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31 Halloween events on the North Shore

by Heidi Sutton - October 20, 2022

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By Heidi Sutton

Halloween is such a fun time of year and celebrations have come early, with many fun and spooky events happening this weekend in addition to next weekend. Here are 31 Halloween events on the North Shore to enjoy.

Centerport

Storytime Under the Stars

See your favorite Halloween storybooks come to life during Storytime Under the Stars at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Planetarium, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport on Oct. 30 from 6 to 7 p.m. Children are invited to wear their Halloween costumes and bring their favorite stuffed animal. $8 per person. www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

Spooky Science Lab

The Vanderbilt Museum Education Department, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport will offer Mr. Vanderbilt’s Spooky Science Lab, a program for children in grades 2 to 5 on Oct. 21 from 4 to 6 p.m. Take part in a scavenger hunt in the collections galleries and then create jars that can be used in any spooky Halloween display. Cost is $20 per child. Register at www.vanderbiltmuseum.org. 631-854-5552.

Cold Spring Harbor

Harbor Haunts Walking Tour

Explore Cold Spring Harbor’s ghostly side with fascinating tales of mishaps and historic hauntings on Main Street, courtesy of the Whaling Museum, 301 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor, on Oct. 21 and 28 at 6 p.m., Oct. 22 and 29 at 4:30 and 6 p.m. and Oct. 23 at 4:30 p.m. Recommended for ages 8 and older. Held rain or shine. Tickets are $12 adults, $8 children. 631-367-3418, www.cshwhalingmuseum.org.

Haunted Hatchery

Calling all ghosts and goblins, spiders and bones … Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery, 1660 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor will host a Halloween event on Oct. 29 from 2 to 5 p.m. Families are welcome to join them for a not-so-scary Haunted Hatchery. Trick-or-Treat your way through their outdoor grounds. Admission fee is $7 adults, $6 seniors, $5 children ages 3 to 12. 516-692-6768, www.cshfishhatchery.org

Haunted Boo-Museum Festival

Join the Whaling Museum, 301 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor for its spookiest event of the year, with fun activities for all ages, on Oct. 30 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Go on a spooky-not-scary walk through as museum exhibit coming to life; have your fortune read; listen to ghost stories; and visit Dr. Gellerman’s Spooktacular Zoo with live native spooky wildlife found on Long Island. Enjoy tons of Halloween crafts and activities in the workshop including mixing up your own potion, creating a spider hat, wrapping a mummy whale, designing a mask, and candle-dipping to create a homemade candle and see what’s sticky and gooey at a Spooky Touch Table. Tickets in advance are $10 children, $5 adults; $15 children, $10 adults at the door. 631-367-3418, www.cshwhalingmuseum.org

Farmingville

Trick or Treat Trail

Join the Farmingville Historical Society on Oct. 29 for a Trick or Treat Trail at Farmingville Hills County Park, 503 Horseblock Road, Farmingville from noon to 3 p.m. Come in costume and trick or treat along a trail while learning about the history of candy. Fill your bag with real, full-size candy treats. The entry fee is $12 per trick or treater. Parents are welcome to escort their children without paying. Please note this is not a haunted trail. Rain date is Oct. 30. All Trick or Treaters must pre-register at www.farmingvillehistoricalsociety.org.

Dark Night Halloween World

Long Island Community Hospital Amphitheater, 1 Ski Run Lane, Farmingville hosts the 2nd annual Dark Night Halloween World, an outdoor extravaganza combining moderate scares with comedy that at the same time celebrates the nostalgia of vintage haunted trails through a post-modern twist on inspired characters from pop culture and horror movies of the 1990s, on Oct. 21, 22, 23, 27 to 31 from 7 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $25 per person, $10 children 12 and under, $35 VIP front of the line. www.DarkNightLI.com

Huntington

All Hallows Tour

Huntington Town Hall, 100 Main St., Huntington hosts an All Hallows tour at the Town Clerk’s archives October 24 to 28 from 1 to 4 p.m. The Halloween event will feature a guided tour exploring Huntington’s haunted history with live interpretations of stories taken out of the archives vault. Free. 631-351-3035.

Trick or Treat at the Heckscher

Families are invited to celebrate Halloween at the Heckscher Museum of Art, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington on Oct. 27 to Oct. 30 from noon to 5 p.m. Create a spooktacular art activity, make a haunted Digital Action painting, and take home a festive treat! 631-380-3230, www.heckscher.org

Halloween Costume Parade

The annual Downtown “Hauntington” Village Halloween Costume Parade returns to the Town of Huntington on Oct. 31 at 4 p.m. Sponsored by Town of Huntington, Councilwoman Joan Cergol, Dr. Dave Bennardo, and the Huntington Village BID. Line-up at the Huntington Post Office, 55 Gerard St., Huntington for a parade through Huntington followed by trick or treating at designated village merchants. Call 631-351-3173 or 631-351-3085.

Lake Grove

Halloween at Smith Haven Mall

Join the Smith Haven Mall, Moriches Road, Lake Grove for a spooktacular, fun trick-or-treating for all the little ghouls and goblins on Oct. 31 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (while supplies last*) If you want to know what retailers and restaurants may have tricks or treats for the little ones on Halloween, keep and eye out for the pumpkin in their windows. 631-724-1433

Miller Place

Spooky Lantern Walking Tour

The Miller Place Mount Sinai Historical Society presents its annual Spooky Lantern Tour, a not-too-scary walking tour of the haunted history of Miller Place, on Oct. 21, 22, 28 & 29 at 5:30 p.m., 6:15 p.m. and 7 p.m. Walk the Miller Place Historic District with a guide from the MPMS Historical Society who will regale you with all the spooky stories surrounding this pre-Revolutionary War town. Bring a lantern or flashlight and wear comfortable shoes. For ages 10 and up. Tickets are $15 per person. www.mpmshistoricalsociety.eventbrite.com.

Mount Sinai

Heritage Halloween Fest

The North Shore Youth Council presents a Halloween Fest at the Heritage Center, 633 Mount Sinai Coram Road, Mt. Sinai on Oct. 29 from noon to 3 p.m. Enjoy pumpkin picking and decorating, a spooky walk scavenger hunt, costume parade, a goodie bag, dance party and more! Registration is $15 per child 12 and under. Parents and guardians are not required to register. Advance registration only at www.eventbrite.com.

Nesconset

Halloween Pet Parade

The Nesconset Chamber of Commerce and Jennifer O’Brien of State Farm hosts a Halloween Pet Parade fundraiser for the Smithtown Children’s Foundation at the Nesconset Gazebo, across from Nesconset Plaza, 127 Smithtown Boulevard, Nesconset on Oct. 29 at 11 a.m. Come in costume and trick-or-treat, enjoy ice cream, raffles, music, pet costume contest, vendors and more. 631-724-2543, www.nesconsetchamber.com.

Northport

Halloween Hayride

The Village of Northport will host its annual Halloween Hayride in Northport Village Park on Oct. 30 from noon to 4 p.m. with hayrides, pumpkin patch, pumpkin painting, live music, petting zoo, costume contest & refreshments. Fun for the whole family! $5 per person. Call 631-754-3905.

Halloween Magic Show

Join the Northport Historical Society, 215 Main St., Northport for a dazzling Halloween Magic Show for all ages with magician Todd Harris on Oct. 30 from 5 to 6 p.m. Cost is $5 per person. Register at www.northporthistorical.org.

Port Jefferson

‘A Kooky Spooky Halloween’

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson presents A Kooky Spooky Halloween, a merry musical about a ghost who’s afraid of the dark, on Oct. 22 at 11 a.m. Recently graduated spirit Abner Perkins is assigned to the Aberdeen Boarding House — known for its spectral sightings and terrific toast. Here, Abner finds himself cast into a company of its wacky residents. When his secret is revealed, he is forced to leave his haunted home and set-off on a quest with his newly found friends. All tickets are $10. To order, call 928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

Harvest Fest

The Village of Port Jefferson hosts its annual Harvest Fest throughout the village on Oct. 22 from noon to 5 p.m. with live music, children’s activities, costumed dog parade, pumpkin carving, chowder crawl (fee) and much more. Rain date is Oct. 23. 631-473-4724, portjeff.com

Port Jefferson Station

Halloween Spooktacular

In coordination with The School of Rock, the Port Jefferson Station-Terryville Chamber of Commerce hosts a Halloween Spooktacular event at the chamber train car, corner of Nesconset Highway and Route 112, Port Jefferson Station on Oct. 22 from 5 to 8 p.m. (Enter on Rose Ave off Canal Road). Enjoy live music, trick or treating, pumpkin painting, vendors and a game of cornhole. Free. 631-821-1313

St. James

Deepwells Haunted Mansion

Just in time for Halloween, the Deepwells Farm Historical Society transforms the historic Deepwells Mansion, 2 Taylor Lane, St. James into Deepwells Sanitarium, Home for the Criminally Insane on Oct. 21, 22, 28 and 29 from 7 to 10 p.m. Featuring 16 rooms of horror, wooded trail of terror, food vendors, photo-ops and more. Advance tickets are $20 per person, $30 at the door. 631-862-2808, www.deepwellshauntedmansion.com

Setauket

Spirits Cemetery Tour

Join the Three Village Historical Society for its annual Spirits Cemetery Tour at the Setauket Presbyterian and Caroline of Brookhaven churches on Oct. 22 from 5 to 8 p.m. Tours, which last 1 1/2 hours, leave from the Setauket Presbyterian Church, 5 Caroline Ave., Setauket every 15 minutes. Guests will visit 10 locations to walk-in on conversations between Spies of the American Revolution, Known and Unknown. Rain date is Oct. 29. Call for prices. 631-751-3730, www.tvhs.org

Smithtown

Tails, Trails and Treats – This event has been postponed to Oct. 30.

Celebrate Halloween at Sweetbriar Nature Center, 62 Eckernkamp Drive, Smithtown with Tales, Trails, and Treats on Oct. 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. and from 3 to 5 p.m. Kids can enjoy close encounters with animals, a ghostly garden, games, and a special puppet enchanted trail. For families wtih children ages 2 to 7 years old. $15 per child, $5 adults. www.sweetbriarnc.org, 631-974-6344

Ghosts and Goblins event

Ghosts and goblins will invade Smithtown all in the name of good fun when the Smithtown Recreation Department hosts its annual Ghosts and Goblins event on Oct. 22 at Browns Road Park, 72 Browns Road, Nesconset from 10 a.m. to noon. Enjoy games and prizes, pony rides, a balloon artist, and more. Free. Call 631-360-7644.

Stony Brook

Halloween Family Fun Day

Family Fun Day is back at the Long Island Museum, 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook just in time for Halloween! Join them on Oct. 30 from 1 to 4 p.m. for pumpkin painting, trick-or-treating, crafts and more. Wear your Halloween costume if you wish. Free admission. 631-751-0066, www.longislandmuseum.org

Secrets and Spirits Walking Tour

Ward Melville Heritage Organization hosts a Secrets and Spirits of Stony Brook Village walking tours on Oct. 30 at 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. Participants of the tour will hear new stories of local hauntings along Stony Brook’s coastal community including the story of the Long Island witch trials, the apparitions of Annette Williamson at the Country House Restaurant (c.1710), the mysterious woman in white seen at the Stony Brook Grist Mill, William Sidney Mount and Spirit Photography; the ghost ships of shipbuilder Jonas Smith, and the role women mediums played in the Suffrage Movement.$12 per person. To reserve your spot, call 631-751-2244.

Halloween Festival

The Ward Melville Heritage Organization hosts its 32nd annual Halloween Festival at the Stony Brook Village Center, 111 Main St., Stony Brook on Oct. 31 from 2 to 5 p.m. with music from WALK 97.5, trick-or-treating throughout Stony Brook Village Center, dancing and games for children, Scarecrow Competition announcements at 4 p.m. and a Halloween parade, led by Monster Merlin! Free. 631-751-2244, www.wmho.org

Yaphank

Haunted History

The Suffolk County Farm, 350 Yaphank Ave., Yaphank presents Haunted History: Night at the Farm on Oct. 28 at 7 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. What’s the farm like after dark? Learn all about the haunted history of the farm’s 150+ year old barn. Hear a spooky story and then take a wagon ride to the corn maze. Hopefully, you can find your way out before the headless horseman finds you! Bring a flashlight. $15 per person. Recommended for ages 8+. Call 631-852-4600 or visit www.ccesuffolk.org for further information

Commack

Commack United Methodist Church, 486 Townline Road, Commack presents its 5th annual Trunk-N-Treat event on Oct. 29 from 2 to 4 p.m. Children can trick or treat for candy at festively decorated car trunks and truck beds and enjoy games, crafts and activities. Free. 631-499-7310, www.commack-umc.org

Hauppauge

Hauppauge Public Library, 1373 Veterans Memorial Highway, Hauppauge invites the community to trick or treat in their parking lot on Oct. 28 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Community members will be decorating their trunks in fun and spooky themes and will pass out candy to trick or treaters. The library will also have snacks, games, crafts, and other activities. This event is free and open to all. 631-979-1600.

Riverhead

Join Hallockville Museum Farm, 6038 Sound Ave., Riverhead dressed in costume for a festive Trunk or Treat on Oct. 29 from 3 to 6 p.m. The event will feature Mike the Silly Magician, a fabulous silent auction and raffle, pumpkin decorating and other Halloween crafts, games on the lawn, a costume parade and contest, all culminating in an amazing Trunk or Treat! Admission is $15 per person, $50 family of 4. 631-298-5292, www.hallockville.org

Rocky Point

The North Shore Youth Council and the Rocky Point PTA present a Trunk Or Treat! event at the Joseph A. Edgar School, 525 Route 25A, Rocky Point on Oct. 30 from 2 to 5 p.m. with decorated cars and trunks, candy and non-edible treats, face painting, crafts and photo prop. Costumes encouraged. Join them for a scary good time! Register for this free event at www.eventbrite.com.

Yaphank

Suffolk County Farm, 350 Yaphank Ave., Yaphank hosts a Truck or Treat event on Oct. 29 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Enjoy truck or treating, trick or treating around the farm, crafts, wagon rides, games, farm animal visits, corn maze and more. Costumes encouraged. $15 children ages 1 to 17, $5 adults. Register at www.eventbrite.com. 631-852-4600.

Elected officials, cultural arts organization celebrate St. James park, look toward future

by Rita J. Egan - October 20, 2022

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St. James residents had a new park to visit along Lake Avenue this summer. On Tuesday, Oct. 18, elected officials, members of Celebrate St. James, donors and residents came together at Celebrate Park for an official dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Oct. 18 marked the official dedication of Celebrate Park in St. James. Photo by Rita J. Egan

The park sits where the Irish Viking pub was once located. The establishment had been closed for nearly a decade when Town of Smithtown officials considered tearing it down to make way for a park and municipal parking lot. When the bar was put up on a tax lien, the town worked with Suffolk County to acquire it through an intergovernmental contract.

Volunteers from the cultural arts organization Celebrate St. James worked with elected officials during the design and construction of the park, including soliciting donations for the brick walkways that feature stones embossed with local families’ names and special messages from residents.

In November 2020, Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R), other elected officials and members of the community broke ground and officially unveiled the plans for the park. On Oct. 18, among those Wehrheim thanked was Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) for his part in making the park happen. Bellone was unable to be in attendance due to dealing with the recent county cyberattack issues. The town supervisor said everyone had a part in making the park a reality.

“This day marks completion of the third and final phase of the revitalization efforts in St. James,” Wehrheim said, adding that the town is working on a connection to the sewer line installed under Lake Avenue a few years ago.

The town supervisor said before he took office in 2017, he had counted 33 vacant storefronts on Lake — now there are less than a handful. With more people strolling the street, kids riding their bikes, the park and more, he compared it to a Norman Rockwell picture.

“Today we can see what can happen when a community, the good people who call it home and local levels of government all work together as one,” he said. “Today we get to enjoy the fruits of our labor and officially welcome the people of this great town to Celebrate Park.”

“Today we can see what can happen when a community, the good people who call it home and local levels of government all work together as one.”

— Ed Wehrheim

Wehrheim credited the Celebrate St. James volunteers, especially former president Natalie Weinstein and current president Patricia Clark, for being a big part of the process.

Weinstein said the park came to fruition due to an “unusual administration and an unusual group of volunteers.”

“Both embody the vision of economic revitalization,” she said. “Both are committed to progress, and both attract the talent and cooperation of some pretty amazing people.”

Weinstein also credited St. James residents due to their “generous donations of dollars, service and talents.”

“We know St. James has always been a special place,” the resident of nearly 50 years said. “This little sleepy hamlet of Smithtown has a history worth sharing and perpetuating. It has been home to a famous architect [Stanford White], a New York City mayor [William Gaynor], countless vaudevillians and many hardworking people who, in good times and bad, helped their neighbors.”

Weinstein said the park was aptly named by the town’s public information officer Nicole Garguilo, a lifelong resident of St. James.

“Today we cut a ribbon to symbolically and actually turn a vision into reality, taking an eyesore in our community and transforming it into a place of pride for all, now and in the future,” Weinstein said.

Clark said in 2017, every time she drove through Lake Avenue and other parts of town and see so many empty storefronts, she thought, “This place is dying.” Later she discovered Weinstein and Celebrate St. James vice presidents Arline Goldstein and Jack Ader had noticed the same as she did and approached town officials to see how they could help revitalize St. James.

She said in addition to working on the park, Celebrate St. James aims to turn the former Calderone theater on Second Avenue into the St. James Community Cultural Arts Center.

“Today, we see our dream of this park become reality, and now we at Celebrate are once again on the verge of a community endeavor of unique proportions,” Clark said. “Once again it is time to come together to plan for the future for our children, for our seniors and for ourselves. Now is the time to preserve and cherish the past on which we build a future to serve the town for generations to come.”

SBU receives $147M in federal funding over eight years to treat WTC responders

by Daniel Dunaief - October 20, 2022

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Responders on the pile 2 (1) — WTC responders at Ground Zero, working on the pile in the aftermath of 911. Photo by John Bombace

As the medical challenges to first responders at the World Trade Center site after the 9/11 attacks increase, Stony Brook University’s treatment program has increased the number of people it helps and, recently, also the federal funds to support efforts to treat people.

Dr. Benjamin Luft at the Stony Brook WTC Wellness Program, where he serves as director. File photo

Recently, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, which is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, awarded the Stony Brook World Trade Center Health and Wellness Program $147 million over an eight-year period to expand patient care and support infrastructure needs.

The SB World Trade Center Health and Wellness program now sees up to 13,000 patients, which is more than double the 6,000 patients it used to see.

“Patients are getting sicker and their diseases are much more complex with a variety of different systems being involved, both psychologically as well as physically,” said Dr. Benjamin Luft, director of the WTC Wellness Program.

Through the work the SB WTC group has conducted, doctors and researchers have demonstrated that diseases and physical and cognitive challenges associated with aging have occurred more rapidly in the WTC population.

At the same time, COVID-19 has also exacerbated conditions related to exposure to the site, with over 20% of this population experiencing lingering symptoms due to the pandemic.

The WTC first responders have developed chronic sinusitis and a variety of gastrointestinal disorders, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (or GERD).

While these diseases occur in the general population, “the chronicity is unique,” Luft added.

The SB WTC Wellness program will use the funds to hire additional staff with specialties in pulmonology and psychiatry, among other areas, Luft said.

The majority of the work occurs at the Wellness Center’s main facility and clinic in Commack. SB also runs a site in Mineola. The funds will help revamp the Mineola site as well.

The two sites will use updated technologies and will deploy emerging capabilities in telehealth and artificial intelligence to communicate, diagnose and monitor cases.

Federal funds have supported the effort for 18 years, as NIOSH has funded clinical services for WTC patients treated at Stony Brook.

Medical conditions for this population have included post-traumatic stress disorder and respiratory illnesses.

The funding more than doubles the $60 million, five-year award the WTC Wellness Program received in 2017 from NIOSH that had provided support until the end of March of this year. NIOSH had extended the grant for six months until the current funding started at the end of September, Luft said.

Patients have developed a range of cancers, as well as lung issues such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder.

Additionally, patients are struggling with a variety of mental processing challenges.

“We see a lot of patients who have a variety of cognitive and memory problems,” Luft said.

Luft emphasized that many of the thousands of patients he treats have several health issues simultaneously. By using new technologies, these efforts will enhance the quality of life for people who were on site after the attack.

Luft added that the connection and support from NIOSH have helped support health care for this population.

“The various people at NIOSH are really involved in the program,” he said. “It’s been very satisfying.”

Stony Brook University faculty in public health, psychiatry, pulmonary care, cardiovascular care and neuroscience all take part in ongoing research related to the health issues of WTC responders.

Luft emphasized that the care first responders at the WTC receive tries to be “proactive” with an extensive effort to screen for various diseases, including cancer.

The research and treatment efforts for the WTC population extends to other health care initiatives for people exposed to carcinogens in wars or from other unintentional exposures.

The exposure from 911 is similar to those from burn pits, Camp Lejuene and other hazards.

“The toxins are similar,” Luft said.

Two paintings by William Sidney Mount go up for auction

by Tara Mae - October 19, 2022

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William Sidney Mount paintings — Portraits of Mrs. Nancy Williamson Smith and her husband Captain Jonas Smith by William Sidney Mount,1836

By Tara Mae

An opportunity to own priceless art is a chance to be part of living history. It does not come without a cost, but it can be worth the expenditure. On Saturday, Oct. 22, starting at noon, South Bay Auctions of East Moriches will offer such a possibility when it auctions off portraits of Captain Jonas Smith and his wife Nancy Williamson Smith of Stony Brook by local 19th century artist William Sidney Mount.

“Mount is significant to both art and local history. It is not often that his paintings come up for auction,” said Joshua Ruff, Co-Executive Director of the Long Island Museum in Stony Brook which has the largest collection of Mount’s paintings, drawings, correspondence, and archives.

Primarily known for his genre paintings, Mount was born in Setauket in 1807 and spent many years living in Stony Brook in between and after brief periods in New York City. He painted the places and people he knew, frequently of the Three Villages. Initially drawn to history painting, which he greatly admired, Mount’s portraiture was not born of his inherent interest in the material but rather a timeless dilemma for so many artists: his other work was not selling and Mount needed to earn a living.

Mount’s first portrait subjects were easily acquired; he initially painted himself and close relatives before offering his services to a better paying public. Among his early patrons were members of the Weeks, Mills, Strong, and Smith families, all of whom have prominent ties to the Three Villages.

Captain Jonas Smith and his wife Nancy Williamson Smith were particularly lucrative commissions. Captain Smith, who owned and operated a fleet of merchant ships that sailed internationally, is considered to be Long Island’s first self-made millionaire.

Their oil portraits were most likely done in Mount’s studio, according to Jean-Paul Napoli, Co-Owner and President of South Bay Auctions. Mount apparently charged Captain Smith $70 for the pair in 1836, the equivalent of about $2000 today, when adjusted for inflation.

Privately owned, the portraits were obtained by the auction house from a collector who had moved from Long Island to Boston. “The owner felt they should be offered on Long Island where they originated,” said Napoli.

Also up for auction is two portraits by Mount’s brother Shepard Alonzo Mount; a painting of Port Jefferson Harbor by William Moore Davis; two lithographs by Stow Wengenroth; a recently uncovered oil painting by Robert Motherwell; and works by Whitney M. Hubbard, Caroline Bell, Julia Wickham, William Steeple Davis and Joseph Hartranft.

The artwork is available for viewing at no charge from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Oct. 21 and by appointment. “I think this auction has a nice collection of fine art from Long Island and New York artists. Even if you are not interested in acquiring anything, it is an opportunity to see works that will in most cases not be in the public eye after the sale,” Napoli added.

South Bay Auctions is located at 485 Montauk Highway, East Moriches. Participants in the auction may bid in person or live online at www.Invaluable.com and www.LiveAuctioneers.com. Telephone and absentee bidding is also available. For more information, call 631-878-2909.

Long Island fish kills climb to over 50 this summer

by Daniel Dunaief - October 19, 2022

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dead-menhaden_laurie-vetere-scaled — Fish kills in Long Island have increased from about five per year to 50 this summer. Photo by Laurie Vetere

Fish kills in waterways around Long Island climbed to over 50 this summer from about five per year in earlier years, driven by increasing water temperatures, algal blooms and increased nitrogen in local waters.

With temperatures climbing more than 2 degrees Celsius over the last two decades, waters around Long Island don’t have as much oxygen, particularly at night when photosynthetic plants are no longer able to catch sunlight and turn it into oxygen.

The fish kills represent a “pretty big number,” said Christopher Gobler, endowed chair of Coastal Ecology and Conservation at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University.

Members of Gobler’s lab sample Long Island waters routinely as a part of their research. While his team was out gathering data, Gobler asked them to report any fish kills that included 10 or more fish. The area between Hempstead Harbor and Northport Harbor routinely included observations of fish kills.

Warmer water holds less dissolved oxygen than colder water, because oxygen can escape more easily from water in higher heat.

With temperature as the primary driver, a combination of factors robs the water of oxygen.

“The warmer the water gets, the quicker the bacteria take oxygen out, the faster the fish are respiring” Gobler said.

He added the fish kills often included menhaden, or bunker, fish. These fish have returned in larger numbers in recent years to the waters around Long Island amid other conservation efforts. More menhaden this summer also brought sharks to the area, as these apex predators hunt bunker fish.

While global warming likely had a significant impact on the number of fish kills, Gobler said, an increase in nitrogen in local waterways also contributed to anoxic conditions and is something residents can control locally.

With more nitrogen, typically from onsite wastewater, algae have more nutrients to grow.

At the same time, when more abundant algae dies, the bacteria that break down the algae consume oxygen.

An additional emerging perspective suggests that the more abundant algae at night are respiring, removing oxygen from the water.

Gobler said people can reduce the release of nitrogen into local waterways, which can also affect groundwater, by upgrading their sewage treatment systems. Suffolk County has created rules, including a Reclaim our Water Septic Improvement Program, which protects the environment by reducing nitrogen emissions.

Gobler remains concerned not only for the fish that wash up in numbers along the shore, but for the marine organisms that aren’t as mobile, such as the invertebrates at the bottom of the waterways.

The fish kills are a flag that “these water bodies are impaired and are not capable of sustaining marine life in a way we’d like them to,” Gobler said.

As for the future, Gobler said it’s difficult to predict how the combination of factors, from global warming to nitrogen runoff, will affect marine life.

“Maybe next year, we go back to five [fish kills] in the summer,” he said. This year was “unlike anything we’ve seen” with a combination of high temperatures and numerous fish kills.

Northport boys golf continues to county

by Steven Zaitz - October 18, 2022

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The Northport boys golf team’s wildly successful regular season campaign came to a close on Thursday, Oct. 13, at Indian Hills, as they trounced Smithtown West, 9-0, and in doing so, took a share of the League III title.

Sophomores Brodie Douglas and Jack Trizzino led the Tigers with 2-over 38s as the Tigers shot a season-low of 210 on this particular course, despite misty and windy conditions.

“We are playing well as a team,” said Head Coach Brian Sundberg. “I hope it carries over to the Counties.”

Douglas, paired with his brother and team captain Paddy, made a spectacular chip on the undulating and difficult third hole that landed a foot away from the cup. He tapped in for par, as most of his fellow golfers were taking fives, sixes and sevens on this hole.

“I think that hole helped me settle into the round,” Brodie said. “It was definitely a great par.”

“It feels amazing to be league champs,” Brodie added. “We have worked so hard for it as a team this year and the work has paid off.”

Kings Park Kingsmen rain on Shoreham-Wading River Wildcats’ homecoming parade

by Bill Landon - October 17, 2022

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Leading 27-15 after three quarters of play, the Shoreham-Wading River Wildcats looked for a win in their homecoming football game on Saturday, Oct. 15, against Kings Park, but the Kingsmen had other ideas.

Kings Park quarterback Kyles Weeks was the offensive spark in the final 12 minutes of play, orchestrating a 29-point fourth quarter explosion that rained on the Wildcats homecoming parade to win it, 44-33.

Weeks hit wide receiver Declan O’Melia on an 89-yard pass play for the score with 7:22 left in regulation. Then, Weeks, on a keeper, punched his way in for the score to retake the lead with four minutes left.

Shoreham Wading River quarterback Dylan Zahn answered with a touchdown strike to Liam Kershis. With Sam Palmer’s foot, the Wildcats retook the lead, 33-30, with two minutes left.

From there it was all Weeks, who aired one out for a 40-yard pass completion, then found the endzone on a keeper where the Kingsmen edged ahead, 37-33.

A Kings Park cornerback then intercepted a Wildcat pass and ran it back 56 yards for the score, and Alex Squillacioti’s successful point after attempt put the Kingsmen out front 44-33 for the final score of the game.

Zahn threw for three touchdowns and rushed for another, and sophomore cornerback Michael Casey had two interceptions for the Wildcats.

The win lifts Kings Park to 5-1 in the division, and the loss drops the Wildcats to 3-3 with one game remaining before postseason play begins.

Shoreham-Wading River retakes the field Friday, Oct. 21, in their final game of the regular season where they’ll host Mount Sinai in a must-win game. Kickoff is 6 p.m.

Kings Park will also be back in action Friday, Oct. 21, solidly positioned in the playoff picture, and will host Babylon. Game time is slated for 6:30 p.m.

— Photos by Bill Landon

Eye on the street: The threat of nuclear devastation

by TBR Staff - October 15, 2022

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atomic-bomb-g655b90c53_1280 — Pixabay photo

By Carolyn Sackstein

Baby boomers likely remember duck and cover drills in schools, backyard bomb shelters and the crippling anxiety of the Cuban missile crisis in October 1962. While many thought those fears were long behind us, the ghosts of our past haunt us today.

Today the specter of nuclear disaster seems real with intensifying conflict between Russia and Ukraine, also North Korea’s continual missile tests. This week we took to the streets to ask locals their thoughts on nuclear weapons, nuclear war and their favored response to elevated aggression abroad.

— Photos by Carolyn Sackstein

Wally Tomaszewski, Port Jefferson

“As far as Ukraine is concerned, of course, they were unjustly attacked by President Putin and Russia. The president of Ukraine has to support his people. The lives that are lost are unfathomable. Ukraine has been in existence a long, long time. They have gotten along with Russia. However, Mr. Putin has got something in his head that he wants to expand his territory and have the people of Ukraine commit to Russia. The killing and maiming of the Ukrainian people is just incredible. The Ukrainian people are fighting back. The Ukrainian military is gaining territory and beating Russians, which is incredible. The reason they are beating the Russians is that the Russian military really doesn’t have the heart to do this to a neighboring country. It is all subject to what Mr. Putin wants and they have to do what he wants. I think it is inhumane. They should stop this war immediately. The United States is supporting Ukraine with weapons. There are other countries that are supporting the Ukrainian people and rightly so.”

Andrew Drake, Stony Brook

“I think [a nuclear weapon is] the worst thing invented by mankind. We now have the ability to destroy ourselves at any time. It is a horrible thing that exists. I wish it is something we could put back in the box, but we can’t. The sad reality is as long as they exist, we need to have them. There are going to be people that are bad actors. That’s why the United States tries to keep Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. North Korea launching a missile over Japan was obviously scary. I wish there were something else we could do about it, other than what we are doing. I don’t think there is a military solution, as much as there is a diplomatic solution. We need to incentivize people not to develop these [weapons], or give them the ability to defend themselves in a way that is not going to require mutually assured destruction.”

Paul Adago Jr., Ridge

“It’s going to affect us as a country, because we can’t have someone just bow to another. We allow that to happen in one portion of the world, then everybody’s going to think, ‘Well, we can do that too.’ We have to step up as a world, whether they’re part of NATO or not. We have to do what’s right for the people. After what we’ve been through in the world in the last two or three years, we have to humble ourselves and look at each other as people.”

Jorel Alvarez, Middle Island

“Putin using tactical nuclear weapons is not good for anyone’s sake. Once you use nukes the other person is going to use whatever weapons they have and then it is going to keep going on and the cycle is not going to stop. It is not right that he has this power. It is not right what he is doing in Ukraine.”

Wet Yang, Brooklyn

“I don’t think we can afford nuclear war. I don’t think we should be using nuclear weapons. I don’t believe in the use of nuclear weapons.”

Michael Osgood, San Francisco

“North Korea is obviously [launching missile tests] to be provocative and to remind the world that it has the technology to cause a lot of trouble. They think that is the way they can stay in power.” Regarding Mr. Putin’s threats, Osgood replied, “I can feel fear in my stomach when I think about that. I mean, could he possibly be insane enough to pull the trigger on such a thing? I hope to God he isn’t.”

Cooking for Long Island Veterans holds inaugural 5K at Blydenburgh

by Rita J. Egan - October 14, 2022

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The Stony Brook-based nonprofit Cooking for Long Island Veterans held its first 5K race at Blydenburgh County Park in Smithtown on Sunday, Oct. 9.

A few dozen runners, including volunteers with Cooking for Long Island Veterans, took to the park’s paths to help raise money for the organization. The goal is to raise funds for expenses and a possible future expansion.

On hand to cheer on the runners were nonprofit founder Rena Sylvester, Suffolk County Legislator Leslie Kennedy and county Comptroller John Kennedy.

Keith Masso, upper center photo, was the overall winner of the race, and Alison Briggs, upper right photo, was the first woman over the finishing line.

For more information about Cooking for Long Island Veterans and upcoming events, visit cooking4livets.com.

Short-term inclement weather can affect moods

by Rita J. Egan - October 14, 2022

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Cloudy-day_stock-image — Stock image from Metro

October began on a somber note with several days of rain, cloudy weather and blustery winds. For many people, short-term inclement weather can lead to lethargy and depressed moods.

Dr. Veronique Deutsch-Anzalone, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at Stony Brook University Renaissance School of Medicine, is a clinical psychologist who has researched the weather’s effect on people. The doctor said the first thing many think of regarding lousy weather and mental health is seasonal affective disorder, more commonly known as SAD. Deutsch-Anzalone said SAD is not technically considered a disorder anymore in the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,” but now what patients are diagnosed with is depression with a seasonal pattern. She added seasonal pattern is considered a specifier.

“Why not just throw on some raincoats and galoshes, go out and just jump around in the puddles and make those mud pies with them. They’re going to remember that and enjoy it.”

— Dr. Veronique Deutsch-Anzalone

“There are actually a lot of conflicting views on whether or not the lack of sun and the increase in cold and darkness causes us to have a depressed mood,” she said, adding that a 2016 study showed no objective data to support that depression is related to either latitude or season or sunlight. The doctor added that some people get depressed only in the summer.

However, due to many having depression that tends to follow a seasonal pattern, the disorder of depression with a seasonal pattern remains in the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual.”

She said similar symptoms that people feel in the winter could be experienced even during short-term weather patterns, such as the recent period of rain, as lack of sunlight has been a factor in psychiatric problems and depression, with females and the elderly being particularly susceptible.

There are a few reasons, the doctor said, that support cloudy, rainy days being accompanied by depressed moods which involves serotonin, a body chemical that has to do with body functions; and melatonin, a hormone that induces sleep.

“We have our circadian rhythms where we’re programmed to be alert when the sun is up and be drowsy when it’s gone, and that is because when the sun goes down our bodies produce melatonin,” she said.

On darker days, the body produces less serotonin. On sunnier days, more serotonin is made, and it’s a neurotransmitter, Deutsch-Anzalone said. She added, on a cloudy day, people tend to keep the lights low in their homes and cuddle up on the couch to watch TV, which increases sleepiness. In turn, she said, a person may crave carbohydrates, sugar and salt.

“Unfortunately, when we turn to that kind of food that actually kind of makes us go into more of a slump, and can also cause some people to feel guilty and not very happy with themselves,” the doctor said.

Comfort foods raise serotonin but only briefly, Deutsch-Anzalone said. The best approach is eating healthy and drinking water. The doctor also advised against excess alcohol and caffeine intake, which can cause inflammation and dehydration.

She added an increase in aches and pains during stormy weather also doesn’t help matters. The drop in atmospheric pressure causes body fluids to move from the blood vessels to the tissues, creating more pressure on nerves and joints.

“That can lead to more increased pain or stiffness or reduced mobility, which then of course, makes us a little bit less likely to want to move,” she said.

She said on gloomy days, it can help to turn the lights on inside to increase serotonin and have more energy. Deutsch-Anzalone added some people might need a light therapy lamp or doctors may prescribe vitamin D.

She said it also helps to engage in enjoyable activities to lift one’s spirits. When a person is feeling down and can’t even think of pleasant activities, she suggests googling to find a list of things to do. Some, the doctor added, might be ones a patient hasn’t thought of, such as picking up an instrument, writing poetry or decorating a room. Exercise is also recommended as well as socializing or calling a friend.

Even in the rain, she suggested embracing nature, especially for people who have young children.

“Why not just throw on some raincoats and galoshes, go out and just jump around in the puddles and make those mud pies with them,” she said. “They’re going to remember that and enjoy it.”

Getting a good night’s sleep is also imperative, she said, since human’s circadian rhythms are thrown off when it’s dark outside for long periods of time. Napping and lying around the house most of the day also throws off a person’s sleep schedule.

“If you’re able to keep that good sleep hygiene and get a good night’s sleep, that will continue to give you a good amount of energy throughout the day, and it’ll ward off any sort of irritability.”

Deutsch-Anzalone advises anyone who is struggling with their mental health to seek professional help.

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