with his wife and children and help his three sons with homework and school projects.
Jonathan Adler said his father was in good health until a few months ago. The pediatrician moved to Sarasota, Florida, with his wife, Joan, a few years after his retirement in December 2010. Joan died in May 2018.
The son said his father loved life and being a pediatrician. The doctor was also a fan of the Knicks, baseball and hockey. He believed strongly in education and traveled a good deal in his life.
Born in Brooklyn on Jan. 19, 1928, the pediatrician grew up in an apartment in Brownsville that included his immediate and extended family, including aunts, uncles and cousins. His parents owned a dress factory in Babylon.
Jonathan Adler said his father would tell his children, “We didn’t know whether a penny was round or square.”
Adler’s older sister ensured her brother got a good education when he was younger, according to his son. Before heading to college, Adler enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in China and Japan. After his time in the service, he took a few science classes at Brooklyn College. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do careerwise, and a friend suggested that he become a doctor.
Adler was accepted to Duke University, but to save his family money he decided to study overseas in Switzerland. The medical school in Europe cost $50 a semester.
After he and his wife married in 1959, Adler began practicing as a pediatrician two years later in a home-and-office combination on Route 111 in Smithtown. His wife, a former teacher who left work to care for her children, helped manage his office. The doctor built the Teapot Lane house and office in 1967.
His son said his parents belonged to Temple Beth Sholom locally, and his father set up a facility for the intellectually disabled youth and their families in the Smithtown area.
Jonathan Adler remembered his father as a good diagnostician, too.
Dr. Albert Adler, right, and his wife, Joan. Photo from Christine Figuccio
“When other pediatricians really couldn’t figure it out, my father was able to figure out the problem,” he said.
He said when his father began practicing medicine, there weren’t as many specialty practitioners as there are now. Sometimes, Adler would have to set bones for simple fractures and even conduct plastic surgery. He was also the last doctor in the area to make house calls. His son said when the doctor first moved to Smithtown, a few families would pay him with vegetables, fruits or cow’s milk for house visits.
Jonathan Adler said one day, an employee at The Cheesecake Factory approached his father to tell him he had saved her arm. As a child, she came down with a bone infection. At the hospital, the orthopedic surgeon wanted to amputate her arm. Adler took a needle and stuck it into the bone, and pus squirted out all over the hospital room. The decision stopped the infection that nowadays could be easily treated with antibiotics, and her arm was saved.
When Adler retired in December 2010, his wife rented the Elks Lodge in Smithtown to celebrate. Jonathan Adler said thousands of people lined up in bad weather to wish his father well.
“His favorite thing to say was, ‘Look, if you love what you do for work, you never work. I feel like I’ve never really worked. I just enjoyed every second of my practice,’” the son said.
Adler leaves behind his sons Jonathan (Andrea), Mitchell and Roger; grandchildren Andrew, Ellis, Michael, Eli, Abigail and Sawyer; and great-granddaughter Emma.
Like a family
Former employees of Adler’s said he made them feel like family. Margaret Higgins, Maureen Rogers, Christine Figuccio and Lisa Agosta all worked with him for several years before he retired.
Agosta said during her 13 years working for him, she found him to be “a great pediatrician, and he touched so many lives with his loving care.”
She said the staff was called the “Adler girls,” and the employees had “wonderful memories with him and Mrs. Adler.”
Agosta said besides taking care of his young patients, he was there for the parents, too. He would give mothers and fathers advice and guidance, Agosta said, “with whatever they were going through — he didn’t just care about the children — he cared about the family as a whole.”
Higgins experienced this firsthand, before she worked with him as a registered nurse for more than 22 years, when he cared for her four sons. When her 18-month-old son was sick, if Adler needed to get an expert opinion, she said, “He would always go to the ends of the earth to get the right person for you.”
Margaret Higgins, Lisa Agosta, Maureen Rogers and Christine Figuccio worked for Dr. Adler for several years before his retirement. Photo from Christine Figuccio
When her son’s intestines were about to perforate, and he needed major surgery at Smithtown General Hospital, Adler helped her find the right surgeon. She said the pediatrician made sure the surgeon knew he could call him at any time of the night.
Rogers, who worked for him a little less than 20 years, said when her daughter-in-law’s nephew was sick, and it wasn’t known if he would survive, with Adler calling in the right people, they saved his life.
“He never stopped looking for some way,” she said.
Figuccio also worked for the doctor for approximately 20 years until he retired.
“He was just a loving, caring man,” she said. “No other words to describe him. He really put his whole heart and soul into every child and family member, took the time needed and gave them all the attention that they would need.”
She agreed with his son that Adler was the best diagnostic doctor around. She said one day he was examining a patient when he turned and saw a lump on the mother’s neck. He advised her to get it checked. Two days later, she was having her thyroid removed due to cancer.
She remembered another patient had strep throat and all the family members kept getting it. Adler asked if they had a dog, and they brought it in after hours. The doctor did a throat culture on the pet, and it turned out the dog had strep, too.
A+ patients
Maria Talbot and her sister were patients of Dr. Adler from birth until they turned 18.
“He was such a kind and compassionate man,” Talbot said.
She always looked forward to getting a lollipop and a hug from the doctor at the end of every visit. One day he forgot, and a nurse offered Talbot a lollipop, and she began to cry. Even though he was in another exam room seeing a patient, the pediatrician came to see what the problem was, and once he discovered what happened, he gave her a big hug.
“At such a young age, I remember feeling such a sense of comfort about him,” she said. “You could tell he truly loved the children he cared for.”
Nancy Irvolino said she remembered one visit when her brother needed a shot. He began running around the room, saying to his mother, “Tell him I take pills.”
“He calmed my brother down and at the end gave him a lollipop,” she said, adding she started going to the doctor when she was 2, and at 54, he’s still the best doctor she ever had.
Joe Cusumano said as a child asthmatic, he would constantly come down with bronchitis. The doctor realized it was allergies triggering the asthma and started Cusumano on allergy shots. Since he was 15, Cusumano hasn’t had an asthma attack.
His parents took him, his sister and his brother to the doctor since they were born.
“You knew you were going to a man who cared and knew what he was doing,” he said. “I am grateful for him to this day.”
This writer was also a patient of Adler’s from the age of 9 to 20, as there were several years I needed allergy shots.
He was the first person who said I looked like a celebrity. He would always call me a young Katharine Hepburn. When I first met him in 1977, I was familiar with who the actress was, but only knew what she looked like as an older woman. So, I was a bit taken aback. One day I saw the movie “Stage Door” where a young Hepburn starred with Ginger Rogers and Lucille Ball. I realized I didn’t mind looking like Hepburn, and every time I see a movie with her, I remember the doctor who made a skinny, awkward girl feel like a movie star.
Suffolk County Police Fourth Squad detectives are investigating an incident during which a Smithtown woman was confronted outside her home the morning of July 26 by two men who allegedly stole money and checks.
A woman was standing in her driveway at approximately 9:40 a.m. on Grandview Lane when two men, both wearing ski masks, approached her and displayed a gun. While speaking to the woman in Spanish, they motioned for her to go in the home.
The woman, who does not speak Spanish, attempted to run from the men who then grabbed her and engaged in a struggle with her. The woman was able to free herself and run toward the street. The men stole money and checks from the woman’s vehicle and fled the scene. The woman was treated by ambulance personnel at the scene.
Detectives are asking anyone with information on this incident to call the Fourth Squad at 631-854-8452 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
Communities are held together by norms of civility and an overriding spirit of goodwill.
Right now those norms are withering away, supplanted by foul behavior and disrespect. In communities throughout this area, there has been an observable decline in civility, a dangerous trend that jeopardizes the community’s long-term prospects.
At Stony Brook University, members of the campus community have expressed growing concerns about the frequency of hostile encounters taking place in nearby communities. Students and staff members have become targets of scorn and prejudice, a phenomenon that should disturb our residents deeply.
In addition, elected officials and business owners are dismayed by the recent spike in vandalism and destruction of public and private property. Perhaps most alarmingly, police have investigated the July 5 burning of a sign at a Ronkonkoma mosque as a possible hate crime.
While destroying property and desecrating houses of worship surely violates several of our laws, these actions also tear at the fabric of our community. After two years of lockdowns and separation, community members now seem more estranged from one another than ever before.
The immediate consequence of all of this is that our community is less safe and less congenial than it once was. People will be less likely to spend their time and money in our local downtown areas, creating more vacant storefronts. But in the long run, people may soon flee this area in search of that community feeling that they couldn’t find here.
Since ancient antiquity, scholars have understood that people of a community cannot be held together by laws alone. Laws create a system of rules and keep communities orderly and regulated, but they cannot inspire neighborliness or tolerance. Aristotle contended that “friendship” was the necessary ingredient for a community to thrive.
We must cultivate the bonds of friendship that once existed among our community members. As citizens of this area, we must recognize that each person is entitled to our respect, regardless of religion, race, ethnic background or politics.
The people of Long Island are fortunate to have a superb public research institution right in their backyard, a place that offers jobs to our residents and a talented pool of students and staff who are eager to change the world for the better. We must welcome them as our own, deserving of our friendship and respect. We want them to stay right here on Long Island, where they can help us build upon and strengthen this community.
In a similar vein, we cannot tolerate the destruction of public or private property. Budgets are tight enough in our county, towns and villages, and taxpayers should not be forced to absorb these preventable costs. Moreover, small businesses are struggling enough amid nationwide economic challenges and the ongoing public health emergency. We should not compound their hardships and expenses either.
Progress requires a reassessment and realignment of our system of values. Let’s rediscover what it means to be civil and respectful to one another. Let’s foster that sense of civic friendliness and community cohesion that existed before. We must learn to respect our neighbors again, for without respect this community will not endure. As Aretha Franklin sang, “Just a little bit, a little respect.”
U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY1) was speaking at a campaign event upstate when a man approached him and allegedly tried to stab him.
Zeldin is the Republican Party and Conservative Party nominee for New York State governor. The congressman was speaking at a VFW post in the Village of Fairport on the Erie Canal on July 21, when the man approached him after walking on the congressman’s platform. According to a July 22 post on Zeldin’s Facebook page, the congressman said, “His words as he tried to stab me a few hours ago were, ‘You’re done.’”
Zeldin grabbed the attacker’s wrist, and several attendees, including his running mate Alison Esposito, tackled the man. The congressman served active duty in the U.S. Army for four years and is currently a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve. Esposito is a former NYPD deputy inspector. The alleged attacker was taken into custody by local law enforcement.
The alleged attack happened at approximately 8 p.m., according to a press release from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. The male, identified as David Jakubonis, 43, of Fairport, allegedly had a weapon in his hand, according to the police. The sheriff’s office said he “swung it toward Zeldin’s neck.”
There were no injuries, and the candidate was able to finish his speech, according to his staff.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office charged Jakubonis with attempted assault in the second degree. He was arraigned and released on his own recognizance.
On July 23, U.S. attorney Trini Ross announced that Jakubonis was arrested again, according to a press release from the U.S. District’s Attorney’s Office, Western District of New York. This time the alleged attacker was arrested by the FBI and was charged with assaulting a Congress member using a dangerous weapon. According to the press release, Jakubonis can spend up to 10 years in prison if found guilty.
The defendant allegedly “extended a keychain with two sharp points” toward Zeldin, according to the press release.
Jakubonis is being held pending a July 27 detention hearing.
According to a federal criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court by an FBI special agent, Jakubonis, who served one tour in the Iraq War, drank whiskey on the day of the event. He walked onstage to ask Zeldin “if he was disrespecting veterans.” He told Monroe County investigators he didn’t know who the congressman was when he approached him.
“When shown a video of the incident, Jakubonis stated in sum and substance, that what was depicted in the video was disgusting and that he ‘must have checked out,’” according to the criminal complaint.
Zeldin criticized the release of Jakubonis by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and was grateful that federal authorities stepped in.
“I’m thankful that federal authorities came in to do what New York State’s broken pro-criminal justice system could not: Uphold the rule of law,” Zeldin said in a press release. “The state must start prioritizing the safety of law-abiding New Yorkers over criminals. Cashless bail must be repealed and judges should have discretion to set cash bail on far more offenses.”
A representative from Zeldin’s office said the congressman’s security has been increased.
For many in the area, Wednesday from 1 to 3 p.m. is a time they put aside to talk about stocks and investing.
Through the pandemic, Steven Kelman, of Port Jefferson Station, and Bill Greenbaum, of Fort Salonga, have been offering the Bates House Investment Group through Zoom. The workshop provides those interested in learning about investing with a weekly discussion and learning experience. Members discuss different investments such as stocks, bonds and more. They also talk about how current events affect portfolios, and the workshop leaders share insights into investing, investment resources and analyzing the stock market.
“We had some people that started with absolutely no knowledge at all, and they’re presenting reports like they’ve been doing it for 20 years now,” Kelman said.
The workshops initially were offered through Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Stony Brook University, better known as OLLI. Before the pandemic, the class was moved from SBU to the Bates House in Setauket. When COVID-19 hit, and the pandemic lockdowns began, Zoom enabled Kelman and Greenbaum to reach more people, even those who don’t live in the Three Village area or on Long Island. Kelman said with non-OLLI members interested in participating, the workshop leaders decided to make it available to anyone interested and no longer offered the class through OLLI.
Greenbaum said Zoom has worked out well for them.
“During the pandemic, it’s really been wonderful that it was a connection point for everyone,” he said.
Greenbaum, who was a global controller in the finance department of Disney before he retired, said when he was younger, he would look over his grandfather’s shoulder when he read stock reports. Kelman, who for 42 years worked for the Federal Aviation Administration after serving in the U.S. Air Force, said he’s been interested in investing on and off for 30 years.
The approximately two dozen workshop members are nonprofessionals, Kelman said, and they range in experience from advanced to beginners. He added that a few have lost a spouse and weren’t sure what to do regarding investments, and the workshop has provided a good starting point.
Greenbaum said it’s impressive to see newcomers who sometimes might sit back at first, but as they begin to learn become more experienced. The two have also learned from the members, Kelman said.
“The diversity of the group is quite amazing, people from all walks of life,” Greenbaum said.
Members attend for free, and no money is actually invested in the market. Each individual picks a stock and researches it. They each then present their choice to the class and the group will discuss and then virtually buy it if they all agree on it. The members keep track of how the stock does and have a mock portfolio. After investing in a particular stock, they will also discuss if they made the right decision.
Kelman said they track about 35 to 40 stocks. He said it constantly changes as they set up a fictitious figure of $250,000. Once they get to that amount, they have to sell something to buy additional stocks, which also teaches when to sell.
Even though the group doesn’t actually invest, many take what they learn and invest on their own.
Greenbaum added that with the market going down recently, the group also provides a form of moral support.
“It’s nice to have a group of people that you could share that with,” he said. “Normally you can’t. This topic is not for everybody.”
For more information, contact Steven Kelman at 631-473-0012.
We live in a wonderful place with many delightful offerings, but we probably don’t take the time to dwell on that fact. For example, even this past Thursday alone, we could have attended the opening night of the Stony Brook Film Festival, screening indie movies from throughout the world at the Staller Center on the campus of Stony Brook University. Or we might have tapped our feet and kept time with a performance at The Jazz Loft in Stony Brook village. The Huntington Summer Arts Festival has ongoing performances, this past Thursday featuring Lakecia Benjamin & Pursuance that started at 8 p.m. in Heckscher Park.
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