By Bill Landon
Sophie Alois led the way for Middle Country finding the back of the cage eight times in a nonleague matchup on the road defeating Hauppauge, 15-10, April 22.
Eighth-grader Kate Timarky stretched the net for five goals along with two assists, and teammates Jennifer Barry, who is Boston University bound, and Sydney Juvelier, who will play for Pace University, each scored a goal.
As of April 24, the Mad Dogs were 8-1 overall just behind Northport who sits at the top of Division I.
By Maureen Rossi
With the opioid epidemic still endemic throughout Suffolk County and beyond, New York State senators are hoping the new state budget will mean more help for those in the throes of addiction.
Measures woven into and passed in the state budget include increasing access for those suffering with substance use disorder to access 28-day inpatient and outpatient programs without prior insurance authorization. They also include money for a recovery high school start -up and no prior authorization for medication- assisted treatment.
“These are critical reform measures,” said New York State Sen. Monica Martinez (D-Brentwood). In addition, she touted another reform, which will require emergency rooms to enact screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment for all overdose patients before they are released. For the first time, emergency room doctors will also initiate medically-assisted treatment to overdose patients prior to their release, utilizing drugs like buprenorphine that alleviate the craving for opioids including heroin.
Martinez was joined by her Democratic colleagues at a press conference in Islandia April 12. Senators Anna Kaplan (D-Great Neck), James Gaughran (D-Northport), Kevin Thomas (D-Levittown) and Todd Kaminsky (D-Long Beach) gathered at THRIVE Long Island, a community center for people in addiction recovery whose funding was a legislative win three years back.
The Island’s Democrats were joined by stakeholders to celebrate critical initiatives passed in this year’s state budget to combat Long Island’s pernicious opioid epidemic. Those stakeholders include parents of those lost to the epidemic, those in recovery and those in the prevention and addiction field, including the CEO of Family & Children’s Association Jeffrey Reynolds, of Smithtown.
“There is still much work to be done to combat the opioid epidemic we are seeing here on Long Island,” Martinez added. She looked to Reynolds to the right of the podium and shared that he was tenacious in getting the Long Island’s senators’ attention as the hours dwindled in budget meetings. “He used social media and tagged every single one of us and let us know what funding was missing in the budget.”
Kaplan said the crisis affects every community, every school and every community.
“Too many innocent souls have been lost to this disease, they have been failed time and again,” Kaplan said. “We are done with half-measures — we will do everything we can to help people get into long-term recovery.”
One such measure included and passed in the budget was the funding of another THRIVE center for Nassau in Hempstead. The doors are scheduled to open next month.
Kaminsky met with some Long Island parents who lost loved ones to the epidemic prior to the budget process. Figures released by the addiction experts on Long Island put that figure at 3,400 since 2010.
“When a parent tells you the story of how they found their child (dead), you want to make sure another parent doesn’t experience that,” said Kaminsky.
When it came to budget negotiations that lasted around the clock, the state senator said they would not take no for an answer.
Suffolk County has long been a powerhouse when it comes to shining a light on the opioid epidemic and taking legislative measures to address it. Packages of historic bills have been pushed through statewide by Suffolk County advocates. The county is one of the state’s hardest hit counties and they were the first county in the country to file a lawsuit against Purdue Pharma, the makers of the drug OxyContin.
Reynolds addressed the senators on behalf of the sixty-plus advocates present. “ ‘Thank you’ seems insufficient. You promised on campaign trails you would do good for Long Island. Thank you so much for your efforts,” he stated.
However, Reynolds promised that he and the Long Island advocacy movement will always ask the senators to do more.
Suffolk County legislators announced April 16 all county residents will have free access to all county parks April 20 through April 28.
Parks Appreciation Week will coincide with National Parks Week, which promotes free access to all federally-owned parks.
Normally residents require the county parks Green Key Card, which charges $30 for a three-year pass; otherwise they would have to pay a parking fee. During the week the county will have no admission required.
“We have this luscious, beautiful woodland that we can enjoy,” said legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai).
During the week, Suffolk officials are also promoting a number of programs in many county parks.
For more information, go to Suffolk County’s parks website at https://www.suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/Parks or call Suffolk County Parks Department at 631-854-4949.
Come January next year, Suffolk residents will likely be slurping down their iced coffees using paper straws, instead of the usual plastic.
As Suffolk lawmakers passed bills aimed at reducing plastic and polystyrene waste in the county April 9, food business owners will need to begin the process of adjusting to the new restrictions on plastic straws and polystyrene, more commonly known as Styrofoam, food service products.
As per the new bill, food establishments would be required to provide straws and stirrers by request only, and they would have to be biodegradable — not plastic. For customers with a disability or medical condition, plastic straws will be made available by request.
“The plastics crisis is more urgent than people realize.”
— Kara Hahn
“The scale of the worldwide single-use plastics problem has become an ever-increasing threat to our environment and everything that relies on it, including human health,” said Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket). “The plastics crisis is more urgent than people realize.”
Some businesses in Suffolk County have already made the switch over to biodegradable options. Local’s Cafe in Port Jeff doesn’t use plastic straws and stirrers, and only uses paper goods, while Soul Brew in St. James said they switched over to paper goods at the end of last summer.
Constantinos Drepaniotis, co-owner of the Setauket Village Diner, said he and others have advocated for the environment and said the bans are quite a big step in right direction.
Drepaniotis’ diner hasn’t used Styrofoam food service products for close to two years and has begun reaching out to vendors for plastic straw alternatives. He has considered distributing reusable straws to his customers as well.
While the price of these alternatives has concerned business owners, the restaurant owner said it is business’ responsibility to be proactive and help in this environmental cause. The owner said he will not let the cost affect the business and it will adapt.
The Styrofoam bill would bar businesses from using items such as cups, trays and containers that are made from polystyrene, as well as ban retail stores from selling those products. It will require businesses in the county to use biodegradable products, though the bill would exempt items used to store uncooked eggs, raw meat, seafood and poultry. Changes would take effect Jan. 1, 2020.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services classified styrene as a potential human carcinogen and, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, polystyrene manufacturing process is the fifth largest creator of hazardous waste in the United States.
“[Styrene has] recently been upgraded from a possible carcinogen to a probable carcinogen — a cancer causing chemical,” Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) said at a Feb. 13 press conference advocating for the bills. “Long Island has some of the highest cancer rates in the country.”
An employee from Tiger Lily Café in Port Jefferson said she dislikes plastic straws and hopes the new ban will potentially get people to bring their own reusable straws, mentioning that it is very expensive right now to purchase biodegradable alternatives, like paper straws.
While acknowledging the ban would be good for the environment, she said the cost is something a lot of entrepreneurs will have to deal with. The employee also hopes as the demands for these paper goods increase eventually the prices will go down and manufacturers will make it more cost effective.
Other businesses have been using alternatives to polystyrene containers. Setauket Pita House said it doesn’t use Styrofoam food containers and currently uses aluminum foil containers.
Officials also passed a third bill that would prohibit the sale of single-use plastic cups, utensils and beverage straws from county beaches and parks.
Last month, the Legislature approved a companion bill that would replace existing water fountains with new ones designed to allow bottle filling at county facilities and county-owned parks that have water dispensers.
The bills will now go to the county executive’s office to be signed into law.
By Donna Deedy
Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) unveiled April 11 his Long Island agenda to a crowd of some 400 politicians, business leaders, local residents and students at Stony Brook University’s Student Activities Center. It was one of two stops statewide, where the governor personally highlighted regional spending for a local community.
Overall, the $175 billion fiscal year 2020 budget holds spending at 2 percent.
“This year’s budget builds on our progress and our momentum on Long Island, and it includes $18 billion for Long Island — the largest amount of money the state has ever brought back to the region, and we’re proud of it,” Cuomo said.
Nearly half of the revenue that Long Island receives goes toward school aid and Medicaid, $3.3 billion and $6.9 billion collectively, according to Freeman Klopott in New York State’s Division of the Budget. But the spending plan funds several bold initiatives, such as an overhaul of the MTA and Long Island Rail Road and the phase in of free public college tuition for qualified students.
Long Island Association president and CEO Kevin Law, who had introduced the governor, suggests looking at the enacted budget as five distinct categories: taxes, infrastructure, economic development, environmental protection and quality of life issues, such as gun safety reform.
On the tax front, Long Islanders, according to the governor’s report, pay some of the highest property tax bills in the United States. Over the last 20 years, Cuomo said, local property taxes rose twice as fast as the average income.
“You can’t continue to raise taxes at an amount that is more than people are earning,” he said. His goal is to stabilize the tax base.
On the federal level, the governor will continue to fight with other states the federal tax code, which last year limited taxpayers’ ability to deduct state and local taxes over $10,000 from their federal income tax returns. Long Island reportedly lost $2.2 billion.
Otherwise, the governor considers his plan to be the most ambitious, aggressive and comprehensive agenda for Long Island ever.
The budget’s regional development goals emphasize a commitment to Long Island’s research triangle: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Northwell Health, Stony Brook University and Brookhaven National Laboratory. The governor envisions the Island as New York’s potential economic equivalent to California’s Silicon Valley. The objective is to bridge academic research with commercial opportunities.
Some of the largest investments include $75 million for a medical engineering center at Stony Brook University, $25 million to Demerec Laboratory at Cold Spring Harbor, $12 million for a new college of veterinary medicine at Long Island University Post, $5 million in additional research investments at Stony Brook University and $200,000 cybersecurity center at Hofstra University.
“Governor Cuomo’s presentation was uplifting,” said state Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket). “It was also a preview of the future of Long Island as an indelibly important part of the state the governor and Legislature appreciate and are continuing to invest into.”
Offshore wind initiatives will be announced in the spring, with a goal of providing 9,000 megawatts of wind power by 2035. As part of Cuomo’s New Green Deal, the state target is 100 percent clean energy by 2040.
Highlights of Gov. Cuomo’s 2019-20 budget for Long Islanders
Taxes: Permanently limits local tax spending to 2 percent annually. The 2 percent property tax cap, first implemented in 2012, has reportedly saved Long Island taxpayers $8.7 billion. Now that the property tax cap has become permanent, the governor reports that the average Suffolk taxpayer will save an estimated $58,000 over the next 10 years. The budget also supports the phase in of middle-class tax cuts. By 2025, under the reforms, middle-class filers will save up to 20 percent income tax rate and impact 6 million filers.
Internet taxation: Requires internet purchases to charge sales tax to fairly compete with brick-and-mortar retail establishments. This reform is expected to raise sales tax revenue by $33 million for Suffolk County in 2019.
LIRR reforms: Dedicates $2.5 billion to the Long Island Rail Road. $734 million will be used to purchase 202 new trains, $47 million will fund the Ronkonkoma train storage expansion project, which adds 11 tracks to the railyard. Another $264 million is allocated to reconfiguring and rebuilding the Jamaica station. An additional 17 stations will also be upgraded. A third track will be added between Hicksville and Floral Park to address bottlenecking. Many projects are already underway and expected to be completed
by 2022.
The new LIRR Moynihan Train Hall will become an alternative to Penn Station in New York City. It will be located in the old post office building. Construction is underway with completion targeted for the end of 2020. The cost is $2.5 billion with $600,000 million allocated for 2020. A new LIRR entrance at mid-block between 33rd Street and 7th Avenue will also be built at a price tag of $425 million.
School aid: Increases school aid to $3.3 billion, a nearly 4 percent uplift. The 2020 budget includes a $48 million increase of foundation aid.
College tuition: Funds tuition-free education in public colleges to qualified students, whose families earn less than $125,000 annually. The program annually benefits more than 26,100 full-time undergraduate residents on
Long Island.
The DREAM Act: Offers $27 million to fund higher education scholarships for undocumented children already living in New York state.
Higher education infrastructure: Spends $34.3 million for maintenance and upgrades at SUNY higher education facilities on Long Island.
Downtown revitalization: Awards Ronkonkoma Hub with $55 million for a downtown revitalization project. Nassau County will receive $40 million to transform a 70-acre parking lot surrounding Nassau Coliseum into a residential/commercial downtown area with parkland, shopping and entertainment, where people can live and work. Hicksville, Westbury and Central Islip will also receive $10 million each to revitalize its downtowns.
Roads and bridges: Among the initiatives, $33.6 million will be used toward the Robert Moses Causeway bridge. Safety will be enhanced with guardrails along Sunken Meadow Parkway for $4.7 million. The Van Wyck Expressway is also under expansion for improved access to JFK air terminals.
Health care: Adds key provisions of the Affordable Care Act to state law, so health insurance is protected if Washington repeals the law.
Plastic bag ban: Prohibits most single-use plastic bags provided by supermarkets and other retailers beginning in March 2020. Counties and cities can opt to charge 5 cents for paper bags. It is projected that 40 percent of revenue generated will fund local programs that purchase reusable bags for low- and fixed-income consumers. The other 60 percent will fund the state’s environmental protection projects.
Food waste recycling program: $1.5 million will be allocated to establish a clean energy, food waste recycling facility at Yaphank.
Clean water initiatives: Awards Smithtown and Kings Park $40 million for installing sewer infrastructure. A shellfish hatchery at Flax Pond in Setauket will get an additional $4 million. The new budget offers $2 million to the Long Island Pine Barrens Commission and $5 million in grants to improve Suffolk County water supply. The Long Island South Shore Estuary will get $900,000, while Cornell Cooperative Extension will receive $500,000. The state will also fund another $100 million to clean up superfund sites such as the Grumman Plume in Bethpage. The state has banned offshore drilling to protect natural resources.
Criminal justice reform: Ends cash bail for nonviolent felonies and misdemeanors. Mandates speedy trial to reduce pretrial detention. Requires that prosecutors and defendants share discoverable information in advance of trial.
Gun safety: Includes one of the nation’s first “red flag” laws. Passed in February 2019, the law enables the courts to seize firearms from people who show signs of violent behavior or pose a threat to themselves or others. The new law, which takes effect later this year, also authorizes teachers and school professionals to request through the courts mental health evaluations for people who exhibit disturbed behavior related to gun violence. Bans bump stocks. Extends background check waiting period for gun purchases.
Anti-gang projects: Invests more than $45 million to stop MS-13 gang recruitment and improve youth opportunities.
Opioid crisis: Allocates $25 million to fund 12 residential, 48 outpatient and five opioid treatment programs. The state also aims to remove insurance barriers for treatment.
Tourism: Promotes state agricultural products with $515,000 allocated to operate Taste NY Market at the Long Island Welcome Center with satellite locations at Penn Station and East Meadow Farm in Nassau County. The PGA Championship next month and Long Island Fair in September, both at Bethpage, will also feature New York agricultural products.
Agriculture: Continues support for the New York State Grown & Certified program to strengthen consumer confidence and assist farmers. Since 2016, the program has certified more than 2,386 farms.
Voting: Sets aside $10 million to help counties pay for early voting. Employers must offer workers three hours of paid time off to vote on election day.
Kings Park boys lacrosse team was able to stay within striking distance with Mount Sinai through two quarters of play April 12, but the Mustangs exploded in the third quarter, scoring eight goals to put the game out of reach. Mount Sinai defeated the Kingsmen 14-5 at home to remain unbeaten at this midpoint of the season at 8-0 in division, 10-0 overall for second place behind Shoreham-Wading River.
Joey Spallina, the spark of the Mustang offense, split the pipes five times. Meanwhile Bobby Demeo found the back of the cage thrice and Brandon Ventarola and Russel Maher stuck it out with two goals apiece.
Vince D’Alto led the way for the Kingsmen with two goals while Alex Wenzler along with Jack Quaranto both scored as well. Kings Park keeper Christian Michaels had a busy day between the pipes grabbing 19 saves on the day.
Both teams were back in action April 16 where the Mustangs hosted Islip and the Kingsmen hit the road against Babylon. Mount Sinai will be taking the road to Sayville April 23 while Kings Park is hosting Kellenberg April 24. Game times are for 4 p.m. and 10 a.m. respectively.
Maurizio Del Poeta, a professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology at Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, works to combat potentially deadly fungal infections. Recently, several press reports have highlighted the prevalence in New York and New Jersey of Candida auris, which is resistant to drugs and can cause death. Through an email exchange, Del Poeta shared his perspective on this fungal infection and his efforts to develop a treatment.
Are there multiple drug-resistant strains of numerous types of Candida?
Yes, there are several species of Candida that are resistant to some antifungals. For instance, Candida lusitaniae is normally resistant to amphotericin B. Candida glabrata is normally resistant to fluconazole. There are over 20 species of Candida that can cause infection in humans. Most are sensitive to antifungals. C. auris is normally resistant to all antifungals. They are resistant for mainly two reasons: (1) the target/enzyme is genetically different and, thus, the drug does not recognize the target; thus it does not bind to the target; and thus it does not inhibit it; (2) the drug is pumped out by membrane transporters. C. auris is notorious for having multiple membrane transporters.
I understand the damage from Candida is primarily among people who are immunocompromised. Is there a risk for those people who are also healthy?
Healthy people should be fine. But who is really “healthy?” Because C. auris is spreading in hospitals and nursing homes, all patients in hospitals and nursing homes are at risk: some more (e.g., cancer patients, patients with an organ transplant, patients in ICU, patients taking corticosteroids) and some patients have less risk because they are more immunocompetent, but certainly those patients could get contaminated.
What makes it so hard to eliminate Candida?
Because (1) we are not used to and (2) because we still do not know which type of disinfectant is efficacious against C. auris … Unlike other Candida infections, which are generally thought to result from autoinfection from host flora, C. auris can be transmitted between patients … C. auris requires implementation of specific infection control measures, such as those used for control of [other infections] (e.g., private room and on contact precautions). Because C. auris can survive in plastic surfaces, floors, and door knobs for weeks, it is essential that infection control measurements be implemented in the health care settings.
Does the work you’re doing offer hope, albeit in the earlier stages, for ways to treat and reduce the virulence of Candida?
Yes, our new compounds are sensitive to C. auris in vitro against the C. auris clinical isolates that are resistant to current antifungals. We are currently testing their efficacy in vivo (animals). We are doing this in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health and the Health Science Center in San Antonio, Texas. Our compounds have different mechanism of action from the current antifungals,
Given that the symptoms of a Candida infection -— fever, weakness and aches — are so prevalent in other types of infections, are there ways to make a clinically differentiated diagnosis of Candida without taking a blood sample or conducting extensive analysis?
Unfortunately, there are not. Diagnosis of C. auris can only be made using sophisticated tests. Normal phenotypic tests are not able to identify C. auris for certain. If we want to stop (or at least control) the epidemic, anyone with a Candida infection in a hospital setting should be treated as C. auris. Hospital trafficking of nurses, doctors, visitors from and to patients with C. auris should be highly restricted. Nurses and doctors should not be allowed in cafeteria without changing gowns, particularly if they are taking care of a patient infected with C. auris and other common sense practices should be implemented; but, unfortunately, they are normally out of the window in the hospital settings … In the case of C. auris “isolating rooms” and “contact precautions” should be implemented.
How does your treatment for Candida work?
The class of compounds are “acylhydrazones.” They target the synthesis of fungal sphingolipids.
Given what you know about the prevalence of Candida, particularly in New York, and the minimal information about the specific locations where hospitals have found Candida, what would you advise anyone who might be “at risk” for Candida to do if they had elective surgery scheduled?
Elderly and immunocompromised people going to the hospital should be treated with “contact precautions.” No need for isolation unless positive for C. auris.
Is C. auris the most virulent or problematic species of Candida confronting public health professionals today?
Not really. C. glabrata is also a nasty Candida strain. What makes C. auris difficult is the resistance to drugs.
Do other species suffer through Candida infections as well?
Although humans are the most known carriers and hosts for Candida infection, other animals can also get infected such as dogs, horses and cattle. Certain Candida species are used in food production. Candida utilis extracts are used in Asia as a “salt” instead of salt because these extracts are salty and do not cause hypertension. We actually have a collaboration with the Japanese company that makes these extracts. Candida krusei is used to ferment cacao during chocolate production. Whereas C. utilis is not a human pathogen, C. krusei actually is.
How do you protect yourself, your office and your staff from the spread of the infection?
We use biosafety label 2. My lab is certified to handle BSL2 organisms, such as C. auris. We use all sorts of protective gears and standard protective procedures to make sure lab personnel are protected and to make sure we keep the microbes inside the lab. Entrance to my lab is strictly prohibited to anyone that did not receive appropriate training.
Dear Readers,
We recently held our fourth annual adult coloring contest and the response was overwhelming! We received many colorful entries from readers all along the North Shore who used many different types of medium including colored pencils and markers to create their masterpieces.
Susan Saviano of Selden and Beverly Gross of St. James added glitter to the butterfly wings and flower petals, Richard Melidosian used acrylic paints, Kristin Lubliner of Mount Sinai used glitter pens for her creation and Jean Fleischer of Coram had so much fun she submitted two entries!
At 98 years young, Loretta Fafard of Port Jefferson and Dorothy Forbes of Northport did a beautiful job. Forbes’ daughter writes, “My mother worked for hours on this despite the arthritis in her hands. She loves the butterflies and flowers in the sketch. This was the perfect selection for her. Thank you for making those hours so enjoyable for her.”
Although it was extremely difficult to choose a winner as every entry was unique in its own way, the judges ultimately chose the coloring page by Bobbie Johnson of Stony Brook who edged out the competition with her incredible shading techniques. Bobbie receives a three-year subscription to any one of our six papers, courtesy of Times Beacon Record News Media.
And surprise, all other entries will receive a one-year subscription as a thank you for entering our contest. Congratulations to all!
By Donna Deedy
Tobacco continues to hold a top spot as the number one cause of preventable death throughout the world, according to Suffolk County. And county lawmakers have now voted 16-2 to ban the sale of tobacco products in pharmacies.
“Tobacco harms every organ in the body and is the only legal product sold in America that when used as directed, kills up to half of its long-term users,” said Suffolk County Legislator William “Doc” Spencer (D-Centerport), who co-sponsored the bill.
The bill’s passage emphasizes that pharmacies are health-focused businesses and aligns with the county’s other efforts to decrease tobacco use. It recently raised the age to purchase tobacco products to age 21, for example, and prohibits smoking in county parks, beaches and Suffolk County Community College.
“This law decreases the bombardment of colorful tobacco displays meant to entice children and it reduces the influence on adults trying to break the addiction to nicotine,” said Lori Benincasa, retired director for health education for Suffolk County.
The new law applies to all tobacco products, including cigarettes, loose tobacco, cigars, powdered tobacco, shisha, herbal cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, electronic liquids, rolling paper and smoking paraphernalia. Consumers will still be allowed to purchase FDA-approved nicotine replacement therapies in pharmacies such as skin patches, nicotine gum and lozenges.
The ban will take effect 180 days after its filing with the Secretary of State’s office, likely before the end of 2019.
Golf’s off-season proved to be a hole in one when it came to life experience for one assistant golf professional.
Tim Kearon, an assistant pro at the Nissequogue Golf Club, spent four months in Taipei City in Taiwan, teaching students in third to sixth grades how to play golf along with the sport’s core values this past winter. The East Setauket resident said the golf program, Tsai Hsing Golf Academy, was established by Dominic Chang, a U.S. businessman and member of the Nissequogue Golf Club who founded the Family Golf Centers chain. John Elwood, the club’s head professional, worked with Chang to put the initial program at the private Tsai Hsing School together, where the businessman is board chairman of the school.
Chang said in an email that the golf instruction department was created in the fall of 2017 with a full-time Professional Golfers Association instructor and one full-time Taiwan PGA instructor along with several part-timers on hand. He credited Elwood with being instrumental in putting the initial program together, and Kearon with refining it further through his teaching.
Kearon, 25, said he thought it would be an opportunity of a lifetime when Chang invited him to teach there.
“I thought it was a no brainer,” he said. “As soon as it was given to me, I took it. I didn’t take much time to think it over, and it was a big step for me.”
While golf is popular in Taipei, Kearon said it’s not always easily accessible, and to have a golf program in a school is unusual. The program is a mandatory physical education class that lasts 45 minutes twice a week for four weeks. The assistant golf pro, who participated in a similar program called First Tee in Nassau County where he grew up, said the core values of golf — respect, honesty, sportsmanship, confidence, leadership, judgment, etiquette, responsibility and perseverance — create the main lesson plan. He said out of 1,000 students perhaps only 100 are good at golf but most will learn those values.
“At least with the core values, 100% of the kids are going to walk away with something positive,” he said. “If they don’t like golf, they have that which is a huge part of it.”
Chang agrees with the philosophy.
“Because golf teaches similar virtues on and off the golf course, Tsai Hsing School decided to incorporate a golf program as part of physical education for third- through sixth-grade students, as kids learn these important core values before they hit the first golf ball,” Chang said.
Kearon said that while teaching is second nature to him, being in a foreign country was outside of his comfort zone, even though he found learning about a different culture and food enjoyable.
While the students spoke English, he encountered a language barrier outside of academia, but he said the people of Taipei couldn’t have been more helpful and welcoming, and the students were extremely polite.
“For me, I appreciated that more than anything and that really got me through,” he said. “I don’t think I would have made it had it not been for the locals being so friendly and just everyone in general taking care of me and looking out for me,” Kearon said.
While Kearon was there, Elwood was able to visit him for a week to see the school firsthand. Elwood said it was helpful for him to see how it operated in person, and he was pleased Kearon took the opportunity as many golf pros in the cooler weather head to Florida or sit it out.
“It was a nice opportunity for him to see a different culture,” Elwood said. “Also, it helps differentiate Tim from every other assistant pro in the area, something unique that’s going to stand out, I think, probably for the rest of his life.”
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