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Village Times Herald

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PJ Country Club prior to collapse of gazebo and edge of tennis courts, undated photograph. Courtesy of PJ Village website

Phase 1 of the East Beach Bluff Stabilization was the first part of a $10 million initiative aimed at arresting bluff erosion and preventing the Village of Port Jefferson-owned country club from sliding down the slope. 

This first phase of the project was completed in June 2023. By any official accounts of the time, Phase 1 was a success. But within months of completion a series of storms in late 2023 and early 2024 damaged the site, undoing costly work, setting back progress and hampering the goals of the project. 

According to the May 2024 Bluff Monitoring Report covering the period from September 2023 to February 2024, conducted by GEI Consultants of Huntington Station (the engineering firm that designed Phase 1), the village had not implemented recommended repairs, increasing the risk of more complicated and expensive upkeep and repair in the future. 

The report stated that “no maintenance or repairs to date were undertaken by the village following the storms,” further suggesting that the village implements “necessary repair to the project as soon as possible.” 

The report’s findings have raised questions among residents and officials about the long-term viability of the stabilization efforts and financial resources needed for continued upkeep and repairs. 

TBR News Media reviewed GEI’s 2024 Bluff Monitoring Report — required under the Department of Environmental Conservation permit for Phase 1 — and spoke to experts, village officials and residents, exploring the report’s recommendations and the obstacles confronting the village in completing its requirements. 

Costs of phases 1 and 2

At the completion of Phase 1, a 358-foot wall of steel and cement was constructed at the base of a steep bluff, about 100-feet-tall, situated on East Beach, facing north toward the Long Island Sound. 

As part of the project, the severely eroded bluff face — scoured and denuded by years of storms — underwent restoration. Native vegetation was planted and secured with eight rows of timber terraces, and coir logs (interwoven coconut fibers) at the lower section and, toward the crest, with burlap netting. 

The total cost of the Phase 1 project according to village treasurer, Stephen Gaffga, is “$6,024,443 million, of which $677,791 is related to design/engineering/permitting/ surveying, and $5,346,652 was spent on construction.”

At the crest of the bluff, approximately 30 feet beyond the precipice, sits the country club. Phase 2 involves the installation of a 545-foot long, 47-foot-deep steel barrier driven into the bluff’s crest, just a few feet seaward of the country club. The barrier is designed to stabilize the area landward of the bluff and prevent erosion, further reducing the risk of the building collapsing. 

The cost of Phase 2 will be partially funded by federal taxpayer dollars as a $3.75 million FEMA grant, the final approval recently completed this past week, allowing for the village to receive bids for the work in the coming months for the construction of the upper wall. Local taxpayer dollars will fund the remaining Phase 2 expenses. 

According to Gaffga, the Phase 2 “complete expenses are yet to be determined,” he explained in an email. The total cost will be better understood once the village receives bids for constructing the upper wall

The stabilization project, since its inception in 2017 has been presented by village officials as an urgent necessity. With this imperative in mind, the trustees approved a $10 million bond resolution, without a community referendum, in 2021 to fund the project’s two phases.

In a January 2023 statement by former Mayor Garant, after permitting and plans had been finalized, she warned, “If immediate measures to combat and stop the erosion are not implemented, the building foundation will get exposed, will lose structural support, and slowly but surely will fail — causing significant structural damage first, followed by complete collapse of the [country club] building.”

2024 GEI report findings

Heavy rainstorms swept across Long Island in the early fall of 2023, beginning with Hurricane Lee on Sept. 12 followed by another severe storm on Sept. 23.

According to the GEI report, these storms caused “post-storm stress” to the new vegetation leading to plant die off, shifting sands and forming a small ravine — also referred to as a gully — past the western edge of the wall at the base of the bluff. 

To prevent further damage, GEI recommended that the village “replant beachgrass in stressed areas of the bluff face and protect the western edge of the wall by adding a filter fabric and stone.” 

Photograph of East Beach Bluff Phase 1 taken as part of the GEI post-storm inspection after Hurricane Lee on Sept. 12, 2023. Courtesy of PJ Village website

However, two additional major storms in December 2023 and February 2024 brought strong winds and heavy rainfall expanding the damage started in September. A GEI post-storm inspection in the days following the storms found that a large ravine had formed on the eastern edge of the bluff face, further damaging the vegetation, matting and terracing within the ravine.

Photograph taken as part of the GEI inspection report Feb. 22, 2024 showing extensive damage to the bluff in the vicinity of stressed growth identified in September 2023. Courtesy of PJ Village website

In total, the May 2024 report outlined detailed recommendations involving improved drainage, repairs to terracing, laying down of erosion control fabric and replacement of beachgrass. The report’s recommendations concluded with concerns about utilizing honeycomb grids by Coastal Technologies Corp. under consideration by village officials, namely: “GEI has expressed concern that such an installation may not be effective at East Beach due to the types of soils present and the steepness of the East Beach Bluff.”

Despite these concerns, the Board of Trustees at the Oct. 23 public meeting approved a resolution to use American Rescue Plan Act funds at the total cost of $33,920 to pilot test Coastal Technologies stabilizing devices, pending a revised permit from the DEC. 

In response to GEI concerns, George Thatos, Coastal Technologies co-founder and head of design, said, “Our Cliff Stabilizer system stabilizes near-vertical slopes with vegetation, unlike terracing which requires major regrading and cliff-top land loss.” He added, “Our solution naturally reforests bluffs.”

According to DEC representative, Jeff Wernick, if a permit holder “cannot follow a report recommendations due to environmental conditions, DEC works with them to modify the permit to correct the issues. If the recommendations are not followed due to negligence, it could result in a violation of the permit and enforcement action.” 

Port Jeff Citizens Commission on Erosion

This reporter attended a recent meeting of the Port Jefferson Citizens Commission on Erosion. Their mission, in summary, is to act as a volunteer resident advisory group to the village on matters of erosion confronting the village. So far, much of the group’s focus, chaired by village resident David Knauf, has been on the East Beach Bluff Stabilization project.

On Jan. 20, the committee submitted detailed written questions to Mayor Lauren Sheprow expressing concerns about the overall status of the stabilization project. It questioned plans to proceed with Phase 2 before implementing drainage recommendations and before updating the land survey of the upper bluff that is about three years old. The commission urged these steps be completed before soliciting bids for the construction of Phase 2. 

 ”There was damage that occurred since the Phase 1 was completed that hasn’t been addressed, meaning that it keeps getting more pronounced. There were ongoing reports that were done during the past year,” Knauf said at the Jan. 23 commission meeting. 

He added that repairs “should have been done up to now so that whatever was occurring [with Phase 1] didn’t get worse.” 

The commission, to date, has not received a comprehensive update on maintenance done on the bluff/wall as recommended in the May 2024 report, according to Knauf. 

According to village trustee Robert Juliano, any maintenance and repair done during the time frame of the 2024 report “was minor, such as grooming the beach by village employees.” 

Other concerns brought up at the meeting included a request to review a retreat plan allegedly completed under former Mayor Garant and actively participating in vetting of contract bids. 

Sheprow, present at the meeting, told TBR News Media her responses to the written questions from the commission, reviewed at the Jan. 23 meeting, would be posted on the village website. 

“The village will look to enlist the Citizens Commission on Erosion to help facilitate an open forum where GEI will present the Phase 2 project design and a path forward for Phase 1 remediation and restoration,” the mayor said in an email to TBR News Media. 

The 2023 Annual Post-Construction Bluff Monitoring Report dated May 2024 and related items can be viewed at the Port Jefferson Village website at: www.portjeff.com/ 206/East-Beach-Bluff.  

For earlier reporting by TBR News Media, visit tbrnewsmedia.com and key in “East Beach Bluff Stabilization project.” 

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These composite brain images from the study of WTC responders reveal evidence of amyloidosis. Areas shaded in red and yellow indicate regions of the brain with amyloid. Image courtesy of Sean Clouston, Stony Brook Medicine

By Daniel Dunaief

Even over 23 years after first responders raced to the smoldering site of the World Trade Center terrorist attacks, many emergency crews continue to battle the effects of their exposure.

With a combination of toxic aerosolized particles infusing the air, first responders who didn’t wear personal protective equipment and who had the highest degree of exposure have suffered from a range of symptoms and conditions.

Sean Clouston

In a recent study of 35 World Trade Center first responders in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, lead author Sean Clouston, who is a Professor in the Department of Family, Population and Preventive Medicine in the Renaissance School of Medicine, found evidence of amyloid plaques, which are often linked to Alzheimer’s Disease.

The paper links exposure to a neurodegenerative protein.

Research with World Trade Center first responders not only benefits those who worked tirelessly to try to find survivors and to restore the area after the attack, but also could help other people who inhale aerosolized toxins.

Indeed, such research could help those who are spending hours battling the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles, which have been consuming forests and trees, homes and commercial buildings, at a furious and uncontrolled pace.

People have a feeling that fresh air is safe, but what scientists have learned from their studies of the World Trade Center first responders is that “just being six feet away from a pile of rubble that’s smoldering, even if you can’t see that it’s dangerous, doesn’t mean it isn’t,” said Clouston. “There is at least some risk” to human health from fires that spew smoke from burned computers and refrigerators, among others.

Given the variety of materials burned in the fires, Minos Kritikos, Senior Research Scientist and a member of the group in the collaborative labs of Clouston and Professor Benjamin Luft, suspects that a heterogeneity of particles were in the air.

People in Los Angeles who are inhaling these particles can have them “linger in their circulation for years,” said Kritikos. “It’s not just a neurological issue” as the body tries to deal with carrying around this “noxious” particulate matter. Since most neurons don’t regenerate, any toxicity induced neuronal death is irreversible, making damage to the brain permanent.

Even in non-emergency situations, people in polluted cities face increased health risks.

“There is a recognition that air pollution is a major preventable cause of Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias, as noted by the latest Lancet Commission,” Clouston explained.

Two likely entry points

People who breathe in air containing toxic chemicals have two likely pathways through which the particulates enter the body. They can come in through the nose and, potentially, travel directly into the brain, or they can enter the lungs, circulate through the body and enter the head through the blood-brain barrier. The olfactory route is more direct, said Kritikos. 

Minos Kritikos in front of Stony Brook Hospital.

The amyloid plaques in these first responders was found primarily in the area near the nose, which supports the idea that maybe inhaling the dust was the problem, Clouston said.

Once these chemicals enter the brain, Clouston and his team believe the body engages defenses that are designed much more for viruses than for toxic compounds. The immune system can encapsulate these chemicals in amyloid plaques.

Amyloid plaques, in moderation and under conditions that protect the brain against pathogens, are a part of a protective and helpful immune response. Too much of a good thing, however, can overwhelm the brain.

“When there’s too much plaque, it can physically disturb neuronal functions and connections,” said Kritikos. “By being a big presence, they can also molecularly and chemically react with its environment.”

A large presence of amyloid can be toxically necrotic to surrounding neural tissue, Kritikos added.

What the scientists believe they are tracking is the footprint of an adaptive response that may not help the brain, Clouston added.

Clouston cautioned that the plaques and cognitive decline could both be caused by something else that scientists haven’t yet seen.

The findings

The research, which used positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans to search for evidence of amyloid plaques, found evidence that doesn’t look like old age Alzheimer’s, explained Clouston. Usually these levels of plaques are not located in one spot, but occur throughout the brain during Alzheimer’s. 

The immune response may be causing some of these plaques.

The amount of amyloid plaque doesn’t look like Alzheimer’s Disease and does not appear abnormal in the traditional way of testing, but with careful analysis of the olfactory system, the researchers can find elevated levels.

“I was surprised by how little amyloid was necessary to show this association,” said Clouston.

Researchers at Mt. Sinai have examined the effect of exposure to these same particulates in mice.

“The answer is very much similar to what we see in humans,” said Clouston. “That supports this work.”

To be sure, Clouston and Kritikos are hoping to build on this research. They are particularly interested in following up with participants to measure the rate of change in these plaques from the observed amyloid signals they measured at baseline.

“Doing so would enable us to calculate the rate of amyloid buildup allowing us to assess our responders more precisely, opening doors to possible therapeutic interventions such as the recently approved anti-amyloid therapies,” Kritikos explained. 

Additionally, they hope to expand on the study beyond the 35 people who participated.

It is unclear whether tamping down the immune system could make patients better or worse. By reducing amyloid plaques, scientists might enable the harmful dust to cause damage in other areas of the brain. Alternatively, however, a lower level immune response with fewer plaques might, in the longer term, be better for the brain.

This study “does open the door for some of those questions,” Clouston said. Kritikos and Clouston plan to study the presence of tau proteins and any signs of neurodegeneration in the brains of these first responders.

“More research needs to be done,” Clouston said, which specifically targets different ways of measuring exposure, such as through a biomarker. He’s hoping such a biomarker might be found that tracks levels of exposure.

Future research could also address whether post traumatic stress disorder affects the immune response.

“It’s certainly possible that PTSD is playing a role, but we’re not sure what that might be,” said Clouston.

The researchers are continuing this research as they study the effects of exposure on tau proteins and neurodegeneration.

“We are hopeful that this will be an important turning point for us,” Clouston explained

From the Medditerranean to the Atlantic

Born and raised in Cyprus, Kritikos comes from a large family who are passionate about spending time with each other while eating good food.

He earned his doctorate from the University of Bristol in England.

Kritikos met his wife Jennifer LoPresti Kritikos, who is originally from Shirley, New York, at a coffee shop in Aberdeen, Scotland, where he was doing postdoctoral research.

LoPresti, who works at Stony Brook as the Department Head Administrator for Biomedical Engineering, and Kritikos live in Manorville and have an eight year-old daughter Gia and one-year old son Theseus.

As for his work, Kritikos is grateful for the opportunity to contribute to research with Clouston and Luft, who is the Director of the Stony Brook WTC Health and Wellness Program.

“I’m happy to be in a position whereby our large WTC team (the size of a small village) is constantly pushing forward with our understanding for how these exposures have affected” the brain health of WTC first responders, Kritikos explained. He would like to continue to uncover mechanisms that underly these phenomena, not just for WTC responders but also for similarly exposed populations.

 

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Director of Construction/Maintenance Brendan Warner speaks on water main breaks. Photo by Sabrina Artusa

By Sabrina Artusa

On Feb. 3, the Suffolk County Water Authority delivered a presentation to the Three Village Civic Association, addressing water quality concerns and water main breaks.

SCWA Director of Water Quality and Lab Services Thomas Schneider said that the SCWA tests for more than double the number of compounds than required by the Environmental Protection Agency and endeavors to keep levels of these contaminants well under the maximum amount deemed safe. 

To filter the water, the SCWA integrates varying types of filtration systems depending on what contaminants are issues in that specific area. Commonly, the SCWA simply needs to add chlorine or adjust the ph level, but in other areas they filter with granulated activated carbon. 

“[At] each of the pump stations or well fields, the treatment at those is specific to what the water quality is at that particular well…its very distributed architecture rather than, as we referenced, in New York City where it all flows through one main source.” 

With contaminants that are especially difficult to extricate additional treatment is required. One such contaminant is 1,4-dioxane. 

Schneider said,”1,4-dioxane is a manmade chemical. It is used as a stabilizer in solvents and it is also found in a lot of consumer products, specifically laundry detergents, shampoos, and conditioners…this one is very difficult and expensive to remove.” 

In order to remove this contaminate the SCWA uses advanced oxidation procedure systems that use ultraviolet light to break down the 1,4-dioxane. Schneider added that the water authority has put in 16 of these systems so far, mostly in western Suffolk. 

In 2023, SCWA added two advanced oxidation procedure treatments in Northport, three in Halesite, one in Huntington Station, one in Kings Park and one in Huntington. 

According to the SCWA’s water quality reports from 2024, leeching from septic tanks and runoff from fertilizers, and pesticides were common likely sources of inorganic compounds.

In 2024, the SCWA added a new well and a GAC system at Stem Lane and Oxhead Lane. 

“Any disruption in the continuity of water mains or sometimes it could be a surface line. So it could be anything from a small break in the water main or a larger blowout of the water main. Sometimes it is a small trickle bubbling up from the ground,” said Director of Construction/Maintenance Brendan Warner. 

Water main breaks are caused by age or from outdated materials. Since Dec. 1 SCWA has already recorded 300 water main breaks, the second most in the last 10 years during this time. The average for the whole year is 500 breaks. Weather circumstances also play a factor in causing a main break; the freezing and thawing of soil and rapid temperature changes put stress on the pipes. The majority of the water main breaks happen to pipes made out of cast-iron, which are over half of the mains in the county. 

John Marafino, customer growth coordinator, urged civic members to reexamine their water use, get their irrigation systems checked and enact habits that limit water use, both helping conserve water and decreasing the water bill. 

“We have a sufficient but not limitless supply of water,” he said. “Watering everyday is not necessary to keep a green and healthy lawn.”

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Lawrence Martin and Patricia Wright. Photos courtesy of SBU

Stony Brook University’s Charles B. Wang Center Theater, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook will host the university’s February Provost Lecture, featuring distinguished anthropologists Patricia Wright and Lawrence Martin on Tuesday, Feb. 11 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Each will each give a brief lecture about their work and its significance followed by a reception with light refreshments. The lecture and reception are free and open to the public. 

See press release below for more information:

Did you know that Stony Brook University has important African research and scientific discovery centers? The Turkana Basin Institute (TBI) in Kenya and Centre ValBio in Madagascar are both university Institutes and Centers and co-founded by members of university faculty.

Two SUNY Distinguished Service Professors, Anthropology Lawrence Martin, PhD, co-founder and director emeritus of the TBI and Patricia Wright, PhD, founder and executive director of the Centre ValBio will be speaking about their centers and the impact of thir own research to the local and university community at the upcoming Provost’s Lecture Series. The series, hosted by university Provost Carl Lejuez, showcases Stony Brook faculty who have earned the rank of SUNY Distinguished faculty. The distinguished rank is the highest honor available to faculty in the State University of New York 64-campus system.

About Lawrence Martin: Professor Martin is an expert on the evolution of apes and the origin of humans. He worked with the late world-renowned paleoanthropologist and conservationist Richard Leakey to build a bastion for research on human evolution, Stony Brook’s Turkana Basin Institute, which he directed for 17 years

About Patricia Wright:  Professor Wright founded Centre ValBio, the modern research campus in the rainforest of Madagascar where she has combined her research with efforts to preserve the country’s endangered forests and the many species of plants and animals they harbor. She was the driving force behind the creation of Ranomafana National Park, a 106,000-acre World Heritage Site there, which is home to many endangered species, including several species of lemur that she works to save from extinction.

WHEN

Tuesday, February 11, 2025 from 3:30 – 5 p.m., ET (reception to follow lecture)

WHERE

Wang Center Theater, West Campus, Stony Brook University directions

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File photo by Raymond Janis

Poquott speed bumps

 In response to Poquott Village Board communication dated Dec. 26, 2024. I have the following comments to be shared with the community at the Feb. 6 town hall meeting and via our local newspaper.

As a 38-year resident of Poquott I have seen traffic issues take many forms from the widespread and out of control imposition of illegal ticket issuance by employees of the village to the addition of unnecessary stop signs like the one at White Pine and Van Brunt. More recently and sadly it has become known that a resident’s small dog got loose from an unfenced yard and was hit by a car at the junction of Van Brunt and Shore Road. Undoubtedly speeding is perceived as an issue and much of this stems from previous Poquott Board members’ inability adequately to manage the development of what is known this side of the village as “The Middle Kingdom.” In this respect the additional traffic on Van Brunt stemmed from inappropriately relying in large part on traffic egress of the development of new homes via what became known as White Pine. It is my understanding and belief that instead or in addition, egress roadways should have been mandated directly onto the area where Van Brunt meets Shore Road.

The whole matter has parallels I suggest with those who buy homes next to airports and then complain about aircraft noise. Be that as it may, it is what it is and our current board, I acknowledge, has to be seen to address the issue.

However, I am opposed to what has been done in the pilot programs implemented for the following reasons:

1. Why has one side of the village been greatly inconvenienced and impacted with multiple speed bumps and stop signs while the other has a perfectly reasonable digital monitoring system?

2. Traffic returning from 25A to homes on Van Brunt beyond Shore Road now have to stop a ridiculous 4 times:

1. Once at a nasty speed bump as one approaches the area in question.

2. A second time at the stop sign.

3. A third time at speed bump  2, and

4. An absurd 4th time at speed bump  3.

3. I am retired and no longer in a hurry to go anywhere but I recognize that employed residents have stuff to do and places to go and all this nonsense does is irritate and slow their normal progress down to get to where they need to go after which they are far more likely to speed up again to make up for time and energy lost in what are laughably called “calming measures.”

4. Returning to 25A from the other direction is just as bad with stops for speed bump, then stop at incorrectly placed stop sign (where visibility to traffic coming along Shore Road from the right-hand side is not properly  visible) then stop again at where the stop sign should have been placed to start with so that one can see traffic coming from the right, and finally once again at the next speed bump. Who decided upon this madness?

5. Even residents who will grind to an almost complete stop to get over these speed bumps will experience wear and damage to their vehicles suspension systems. This might be good news for those in the auto repair business but no one else. Will reimbursement be possible from the village? This could be financed by getting rid of the superfluous police force and saving further dollars from local taxes.

6. Needless to say, all this overkill results in the proliferation of a nasty aspect of living in Poquott – the unpleasant number of ridiculous signs that are indiscriminately plastered all over village roads and beaches. Talk about “nanny state” — my favorite is the particularly stupid one advising dog owners that they can only go onto the beach with a dog if waiting for or exiting from your boat. Which apparatchik of state thought this one up and how was it assumed this would be policed? It’s like a feeble attempt at a Monty Python sketch.

My suggestion is for the Board to rethink the entire mess. Either get rid of speed bumps entirely and perhaps use digital warning monitors on both sides of the village or re-site a single speed bump at a properly positioned stop sign.

 Peter Stubberfield

East Setauket

Letter to Superintendent Scanlon

Dear Dr. Scanlon, 

I am writing concerning the science teacher who was recently removed from the classroom because of online posts concerning the immigration policies of the new administration in Washington, D,C. My son was fortunate enough to be in this teacher’s class many years ago. She is an excellent and very patient teacher. 

I understand why many reasonable Americans find the current demonization of immigrants to be inappropriate, very upsetting and dangerous. While this teacher’s comments were not kind, they were not personally threatening and appear to be well within her rights of free speech. In the sermon by Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, less than one week ago, she reminds us all that the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors. They are faithful members of our churches, mosques and synagogues, gurdwara, and temples. She asks for mercy and dignity for immigrants and all people in the USA and throughout the globe. 

It appears that many of the responses from the Three Village community to this teacher’s post have been unkind and personally threatening. I ask you to return this excellent teacher to her classroom and ask everyone in the Three Village community to treat each other with the kindness, mercy and dignity we all deserve, and remember that while issues related to immigration policy may be complex and difficult for reasonable people to resolve, demonizing and poor treatment of immigrants is never appropriate. 

Susan Ackerman 

Stony Brook 

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METRO photo

By Daniel Dunaief

Daniel Dunaief

With temperatures soaring, the large gathering of friends and family used programs to fan themselves.

Sweat dripped down my back as I waited in a wooden chair amid bright sunshine to witness and celebrate my brother’s graduation from Colgate University. Thoughts of my brother mixed with a need to find shade and an ice cold drink.

I had attended several graduations before this one, including my older brother’s and my own from college. I recall my Ward Melville High School graduation being incredibly warm as well, but this one seemed longer and more protracted, perhaps because we had to drive several hours to attend.

I pondered all the phone calls to the 315 area code with my younger brother, who complained about the snow, the ice and the bitter cold temperatures, which was an enormous contrast to the stifling heat of that day.

The commencement speaker, Fay Vincent, was the commissioner of baseball at the time. His tenure started when his predecessor Bart Giamatti died of a heart attack at 51, eight days after banning Pete Rose from baseball for life for gambling on the game. 

I thought about Vincent this week when I learned he had died at the age of 86 from cancer. I remember a surprising number of thoughts and ideas he shared during that momentous and proud day in our family’s life.

Fortunately, the sound system on that field was clear enough that I could hear almost every word he said.

He started off by saying that there’s no such thing as a good, long commencement speech. Similarly, there’s no such thing as a bad, short commencement speech.

The overheated audience laughed at both well-delivered lines, relieved that their children’s names would be called fairly soon.

He had three pieces of advice for these graduates. He recommended that they do something good. While that course of action depended on each person’s definition of “good,” he urged people to use their time effectively and to contribute something to society.

He then suggested that people do something well. Merely taking a job, moving on to graduate school, or doing some kind of internship wasn’t enough: graduates needed to commit to completing any task well, whatever that might be.

And, finally, he urged them to do something. That line also elicited considerable laughter from the appreciative crowd, who, by now, was eating out of his hand and wasn’t so sure they wanted this speech to end too rapidly.

He urged graduates not to return home and spend too much time pondering their future. They needed to go out and experience life. And, of course, once they took whatever next steps, they should remember to engage in good work while committing to doing it well.

Recognizing that the commissioner of baseball couldn’t get off the dais without sharing a baseball story, he also offered one about a rookie umpire.

The Houston Astros were playing the Yankees at the Astrodome in front of more than 50,000 adoring fans during their home opener.

Nolan Ryan, the ace of the team and one of the best pitchers in baseball who still holds the record with seven no hitters, was on the mound.

Mickey Rivers, the speedy Yankees center fielder, was stepping up to the plate. The umpire signaled for Ryan, who entered the Hall of Fame in 1999 as a Texas Ranger, to throw the first pitch.

The ball exploded into the catcher’s mitt. The fans waited as the seconds ticked by. The players looked in for the call. The umpire signaled weakly, “strike?” and extended his arm. The crowd cheered wildly as the catcher tossed the ball back to Ryan, who had started out his 27-year career as a member of the New York Mets.

Rivers took a step out of the box and smiled at the umpire. “Hey, it’s okay, blue,” Rivers said. “I didn’t see it either.”

Vincent told the story and offered his advice with such gusto and passion that I can still recall the speech and its effect on people all these years later. 

Is it possible that Ryan was on another team during that speech and that another batter shared such relatable words to the umpire? Sure. But, I can remember the message, the charm and the encouragement (and, of course, the searing heat) as if I were sitting in that field yesterday, celebrating my brother’s graduation and appreciating Vincent’s word’s of wisdom.

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METRO photo

By Leah S. Dunaief 

Leah Dunaief,
Publisher

Cancer. Half a century ago, it was a word only whispered, so dreaded was the disease. It was considered a death sentence. People who had it were often shunned, as if it were contagious. And hospital treatments were demonic. As one cancer specialist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston put it, “We were kind of just pushing poisons and hoping for the best.”

But cancer deaths have plummeted in the last 30 years, as scientists and physicians have greatly improved their understanding of the pathology, and treatments now target some cancer-causing genes. Likened to diabetes, cancer might be thought of as a manageable chronic disease.

What exactly is cancer?

An excellent article in this Tuesday’s issue of The New York Times science section tackled that question. “Every day, billions of cells in our body divide or die off. Once in a while, though, something goes awry, and cells that should stop growing or die simply don’t. Left unchecked, those cells can turn into cancer,” writes Nina Agrawal.

Why that happens and how to treat the problem still puzzles scientists and doctors, but there has been great progress in understanding the disease in its various forms. While they used to think that mutations of genes caused all cancer, that has turned out to be only part of the story. Some mutations lay dormant an entire lifetime and never lead to cancer.

Separate from DNA code mutations, there are epigenetic changes, changes due to our environment in the way genes are expressed, that play a huge role. These may be caused by aging, dietary and environmental exposures, and chronic inflammation.

Some chemicals have long been known to cause cancer, like asbestos and those in cigarette smoke. Air pollution is now thought to increase risk, especially for lung and breast cancers, triggering inflammation. So does eating an unhealthy diet, which “can upset the balance of our microbiome, allowing certain bacteria to grow unchecked. Scientists think this may cause chronic inflammation, which can lead to colon or pancreatic cancers,”  Dr. Davendra Sohal, a gastrointestinal oncologist, told The New York Times.

Interestingly, malignant tumors are made up of cancer cells, as well as normal cells “that have been recruited to support their growth,” according to The NYT. “Many of these normal cells are the same type of immune cells that will flood the site of an injury or infection to help heal that wound—by helping new cells multiply, generating blood vessels, stimulating new connective tissue and avoiding attacks from other parts of the immune system. These are capabilities that cancer cells can co-opt indefinitely to support their own growth.”

Epidemiologists estimate that 40 percent of cancers and cancer deaths can be caused by controllable risk factors. These include cigarette smoking, sun exposure, alcohol use and excess body weight. Some infections, for example, caused by hepatitis B and C viruses, human papillomavirus and H. pylori bacteria, can also cause certain cancers, according to the article.

Understanding better how the immune system works has opened up a new treatment field called immunotherapy, using T-cells, immune system fighters produced or processed by the thymus gland that kill cancer cells in lungs and skin, among others. Engineered by doctors, T-cells, forming CAR T-cell therapy, have been most effective against blood cancers, the reporter said.

Can cancer be cured?

While physicians are reluctant to use that term, newer treatments like stem cell transplants and CAR T therapy make for optimism, especially after a number of years elapse when a patient is in remission.

Research further to develop prevention and treatments must continue.

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Mark X. Cronin with his son John. Facebook photo
A response to President Trump’s remarks

By Mark X. Cronin

In times of tragedy, our words matter. We witnessed sixty-seven people lose their lives, suddenly tossing mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, friends, coworkers, and teammates into the darkest grief. In moments like these we must resist the urge to jump to conclusions.

President Trump, I heard what you said about the plane crash in Washington DC when you suggested that the hiring of people with intellectual developmental disabilities contributed to the tragedy. As the father of a young man with Down syndrome and an employer of people with differing abilities, I feel compelled to respond—not in anger, but to open a dialogue. I am not calling you out, instead I would like to invite you in, to learn more about what people with intellectual developmental disabilities can do and the contributions they are already making to our society and economy.

Let’s not blame people with differing abilities. Let’s not return to a time when they were shunned and ostracized. I want you to see how people with differing abilities contribute to our schools, workplaces, and communities. Across our nation and industries, people with differing abilities prove every day that they are valuable, skilled, and reliable employees. Companies like Microsoft, Walgreens, and EY have built successful programs hiring neurodiverse employees because they see their talent, not their limitations.

As an employer, I can assure you that no organization, least of all the FAA, knowingly places individuals in roles for which they are unqualified. Every air traffic controller undergoes intensive training and testing to ensure they meet the highest standards. The same applies to every pilot, engineer, and safety inspector. The inclusion of people with differing abilities does not mean lowering the bar; it means assessing skills fairly and placing people where they can succeed. That is not to say that no one made a mistake, but if mistakes were made, it is not because they had an intellectual developmental disability.

Mr. President, I invite you to see firsthand what inclusion looks like. Visit John’s Crazy Socks, meet my son John. He is an entrepreneur like you and a leader – EY named him Entrepreneur of the Year. More than half of our colleagues have a differing ability, meet them, see their dedication, talent, and hard work—not limitations. I believe that if you see this in action, you’ll understand why so many businesses, large and small, are embracing inclusive hiring as a competitive advantage.

America’s strength comes from the contributions of all its people. Never be blinded by a person’s limitations, be awed by their possibilities. When we focus on what individuals can do—rather than what they cannot—we build a stronger, more inclusive society. That’s the future and I hope you will lead us there.

Mark X. Cronin is co-founder and President  of John’s Crazy Socks in Farmingdale.

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Pixabay photo

Recently, towns across our coverage area have had to confront the loss innate in progress, especially as it affects the delicate balancing scale of Long Island’s development. In Smithtown, the Kings Park Revitalization Plan enters its final stages leaving some residents overjoyed and others worried about congestion.

Simultaneously, in Setauket, the controversial battery energy storage facilities are being opposed partly because they would be located in population dense areas. These events have triggered vastly differing reactions, but all raise questions: How much change is too much? And, is change worth the loss?

The heart of the opposition in each of these issues is that Long Island is under threat of overdevelopment, as it has been for years. Despite this, it is becoming unlivable due to financial strains. Ever present in discourse across every sector, is the exodus of young Long-Islanders–the skills we lose when each one moves away taking their education and expertise with them, the sorrow of having a loved one no longer within driving distance. 

The Kings Park Revitalization Plan struck the balance—nearly. Some people decry the development it promotes, while others say it is the very thing their hamlet needs and has the potential to bring life and energy back to their community, perhaps enticing young people to stay and build their lives, families and careers. 

Each viewpoint, especially the critical ones, smoothed the rough surfaces of the plan. Paying attention to defects is an essential step in ensuring that we don’t become so infatuated with progress that we forget what we have. 

Some people are still unhappy with the Kings Park Revitalization Plan as it enters its last step before it is voted on for approval. However, their voices help develop a more complete, well-informed opinion on what matters to our community. 

Public hearings may slow down the process, delaying approval, but they prompt analysis and re-analysis, reminding us of the trade offs we need to consider. 

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Ward Melville competes in the varsity cheer coed competition at Eastport South Manor High School. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville competes in the varsity cheer coed competition at Eastport South Manor High School. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville competes in the varsity cheer coed competition at Eastport South Manor High School. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville competes in the varsity cheer coed competition at Eastport South Manor High School. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville competes in the varsity cheer coed competition at Eastport South Manor High School. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville competes in the varsity cheer coed competition at Eastport South Manor High School. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville competes in the varsity cheer coed competition at Eastport South Manor High School. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville competes in the varsity cheer coed competition at Eastport South Manor High School. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville competes in the varsity cheer coed competition at Eastport South Manor High School. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville competes in the varsity cheer coed competition at Eastport South Manor High School. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville competes in the varsity cheer coed competition at Eastport South Manor High School. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville competes in the varsity cheer coed competition at Eastport South Manor High School. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

In an eight-team cheer competition at Eastport South Manor High School Saturday afternoon, Ward Melville was the class of the field in the coed cheer division. The Patriots, the 2024 NYSPHSAA state champion edged out Walt Whitman, the third place finisher, with a cumulative score of 86.35 points and East Islip, the runner up, with 87 points to capture top honors with a score of 90.65.

Ward Melville retakes the mat Feb. 15 for the Suffolk County Championship final at Sachem East High school with an eye on the 2025 NYSPHSAA championship on March 8.

— Photos by Bill Landon

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