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Check in with each other, yourself before approaching holidays, local doctors urge

by Daniel Dunaief - November 22, 2022

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Holiday-Mental-Health — The holiday season can be a difficult time for many people, especially for those who lost a loved one recently. Stock photo

An important gift people can give each other this holiday season is a check-in call or visit.

That’s the advice of area mental health professionals, who say that the holidays in general can be stressful and that several factors, including grieving over the loss of family or friends, fear about ongoing health concerns, and uncertainty and overall anxiety, have created stressors to mental health.

“If you know someone is having a rough time, who will be without a loved one for the holidays, you can call and say, ‘I’m here,’” said Dr. Stacy Eagle, director of Psychiatry at Port Jefferson-based St. Charles Hospital. “Doing something that simple can be really helpful.”

Indeed, area mental health professionals said the health care system in general has been straining to meet the need for patients in a host of ages to provide timely services.

Signs

Dr. Adam Gonzalez, a licensed clinical psychologist, director of Behavioral Health at Stony Brook Medicine and founding director of the Stony Brook University Mind-Body Clinical Research Center at the Renaissance School of Medicine, suggested that people can look for signs among their friends, family members and coworkers.

“Be aware of behavioral and emotional changes like social withdrawal, increased alcohol or drug use, overeating/eating more unhealthy food, difficulty sleeping, difficulty concentrating or making decisions, difficulty with getting work done” irritability and sadness, Gonzalez explained in an email.

Broadly speaking, Eagle added that people should be aware of any change in normal functioning. An extrovert who is acting withdrawn can provide a clue about a daily struggle.

Solutions

When people notice these kinds of changes in themselves or others, doctors urged a host of responses, depending on the severity of the symptom.

People who are an imminent danger to themselves or to others can call 988, which is a suicide and crisis hotline phone number. They can also call 911 or go to an emergency room, where a psychiatrist can evaluate them and offer help.

Cari Faith Besserman, director in the Division of Community Mental Hygiene Services with the Suffolk County Department of Health, said residents can take classes such as Mental Health First Aid, which teaches laypeople to increase their awareness by recognizing signs of emotional and mental distress, how to respond safely, and educates on symptoms of illness to decrease the stigma and mystery of mental health and various stages of wellness.

Suffolk County residents also can turn to the Diagnostic Assessment and Stabilization Hub, also known as DASH, program, which provides 24/7 access to behavioral health professionals and provides somewhere to go for those experiencing a crisis. The DASH number is 631-952-3333.

For less severe but problematic or ongoing symptoms, doctors urged some restorative measures.

Eagle suggested getting proper rest, ensuring a sufficient and balanced diet and staying hydrated. Activities such as exercise, which helps increase the release of serotonin, can help reduce anxiety and improve mood.

She added that unplugging from social media, especially for adolescents and children, can improve overall mental health.

Gonzalez also urged those who are offering support to remain fully present and nonjudgmental, and listen actively when someone shares concerns or anxieties.

“Be sure to ask what they need from you,” Gonzalez urged. “For some, it may be just listening; for others, it may be advice/ feedback or helping to connect them to professional support services. It’s easy for many to slip into problem-solving mode; however, sometimes others just want to be heard and validated.”

Gonzalez added that group-based treatments are just as effective as individual therapy and encouraged patients to try skills-based groups to learn coping methods for managing stress, anxiety and depression symptoms.

Stony Brook offers a COVID-19 support group for people who have or have had COVID, especially those with long COVID symptoms. Stony Brook also offers a comprehensive mind-body treatment program called the Stress Management and Resilience Training program.

The SMART program is helpful for people who are managing co-occurring mental and physical health problems and for those who would like to enhance their overall resilience.

Overwhelming demand

On the whole, hospitals and mental health facilities are struggling to keep up with the need for help.

“Currently, the demand for psychotherapy services is overwhelming,” Gonzalez explained in an email.

Eagle added that the weeks leading up to the holidays have often been a stressful period.

This year, some groups in particular are struggling. Parents of children born in 2022 are especially concerned about respiratory syncytial virus, which is “higher than normal,” Eagle said.

Seasonal affective disorder, which occurs during the darker, colder winter months, also affects about 0.5 to 3% of the population, Eagle said.

SAD can be harder for people if they have depression or anxiety, Eagle said. “These things are definitely an issue.”

Doctors added that those who are grieving over a loss can find the holidays difficult.

“Grief can be more of an issue” around the holidays, Eagle said.

Eagle urges the continuation of traditions that families found meaningful and helpful.

Gonzalez added that people can cope with grief by keeping a picture of a person who is no longer present close by, offering a prayer in their honor, sharing positive memories, or writing them a note.

Grieving families can also consider starting new traditions that may help them move forward with their lives, Eagle suggested.

Good news

Even amid all the concerns this year, doctors said people can appreciate some good news.

“Happily, we are out of the severe hospitalizations for COVID,” Eagle said.

Communities can also celebrate resilience “as individuals and as a country,” she added.

In hospitals, visitors are able to offer comfort and spend quality time with their friends and family, which is a considerable improvement from the days when patients couldn’t have visitors.

Eagle said she is following her own advice with her friends and family.

She will try to reach out to those she knows have had a particularly bad time this year to “make sure that they are aware that someone is thinking about them,” she said.

Brookhaven’s town clerk retires from public service

by Rita J. Egan - November 21, 2022

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Donna-Lent-last-day-of-work-2022 — Donna Lent leaves Town Hall for the last time as Town Clerk. Photo from Donna Lent

After more than two decades of public service, Brookhaven Town Clerk Donna Lent (I) has retired after nine years in that office.

The announcement was made at the Nov. 10 Town Board meeting, where Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) and council members thanked Lent for her service.

“It was a lovely day,” Lent said in a phone interview. “I was not expecting the big send-off from the board that they gave me, which was very generous.”

Lent ran for her third term in office against Ira Costell (D) in the 2021 election. She said she started having a painful case of sciatica after getting hurt in May. Lent was on medical leave for six weeks.

“It just got me thinking,” Lent said. “Here I turned 70 in September, and my husband retired in 2015.”

She initially thought she would retire in August, but she said Romaine asked her to stay longer.

Her first day of retirement was Nov. 14, just a few days after the Town Board send-off. Lent said she stayed on to help in the office because both of her deputies had their children’s birthday parties during the weekend. Soon after her last day, Lent and her husband moved to South Carolina.

Deputy Town Clerk Lauren Thoden is now serving as interim town clerk. A special election will be held in the near future, and the winner will complete Lent’s term which ends in 2025.

Lent said during her tenure she was immersed in the day-to-day operations of the office. She also oversaw the implementation of the town’s electronic content management system, which included a central-scanning repository where the town clerk’s office can scan both department and town records in real time.

Regarding office operations, Lent said she has no concerns, for now, as she knows it will be “smooth sailing” for the current staff members. However, she does worry that whoever is elected town clerk may not keep the same staff.

“My advice to the new clerk would be to keep the people who know what they’re doing and just let them do it,” she said.

Most people don’t understand the multitude of tasks the office is responsible for, she added, and the new clerk needs to know all the ins and outs of how everything works.

“It’s important to have some continuity,” she said.

Before being elected town clerk, Lent managed a lawyer’s office. She entered public service in 2001 when she became former state Assemblywoman Patricia Eddington’s chief of staff. When Eddington (WF/D/I-Medford) went on to become Brookhaven town clerk, Lent was appointed deputy town clerk.

As Lent looks back at her career, she feels fortunate.

“I was really so privileged to be able as a staffer to end up being an elected official and so honored to have held that position and get reelected twice to serve the residents of the Town of Brookhaven,” Lent said. “It really was a job that I loved.”

In a statement, Romaine thanked Lent.

“Donna Lent has a long history of public service to the Town of Brookhaven, and she will be missed by all of us at Town Hall,” he said. “Her efforts to make the department run more efficiently helped to streamline public facing operations, making it easier for residents to conduct their business with her office. On behalf of the Town Board and all the residents of Brookhaven Town, I say thank you Donna for your many years of exemplary service as Brookhaven town clerk.”

Ward Melville Patriots punch ticket to Long Island Championship

by Bill Landon - November 21, 2022

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Thirty five years is a long time to wait, but the Patriots of Ward Melville satisfied that hunger with a convincing win over the Longwood Lions to capture the Division I Suffolk Championship game at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium — their first Suffolk title since 1987.

Ward Melville quarterback Andrew Belli orchestrated four Patriot touchdowns, three through the air, along with a 20-yard run for the 34-19 victory Saturday, Nov 19.

Belli connected with seniors Lorenzo Velez on two plays, good for 35 yards, and found Trevor Murray down the right sideline on a 15-yarder for the score. Ward Melville junior Brody Morgan on a punt return went the distance for a Patriot touchdown covering 36 yards.

The win propels the Patriots to the Long Island Championship game where they’ll return to Lavalle Stadium to face Farmingdale (11-0) for the Long Island Class I title Saturday, Nov. 26. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30pm.

Tickets can be purchased at gofan.co/app/school/NYSPHSAAXI.

Lidl and Stony Brook Athletics launch Hoops for Hunger campaign

by Press Release - November 20, 2022

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LIDLxSBU_16x9_zPnq9 — Image from Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook University Athletics Department has expanded their partnership with Lidl to launch the “Hoops for Hunger” campaign. Lidl, recently ranked a top 5 U.S. grocer in the USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, will donate one dollar for every basket that the Stony Brook men’s basketball team makes at Island Federal Arena throughout the 2022-23 season. All proceeds will be donated to Long Island Cares, a local food bank on a mission to feed Long Island’s food insecure.

“We want to thank the Stony Brook University Athletics Department and the men’s basketball team for joining with our corporate partners at Lidl to launch this very exciting Hoops for Hunger campaign,” said Paule Pachter, CEO of Long Island Cares. “Lidl is one of our major corporate donors that donates thousands of pounds of food to assist The Harry Chapin Regional Food Bank in meeting the needs of 230,000 Long Islanders struggling with food insecurity. We’re also very grateful to the players on the Stony Brook men’s basketball team for getting involved in this campaign. Each ball scored will bring hope to those in need of emergency food assistance here on Long Island.”

At the completion of the 2022-23 campaign, Lidl will host an on-court check presentation revealing the total money raised throughout the season with representatives from Long Island Cares.

Ed Flood wins Assembly District 4 election, Englebright reacts

by Raymond Janis - November 20, 2022

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flood1 — Above, Assemblyman-elect Edward Flood (R-Port Jefferson). File photo by Rita J. Egan

In a major upset, Republican Party challenger Edward Flood, of Port Jefferson, has defeated incumbent state Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket). Englebright, who chairs the state Assembly’s Standing Committee on Environmental Conservation, has held the seat since 1992.

Flood maintains a 700-vote lead over Englebright, with a current vote count of 24,189-23,489, according to a Suffolk County Board of Elections official. While those tallies are still uncertified, the source suggested the race is safe to call in Flood’s favor.

In a phone interview on Friday afternoon, Flood said he learned of his victory shortly after noon that day. While this result stunned many within the community, it was no surprise to his team. “On Election Day, we expected to win, and we expected to win narrowly,” he said.

While the results are still uncertified, Englebright offered his thoughts on the race during a phone interview on Sunday morning. He remarked on the several factors that contributed to his defeat, notably the effect of U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin’s (R-NY1) gubernatorial campaign on races down the ballot.

“It appears that I have not prevailed in this election, so I am, of course, disappointed,” the assemblyman said. “The turnout was low, and the results were, in part, also because there was in this region of the state more focus on the Republican head of the ticket than there was on the Democratic one.”

Throughout the campaign, Flood focused on the issues of crime and the economy. While the assemblyman-elect attributes his win, in part, to declining trust in Albany, he credited those involved in his campaign.

“I think it was a combination of the general attitudes towards politics right now — what’s going on both statewide and nationwide, the issues that we were hitting on — and then our ground game,” he said. “We had a lot of volunteers. … Once we did some polling and realized our message was resonating, it just needed to get out.”

For Englebright, the result reflected a regional trend in this election cycle away from the Democrats. “We lost four [state] Senate seats — two of which were incumbents in Nassau County — and … it looks like we lost five [Democratic] assembly seats if you include the two in Brooklyn,” he said. “It was a disappointing evening for all Democrats, really.”

Despite his differences from the incumbent, Flood remarked on the qualities he admired in Englebright. “Assemblyman Englebright, at the end of the day, is a gentleman,” Flood said. “He was in this position for 30 years, a [county] legislator for nine. For someone to go through 39 years and never have an ethical thing come up, never have a scandal, it goes to the quality of the human being.” He added, “[Englebright] has been a champion of the environment, and that’s something I want to continue.”

Unlike his predecessor, Flood will be a minority member of the Assembly and a freshman legislator. Given these factors, Englebright encouraged Flood to find ways to be effective.

“I hope he is able to be relevant,” Englebright said. “The reality is he will be serving in the minority, and he will have a real challenge in just being able to accomplish rudimentary things.”

He added, “I hope that he’s able to be productive for the best interests of the people of the district, but all things are relative, and it’s a seniority-based system. As a freshman and minority member, it will be a challenge.”

In his interview, Flood reiterated a previous message about his intended role in Albany. While he brings some ideas and policy preferences to the office, he insists that his service requires collaboration with the communities he represents.

“I’m there to serve the people and their needs,” he said. “For a lot of people throughout the district, there are very similar needs and priorities that we want. We want good schools, safe neighborhoods, economic opportunities. We want the prices of things to come down, and we want to be able to manage to stay on Long Island.”

He concluded, “My door is always open to see what the needs of the community are and act appropriately. At the end of the day, I was elected to [advance] the needs and the work of the community, not necessarily my own needs.”

After serving in public office for nearly four decades, Englebright will soon return to life as a private citizen. However, the outgoing assemblyman pledged to stay involved in the community and remains committed to the principles and policies guiding his time in office.

“I’m in every way looking forward to continuing to make contributions to the community,” he said. “Ultimately, we are one community, and we have a need to respect our common heritage and continue to do everything possible to protect our quality of life by investing in young people and joining together to protect things that matter, such as the water quality of our harbors and drinking water,” adding, “These are things we should continue to work together on.”

SBU’s Daniel Knopf, Josephine Aller identify aerosolized organic matter in clouds

by Daniel Dunaief - November 19, 2022

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sbknopfallerinlab — Daniel Knopf and Josephine Aller. Photo by John Griffin/Stony Brook University

By Daniel Dunaief

The ocean often serves as an enormous reflecting pool, showing a virtual image of migrating and water birds soaring on the wind, planes carrying people across continents, and clouds in multiple layers sporting various shades of white to grey.

Those clouds have more in common with the ocean below than just their reflection. In fact, some of the ice nucleating particles that help form the clouds come directly from the phytoplankton in the water below.

Daniel Knopf, Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry at Stony Brook University, and Josephine Aller, microbial oceanographer in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University, have been teaming up to study the effect of sea spray aerosols on cloud formation in the ocean for 15 years.

Recently, the duo published a paper in the journal Science Advances, in which they simulated sea spray aerosols in laboratory tanks to reflect ocean conditions. They found that organic compounds released by marine microorganisms become ice nucleating particles.

“We performed ice formation experiments in our lab using particles generated from our tanks to determine under which conditions (of temperature and relative humidity) they form ice,” Knopf explained in an email.

During specific temperature and relative humidity conditions, these sea spray aerosols, which are released when bubbles at the surface containing the materials burst or when wind carries them from the ocean into the air, initiate ice crystal formation.

Previous studies revealed that the water contains organic material from biological activity, but the researchers could not identify the specific type of nuclei.

“The current study closes this gap and identifies polysaccharides and proteinaceous matter” as the ice nucleating particles, Knopf explained.

Through work in the lab, Knopf and Aller showed that the particles produce ice crystals through two different pathways under typical atmospheric conditions. Ice can form either by water vapor onto the aerosolized particles or from liquid aerosol droplets.

From x-rays to climate models

Aller and Knopf explored the composition of individual particles using x-ray microscopy technology at the synchrotron light source at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California.

After digitally marking particles, the researchers transferred the particles to the x-ray microscope to determine their shape and composition.

“This allowed us to unambiguously examine the ice nucleating SSA particles and compare their organic signature with reference spectra of organic/ biogenic matter,” Knopf wrote.

Aller added that the research provides a clear picture of the conditions necessary for freezing.

“This study not only identifies the ice nucleating agent, but also provides the first holistic parameterization to predict freezing from SSA particles,” she said in a statement. “This new parameterization includes immersion freezing, as the INP is engulfed in a liquid, usually water, and the deposition ice nucleation where ice forms on the INP without any visual water.”

The parameterization can be applied in cloud-resolving and climate models to determine the climatic impact of ice crystal containing clouds, Aller added.

This type of modeling can help with climate models of the polar regions, which is heating at a rate faster than other parts of the world.

At this point, Knopf said the Stony Brook researchers have collaborated with scientists at NASA GISS who work on climate models to improve the understanding of mixed-phase clouds.

“We will make use of the newly developed ice formation parameterization in cloud-resolving models and compare the results to observations,” Knopf wrote. “Those results, ultimately, will be useful to improve climate models.”

Competition in the clouds

As for any surprises, Knopf added that it is “astonishing how biological activity in surface waters can be related to cloud formation in the atmosphere.” Additionally, he was amazed that the organic matter that nucleated the ice was similar independent of the water source.

Spectroscopically, the ice showed the same features, which allowed the researchers to combine the various data sets.

This means that different parts of the ocean do not need local freezing parameterization, which makes modeling the impact of oceans on cloud formation easier.

While sea spray aerosols can and do act as ice nucleating particles, the Stony Brook scientists added that other airborne particles also contribute to the formation of clouds. A heterogeneous mix of particles creates a competition among them for activation. Dust and certain fly ash serve as more efficient ice nucleating particles compared to sea spray aerosols.

During periods when sufficient water vapor is in the area, the sea spray aerosols can also be activated. When these organic particles do not become a part of clouds, they form supercooled droplets or float around as interstitial aerosols and get transported to other areas, Knopf explained.

As for the impact of global warming, Knopf suggested that such increases may first change the microorganisms’ activity and breakdown of chemical species in the ocean surface waters. “How this impacts the source of sea spray aerosols and ice nucleating particles, we do not know that yet,” he said.

The particular species of planktonic communities may change, as differences in nutrient levels could select for cyanobacteria over the normal mix of algal groups. That could cause a change in the exudates produced.

Locally, Knopf and Aller are working with Chris Gobler, Professor in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook, in Lake Agawam in Southampton, which is prone to harmful algal blooms. The Stony Brook scientists are working to understand if the toxins produced by these algae are becoming airborne in sufficient mass.

“It may imply a health-related issue when aerosolized and one is close to the source,” Knopf explained. “There won’t be toxic clouds due to dilution and aerosol mass constraints.”

Knopf and Aller hope to continue to develop these models by combining their lab work with field data.

“This is an ongoing process,” Knopf said. “The more data we acquire, the more accurate the parameterization should become.”

Veterans nonprofit organizes events to raise funds for expenses

by TBR Staff - November 19, 2022

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3V Cooking for Veterans (1) — Three Village fourth-grade student Mia Goldin used what she learned during the district’s Summer Enrichment Program to prepare French toast for Cooking for Long Island Veterans. Photo from Three Village Central School District

By Serena Carpino

[email protected]

For the past few years, Stony Brook resident Rena Sylvester has helped veterans throughout Suffolk County through her organization Cooking For Long Island Veterans.

Recently, CFLIV has expanded the number of events it offers to raise funds to cover expenses and possible future expansion. One of those events was held Oct. 9, as more than 50 runners and walkers took part in a 5K at Blydenburgh County Park in Smithtown.

Though it began as a school club, CFLIV is now a nonprofit food pantry dedicated to helping homebound veterans on Long Island. Every week veterans receive three breakfasts, three lunches, three dinners and lots of snacks. The meals are provided by restaurants and volunteers who cook in certified kitchens.

One of the volunteers is Karen Fazio, president of the Setauket Fire Department Auxiliary. She said she is always looking for the auxiliary to do something for the community. She saw CFLIV on Facebook and mentioned it to the auxiliary members, a couple of whom decided to volunteer with her.

Fazio said during her time volunteering she has done a bit of everything from cooking, packing up meals and delivering them to the veterans.

“It’s very rewarding no matter which job you do,” she said.

The volunteer said when she drops off meals sometimes she’ll have time to stay and talk a while with the veterans. She said some don’t have families so the work the nonprofit does is an important one.

At a recent 5K event at Blydenburgh County Park, runners came out to raise funds for Cooking for Long Island Veterans. Photo by Rita J. Egan

Sylvester, a retired home economics teacher who comes from a military family, said she started CFLIV “by accident.” During her career at East Islip school district, she created a club that mailed care packages to deployed members of the military. Sylvester and her students sent packages to many local soldiers, including those belonging to the 106th Rescue Wing in Westhampton and the 1st Marine Corps District in Garden City. In the beginning, they would prepare very simple meals. However, in later years the club started receiving food from restaurants, including the Rolling Pin bakery in East Setauket. This allowed Sylvester to prepare more inviting meals.

In February of 2019, the organization began to expand.

“I was going on vacation, and there was a Korean War veteran that was complaining about the meals he was getting [from another organization],” Sylvester said. “So, I brought him a couple of meals.”

Soon, the pandemic hit and many people were concerned about food provision for veterans. At the time, “I had just stopped working at a homeless shelter for veterans, so I knew veterans in need. So, it kind of blossomed out of that,” she said.

Currently, CFLIV feeds 45 veterans around Long Island. Veterans in need have been recommended to the nonprofit by social workers from the VA.

Along with the increased numbers of veterans served, CFLIV receives help from local restaurants, such as Bliss, Elegant Eating and Panico’s Community Market. In addition, the VFW posts in Rocky Point, Lake Ronkonkoma and Patchogue allow volunteers to use their kitchens.

In addition to the recent 5K run, the nonprofit has organized other fundraisers to raise much-needed money. Earlier this year, CFLIV held a bourbon night, which Sylvester described as “a smashing success.”

A car show was held in October, also a cigar night with a raw seafood bar. In November to date, there has been a murder mystery dinner, while the organization has also participated in the 247th Marine Corps Birthday Ball.

It is still difficult to raise enough money to cover expenses. “We pay a cleaning woman, we pay two insurance policies, we have to buy certain things, we have utilities … it’s mostly donations,” Sylvester said.

To help pay bills, CFLIV asks veterans above a certain income level to pay a weekly donation of $10 to $20. In comparison, Sylvester explained, other organizations charge a few dollars per day. However, veterans sometimes find it difficult to pay. The nonprofit will still provide meals to them.

Other problems include lack of driver volunteers, breakfast foods and containers. Sylvester said they are always looking for help, whether it’s buying supplies, picking up food or delivering to veterans.

In spite of these challenges, Sylvester is continuing to hold events and increase volunteer involvement in CFLIV.

“One of the reasons we’re having the fundraisers is because we are going to be working with either the town [Brookhaven] or county officials,” she said. To increase operations, “we’re interested in getting an abandoned building, but nobody’s going to give us a pristine abandoned building.”

Sylvester’s goal is to raise $100,000 before they begin to look for a building.

“We’re going to need staff, we’re going to need insurance, we’re going to have some serious bills,” she said.

So far, all the work by CFLIV volunteers has paid off, and the organization has received help from other food donation organizations on Long Island. Recently, CFLIV became a member of Feeding America and food rescue program Island Harvest.

CFLIV is also a food rescue program. “As much as feeding veterans is important, rescue food is a very, very close second,” Sylvester said. “I love when volunteers take food. I love when we can give stuff to the VFW. Sometimes I do go to the Marine Corps League, and when I do I bring them all this stuff and they go home with a loaf of bread and they love it.”

For more information, visit the website cooking4livets.com.

Additional reporting by Rita J. Egan.

Stony Brook attorney indicted for stealing funds from clients

by Press Release - November 19, 2022

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

On Nov. 14 Suffolk District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced the indictment of Douglas Valente who is charged with two counts of Grand Larceny for allegedly stealing more than $425,000 from two of his clients.

“This defendant allegedly breached his fiduciary duty to his clients by stealing money that was supposed to be held in trust in his attorney escrow account,” said DA Tierney. “As a result of an extensive investigation done by my office, the defendant will be held accountable for these deceitful actions.”

Valente, 56, the principal attorney at the Valente Law Group based in Stony Brook is alleged to have stolen more than $425,000 from his attorney escrow account over a 6-month period in 2020. He is charged with two counts of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree.

According to the investigation, between April 14, 2020 through May 31, 2020, Valente is alleged to have stolen $181,201.67 from a 78-year-old client. Valente represented the elderly woman in the sale of her home and the proceeds of the sale were put into Valente’s escrow account.

Valente was required to send half of the proceeds to his client and the other half was to be sent to her matrimonial attorney to be held in escrow until her divorce was finalized. Although Valente did send half of the proceeds to his client, he allegedly failed to send the remaining half of the proceeds to her attorney in the matrimonial proceeding. As a result, when his client’s divorce was finalized, she was unable to obtain the remaining proceeds from the sale of her house.

During the time period of September 28, 2020 through October 13, 2020, Valente is alleged to have stolen $248,027.84 from Guaranteed Rate Inc., a mortgage lender. Valente was the attorney and settlement agent for Guaranteed Rate Inc. in a refinance transaction. Guaranteed Rate Inc. wired money to Valente’s escrow account to be dispersed. The defendant was supposed to send a portion of the proceeds of the refinanced mortgage to the prior mortgage company to pay off the existing mortgage and he allegedly failed to do so. Because of this, Guaranteed Rate Inc. had to pay off the existing mortgage in the amount of $248,027.84. Valente allegedly used the funds belonging to both clients on his own personal and business expenses.

Valente surrendered to the District Attorney’s Office this morning and he was arraigned by the Honorable Richard Ambro in County Court in Riverhead. His offenses are considered non-bail eligible under New York State law, so he was ordered to surrender his passport released on his own recognizance. Valente is being represented by John Carman, Esq. Valente is due back in court on December 14.

If you believe you have been victimized by Douglas Valente, please call the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office at (631) 853-5602.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Donna Planty of the Financial Crimes Bureau.

CHAMPS!!! Ward Melville girls soccer wins first state championship

by Press Release - November 18, 2022

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Coach reflects on the road to the state championship

By John Diehl

Head Coach Ward Melville Girls Soccer

Last weekend, the Ward Melville girls soccer team won its first state championship in program history. After defeating perennial powerhouse Massapequa in the Long Island Championship, Ward Melville traveled to Dryden, NY, to compete in the Class AA State semifinal against Monroe-Woodbury High School, a program use to success, winning back-to-back state titles in 2018 and 2019.

This year’s state championship semifinal showdown would be played in rainy conditions. After a 0-0 draw at the end of regulation, the game went into “sudden victory” overtime.

Midway through the first overtime period, senior Grace Justiniano crossed a ball into the top of the penalty area. Sophomore Adri Victoriano pressured the Monroe-Woodbury goalkeeper as she tried to catch the ball, but the ball bounced out to the feet of Mia Pirozzi, who scored the game winning goal.

Following the thrilling victory, Mia those defining moments of play.

“Right place, right time,” she said. “I just happened to be there.”

The next day, the Patriots played Clarence High School in the final, where weather would once again be a significant factor, with snow, clouds, and sun taking turns sporadically throughout the game.

From the beginning, we established control and played a great game. We put three goals in the net during regulation, but they were all called back for either offsides or fouls. Once again the score was tied 0-0 in at the end of regulation, meaning yet another sudden victory-overtime.

At the coin toss before OT, captain Elyse Munoz learned that if the game was still 0-0 at the end of both OT periods, then both teams would be declared co-champs. This had happened to us in 2020, when Sachem East and Ward Melville were declared co-county champs, and the team was not going to let history repeat itself.

“I refuse to lose,” Elyse said. “I refuse to tie. I won’t let that happen again.”

We came out on fire in OT, and in just under four minutes of the first period, Maddy Costello passed a through ball to Adri Victoriano, who drove down towards the goal, passed the ball to Mia Pirozzi, just missing the hands of the diving Clarence goalkeeper. For the second consecutive game, Mia guided the ball into the net for the game winning goal.

En route to our state championship, we had an undefeated season with a 17-0-3 record. Along with winning the states, we also were crowned Long Island and Suffolk County Champions.

Our team gave up only eight goals on the season, earned 12 shutouts, and shut out both teams we faced in the state tournament.

Our players of the games at states were Mia Pirozzi in the semifinal and Peyton Costello in the final. Our captains are Elyse Munoz, Elian Hamou, Emma Ward, and Peyton Costello.

All season long, we reinforced to the girls that they continue to rise to every challenge that comes their way.

“It was an absolute pleasure being on the sideline watching such a talented group of players and coaches come together to make history for Ward Melville Athletics and our Girls Soccer program. It was a magical weekend, where so many family members, community members, alumni, and former coaches came out to support the team. … Congratulations to our NY State Class AA 2022 Girls Soccer Champions!” said Kevin Finnerty, Athletic Director.

Ward Melville Patriots defeat the undefeated William Floyd

by Bill Landon - November 18, 2022

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By Bill Landon

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It was a low scoring ground and pound football game where the Patriots of Ward Melville (No. 4) came knocking on William Floyd’s door the No. 1 seed looking to upset the undefeated Colonials in the Suffolk Div I semi-final Nov. 12. Floyd struck first on a 53-yard pass play 3 minutes before the halftime break but the Patriots quarterback Andrew Belli punched in on a 14 yarder with 5:16 left in the 3rd quarter to even the score. With less than four minutes left in regulation Ward Melville senior running back Nick Gaffney answered the call scoring on a 13-yard run and with Brody Morgans foot, put the Patriots out front 14-7.

Ward Melville capitalized on a Floyd miscue and took over on the 40-yard line. Protecting the ball and needing a first down the Patriots let the clock bleed out to advance to the final round.

The win lifts the Patriots to 8-3 and will face Longwood the No. 3 seed, at Stony Brook University Saturday Nov. 19. Kickoff is scheduled for high noon. Tickets can be purchased at: NYSPHSAA – Section XI Events and Tickets by GoFan.

Photos by Bill Landon

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