Home Village Beacon Record

Editorial: Women in science provides inspirational enrichment experience

by TBR Staff - February 22, 2025

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iacs2025damicothirdprize — Julia and Valerie D’Amico. Photo courtesy of D’Amico family

In 2025, labels are toxic, political and problematic.

DEI? Not allowed anymore. Woke? There’s undoubtedly an executive action to rid the nation of anything that fits under this large umbrella.

Fortunately, during last week’s final stage in a contest run by Stony Brook University’s Institute for Advanced Computational Science, politics didn’t enter the room, even though women, girls, families and boys met for a science competition.

The IACS unveiled the winners in their competition a few days after the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

The competition helped over 150 local students learn about women scientists who may not be household names, but who made significant contributions to their fields.

Some of these historical role models were firsts. Mary Jackson was the first female Black engineer. Marie Curie was the first woman to earn a degree from the University of Paris.

Others made significant, and sometimes overshadowed, contributions to their fields. Rosalind Franklin, for example, provided key x-ray crystallography images that uncovered the double helical structure of DNA.

For students in the area, the competition was not only an opportunity to learn about the history of these women and the challenges they overcame, but was also a chance to conduct their experiments and present them to a receptive audience.

All the competitors were not girls. The participants, whether or not they won, appreciated the opportunity to learn and compete.

Parents of these precocious children were thrilled that this contest provided an enrichment learning opportunity, built their daughters’ confidence, and gave the next generation a sense of the myriad opportunities the sciences might present to them.

Each of these students — and some of them worked in teams — produced a one minute video explaining who the scientist was, why she was important and how they conducted their own experiment.

Some of them extracted DNA from strawberries, while others, like co-winner Allison Wong launched small objects through the air with their own miniature catapults, measuring the time marbles, cotton balls, ping pong balls and bottle caps were in the air and the distance these objects traveled.

Even amid concerns about future funding for all kinds of science and educational programs, this second annual competition was clearly a success for the competitors and a source of great satisfaction for parents, science teachers, and extended family members.

This kind of educational outreach program is exactly what every area needs, as students not only competed to win cash prizes, but also asked about future opportunities for scientific learning and advancement.

We congratulate the IACS and the co-chairs of this effort, Professors Marivi Fernandez-Serra and Monica Buggalo at Stony Brook University, for putting this great event together. We also hope that this kind of community service and outreach continues to provide necessary opportunities for personal growth.

These students expanded on the typical effort to study for a test, memorize dates or answer multiple choice or short answer questions for a class assignment. These videos took days to produce and edit.

We thank women scientists of the past for everything they did in and out of the limelight and we take great comfort in pondering a future led by the boundless enthusiasm of the competitors who are in the early stages of their own journeys.

Flu levels in the county around double from last year, leading to some area deaths

by Daniel Dunaief - February 22, 2025

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Flu-stockw — Flu season is hitting New York and the country as a whole especially hard this year. Stock photo

By Daniel Dunaief

The flu season has hit with a vengeance in February, as a seasonal virus that can be deadly has become the dominant cause of illness in the area.

Suffolk County hospitals reported 337 residents with influenza in the week ending Feb. 1, according to New York State Department of Health data.

Just last year, for the 2023-2024 flu season, Suffolk County hospitalizations peaked on Dec. 30 at 52. Even in the year before, when people were starting to wear masks much less frequently than during the peak covid years, flu hospitalizations in the county peaked at 50 on Dec. 17.

“We are definitely seeing more people sick” with flu, said Dr. Sharon Nachman, chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital. The emergency room is “wildly full, and even urgent care walk in is full.”

The number of positive cases of flu A at Stony Brook University Hospital in January was 800. That compares with 400 cases for the same strain last year, according to Nachman.

While the flu is cyclical and can cause different levels of infections from year to year, local doctors suggested that the overall flu vaccination rate was lower this year, which may have increased vulnerability to the virus and extended the time people exhibited symptoms.

The number of people vaccinated is “incredibly lower compared to past years,” said Nachman. On top of that, people may not have been exposed to the flu for several years amid measures to reduce the spread of Covid-19.

Residents’ immune systems may have “no good memory response” if the last exposure to the virus occurred some time before 2020, Dr. Nachman added.

The dominant strain of the flu this year is the A strain, which accounts for about 80 percent of the cases.

Nachman suggested that people who were vaccinated in early September may not have as much resistance to the flu this month, as their peak resistance, which typically lasts about three months, has wained.

Health care professionals added that people who haven’t been vaccinated could still receive the shot, as the flu season could continue to last for a month or more.

“It is not too late to get the flu shot,” Dr. Gregson Pigott, Commissioner of the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, explained in an email.

Dr. Adrian Popp, chair of Infection Control at Huntington Hospital, said the staff has been offering flu shots for residents who have were not already immunized.

“I don’t know how much longer this will last,” said Popp. “It’s still cold and it’ll be cold in March.”

Typically, it takes two weeks for the body to receive full protection from the shot. The shot does provide some incremental benefit immediately.

“You start building immunity from the moment you get” the shot, said Popp.

So far this year, there have been two deaths at Huntington Hospital, which is not unusual for the flu.

Mortality from the flu is “turning into what it used to be,” said Popp, with deaths at about pre pandemic levels.

High risk patients

High risk patients are typically older or have preexisting conditions.

People who have an inability to fight infections can get “much sicker from the flu,” said Dr. Alan Bulbin, St. Francis Hospital and Heart Center Director of Infectious Disease.

Health care workers urged those who are in higher risk groups either to see their doctors if they start developing symptoms or to use some of the at home tests, including a recent one that can test for flu A and B, as well as Covid.

“If you are immunocompromised, you should have a low threshold,” said Bulbin. “You should speak with a doctor, go to urgent care, and do a swab. That may differentiate influenza” from other infections such as respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, and Covid.

The antiviral treatment Tamiflu can be effective if people start taking it within 48 hours of developing symptoms. Paxlovid, meanwhile, can also help within a few days of developing covid.

“We urge residents, especially those at risk for severe illness, to contact their medical providers at the onset of symptoms,” Pigott explained in an email.

Lower Covid and RSV levels

While the flu has infected a larger number of people than in previous years, the incidence of RSV and Covid has declined.

In Suffolk County, 90 residents are hospitalized with Covid, while the number of deaths from the virus is 29 since the start of the year, according to the New York State Department of Health.

That compares with 190 residents hospitalized last year and 96 deaths from Covid from Jan. 1 through Feb. 14.

“The virus that causes Covid-19 is still circulating and causing disease, although not as aggressively as in previous years,” Pigott explained.

RSV, meanwhile, rose in the fall, peaked in late December and has been falling since then.

RSV accounted for 0.2 percent of emergency department visits on Feb. 1, Pigott added.

Future ID doctors

Specialists in infectious disease were unsure how the pandemic affected the interest among doctors in training and residents in their field.

For some, the appeal of reacting to fluid circumstances and to gathering insights about a developing disease that could and did affect billions of lives could be appealing. For others, however, the demands, the hours, and increasing politicization of medicine as well as the divided response to vaccines could have pushed them in other directions.

“Am I concerned that not enough people are going into the specialty?” Nachman asked. “Yes.”

Rocky Point school bus driver recognized for heroic action taken during recent snowstorm

by Press Release - February 22, 2025

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0-5 — Pictured (left to right) are Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich; Councilman Neil Manzella; Salvatore Campo (Ms. Fogal’s father); Theresa Fogal; Councilwoman Jane Bonner; Supervisor Dan Panico; Councilman Neil Foley; Councilwoman Karen Dunne Kesnig; Councilman Michael Loguercio and Town Clerk Kevin LaValle. Photo from Town of Brookhaven

At the February 13 Town of Brookhaven Board Meeting, Councilwoman Jane Bonner recognized Rocky Point School District bus driver, Theresa Fogal, for safely maneuvering her bus full of students as it was sliding downhill during a recent snowstorm. By staying calm, Ms. Fogal guided the bus down the steep, icy hill and kept it upright and moving forward. No one was injured during the incident and all the children arrived home, safe and sound.

Councilwoman Bonner praised Ms. Fogal for her heroism and presented her with a Town Board Proclamation. To watch the video of the incident, please go to https://www.youtube.com/shorts/XqJh_YPrans.

Pictured from left, are Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich; Councilman Neil Manzella; Salvatore Campo (Ms. Fogal’s father); Theresa Fogal; Councilwoman Jane Bonner; Supervisor Dan Panico; Councilman Neil Foley; Councilwoman Karen Dunne Kesnig; Councilman Michael Loguercio and Town Clerk Kevin LaValle.

Local schools shine at Section XI Wrestling Championships w/photo gallery

by TBR Staff - February 21, 2025

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By Daniel Palumbo

The energy in the arena was electric on Feb. 16 at Stony Brook University for the Section XI Wrestling Championships. The athletes were supported by friends and family, who cheered words of encouragement during the matches. Each bout was fought with grit and determination. After each victory, most of the wrestlers leaped into their coaches’ arms in celebration. Signs of mutual respect were displayed throughout the competition.

In the 101-pound weight class, Trevor Patrovich of Hauppauge High School won first place, defeating Chase Phillips of Ward Melville High School in the finals.

In the 108-pound weight class, Connor Sheridan of Hauppauge reached the finals but lost to Austin Bro Campsey of East Hampton.

Smithtown East’s Dylan Reinard wrestled well in the 166-pound weight class, reaching the finals but falling to Longwood’s Anthony Lagala Ryan.

Gino Manta, a Hauppauge wrestler, won the 124-pound weight class, defeating Longwood’s Devin Connelly.

Smithtown East’s Mathew McDermott triumphed in the 131-pound weight class, defeating Anthony Severino of Lindenhurst.

Niko Marnika of Commack High School wrestled hard in the 138-pound weight class, earning a spot in the finals but ultimately losing to Camryn Howard of Bellport.

In the 145-pound weight class, Michael McGuiness of Walt Whitman High School made it to the finals but lost to Leo Mongiello of Sayville.

Kingston Strouse of Northport High School wrestled his way into the finals in the 152-pound weight class. In a difficult match, he lost to John De La Rosa of Brentwood.

Rocky Point’s Aidan Barry emerged victorious in the 170-pound weight class, earning first place after defeating James Dauch of West Babylon.

In the 190-pound weight class, Brady Curry of Commack won after battling Bay Shore’s John Betancourt.

— Photos by Daniel Palumbo

Letters to the Editor: February 20, 2025

by TBR Staff - February 20, 2025

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letters_page-scaled-1-700x467-1-1-1 — File photo by Raymond Janis

This is NOT “Resistance Corner”

As stated in our NYS charter, the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Chamber of Commerce is a 501(c)(6) organization composed of local businesses. It is not by design nor practice, one that supports politicians or engages in political demonstrations. The antique train car, near the corner of NYS Routes 112 and 347, is the private property of PJS/T CoC as is the surrounding land, flag pole and Legacy patio. The 100-year-old car serves as the CoC office. It and the property, intended solely for use for CoC sponsored events, is diligently maintained by the all-volunteer board, despite the Town Park sign having utilized our old corner marquee to rename the park behind the train car. The public park is marked by the paddock fencing.

The Feb 6. Port Times Record cover and page A3 showed trespassers with a megaphone and signs standing on the train car decking and patio. This letter is intended to clarify: the train car and its surrounding property is private space and the PJS/T CoC has given no public individual or group permission to use it. The chamber liability insurance does not cover trespassers either. I ask you and your readership to help spread the word.

Jennifer Dzvonar, President

Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Chamber of Commerce

Murphy teacher went too far

After reading one letter and two articles written to the Times Beacon Record on Feb. 6 defending the R. C. Murphy Jr. High School teacher placed on leave, I must respectfully disagree with their positions. I consider myself a strong defender of free speech rights. They are truly the cornerstone of a free country. However, the facts in this case warrant an objective analysis.

The teacher in question did not simply criticize the Trump administration, call for impeachment or use derogatory words for the president or his staff. She went a step further, and used very specific and rather dark imagery to describe her hope for “all Trump supporters.” She hoped that they “don’t swallow right” (choke?), have no help, struggling to gasp (suffocating?), withering away (dying?) and suffering long. I think most reasonable people can agree that we don’t expect the educators of our middle school aged children to publicly call for the bodily harm of people with whom they disagree with politically or ideologically. Exercising self-control, good judgment and accountability are all qualities we expect from our educators, especially those involved with younger, more impressionable students.

This educator could have used her distress with recent political events as a “teachable moment” on how we can disagree politically yet maintain civility in our society. She could have protested on a street corner and campaigned for change. Unfortunately, she did not. She chose to speak in a disturbing manner that rightly causes concern given the sensitive nature of her job. Imagine for a moment if one of her students became aware of her public comments. Would that foster a trusting, safe, nurturing educational environment for that student if they thought their own teacher wanted their Trump supporting parents to suffer the terrible things she outlined in her post?

The reality is that we hold people in positions of power (police, teachers, health care workers, elected officials) to a higher standard when it comes to speech. I support the district’s decision to do their due diligence to determine if this is a one-time lapse in judgment or indicative of an underlying issue that needs to be addressed. We are extremely fortunate to have a school district that employs dedicated, caring professionals. Making sure that standard is maintained by all employees is in the best interests of the district as a whole and the students that it serves.

Charles Tramontana

Setauket

The train car is chamber property

It is important to respect organizations and their missions. I am referring to the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Chamber of Commerce and their office train car located at the south east corner of Routes. 347 and 112. Over the years certain organizations, groups have chosen this location for their rallies without notifying the chamber and inappropriately trespassing on their private property. The nickname, “Resistance Corner,”’ not a title the chamber has sanctioned or approved of, has become the setting for such gatherings. The chamber is responsible for maintaining the train car and the grounds it sits on. They pay for the insurance, utilities and general upkeep at great cost and effort by their members and their officers.

Understandingly, this location is very visible and great exposure for groups to mobilize, but it could be reflected that said groups have the endorsement of the PJS/TV Chamber. This would not fit the mission of any chamber. We recognize that public display is lawful, but this corner isn’t fitting for ANY type of demonstration. There are other approximate locations for these types of assemblies. Just east of the train car in the public Town of Brookhaven Park and across the street from the car on the north side of 347.

It is distressing that people/groups assume they may use this property for their own use. That would be an incorrect supposition. To all, in the future, please be mindful of your actions and respectful. Thank you.

Barbara Ransome, President

Brookhaven Chambers of Commerce Coalition

P.S. I love you day

On Feb. 14, the Three Village community not only celebrated Valentine’s Day, but also P.S. I Love You Day. On this day students in this district and those across the state wore purple and shared messages to acknowledge love, caring and kindness toward one another. It began as a response to a tragic loss by suicide suffered by a West Islip student and grew into a movement to recognize mental health needs and interventions.

I want to commend the Three Village schools for the celebrations that occurred throughout our PK-12 buildings and thank them for their valiant attempts to combat and aide in our battle for positive mental health. The music, the purple bracelets, the visits from the therapy dogs and the celebrations of life all contributed to a wonderful atmosphere of love and acceptance. In light of our recent tragedy and the loss of a valued member of the Class of 2027, it is most important to remember this; everybody counts or nobody counts. Continue to care for and respect each other no matter what our differences are and keep this in mind, P.S. I Love You lives on EVERY day.

Stefanie Werner

East Setauket

D. None of the Above: Living with general cold symptoms, but no specific diagnosis

by Daniel Dunaief - February 20, 2025

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By Daniel Dunaief

Uh oh. I started to feel sick more than a week ago.

What could it be?

Let’s see: I had a headache, my nose was running, I had a low grade-ish fever, although my thermometer was much more like a magic eight ball than an effective way to determine my temperature, and I was much more exhausted than usual.

Of course, I had…. well, what?

I mean, these days, one person’s virus is another’s bacteria is another’s combination of things.

I went to the pharmacy and picked up a collection of over the counter flu treatments to reduce the symptoms for everything.

You see, the problem is that I know that I had only three or four days to get to a doctor to get a definitive diagnosis.

I felt too sick to go to the doctor and hoped my vague, general symptoms would leave me alone.

Nope, they barnacled their way into my system, leaving me, day after day, wondering what I had, how contagious I was and whether I should see a doctor.

After muddling through four days, I went to a local drug store, where I picked up a test for Covid and the flu.

After receiving negative tests for both, I scheduled a doctor’s visit. I wasn’t sure what she’d be able to tell me, but I was hopeful that she could give me a magic pill or a definitive diagnosis.

After explaining all my symptoms to the nurse, I went through the same routine with the doctor.

“Well, you should be getting better in a few days,” she shrugged. “There’s really no point in testing you at this point.”

“What can I take?” I asked.

“Advil? Tylenol?” she recommended.

Hmm. I felt as if I were hearing the old “take two aspirin and call me in the morning” advice.

I racked my brains trying to think about what might have made me sick. Was it the money I touched? I rarely handle cash, but I didn’t want to pay the extra 3 percent credit card fee for a food purchase in the days before I got sick.

Was it traveling on an airplane? Probably not, because I still wear a mask to keep my hands away from my face.

Was it the guy at the gym who was exhaling hard in my direction while he race walked on the nearby treadmill? Sometimes, when I can smell someone’s breath at the gym, as I did earlier last week, I figure that’s a sign to move to another apparatus, but those dang endorphins were kicking in, making it hard for me to give up my treadmill before working through my routine.

Much as we might wish that we could return to normal now that Covid is gone, normal, as we might recall, still includes the passing along of all kinds of disagreeable illnesses with their persistent symptoms.

Perhaps it’s the extended winter. After all, usually by now, we’ve had some respite from the lower temperatures and strong winds. We might be spending more indoor time with other people.

Yeah, people can be great, because they can make us laugh, commiserate with us when things don’t go well with our kids or at work, and can share entertaining and enjoyable outings to concerts and sporting events.

And yet, those same people are like walking petri dishes, with their own sets of flora and fauna that can threaten to keep us from feeling completely healthy.

Despite being a bit obsessive compulsive about germs, I am not antisocial and I don’t generally try to avoid people.

I do, at times when I’m feeling sick, wish that I had an app on my phone that’s akin to finding all my friends. Instead of searching for people in my network, this app might warn me about entering a room with a preponderance of viral or bacterial particles.

Maybe this app could be like a GPS with a safety feature.

“No, that bathroom in Grand Central Station is a bad idea. The knob is covered in virus A and the paper towel dispenser has virus B.”

Being sick saps some of the fun from each day. If misery loves company, I suppose I have plenty of friends with stuffy noses, dull headaches, and mild to moderate congestion.

Between You and Me: Small miseries add up to big aggravation

by Leah Dunaief - February 20, 2025

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By Leah S. Dunaief

Houses are like children. They need constant care and rescuing, especially in this current bout of tempestuous weather we’ve been having. Sometimes they have several needs that just pile up on each other.

The trouble started Saturday, when we plugged the vacuum cleaner into an electric strip and the lights went out. So did the computers. After much hunting and flipping of fuses in the fuse boxes, we finally found the culprit and restored the electricity—but not the computers. That took another long and arduous retracing of procedures, with the help of a kindly electrician, who came over despite his hernia operation four days earlier, until they worked.

Vowing never again to plug the vacuum into the power strip, we thankfully continued on with our lives. We might have even felt a little smug about figuring out how to solve the various problems.

That is, until Monday. Now, no one I know loves Mondays. Unless they work on the weekends and have the day off. So it was not a pleasant beginning to the anyway unwelcome start of Monday, when we found that the fearsome winds of Sunday night had knocked down a heavy tree. It had fallen across the driveway, innocently forming a perfect right angle with the blacktop, making the driveway passable only for deer.

Eventually we got out, only to be informed that the toilet bowl in the office was having a bad day. According to prior plans, the plumber had come to restore the grout at the base of the pedestal, from which tiny amounts of water had been seeping onto the floor. In the process, he heard something snap, he said, and suddenly the minute (my-NOOT) leak turned into a gusher.

We rushed around the building, fumbling for the intake valve. Before we could turn off the water, the plumber somehow stopped the flow, but the problem was not solved. He told us that he needed to replace a particular part. Of course, Monday was Presidents Day, a holiday for plumbing supply stores the world over. After a fashion, our plumber was able to put the crisis on hold until the following day, but not until considerable hysteria was expended, along with the water.

We went home Monday evening, consoling ourselves that these were only inanimate material losses. At least we had personally survived unscathed.

At 7:12 the next morning, a text message arrived, informing us that the managing editor, our only managing editor, had a temperature of 102.3 degrees. She gamely told us that she could do some of her work remotely, but it was going to be a difficult day since the papers are due at the printer Wednesday afternoon. We took some prophylactic action, helped by the good nature and generosity of others, and hoped for the best.

The miseries weren’t over. When we got home, the mixer we were using, that had been valiantly making pulp of the raw fruits and vegetables for a smoothie, suddenly stopped. Just like that, in the middle of making dinner. Unplugging, replugging, restarting, shaking, switching receptacles, giving it a rest, were all to no avail. It was as if a ghost had snuck into the house and jinxed the heretofore powerful mixer, which wasn’t nearly old enough to have died on the job. We looked up the brand on the internet to see if instructions might help us solve the trouble. We found lots of instructions, all of which we had already tried, and the dumb machine just remained on the kitchen counter, silently defying us.

Exasperated, we moved into the living room, picked up the daily newspaper and were ready to turn our attention to exogenous problems about which happily we had no responsibility to solve.

And there it was. One more impotent machine before us. One more challenge to try and fix. The humidifier that we rely on to keep the heat from drying out our biological pipes, as well as our house, was not sending up its normal stream of vapor. I capitulated and went to bed.

Those few days, there must have been something in the water.

Suffolk County D.A.: Suffolk County employee arrested for accepting bribes, falsifying documents

by Press Release - February 18, 2025

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Ray Tierney photo (1) — Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. Photo from Tierney's office

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on Feb. 18 that Brianna Hassett, 33, of Wading River, was arrested last week and charged with Bribe Receiving in the Third Degree, and related charges, for allegedly accepting bribes and falsifying paperwork for a license application through her employment at the Suffolk County Department of Labor, Licensing and Consumer Affairs.

“The allegations in this case represent a shocking violation of the public trust, as this defendant is accused of placing her own greed ahead of her duty as a public servant,” said District Attorney Tierney. “My office will not tolerate corruption in any government agency or department.”

“Thousands of county employees work hard every day to serve the public with the highest of integrity. When someone is found to have violated the trust of the public and their colleagues, my administration will not hesitate to work with the District Attorney to have them prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said County Executive Ed Romaine. “I want to thank the District Attorney and our law enforcement for their swift action. I have directed our Department of Labor to undertake an extensive review of this employee’s work to ensure all permits filed are complete, accurate and meet all legal requirements.”

According to the investigation, in late January of 2025, Hassett was working as an office assistant in the licensing unit of the Suffolk County Department of Labor, Licensing and Consumer Affairs when, acting in concert with another individual, she allegedly accepted a bribe and falsified an application for a Home Improvement license.

In exchange for a cash bribe, Hassett is alleged to have provided questions and answers to the proficiency examination which needs to be passed for Suffolk County to issue a vocational license.

Hassett also allegedly falsified insurance information on a license application in exchange for a second cash bribe. Hassett engaged in these criminal acts while acting in concert with Esteban Bermudez, 35, of Hampton Bays, who is not a Suffolk County employee. Hassett and Bermudez were both arrested on February 13, 2025.

On February 14, 2025, Hassett was arraigned before Acting County Court Judge Edward J. Hennessey for the following charges:

Two counts of Bribe Receiving in the Third Degree, Class D felonies;
One count of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree, a Class E felony;
One count of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, a Class E felony;
and
One count of Official Misconduct, a Class A misdemeanor.

Judge Hennessey ordered Hassett to be monitored by the Department of Probation’s Pre-Trial Supervision unit during the pendency of the case. Hassett was released from jail without bail because her charges are considered non-bail eligible under current New York State law, meaning prosecutors cannot ask for, and judges cannot set, bail.

Hassett is due back in court on March 12, 2025, and faces 3 1⁄2 to 7 years in prison if convicted on the top count. She is being represented by Brian Trodden, Esq.

Bermudez was issued a desk appearance ticket, and his arraignment date is March 5, 2025. Bermudez faces 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison if convicted on the top count.

If you believe you have been victimized by Brianna Hassett, please call the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office at (631) 853-4626.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney James J. O’Rourke, IV, Deputy Bureau Chief Laura de Oliveira, and Bureau Chief Kevin Ward of the Public Corruption Bureau, and the investigation was conducted by Suffolk County Deputy Sheriff Investigator Matthew Matz, assigned to the District Attorney’s Public Corruption Squad

Lead poisoning affects local swans, causing death and illness

by Sabrina Artusa - February 17, 2025

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An ill swan in Old Field. Photo by David Goldblum

By Sabrina Artusa

Residents across the county are noticing swans straying from their habitats, wandering onto roads, drive-ways and parking lots, often disheveled and disoriented.

Lisa Jaeger, who runs an animal rescue business, has already picked up six swans this year, a number she says is above normal. In fact, Jaeger was relocating a swan that was found on 25A only hours before her phone interview with TBR News Media. In her ten years of running her business, Jaeger said she has never noticed such an influx of displaced, sick or even dead swans.

“It is very bad. One of them we found dead on the beach on Shore Road” Jaeger said. “It’s horrible. It’s just horrible.”

Swans are extremely territorial creatures and after mating, reside in one area for the rest of their lives. They may leave that area if pushed out after fighting with another swan or if they are confused and unable to navigate back. Lead poisoning is the likely cause.

“[Lead poisoning] is very common,” Adrienne Gillepsie, wildlife rehabilitator at Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center in Hampton Bays. “Every single swan that we admit to this center, and we get a lot, has lead poisoning.”

Jaeger frequently travels to the rescue center to drop off swans, if they have room. The Evelyn Alexander Rescue Center is the only wildlife center in Suffolk County that has a large waterfowl pen. Other centers have smaller pens and are only capable of taking a few waterfowl.

Lead poisoning affects the swans’ central nervous system and can cause the swans to neglect their grooming, becoming dirty and odorous as a result. They can become sluggish and confused or lose control of their legs and wings and become grounded. When this happens, the swan may try to eat dirt or sand, compounding their sickness.

“If they don’t get treated, it is a death sentence and it is very, very slow. They are uncoordinated, they can drown, they get hit by cars…they slowly just go downhill because they don’t have that medicine or treatment,” Gillepsie said.

Gillepsie estimated that when she started 12 years ago, only around half of swans that were brought in had lead poisoning; now, she said it was essentially a guarantee that a bird would show high levels of lead when given a blood test.

Gillespie and her team administer a treatment called chelation therapy, a 5-day treatment that flushes the toxic metals from the swan’s system. They administer dimercaptosuccinic acid to extricate the heavy metals. This treatment is repeated until lead levels are low enough for the swan to be released.

Swans must be returned “exactly where they came from.” They are invasive and aggressive, so relocating them is problematic not only to other swans, but also to the surrounding ecosystem.

The cured swans return to their nest site, ingest the same contaminated vegetation or lead shots. Gillespie said they regularly get “repeat offenders”.

Other birds like hawks, owls, loons, ducks, and canadian geese can also get lead poisoning, but not as frequently as swans.

Lead shot and pellets were outlawed in 1991. The sale of lead fishing sinkers under one-half ounce or less was banned in New York in 2002 as it was the leading cause of death for the common loon.

Rocky Point girl wrestlers prove they have ‘WIT’

by TBR Staff - February 17, 2025

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Pic 2 Training — The Rocky Point girls wrestling team warming up in practice – preparing for the upcoming tournament. Photo by Kristina Garcia

By Kristina Garcia

Rocky Point girls wrestling brought back more than just shiny new armor with them from Albany last week – memories and preparation proved to be even more valuable.

And on Monday night, The Lady Eagles faced off in the first ever official Section XI Girls Wrestling Championship hosted at Comsewogue High School, where sophomore Lily Blenk and freshman Julianna Hernandez took first place in their weight class. They will now compete in the first official New York State Public High School Athletic Association Girls Wrestling Championship on February 27 in Albany. The finalists also included Ava Capogna and Zoey Hernandez.

“I’m very proud of the entire team this whole season . . . progress in this sport is not always linear and it will include some highs and lows, but the important thing is to keep your head up and keep going on the right path. They all have etched their names into the history books of girls wrestling forever and they should be very proud of their progress as wrestlers, and more importantly the type of people that they are,” said head coach Anthony DeVito.

After their win in Albany, The NYS Journeyman Girls Dual Meet Wrestling Champions gathered Saturday morning to enter yet another week of intensive training for the Monday tournament. “They came together for one cause. The cause is the team,” said head coach Anthony DeVito. “WIT stands for whatever it takes, so whatever it takes for the team and the family.”

Senior captains Bridget Myers and Capogna touched on the importance of both physical and mental preparation heading into such an elite competition. “There were high-energy practices where we couldn’t stop moving, talking, and getting our mindset right, all while making sure that we knew what we had to do to win,” said Myers. “We were doing a lot of talking about our mindset, doing a lot of stuff with the coaches,” said Capogna. “We were working on a lot of technique and making sure it was perfect for when we went to states.”

As the team headed to the mats to compete in their individual duals at states, they brought with them belief. “By the time we were there, they understood that it was their dual meet tournament, they would take someone down and they were looking for points right away,” said coach DeVito.

“We were the loudest team,” said senior Clover Van Der Velden. Rocky Point girls wrestling left their mark in Albany after defeating Phoenix 39-25, Minisink Valley 45-17, and Shenendehowa 38-18; exemplifying discipline, focus, and control over the course of the tournament. Junior captain Angelica Smiech was the first dual of the day, setting the tone for Rocky Point’s championship run. “For a lot of people, including myself, you definitely wrestle more crazy when you’re practicing, but when you get out on the mat you’re so nervous with all the mental challenges,” said Smiech. “I knew I needed to win for our team, so I wrestled for more than me, and now I feel like I can do that again,” she said.

Ranked 17th in the country in her weight class, Julianna Hernandez has made history continuously for this Rocky Point team in just her freshman season. As a seventh grader, Julianna became the first girl to win the league wrestling title in Long Island against boys. A big team goal for this group is for the young ones to build from this experience for the future, and coach DeVito has a great deal of trust they will.

“It brought the team so much closer. We’re all from different schools and don’t always practice together, but when we did, I realized – wow, we are a family. We all put in work to achieve this goal. These are friends I’m going to have forever,” said Van Der Velden. “The support, it was like a family, it was amazing, and when we found out we won everyone was basically crying, it was insane, I will definitely remember that forever,” said Blenk.

Kristina Garcia is a reporter with The SBU Media Group, part of Stony Brook University’s School of Communication and Journalism’s Working Newsroom program for students and local media.

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