Emma S. Clark Memorial Library, 120 Main St., Setauket will host a meeting of the Travel Presentation Club tonight, Tuesday, September 19 in the community room at 7 p.m. Janice and Jim Rohlf will make a presentation entitled “Adventures at Ningaloo Riff and the Kimberley, Western Australia.”
Western Australia’s Ningaloo Reef offers spectacular opportunities for viewing whale sharks. Whale sharks are as large as whales, but they are sharks. Like all sharks, their skeletons are made up of cartilages which help them swim fast and use less energy. Whale sharks are enormous but gentle fish found in tropical oceans. They can pose a risk to humans by accidentally swatting us with their tail if we swim too close. Long-time Travel club member Jim Rohlf succeeded in swimming with whale sharks, as you will see during the presentation. This particular adventure had been on his bucket list for some time.
Jim Rohlf and his wife Janice Rohlf are both Stony Brook University retirees. Jim was a Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolution from 1969 until his retirement. The Rohlf Medal in Geometric Morphometrics honors his work in the field. Janice headed the Governmental Relations office from 1988 until 2009. They are world travelers, having visited all 7 continents!
Please invite your friends, family and all to experience this thrilling expedition. Free and open to all.
As Election Day nears, it is becoming increasingly evident that our local elections here in Suffolk County will hinge upon the people’s vision for wastewater treatment.
The state of our wastewater systems is a crucial policy concern for residents and environmentalists alike. Our existing system of disparate sewer districts and individually operated septic tanks is inadequate, impairing our environment, drinking water and quality of life.
Responsible wastewater treatment countywide can ensure our communities remain clean, healthy and safe. However, as years pass, our county’s wastewater infrastructure will continue showing its age — and the consequences could be devastating.
The first and most immediate impact of deteriorating wastewater infrastructure is public health. A failure to address these issues could result in an uptick in health crises, increasing the demand for health care services and leading citizens to question the competence of local governments to meet even their most basic human needs.
Residents expect their elected officials to take proactive approaches in maintaining critical infrastructure. If this does not happen, it can erode trust in government.
Our people ask for clean drinking water. We desire fewer fish kills and algal blooms in our local surface waters. Perhaps above all, our citizens long for political representation that actually advances their needs over the wants of powerful, monied interests that finance political campaigns in this county.
Money talks in Suffolk County, as elsewhere. Powerful special interest groups here — notably developers and organized labor — often curry favor with politicians. For developers, sewers allow for increased building height and density. For labor unions, sewers produce lucrative government contracts.
As we inch closer to November, we remind prospective officeholders that they must be careful not to allow campaign contributors to drive policy, that the people are the prime movers of our democracy.
The paramount stakeholder group in this election is the taxpaying citizens of Suffolk County. Though not cutting large campaign checks, this group will be the ultimate judge deciding who ascends to county office.
Shamefully, the county Legislature failed to put the Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act on November’s ballot. So, this election season voters must listen carefully to candidates from both major parties. Only those who demonstrate a firm commitment to the popular will should earn our votes.
Candidates must develop a plan for modernizing our wastewater infrastructure. They should be prepared to answer difficult questions on this most critical issue, demonstrating their commitment to the betterment of our county.
To our fellow residents, listen closely during this election cycle, especially to conversations surrounding wastewater.
The scope and size of The Stony Brook School’s proposed expansions
In response to your Stony Brook School article on Aug. 31 [See story, “The Stony Brook School submits application for new buildings as neighbors voice concerns”], please note a total of 95 signatures, not “over a dozen,” were submitted to the Town of Brookhaven Zoning Board at the Aug. 23 meeting opposing the indoor practice facility. You can review the video of that meeting on Channel 18 to see when I actually presented the board with the petition.
It is true that the Stony Brook School’s representatives — the lawyers and architect — presented an updated plan that we were only informed of the changes an hour before the case was called before the board, eliminating the access of the indoor sports facility from Chubb Hill Road and also eliminating the 14 proposed parking spots, which is good.
The new proposed access road will be at Quaker Path, pending the fire department’s approval. But the proposed size of the building itself is huge: 35,000 square feet and 46-feet tall.
It’s like a Costco smack in the middle of a residential neighborhood. A metal building of that size will significantly impact the aesthetics of the beautiful wooded area of old Stony Brook.
Please note that the proposed 35,000 square feet is 23,800 feet over the currently permitted size of 11,200 square feet. And the proposed 46-feet height is 11-feet taller than the currently allowed 35 feet. The school said they would do nice landscaping around the sports facility, but you can’t hide a 35,000-square-foot, 46-feet-high metal building.
The Stony Brook School only has approximately 400 students grades seven through 12, so the question is why such a large building is needed for a small student body when other schools in our area that have many more students do not have an indoor sports facility. Once the metal building is up, the local residents will be stuck with this monster of a building in our backyard.
Potentially The Stony Brook School can use this sports facility for any function sports or nonsporting event any time of day and night.
The school can also rent out the facility to outside groups, though the school’s representatives at the Zoning Board meeting said they would not do that.
I’m not so sure of their sincerity. The next ZBA meeting to discuss this proposal is on Wednesday, Sept. 20.
Hope Wolinski
Stony Brook
Polluted groundwater affects more than the tap
A recent letter by George Altemose [“An alternative to advanced septic systems,” Sept. 7, TBR News Media] suggested that instead of increasing Suffolk sales tax 1/8% to help fund upgraded, nitrogen-reducing septic tanks, it would be more cost effective to eliminate the nitrogen after it has already entered the groundwater. But only the groundwater that comes from Suffolk County Water Authority wells and into our homes as drinking water.
What about the polluted groundwater from old cesspools and septic systems that’s now going into our beaches, bays and other waterways, killing fish and creating dead zones?
Old cesspools and septic systems need replacing, and they should be replaced with upgraded, nitrogen-reducing systems and there are rebates and grants to help pay for it.
Another consideration, according to one local company’s website, is that the upgraded systems work best when homeowners use less water and fewer chemical cleaning products. So in the long run the homeowner will be motivated to reduce water use by running only full loads in the washing machine and dishwasher and to stop buying expensive cleaning products with harmful chemicals and instead make their own homemade cleaners using baking soda or white vinegar to prolong the life and improve the performance of their new, high-tech septic system.
Remember, we live on an island and there are grants and rebates to help pay for the upgraded systems because we all benefit from Long Island’s beautiful beaches and abundant wildlife.
Diane Ives
Copiague
Editor’s note: The writer serves on the executive committee of the Sierra Club Long Island Group.
SCWA can’t ward off algal blooms
While the Suffolk County Water Authority can do something about nitrogen in drinking water, it does not and cannot do anything to reduce the excessive amount of nitrogen in the drinking water of those of us that get our water from our own wells, nor can it do anything to reduce the amount of nitrogen in our lakes, ponds, streams and saltwater bodies. In those bodies, it is a fertilizer for all sorts of life.
Plant life, called algae, grows and reproduces at an increased rate when fertilizers are present in the water. In large numbers, they form a “bloom” which actually changes the color of the water.
Two of these are brown algae and green algae. Brown algal blooms — aka brown tides — shadow the seafloor, which leads to the death of seagrasses. It also can slow the growth of shellfish.
Red algae, which contains saxitoxin — a nerve damaging toxin — when present in large quantities as in a red tide or red algal bloom, can kill many fish and shellfish and sicken any animal that ingests the water, including making humans quite sick. Red algal blooms also deplete water oxygen levels, resulting in fish not getting enough oxygen through their gills and dying as a result.
Then there is blue-green algae, which is actually a bacteria — aka a cyanobacteria — that grow in number in shallow, still, warm bodies of fresh or salt water. It, too, contains a neurotoxin called microcystin that is known to cause rashes and make people sick. In fact, it is an excess of this toxin that has killed dogs and other animals when they drink the water.
All because of excess nitrogen that the no drinking water process does or can remove.
Jane Fasullo
Setauket
The system needs a reset
It makes no sense that inflation creates a work shortage [See story with Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio [R-Riverhead], “Giglio: Long Island still grappling with labor shortages, inflation,” Sept. 7, TBR News Media].
How else can you keep up with inflation if you don’t work? And, if wages increase, you also increase prices, which creates inflation.
This is putting the carrot on the stick in front of the donkey. Add to this Big Government and high taxes. The system needs a reset.
With November elections rapidly approaching, both sides of the political aisle are tense.
All 18 seats on the Suffolk County Legislature are up for election, and with the end of County Executive Steve Bellone’s (D) tenure, the county executive seat will be open for the first time since 2011. Unfortunately, the political desperation to take unilateral control over Suffolk County has led to dirty tricks and unethical behavior.
In late June, the Republican majority in Suffolk County was given the option to vote on a measure which, if passed, would have placed a clean water referendum on the ballot in November. The referendum would give voters the option to approve a negligible sales tax increase — 12 cents for every $100 dollars in spending — and critically, gain access to available state and federal funding.
This was particularly important as voters in 2022 overwhelmingly approved a $4.2 billion Environmental Bond Act to protect the environment [See story, “NYS offers possibilities of $4.2B bond act for Suffolk County, urges public input,” Aug. 31, TBR News Media], with almost 64% of Suffolk County residents voting to pass the funding. Passing a referendum would allow Suffolk County to access some of these funds.
Clean water infrastructure would greatly improve our drinking water and protect our beaches and natural spaces. In addition, the funding would create new jobs for Suffolk County.
The Republican majority, led by Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst), refused to allow residents to vote on approving the referendum. Despite the efforts of labor unions in their efforts to create jobs for working-class individuals, as well as pleading by environmentalists and advocates, the county Legislature tabled the resolution [See story, “Suffolk County Legislature recesses, blocks referendum on wastewater fund,” July 27, TBR News Media].
While McCaffrey made various excuses for his refusal to allow Suffolk County to vote on the issue, the true reason was clear: The Republican majority knew that if the referendum was on the ballot, Democratic voters would be driven to the polls in November to approve it.
The blowback was immediate. People of all political parties voiced their disapproval for the Legislature’s blatantly political action. Despite this, McCaffrey let the deadline to approve the referendum pass.
As residents continued to grow angry, McCaffrey decided to make an attempt to suppress arguments being made by Democratic candidates. Last week, he called a special meeting of the Legislature to approve a December special election for the referendum — a special election which would now cost taxpayers over $2 million to hold.
However, the special meeting of the Legislature was abruptly canceled. While McCaffrey sought to cleanse the record of his heinous political malpractice, he forgot to consider one key problem: The dissent of his own caucus.
The Republican majority refused to vote positively on the issue. With all six Democrats pledging support for the referendum, McCaffrey could not persuade even three members of his 11-seat majority to vote “yes,” and the special meeting was canceled.
Suffolk County residents now bear the consequences of these political games. Tens of thousands of homes throughout the county are without adequate septic systems. Without this funding, these systems will continue to leach toxins into our water — water that we cook with, our kids bathe in and our pets drink.
The failure by Republican leadership to come up with a plan to address Suffolk’s infamously poor drinking water quality is inexcusable. The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting our drinking water, estimates that those served by the Suffolk County Water Authority are ingesting numerous separate contaminants.
In a county with the highest breast cancer rates in the state — rates significantly higher than the rest of the nation — we cannot afford McCaffrey and his Republican majority’s dirty games.
McCaffrey cannot wash his hands of this issue. It is his responsibility to address his majority’s failure of government. If he refuses to do so, voters must take this neglect of duty into account when they cast their ballots on Nov. 7.
Skyler Johnson is the chair of the Suffolk County Young Democrats.
As September heralds the approaching changes brought on during Earth’s annual autumnal shift, so too does it offer a pathway to a new life for many as it also marks National Recovery Month.
This comes on the heels of International Overdose Awareness Day which occurred on Aug. 31. This day, for too many families like mine, is a yearly reminder of the awful price exacted by the disease of addiction.
The lives lost during the ongoing opioid crisis in this country has impacted every community across this country as over 107,000 deaths of our fellow citizens occurred in 2022. Let that sink in. That is the equivalent of almost 300 people a day, or one person every four minutes or so who has died from a treatable and preventable disease.
Can you imagine the resources we would commit to deal with a crisis if every single day a jet plane with 300 people crashed? I dare say everything in the U. S. would come to a screeching halt until we determined how to deal with such a monumental tragedy.
Yet, the most pressing public health crisis in our country equal to or, at the moment, worse than COVID-19 typically gets short shrift but once a year from many public officials.
This year, many municipalities across Long Island, including Brookhaven Town “went purple” to honor and acknowledge Overdose Awareness day Thursday, Aug. 31 [See story, “Brookhaven goes purple, marks Opioid Awareness Month with calls for intervention,” Sept. 7, TBR News Media]. Many of my fellow warriors in this battle gathered that day to remember and to raise our voices for those no longer here to speak for themselves.
I added my voice to this fight nearly 15 years ago to honor my nephew David Aaron Costell who, just shy of his 23rd birthday, succumbed to a heroin overdose on Feb. 12, 2007.
He was a sweet, loving if troubled young man who found recovery for a short time but sadly relapsed due to limited resources of support our society afforded him at the time. But, as the heroin crisis on Long Island became more prominent with Newsday reports of the death of Natalie Chiappa, an 18-year-old honors student, I knew it was time for action.
So, I ultimately became a family advocate involved with educating the press and running to Albany over many legislative sessions. It was poignantly sad but rewarding to work with many families across New York state to change public policy in order to save lives which otherwise would be lost to addiction.
We accomplished a lot over several years by the passage of better access to treatment to make it harder for insurance companies to refuse treatment so easily to those seeking help. Also, we passed the NYS 911 Good Samaritan Law, which encourages young people to seek help for anyone in overdose without fear of legal consequences.
We also advocated for the state I-STOP Law, which has nearly eliminated “doctor shopping” by addicts, and changed to an e-prescribing process, thereby enabling a real-time database when prescribing narcotics like opioids.
Along the way, I met many amazing individuals I came to know and love who turned their grief into helping others. Not only did we help change laws, many I have come to know help change lives.
There is Avi Israel with Save the Michaels of the World in Buffalo and here on Long Island, Gabriel’s Giving Tree and Thomas’ Hope Foundation by my friends Paulette Phillipe and Linda Ventura with help from Teri Kroll, who lovingly offer services to families and individuals impacted by addiction. These are angels in action.
So I am grateful to Brookhaven Town, where I live, and other municipalities which scheduled similar activities on Aug. 31. It was one way to reduce the stigma of drug overdoses and to honor those souls around our area who no longer will share Thanksgiving dinners with us later this year.
It is not the first time nor the last time families will be at the steps of Town Hall and shed tears for the loved ones as they recall their sons and daughters, husbands and wives, nieces and nephews or fathers and mothers whose lives were cut short by the scourge of opioids and fentanyl. It brings public attention to this crucial issue and hopefully can build support for more action in the future.
And, while this is a laudable goal, it is not nearly enough to hold hands, hug each other in grief and move on again until next August when Town Hall is lit up purple, the color for Overdose Awareness.
According to an annual report issued last year by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli (D), Suffolk County experienced more cumulative deaths due to overdose than any other county in the state. And, it is easy to extrapolate that Brookhaven Town has more deaths than any other township in Suffolk County.
I submit it is incumbent on Brookhaven, as well as other towns and the county, to invest more resources at the municipal level to address this absolute horror visited upon our families. It is not only essential to reduce the suffering from the loss of a loved one, but we lose untold hours of productivity in our workplaces due to the toxic stress of families with members still in active addiction.
Thankfully, Suffolk County just announced another round of nearly $20 million from funds realized by the lawsuit against drug companies and Big Pharma in the opioid settlement case initiated by former Presiding Officer Rob Calarco [D-Patchogue].
I urge Brookhaven Town to promptly put together a proposal to obtain some of these funds to undertake initiatives which could provide better mental health and addiction services to our communities. Babylon Town, with less than half the population of Brookhaven, presently runs a facility called the Beacon Family Wellness Center, which provides drug and alcohol services as well as other important supports.
This could and should be a priority for the largest town in Suffolk, which is essentially Ground Zero for the addiction and overdose crisis on Long Island.
With Overdose Awareness Day past, it is important to remember. But it is more important to act substantially throughout the year with tangible programs which can assist people along the path to a healthy life. That is the true way to show support for National Recovery Month.
Ira Costell is the president of the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Civic Association.
As the local election season intensifies, Suffolk County’s wastewater infrastructure has now become the defining policy issue, with residents and environmentalists demanding immediate action to address what they consider an environmental crisis.
Water quality of Long Island’s coveted waterways is currently suffering as the county’s wastewater infrastructure deteriorates rapidly. Much of the system was built decades ago and has not been adequately upgraded to meet the demands of the growing population, critics say.
“Clean water is crucial to the health of our families, the lifeblood of our economy and central to our way of life,” said businessman Dave Calone, Democratic candidate for Suffolk County executive running against Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine (R). “Unfortunately, our water quality is at an all-time low, and we need to act now to protect it.”
Local officials, residents and environmentalists have voiced concerns over the issue. Adrienne Esposito, executive director of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, said, “Suffolk County Legislators have an ethical and moral obligation to protect our drinking and coastal water resources.”
County Water Quality Restoration Act
The Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act, a plan to restore the county’s water quality, includes two bills that would create a fund to restore clean water by connecting homes and businesses to sewers and finance clean water septic system replacements.
“The need for an overall plan for wastewater infrastructure has been well-recognized for more than 60 years,” said Peter Scully, deputy county executive for administration.
Earlier this year, Scully had spearheaded a proposed 1/8 penny sales tax initiative to finance wastewater infrastructure. This proposal was rejected by the county Legislature in July, setting the stage for a contentious election season over this issue [See story, “Suffolk County Legislature recesses, blocks referendum on wastewater fund,” July 27, TBR News Media].
“Tragically, the Legislature doesn’t consider this a priority and has refused to let the public vote on this plan,” Esposito said. “Letting the public vote on a clean water referendum is good policy and good for democracy. It is deeply disturbing that the legislators support neither of those objectives.”
Impact on elections
The Republican vote to recess has met with fierce opposition from county Democrats, who are using the wastewater controversy to highlight differences in platforms.
“Republicans did not vote to put the referendum on the ballot,” said Keith Davies, Suffolk County Democratic Committee campaign manager. “It is clear that Republicans chose not to trust voters to make their own decisions. In our opinion, it was the wrong decision.”
Responding to these charges, county Legislator Stephanie Bontempi (R-Centerport), who is defending her 18th Legislative District seat against pediatrician Eve Meltzer-Krief (D-Centerport), indicated that her caucus is avoiding a rush to judgment.
“Rushing to pass legislation that is flawed and that will raise our taxes is simply irresponsible and not what our residents deserve,” Bontempi said. “Holding off with a referendum for a couple of months will certainly not lead to the end of Long Island, like some fearmongers like to claim.”
Many of the county’s wastewater treatment plants, pipelines and pumping stations are well past their intended lifespans, representing a growing risk for sewage leaks, overflows and contamination of local waterways and bays.
Meltzer-Krief warned that this could have devastating consequences for the region and its fragile ecosystems, including its renowned coastal areas and marine life.
“The quality of our waterways and bays here in Suffolk County is currently the poorest it has ever been,” she said. “The main cause is nitrogen runoff from outdated cesspools and septic systems which flows into our waters and triggers potentially toxic algal blooms which deprive marine life of the oxygen they need to survive.”
Research from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency indicates that nitrogen from sewage is suffocating Long Island’s bays and harbors, contaminating drinking water and causing fish kills and algal blooms.
“Thankfully, scientists know how to reverse this troubling and urgent environmental concern and clean our waters,” Meltzer-Krief said.
But, she added, “It is the responsibility of our county legislators to follow the science and protect our children from the toxins in the water by securing funding for the recommended clean water infrastructure.”
While local officials and environmental organizations have been sounding the alarm for years over aging infrastructure, progress has been slow and funding for these projects has often fallen short of what is required.
Restoring clean, healthy water requires drastically reducing nitrogen pollution from its primary source — Suffolk County’s approximately 360,000 nitrogen-polluting cesspools and septic systems.
“Once the legislation has been amended to properly address our wastewater infrastructure, the voters will be able to decide,” Bontempi said. “The Republican majority at the Suffolk County Legislature wants clean water, too.”
Suffolk County elections will take place Tuesday, Nov. 7.
Grammy-award nominated Nicole Zuraitis will perform with her band on Sept. 22.
The Jazz Loft, located along the charming Stony Brook waterfront and nearby historic village, presents the 8th Harbor Jazz Festival 2023 from Wednesday, Sept. 20 to Saturday, Sept. 23.
The four celebratory days of Jazz will feature internationally-known acts, including the Nicole Zuraitis Quintet, Warren Vache Ensemble, Sam Dillon/Andrew Gould Quintet, the Mingus Big Band, Hye Seon Hong Jazz Orchestra, and Tom Manuel and the Jazz Loft Big Band with vocalist Pete Caldera.
Much of the festival will take place outdoors on two stages overlooking Stony Brook Harbor, as well inside the Jazz Loft at 275 Christian Avenue in Stony Brook. This year’s festival also features two new gallery exhibits inside The Jazz Loft: A photography exhibit by Ildi Tillmann and paintings by Ukranian artist Oxana Uryasev.
“The year’s 8th annual Harbor Jazz Festival line-up promises to deliver an extraordinary experience and unique opportunity to hear performances from some of the finest Jazz artists in the world,” said Tom Manuel, President and Founder of The Jazz Loft. “Many of the acts booked for this year’s festival perform at some of New York’s top venues and clubs. It’s amazing for our Long Island community that this years’ festival brings them all right here in our own backyard.”
This year, outdoor concerts on Saturday, Sept. 23, will take place throughout the day on two stages: one on the Jazz Loft’s front lawn, and the second location across the street on the Stony Brook Village Green. All concerts on Saturday are FREE to the public! Just bring a lawn chair or blanket. (In the event of inclement weather, the concerts will take place inside The Jazz Loft.)
Shows for Sept. 20, 21 and 22 are ticketed events. For a full schedule, visit www.thejazzloft.org. For more information, call 631-751-1895.
The full schedule for the Harbor Jazz Festival:
Sept. 20 (Wednesday) 7 p.m.
Opening Reception & Jam Session with the Keenan Zach Trio
All tickets $10
Sept. 21 (Thursday) 7-9:30 p.m.
The Bad Little Big Band, featuring guest artist Ken Peplowski on clarinet
The 12-member Bad Little Big Band led by pianist Rich Iacona and vocalist Madeline Kole accompanies the band.
Tickets: $30 Adult, $25 Senior, $20 Student, $15 Child, children under 5 free.
Sept. 22 (Friday) 7-9:30 p.m.
The Nicole Zuraitis Quintet
Grammy-award nominated Nicole Zuraitis
Tickets $30, $25, $20
Sept. 23 (Saturday) –All Saturday shows are OUTDOORS and FREE! In the event of inclement weather, the concerts will take place inside The Jazz Loft.
Village Green Stage:
1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Hye Seon Hong Jazz Orchestra
4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Mingus Big Band
7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Tom Manuel and The Jazz Loft Big Band, featuring Pete Caldera
Jazz Loft Lawn Stage:
3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Warren Vache Ensemble with Warren Vache on cornet; Earl Sauls on bass and Eddie Montero on accordion.
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Sam Dillon and Andrew Gould Quintet
All Saturday Events on the Stony Brook Village Green and are FREE to the general public.
This article originally appeared in TBR News Media’s Harvest Times supplement on Sept. 14.
Starting soon, all newborns in New York state will receive testing for congenital cytomegalovirus. Photo by Farajiibrahim from Wikimedia Commons
Starting later this month or early next month, all children born in New York state will receive testing for congenital cytomegalovirus, an infection that can cause hearing loss and learning deficits.
The state will track children who test positive for this virus, which is related to the virus for chickenpox, herpes and mononucleosis, over the years after their birth to provide early intervention amid the development of any symptoms and to provide a baseline for understanding how the virus may affect the growth and development of other children born with the virus.
Mothers who contract CMV, which is the most common congenital virus and the leading nongenetic cause of deafness in children, for the first time while they are pregnant can transmit the virus to their developing child.
Local doctors suggested that this testing, which other states would likely examine closely, provided a welcome opportunity to gather information about their children, even if the test raised questions or concerns about what the diagnosis means.
“Knowledge is power,” said Dr. Sharon Nachman, chief of the division of pediatric infectious diseases at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital. “The more you can tell a parent about what’s going on, the more they can make informed decisions.”
To be sure, Nachman anticipated that more parents initially might opt out of having their child’s screen result reported in their newborn record, until pediatricians and obstetricians have had a chance to talk with them.
There will be a “lot more opting out in the beginning” until parents understand what the test means and how it might help in understanding a virus that could affect their children’s health and development, Nachman said.
One in 200 babies
New York State recently received a contract from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to add screening for this virus for a period of a year.
Dr. Sharon Nachman, chief of the division of pediatric infectious diseases at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital. Photo from Stony Brook Medicine
Parents of babies who test positive will receive referrals to infectious disease specialists across the state for follow-up and evaluation.
The state predicts about one out of every 200 newborns may test positive for the virus, according to the New York State Department of Health website.
Over half of the adults in the U.S. have had CMV, while most people don’t know they’ve had it because they show no symptoms.
Those who develop symptoms have sore throats, fever, fatigue and swollen glands, which are the kind of nonspecific conditions that characterize the body’s response to infections from other viruses.
Opt-out options
While all babies will receive a congenital CMV test, parents can choose to opt out of having their children’s screen result reported in their newborn screen record.
The state urges parents who would like to opt out to do so quickly, as newborn screen reports are complete five to seven days after birth.
Parents have several ways to opt out. They can scan the QR code found on their brochure, which will bring them to the Newborn Screening Program website and opt out portal. They can also remove and fill out the opt-out form in the parent brochure and give it to the hospital to submit with the newborn screen specimen.
Alternatively, parents can email a picture of the completed opt-out form to [email protected] or they can call the program at 518-473-7552 and press option five. Finally, parents can mail the opt-out form to the NYS Newborn Screening Program in Albany.
First steps
Nachman is co-leading one of the 11 units across the state in pediatric infectious disease with Dr. Andrew Handel.
The teams will meet once a month to discuss issues around CMV.
“One of the goals of the project, which is why it’s funded by NICHD is can we identify who is at risk” to develop problems such as hearing loss.
Among the numerous unanswered questions the group hopes to address is whether early treatment would be a way to prevent problems from developing, even among children who test positive but are asymptomatic. Giving medication to all children who test positive comes with its own problems, as the medication for CMV has side effects, said Nachman.
It’s not like “taking a dose of Tylenol, given several times a day for weeks at a time,” said Nachman.
While women who have had CMV prior to pregnancy are unlikely to transmit the virus, Nachman discourages people from intentionally contracting the virus before becoming pregnant.
“We don’t encourage people to go out and get CMV so they’ll be cleared by the time they’re pregnant,” in part because people can develop symptoms, conditions and secondary infections after having the virus.
By monitoring the health of children after their diagnosis, the state hopes to understand more about the virus and its effects.
“We need to follow enough children long enough” to be able to address those medical questions and concerns, Nachman said.
The study might be able to find markers that could predict who might be at risk for hearing loss in the early years of a child’s life, she said.
During hearing screens that could occur every six months, children born with CMV can receive early intervention.
“The sooner we see something, the sooner we can act on it,” Nachman said.
As for developmental issues, children who show even a glimmer of a developmental delay can also receive early intervention.
At this point, Stony Brook has been participating in clinical trials for a vaccine, which, if approved, could be administered to adolescents.
The trials for the vaccine, which could last for 10 years, are still in the early stages of development.
It’s time to play ball! Preservation Long Island and the Long Island Museum have teamed up to host Baseball on the Farm featuring an authentic 19th-century ballgame with the New York Mutual Base Ball Club against the Atlantics. With live music, games, prizes, food and more, this one-day special event will take place on the grounds of historic Sherwood-Jayne Farm, 55 Old Post Road in East Setauket on Saturday, Sept. 16 from noon to 4 p.m. Rain date is Sept, 17.
Baseball on the Farm is a FREE community event for the whole family featuring an authentic 19th-century ballgame pitting the New York Mutuals Base Ball Club against the Atlantics Base Ball Club, games and craft activities, prizes including Long Island Ducks signed baseball and 4-pack of tickets for 2024, bounce house, live music by The Other Two and food and beverages (available for purchase) from Exotic Bowls, Maui Chop House and Root + Branch Brewing.
This special day of vintage baseball at Preservation Long Island’s Sherwood-Jayne Farm in Setauket is a collaboration inspired by two exhibitions currently on view at The Long Island Museum in nearby Stony Brook:
Picturing America’s Pastime (May 18-October 15, 2023): Since the 19th century, baseball and photography have grown up together. This exhibition of 51 historic photographs has been developed by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museums, the world’s premiere repository of baseball photographs.
Home Fields: Baseball Stadiums of Long Island and New York City (May 18-October 15, 2023): This exhibition features exciting objects from several private collectors of historic baseball memorabilia. Many original items from Ebbetts Field (the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers) Polo Stadium, and Yankee Stadium are on view.
Nassakeag Elementary School students display flags outside the school in honor of Patriot Day. Photo courtesy TVCSD
Students at Minnesauke Elementary School plant American flags on the building’s front lawn. Photo courtesy TVCSD
From left, 9/11 Memorial & Museum senior vice president Noah Rauch, R.C. Murphy JHS teacher Kristin Stelfox and 9/11 Memorial & Museum vice president Megan Jones. Photo courtesy TVCSD
Arrowhead Elementary School students wear red, white and blue to express their solidarity. Photo courtesy TVCSD
Students and staff across the Three Village Central School District honored Patriot Day on Sept. 11. Through in-class lessons and activities, students reflected on the tragic events of 9/11 by remembering the lives lost, those who were impacted and the many heroes who made sacrifices.
At several elementary schools across the district, students planted American flags on the front lawn of their buildings. Meanwhile, the perimeter of the Ward Melville High School property was lined with flags as a display of remembrance.
Along with the flag tributes, many students and staff dressed in red, white and blue as a show of unity.
R.C. Murphy Junior High School social studies teacher Kristin Stelfox participated in an invaluable experience this summer to learn new strategies to effectively teach Three Village students about 9/11. Stelfox was selected for the inaugural Institute for Educators at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York City, spending five days learning from first responders, museum directors and curators and leaders in their fields of study on terrorism about how to teach the history of 9/11 and ensure this fateful day may never be forgotten.
Stelfox presented what she learned to her department so that her experience and knowledge gained could be shared with a greater audience of Three Village students.
“This experience was incredibly impactful, not only because of the level of access to and caliber of presenters over five days, but because our commitment to never forgetting means we dedicate the time to teaching the next generation of students about the sacrifices and heroism of the day,” she said.
Western Australia’s Ningaloo Reef offers spectacular opportunities for viewing whale sharks. Whale sharks are as large as whales, but they are sharks. Like all sharks, their skeletons are made up of cartilages which help them swim fast and use less energy. Whale sharks are enormous but gentle fish found in tropical oceans. They can pose a risk to humans by accidentally swatting us with their tail if we swim too close. Long-time Travel club member Jim Rohlf succeeded in swimming with whale sharks, as you will see during the presentation. This particular adventure had been on his bucket list for some time.
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